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Palo Alto is a city that has an international feel with a large percentage of the population who are international citizens.Why do people come from all over the world and the United States to live in this wonderful city called Palo Alto?

The answer is varied but here are a few of the most obvious reasons. They come to attend or work at Stanford University, Stanford Hospital, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Facebook and the varied professional companies that reside within this hub of job growth in Silicon Valley

Yet the residential streets are charming memories of the past. Properties both commercial and residential close to the Stanford campus offer everyone beautiful parks, excellent schools, restaurants and shopping in small neighborhood shopping areas.

With the wonderful streets of Palo Alto you see people biking from their homes to work on Page Mill Road and to Stanford University or riding the Marguerite (Stanford Transportation) or Caltrain make living or working in Palo Alto very accessible to cities from San Francisco to San Jose

To get a better flare of this beautiful city to work, live or own property just sit back and go to my City Video Tab at the top of my Website and see other areas of interest in Palo Alto or other neighboring cities.

Many people Stage their property in order to appeal to the greatest number of people who will preview their property

Easy steps include making the property look large, bright and without personal clutter.

Here are simple and inexpensive ideas in creating a look of staging without a lot of additional cost for a successful sale or rental of your property.

For the owners of an Apartment Building here are my ideas that always work:

Interior Painting should be Warm, Bright and Easy to work with all types of furniture and colors; therefore my recommendation is Kelly Moore, Navajo Beige for the Wallsand Swiss Coffee for all the Trims.

Add Crown Molding and Baseboards even in the Kitchen area to add style and differentiate your apartment from others that perspective tenants or buyers will preview

Light Fixtures are so inexpensive but often overlooked and new modern Light Fixtures throughout the unit will make all apartment homes look “New”.

A simple enhancement to all Eating Areas and Bedrooms is a nice White Ceiling fan that accents the room and keeps an apartment home cool.

Granite Counters in the kitchen are the answer for updating any kitchen as well as saving on labor costs to install. Unit turnaround time will be less.

To enhance cabinets often just updating the hardware makes a kitchen look “New”.

Another secret to an inexpensive upgrade is to install a Built -In Microwave instead of the old kitchen hoods; this will add more room to the counter space and a convenience to the tenants.

If possible always remove carpeting if there are hardwood floors under current carpets.

These are the best kept secrets to simple but successful enhancements to your property.

The Chamber of Commerce is the connection between the local businesses, city and community. The benefits to both the community and businesses are the resources and sense of connection that the local chamber of commerce plays in every city.The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce just turned 100.

In reading about the early members of course it is very typical that members consisted of a local hardware guy, shoes salesman, banker and other small business owners.

In a recent article in the Mercury News I read that the evolution of American business over the past 100 years of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce has been from small sole proprietors to businesses that represent national and multinational corporations.

The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the puzzle in the development of many projects within in the community. Providing education to the members is extremely important. They have members who are apart of their action committees who interface with city departments within the City of Palo Alto. Many positive outcomes consist of the expansion of San Hill Road and the creation of tree ordinances. Many feel that the chamber has been a key to Palo Alto’s development.

For those of us who belong to the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and live and have our businesses in Los Altos we already know what a special community this is. I always recommend to friends and clients if you are just arriving go into our local Los Altos Chamber of Commerce office or online to locate information about businesses, shopping and community. Every year in October the very popular Business Directory is sent out to 17,000 homes with names and numbers to all local business owners. There are seven shopping areas within the city.

Another wonderful point of interest is the special events and calendar. As a business owner you can join and get involve with community events from a monthly Mixer with other members to being an active member on one of the boards.

The sense of community is very apparent during the very popular annual Fall Festival and the amazing Lights Parade with floats and activities for all ages.

Local chamber of commerce plays an active roll in supporting our schools in our community.

If you are moving your business or home to a new city get involve with you local chamber of commerce and take advantage of the many resources available.

If you really want to get involve give back by joining and making a difference in your community.

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PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY FOR MARKET- When selling a multi-family apartment building or a single family residential home for clients I recommend a few basic steps. Remove the clutter, paint and clean the property including any tree work or exterior landscaping. First impressions are the most important along with curb appeal and location.

