Carlsbad Homes for Sale - What Happened in the Carlsbad Real Estate Market in January 2012?

The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, and the statistics for January show a number of changes from last month. These data do not include private sales or manufactured/mobile/multi-family housing; the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate but are not guaranteed.

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Media reports speak in general terms, so information may not represent the reality of our local Carlsbad real estate market. Having data, and knowledge, about the local market conditions benefits you as a buyer or seller so you can make informed purchase and sale decisions.

In January 2012 there were 102 Carlsbad homes sold (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), the same as in December. Here's the breakdown of overall activity.

The number of Carlsbad home sales remained the same, but with fewer detached homes sold in January than in December, but the opposite for attached. Overall average sale prices declined modestly. There is still some negotiation going on and buyers, on average, are getting their homes for 4 - 8% off the asking price.

There were 118 properties (20% of the total) in Carlsbad at the end of January with the CONTINGENT status, 6 more than last month (i.e., homes with offers being reviewed for approval by short sale and REO lenders).

There were 597 Carlsbad Homes for sale at the end of January, the 7^th decline in inventor, by 4%, and the lowest inventory in over a year! This represents an inventory of 5.8 months for attached homes (down from 6.3 months last month) and 4.8 months for detached (up from 4.5 last month) based on the current rate of sales over the last 6 months. The real estate market in Carlsbad continues to be competitive and is getting more so.

READ MORE: How Important is Inventory when Buying or Selling? Very!!

In January the number of new homes coming on the market increased, with 141 new listings (up 54%) hitting the market. This is likely due to the fact we are past the holidays and heading into the spring market. The number of homes going pending rose significantly, up 22% to 118, from December pendings. People were buying in January, and late December!

This overview of the Carlsbad real estate market is based on information provided by the MLS. More details can be provided with regard to current activity as well as within the specific zip codes of Carlsbad.

Watch for my 2011 overview of the Carlsbad real estate market!

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Carlsbad Homes for Sale – What Happened in the Carlsbad Real Estate Market in December 2011?

Carlsbad Homes for Sale – What Happened in the Carlsbad Real Estate Market in November 2011?

Carlsbad Homes for Sale | Carlsbad Real Estate Market Report for October 2011

Carlsbad Homes for Sale | Carlsbad Real Estate Market Report for September 2011

Carlsbad Homes for Sale: Carlsbad Real Estate Market Report for August 2011

Carlsbad Homes for Sale: Carlsbad Real Estate Market Report for July 2011

Los Gatos is one of the premium residential locations in southern Silicon Valley. Los Gatos is freeway close to just about everything and it’s the gateway to the Santa Cruz Mountains and coastal Santa Cruz, less than 30 minutes by mountain highway. Downtown Los Gatos is famous for fantastic restaurants, shopping and a strong sense of community. If you’re looking for a home site to build on in Los Gatos, we can help.

Here are Los Gatos residential lots and land for sale as of February 9, 2012. Drop me a line for more information and to schedule a showing. (john@jsrealproperty.com ) Click on a property’s Listing Price to view its MLS listing, request additional information, or to schedule a site visit.

Check back next week for updates. Lot sizes are approximate and use of the land is subject to local government regulation and approval.

Go to Silicon Valley MLS Searchto find current listings for properties of all types anywhere in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties.

Need help? Contact Usfor help buying and selling Silicon Valley real estate.

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Tags: Residential Lots and Land For Sale in Los Gatos, Los Gatos real estate, Los Gatos homes for sale, northern California real estate

John A. Souerbry & Associates (DRE 01370983) Tel (650) 815-6182

I've been closing short sales for many years. In fact, I close a huge volume of short sales. Even so, as a Sacramento short sale agent, I still haven't seen it all. I know this to be true because every single day I seem to learn something new. That's part of what keeps my profession interesting. I freely share what I learn in this blog and with other real estate agents. But lately there seems to be a lot of aggression and hostility among agents in Sacramento. I don't know if it's because sales for them have dwindled or maybe it's tree pollen eating their brains.

For example, I received a call yesterday from a buyer's agent who was really abrasive. You could hear it in her voice. It was shrill, sharp, almost as though she regretted having to pick up the phone to call me but perhaps lacked the energy to send an email. She complained about her buyer's offer not being accepted. She wanted to know what I thought she had to do to get it accepted. I told her.

She then wanted to know if my seller knew that I suggested buyers pay a price the bank is willing to accept. How dare I demand a market value offer! Did my seller know that I was telling buyers not to send a lowball offer? I informed her that my sellers and I are on the same page. They trust me implicitly to do what is best for them. That's why they call it a fiduciary relationship.

