Debbie Lynn ~ North San Diego Realtor 858.775.9771

With so many in trouble with their homes, I was prompted to share a story of a client I just helped out.

John and Sally had been struggling for several years with lower income in their business. Debts mounted and soon the mortgage payment was too much. They tried for 2 years to re-negotiate their loan (loan modification) with their lender, but were strung along until one day they received (were Served) a Notice of Trustee Sale (Foreclosure date).

The date was the following Friday! In a panic, they called me, I had been suggesting for a while they consider their Options and let me help them, but they had what I call the "Ostrich Syndrome" and had buried their heads in the sand hoping it would all work out!

We went into hyper action mode! We were able to get the Foreclosure date postponed immediately. We put the home on the market while allowing them to continue to make sure they couldn't get a loan mod from the lender (which they didn't get).

Instead of having the embarrassment of being thrown out of their home by a Sheriff, they were able to sell their home like a "normal" seller, even though we negotiated a lower payoff of their loans with the lender. We were also able to negotiate on a couple of Judgements that they had as well. Sally and John didn't want to sell their home, but were in over their heads. When it was all done, they said they felt a huge relief and weight lifted off of their shoulders. They are looking forward to moving on with their life without the debts hanging over their heads.

If you or someone you know are struggling making your house payments, your home is worth less than you owe, or you are trying unsuccessfully to negotiate a loan modification, you need to explore your OPTIONS!

Did you know, if you go through a Foreclosure it takes about 7 years to be in a position to buy a property again, vs. about 2 -3 years with a "short sale"?

Did you know that you can probably do a short sale with ABSOLUTELY NO COST to you?

Do you know your OPTIONS? Please pick up the phone or shoot me an email if you or someone you know is facing these things. I care and will give an honest, confidential consultation.

DEBBIE LYNN ~ PRUDENTIAL CALIFORNIA REALTY (SAN DIEGO AREA)

858.775.9771 ~ Homes@DebbieLynn.com

WHAT IS THE RANCHO SANTA FE COVENANT?

As a local Rancho Santa Fe Realtor, when I am assisting a new Buyer in the Rancho Santa Fe area (San Diego County), one of the first and most widely asked questions is: What is the Covenant? Why is it so attractive to people? Rancho Santa Fe is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the United States, so it's history is important to understand; the Covenant is why the area maintains it's allure, desirability and property values.

In order to answer that question, a brief history of the area usually ensues. The miles of land are abundant with Eucalyptus trees because in 1906, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, through its subsidiary Santa Fe Land Improvement Company, acquired the majority of the Rancho San Dieguito land grant. Their plan was to develop a tree farm as a source for railroad ties, and the company planted millions of eucalyptus seedlings on the rambling land grant. Unfortunately, the trees were unsuitable for railroad ties, so they began to parcel the land out as large estate plots.

The Rancho Santa Fe Protective Covenant was assembled in 1928, to help preserve and maintain the character of the community and unique land features, as well as establish architectural guidelines to restrict the type of homes and amenities to be built in the area. Generally, the properties range from smaller parcels near the center of the quaint historic town of Rancho Santa Fe, up to over 4 acre parcels as you travel further from the center of town. The Covenant is not a gated neighborhood, although many of the homes have their own private gates. Horses are allowed on parcels over 2 acres in size. Generally the area feels very "laid back and casual", and although there are plenty of very wealthy people that reside here, you would never know it from the friendly and casual atmosphere. Jeans and a T-shirt are what you might see while collecting your mail at the post office or shopping at the local market.

Homes in the Covenant range from Condos close into the Village, to grand Estates priced over 15 million dollars on many acres. Many have horse facilities, tennis courts, guest houses and other amenities. Here are currently available homes in the Covenant.

Some of the outstanding benefits of owning property in the Covenant of Rancho Santa Fe include the Golf Course and the Elementary/Middle School, and over 50 miles of Horse/walking trails. Many families decide to purchase homes in the Covenant just so their children can attend the Rancho Santa Fe School. Others, who are golf aficionados, are drawn by the classic Golf Club (which you can only join if you own property in the "Covenant") which by all standards is truly a treasure and reasonably priced compared to other local options. Click Here for a link to the golf club, and here for a link to the Covenant School.

