On The Move

December 2025

Collage by Cary Loren co-founder of Destroy All Monsters & The Book Beat. Detroit, Michigan.

I spent Thanksgiving in Michigan with family and had a chance to make it to Cranbrook Art Museum to see “Mythic Chaos: 50 Years of Destroy All Monsters.” I’ve known Cary Loren for years through his stewardship of The Book Beat an independent bookstore so it was cool to see his art and music legacy celebrated.

December kicked off with a quick visit to Healdsburg, CA to attend their tree-lighting celebration. I can’t say I look forward to standing out in the cold but this event makes for a fun evening taking place in their main city square which is surround with vendors selling everything from food, to holiday decorations, jewelry, art, clothes, etc. And, from now until December 20th let’s see how many holiday events I can cram in, ha! One event on the list is the Christmas edition of the Smuin Contemporary Ballet which I first attended after hearing their very impressive Artist Director, Amy Seiwert speak.

In amongst all the festivities my real estate business remains front and center. I am working on a couple potential 2026 listings in Menlo Park, promoting a wonderful property in Los Altos Hills, and am scouring current and off-market listing for buyers looking in Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Los Altos, and Palo Alto. Despite the limited inventory coming to market and the distraction of the holiday season, buyer’s are still out there snapping up well-appointed properties.

Enjoy the roll to the end of 2025!

– Lisa

On The Move is a curated mix of what’s inspiring me lately, what’s shifting in the market, and what might just shift your perspective or inspire you too.

"Sleigh your goals."

-Orange Theory

Words From Patrick Carlisle

Chief Market Analyst, Compass

“December is the greatest opportunity of the year for buyers to aggressively negotiate really good deals. For every buyer not in contract, conduct an entirely new search, focusing especially on listings with longer DOM. If listings are attractive to your buyers, make offers at
whatever price they’d be very happy with. Don’t worry about offending sellers with offers that are “too low,” don’t bother asking listing agents what their sellers will or will not consider.”

Check out the latest local housing data below:

San Mateo County
Santa Clara County

Today’s U.S. Homebuilding Landscape

3 Things to Know

A handful of large builders now produce about half of all new single-family homes.
The top 100 builders account for roughly 50% of national new-home sales
, refl ecting signifi cant industry consolidation. Source: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS).
The top 10 builders dominate the market.
In 2024, the top 10 builders captured 44.7% of all new-home closings
, giving them outsized infl uence on pricing, pace, and product mix.
Source: IndustryIntel, 2024 builder closings data.
Large builders have the capital, land pipelines, and fi nancial structure to operate more strategically than smaller fi rms. Backed by public markets or strong private capital, they rely on lot-options, land-banking, and scale effi ciencies—making them more fl exible in shifting economic environments and shaping the overall pace of new supply. Source: John Burns Research & Consulting (JB REC) + Builder.Media.

Live At For Field

As one of the Detroit papers put it while Detroit didn’t win the game, Detroit absolutely crushed the halftime performance!

Jack White + Eminem. Halftime show produced by Eminem. Both proudly from Detroit.

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Photo Credit:Third Man Records/ Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records

Compass Concierge

As I’ve been speaking about Compass Concierge quite a bit these days to my listing clients, I thought I’d showcase details of the program here.

Sellers.. you don’t have to navigate prepping your property alone or cover the expenses upfront. Compass Concierge partners with you to make the process more manageable:

Strategize & budget – Together, you and your agent determine the updates that will help you achieve the best possible sale price.
Green-light the project – Once approved, work begins, with your agent as hands-on (or hands-off) as you prefer.
Complete the improvements – Your home is market-ready.
Settle later – You’ll pay for the services and any applicable fees when one of the following happens – your home sells, you terminate your listing agreement with Compass, or 12 months pass from your Concierge start date.

Let’s Make Your Next Move Distinctly Yours. Smart Moves. Bold Moves. Real Estate Moves. Call, text or…

Lisa M. Musich

DRE# 02210590

REALTOR®

M: 415.619.1426

lisa.musich@compass.com

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 01527235, 01527365. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No ﬁnancial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reﬂect actual property conditions.