My family and I make a trip to the central Oregon area every year for Thanksgiving. First EUGENE, to stay with my husbands family, then on to the coastal city of Florence. Here we stay at the most wonderful hotel called the Driftwood Shores in situated right on the ocean shore. True to the name every morning there is new driftwood to be found on the beach. We pack 3 small but large families in all the rooms with enough space to breath and enjoy each others company. Driftwood has a three room unit that includes a kitchen, fireplace and is on the ground floor. This is great because the children get to jump right over the patio railing to hit the beach!

Oregon is a very wet area and it’s double wet in the winter so be ready for a chilly good time. Though, we do tend to get the sunny morning break from the clouds at times. We love this tradition and hope that everyone reading does something they love during this holiday.

We have much to give thanks for during this holiday, like our many clients and new friends, our health and happiness, our favorite TV shows. Mostly, I think this holiday is to give thanks for our family and close friends. These are the people that do so much and it’s great to have a special time each year to be with them.

It may not seem like it, but economists are saying the housing market is beginning to recover from its downturn. We are still going to experience a lot of pain, however, and a complete recovery will depend on financing, according to Joel Singer, economist and executive vice president of the California Association of REALTORS®.

“The good news is the sanity in housing has returned,” Singer told members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® at my local trade association’s annual meeting held at the Computer History Museum. “The bad news is there has been tremendous dislocation - the trade-up market has been badly damaged, and although the recovery is underway, it just doesn’t feel good.”

While he worries about the federal government’s “Spend Now – Worry Later” fiscal policy, troubling as it may seem - the federal budget deficit will reach $1.6 trillion this year - it is helping the economy get back on its feet.

“The fact of the matter is a year ago we were looking at an economic meltdown,” Singer stated. “The market is currently reflecting more upside opportunities than downside risk, as painful as it seems.”

In California, sales are improving at a faster rate than much of the country, with California topping all states with a 10 percent market share of all FHA lending in the country. C.A.R. predicts the median home price in California will rise 3.3 percent to $280,000 in 2010 compared with a projected median of $271,000 this year; sales for 2010 are expected to decrease 2.3 percent to 527,500 units, compared with the projected 540,000 units in 2009.

To read more about the real estate market of Silicon Valley go HERE!

Where does the time go? November is here already and the days are shorter and colder. Though, today was great with the sun shining bright. I love this time of year with the Blossom Valley mountain sides all turning green. I imagine eBlossom Valley before all the South San Jose homes were built. With orchards from one hillside to the other. At this  time all the tree’s harvest is in and they began preparing for winter.

Today’s Blossom Valley is a different area with far fewer fruit trees and only the green hills left behind. The blossom valley real estate market has changed in many ways too. This week there are 42 blossom valley homes on the active list. Top 25% of homes in the area have been selling for a Median price of $630,000 and the lower 25% have been selling for a Median Price of $399,450.

Blossom Valley inventory has been tightening and the days-on-market has been decreasing recently. The Market Action Index has been climbing upward to a condition that would favor the seller all summer long but in the last few weeks has turned flat. This helps to keep the 95123 area a buyers market for the time being.

For a full market report on the San Jose 95123 area please send me an email or give me a call at 408.85o.7994