At one time, Rancho Santa Fe primarily had homes only in the Covenant, however, in the past 30 or so years there are many surrounding neighborhoods within Rancho Santa Fe (zip codes 92067 and 92091), but not part of the "Covenant". These neighborhoods include Fairbanks Ranch, The Bridges, Cielo, Del Mar Country Club, The Farms, Santaluz, Whispering Palms, and many more. Most of these other neighborhoods have their own Homeowner's associations and do not enjoy the School privileges or Golf that Covenant Owners do. However, there are excellent schools that the other neighborhoods feed into, as well as many other golf and Country Club options in the area, which due to the economy have become relatively affordable.

Some functions of the Covenant Association include establishing Architectural guidelines for building, horses, tennis courts, to maintain high Architectural standards to preserve the rural character of the community for the future. The Covenant Association also offers a security patrol for the neighborhood. The village offers shopping, banking, offices, the Covenant School, restaurants, a gas station and the Historic Inn. There is an Association fee associated with the Covenant based on property value.

Here is a link to Wikipedia details on Rancho Santa Fe. Currently there are tremendous buying opportunities in the Covenant, some prices down over 35% from a few years ago. Click here to see available homes in the "Covenant" of Rancho Santa Fe. If you have any questions or would like to see any of these homes, feel free to contact Debbie Lynn at 858-775-9771 or homes@debbielynn.com. To search any other properties in Rancho Santa Fe areas or others, click here.

YES IT'S TRUE, WE STILL MOSTLY WANT TO OWN! TRULIA SURVEY: "70 PERCENT OF AMERICANS VIEW HOMEOWNERSHIP AS PART OF PERSONAL AMERICAN DREAM! Despite Nightmarish Housing Market, 78 Percent of Homeowners Describe Home as the Best Investment They Ever Made." Now may be the time to get out of the renting cycle and invest in your home and future.

SAN FRANCISCO, February 9, 2011 - Trulia.com, a top site for homebuyers, sellers and renters, today released the results of its biannual American Dream survey, which has tracked American attitudes towards homeownership since 2009. Harris Interactive conducted this online survey on Trulia's behalf in January 2011 among 2,079 U.S. adults aged 18 and over.

KEY FINDINGS:

• American Dream Still Lives: Although foreclosures and underwater homes continue to plague the current housing market, 70 percent of Americans still view homeownership as being part of their American Dream. In fact, more than three out of four homeowners (78 percent) say their homes are the best investment they ever made. Conversely, only 20 percent feel trapped in their "underwater" homes while 14 percent said they would walk away from their homes in a heartbeat if they could.

• Millennials Driving Economic Recovery: Although many of today's young adults came of age during the housing crash, more than one in four (26 percent) say their views on owning a home have become more positive over the past six months. With 88 percent of 18-34 year old renters aspiring to be homeowners, this new generation of buyers will likely play a crucial role in stabilizing today's uncertain real estate market.

• Stronger Long-term Recovery in Southern and Western Regions: Despite today's low mortgage rates and high affordability, most would-be homeowners are in no rush to buy. By comparison, a brighter beacon of hope shines in the South and West where the outlook for long-term recovery is much stronger. Undeterred by ongoing reports of foreclosures and underwater homes, 79 percent and 70 percent of renters in these respective regions say they plan to purchase a home.

PRE-APPROVED QUOTES

• FROM PETE FLINT, CEO OF TRULIA
  "Contrary to popular belief, the American Dream of homeownership has not turned into an American nightmare. In fact, we're seeing a national resurgence of buyer and seller activity on Trulia.com," said Pete Flint, CEO of Trulia. "In January alone, we experienced an unprecedented level of site traffic including 11 million unique visitors - which is more than 70 percent year-over-year growth. We've seen leads to agents increase 60 percent year over year and are now experiencing 100,000 property views per minute."

