inside

Letter R.Brendan Leary

The "Market" R.Brendan Leary

The Year in Review Duncan Storn & Cathy Nagy

2004 Transactions The Team

cover photos

top left   Brendan - Italy

top right Brendan & Jean - Big Sir

middle    Mia & Duncan - Yosemite

lower     Cathy & Dave - Seville, Spain





R.BRENDAN
LEARY
Top 1% of
Coldwell Banker Internationally

#1 Agent In CB Palo Alto Offices
1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 YTD


Visit Brendan's Web Site
brendanleary.com

Jean & Brendan top 1% sales award vacation in Kauai


Brendan clowning around Halloween


The Team a fun day sunglass shopping


Brendan, Diane and Andi short course swim championships


The Team holiday dinner 2004


Brendan, Scott, Duckie, Laura and Misc.hotel guest surf lessons Kauai


Greetings to everyone

Where do I begin? What a year we've had! January seems a long way back and a bit in the future. 2004 has just been wonderful. With a goal to get up each day and do the best you can, with what you have, wherever you are, life just becomes better each day.


The Jean & Brendan show is sparkling

We are very lucky and happy. We have been fortunate to spend more and more time together. Such a treat. Los Altos and Santa Cruz homes continue to be the never- ending, wonderful projects. The garden in Santa Cruz has been planted with "climate- appropriate" plants (this means less water and maintenance, according to Jean). We will commence the remodel of the front of our Los Altos home (fingers crossed) in February.


Work for Jean continues to be challenging and fulfilling

After 3 years of coordinating Buffalo Valley,working with many governmental agencies,saving frogs and snakes,the project is in full swing and will be completed by the end of next year.In addition,her passion for Olympic-style weight lifting continues.She will compete in Las Vegas in February.It has been a blast to see her improve and grow in this sport,part science and part athletics.She is very dedicated and disciplined.She has also joined the RBL real estate team as the Chief Financial Of . cer.Her business approach already shows in making the day-to-day operation run just plain better.


Brendan just keeps ticking

Yes, I still sit in a beach chair, beer in hand, and watch Jean garden. Try it. It's not bad. By popular request,I have shaved off my little goatee.



My athletics have changed a bit, moving more and more to Multi-sport

It still takes 15 - 18 hours of training a week. The highlight of my year was qualifying for and then competing in the United States Triathlon Championships in Shreveport, LA. The triathlon is still somewhat of a mystery. The biggest challenge is finding the time to train enough. I am looking forward to competing in the California Half- Ironman in March in San Diego and then focus on qualifying for Nationals again. I can't go to Worlds without going to Nationals. Just a small goal. I still throw in a bike race or two.



Business, what can I say?

Thanks to Duncan, Cathy, Jean, and a fiercely loyal client base, we had an amazing year. We grew the business 56%. The most important part is that I am having more fun than ever. We were blessed this year with clients who are wonderful people too. I have enjoyed our clients so much that it hardly seems like a job. I thought I was ready to phase into retirement 2 years ago. With the addition of Mr.Stone and company, I am signed up for the endless future and excited about it. Thank you to each and everyone.


Jean and I wish you the best for the holidays and the future year




Please feel free to find us either in Santa Cruz or Los Altos if you are in the neighborhood.

RBL


The Market
Brendan

The real estate market continues to be robust. Again and again, the lack of inventory has placed strong pressure on price. This seems to have been the norm (with an exception or two) since 1987. The supply of housing is practically finite. Think of everyone who has waited for the bubble to burst. There was a fluctuation in 2001, otherwise the prices continue to go uphill.

Very significantly the upper end has re-emerged. Due to a growing economic confidence, the entrepreneurial risk-taking spirit has returned. Add to this the impact of the Google IPO. This has been a major player in the sale of homes at the high end.A large portion of the Atherton inventory now houses Googlers.

All in all, next year will be great for sellers and tough on the buy side. This will be true on all ends of the spectrum. This is nothing new. Interest rates will remain below 7%. The Fed seems more concerned with the dollar than inflation.

