Once you have decided that a wall bed is the best solution for your home, it’s important to ask the right questions as you consider which one to buy. You will be living with this purchase for many years, so understanding the pros and cons of each choice is essential for your long term satisfaction. While some people will base their decision on price alone, there are additional factors you should consider before signing on the bottom line.

The new California laws that went into effect in January have lessened the difficulty and cost of adding a so-called granny unit, now dubbed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), to single-family or multi-family dwellings. San Jose has gone a step further in their attempts to ease the housing shortage that is causing rents in the Bay Area to skyrocket. San Jose’s removal of barriers for these small rental units; by lowering the total square footage of the lot needed for an ADU and increasing the maximum square footage of the unit itself to 800 square feet, can create a great opportunity for you - the homeowner - to benefit. While it may not be built for resale, you can rent this unit out to increase your monthly income. It can also be used for multi-generational living, for instance with boomerang kids or aging parents. It can even be used as a short term rental (STR) like Airbnb.

When some people picture a wall bed, comedic scenes from silent movies come to mind. Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges, and even James Bond have used these beds as comic props at one point or another. I love a good gag as much as the next person, but things have really been looking up for Murphy beds in the last few years. This isn’t 1900 anymore, and the wall bed is making quite an amazing comeback in modern homes across the country. Bay Area professionals in particular are utilizing this innovative strategy to maximize limited floor space in condos and homes across the region.

If you’re raising a family anywhere in the Bay Area, you can’t get a more picture-perfect neighborhood than Los Gatos. Old-growth trees flanking unique homes and the stunning Los Gatos Creek Trail make for a beautiful place for kids to ride bikes or draw with chalk in the driveway. 10 square miles of residential perfection sandwiched between Saratoga and Sierra Azul couldn’t be more quaint.

If you own property around Stanford’s campus, you might just be the smartest homeowner around. College campuses are gold mines for renting opportunity. Constant occupancy and consistently rising prices—sounds like a landlord’s dream come true. Even with the inherent risks, a Stanford rental home is an ideal setup for anyone looking to make some extra cash in real estate.

San Ramon: a beautiful, diverse, and safe place to raise your family away from the bustle of Cupertino or San Francisco. Surprisingly, I’ve seen a growing number of San Ramon clients who travel for business outside of the Bay Area. It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave the area—especially as the city’s about to get a brand new downtown. On the other hand, business travel contributes to San Ramon’s rank as one of the richest cities in America. They’re definitely doing something right, even if some residents have to leave the utopia biweekly.

“Well, now that you’ve got a house, we can just have Thanksgiving at your place!”

These are the words every first-time homeowner loves—and dreads—to hear. On the one hand, congratulations: you’re an adult! On the other hand, it means all the preparation, planning, shopping, cooking, and cleaning is up to you.

I see this all the time in the Bay Area, where as many as 42% of homeowners are first-time buyers. Becoming a homeowner is really exciting, but it also means learning how to host. The holidays, in particular, tend to bring with them a lot of overnight guests. You’ll need a place to put everyone where they’ll be comfortable without creating too much clutter.

I find it fitting that Palo Alto, a name that translates to “tall tree,” is such a haven for outdoorsy folks. A sizeable minority of commuters bike to work, and the city’s proximity to Foothills Park and Los Trancos Woods makes it a great location for professionals who still like to get away on the weekend. But all those beautiful views and green spaces (and high-profile tech companies like HP and Tesla) mean that housing is in high demand, and I’ve watched many of my clients make compromises on square footage when they buy homes here.

A lot of tech cities have somewhat transient populations, as people roll from one city to the next. But the Los Altos population has increasingly skewed toward those in their late 20s to early 40s, as folks settle down to raise young families here.

Palo Alto is one of those cities where it’s cold enough to enjoy the changing seasons – but never too cold. It’s warm enough for outdoor fun – but never too hot. It rarely rains. It doesn’t have the baking heat of the desert. In other words: I love it. Lots of people do. While the city draws many tech-sector employees, it’s not just for savvy 30-somethings. With a full 17% of residents age 65 and older, Palo Alto has become a retirement magnet. It’s the perfect location, especially if you already have kids, or grandkids, in the area.