FOR COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX- Turn a large vacant area into a pleasant work environment by renting office furniture. If the owners have moved their business to another location ask them to leave some cabinetry and office furniture to enhance the property for showing.

MULTI-FAMILY UNITS – When 100% occupied and subject to inspection take a video and walk the property to show interior and exterior amenities. If there is a vacant unit it may be important to stage so a perspective buyer can visualize how they can market as a future rental.

PROPERTY INSPECTIONS – Allows the sellers to be realistic about their property  in determining a price that will sell and the buyer knows what they are purchasing allowing for a successful close of escrow with very few surprises.

PRICE YOU’RE LISTING TO SELL –It is extremely important to understand sales comparisons in your area. In addition, knowing any costs associated with termite damage from the property inspection reports and obsolescence or deferred maintenance all are important factors when determining a price to market your property.

OFFER DATES STILL SUCCESSFUL – I believe for my sellers the aggressive marketing strategy for an Offer Date is still very effective. Often this strategy is very effective because buyers and agents will preview the property sooner than later. Especially on residential properties you can create a large Open House frenzy. When a home is priced correctly and shows well you can still get multiple offers.

REQUIRE ALL BUYERS TO BE PRE-APPROVED AND READY TO CLOSE- This is a crucial point in any successful close of escrow, a strong buyer with a strong deposit is often more important and the highest price offer.

PERSONALLY ASSIST WITH THE WALK THROUGH FOR A BUYER OR SELLER OF A MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT BUILDING- It is extremely important to explain or answer any questions that a potential buyer will have during this process of the transaction. I recommend that if an owner is not the hands on manager they should make sure the person who knows the property is present to answer any questions from the buyers. 

BROKER EITHER REPRESENTING THE BUYER OR SELLER- It is extremely important to be present at the escrow signing to answer any questions and to see that all questions are answered by the escrow company as well so your clients can close escrow on time.

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1) Confirm that the Property Management Company belongs to a local Apartment Association.

2) Ask them to show you their application, rental forms and leases along with credit reporting forms used when leasing an apartment.

3) Confirm what types of marketing media do they use in the local market to expose any vacant units? Look to see  that the ads are correct and updated frequently.

4) If your apartment building does not have an on-site manager how will they show the units to perspective residents?

5) What are their sources for rental surveys to determine the best possible rental amount and required time to turn a unit?

6) What local businesses, universities and hospital contacts do they have to expose your units to potential residents who will need housing?

7) What are their current vendor contracts and have them show all costs for turning a typical unit with just painting and cleaning.

8) On more extensive work for a apartment turnover how are they prepared with vendor contracting and appliance costs to best turn a unit efficiently and cost effectively.

9) Ask for references so you can check their credibility and always survey the market to see if they have competitive pricing.

10) Drive by a few of their existing properties they manage and always look in the carports to see how well maintained and clean they are during the day and at night.

As a professional Real Estate Broker, I am always assisting my Clients by reviewing their lease space and or business space and advising them in concepts that will bring in extra cash flow.

One example is a client who owns their own building and runs their daily business from that location. On a recent visit to the client I observed that there was valuable space that

was not being utilized. I pointed out that with minimal construction costs and refiguring the space I could lease that space to a potential tenant. I recommend that we meet with a contractor who can provide a proposal and my client can determine if they want to make the changes and lease their space.

Often times the construction costs are minimal compared to the additional cash flow they will receive when I lease their space. The positive results for my clients have been on many occasions a minimum of a three-year lease rental with a three-year option.

Another success story is seeing a clients operation and commenting that one employee’s office was only being used at a quarter of the entire office space. In further talking with my client I determined that much of the employee’s work is in the warehouse and he needs to walk back and fourth across the building. By simply building an office in the mezzanine area over the warehouse, adding stairs and a window the employee can oversee the warehouse operation and be more accessible to the other employees.

The benefits to my client are a more efficient workflow. Once again I leased out the entire extra office space and my client has income from a new three-year lease with a three-year option.

