Petaluma, CA

Petaluma, Sonoma County CA April 2009 Residential Property Market Snapshot

Are you interested in current market statistics & conditions for the Petaluma Market Area of Northern California Real Estate? Following are the stats for the April 2009 market as well as what is currently (as of May 24) listed in the residential real estate market. Residential meaning, Single Family Homes, Condo's as well as Farms/Ranches. This month I am changing this up a bit by dividing out the detached single family homes from the condo market.

As of Today May 24, 2009 the Petaluma CA Market Area has:

284 MLS Listed Properties:

262 Are Single Family Home with List Price Range of $175,000 - $14,000,000

Average List Price $738,785 * Median List Price $499,900

23 are Bank Owned aka REO/Foreclosed properties & 88 are Short Sales

22 Are Condo Listings with a List Price Range of $198,000 - $529,900

Average List Price of $318,108 * Median List Price of $287,000

2 are Bank Owned aka REO/Foreclosed properties & 10 are Short Sales

120 of the Listings Are In Escrow in "Contingent" status

108 being Single Family Homes List Price Range $179,900 - $895,000

Average List Price $421,215 * Median List Price $399,000

Of these 108, 14 are Bank Owned & 63 are Short Sales

12 are Condo's with a List Price Range of $199,000 - $380,000

Average List Price of $271,738 * Median List Price of $264,975

Of these 12, 2 are Bank Owned & 9 are Short Sales

27 of the Listings In Escrow are in the "Pending" status i.e. All Contingencies have been removed

All 27 are Single Family Homes List Price Range $182,162 - $1,250,000

Average List Price $447,932 * Median List Price $399,000

Of these 27, 6 are Bank Owned & 10 are Short Sales

51 Listings Sold i.e. Closed Escrow During the month of April 2009:

50 being Single Family Homes Selling for 99.99% of List Price

List Price Range $215,000 - $5,000,000 * Selling Price Range $220,000 - $3,800,000

Average List Price $508,699 * Average Selling Price $482,390

Median List Price $383,938 * Median Selling Price $391,000

Of these 50, 21 were Bank Owned & 9 were Short Sales

1 Was a Condo That Sold for 92.80% of List Price

List Price $242,450 - Selling Price of $225,000

This sale was neither Bank Owned or a Short Sale as it was a traditional old fashioned real estate transaction!

For quite some time now the Petaluma market has been heavily weighted with bank owned/REO's (foreclosed homes) and short sale listings. Petaluma is following suit with a majority of the rest of the county having a larger number of short sales in escrow but when it comes to numbers closed escrows the numbers turn around with more Bank Owned listings closing.

Considering the current volume of listings and that we have consistently sold approx 52 listings a month, Petaluma has a 5.5 month inventory. I'll break these numbers out further, we have just over a 1 month inventory of Bank Owned homes and a 10.5 month inventory of Short Sales.

Upon Request I am happy to adjust these stats to a more specific neighborhood within Petaluma or to your own criteria such as certain number of bedrooms and baths or single level to name a few.

Lynn Bowen

Domaine Real Estate

Sebastopol Ca

707-695-3814 Lynn@DomaineRE.com

www.LynnBowenRealEstate.com

American Graffiti filmed in 1973 was written and directed by George Lucas. It starred Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Wolfman Jack, and Cindy Williams just to name a few. Most of the cruise scenes were filmed on Main Street in downtown Petaluma.

Every year Petaluma hosts the American Graffiti car show. It is one of the biggest car shows in the county. It is just one more reason I love living in Sonoma County.

In just three years, Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti Celebration, which takes place on the same streets where the movie was filmed has become one of the premier and most sought to attend classic car events in Northern California. Registration for Salute 2009 is already full with cars from as far away as Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and throughout California.

Like the movie, Petaluma evokes a time gone by with its turn-of-the-century brick and Ironfront buildings, stately Victorian homes and downtown riverfront. Incorporated in 1858 and located on U.S. Highway 101 just a 40 minute drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge, this historic gateway to the Redwood Empire, wild Sonoma and Mendocino coasts, and world-renown Sonoma and Napa wine countries is a very popular destination for visitors from around the world

Jim Cheney, Broker "Your Rincon Valley Realtor"

Serving Rincon Valley's real estate and property needs

Rincon Valley, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA

As of April 6, 2009 a very encouraging 40% of available listings in Petaluma, CA are in escrow.

For the month of March 2009 48 homes sold in Petaluma for an average final selling price of $401,822.

The average original asking price of these homes was $447,419.

The range of final selling prices was from a low of $220,000 to a high of $1,225,000.

Of the 48 homes that sold, 2 sold at their original asking price, 8 sold over their original asking price and the remaining 38 sold for less.

It took these homes an average of 131 days to sell.

To see everything that is currently available on our MLS, click here.

To learn more about the area visit my website or contact me directly.

Dryer Vent Cleaning: Tumbling to Disaster as Danger Lurks in Dryer Vents

On a cold winter day, there is nothing nicer than wrapping your arms around the warm load of laundry as you pull it out of your clothes dryer. Let this be a reminder that the source of this nice warm bundle can overheat and cause a fire.

Over 15,000 clothes dryer fires are reported each year; most are the result of poor dryer vent maintenance. Failure to have professional dryer vent cleaning performed each year is the number one cause of clothes dryer fires.

Dryer vent systems which are clogged with lint will overheat and ignite; this type of fire spreads quickly. Other things that lead to dryer fires are cleaning rags soaked with flammable chemicals. These should be line dried, even if they have been washed, as residue can remain. The heat from the dryer can cause the materials to ignite inside your dryer.

Your dryer vent removes heat, moisture and lint from your home; however, some of the moist lint sticks to the sides of the dryer ducts, forming a paste-like substance that dries and hardens. As more lint accumulates, air flow is restricted, the dryer vent system overheats and ignites..

Here are some tips for maintaining your clothes dryer vent system:

Clean the lint screen after every load - your dryer will operate more efficiently, saving you money on energy bills and reducing the risk of a fire

Wash the lint screen periodically to remove residue from softener sheets

Inspect and clean your dryer vent often - check to see that it is expelling air when the dryer is running

Do not place rags soaked in flammable chemicals in your dryer

Do not store flammable chemicals near the dryer

Have a qualified dryer exhaust professional inspect and clean your dryer vent system at least once a year

Do not leave your home or go to sleep when the dryer is running

Appliance maintenance is essential in saving money on utility bills, reducing wear and tear on your appliance and preventing clothes dryer fires.

Rhonda Nole is the owner of Dryer Vent Wizard, a dryer vent cleaning and repair professional who inspects dryer vent systems to be sure they are properly installed and up to current safety codes. Read Rhonda's new blog for more dryer vent cleaning and safety tips.

As of March 6, 2009 36% of available listings in Petaluma are in escrow.

For the month of February 2009 25 homes sold in Petaluma for an average final selling price of $380,027.

NOTE: A whopping 20 of the 25 homes that sold were distress sales!

The average original asking price for these homes was $408,036.

The range of final selling prices was from a low of $205,000 to a high of $1,100,000. (Only 1 property sold for over a million, everything else was $485,000 or less.)

Of the 25 homes that sold 2 sold for their original asking price and 8 sold for more than the original asking price.

It took these homes an average of 101 days to sell.

To see what Petaluma's past sales history looks like, click here.

To see everything that is currently for sale in Petaluma, click here.

To learn more about the area visit my website, or contact me directly.