Thursday, March 29, 2007

South Orange County Real Estate Update A/O 3/26/07

This week there were another 60 properties on the South Area Preview sheet. A number were repreviews as well as plenty of new listings. Some are great properties at decent prices but there are still some real funky properties that are way over price. For instance, there is a new listing in Monarch Beach. The property is a 3 bedroom/3.5 bath on one level, but the floor plan is funky, floors need to be refinished, carpet needs to be replaced, and the price is way over the top. After looking at several other view properties, this has to be the most overpriced property I have seen in some time. I guess some people don't listen to the media!

Let's look at other Dana Point properties, which include 13 listings on the preview sheet for this week. There were 9 single family homes and 4 condos. A total of three of these listings have been on the market for over 30 days. On the low end, there is a new condo listing at $454,000 for a 1 bedroom, 1.25 bath with 935 square feet on ground level. The high end condo this week is on the market for $1,200,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath with 1980 square feet.

Single family residences (SFR) had a low of $799,000 for 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with 2000 square feet, and there is another property at the same price point with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with 1000 square feet but is an ocean view beach cottage. The high end in SFRs for Dana Point this week is a really great listing on Camino Capistrano close to the San Clemente border on the bluffs with a fabulous ocean, coastline, and white water views. Nice home with a great floorplan that maximizes the view. This home has 5 bedrooms and 3 baths with a total of 4293 square feet on the market for $4,950,000.

Laguna Niguel only had two listings this week in our area, one a condo for $925,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath at 1658 square feet and a SFR that has been on the market for over 30 days at $1,800,000 with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2600 square feet.

San Clemente has a total of 33 properties on the preview sheet this week, 9 condos and 24 SFRs, with 12 properties having been on the market for over 30 days. The low end condo this week is on the market for $308,000 for a one bedroom, one bath with 680 square feet in the Vista Pacifica development in Rancho San Clemente. The high end condo is on the market for $734,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath single story townhome with 1125 square feet with an ocean view. Talega only had 7 homes on the preview sheet this week with the low home being priced at $739,999 for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath Solana model with 1678 square feet. The high end for Talega is a 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath Montellano model with 4300 square feet. The high end for San Clemente this week is a 5 bedroom, 5 bath home that sits on 3.5 acres that includes vineyards. The home has 4700 square feet and is priced at $2,200,000. A couple of homes to note in San Clemente this week include a listing in Del Cabo, this is a nice corner lot, with a real nice feel that is priced well at $1,199,900 for 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage with 3087 square feet. There is a nice listing with an upside down home for $1,695,000. Nice house if you don't mind having your kitchen upstairs. At least this house installed a dumb waiter from the ground floor so you don't have to carry your groceries up the stairs. Ocean and canyon views for $1,695,000 for 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths with a total of 3860 square feet. Another property to note is has beautiful ocean views from a well thought out home that has 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and 2900 square feet. This one has a huge lot with room in the backyard for a pool.

San Juan Capistrano this week only has 12 properties on preview all SFRs. The low end includes a 3 bedroom, 2 bath in a 55+ community for $599,000 and a 3 bedroom, 2 bath in Mission glen for $709,000. The high end includes a 6 bedroom, 5.5 bath home with 5800 square feet for $3,399,000.

If you are priced competitively for this market the buyers are out there. Should you have any questions regarding a specific property or want more information, please do not hesitate to give me a call or send me an email.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

South Orange County Real Estate Update A/O 3/19/07

This week there were 63 properties featured in the South Area Preview sheet ranging in price from the low of $308,000 for a one bedroom, one bath condo with 680 square feet to a double lot on Beach Road in Capo Beach for $10,199,900, with a little bit of everything thrown inbetween. A few preview were cancelled due to the rain, we all know that South County Real Estate agents melt! Oh my gosh! How totally spoiled are we, a few drops of rain and people start cancelling. Oh well, drops the number down to try to see. Although there are 63 properties available to see, it is pretty hard to see more than about 15. It depends on the size of the property, but obviously, those huge homes take more time to go through than a small condo.

