Blog - Ian St. Hill

Market Trends 4 interior-design trends that’ll disappear in 2023, and 5 you’ll see everywhere

Buyer Tips & Strategy 10 Things You’ll Regret Overlooking when Buying a Home

Market Trends 7 Home Trends We’re Leaving Behind In 2022

Investor tips and strategy Don’t Forget to Make This Smart Investing Move Before the End of the Year

Market Trends Why Experts Say the Housing Market Won’t Crash Some Highlights Many people remember the housing crash in 2008, but experts say today’s market is fundamentally different in many ways. First, there isn’t an oversupply of homes for sale today. Plus, lending standards are much tighter, and homeowners have record levels of equity. That means signs say there won’t be a wave of foreclosures like the last time. If you have questions about […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy Why Today’s Housing Inventory Proves the Market Isn’t Headed for a Crash Whether or not you owned a home in 2008, you likely remember the housing crash that took place back then. And news about an economic slowdown happening today may bring all those concerns back to the surface. While those feelings are understandable, data can help reassure you the situation today is nothing like it was in 2008. […]

1st Time Home Buyer Why You May Want To Start Your Home Search Today If you’re thinking about buying a home, you likely have a lot of factors on your mind. You’re weighing your own needs against higher mortgage rates, today’s home prices, and more to try to decide if you want to jump into the market. While some buyers may wait things out, there’s a reason serious buyers are making […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy What’s Actually Happening with Home Prices Today? One of the biggest questions people are asking right now is: what’s happening with home prices? There are headlines about ongoing price appreciation, but at the same time, some sellers are reducing the price of their homes. That can feel confusing and makes it more difficult to get a clear picture. Part of the challenge is […]

Market Trends What Would a Recession Mean for the Housing Market? According to a recent survey from the Wall Street Journal, the percentage of economists who believe we’ll see a recession in the next 12 months is growing. When surveyed in July 2021, only 12% of economists consulted thought there’d be a recession by now. But this July, when polled, 49% believe we will see a recession in the […]

Commercial California Issues Guidelines for More Pandemic-Related Retail Openings Rules Also Cover Manufacturing, Logistics and Other ‘Low Risk’ Locations Serving Stores California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced guidelines allowing low-risk retail and industrial facilities to reopen starting Friday. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr) By Lou Hirsh CoStar News May 7, 2020 | 05:47 P.M. California officials issued second-stage guidelines intended to put more retail, logistics and manufacturing companies on […]

Commercial Office Sublease Availability in San Francisco Jumps By 1 Million Square Feet in 2020 CoStar Insight: Further Rise Expected as Tech Firms Slash Payrolls By Jesse Gundersheim CoStar Analytics May 7, 2020 | 02:20 P.M. If you’re currently looking for office space in San Francisco, there’s a good probability that you’ll be considering a sublease option. Roughly 30% of the available space in the market is listed for sublease from […]

Commercial Coronavirus Reveals the Weak Links in Global Supply Chains CoStar Insight: Why China Stands to Lose and US Stands to Benefit in the Wake of COVID-19 Most manufacturing is expected to reshore to other parts of Asia post-pandemic, a factor that will help keep steady port traffic in West Coast markets such as Los Angeles, Seattle and Oakland. (iStock) By Brooks Staley CoStar Advisory Services […]

Commercial Plunge in Bay Area Leasing Activity Highlights Challenges Moving Forward CoStar Insight: Weekly Figures Showcases Coronavirus’ Effect on Retail Sector By Marco Cugia CoStar Analytics May 6, 2020 | 01:13 P.M. The unprecedented drop seen in new leasing activity around the San Francisco Bay Area is hardly surprising given the limitation on the population under the current shelter-in-place order, which went into effect on March 17 […]

Commercial Retail Loan-To-Value Levels On Steadier Footing Heading Into Economic Downturn CoStar Insight: Retail Properties Facing Major Headwinds, But Debt Levels Are Lower Than Just Before Financial Crisis Retail investors and lenders have been far more conservative in recent years compared to the years leading into the Great Recession. (CoStar) By Marco Cugia CoStar Analytics May 5, 2020 | 02:56 P.M. Retail properties are expected to have […]

Commercial California Moves to Let Next Wave of Retailers Reopen in Pandemic Governor: Clothing, Sporting Goods, Flower Stores to Sell Items Starting Friday Gov. Gavin Newsom said counties in California are being given more leeway to decide the pace of business openings based on local circumstances, provided they file contingency plans with the state. (Getty Images) By Lou Hirsh CoStar News May 4, 2020 | 03:51 P.M. Gov. […]

Market Trends Why 2021 Is Still the Year To Sell Your House If you’re trying to decide whether or not to sell your house, this is the time to think seriously about making a move. Fannie Mae’s recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) reveals the number of respondents who say it’s a good time to sell is higher now than it was over the past few summers (see graph below). Today, the majority of consumers, […]

1st Time Home Buyer If Housing Affordability Is About the Money, Don’t Forget This. There are many non-financial benefits of buying your own home. However, today’s headlines seem to be focusing primarily on the financial aspects of homeownership – specifically affordability. Many articles are making the claim that it’s not affordable to buy a home in today’s market, but that isn’t the case. Today’s buyers are spending approximately 20% of their income on […]

Market Trends The Difference in Net Worth Between Homeowners and Renters Is Widening Becoming financially secure is an important goal for many people today, but some don’t realize just how much homeownership can help them achieve that dream. A recent report, The Journey Toward Financial Freedom, surveys Americans about their perspective on financial wellness and their goals. It shows there may be a significant misconception about the role owning a home […]

1st Time Home Buyer What Buyers and Sellers Need To Know About the Appraisal Gap It’s economy 101 – when supply is low and demand is high, prices naturally rise. That’s what’s happening in today’s housing market. Home prices are appreciating at near-historic rates, and that’s creating some challenges when it comes to home appraisals. In recent months, it’s become increasingly common for an appraisal to come in below the contract price on […]

1st Time Home Buyer What You Can Do Right Now To Prepare for Homeownership As rent prices continue to soar, many renters want to know what they can do to get ready to buy their first home. According to recent data from ApartmentList.com: “The first half of 2021 has seen the fastest growth in rent prices since the start of our estimates in 2017. Our national rent index has increased by 11.4 percent […]