Harv Balu's blog

I am hosting the open house at 31967 Albany St in Hayward's Fairway Park this Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Both days, open to the public. Walk in, no appointment needed.

Here is the short version of why it is worth the drive. It is a detached single story house on a flat 5,000 square foot lot, it has been through a full interior remodel, and it is asking $898,000, which is below the median price 94544 houses actually sold for in August. At this price in this ZIP, buyers usually have to choose between a house that is finished and a house that...

At 11 AM today the Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time since July 2023, a quarter point to 3.75% to 4.00% on a 12 to 0 vote. The odds we printed in our daily report all week said it was coming, and the bond market had already moved. So the useful question is not what happened. It is what actually changes for a buyer or seller in Fremont, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, Hayward or San Jose this fall.

My full write-up on HarvRealtor.net is built around seven charts you can tap, not a wall of text, with the local math in real dollars:

• What the Fed did and what it...