Benford Real Estate, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County

What does it take to be a VIP?

It’s simple! All you have to do is refer a seller, buyer, or residential investor to the Benford and Benford Team. EASY!

We work by REFERRAL. That means while other agents are going door to door, making cold calls, spending money on ads in obscure newspapers or on grocery carts, we are spending our time helping our clients with their transactions, and spending our money on special client events and items of information that is more meaningful to our VIPs than grocery cart ads or large billboards.

So…WHOM DO YOU KNOW? REFER US to people who are ready to buy, sell, or purchase investment real estate. Refer us to people who want someone to be with them throughout the transaction, to check on them from time to time after the transaction, and who can continue to be a trusted advisor whenever questions pop up. Refer us to people who want their agent to be dedicated, experienced, caring professionals. Refer us to people who want trained agents who understand the real estate market, who know how to negotiate, and are up-to-date with current real estate law. Refer us to people who will come back to you to say thank you!

We have a large group of VIPs. They are very special people, some of whom are pictured here. Will your picture be next?

The Santa Clara County housing market reached a turning point in June, as the number of homes for sale declined after increasing monthly since December. It is typical for the housing inventory to peak during the summer. While this is a modest decline from 7417 to 7219, it reminds us that the supply of housing is not infinite. Meanwhile, the number of closed sales dipped marginally but pending sales continue to increase in pace. Sellers still need to market and price their homes competitively, but buyers who are waiting for further market declines before making a purchase face an increasing risk of missing the bottom of the market. Nobody knows exactly when property values will begin climbing again, but missing the mark by a few months is insignificant compared to the long-term appreciation seen over periods of 10 or more years!

Here’s a look at the local markets within Santa Clara County. Figures represent months of inventory based on closed sales during the month of June 2008, using data from MLSListings, Inc. The lower the number, the more favorable the market is to sellers; the higher the number, the more favorable the market is to buyers.

Sellers’ Markets: Palo Alto (1.4); Los Altos (1.8); Cupertino (2.3); Mountain View (3.0)

Balanced Markets: Sunnyvale (3.5); San Jose-Almaden Valley (3.7); Santa Clara (4.6); Los Gatos (5.0); San Jose-Willow Glen (5.5); San Jose-Cambrian (5.5); Campbell (5.7); San Jose-Santa Teresa (5.7); Los Altos Hills (6.0)

Buyers’ Markets: San Jose-Blossom Valley (6.7); Saratoga (6.8); San Jose-Berryessa (7.1); Los Gatos Mountains (7.6); San Jose-Evergreen (8.7); Morgan Hill/Gilroy (9.3); Milpitas (9.4); San Jose-Central (9.7)

Significant Buyers’ Markets: San Jose-Alum Rock (14.9); San Jose-South (16.6)

Countywide: 6.6 months of inventory (slight buyers’ market)