Let's start with Dana Point this week which featured a total of 12 properties, 4 condos and 8 single family residences (SFR). Five of these properties have been on the market for 30 days or more. Of the condos, the low price this week was $460,000 for a lower unit in Seaview Condos that is a highly upgraded unit, two bedrooms, one bath, with a one car garage and 730 square feet to $1,150,000 for a 1,400 square feet condo with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, two car garage in Tennis Villas for a completely remodeled unit in the style of Tommy Bahama.

Single family residences ranged in price from $799,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with approximately 2,000 square feet to the $10,199,900 double lot on Beach Road that includes plans for a Chris Abel designed home of 6,432 square feet. This lot has 74 feet of beach frontage. The site consists of two legal lots which can be developed separately.

Laguna Niguel featured only two properties this week, both condos in the Beacon Hill development, one lower unit and one upper unit ranging in price from $365,000 to $389,000 for 2 bedrooms and 1 bath with 865 square feet of living space with carports.

San Clemente featured the most properties this week with 36 properties, twelve of which have been on the market for 30 days or more. There are 9 condos and 27 SFRs. Seven properties are in Talega with 2 condos and 5 SFRs. The lowest priced condo is a one bedroom, one bath 680 square feet unit in the Vista Pacifica development priced at $308,000. The highest priced unit is new construction in North Beach for a 4 bedroom, 5 1/2 bath 2,794 square feet unit with a 4 car garage. This unit has plenty of views and a 1084 square feet of outdoor decks. Twenty seven SFRs include on the low end a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 1350 square feet home in Forster Ranch Colony. The upper end features a 4,178 square foot home in Sea Pointe Estates with 5 bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths on a single level with fabulous views. This is a great corner lot and includes a four car garage with plenty of storage. Probably one of the better values I saw this week includes a property with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, plus loft - end of cul-de-sac location with 2615 square feet of living space that has been nicely done that sure looks like an excellent value at $859,000. Of note in Talega, there is a home in the Vizcaya development that recently had a $100,000 price reduction that is on the Talega golf course.

San Juan Capistrano only had 13 properties featured this week with 7 having been on the market for at least 30 days. All properties are SFRs ranging in price from a low of $598,000 for 3 bedrooms with 1 1/2 baths having 1210 square feet to a high for a property in Marbella Crest Estates on the market for $3,665,000 with 4 bedrooms, 5 baths with 5850 square feet, a wine room, elevator, and 6 fireplaces. One really great buy is a property over by the Boys and Girls Club that is a cute 4 bedroom (3 bedroom + den) 2 bath house with 1750 square feet on the market for $779,900. They have done some really nice improvements on the property and this is definitely a must see if this is your price range and neighborhood. Another higher end property to note is a 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home in guard gated Connemar By The Sea. This property is offered at $2,795,000 and has 4500 square feet with gorgeous views.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

San Clemente Real Estate: Homes Are Where The Heart Is Updates for Week of March 12th

Every week we are seeing more homes enter the preview sheet with this week being no exception. A total of 67 properties made the cut-off for the preview sheet and there were several write-ins at the Wednesday morning meeting. Of these 67 properties, 17 are re-previews or have been on the market for over 30 days. Some income properties (duplex, four-plex, etc.) usually take more time to sell, but price is a definite factor in this market. If you want to sell, listen to your agent and price it correctly the first time. Many agents will let you, the seller set the price. This works for the agent, in that these agents get more listings, but they go through more price reductions, and the properties sit longer. If a property is priced correctly, it will sell!

This is a different market than we have had over the past few years and buyers expect more for their dollar. Just because the house down the street sold for an inflated price last year, does not mean that you will get that price today! That house down the street might very well have an upside-down owner who owes more than the house is currently worth. Pay attention to the news, many people are upside due to sub-prime loans.

