Uncertainty about the job market is also making prospective buyers nervous about making a big purchase. “Buyers are being really choosy,” said Megan Micco, a real-estate agent in Berkeley, Calif. “Buyers are saying, ‘If I lose my job, we need to be able to cover this on one salary.’”
Home insurance costs are up 150% in one part of California. This map shows premiums by county
Megan Micco, a Berkeley Realtor with Compass, said she’s now telling potential buyers to budget up to $10,000 a year for premiums for larger properties in the East Bay hills — up from as little as $3,000 previously.
