Lunar New Year 2019

Happy New Year! OK, Happy Lunar New Year! In the Chinese calendar, the longest chronological record in history dating back to 2700 B.C., this year marks the lunar year 4717 -- Year of the Boar or Pig. The first day of the lunar year is February 5, 2019. For the Tet Vietnamese New Year it will be the same, Year of the Boar or Pig! 

Famous people born in the Year of the Pig include: Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Elton John, Alexander the Great, Henry VIII of England, Hillary Clinton, Andrew Jackson, Ernest Hemingway, Snoop Dogg. 

Here are selected local events celebrating the Lunar New Year in San Francisco. Please check events for updates.

San Francisco/San Francisco's Chinatown:

Saturday, February 2, 10:00am-8:00pm, Sunday, February 3, 9:00am-6:00pm - 30th Annual Flower Market Fair, Grant Avenue from Clay to Broadway. Pacific, Jackson and Washington between Stockton and Kearny. The Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair is held on the weekend before Chinese New Year Day. The Flower Fair is the place to come to purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and brand new supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year. 

Saturday, February 9, 10:00am-4:00pm - 25th Annual Basketball Jamboree, Betty Ann Ong Recreational Center, 1199 Mason Street, San Francisco. More information: email hoopsterlee@gmail.com

Saturday, February 16, 7:30pm - Miss Chinatown USA Pageant, Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon Street @ Bay, San Francisco (www.chineseparade.com). Admission fee

Sunday, February 17, 10:30am-4:00pm - Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco. 415.581.3500 Roll in the Year of the Pig with dancing, art-making and storytelling at the Asian Art Museum’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration. This year’s celebration features readings from author Oliver Chin about the zodiac calendar and Year of the Pig characteristics — who knows, you may discover something new about yourself! Then enjoy an interactive lion dance performance with local favorite LionDanceME. (www.asianart.org) Admission fee kids 12 and under free

Friday, February 22, 6:00pm, - Coronation Ball, Hyatt Regency San Francisco at 5 Embarcadero

Saturday, February 23, 5:15-8:00pm, Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade http://www.chineseparade.com  Free

History: San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade began in 1860 and was named by the IFEA to be one of the top ten parades in the world! It is also one of the few remaining night illuminated parades in the country. The parade and festival have grown to be the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia! Since 1958 the parade has been organized and directed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

More Information: Chinese New Year Festival and Parade, Market and Second Streets to Kearny and Jackson. Check out "Gum Lung", the 288-foot-long Golden Dragon! (www.chineseparade.com/)  Can't be there?  Watch or DVR it on KTVU Fox Channel 2 or KTSF Channel 26 (Chinese broadcast) on Saturday, February 23 from 6:00-8:00pm.

Saturday, February 23 10:00am-4:30pm - Sunday, February 24 9:00am-5:00pm, 28th Chinatown Community Street Fair, Grant Avenue from California to Broadway, Sacramento, Washington, Jackson & Pacific between Stockton & Kearny. www.chineseparade.com 

You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise. The SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce has planned activities and entertainment for all ages. Enjoy Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming and much more at the entertainment stage on Washington St. below Grant Ave. Make sure to get a family photo with the giant puppets, dragon and other memorable artifacts from the Parade!

Sunday, March 3, 8:00am start, registration begins at 7:00am, 39th Annual Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Chinatown YMCA 10K/5K Run/Walk, Chinatown/Sacramento and Grant www.sfchinatownrun.org or 415-576-9622

This event comprises a 10K or 5K run or walk and raises funds for the YMCA's youth and teen programs. The event expects 1,700 participants and 250 volunteers.

More Than A Hundred Years of the Chinese (Lunar) Calendar (1912 to 2043) --

The Chinese Calendar names each year after an animal and legend has it that a person born under a certain animal will display traits of that animal. I was born in the Year of the Tiger. What sign are you in the Chinese 12-year calendar cycle? Look up in the table below what year you were born and the corresponding animal.

Rat: 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020 2032

Ox: 1913 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021 2033

Tiger: 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022 2034

Rabbit: 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023 2035

Dragon: 1916 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024 2036

Snake: 1917 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025 2037

Horse: 1918 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026 2038

Ram: 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027 2039

Monkey: 1920 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028 2040

Rooster: 1921 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029 2041

Dog: 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030 2042

Boar: 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031 2043

Gung Hey Fat Choy! Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Happy Year of the Boar!

January Silicon Valley Real Estate Market Update

Quick Market Summary:  A couple of months ago we had the continuation of sequential (month to month) decreases in median prices in Santa Clara County. Well, as of December, we now have a year over year decrease in both counties! Median prices for Santa Clara County have decreased from $1,300,000 in December 2017 to $1,161,000 or 10.7%. In context looking at the past two years we've seen the median go from $950,000 in December 2016 to $1,161,000 or a two-year gain of 22%. The increase in 2017 was incredible and unsustainable at more than 36%. For San Mateo County the median was $1,450,000 versus $1,525,000 in the same month a year ago. We're seeing longer times to sell or days on market on average in both counties. Inventory or the amount of homes available to sell has jumped in Santa Clara County off of a record low but dropped a bit in San Mateo County. Demand continues below supply. Buyers take note -- longer time to sell and mortgage rates drifting mean better advantages. Sellers, you will need to be more aggressive in pricing and look to your competition and not think of spring price levels. Condo and townhouse median in Santa Clara County reached $775,000 in December compared to $835,000 last year or a decrease of 7.2%. Even in this tempered environment 41.9% of homes in Santa Clara County that closed escrow in December sold for more than list price inferring multiple offers. It was 57% in San Mateo County versus 71% last year.

Nuts and Bolts: Inventory or the amount of homes available for purchase in Santa Clara County was 639, up from 291, a record low, from last year. Sales (accepted offers) were an anemic 487 down 11.4% from the same month last year when is was 550.

For San Mateo County, inventory of single family residences stood at 276 in December versus 127, a record low, last year. Sales (accepted offers) were 166 compared to 219 for the same month last year. 

Sale price to list price ratio, an important key market condition indicator, shows that for Santa Clara County transactions completed during December, stood at 100.2% compared to last year's ratio of 109.5%.

The hottest market in Santa Clara County belongs to the Moderate market area (Santa Teresa, North Valley, Milpitas, Blossom Valley with a median price of about $0.949 million) at 100.4% which means that the average closed sale has a sale price 0.4% higher than the list price! It also registered a median days on market of 23 which means half the inventory sells in just a bit over three weeks. The coolest is the South County market area (Morgan Hill to Gilroy with a median price of about $0.82 million) with 99.1%.

Days of unsold inventory moved up a bit and stand at 46 for Santa Clara County and 34 for San Mateo County. These are substantially higher than last year's figures of 19 and 20, respectively.

The hottest market in San Mateo County is in the Bay Cities (Belmont, Burlingame, Millbrae, San Carlos, San Mateo) market area (median price of about $1.62 million) at 102.6% with a median days on market of 21. The coolest is the Expensive (Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Hillsborough, Woodside) market area (median price of about $3.36 million) at 98.7% with median days on the market of 27. 

As always, markets are always changing and the supply and demand in a particular area or even neighborhood can vary. If you would like specific market condition information for your area or neighborhood or a current home valuation, please feel free to call me, your RE/MAX Gold Agent! You are welcome to leave your comments or questions or contact me directly at my website. Check out and “like” my Facebook Business Page (have 775 likes) or follow me on my Twitter Page.Thank you.