Janie and John's February Newsletter

Real Estate Insights

February 2024
A quick 4 minute read

Crunching Numbers

Those that know me know that I am a bit of a geek (some might say I should omit "a bit of" in that sentence!). I enjoy analyzing listing and sales data looking at the trends, assessing market "moods," prognosticating on the future, etc. If you have such inclinations, even occasionally, then you will love the new Local Market Trends section below. In it you will find links to flipbooks that go into great detail on current market conditions in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. No stale, backward looking historical numbers or vaguely interesting national data here, just recent and relevant information on our local market. After all, real estate has always been highly local.

Water, Water Everywhere*

I admit it. I am not only a numbers geek, but also a water geek. During periods of heavy rain, I find myself checking water flows and reservoir levels at Trinity Lake and Lake Shasta in far Northern California. I find it fascinating that both of these reservoirs at times have risen up to 2 feet in a 24-hour period - that's an inch an hour! Considering these are the 3rd largest and largest reservoirs in California, respectively, this is a lot of water in a short period of time (think atmospheric river conditions).

My fascination, of course, is self-serving. Since the early '90s (before kids) we have spent 1 week each summer up in the Trinity Alps getting away from it all. Trinity Lake and the surrounding creeks are our playground during this escape, and let's face it, water activities are fun during the summer when local temperatures can soar above 100 degrees. And of course these reservoirs are two of the "water banks" that help determine our drought level, if any.

While reservoir water level data is available from numerous sources and in many formats, I like California Data Exchange Center (a state-run resource) in particular. If you want to be a water geek too here are a couple of places to start:

Lake Shasta Reservoir
Trinity Lake Reservoir
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

To help start your journey, here are a couple of facts courtesy of watereducation.org:

1 acre-foot is roughly the amount of water needed to cover a football field in 1 foot of water.
1 acre-foot is enough to serve the water needs of 2-3 families per year.
1 acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons.
Lake Shasta has a storage capacity of 4,550,000 acre-feet!

* Pictured are Janie and Chase catching some air on Trinity Lake in 2009.

Local Market Trends

We have access to a tremendous amount of real estate data, most of which is way more current than you read in the press. If you want to take a deeper dive into the latest numbers, start here:

San Mateo County Real Estate Report
Santa Clara County Real Estate Report

If you want to see the data for a specific city, let us know and we will gladly forward that along!

Featured Listings and Sales

Sale Pending ~ Spacious Townhome with Greenbelt Views

36 Holmes Drive, San Jose

3 beds, 2.5 baths in 2,492 sq. ft.
Listed for $999,888

Luxury Property Collection

Looking for a luxury property or even a brief escape from reality? Flip through our online magazine, Compass Luxury, for some of the most exclusive listings in the United States.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and family - and remember, we are never too busy for your referrals!

Janie and John Barman

DRE #01270223 & #01281597
Realtors®
M: 650.759.1182
jbarman@compass.com

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 1527235, 1527365, 1356742, 1443761, 1997075, 1935359, 1961027, 1842987, 1869607, 1866771, 1527205, 1079009, 1272467. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.