northcountysandiego

SD Market Update: January 2018

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , Leave a comment
amanda+joaquim

Here is your January 2018 San Diego County Real Estate Market update!  Please note, that if you would like to see local statistics for your city or a city you are interested in, I can get this information to you usually within the same day.  Just shoot me a text or call and it would be my pleasure to provide you with any real estate information you seek.

The following stats* compare December of 2016 with Dec-2017:
  • The median sold price is up +9%.  In December of 2016 the median sold price was $495k, compared to December of 2017 at $539k.  That’s a difference of $44,000.
  • The median price of for sale properties is up 7% and the median price of sold properties is up 9%
  • The number of Sold properties is down 12%.
  • The average days on market is down 14%.
  • The number of Expired properties is down 12%.
  • The average months supply of inventory is down 24%
* Report provided by:Clarus MarketMetrics® @ Realty One Group

San Diego Market Update – October 2017

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , Leave a comment
market update

Good afternoon, fellow San Diegans!

Here is a short market update from you.  The following information is just a concise bullet list of market updates.  If you would like to see the full report (from Clarus MarketMetrics®), please let me know and I will email it to you!

Based on the last 12 months:

  • The median sold home price is up 10%. This means that if you list your house now, you’ll be able to get top dollar for it. We can’t know for sure what the market will do in the short or long term future–but we do believe at some point home prices will stabilize and take a dip.
  • The average days on market is down 11%. Translation? Properties are selling fast.
  • The average month’s supply of inventory is down 23%.

A lot of people believe in the myth that during the holidays, nothing sells.  However, if you’re waiting for Spring to list your house–don’t.  The notion that real estate sales stop cold during the holidays is a total myth.

The truth is that real estate is ALWAYS being bought and sold, year around, worldwide.  Owning real estate is one of the highest dreams one can hope to realize, and it doesn’t matter what time of year it is.  In fact, sometimes the fall and winter months are the best times to buy or sell real estate. This is because sales can move more quickly because serious buyers and sellers go into the market during these months.

Fall Leaves Bring Sold Signs

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , Leave a comment


Summer has come to an end and you probably are thinking you’ve lost the opportunity to sell, and need to wait till next summer. But that’s far from the truth! Although it’s not as hectic and crazy with the swarm of buyers on the market, the fall season brings out the most serious of lookers. They are the pool of buyers that waited out the summer frenzy to find their perfect home in the fall, and you don’t want to miss these buyers! They are ready to make a move, today! And selling in a slower period does not equate to less money. That’s a misconception that home owners have based on untrue data that floats around. With the right agent, and your home being priced correctly, you can get a great deal selling your home during the fall season. And might actually prefer it. Here are the top 3 benefits to listing during the fall season.

1. Serious Buyers – Let’s be honest, if buyers are out during the busy season, looking for homes, they are serious and ready to buy. Although the summer brings in a large crowd, that crowd contains a lot of people that are excited by the season, and fall into the “trend” of house hunting. These people end up not really being serious about the process, and tend to hold off for another time. If people are investing time to look during the fall season, they are more likely to be interested in actually buying your home, instead of touring it.

2. Less Competition – Selling in the fall isn’t something many families can accomplish due to personal schedules. That’s why a significant amount of homes get listed during the summer season. Which means that summer time brings in a lot of competition. Selling in the fall means the potential house next door that has slightly more perks that may have been listed during the summer, doesn’t make your home sit stagnant, since everyone wanted your neighbor’s house. It also doesn’t devalue your home because of the house that could go up next door that could be under-priced in your neighborhood, and draw all of the attention. With a slower season, you get dedicated attention to your property, which increases the chance of a sale. 

3. Easier to Find Your Dream Home – Not only do you get to benefit from a slower season during the selling process, but you can also benefit on the buying side. With less competition on your dream house, you can get a better deal. The summer brings a lot of missed opportunities for buyers on their dream homes, because they go off the market instantly. This will give you the opportunity to get your home on the market and take your time to find the right one to resize into. A much calmer pace to the transaction will make it less stressful, and everyone all around happier. Don’t feel rushed into buying a home overnight during the summer, it could turn into a headache. If you want a far more peaceful transaction, that has calmer pace, then selling during the fall is perfect for you.

The Incredible Joy of Owning Your Home

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

bgffxbhgfx

If you haven’t bought a home yet, you’re missing out on a wonderful feeling! That moment when you walk through your doors, throw your purse or keys on the floor, plop down on your couch and breathe a sigh of relief while thinking, “Finally, it’s ours (or mine)!” And the joy of looking at all of your boxes, getting to roll your eyes about why you buy so much stuff, then giving yourself a moment to take a nap because you worked hard to get here and earned it! Yes that’s a real feeling!

