Milpitas North San Jose Berryessa Real Estate News

2. Distressed inventory in centrally located neighborhoods.  Affordable housing in inner-ring suburbs or center city areas may be real estate's sweet spot in 2012, Block says, because buyers today aren't looking just for bargains, they're looking for convenience and lifestyle amentities.  A 2011 survey of U.S. adults conducted for NAR by research firm Belden Russonello & Stewart seems to support Block's assertion.  Nearly six in ten adults (58 percent) said they'd prefer to live in a neighborhood with a mix of houses and stores and other businesses within an easy walk.

Block says he has seen first-hand the shift among both first-timers and retirees toward smaller, close-to-the-city homes in walkable neighborhoods.  He reaches out to potential clients by using social media and blogging to talk about issues like lengthy commutes.