LIVE. LOVE. LOCAL. Your local real estate update & resource
LATE FALL 2023
90 MADRONE
Where Dreams Come True Are you dreaming of building your own house just steps away from the beach but don’t want to go through the planning process? Look no further! 90 Madrone offers a buildable lot with approved plans with San Mateo County for a 2,050 square foot three bedroom and three bathroom home located just 2 blocks from the beach. This spectacular west-side Moss Beach location is close to Seal Cove Beach, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach Distillery, and coastal trails! Peace and serenity on the coast await you with easy access to commute routes to San Francisco or Silicon Valley. Find out more at www.90Madrone.com
"Do what you can to show you care about other people, and you will make our world a better place.” - Rosalynn Carter
In the season of gratitude and giving, I hope you are well and your hearts are filled with joy, peace and love. I certainly am grateful to be a partner with you on real estate journey! Enjoy my late fall edition of Live.Love.Local and reach out anytime if I can help you with anything at all!
Alana
ALANA CORSO VP Experience, San Carlos Broker Associate DRE 01914996 650.504.0270 Alana@AlanaCorso.com AlanaCorso.com 662 Laurel Street, Suite A, San Carlos, CA 94070
We are real estate that
GIVES BACK I truly believe in giving back to the community in which I live and work and I am excited to share the Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation. I am honored to support this program!
1% For Good Overview Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation believes in giving back to the places we live and love. We believe by investing with local partners and organizations who are working to create positive change, together we can change the world. The model is based on agent-inspired giving. Christie's Sereno agents choose to participate in the Sereno 1% For Good initiative for each and every transaction. When an agent contributes, 1% of the gross commission is pledged to Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation. Christie's Sereno has provided over 5 million in funding to more than 400 local organizations. We believe better companies make better communities.
Each Green Corner Established in 2018, Each Green Corner scaled rapidly from a single pilot site to 13 food-producing gardens. We help schools, residentials, and communities to address food insecurity, climate change, and public health Led by volunteers and interns, this great organization educates the community in growing sustainable, permacultureinspired and culturally-diverse food gardens. Each Green Corner is proud to be named one of Sustainable San Mateo County‘s Sustainability Heroes of 2022. This award is dedicated to organizations that make significant progress in protecting our people and planet.
San Carlos Education Foundation
PLATINUM SPONSOR As a San Carlos resident and mom to 3 children that have attended the amazing public schools here, I am proud of my longstanding commitment to the San Carlos Education Foundation. I have been a Board Member since 2016 and a financial supporter since my oldest started in the district in 2009. My office is now the exclusive Real Estate Sponsor with a financial commitment this year of $25,000 to benefit every child, every day in every classroom.
Market
UPDATE The mid-peninsula market keeps trucking along. My personal favorite word to describe the market is WEIRD. The number of listings continue to be lower than historically “normal,” and there is a wide mix of homes selling below list price and several with multiple offers above list price. It typically comes down to location and how wellprepared and priced a home is. Busier locations seem to sit longer if not priced well. Prices have remained fairly steady in San Mateo County as evidenced in the graph below. In some cities, prices have even increased in 2023. The buyers that are waiting for a big price adjustment have been disappointed and even more disappointed that rates haven’t come down much either. Interest rates recently trended down and are the lowest they’ve been in two months which will provide some relief. What will happen in 2024? Experts forecast that rates will continue to drop, but not to the level buyers would like them to decrease. The days of 2-3% are long gone and we will be realistically looking in the 5-6.5% range for a while from what I can tell. Each rate decrease brings back a layer of affordability for buyers which will then push prices higher potentially. We will especially see this if inventory continues to be low.
Data as of 11/30/2023 from MLSListings, Inc.
This year the majority of my sales were due to death and not relocation or move-up or move-down sales. People are only selling if they have to, with a few exceptions of those who are ready to make the lifestyle change move with an upsized or downsized home. In California, 30% of mortgages are less than 3%, 38.6% are 3-4%, 17.1% are 4-5%, 7.2% are 5-6% and 7.1% are above 6%. I think this is one of the major factors why people are not listing their homes, and, as I’ve talked about previously, the ultra-low rates of 2-3% jumpstarted lifestyle moves earlier than they would have normally occurred and flushed those sales out. We also have an extraordinary amount of households in California that would be subject to capital gains tax if they sold their home - over 37% of homeowners, with half of them being over age 65. It’s like we are sitting on a precipice of an inventory windfall but bearing any major change to the tax code, we will just keep trucking on. Reach out anytime if you need help with your real estate. I’m happy to help navigate any questions you may have.
