“Ken, you are like the Daniel Day-Lewis of Real Estate Method Acting.”  

That’s how a client of mine reacted recently after I mentioned that I have owned multiple homes in Crescent Park and provided him with detailed information about that wonderful neighborhood gleamed over the years from personally living there. Hearing myself compared to one of the most esteemed actors in Hollywood caught my attention immediately. Upon reflection, I realized that this statement was more than just an ego boost, it summarized one of the fundamental reasons for my success in the industry.  

Method acting is when an actor aspires to fully inhabit a role in order to truly understand it and become that role. Method acting is an outstanding metaphor for my approach to real estate. I can serve my clients at a far deeper level than ordinary, independent contractor Realtors^® at traditional brokerages because I understand what my clients are going through – I have been there many times myself.  

Having personally purchased and sold over 20 local homes, I have owned or lived in almost every town in which we sell properties. For example, I have lived in five different neighborhoods in Palo Alto alone, and have also lived in Atherton, Menlo Park, and Los Altos Hills. Additionally, I have “flipped” houses in other areas where we sell. This experience allows me to provide truly detailed insight into what it is like living or owning almost anywhere in prime Silicon Valley.

My love of real estate has manifested itself in my moving every few years. I have moved a total of five times in the last nine years, each of the first four homes in distinct neighborhoods, and this has allowed me to be the “guinea pig” of sorts and personally experience these neighborhoods firsthand before my clients. Another perk of moving is taking advantage of the $500,000 capital gain exemption for married couples that is granted every two years for your primary home. I effectively “flip” my primary home because the tax advantages are much greater for your primary residence, and the available interest rates are materially more attractive, when compared to an investment property. While I will convey how to do this yourselves in future articles, the focus here is all of the insight I learn from moving so frequently. You never learn an area as well as when you, as a homeowner, walk it in your own shoes and can truly convey the unique pros and cons of a neighborhood or town.  

In fact, I find it is hard to give truly exceptional advice in life unless one has personally faced a hard decision and experienced everything that comes with it. Even then, the journey of enlightenment is only half completed as subsequently one must evaluate whether and why the decision was right or wrong, and how they might do it differently the next time. Once another asks you for your advice, you know exactly what to convey due to your own personal journey. 

My primary focus when buying and selling the properties I have owned was not to make the most money, but to take the most calculated risks; that way, if mistakes are made, I’ve made them myself and can learn from them before I help others with the same issues. While generally my investments have gone exceedingly well, some have stumbled and left me with innumerable lessons to pass on to others – along with several new grey hairs!  

Sadly, many agents are content to live in the same home for decades, and others do not even believe enough in what they sell to own a home. These agents will often make their clients the beta test gone wrong. Mistakes in California real estate are generally in the six-figure range and can often hit seven-figures, so choosing a great agent is essential. Ideally, you want somebody who does a lot of volume in the area, knows the local market, and can share the wisdom of their own personal experiences buying, selling, and living in prime Silicon Valley.
‍