I was a speaker at the 2011 PCBC in San Francisco last summer, attended several panels and spoke to a lot of my colleagues in the building industry. Almost everyone I spoke to at this conference considered themselves survivors: We’ve made it through this. We’re going to come out the other side and be okay in the end. The reality in 2011 is that things are not as good as we had hoped they would be, but instead of analyzing the past and swapping war stories about the housing crash, the predominant theme was “Where do we go from here?”

Everyone had ideas – some of them were even good ones – but the most surprising thing I heard from many speakers on different panels was that we have become a nation of renters. They see a trend away from home ownership toward rentals that will last not just years, but decades, if not forever. They cite a shift in lifestyles, distrust of home values and changing demographics. They predict that owning a home will no longer be part of the typical American Dream.

I think they are wrong. To look at what is happening today and assume it will continue indefinitely is myopic and short-sighted. The drop in home ownership – accompanied by the rise in rental demand – is all part of the real estate cycle and it will change. Today, more people are living in apartments because rents are cheap and homes are not appreciating. As soon as the jobs come back and consumer confidence returns, people are going to start to unbundle. There are millions of people living with people they don’t really want to live with: kids living with parents, parents living with kids, young professionals tired of having roommates.

Once they start to move out and get their own place – even an apartment – that is going to put pressure on rental vacancies, which will push up rents. When the cost of renting is no longer such a good deal, especially considering the tax benefits of owning, they’ll start to reconsider. Once home values begin to recover and their friends are talking about how their house is now worth 20 percent more than when they bought it, those “long-term renters” are going to move back towards ownership. Despite the risk of another down cycle, most people in America would prefer to own a home where they can make changes and stay as long as they want, rather than be at the mercy of a property owner.

The question is how long will it take for the cycle to play out? I think we’re already starting to see the first stage of the recovery in core areas, especially markets like the San Francisco Bay area, which is gaining jobs and already experiencing lower vacancies and an increase in rents. Last year at PCBC everyone was saying the recovery was 18 months out; this year they said the same thing. But I am confident about one thing – the housing market won’t stay down forever.

By Michael M.

From the New York Times Science sections comes, “While baboons can’t read, they can tell the difference between real English words and nonsensical ones, a new study reports. Baboons can master a basic element of reading, says a French team.

“They are using information about letters and the relation between letters to perform the task without any kind of linguistic training,” said one psychologist.

He and his colleagues worked with six baboons that were given free access to touch-screen computers, which displayed four-letter sequences. If a baboon tapped the screen when the sequence was a real word, it received a treat.

“The animal realizes what to do in order to get a reward,” Dr. Grainger said. “And they remember the words; they didn’t forget them.”

A similar study is being done on homebuilders who blog…

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We are so excited to announce the new design blog we sponsor, TruBlu Designs! For all you who check in here weekly to get design inspiration for your new homes, the inspiration continues on this new blog. Here is more from Lindye, who currently brings you “Divine Designs Under $50,” and will be bringing you inspiration on the new blog…

“As you homeowners settle into your beautiful new pads, I’ll be giving you inspiration, tips and plenty of ideas to transform your house into a home. In addition, I’ll be bringing you design and entertaining ideas for in home events. Whether it be a house warming, holiday event, birthday bash, or just for fun you’ll have everything you need for a fabulous party here. Consider me your personal online designer! It’s time for you to be inspired, start designing your space, and entertaining!”
xoxo Lindye

California’s Silicon Valley Economic Outlook is Encouraging;
Market Ready for Home Building

