Category: Column: MC Dwyer

By M.C. Dwyer As economic policy changes continue to be announced, the resulting gyrations in financial markets suggest that the latest strategies from the Administration have introduced economic risks and uncertainty.  “There’s so much uncertainty; things can quickly change,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS®. “Once conditions improve for mortgage rates and inventory, pent-up demand… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer Last month, there were 14 single family home sales in the San Lorenzo Valley – about the same as January, about 8% more than in February 2024. The number of sales is too small to be statistically accurate, but it seems clear prices rose (3% for the month and 13% for the year). Yet, a full 25%… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer Septic Disclosure Update Santa Cruz County just extended the acceptable timeframe for home sellers’ Septic Point of Sale Disclosure from 6 months to one year. The point of sale requirements include leach field flow tests on their ability to absorb a brief plumbing problem.  The new form still allows a seller to transfer repairs to a buyer.… Read More

Economists are Cautiously Optimistic  By M.C. Dwyer The 2025 economic and housing outlook for California and the U.S. is a mixed bag: forecasts predict modest price growth and a slight rebound in the number of sales.     But costs constrain home buyers — California’s affordability just dropped to a depressingly low 14%, about half the rate of 30% back in 2020… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer The housing market tends to slow in November as people begin to plan for winter holidays, and home touring activity is affected by the weather. This year, home buyers and sellers are also contending with war in the Middle East, political uncertainty in the US, and higher mortgage rates. As California retains the #1 position with the… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer Unable to sleep the other night, I wandered outside to enjoy the crickets. A mesmerizing mist drifted through the redwoods and across the sky, intermittently floating across the moon. A bright circle with hints of rainbows shimmered around the moon, and I remembered that, as a child, I’d heard farmers predict a change in weather after a… Read More

By MC Dwyer Consumer sentiment recently improved on two fronts: about 80% of consumers expressed improved job security while 66% feel it’s a good time to sell, but only 25% thought mortgage rates would decrease. After reaching a peak of 7.8% in October of ’23, 30 year fixed mortgage rates have settled into a range between 6.75% and 7.25%, rising… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer Remember the gorgeous valley oak that graced downtown Ben Lomond for over a century, in front of Scarborough Hardware store? A few years ago, the giant tree fell over as it succumbed to rot. Fortunately, there’s another heritage oak still standing in front of Henflings. Few people knew it would fall, because the tree still looked strong… Read More

By M.C. Dwyer For years, everyone in the housing market has been lamenting the housing shortage – not enough homes for sale to satisfy buyer demand. That created a sellers’ market with multiple offers leading to rising home prices. But recently I’ve watched a new trend emerging on my daily hotsheet on the MLS: the number of homes sold has… Read More