Selling Your Home While Living In It: Staging, Decluttering, and a Quick Market Check

From a gas station stop, the host answers a Reddit question about what to expect when listing a home while still living there with kids, emphasizing that in a slower market sellers must keep the home clean, odor-free, and clutter-free, and adopt a mindset of packing up, giving away, or throwing out belongings. He reviews a “coming soon” listing (4 bed/3 bath, ~2,000 sq ft) and critiques its freeway location, dated finishes, and pricing, then notes inventory is slightly up but buyer demand is muted due to high rates and broader uncertainty, describing the market as plateauing.

Reddit Question of the week! Listing my home, when I live here with kids?

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES 

REO of the Week 

Apple Home of the Week

Mountain View Home of the Week

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist 

00:00 Gas Pump Hack Intro

00:12 Reddit Question Home Selling With Kids

00:25 Declutter Clean And Pack Up

00:57 Why Staging Pays Off

01:50 Move Out And Prep Programs

02:55 Marketing Tools 360 And Floor Plans

03:18 Staging Walkthrough And Pantry Upgrade

04:05 Coming Soon Listing And Freeway Reality

04:42 Inside Tour And Fixer Critique

05:22 Market Update Rates And War Uncertainty

05:52 Plateau Season Wrap Up

Why “Coming Soon” & Pocket Listings Hurt Sellers + Real Marketing Analytics (Santa Clara County Update)

Vito argues that “coming soon” listings and pocket listings are not viable because they limit a home’s exposure to a select group rather than the full market, thereby failing consumers and sellers and raising ethical and fiduciary concerns. He notes Washington State is considering legislation to curb pocket listings, mentions growing pushback in states like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Hawaii, and references industry disputes including Zillow suing Compass, while sharing his own past experience at Compass and opposition to “coming soon.” 

00:00 Washington bill preventing private listings could be the law 

00:38 Bills and Lawsuits

01:45 Fiduciary Duty Ethics

03:00 NAR and Consumer Value

03:34 Elder Care Housing Help

04:06 Homescom Marketing Analytics

06:18 Market Highs and Lows

07:27 Pricing Ratio Lessons

08:10 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Bay Area Market Update: Record Seller-Buyer Gap, Rates, and Homes of the Week (Plus My Own Listing)

The host reviews current Bay Area real estate conditions, noting a record gap of about 630 more home sellers than buyers but arguing it’s a manageable regional slowdown driven by higher rates and stubbornly high prices rather than a 2008-style crisis, since sellers don’t have to move and there’s no rush of bank-owned inventory. He says listings are up and buyer activity is softer (also affected by Easter), but expects conditions to normalize as rates fluctuate. 

There Are 630,000 More Home Sellers Than Buyers—the Biggest Gap on Record

Tensions Cloud a Spring Market That Was Just Finding Its Footing

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

Cupertino Home of the Week

Willow Glen Home of the Week

Luxury Home of the Week

How your Home will be Marketed

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

PRE-Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist 

00:16 Seller Buyer Gap Explained

00:51 Why Buyers Are Pausing

01:49 Headlines Versus Reality

03:00 Ignore Crash Scare Tactics

03:18 San Jose Pricing Context

03:47 Help With Senior Moves

04:06 Cupertino House Pick

04:48 Willow Glen House Pick

05:36 San Francisco Luxury Tour

06:42 My Home Listing Walkthrough

08:26 Bay Area Market Report

10:17 Wrap Up And Goodbye

Selling a Home With Pets, Rising Rates & Bay Area Pricing: What Sellers Need to Know

Vito discusses what home sellers should know about pets during showings, noting some buyers dislike animals and that pet odors, hair, and litter boxes can hurt buyer interest, requiring deep cleaning, removing pets during showings, or even relocating temporarily; if sellers can’t do this, he says they should adjust the price significantly because buyers decide based on price, location, condition, and smell. He then highlights rising FHA student-loan delinquencies as a potential economic stressor and notes mortgage rates jumping from about 6% to 6.62%, suggesting sellers may need to cut price or pay points to make deals work. 