The Silicon Valley housing market is becoming a bright spot for California, which continues to suffer from high unemployment and foreclosures.
National media outlets have recently highlighted the improving market. Bloomberg reports home prices in Palo Alto jumped 20 percent in May from a year earlier, the biggest jump since 2008 and climbed 3.1 percent in Mountain View, the ninth time in the past twelve months prices have risen year-over year. The Wall Street Journal takes note of a dearth of Silicon Valley properties for sale, which is often a precursor to rising home values.
Three trends are taking shape in the Valley that will benefit the housing market in this area.
For those currently employed, incomes are on the rise. This increase in wealth occurs on multiple fronts: salaries, bonuses and early disposition of stock holdings. In 2010, Google started the salary and bonus trend by giving its employees a $1,000 bonus and a 10 percent raise. Other companies have followed suit in an effort to keep their star performers from being poached. As a result, salaries for technology jobs in Silicon Valley were the highest in the country as raises outpaced the national average. In addition, many employees (and former employees) of private companies such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming instant millionaires by exercising their options and selling their stock in private secondary markets.
Prospects are growing fast for highly-skilled workers who are currently unemployed as big players including Facebook and Google expand and medium-sized companies advertise a steady stream of job openings. For example, Google just leased 715,500 square feet of space at the Technology Corners Office Complex, near the Eastern border of Moffett Field. This deal brings the total new space Google has committed to in Mountain View and Sunnyvale this year to 1.9 million square feet. Also, Google recently stated that it plans to add as many as 6,000 new jobs in 2011.
Demand is especially strong for highly-skilled workers such as engineers and computer programmers who command above median wages. Anecdotally, Linkedin nearly doubled its workforce by hiring 500 workers. Google will be hiring an additional 6,000 workers in 2011, primarily in the Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, Mountain View and the Peninsula).
For lower-skilled workers who are currently unemployed their opportunities are just around the corner.
Facebook has leased a new 57-acre campus in Menlo Park that could house 9,400 workers by 2016. Apple plans to build a spaceship-shaped building on a new campus in Cupertino that could accommodate as many as 12,000. Twitter is moving into a nearly vacant 805,000-square-foot building in San Francisco and plans to increase its workforce from about 400 to as many as 3,000 by 2013. Google has agreed to pay Mountain View $30 million to lease 9.4 acres near Shoreline Boulevard, where the company is planning a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly office.
This surge in wealth is having a very positive impact on the Silicon Valley real estate market, especially in such areas as Palo Alto and Atherton. As the trend grows this will spill into other areas as newly rich workers bid up home values in suburban cities south of San Francisco.
The Bay Area tech hotbed has not yet fully escaped the grips of the recession. Silicon Valley still has a 10.6 percent unemployment rate — higher than last month’s national average of 8.8 percent. However, the valley created 1,200 jobs last month, and its biggest companies are on track to add thousands more in 2011.

By Jason Kliewer of Trumark Homes

Today I have one simple change that literally changes the entire look of a piece! The key: changing the hardware! Whether it’s an old piece or a newer one that just needs a little pizazz, changing the knobs on an item like a dresser or armoire does the trick. Places like Home Depot and Lowe’s have great knobs of varying styles, and Anthropologie has some of my favorite unique ones. For under $50 you can make a big change! Check out these darling knobs on these once drab pieces.

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall…” I love mirrors! Mirrors can bring a great look to a room and also make the space look larger. Who doesn’t want that?! Choose a large mirror or a collection of them to hang on your wall. Home Goods has so many types, shapes and colors of mirrors to choose from, all at great prices! And if you want a more sleek look, Ikea has some simple modern ones. Now, go get your mirror, mirror!

As spring and summer quicly approach, look here to find some great ideas to spice up your backyard.

Trumark Homes has officially completed their FIRST community!

Back in 2010, it all began at Wyeth Cove, a small enclave of 39 beautiful homes in the
City of Upland. The team could not be more proud of this community, and in its honor we decided to throw a party for all the residents!!!

Of course we had to do this party right….so what did we do? We booked the good people at IN-N-OUT and they rolled up with their food truck! We parked that Big Rig right in front of our private park and served up those burgers, cheeseburgers and double/doubles all custom to order.

Homeowners rushed home from work and their busy lives to join in on the fun!
It turned out to be a great time for the neighbors, some to meet each other for the first time as well as a chance for many of the Trumark Team to meet them as well.

It was just a fun excuse to get together and hang out with good people.

Check out some pictures below…

Today, let’s bring your bookshelves from drab to fab!! I love this simple makeover that makes a big statement. Grab a roll of decorative wallpaper or even wrapping paper and apply it to the back of your bookshelf with a little glue. Mix your books with accessories on the shelves and “voila!,” a whole new look!

Ever wonder what would be the quickest (and cheapest) yet dramatic change to a room? I’m sure you were up all night thinking about. Well I have an answer to your quandary… Paint!! A splash of paint to any room is the most cost effective way to literally change the entire look of your space, all in just one Saturday. Paint the entire room or highlight just one wall. Keep it a solid color, or even add some pattern and texture. Just pick up your basic painting supplies, tape off the room and paint away! In no time you will have a whole new look to your room.