We often hear, and read, about the cost effectiveness of home ownership. The equity build-up, the freedom it can give us from finances in our retirement years, and a plethora of other ways owning a home can be a positive impact on your bottom dollar. But we don’t often hear about the emotional impact owning a home can have. Yes there will be days the fridge is acting silly and you need to call your home warranty, or days you have to get outside to mow your own yard, but nothing beats the pride and joy of owning a home.

There is a sense of security, and a sense of “this is mine and I worked my way up to this moment,” that provides moments of bliss. The ability to do with your home as you please, not pay a pretty penny for every member of your fur family, and the privacy it provides can’t be beat.

Home ownership also gives you the ability to put down some roots. And we mean that figuratively and literally. You get to build memories through the holidays and go through many milestones with your family, that leave a significant impact into the later years. You also get to build bonds with your neighbors, and grow in a community oriented neighborhood. With rentals, people come and go annually, but there are deeper roots planted with building relationships with those living next to you. Potlucks, 4th of July and New Year’s Eve spent lighting fireworks, and just the excitement of getting to know each other and build new relationships.

Buying a home isn’t about the dollars and cents for everyone, sometimes it’s just about the joy of owning your own place, and getting to build amazing memories in it. If you’ve been longing for this, get in touch with a real estate agent, and make it happen. You owe it to yourself to make your dreams come true!

6 Reasons Your Home Won’t Sell

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

download (3)Are you ready to sell your home and want it to have a great first impression on the market? Or maybe your home has been listed for a few weeks or months, and you can’t figure out why it won’t sell, and you know your agent is working hard to market it. I’ve listed below the top 6 reasons your home may not make a good impression and end up stagnant on the market.

 

1. IT’S OVERPRICED

To be clear, an overpriced home is the #1 reason a home won’t sell. We often times want our homes to be worth a lot more than we may see based on the data, but if you put your home on the market for the number you wish it will bring instead of the price it actually needs to be, your home can sit on the market for months without getting a single showing. If you’re thinking you need to price high to leave room for negotiations, statistics show that views for your property, for buyers in your price range, can drop a whopping 90% if it’s priced too high. Discuss with your agent what the market says the value of your home is, then price it competitively to potentially get a bidding frenzy instead of low offers or having it expire.

2. LOW SHOWING AVAILABILITY

Making sure the house is clean and having to leave on a daily basis for buyers to tour the home may get a little overwhelming, but it is crucial to have open availability to have your home shown. You could end up missing out on the perfect buyer if you decline too many showings. The longer it sits on the market, the less value buyers will see in it. Talk with your agent about having a 24 hour notice period if the extra time is needed, but make sure your home is available to be shown as often as possible.

3. CLUTTERED SPACE

Buyers want to walk into a house and envision their lives in that home. This is difficult to do if your home is cluttered with personal belongings. They are instantly given the feeling of invading someone else’s personal space, instead of the satisfaction of being able to see a future in your home. Make sure your property is clutter free before putting it on the market; and store away any family photos.

4. UNPLEASANT ODORS

If you smoke or have pets, it’s easy to get used to the smell to the point that you don’t even notice it anymore. But it’s important to understand that the scent can be picked up by new people visiting your home, and it can really turn them off from making an offer. Before a showing, make sure to dispose of any garbage, don’t cook fish or other strong smelling food, and ensure the home is freshened up so there are no pet or smoke odors.

5. UNWILLING TO MAKE REPAIRS

Selling your home as-is may sound appealing at first, but being unwilling to make repairs could cost another mortgage payment that far exceeds the cost of repairs if you refuse to work with the buyer on their requests and the home goes back on the market again. It’s wise to be open to repair requests, and simply go over with your agent what you can afford to do and make a reasonable counter offer during the repair negotiations. 

6. UNWILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH BUYERS

It’s important to have an open mind about requests that will come from buyers when it comes to purchasing your home. These requests can come in the form of price negotiations, repair requests, or even requests to cover closing costs or home warranties. With your agent on your side advising you of the best steps to take, it’s best to be open to working with the buyer’s on some of their requests to ensure a successful closing.

FAQs FROM HOME BUYERS

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
download1. Why do I need to talk to a bank before starting to look for homes?

Talking to a bank will help you determine how much you can afford. If you are a first-time homebuyer, there may be programs your bank knows about that are applicable to your personal situation. Also, there are additional costs associated with purchasing a home that your bank can help bring to light to ensure that you are fully aware of the financial decision you are making. Also, a mortgage professional will help you find the best interest rate that you can get based on your financial history and credit score.

