August 2020 Newsletter A little real estate A little me

Day 3951803 of quarantine. Or so it feels. If you are anything like me, you find yourself constantly oscillating from being totally adjusted to this new life to losing your mind at the thought of spending another weekend "enjoying" your patio to being profoundly optimistic for improved days i.e. a vaccine. May this month's newsletter provide some respite for your swinging emotions and minds.

Home-buying 101 - Managing Homebuyer Anxiety Buying a home can be a daunting experience for some. It is possibly the biggest purchase one will ever make and there are so many moving parts. Fear not! These are some tried and true tips to help ease that anxiety: Trust your gut. Maybe this is cliche, but it remains a good rule of thumb. Tune out the noise of judgmental family and friends and go with what you truly feel. Once you are under contract, stop looking at other homes. Otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy with all the should've, could've, would'ves. Practice coping mechanisms while waiting for a response, like keeping yourself distracted (hiking, cooking, etc.) or talking through your feelings with a trusted confidant. Also check out the Calm app for various stress and anxiety reducing tips and activities.

Coronavirus - Effects on Bay Area Home Sales People keep asking me how the coronavirus has impacted the real estate market, especially in the Bay Area. Here are some important news about that: Home sales fell by half in May 2020 v. May 2019...but prices are still rising as there are fewer options but record-low interest rates The Monterey housing market is booming due to the exodus from the Bay Area, given increased opportunities to work from home Housing construction is stalled in San Francisco

August Activities

Solano Drive-In Theater - Concord Yep! The drive-in movie theater in Concord is open again. This is an excellent social distancing outing for date night or the whole family. With movie theaters closed for months now (and no sign they will be open again anytime soon), this is the next best thing. Grab some snacks and drinks and head on over to the drive-in! Find showtimes and more information here ! Berry Picking Get outside, avoid the grocery store, and go pick some berries! This is one of the best places in the area to hit up (and apparently the only one that is still open or open at all: Bacchini's Fruit Tree in Brentwood According to Instagram, people have been berry (actually insert any fruit you can pick) picking for a while because it's the season and Covid, so hurry on out to Bacchini's sooner rather than later! Be sure to call ahead to check availability and see if you need to make an appointment. Happy picking!

Recipe of the Month This fruity but not-too-sweet mezcal cocktail is the perfect amount of refreshing and tasty for an August day or night, courtesy of one of my absolute favorite cocktail bloggers, The Social Sipper. Find the recipe here !

Quote of the Month "Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." -Ella Fitzgerald