What Sellers Should Know About Pets and Showings

Mortgage industry prepares for wave of FHA-delinquent short sales

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

Open Houses this weekend Silicon Valley Curated

Mortgage Rates this week 

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist

What you get for $2MM Santa Clara County

AIDA: Attract, Interest, Desire, Action 

What you get for $1MM in SILICON VALLEY

Inventory And Supply Charts

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

00:00 Cold Open Banter

00:12 Pets and Showings Tips

01:00 Odor Hair and Pricing Reality

01:45 Temporary Move Out Staging

02:44 Market Risks FHA Delinquencies

03:56 Rates Jump and Seller Strategies

04:36 Probate Sales Pitch

04:54 What 2 Million Buys

05:35 What 1 Million Buys

06:07 Location Breakdown and Upgrades

06:42 Wrap Up and Sign Off

San Jose Eminent Domain Lawsuit, Foundation Disclosure Risks & Bay Area Listings Sitting on Market

Vito discusses a San Jose eminent domain dispute in which Monarch Truck Center is suing VTA over property taken for a light-rail expansion near Highway 101, including concerns about relocation space and potential property tax impacts. He then addresses what to do when a home inspection reveals a possible foundation issue, emphasizing the need for additional opinions, mandatory disclosure in California, and the liability of hiding defects. He also comments on sales pacing versus prior years and outlines retargeting ads that repeatedly show a home to interested buyers via Homes.com.

San Jose company takes VTA to court over eminent domainReddit Question of the week!www.reddit.comPROBATE AND ESTATE SALES REO of the Week Apple Home of the Week Mountain View Home of the WeekFREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/HomebuyerchecklistHome Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist

00:04 Eminent Domain Fight

00:15 Monarch History Tour

01:32 VTA Light Rail Impact

01:52 Taxes And Relocation Costs

02:31 Foundation Disclosure Dilemma

05:26 Cupertino Price Cut Reality

06:04 Bank Owned Mansion Watch

06:37 Market Pacing Snapshot

08:00 Wrap Up And Sign Off

30% of Listings Are “Invisible”: Coming Soon Controversy, Pricing Strategy & Santa Clara County Market Highlights

Vito shares some TikTok finds, then focuses on the claim that about 30% of listings are effectively invisible to regular buyers due to “coming soon” and off-market/exclusive marketing, arguing it benefits brokerages and agents more than consumers and can feel monopolistic. He reviews a Los Gatos “house of the week” price drop (764 sq ft on a 2,500 sq ft lot) and Santa Clara County examples showing how underpricing can attract multiple bids and sell quickly, while overpricing can cause listings to sit. He closes by describing how his team advertises listings via homes.com syndication and promoted placement.

30% of listings at America’s biggest brokerage are invisible to you.

53% of Agents at America's Largest Brokerage Are Considering Leaving. Here's What the Data Actually Reveals

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

How your Home will be Marketed

Los Gatos Home of the Week 

Santa Clara County Price Reductions

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:03 TikTok Finds Intro

00:22 Invisible Listings Debate

01:21 Off Market Pros and Cons

01:42 Compass Controversy

02:48 Why I Left Compass

03:50 Los Gatos Deal Watch

04:54 Pricing to Attract Buyers

06:20 Overpricing Costs You

07:22 Vito Marketing Pitch

07:56 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Bay Area Housing Update: More Sellers Than Buyers, County Winners/Losers + Houses of the Week

The host discusses a market with 630,000 more sellers than buyers, emphasizing that sellers must create demand through staging, correct pricing, and broad online/MLS promotion, and arguing that homes sitting 15–20+ days are overpriced or lack expected upgrades. He notes buyers are retreating and being picky, shares an example of an open house with only two groups, and says the strongest buyer markets are in the South, while the strongest seller markets are in the North, including New Jersey. 

