Antioch, CA

If you have been following the adventures around here you know we bought 2 of the now famous Blue Pumpkins for baking and an Orange one for the kids to Carve.

My wife cooked up one of the Blue Pumpkins, carved it out, pureed it. There was enough Pumpkin in it for 12 Pumpkin pies, 3 large loaves of Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pancakes, some Low Carb Pumpkin dishes for me, and we still have some left.

But the little wolverines disquiesed as children wanted to get to that big orange one. So we did. I handled the knife work. But I was told he had to have an angry face and a "Cheese" eye. Now I was not sure what a "Cheese" eye was so the 5 year old drew it on the Pumpkin for me. I think a "Cheese" eye is a side ways triangle that looks like a cut of cheese. So we have one Cheese eye.

Tonight we are taking them to the Halloween Party open to the Community at Cornerstone Christian Center. They will have face painting, petting zoos, bounce houses, rides, shows, and trunk or treating for candy. They are living under the delusion they will be allowed to come home and keep big bags of candy in their bedroom. Are they in for a surprise. No doubt tonight my wife will be searching it and clearing it of "Dangerous" stuff; dark chocolate, licorice, Sugar Babies (or anything with Carmel), Candy Corn, and Coconut Products. I would be helping her but alas I am on a diet. They will get the rest of it doled out slowly.

Antioch Halloween Fun!

What do you do on Halloween? Do you have something fun and safe planned for the kids? Can they still have the fun of Trick or Treating and get lots of Candy? Safely?

Well there is an option that will allow your children to have a safe, fun, and exciting Halloween for your kids with Trunk or Treating.

Cornerstone Christian Center will host a Hallelujah Night Carnival on Halloween. There will be Bounce Houses, Lots of Games, Face Painting, and free food. The kids can go Trunk or Treating where they go from decorated car in the parking lot to decorated car getting candy (and I know some go through this trip several times).

There is always sometime of show. One year it was Feats of Strength featuring a strong men and another year it was a magic show.

Cornerstone Christian Center is located at 1745 East 18th Street, Antioch, CA. For more information you can call 925-779-2000. It runs from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. They ask for a bag of candy donation.

Antioch Housing Market Report for September 2009.

This Antioch Housing Market Report focuses on Home Sales in Antioch California in September 2009 and compare them to sales in August 2009. It also provides information on Homes Currently for Sale in Antioch California. This Antioch Housing Market Report are based on Single Family Homes and taken from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) on October 12, 2009 and October 17, 2009.

Contrary to popular belief Prices in East Contra Costa County continue to head up in each and every community. If the number of sales is down it is because there are fewer homes on the market.

The Antioch Housing Market is showing someminor declines, but the market availability is shrinking. In August there were 170 Homes Sold in the Antioch Housing Market the average price was $222,369.00 and the Median Price was $224,950.00. The average Listing Price Per SF on the homes sold in Antioch California was $106.00, but the average Sold Price was $109.00 per SF. The average days on market for sold homes was 31.

In September both the asking and selling price per SF declined. The Average Price went down to 201,140.00 and the Median price went to $197,500.00. But, there were only 149 Home sold. The average days on market was 27.

Currently there are 164 Homes Availble in the Antioch Housing Market with an Average Asking Price of $244,318.00 and a Median Asking Price of $224,950.00. The average asking price per SF is $122.00 with Average Days on Market of 55.

The supply of homes is less than 2 months. We are in a traditional slow season, but I suspect prices will hold steady if not continue up through the end of the year. It is hard to predict long term market trends with the flood of new initiatives to head of foreclosures.

Who is buying the bulk of the REO (Bank Owned) properties in your neighborhood? It's very frustrating for the 1st Time home buyers when the bulk of the homes they can qualify for are going to the 'all cash' buyers...which are typically investors. I know from experience and numerous offers that the banks don't care about selling their properties for the highest possible, fair market value. They opt for the less-risk offer which is all cash. I get it...I know they want the properties off their books...but it doesn't mean I have to like it! I just wish one of the bank's incentives were based on revenue rather than just number of units sold. I say that based on my experience and opinion.

One of the areas with the bulk of the REO homes for sale is located in Antioch, CA. The following chart shows the sales from Aug. 1 through Sept. 20, 2009. It covers detached, single family homes only. There were 232 homes that closed escrow during that time period. The "Cash" offers represent 28% of all sales and 75% of the REO (Bank Owned) sales.

So, who is buying the bulk of the REO's in your neighborhood...cash investors or 1st Time home buyers? (To me, I don't put 1st Time home buyers in the 'all cash' category!)

(The above figures were taken from the Contra Costa Assoc. of Realtor's MLS effective Sept. 21, 2009)

If moving to Walnut Creek or the East Bay of California, give me a call, search the MLS or view My Website for more information.

Antioch California Market Report – August 2009

I read an article saying homes sales are down in Contra Costa County. Well if Home Sales are down in Antioch CA it is because there are fewer homes to sell. This Antioch Market Report Focuses on Sales in August of Single Family Homes as compared to Sales in July. The information is pulled for the MLS from between September 15th and September 18th. I will be presenting some Special Market Reports on certain Market Segments in Antioch and other communities such as Short Sales, Bank Owned Home, First Time Buyers, and Higher End Homes in the near future.

In July of 2009 there were 206 Homes Sold in Antioch California. The Average Price was $203,133.00 and a Median Price of $200,000.00. The Average Price Per SF in Antioch California was $105.00 and the Average Days on Market was 40.

Compare July to August with only 156 Home Sales, but at an Average Price of $222,870.00 and a Median Price of $215,000.00. The figure I think is most important is Average Price Per SF and that is $109.00; this is an almost 4% increase in one month!

Currently there are only 185 Homes on the Market in Antioch; this is fewer than the number of sales in all of July and accounts for the drop in the number of sales. The homes still on the Market have been on the Market for an Average of 57 days and have an Average List Price of $228,980.00 and a Median List Price of $212,800.00. The Average Asking Price Per SF is $120.00.

Unless we see more homes on the Market soon and in big quantities prices will continue to climb fast.

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