Napa, Solano and Sonoma County Real Estate
Kathy Luebcke
| Broker/Owner
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend, Real Estate News
A couple of recent developments made the news recently that promised to impact Napa’s real estate scene either now or in the future. The one that got most of the attention last Wednesday came from a familiar source: Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. Her news conference’s less-than-stirring pronouncement (“Caution is appropriate”) made headlines nonetheless because… Continued
March 25, 2016
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
This spring’s Napa housing market continues to reflect most of the trends that have held sway across much of the nation. There is good news, not-so-good news, and (happy to report) no really bad news at all. In fact, it’s the absence of threatening factors that makes our housing market a welcoming one for those… Continued
March 13, 2016
By Kathy Luebcke | General, Market Trend
Any way you cut it, real estate makes up a huge chunk of the overall economy. One consequence of that is that the health of the real estate industry is constantly being put under a microscope (if it were a human patient, it would probably grow alarmed by all the doctors and specialists constantly calling… Continued
February 24, 2016
By Kathy Luebcke | Homeowner, Market Trend
Especially this time of year—and even more especially when Napa’s weather turns grisly—common sense would seem to lead any homeowner planning to sell their Napa home this year to hold off for the moment…at least until Punxutawney Phil’s forecast starts to come true (the venerable groundhog said that winter 2016 will be a short one)…. Continued
February 22, 2016
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
Last week, those of us who were out and about during the increasingly short daylight hours could take in what looked like the regular number of Napa homes decked out with the familiar holiday paraphernalia. When the weather cooperates, it can’t help but bring a smile to your face to spot the reindeer, Santas, menorahs,… Continued
December 26, 2015
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
When it comes to selling Napa luxury homes, you really can’t pigeonhole who the ‘typical’ buyer is likely to be. The 9% of buyers that make up the pool of ‘affluent’ prospects are themselves pretty much profile-proof—and the dollar value that 9% represents fluctuates substantially from one end of the country to the other. On… Continued
December 6, 2015
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
The possibility that a Napa real estate bubble might be forming again is a subject that draws everybody’s attention. For all of us who went through the subprime mortgage mess and drop-off in Napa real estate prices, the possibility that the current ongoing rebound might be evidence of another price bubble is a matter of… Continued
December 4, 2015
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
Suppose you are a Napa homeowner who intends to move to a different home eventually, but for the moment, you aren’t under any particular deadline pressure that would dictate when you have to put your home on the market. In that case, you’re likely to keep tabs on overall market conditions, awaiting what looks like… Continued
July 17, 2015
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend, Real Estate News, Rental
“WHY YOUR RENT CHECK JUST KEEPS GOING UP” was the headline in CNN Money’s real estate special report last month, which could have explained to Napa renters why it is that U.S. rents keep rising faster than home values. After all, that doesn’t seem to make sense! The list of reasons was long, and taken… Continued
July 6, 2015
By Kathy Luebcke | Market Trend
Today’s Napa real estate market is an alien landscape compared with what it was ten years ago, when it seemed as if a seller could just plant a sign in the front yard and wait for competing offers to roll in. This summer’s real estate scene is equally unlike that of five years ago, when… Continued
July 1, 2015