Posts from the ‘For Sellers’ Category
Everyone knows the market has gotten very busy, with limited inventory and increased buyer demand…which means rising prices, multiple offers,some bidding wars, and homes selling quickly. Some SELLERS may be thinking…”OH, I can do this myself, with so many buyers looking for homes.” The reality is that this might be the worst time to try [...]
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Did you know… CORRECTLY POSITIONING YOUR HOME IN THE MARKETPLACE TO SELL IS ESSENTIAL. It’s not about just the comparables, it’s about the competition!! Buyers are looking at all the competition, not just the homes that are comparable to yours. There may be 50 or more homes the buyers could consider that are in their [...]
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Here is a look at the CARLSBAD AREA housing market (including other North San Diego Communities) for March 2013. As you can see CARLSBAD is in a SELLER’S MARKET, as are all other nearby communities, except Rancho Santa Fe, having low inventory and buyer demand that means the market favors sellers. Carlsbad homes are selling [...]
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I’m not talking about YOUR home inspection, unless you are having one done as a precursor to listing your home so you know what deferred maintenance and defects to fix. I’m talking about getting prepared for the BUYER’S HOME INSPECTION once you have an accepted offer and are in escrow. The HOME INSPECTION tends to [...]
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I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it (as will probably any other licensed real estate professional)…do not listen to the media to get the true picture of what is going on in the real estate market in 2013. Oh, you see reports about it being a seller’s market, with bidding wars, [...]
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The LAD, or the LOCAL AREA DISCLOSURES, is a lengthy document outlining a number of general and specific conditions in various parts of San Diego County that may impact a home you are buying and thus might influence your decision to buy, or not. General disclosures include things like the potential presence of fairs and [...]
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Staging a Carlsbad home for sale often conjures up notions of spending tons of money, or doing something to a home that sounds artificial. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are a host of advantages to staging your home for sale, even if it is beautifully decorated. Keep in mind – you are [...]
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WHAT IS MY HOME WORTH? Sometimes our profession is guilty of tossing around abbreviations used commonly in the business and forgetting that those who are not licensed real estate professionals may have no clue what we are talking about. CMA is one of those common terms. A CMA, also known as a Comparative Market Analysis, [...]
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There is a lot happening in the housing market, with dwindling inventory in our area (stay tuned for more updates on that), increased buyer demand, multiple offers and homes that are moving off the market quickly, especially at the lower price points. The luxury housing market, over $1 million, has also suffered many setbacks and [...]
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There are a number of indications that the housing market is showing signs of improvement. First, the number of PENDING HOME SALES has been increasing, AND the overall trend of pendings for 2012 is well above that of 2011 Also, SINGLE FAMILY HOME SALES across the country have increased in each region (2012 versus 2011) [...]
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I happened upon this INFOGRAPHIC on the SOCIAL BENEFITS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP and thought I would share it. Lots of home owners think about the financial side of owning a home but may not be aware of the impact having a home can really have.
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Affordability of housing has changed in a positive direction for many, if not all California counties. Some still remained less affordable based on average income and median housing prices, but many counties have become much more affordable, relatively speaking. Here is an infographic from the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) that summarizes current affordability. Not [...]
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Just to put it all in perspective, here is an infographic from the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) depicting the history of interest rates. We have it pretty good right now, with interest rates below 4% – is it time to think about the affordability of getting a mortgage NOW??
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Real estate agents often talk about what’s going on in the market, using realestate-ese. It can be confusing to buyers and sellers. One term often used ,which is important for both buyers and sellers to understand, is ABSORPTION RATE. Simply put, ABSORPTION RATE is the amount of time it would take for the current inventory [...]
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Here is an interesting and informative graphic showing the impact of today’s interest rates on the cost of homes over the last decade. No question buying a home is much more affordable these days
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You have to pardon the media. They can’t or won’t keep up with local housing data when reporting how the real estate market is faring. I get that. But consumers read that information and gain an inaccurate picture of what is happening in the local market where they might be thinking of buying or selling. [...]
