Reconsidering What “Value” Means for Long-Time Monterey Peninsula Homeowners

If you have owned property on the Monterey Peninsula for decades, you have probably noticed that the word value has become slippery. It shows up in headlines, pricing conversations, dinner-table debates, and unsolicited mailers promising instant equity. It is often treated as a single number, a pric

Why Homes Fall Out of Escrow

  As agents, we get this question a lot: “This one fell out of escrow. Do you know why?” Underneath it is usually some combination of hope, suspicion, and confusion. Hope that the door has reopened. Suspicion that something must be wrong. Confusion about what actually happens between “offer accepted

Tax Reassessment: When a Remodel Changes More Than Your House

  There is a particular kind of homeowner we meet again and again on the Monterey Peninsula. He has lived in the same house for decades. The mortgage was paid off long ago. The property taxes are obscenely low compared to what newer neighbors pay. The house itself, though, tells another story. Origi