Another agent decided after the sellers accepted an offer that she wanted to renegotiate. It wasn't her buyers who wanted to renegotiate, it was her. She told me she wants the sellers to move out 10 days before closing. That is her policy for all 3 short sales she has recently closed. Whoop-dee-do. She should have put that in her buyer's offer, but she didn't. And, even if she had, the sellers would have most likely countered it out.

See, this is the thing. Sellers of a short sale are not second-class citizens. They are under no obligation to sell their home as a short sale. It's a voluntary action. You don't treat sellers like criminals, demanding they vacate the premises weeks before closing. They are not tenants. They are homeowners who deserve respect and to be treated like any other seller of a real estate transaction.

No wonder some buyers are having a tough time.

MORTGAGE LOCK ADVISORY

February 9, 2012, 6:30 AM PST

Click for Lock Advice Updated Several Times Daily

Mortgage Interest Rate lock Advice for locks within 8 days: LOCK

Mortgage Points based on 3.5% Mortgage Backed Securities are up 09. If you have an unlocked loan closing in the next seven days, today would be a good day to lock.

30 Day Mortgage Interest Rate Lock or Float Advice: LOCK

The Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) market way overbought and in this uncertain market the best long term advice is to lock at historic low rates.

MORTGAGE MARKET INDICATORS

National Average Fixed Rate Mortgage 3.87%
MBS (3.5%) - 103.75, High: 103.94, Low: 103.72
DJI Stocks currently $12,908.70, Up $24.75, Change 0.192%
Asian & European Stock Market Indexes Up 0.352%
Nymex Crude Oil Currently $99.92 Up $1.21
Gold 1 Once - Bid: 1,749.30

MORTGAGE NEWS BRIEFS

Multistate AG settlement of illegal foreclosure practices
Federal and state officials are preparing to announce a historic settlement, worth up to $39.5 billion and covering nearly all 50 states to resolve allegations that the nation's five largest mortgage servicers engaged in illegal and improper foreclosure practices, the Financial Times reports, sourcing people with knowledge of the matter. Read More Housing Wire

Knowledge of Unreported Fraud is Fraud
Rule Requires Nonbank Lenders, Originators to Report Fraud
By: Ryan Schuette
A financial fraud task force cleared a final rule Tuesday that requires nonbank mortgage lenders and originators to report suspicious activity related to mortgage fraud. Read More MReport

A Family and a Hit Man Receive Hefty Sentences for Mortgage Fraud
A federal court sentenced three family members to prison Monday for their role in $11 million in mortgage fraud, just as another court upped the sentence for a onetime company executive-turned-hit man currently serving time. » Read More MReport

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Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards
By Krista Franks
Capital Economics expects the housing crisis to end this year, according to a report released Tuesday. One of the reasons: loosening credit. Read More DSNews

When Politics trumps common Sense. Who Will Work for Peanuts?
Senators Introduce Bill to Pay GSE Execs Federal Salaries
Ryan Schuette
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle introduced legislation Thursday to curb multibillion-dollar bonuses for senior-level executives with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Read More MReport

Presidential Campaign Tactics or Something Real?
Obama Unveils New Refi Plan, Homeowner 'Bill of Rights'
The Obama administration rolled out an ambitious package of benefits and structural changes Wednesday for homeowners who want to refinance their loans. The plan would cost anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion and pay for itself with fees exacted from financial institutions. If it makes it into law, the bill would significantly expand refinancing opportunities for underwater borrowers, shift appraisal responsibilities in distressed neighborhoods to an automated system under the GSEs, and offer new servicing reforms. » Read More MReport

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There are a lot of new home construction and major remodeling projects currently active in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, verification that these are premium residential locations in central Silicon Valley. If you’re looking for a home site in Los Altos or Los Altos Hills, we can help.

Here are Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residential lots and land for sale as of February 9, 2012. Click on the Listing Price to view the property’s MLS listing, request more information, or to schedule a site visit.

Note: Check back each week for updates. You can also sign up for free, automated email alerts when you visit my Silicon Valley MLS Search page. All lot sizes are approximate and land use is subject to local government regulation and approval.

Go to Silicon Valley MLS Searchto find current listings for properties of all types anywhere in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties.

Need help? Contact Usfor help buying and selling Silicon Valley real estate.

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Tags: Residential Lots and Land For Sale in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills real estate, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills homes for sale, northern California real estate, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills real estate agents

John A. Souerbry & Associates (DRE 01370983) Tel (650) 815-6182