2. Why do I need a Real Estate agent to help me buy a home? Can’t I just work directly with the seller or seller agent?

Getting a Real Estate agent will be one of the best financial decisions you might make when buying a home, yet most of the time, you don’t even have to personally pay the agent. Your agent’s fee will likely come from the seller and/or the listing agent. Your agent will help you through every aspect of the buying process. An agent will find out your preferences and requirements and find homes that you might not otherwise have access to and give you advice based on the current market and local area. Agents help with the negotiation process. An agent advocates for your best interests. They help with the vast amount of paperwork and make sure you understand every step of the transaction. A Real Estate agent likely knows the industry better than you do and will be someone you can trust to help you with one of the biggest decisions of your life.

3. What kind of credit score do I need to purchase a home?

In most cases, you will need at least a 620 credit score or higher to get the best interest rate. The higher your credit score, the better your lending terms will be. There are some lenders who will approve home buyers with a score of 600 or less, but most likely, the interest rate would be higher than it would with a higher credit score.

4. How much money do I need for a down payment?

For an FHA loan, you usually need between three and five percent. For other conventional loans, ten to twenty percent is recommended or required.

5. What are the costs outside the loan and the down payment?

Many home buyers miscalculate the costs of purchasing a new home. In addition to the down payment, there are generally closing costs associated with a home purchase. You also need to consider the costs of taxes, homeowners association fees, home inspection costs, utilities, homeowners insurance, and any repair or maintenance fees. Always be prepared to make some repairs to the home, whether it’s new or old. Have approximately three months of living expenses saved up in addition to the down payment and closing costs for an emergency repair fund. Always know beforehand the costs of utilities and taxes, so there are no surprises.

DEBUNKING MYTHS TO HOME BUYING

San Diego Real Estate, , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Finally ready to make the transition into home ownership? That’s awesome, and in this exciting time you can be turning to friends and family for an insight into the process. However, there seems to be a circulation of misinformation spreading around, so we’re here to clear up a few myths.

1. THE FIRST STEP IS SEARCHING FOR A HOME

You know the saying, “Don’t put the cart before the horse,” well that’s important to remember when it comes to buying a home. You don’t want to start looking for a house until you have gotten to sit down with a lender and discuss what the bank will qualify you for. If you fall in love with a house that’s $250,000 and come to find out you’re only qualified for $200,000 you can get your hopes crushed and waste a lot of time. Don’t start the process on the wrong foot and make sure the numbers line up.

2. YOU DON’T NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT

For starts, when buying a home, 99% of the time the buyer’s agent gets paid by the sellers. That random 1% can be for odd circumstances. So you’re getting to use the services of a real estate agent for free. Having a real estate agent on your side means you’ll get to see homes that aren’t as readily available on public searches, you avoid outdated listings and scammers (there are lots of them), and you have protection when it comes to navigating the legalities of contracts and buying a home. Why wouldn’t you want an awesome negotiator working to ensure you get the best from the transaction? For FREE!

3. YOU CAN’T BUY A HOME WITH BAD CREDIT

Fortunately for some, this is a myth. Lenders and banks come by the hundreds of thousands and all though there are a few loan options, a lot of lenders can work with credit scores down to the low to mid 500’s. Get in touch with an agent to help you connect with the right lender who can help you potentially approved. There is a lot of factors that go into approvals, but your credit doesn’t have to be a sore thumb during the process. However, you will be doing yourself a favor if you connect with a credit repair specialist to at least get those numbers in the 600’s. A better score will lower you interest rate.

4. YOUR DOWN PAYMENT HAS TO BE 20%

Think you have to sell an arm and a leg to buy a home? Not at all! An FHA loan only requires 3.5% while a conventional only requires 5%. There are a lot of programs that can potentially help you with down payment assistance or be 0% down mortgage. USDA and VA loans are the most popular 0% down programs. If you qualify, this can take a big chunk off the amount of cash you have to bring to the closing table.

5. DOWN PAYMENTS ARE THE ONLY UPFRONT COST

This is one of the biggest misconceptions. There is a lot of cost that goes into buying a home, and that includes upfront costs. One of the mandatory ones are a termite and appraisal. If you are getting a mortgage, the home will have to appraise and get a letter stating there are no termites in the home. Termite can range between $25-$75 dollars. An appraisal can range from $300-$700 dollars. Aside from your down payment, you then have to pay for closing costs. And NO, they are not the same thing. Closing costs can range anywhere between 3-6% of the purchase price. In certain markets, this can be negotiated for sellers to cover by rolling into the offer price, but whether that decision is smart to do or not when it comes to landing your dream home will need to be discussed with your agent.

Now that you have some knowledge to get the process started, get in touch with an agent who will help you get through the process as smoothly as possible.