Data as of 11/30/2023 from MLSListings, Inc.
Market
UPDATE CITY
AVERAGE SALES PRICE
MEDIAN SALES PRICE
SALES VOLUME
Atherton
$9,353,157.00
$7,800,000.00
$701,486,766.00
Belmont
$2,217,004.00
$2,200,000.00
$277,125,463.00
Burlingame
$2,844,196.00
$2,700,000.00
$415,252,612.00
Daly City
$1,177,198.00
$1,179,000.00
$327,261,002.00
Foster City
$2,344,737.00
$2,330,000.00
$201,647,400.00
Half Moon Bay
$1,922,132.00
$1,710,000.00
$140,315,659.00
Hillsborough
$6,153,622.00
$5,275,000.00
$578,440,456.00
Los Altos
$4,376,318.00
$4,100,000.00
$866,511,026.00
Los Altos Hills
$6,063,802.00
$5,230,000.00
$291,062,519.00
Menlo Park
$3,611,448.00
$3,375,000.00
$917,307,844.00
Millbrae
$2,034,174.00
$1,962,500.00
$187,143,998.00
Mountain View
$2,709,303.00
$2,550,000.00
$549,988,607.00
Pacifica
$1,383,564.00
$1,302,500.00
$240,740,057.00
Palo Alto
$3,881,824.00
$3,327,000.00
$1,164,547,275.00
Portola Valley
$4,311,118.00
$3,756,320.00
$189,689,206.00
Redwood City
$2,141,912.00
$2,050,000.00
$792,507,357.00
Redwood Shores
$2,562,421.00
$2,457,871.00
$40,998,742.00
San Bruno
$1,388,774.00
$1,400,000.00
$212,482,463.00
San Carlos
$2,405,474.00
$2,300,000.00
$531,609,806.00
San Mateo
$2,035,554.00
$1,820,000.00
$824,399,546.00
South San Francisco
$1,246,455.00
$1,233,250.00
$226,854,891.00
Woodside
$7,155,130.00
$4,250,000.00
$386,377,012.00
AVERAGE $/SQ FT
NUMBER OF SALES
AVG DAYS ON MARKET
$1,806.00
75
65
$1,183.00
125
18
$1,355.00
146
28
$803.00
278
20
$1,067.00
86
19
$806.00
74
33
$1,394.00
94
35
$1,727.00
198
19
$1,606.00
48
27
$1,512.00
254
23
$1,091.00
92
22
$1,563.00
203
15
$875.00
174
25
$1,858.00
300
25
$1,436.00
44
38
$1,155.00
370
21
$1,125.00
16
17
$943.00
153
20
$1,260.00
221
20
$1,160.00
405
19
$881.00
182
20
$1,736.00
54
53
Data 01/01/23 - 11/30/23 from MLSListings, Inc.
Home
IMPROVEMENT
With cooler temperatures upon us, it is a good time to get your house ready for our rainy season! Let me know if you need any recommendations for folks to help you get ready!
Clean out your gutters Gutters need to be regularly cleaned and maintained in order to function properly. Rain gutters can clog with debris such as leaves, twigs, and seeds. This can cause water to pool around the home when rain finally comes, leading to very costly water damage.
Roof maintenance check-up Schedule an inspection of your attic and ceiling to find out if you need to trim back leaves and landscaping, trim back trees, make sure there are no cracked or missing shingles, remove moss and mold, apply coatings or sealants, look for leaks in the attic and ceiling and ensure strong Insulation.
Clear your drains Wherever cold air comes into contact with a pipe, there's a chance that pipe could freeze. One way to prevent this from happening is to make sure every water drain pipe in your home is empty.
Check your exterior paint Having a good well-sealed house can prevent dry rot or water issues coming in from the exterior. This could save you thousands of dollars!
Change your air filter You can find a replacement pretty easily at your local home improvement store and put in a new filter and you will be good to go with your neater for the next couple of months!
