Mixed signals for buyers

[Allan from Fallbrook]

raptor: You want a scream? My folks bought their house in Los Altos Hills (before it was Los Altos Hills, it was just Los Altos back then) in 1966 for $22,000. My dad moaned for years about how expensive that house was, but my mom had to have it, so he bought it for her. Comparable homes in Mountain View at the time were going for about half that. It was in the hills above Foothill Expressway, and sold for over $800k when my dad retired in ’89. Same house went for over $1.8MM three years ago. Gotta love Silicon Valley.

Speaking of Ferraris: A girl I went to high school with got one for her 18th birthday. Her dad, a former HP’er, had sold his company and made some twenty odd million. This was ’82 and, following the Apple IPO of a year or so earlier, really ushered in the Silicon Valley prosperity you see today. Interesting times, to say the least.

[Dukehorn]

I think raptorduck gives a solid indication of the high end of the market in the Bay Area. I know some officers of various companies that have made recent purchases (one in Los Altos, the other in Hillsborough). But the big wealth buyers have never been the issue in the Bay Area.

I think what would be considered the “middle market”–600,000-1 million, is running pretty slow (at least in Sunnyvale). Folks aren’t interested in paying that for a 1200 sq ft home that sold for $400,000 back in 2003, especially if they have 2 kids.

Google is slowing its hiring. The VMware stock drop and the yahoo layoffs are the hot topic of conversation. My friend was going to rent a townhome (again rentals are lagging behind sales price) from a yahoo couple, but with the upcoming layoffs, they’re thinking about selling and leaving the state.

Folks who have been exercising their options are keeping prices reasonably solid in the mid-Peninsula. But google has definitely lowered the size of its option grants since 2005, so it’s hard to say if there will be an immediate wave of new google wealth anytime soon.

[Dukehorn]

I think raptorduck gives a solid indication of the high end of the market in the Bay Area. I know some officers of various companies that have made recent purchases (one in Los Altos, the other in Hillsborough). But the big wealth buyers have never been the issue in the Bay Area.

I think what would be considered the “middle market”–600,000-1 million, is running pretty slow (at least in Sunnyvale). Folks aren’t interested in paying that for a 1200 sq ft home that sold for $400,000 back in 2003, especially if they have 2 kids.

Google is slowing its hiring. The VMware stock drop and the yahoo layoffs are the hot topic of conversation. My friend was going to rent a townhome (again rentals are lagging behind sales price) from a yahoo couple, but with the upcoming layoffs, they’re thinking about selling and leaving the state.

Folks who have been exercising their options are keeping prices reasonably solid in the mid-Peninsula. But google has definitely lowered the size of its option grants since 2005, so it’s hard to say if there will be an immediate wave of new google wealth anytime soon.

[Dukehorn]

I think raptorduck gives a solid indication of the high end of the market in the Bay Area. I know some officers of various companies that have made recent purchases (one in Los Altos, the other in Hillsborough). But the big wealth buyers have never been the issue in the Bay Area.

I think what would be considered the “middle market”–600,000-1 million, is running pretty slow (at least in Sunnyvale). Folks aren’t interested in paying that for a 1200 sq ft home that sold for $400,000 back in 2003, especially if they have 2 kids.

Google is slowing its hiring. The VMware stock drop and the yahoo layoffs are the hot topic of conversation. My friend was going to rent a townhome (again rentals are lagging behind sales price) from a yahoo couple, but with the upcoming layoffs, they’re thinking about selling and leaving the state.

Folks who have been exercising their options are keeping prices reasonably solid in the mid-Peninsula. But google has definitely lowered the size of its option grants since 2005, so it’s hard to say if there will be an immediate wave of new google wealth anytime soon.

[Dukehorn]

I think raptorduck gives a solid indication of the high end of the market in the Bay Area. I know some officers of various companies that have made recent purchases (one in Los Altos, the other in Hillsborough). But the big wealth buyers have never been the issue in the Bay Area.

I think what would be considered the “middle market”–600,000-1 million, is running pretty slow (at least in Sunnyvale). Folks aren’t interested in paying that for a 1200 sq ft home that sold for $400,000 back in 2003, especially if they have 2 kids.

Google is slowing its hiring. The VMware stock drop and the yahoo layoffs are the hot topic of conversation. My friend was going to rent a townhome (again rentals are lagging behind sales price) from a yahoo couple, but with the upcoming layoffs, they’re thinking about selling and leaving the state.

Folks who have been exercising their options are keeping prices reasonably solid in the mid-Peninsula. But google has definitely lowered the size of its option grants since 2005, so it’s hard to say if there will be an immediate wave of new google wealth anytime soon.

[Dukehorn]

I think raptorduck gives a solid indication of the high end of the market in the Bay Area. I know some officers of various companies that have made recent purchases (one in Los Altos, the other in Hillsborough). But the big wealth buyers have never been the issue in the Bay Area.

I think what would be considered the “middle market”–600,000-1 million, is running pretty slow (at least in Sunnyvale). Folks aren’t interested in paying that for a 1200 sq ft home that sold for $400,000 back in 2003, especially if they have 2 kids.

