Rebecca Jepsen

Millennials, those people reaching young adulthood at the beginning of this 21st century, are still facing properties selling for over the asking price. Some properties are still being snatched up before they hit the market or within just a few days. However, we have been seeing reduced or improved prices over the last couple of months, which again hasn’t happened in recent years.

“What I Iove about this age group is that they want something special and meaningful,” when looking for a home, says Jepsen.

It’s my experience that they aren’t looking for a huge home or necessarily a new one,” she says. What is important is being close to their jobs and being able to walk or bike to shops, restaurants and parks.

“Quality of life is really important to the younger set, says Jepsen. “I admire their thought process of being concerned for the environment. They also don’t crave unused space in a home. The priority is to have functional space — not more than they need.”

Christine Walker returned to family friend Jepsen when it was time to sell and purchase her second South Bay property. A nurse in her early 30s, Walker’s goal was to improve the location of her condominium. As with her first purchase, she says the challenge was competing against cash offers and going way above the asking price. She attributes Jepsen’s great negotiating skills for ultimately convincing the seller to accept Walker’s offer.

Rebecca “helped me land the deals for both condos by being invested in the process,” says Walker. She builds relationships, provides a lot of advice, and responds promptly. Recommending Jepsen to family and friends is a no brainer.

First time homebuyers Girish and Gayatri Kalele first met Jepsen at an open house, one of many they trekked through each weekend. Renting in Cupertino at the time, they thought they wanted to stay in Cupertino because of the schools. They have two school-aged children, but Gayatri said, the homes they saw were either too small, not worth the price, or in need of too much work.

Jepsen, she said, “was quite friendly and very honest”. They liked her demeanor and knew they wanted her to help with their home search.

It took about eight months to find their “dream home”, and they had to expand their search to include neighboring communities. They found “the” home in Monte Sereno, a 3,000 square foot home with plenty of bedrooms for their family and visiting parents, but before they signed anything, Jepsen went to work calling upon her resources and did additional inspections of the property which led to a list of some needed repairs. This short list of things that needed attention, says Gayatri, helped Jepsen negotiate a much better price for them.

Faced with the “Google affect”, homes being sold for over the asking price with multiple offers, newlyweds Rusty and Alyssa Hunter were getting frustrated trying to relocate in San Jose. Armed with proceeds from the sales of her condo in Long Beach and his home in Utah, they were still finding it difficult to compete.

Word of mouth from a Long Beach realtor, whose nephew had worked with Jepsen to purchase a home in the Bay Area, led the Hunters to her.

“We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Rebecca,” says Alyssa.

Because they both worked in Campbell, they thought to start looking to buy in San Jose.

“The first time we met, Rebecca drove us all over the South Bay to show us houses in our price range. She explained the different areas. “Alyssa adds that Jepsen even showed them a house that she explicitly said, “I’m not letting you live there!”

Her personal concern about them “made us feel comforted that our best interests were her first priority.”

Google’s announcement that it was going to build in downtown San Jose “drastically changed what and where we could afford,” says Alyssa. “We realized we were chasing offers and unable to find the house of our dreams.”

After putting in a few offers on houses and being outbid, the young couple, he in his mid 30s and she in her late 20s and then expecting a baby, decided to look into purchasing land.

“We figured for the amount of money we would spend on an “okay” house that we would have to remodel, we could purchase land and build the exact house we wanted, “ she says.

Six months later they had found and purchased 4 acres in the South Valley’s San Martin area and how have plans to build “their forever home on it” with about 2,600 square feet, four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and even a granny house and a barn someday. She describes it as “farm-style living with access to big city benefits.”

“Lucky for us, Rebecca has built a few houses of her own,” says Alyssa. “She was able to provide some insight into purchasing raw land and prepared us for the hurdles we would soon face in our building process.”

“It makes it worthwhile to connect with people and follow the process regardless of where it takes you, says Jepsen.

Young buyers, says Jepsen, “just need help in getting their foot in the door.”

Despite the challenges that younger buyers face including a complete lack of inventory, student loans they have to repay, and a limited down payment, Jepsen says that the Bay Area is still the place where most want to live because this is still where the jobs are — and the weather.

Maybe their first home is a small condo or one-bedroom townhouse, but it’s still Bay Area real estate, and that’s the place to start, sell up, and move forward.

Jepsen recalls purchasing her first home in Milpitas as a single working woman. “It took several years, but eventually I attained my goal of living in Saratoga. I’ve been very lucky — but I’ve worked hard for my luck!” she adds. “I relate to people’s trials and tribulations because I’ve been there,” she says. “I have the patience, care and consideration to help 90-year-olds downsize from a home they have spent their entire life in and the energy, compassion and excitement to help millennials make their first move.”

Adds Jepsen, “Being able to work with such a diverse set of clients just lights me up!

If you are thinking about making a move, or just want to know what your home is really worth in this changing market, call me...I am here to help!

Alain Pinel Realtors,

Rebecca Jepsen, 408-357-3990, [email protected],

www.rebeccajepsen.com.