There Are 630,000 More Home Sellers Than Buyers—the Biggest Gap on Record

Cupertino Home of the Week

Willow Glen Home of the Week

Luxury Home of the Week

How your Home will be Marketed

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

PRE-Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist

00:00 Sellers Outnumber Buyers

00:30 Create Demand to Sell

01:11 Pricing Reality Check

02:02 Buyers Getting Picky

02:56 Bay Area Winners Losers

04:42 2026 Sales Pace Forecast

05:31 Cupertino House Pick

06:14 Willow Glen Buy of Week

06:36 Luxury Estate Tour

07:10 Wrap Up and Sign Off

Home Flipping Profits Are Crashing: Why Wholesaling Hurts Sellers + Santa Clara $2M vs $1M Tour

The script argues that home flipping is currently unprofitable and that wholesaling typically means selling a property for about 60 cents on the dollar, which the speaker says is often avoidable by listing on the open market. Citing ATTOM data, it notes that after 2008 flip margins often exceeded 50% (peaking at 61.1% in 2012) but have now fallen, with typical flips around a 25% gross return, and suggests flippers may return when another REO wave grows. The speaker says private lending/hard money is still active but more for bridge loans and larger purchases than short-term flips. Mortgage rates are described as rising (from 6.11% to 6.62%), with options to buy down rates via points. The episode also compares two nearby Santa Clara County listings: a ~$2M detached 1960 3/2 and a ~$1M attached townhouse 1982 3/2.5 with HOA.

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

U.S. home flipping profits plunge to the lowest level since 2008

Open Houses this weekend, Silicon Valley Curated

Mortgage Rates this week

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist

What you get for $2MM Santa Clara County

AIDA: Attract, Interest, Desire, Action

What you get for $1MM in SILICON VALLEY

Inventory And Supply Charts

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist 

00:00 Flipping Is Dead

00:05 Why Wholesaling Hurts

01:07 Private Lending Pivot

01:35 Flip Profits Then vs Now

02:20 No REO Wave Yet

03:02 Today’s Flip Numbers

03:44 Mortgage Rates Jump

04:35 Two Million Dollar House Tour

05:20 One Million Dollar Townhome

06:55 Market Wrap Up

San Jose Housing Vouchers Debate + Bay Area Listings, REOs, and Market Update

The episode argues against San Jose using housing vouchers to place homeless residents in mostly vacant luxury high-rise apartments like the 23-story “The Fay,” saying it would pull money from the city’s general fund and create long-term dependency, and urges viewers to contact their local council member to share support or opposition. The host then pivots to real estate services, highlighting listing analytics and paid ad exposure across major platforms, and offering help with packing, decluttering, and moving for probate/elder transitions.

San Jose looks to housing vouchers to fill mostly vacant high-rise

Reddit Question of the week! Am I being Undreasonable?  

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

REO of the Week

Apple Home of the Week

Mountain View Home of the Week

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist 

00:00 Vouchers For Homelessness

00:38 Luxury Tower Problem

01:28 Free Handouts Debate

02:40 Call Your Councilmember

03:24 Listing Analytics Ads

04:48 Probate Moving Help

05:55 Reddit Pricing Question

09:34 Cupertino Apple Listing

10:16 Mountain View Deal

10:57 Market Stats Wrap Up

11:53 Final Sign Off

California Home Insurance Crisis + Santa Clara County Market Highs/Lows (and a Santa Cruz Bungalow Tour)

The host argues national politicians don’t care about ordinary people and urges viewers to focus on city, county, and state-level influence, highlighting California’s soaring cost of living and a home insurance crisis. He says insurance rates are rising faster than inflation and income, insurers are leaving California, and homeowners are pushed into the California FAIR Plan, blaming a weak state insurance commissioner and powerful insurance lobbying. 

Home Insurance Rates Rising 2X Faster Than Inflation [LendingTree Report]

3 in 5 Americans Fear AI Could Replace Jobs, Making it Harder to Afford Homes

PROBATE AND ESTATE SALES

How your Home will be Marketed

Los Gatos Home of the Week

Santa Clara County Price Reductions

FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/Homebuyerchecklist

Home Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist 

00:00 National Politics Dont Matter

00:38 Local Power And Insurance Costs

01:45 Home Insurance Crisis Explained

02:46 Call Your Insurance Commissioner

03:56 Santa Clara Winners And Losers

04:57 Pricing Strategy Proof

05:51 Helping Aging Parents And Estates

07:52 Market Wrap And Sign Off