Google is slowing its hiring. The VMware stock drop and the yahoo layoffs are the hot topic of conversation. My friend was going to rent a townhome (again rentals are lagging behind sales price) from a yahoo couple, but with the upcoming layoffs, they’re thinking about selling and leaving the state.

Folks who have been exercising their options are keeping prices reasonably solid in the mid-Peninsula. But google has definitely lowered the size of its option grants since 2005, so it’s hard to say if there will be an immediate wave of new google wealth anytime soon.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke: I also think Google is taking the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger very seriously. The ruckus they are kicking up would certainly seem to indicate that’s the case. If it happens, I have to imagine Google will be hoarding cash like crazy, in advance of the oncoming onslaught.

Google is starting to feel pressure as their business model is coming into question, and a recent downgrade of their stock (based on those questions) can’t have helped.

Funny how quickly the New New Thing becomes passe up in that neck of the woods.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke: I also think Google is taking the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger very seriously. The ruckus they are kicking up would certainly seem to indicate that’s the case. If it happens, I have to imagine Google will be hoarding cash like crazy, in advance of the oncoming onslaught.

Google is starting to feel pressure as their business model is coming into question, and a recent downgrade of their stock (based on those questions) can’t have helped.

Funny how quickly the New New Thing becomes passe up in that neck of the woods.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke: I also think Google is taking the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger very seriously. The ruckus they are kicking up would certainly seem to indicate that’s the case. If it happens, I have to imagine Google will be hoarding cash like crazy, in advance of the oncoming onslaught.

Google is starting to feel pressure as their business model is coming into question, and a recent downgrade of their stock (based on those questions) can’t have helped.

Funny how quickly the New New Thing becomes passe up in that neck of the woods.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke: I also think Google is taking the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger very seriously. The ruckus they are kicking up would certainly seem to indicate that’s the case. If it happens, I have to imagine Google will be hoarding cash like crazy, in advance of the oncoming onslaught.

Google is starting to feel pressure as their business model is coming into question, and a recent downgrade of their stock (based on those questions) can’t have helped.

Funny how quickly the New New Thing becomes passe up in that neck of the woods.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke: I also think Google is taking the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger very seriously. The ruckus they are kicking up would certainly seem to indicate that’s the case. If it happens, I have to imagine Google will be hoarding cash like crazy, in advance of the oncoming onslaught.

Google is starting to feel pressure as their business model is coming into question, and a recent downgrade of their stock (based on those questions) can’t have helped.

Funny how quickly the New New Thing becomes passe up in that neck of the woods.

[Dukehorn]

I’ve had the pleasure of going to google for lunch a few times–the food is good. I’ve watched the employees walk their dogs (it was suppose to be a once-in awhile perk till a VP started bringing his dog everyday), seen cubicles being decorated, and kids playing guitar hero in the snack rooms, and I sort of wonder when work gets done.

An older friend of mine, who’s fairly high up at AMD, says it reminds him of Silicon Graphics in the heyday. A number of really smart hardworking folks that end up trying to carry the company because the newer folks are caught up in the country club atmosphere. I didn’t believe that assessment but after being on that campus a few times, I’m starting to come around.

[Dukehorn]

I’ve had the pleasure of going to google for lunch a few times–the food is good. I’ve watched the employees walk their dogs (it was suppose to be a once-in awhile perk till a VP started bringing his dog everyday), seen cubicles being decorated, and kids playing guitar hero in the snack rooms, and I sort of wonder when work gets done.

An older friend of mine, who’s fairly high up at AMD, says it reminds him of Silicon Graphics in the heyday. A number of really smart hardworking folks that end up trying to carry the company because the newer folks are caught up in the country club atmosphere. I didn’t believe that assessment but after being on that campus a few times, I’m starting to come around.

[Dukehorn]

I’ve had the pleasure of going to google for lunch a few times–the food is good. I’ve watched the employees walk their dogs (it was suppose to be a once-in awhile perk till a VP started bringing his dog everyday), seen cubicles being decorated, and kids playing guitar hero in the snack rooms, and I sort of wonder when work gets done.

An older friend of mine, who’s fairly high up at AMD, says it reminds him of Silicon Graphics in the heyday. A number of really smart hardworking folks that end up trying to carry the company because the newer folks are caught up in the country club atmosphere. I didn’t believe that assessment but after being on that campus a few times, I’m starting to come around.

[Dukehorn]

I’ve had the pleasure of going to google for lunch a few times–the food is good. I’ve watched the employees walk their dogs (it was suppose to be a once-in awhile perk till a VP started bringing his dog everyday), seen cubicles being decorated, and kids playing guitar hero in the snack rooms, and I sort of wonder when work gets done.

An older friend of mine, who’s fairly high up at AMD, says it reminds him of Silicon Graphics in the heyday. A number of really smart hardworking folks that end up trying to carry the company because the newer folks are caught up in the country club atmosphere. I didn’t believe that assessment but after being on that campus a few times, I’m starting to come around.

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