• FROM TARA-NICHOLLE NELSON, CONSUMER EDUCATOR FOR TRULIA
  "During the housing bubble, the American Dream of homeownership was beyond reach for many young adults. Stuck with student loans and entry-level jobs, many had resigned themselves to being lifelong renters. But the tide is changing - Millennials are now today's most serious homebuyers," says Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Consumer Educator for Trulia. "Unjaded and largely untouched by the effects of the housing crash, this new generation of buyers will no doubt lead America from its current housing slump towards true recovery."
  
  
  "Although the American Dream of homeownership remains surprisingly strong, it will not be an immediate reality for most people," said Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Consumer Educator for Trulia. "Uncertainty has caused most would-be buyers across the nation to play a waiting game with the market, leading them to put their home purchases on hold for at least two years. However, new data shows that most renters in the South and West have long-term plans to buy, which is great news for America's hardest-hit regions."

MULTIMEDIA

• To download an infographic illustrating the above findings, click here.
• To view a slideshow of the findings, click here.
• To listen to a replay of Pete Flint and Jonathan Miller discussing the results of the survey and other insights into the real estate market (available after 2/10), click here.
• To check out Trulia's current and archived industry reports and consumer surveys, click here.

If you are currently renting a home, you should consider purchasing! In most major areas, buying is more affordable than renting! Let's get starting helping you have a piece of the "American Dream"!

Give me a call or email and I will help you on the path towards owning YOUR own home!

Courtesy of Trulia 2/9/2011

Rancho Santa Fe, California - 8 golf neighborhoods to consider!

Nestled in North San Diego County are some of California's premier golfing neighborhoods. If you love golf, or want to live on a golf course, there are 8 wonderful neighborhoods in and around Rancho Santa Fe California to consider, each offering something unique.

The "Covenant" of Rancho Santa Fe offers a Championship Golf course surrounded by gorgeous estate homes and horseback riding trails. The course is an 18 hole 7,073 yard, par 72 layout, know for it's natural "walkable" design. A new Clubhouse and dining room grace the facility. A double ended driving range, large putting green and 2 acre short game area round out the practice facility. When Bing Crosby wasn't hanging out at the Del Mar Race Track, you might find him here. It was the original site of the Crosby "Clambake" tournament, predecessor to the AT & T Pebble Beach Tournament and host to a number of championship events, recently the 2010 Cal State Amateur Championship.

Membership in the Club is available only to members of the Rancho Santa Fe Association by virtue of ownership of " Covenant" property. This is the only local course which requires that you own a property within the boundaries to be allowed to join. Most properties have acreage, and horses are allowed on 2+ acre properties. Currently there are 126 properties for sale in the Covenant, ranging from $795,000 to over 21 million, average price is $4,400,000, although many beautiful homes can be purchased for well under the average. This is an non-gated area, although many homes have private gates.

Click here to see available homes on the golf course.

There are several private gated communities that have homes situated around the golf course. These neighborhoods are The Bridges, Del Mar Country Club, The Crosby, Santaluz, Meadows Del Mar, and The Rancho Santa Fe Farms . Each of these neighborhoods touts beautiful estate type properties, and privacy is one of the owner's benefits. Some have only custom homes, while others (Bridges, Santaluz, Crosby, Meadows Del Mar) offer a variety of property types, home sizes and prices. Even though these are gated areas, people are known for their friendly ways and casual life-style. You do not have to live in these neighborhoods to join the Golf Club, and you are not required to join if you aren't a golfer. Most of these Clubs also have pools and tennis courts and a variety of different membership types. Currently there are properties available in all of these neighborhoods, priced from $799,000 to over 8 million . Click here to see some of the homes available with golf course views or on the golf course in these neighborhoods.

Whispering Palms is another neighborhood that has been in the Rancho Santa Fe area for many years. The golf club is called Morgan Run. It is not gated, and membership is open to any who want to join. There are 27 holes, offering members variety. There is a resort there too, with a hotel, tennis courts and pool. This is the most affordable Club to join in the area. Currently there are 13 available properties ranging in price from $442,000 to $1,399,000.

If you have any questions about any of these neighborhoods or golf course property in Rancho Santa Fe or other San Diego golf course homes, feel free to email or call me. I am an avid golfer and have played all of these courses so would be happy to give feedback about them individually. They are all great courses, and offer something for every pocketbook.