As my clients professional Real Estate Broker I need to be creative, a problem solver and always thinking out of the box. These success stories are a “win win” for everyone.

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Why are some professionals successful and always have clients who refer them to friends, family and business associates. The answer is very simple because they go out of the nine dots and perform what they say they will accomplish and in the end their clients are extremely happy.

This is true in Real Estate or any other services where customer satisfaction is extremely important. In Real Estate you must always be professional and have a team of experts who can accomplish one main goal and that is a Successful Close of Escrow for your clients.

The experience needs to be easy for your clients by having your team at the escrow company, the mortgage company, inspection companies all meeting their respective deadlines.

Your availability and easy access to answering all of your clients questions is the key to meeting their exceptions.

I am always pleased to hear from my clients that they had a great experience because often times they hear that purchasing and selling a property can be a hassle.

The most rewarding feeling for me is when a potential client calls to discuss selling, purchasing or exchanging their property because they have been recommended by one of my clients because they had such a positive experience.

I always make sure that my First Time Buyers understand the importance in reading and understanding all the reports, their deadlines for contingency removals and the importance in meeting all required deadlines in the contract because it is extremely important that they understand the entire process.

I have also had great experiences working with other agents on transactions and because of my expertise and successful close of escrows; they refer me to their clients when they need my expertise in an area or for a specific type of property.

I am extremely fortunate because I have a passion for Real Estate and enjoy every minute in helping my clients achieve their Real Estate goals and they tell other friends, family and associates.

It is always a good idea when in doubt to verify if any permits etc. have been recorded if a seller does not have that type of records available. I have found when these questions are asked that the personnel in the city-planning department are extremely knowledgeable.

When a client goes for their business permit they should always advise that department what, how and where they will conduct their business.

A few examples that have protected my clients in the past are as follows.

On a new lease the Lessor wanted to lease to a dance company giving lessons and who had a requirement for client parking. It was important for us to advise the Lessee that they needed to check with the city planning department and in this particular situation and in fact a conditional use permit and a variance permit were required by the planning department. We then wrote the lease with the necessary time frames to get the permits.

Another situation came about while helping a client with an FHA loan and the particular property they were interested in had a garage conversion. The end result was by obtaining the permits that showed the garage had permits with approvals by the city, the property was then approved with the additional living space.

Another important part of having a client work with the city planning department was a situation where a client was purchasing a duplex and wanted to remodel and add on to the property. Before purchasing the property we checked once again with the planning department only to find out that there was a percentage of building to land restriction.

My client was able to advise the architect and make the addition within the city guidelines.

My experience is that you always want to check when in doubt to make sure the client is aware of their options and this way any issues can be addressed prior to the close of escrow.

Stay in contact with your tenants when leases are coming up and ask them if they will be renewing their lease. If they were planning to move you would arrange with them to schedule their initial move-out date usually two weeks prior to the actual move out date.

At that time you would decide if you are just painting and cleaning the apartment home. If you as the owner want to add amenities or upgrades you would start to schedule the vendors ahead of time and upon the day of move-out they are ready to go. Any new appliances, window coverings etc.can be purchased ahead of time.

Two great ideas that are fairly reasonable and add value is built-in ovens and new lighting. Dishwashers may be more costly but usually will get a higher rent and in a difficult market will set you apart from the competition.

Having vendors as part of a professional team allows you to quickly turn units and rent the units with very little loss of rents. These vendors are familiar with your paint colors, the type of appliances, and upgrades to bathrooms such as new vanities, lighting and have everything down to a science to turn the apartment quickly and efficiently.

If the apartment is going to just be cleaned, painted and floors cleaned you can have the apartment ready in one to two days. The next step is to pre-market the unit prior to move out and test the market at your new rental rate. If you get calls great, if not you can always lower the price within the two weeks.

Internet sites are very successful and allow you to post all the data with amenities and pictures that also help pre-sell units. Floor plans if available are very helpful to show area and square footage. These are very common asked questions by potential tenants.

Another very successful approach to showing the unit once it is vacant is to advertise a tour date and time and ask that they call to confirm.

These steps work and you just stay with the plan on every rental.