How have you been spending your SIP time? I decided to take a DIY attitude and try my hand at a few projects I would normally have hired someone else to handle. They included cutting my son’s hair, coloring my own hair, recaulking around the shower, cleaning the dryer vent duct, and cutting the dry grass on the hillside. I mean, how hard can it be? You buy all the right tools and supplies, watch a few YouTube videos, do a practice run and voila. I am here to tell you that I hope my son can forgive me someday, it’s a good thing we’re all SIP as I have orange hair, my shower stall looks like The Joker applying his clown makeup, and I almost did grave harm to myself with the last two projects. We hire professionals because they are practiced at their craft, they are experienced, can handle the variables as they arise and don’t waste your time and money. I think I will stick to what I know best and that’s 35 years of practicing in all aspects of the real estate industry from commercial to investment and residential. Once we can move freely about, I am going straight to the professionals to correct my mistakes.

The Next Normal ~ May Marin Market Report

What’s the real estate market look like now that some restrictions have been eased in Marin County? Everything came to a screeching halt when SIP was instituted. The market is steadily climbing back to its pre-March 16th levels. We’re taking it week by week and the numbers look very promising. Normally, at this time of year there are approximately 500 properties in Marin on the market. Currently, there are 223 properties or 50% of normal inventory. That is rapidly changing as restrictions have been lifted and properties that should have come on in March and April are quickly coming on. As of May 4th, both vacant and occupied homes may be shown with proper protocols using PPE which are strictly enforced. In this Next Normal, there will not be any Open Houses for the foreseeable future. All Buyers must be pre-qualified, providing their pre-approvals letter from their lender and sign a COVID-19 advisory form prior to entering a home. This has not deterred Buyers and many Buyers are urban dwellers ready to leave high density areas for the relatively wide open spaces and greenbelts of Marin. Coupled with historically low interest rates and the always limited amount of inventory for Marin, it feels like it’s going to be a very busy Spring and Summer!

Post-Covid-19 Consumer Trends

Here are some consumer trends emerging worth noting post COVID-19 based on an article from the Wall Street Journal:

Privacy concerns have loosened and consumers are prepared to pause their privacy concerns and share data in the name of public health.
FRIENDLY TO ROBOTS: Consumers have suddenly become far more comfortable with robots and other types of artificial intelligence performing jobs traditionally done by humans.
HEIGHTENED DISTRACTION: The pandemic has deepened consumers’ distraction because they are overwhelmed by fast-changing information, and the lines between work, rest, play and exercise have blurred at home.
SLOWER MOBILITY: Flexible working means maybe ‘rush hour’ is a term of the past.
MORE INCLUSIVITY: A rising sense of community is fueled when more people are helping those in need, putting pressure on businesses to include disabled communities.
HOMEBODIES: Amid the lockdowns, consumers fully retreated to their homes and immediately transitioned to working, learning, exercising and socializing there. Casual dressing became the norm.
LOCAL PRIDE: The demand for more local brands and products will grow.
IS CLEAN THE NEW GREEN? Companies will need to educate consumers about the safety of reusable products and clearly instruct them on how to clean them.
CLEAN AIR ACTIVISM: As lockdowns loosen and people return to work, awareness of reduced pollution levels will make people more focused on sustainable living.
TAKING CARE: Pre-Covid-19, consumers sought products that offered mood enhancement and brain-function boosts. Amid the pandemic, that concern is heightened as many people struggle with isolation, fear of the unknown and anxiety. They’ll be looking for immune- and mood-boosters and legal cannabis, downloading relaxation and meditation apps and doing yoga.
HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH: A renewed focus on proactive preventative health will grow, especially our ability to boost the immune system and be capable of fitness and health within our own homes.
VIRTUAL SOCIALIZATION: Yes, we crave face-to-face physical social interaction but the Blue Jeans and Zooms of the world will forever alter how we interact with others in other parts both business wise and socially.