Although only 13% of all mortgages are sub-prime, if too many of these people default, sell at a discount, or are pushed into foreclosure, the market will be flooded with inexpensive real estate, diluting home prices. Sub-prime loans are loans for people with low credit scores and they have become a problem because most of them had adjustable interest rates. As these rates increased, so did their monthly payments, causing many homeowners to struggle to pay their mortgage every month. Many of these loans also contain prepayment penalties which makes refinancing the property difficult.

Of the 67 total listings, 16 are in Dana Point, 16 in San Juan Capistrano, and 35 are in San Clemente. Let’s first look at the Dana Point listings.

In Dana Point, of the 16 listings, 6 have been on the market for over 30 days. There are 4 condos and 12 single family residences (SFR). The condos range in price from the low of $335,000 for 650 square feet to $600,876 for 982 square feet. Of the 12 remaining properties, one is a duplex and two properties are listed as SFRs but actually are attached with one common wall, identical units on Camino Capistrano with ocean views. The remaining properties range in price from $849,000 for 1300 square feet to $3,750,000 for 2670 square feet in Niguel Shores on the oceanside of PCH next to the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

San Juan Capistrano has 16 listings, 3 which have been on the market for over 30 days. There are 3 condos, 12 SFRs, and 1 mobile home. The condos range in price from a low of $395,000 for 864 square feet to a high of $649,000 for 1640 square feet. The SFRs include a detached home in San Juan Hills East a 55+ community for $589,000 to $799,000 for a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with 2052 square feet to a 5100 square foot home with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths priced at $2,749,900.

There were a total of 35 properties on the market this week in San Clemente which includes a four-plex, 10 condos, and 24 SFRs. Of the condos, 2 have been on the market for over 180 days but are priced at over $1.6 million with white water views. The low end on the condos is 864 square feet for $485,000 that has been completely remodeled. Within these numbers include 12 properties in the community of Talega. This includes 1 condo and 11 SFRs. The condo has a golf course view with 1881 square feet for $835,000. The SFRs range in price and size from $879,900 for 2327 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in Escala to $2,479,000 for 4476 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths in Careyes. Other properties to note include a cute French Country beach house on T Street with 2 bedrooms and 1 ¼ baths for $1,265,000; an original owner Shorecliff’s home with 1820 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths in original condition that is a trust sale at $999,950 to a large lot in Rimrock with 1558 square feet of house, 4 bedrooms and 3 baths with pool that has RV access for $799,000.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

South County Real Estate Updates and Why Use An Agent For New Home Sales

Homes Are Where The Heart Is.com is my own type of web page. As a realtor here in South Orange County, CA; there is so much happening. When talking to our computer guy, I let him know that I wanted to update my web page at least weekly and share information that I come across to my readers. He thought a web page that is really a BLOG would be the way to go so here I am.

South County Real Estate Updates are derived from information that is put out for realtors from the Orange County Association of Realtors. Every week, agents from the area, submit new listings and properties they want to generate renewed interest on to the other agents in the area. This is not a comprehensive list of what is actually listed for this time period, that can only be accessed via a relationship with a realtor that has access to the MLS (multiple listing service). My South County Real Estate Updates or What's Hot is designed to give a quick and dirty overview for those wanting to have a better idea of what is going on.

Please do not believe everything you read in the papers and here on the local news about real estate. Their job is to sell newspapers or have you tune into the news - not necessarily to report what is really going on.

Just a quick note to those out there looking for NEW HOMES. Most new home builders have found it advantageous to work with local area realtors. A licensed real estate agent can help you buy your brand new home just as well as buy the resale home. Having someone look out after your interest is in your best interest. With the changing marketplace, often builders start to discount new homes to move them, if you have a licensed agent working as your "buyers agent" they can often help you negotiate a better deal than what is offered right up front. The deal with working with an agent on new home sales, is you cannot walk into that sales office and put down your name without an agent, because then the agent won't want to work with you since by you signing their book without an agent, you have given them notice that you are not represented. If you think you might be moving in this direction, please call your agent first and have them register you in the sales office.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

What's Hot In South County Real Estate A/O 3/5/07

This week there are 61 listings on the South Area Preview Sheet. They are broken out among the following cities, San Clemente has 30 listings with actually 23 listings being under 30 days, Dana Point has 15 listings with 7 of these being over 30 days on the market, San Juan Capistrano has 15 listings with 11 of these listings being less than 30 days, and Laguna Niguel has only one listing which is new.

