Nat Ferguson

Some might argue that this is a foolish question given the state of the economy the last 4 years. But a conversation I had this morning with a local resident made me rethink why you would want to know if Seal Beach home values had declined. This particular conversation arose because the owner was inquiring about how to appeal his property tax. If values have declined, most would be expect property to follow suit.

To determine if your Seal Beach home value has declined (or not) you will want to contact a local appraiser to conduct an appraisal. Seal Beach resident and appraiser Tom Clasby should be the first call that you make. Tom's knowledge of the local market is superb and he holds the highest certification available, certified general (helpful when presenting your case to the appeals board).

Next you must file an appeal with the Orange County Assessors Office. This must be done during the year which you wish to appeal the taxable value, and should be filed with the clerk of the assessment appeals board between July 2nd and no later the September 15th. From there you would be assigned a date and time to present your evidence to the assessor, hopefully resulting in a reduction.

So while at first you might balk at the idea of your Seal Beach home value declining, it may actually be a blessing in disguise.

Real estate often gets treated like a commodity with all the new fangled web sites that buyers have access to. So it's rare when I get to showcase a Seal Beach home for sale that's not yet listed in the MLS or any other website for that matter. Just yesterday I met with the owners of 107 Ocean avenue to discuss the preparation needed to get the home ready for sale. It's rare that a Seal Beach home for sale is offered in the 100 block of Ocean avenue with some of the best views of the ocean, Rancho Palos Verde and the Long Beach marina.

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to preview the home and used that time to shoot pictures of the fantastic views from the front balcony and sun deck. The home has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and is approximately 3000 sq/ft and literally steps to the sand. Just nearby, and visible in the next picture is the yet to be developed DWP lot that promises to offer a beautiful park area in teh front and custom homes in the back.

As you can see this Seal Beach home for sale has a prime location, which is the first rule in buying Real Estate. If you are the type that loves to be active, the bike trail, kite surfing area and river jetty for surfing are all within an eigth mile from this Seal Beach home. Expected to come on the market in mid-September, this beach front home is sure to draw allot of attention.

When I'm not busy running my Seal Beach Real Estate business, I like to take my long board out and paddle between the pier and jetty for exercise. Normally this is early in the morning before my day gets started and the ocean is still relatively calm. Recently I've noticed an abundance of marine life such as Seal's and Bat ray's, but today I had my first experience of swimming with Dolphins in Seal Beach.

Preparing to launch my board, I stopped one last time struggling to see through the fog (not uncommon in Seal Beach). Trying to find my usual landmark to paddle towards I noticed a group of 5 dolphins fishing about 100 yards off shore, surrounded by sea birds. Launching, I paddled towards the pier when I noticed they were swimming parallel to me which was just an awesome experience. On my return paddle, not only did a Seal show up, but one of the Dolphins popped up about 10 feet away from me and rolled slightly so he could check me out.

I can think of so many reasons why Seal Beach is such as special place to call home, but today made me realize I live in a little slice of paradise...

A simple (and guilty) pleasure of mine is breaking free from the confines of my office and walking down to Bogart's in Seal Beach and enjoy a cup of coffee with a view. Bogarts serves organically grown coffee, fresh pastries and hand made crepes (my favorite is the turkey, tomato and cheese crepe). Of course if you are familiar with our little beach town, you know that there are more choices then just Bogart's in Seal Beach to enjoy a cup if Joe.

The owner of Bogart's in Seal Beach, Joann Adams knew this from the beginning and made sure she had a premier location. Within steps of Eisenhower Park, the pier and the sand you will not find a better spot to enjoy a cup of coffee. Maybe you need to work or pass some time? Get free Wifi access with the purchase of your coffee and surf the net while enjoying the cool ocean breezes (how did you think I wrote this blog post). If you happen to stop in when Joann is working, let her know you read about Bogart's in Seal Beach on my Blog.

It goes without saying that Seal Beach Foreclosures have been nearly non-existent... until now. Just last week 111 4th Street in Seal Beach was offered by Option One Mortgage after they took it back as an REO on June 30, 2010. As you might imagine, Seal Beach Foreclosures are a rare occurrence which is why I got so many calls on this property. Not to mention the price the bank was offering the home at to attract attention.

Now before you start searching the Internet to find this home listing, stop. You won't find anything on this home other then what I written here underlying the importance of having a local Realtor embedded in the community. In other cities you may have the pick of the lot, but Seal Beach Foreclosures are much rarer and much more desirable. With 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and just over 3000 sq/ft, this homes distance to the beach is what adds the most value.

Just this week in the local newspaper, three new trustee sales were posted. Many of these will be cured by the owners, or sold at auction. Very rarely does the bank take the property back as an REO and offer it for sale in Seal Beach. As we work our way this this economy it is likely that a few other Seal Beach Foreclosures will come to market. The real question is, will you have the opportunity to buy one?