On the buy side, do not despair. This market is tough yet not impossible. We have managed to help 17 people buy this year, while working with 34 sellers.

Final note: if you want a broad gauge to follow our market, look at the Palo Alto Weekly's list of open homes each Friday. If it is less than 2 pages and big print, too few homes are available. If there is normal size print and 2+ pages, we are in balance. Try following this. It really works as a good market indicator.

RBL


Year In Review
Duncan

What a fantastic year!! The people, the places, the environment has such energy. Reflecting on the past 12 months Mia & I are enjoying our insatiable appetite for experiencing life. The beauty and opportunities in this area and the people that I have been fortunate to meet continue to excite us both.

There are too many highlights this year to note them all ... Mia & I were married in March, we bought our house in June. We enjoyed trips including Yosemite, New York (in black tie at the Waldorf no less!) and visited my childhood home in Washington,D.C. We are now off to Australia to celebrate the end of the year with our families.

The best part is that I am surrounded with people like Brendan, Cathy and you, our clients. It is a rare thing to enjoy your "work" as much as I do and I thank you all for it.

Duncan Stone


Year In Review
Cathy

After seven months of sales and new listings, I can confidently say that I don't feel as "green" as when I signed up to join the Leary Team. What an exciting time it has been. I have learned so much and can't remember the last time I looked forward every morning to go to work. Both Brendan and Duncan continue to "wow" me with their never-ending enthusiasm, knowledge and above all their dedication and sincerity to you, the client.

On the home front, Dave and I hosted and cooked our first Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. Fun times... and as always, our weekends are consumed with house projects. Looking forward to the New Year!

Cathy Nagy





R.BRENDAN
LEARY

375 Santa Rita Avenue,Menlo Park
19 Sargent Lane,Parcel 1 Atherton
19 Sargent Lane,Parcel 2 Atherton
19 Sargent Lane,Parcel 3 Atherton
19 Sargent Lane,Parcel 4 Atherton
101 Alma Street #604,Palo Alto
3732 Bret Harte Drive,Redwood City
835 Crompton Road,Redwood City
832 Cascade Drive,San Jose
272 King Street,Redwood City
1232 Lisa Lane,Los Altos
353 Oaktree Drive #1401,Mountain View
957 Millie Avenue,Menlo Park
2120 Byron Street,Palo Alto
3907 Grove Avenue,Palo Alto
444 San Antonio Road #5B,Palo Alto
731 San Benito Avenue,Menlo Park
1351 Arleen Avenue,Sunnyvale
25 Pomponio Court,Portola Valley
2080 Marich Way #15,Mountain View 411 Mountain Home Rd,Woodside
27630 Via Cerro Gordo,Los Altos Hills
277 Bryant Street,Palo Alto
1359 Cuernavaca Circulo,Mountain View
768 Bain Place,Redwood City
449 Rinconada Court,Los Altos
209 Lexington Drive,Menlo Park
20 Chicory Lane,San Carlos
183 Stone Pine Lane,Menlo Park
1110 Rose . eld Way,Menlo Park
14552 Horseshoe Drive,Saratoga
Lot Horseshoe Court,Saratoga
1024 Shoreline Drive,San Mateo
509 Sierra Vista Avenue #9,Mountain View
1966 Valparaiso Avenue,Menlo Park
1590 S California Avenue,Palo Alto
960 Amarillo Avenue,Palo Alto
579 Glenbrook Drive,Palo Alto
424 Sand Hill Circle,Menlo Park
552 Paco Drive,Los Altos
444 San Antonio Rd,#7A,Palo Alto
1253 Cuernavaca Circulo,Mountain View
201 Yerba Buena Avenue,Los Altos
925 Moraga Court,Palo Alto
2080 Marich Way #16,Mountain View 188 Stone Pine Lane,Menlo Park
101 Alma Street #1204,Palo Alto