Harv Balu's blog

Ask ten renters what it takes to buy a home and most give the same number: 20% down. On a typical Bay Area home that is close to $300,000 in cash, and it is the single most expensive myth in real estate. For most buyers, 20% down was never the rule. Here is the whole thing in about five minutes.

► Watch the explainer on YouTube

• The myth vs the reality: the average first time buyer nationwide puts down about 9%, less than half the 20% figure most people assume they need.
• Your real options: Conventional 97, HomeReady, and Home Possible start at 3%, FHA at 3.5%, and VA...

The Fremont housing market just posted its June 2026 numbers, and the short version is this: it is still a seller's market, and a tight one. Here is where things stand for single family homes.

• Median sold price: $1,715,000, down 2.56% from last month.
• Days on market: a median of 11 days, essentially unchanged from last month.
• Sold to list: 102.6% of list price, so the typical home closed over asking.
• Supply: 1.73 months of inventory, well under the 6 month balanced line.

I broke the whole picture down, the price pipeline, the five year price and value context, and a...