The following is a break down of condos to single family residences (SFR) and price ranges for each city.

Out of San Clemente's 30 listings 9 are condos and 21 are single family residences. Of the condos price ranges start at $290,000 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with 520 square feet to $1,699,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ocean view with 2000 square feet. There are two of these units on the market, townhome style with one unit having a downstairs master bedroom. In SFRs, the lowest priced home is on the market for $650,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 1618 square feet on a single level with an upgraded interior. The highest priced home on the preview sheet is in Talega priced at $1,850,000 for a Mirador (William Lyon Home) with 4700 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths.

Dana Point has five condos and 10 SFRs on the market with seven of these that have been on the market for over 30 days. Some have price reductions, some are on preview for the first time, others want a second look. Condos range in price from $335,000 for a one bedroom, one bath with 650 square feet to $775,000 for a two bedroom, two bath unit with 1305 square feet on the ocean side of PCH with an upper unit that has been remodeled. Single family homes range from a 3 bedroom, two bath with 1426 square feet at $935,000 to a five bedroom, 3 1/2 bath 5305 square feet home in gate guarded Lantern Bay with an ocean view for $4,095,000.

Laguna Niguel only has one condo listed this week which is a one bedroom, one bath with 720 square feet for $300,000.

San Juan Capistrano has a total of 15 listings this week, four of which are on re-preview or have been on the market for over 30 days. There are 3 condo listings ranging in price from $495,000 to $539,900 for 1684 square feet. The 12 SFRs on the market range in price from $485,000 for 910 square feet to $3,295,000 for a 5 bedroom, 5 bath home with 5171 square feet in the Hunt Club.

Properties are moving even if the newspapers and media talk about the market being slow. Locally, I have seen more movement in the past couple of weeks than in the previous several months. If you are thinking about buying or selling, give me a call and I can give you more specifics about the market.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

What's New In Local Real Estate - Week of 2/26/07

A total of 60 properties are featured this week on the South Area Preview sheet for local area realtors. The listings are broken out into the following communities:

Dana Point had 12 new listings: 4 condos and 8 single family residences (SFR) which includes one home for lease
Laguna Niguel had 1 new listing for a SFR
San Clemente had 30 new listings: 8 condos and 22 SFRs
San Juan Capistrano had 16 new listings: 2 mobile homes, 2 condos, and 12 SFRs

The condos in Dana Point range in price from $450,000 on the low end to $1,175,000 on the high end with views of Dana Point Harbor and the Headlands. The single family homes range in price and size from $725,000 for 1100 square feet Lantern Village cottage to a home in Lantern Bay Estates for over $4 million with +5300 square feet.

The Laguna Niguel SFR is a single-level ocean view home in Beacon Hill Summit for over $1.3 million.

San Clemente listings include an ocean view triplex in the North Beach area and nine homes in Talega including a new listing in Wavecrest, a development in The Talega Gallery (55+ community). Prices in San Clemente range from $495,500 for a mobile home in Shorecliffs Terrace to a condo in Faire Harbour for $519,000 to the upper end in Talega out in Careyes for a 4600+ square foot home on the Talega Golf Course for $2,395,000.

In San Juan Capistrano this week there is a bank owned REO condo for $399,900, to the mobile homes on the market at El Nido Mobile Estates for $172,000 and $199,000 respectively to a $4.5 million home on 2.6 acres for a 4600+square foot estate home that includes a guest cottage, tennis court, pool, etc.

The market is starting to pick up. Nationwide home sales in January were up 3% over sales for the previous year. Call me for more information.