For more tips & tricks, community info, my “Mamas in Business” series, and beautiful listing videos, check out my YouTube channel and let me know what you want to see next!
local EVENTS
celebrate COMMUNITY
Light Up the Season Fremont Park, Menlo Park Fri, Dec 1, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Night of Holiday Lights Laurel Street, San Carlos Fri, Dec 1, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This “winter wonderland” themed event will feature family-friendly entertainment, performances by Menlo Park youth, wintry photo opportunities, free hot cocoa, and the annual lighting of the big evergreen tree.
Spread holiday cheer with friends and family downtown! Enjoy games, treats, live performances, and best of all - snow!.
Hometown Holidays Courthouse Square, Redwood City Sat, Dec 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
14th Annual Chanukah Festival Red Morton Park, Redwood City Sun, Dec 10, 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Come rain or shine, we're turning up the festive vibes with an epic parade that'll have you dancing in the streets, featuring live entertainment, carnival rides, and Santa Claus himself ready to strike a pose for the perfect holiday snapshots!
Menorah Lighting, Moon Bounces, Latkes & Donuts, Music & Kids Show, Chanukah Crafts, and Local Dignitaries. This event is Free of Charge.
eats BAY AREA
State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria www.tavernarestaurant.net 3710 Florence St, Redwood City
Margaritas beluga.kitchen/m/vDYLjn 2098 Broadway, Redwood City
A public house and pizzeria inspired by The Golden State
Homestyle Mexican eats in a space featuring a full bar, sidewalk seating & occasional live music.
La Fonda www.lafondabar.com 820 Veterans Blvd Ste B, Redwood City
Timber & Salt www.timberandsalt.com 881 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City
In 2021, two brothers, “Los Carnalitos” decided to bring to Redwood City the roots of traditional food from Mexico City.
Buzzy nook with diverse comfort food & craft cocktails, plus a heated outdoor patio & Sunday brunch.
eats BAY AREA
West Park Bistro www.westparkbistro.com 788 Laurel St, San Carlos
Paris Baguette www.parisbaguette.com 622 Laurel St, San Carlos
Warm, sophisticated mainstay providing select American dishes, plus a wine cellar & outdoor seating.
Enjoy delicious pastries, warm breads, stunning cakes and expertly brewed drinks while feeling right at home.
Alice’s Restaurant www.alicesrestaurant.com 17288 Skyline Blvd, Woodside
Village Pub www.thevillagepub.net 2967 Woodside Rd, Woodside
Eco-minded spot, named after the famous song, serving burgers, BBQ & more in a rustic cabin.
High-end American eatery drawing a wellheeled clientele with gourmet seasonal fare & fine wines.
eats AT HOME These cookies are made for cutting out into shapes because they hold their shape when baking! They are plain, sweet vanilla biscuits that are perfect for icing and decorating as you please – and wonderful served plain too. NO CHILL! Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter , softened (or use salted, skip salt) 1 cup caster/superfine sugar (granulated/ordinary white sugar ok too) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 large egg (55-60g / 1.9-2oz) 3 cups flour , plain / all purpose 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt Instructions Preheat Oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy (1 minute on speed 5) Add egg and vanilla, beat until completely combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Start mixing slowly, then beat until the flour is incorporated – it will be clumpy. Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Pat together then cut in half, then shape into 2 discs. Roll out to 0.3cm / 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 0.6cm / 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies), sprinkling with flour under and over the dough so it doesn't stick. Use cookie cutters to press out shapes and use a knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets. (Keep dough that doesn’t fit in the oven in the fridge). Bake for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway (Note 2), until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on trays (they will finish cooking on the trays). DECORATING OPTIONS: Store-bought icing ;) Melt chocolate then dip the surface into chocolate. Dot with icing sugar and decorated with silver balls Dust with icing sugar Serve plain! They are sweet vanilla biscuits so they are wonderful eaten just as they are!
Enjoy!
CLIENT LOVE "We had a great experience with Alana, both listing our home for sale and buying a new home. She was hard working, high integrity, and I would highly recommend her." - Erik & Sandie, San Carlos
ALANA CORSO Your Trusted Real Estate Partner
Live simply. Dream big. Be grateful. Give love.