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There is a wealth of information on the Internet, but just because it’s there in writing DOES NOT mean it is accurate. As a buyer or seller, if you are relying on Zillow, I wouldn’t, and here’s why. If you want to make a sound buying or selling decision you need to have accurate information [...]
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This review of the housing market in Carlsbad and nearby North San Diego communities for the first half of 2012 as compared to the same time is 2011 is quite telling, with some significant changes. But it’s also quite clear each community is different, and the axiom that all real estate is local is obvious. [...]
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There is some excellent news for potential homeowners who would need to purchase FLOOD INSURANCE required by their mortgage company in many communities throughout the US. This new bill, the Surface Transportation Bill (H.R. 4348), re-authorizes the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through 2017. The prior program was set to expire, again, after several lapses, [...]
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EMD, or EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT, is an important part of the offer process. You will often hear this called simply a DEPOSIT or EARNEST MONEY but you will see EMD in MLS listings or instructions from escrow. The California Residential Purchase Agreement (offer) refers to it as INITIAL DEPOSIT. As a buyer when you submit [...]
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POF stands for PROOF OF FUNDS. Providing Proof of Funds is essential in a real estate transaction, especially for foreclosures and short sales where this will be demand up front with your offer. POF demonstrates to the seller that you DO have the necessary funds to purchase the property. This is particularly important if you [...]
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Having worked in a couple of different industries I have come to realize that the lingo used in a particular field can be confusing. This is especially true in REAL ESTATE, which seems to have more than its share of ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS and HARD TO DECIFER WORDS that no doubt cause tremendous confusion for buyers [...]
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I am using ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES more and more (except for REOs and short sales where they are typically not accepted by the banks) since it makes life easier for both buyers and sellers. Being able to sign on any device, without printing out, signing, and then faxing or scanning is a big relief, especially with [...]
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In Part 2 of this series of RELOCATION TIPS for your move to Carlsbad or elsewhere in Southern California, we talk about (1) the disadvantage of being at a distance, and (3) timing issues -coordinating buying and selling when moving a distance. Read the FULL ARTICLE: SERIOUS REAL ESTATE CHALLENGES FOR SERIOUS RELOCATION BUYERS [...]
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Listing Presentation Summary for Carlsbad Sellers
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While this may sound like a strange title, there’s an important lesson here for buyers about DUE DILIGENCE, and disclosure from agents, when buying a home. You might love the location of the home and the community but NOT what is nearby. Would you buy a new home near a pig farm? How about a [...]
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April 30th, 2012 is coming up fast!! This is the deadline to request an INFORMAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW of your home’s current assessment, which of course determines your property taxes. Given some homes in CARLSBAD, and elsewhere in San Diego County, may now have a market value that is less than their assessed value, having an [...]
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As a new homeowner you will receive a SUPPLEMENTAL TAX BILL sometime after you close escrow on your new home. The tax laws require that homes be reassessed after changing ownership or new construction. And the SUPPLEMENTAL TAX BILL may be an increase or possibly a decrease in your San Diego County property taxes. READ [...]
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I wrote a recent article about SHADOW INVENTORY and what it is. If you missed reading it, you should. Here’s the LINK TO THE SHADOW INVENTORY ARTICLE. We all know there IS abundant shadow inventory, and of course the BIG question is… WHAT WILL THE IMPACT BE ON THE HOUSING MARKET??? Experts are predicting a [...]
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Most people who pay any sort of attention to the news and to the housing market have head about SHADOW INVENTORY. But do you know what SHADOW INVENTORY is? Many are confused about what it actually is, and how much there is. SHADOW INVENTORY – what is it? There are 3 components: Houses that are [...]
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JEFF DOWLER
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Solutions Real Estate
6005 Hidden Valley Rd., Ste 280
Carlsbad, CA 92011
(760) 840-1360 Direct/Text
(760) 893-8924 Main Office
CA DRE lic. # 01490977
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