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San Diego Real Estate Voice authored by William Johnson

San Diego Real Estate - Economic Predictions Indicate Improved Real Estate Market in 2010

With the now approved extension and enhancement of the Federal Tax Credit for Buyers of residential real estate, we will see a few bright signs through the expanding real estate market at least during the first half of 2010.

While I expect the Winter and the Spring markets to be at least as good as much of 2009 , the indicators will show some more improvement in 2010. Regretfully there will be mortgage resets, the possibility of increasing unemployment and more homeowners defaulting on their mortgages which will offset some of the more positive improvements of the market .

This is not to give a negative perspective of our markets but one of realistic expectations. I expect we are at or near the end of the downward price spiral and things are showing signs of a bit more stability. Interest rates are expected to remain historically low through the first half of the year and beyond that no one is certain about where rates will go. My guess is that they will remain low through the whole year.

Statistically we currently have between 1.5 and 2. 6 million households in the US that are at some stage of home foreclosure. And through a larger scope there are over many millions of households that are late on their mortgage. A good percentage of the late pays now being caused by unemployment.

I expect to see more short sales and Reo’s ( Bank Owned Foreclosed Property) in the market in 2010. The National Association of REALTORS predicts in the range of 4.7 million home sales around the US. Here in San Diego a good percentage of our share of those sales will be distressed properties. Maybe as high as 30 to 35%. Equity Sales will increase in 2010 but currently the market has a declining inventory of properties for sale.

We have a ways to go to get a to a fully improved market, although there are new reports daily that the trends are becoming more favorable each quarter. We have had 7 straight quarters of the market moving in an upward direction. We have seen prices begin to stabilize and we have seen prices even increase in a couple areas. We have heard that the percentage of homeowners that are upside down is declining. All good news. We are not out of the woods as yet but we are beginning to see sunlight again through the trees.

San Diego Real Estate Photo Blog - And Then There Was Only One

San Diego Real Estate Photo Blog - And Then There Was Only One

I was outside early the other morning watering the plants on the back patio and a flock of black crows , our local birds of prey commonly found here in inland San Diego, came swooping in making a huge racket.

Having experienced this before, I put down the watering hose and ran in the house to grab my camera. I knew from past experiences with crows swooping and hollering ,10-15 in this case, that they were chasing either an owl or a hawk and I wanted to see if I could get a photo. But in the past by the time I reacted, the interesting subject had flown off already.

I got the camera set to on and with me leaning over the fence whistling at them, the crows started to fly off. One by one they left and I spotted what I was looking for. And then there was only one. The hawk. A young hawk sitting in a tree quite a ways out from me but with the telephoto lens I spotted him and took his photo. I guess he saw me as I was clicking away and decided I was no safer to be around than the crows. I have no idea what kind of hawk this is but he looks very attractive in his beautiful spotted tan feather coat.

Sadly he flew off before I could assure him he was safe now. I linked this photo to the list of Birds of Prey from the San Diego Natural History Museum list of the local Birds of Prey in San Diego County. Regretfully no photo to match up but I will discover what kind of bird he is and change the post. But he was beautiful no matter his species ( variety).

If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.

I specialize in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of those communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho
Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach
. If I didn't mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.

Need Help and Guidelines for Buying or Selling a Home ? Check out my new " Voice of San Diego Real Estate Blog "

Copyright © 2009 William Johnson author of The Real Estate Text Book

San Dieg Real Estate - California Purchasers of Bank Owned Properties WIN New Rights

California REO Buyers can now select their own title and escrow services in as provided by California Assembly Bill 957 signed into law today by Governor Schwarzenegger.

Effective last Sunday, October 11, 2009, the Buyer's Choice Act prohibits any REO lender that is selling a residential property of up to four units, from requiring the REO purchaser to purchase escrow services or title insurance from companies that they have previously made arrangements with.

I think this bill will go a long way in providing that REO services will be better distributed to locations that better serve the Buyers and will allow them to shop around for the price and quality of those services. Local agents can expect to have escrows and title services from people and companies that they are already acquainted with as well. Now maybe they could pass a law that re-instates some of the Buyer's right's that are stripped away in the lender's re-write of the Buyer's offer that a Buyer either has to accept or just walk away.

A buyer now will have the option to select their own service providers but still may elect to select those service choices from the REO lender . Many lenders have often negotiated lower prices with their choice of service providers often based on sheer volume and REO purchasers now have the option to chose .

The biggest benefit on the enforcement side is that if an REO lender violates this law, they can be held liable for three times the charges the buyer incurs, whereas a violation by the seller's agent now may be subject to license disciplinary action.

This law does however have an expiration to it. That being January 1, 2015. I think our legislatures are telling us that the flurry of REO activity will be over by that time. For some of us, that is hopeful news. For others, not so much.

San Diego Real Estate - Investment Grade REO Before and After Rehab

Investment Grade REO Before Rehab.

Investment Grade REO After Rehab.

If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.

For over 20 years in local real estate as a Certified Residential Specialist ( CRS ) , I have specialized in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of the communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach. If I didn't mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.

Need Help and Guidelines for Buying or Selling a Home ? Check out my new " Voice of San Diego Real Estate Blog "

Copyright 2009 William Johnson author of The Real Estate Text Book
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San Diego Real Estate - Experts Disagree on San Diego Housing Recovery

San Diego Real Estate - Experts Disagree on San Diego Hosing Recovery

ImageChef.com

Standard and Poor's Case-Schiller Home Price Index for San Diego jumped 2.5% from June to July of this year. That numbers significance is that it is the biggest one month increase over the last for years. And it is on top of the other price increases for the previous two months. That defines what most most experts agree is clear evidence of a trend.. Three months is is the minimum for a “ trend” to be evident and at least they agree on that premise.But many are saying that we have hit bottom and that a recovery is underway.

The disagreement by other experts lies in the fact that a sizeable part of any recovery picture is a bit too cloudy to declare that we are at the bottom.

The evidentiary ( love that word) factors currently in our markets that need to be factored into to the equation are:

1. The end of the temporary Federal Tax Credit for 1st Time Home Buyers.

2. State and local unemployment figures are worsening.

3. A boat load of new foreclosures are expected to hit the market before years end.

4. General economic weakness. The banks are NOT fully immersed in creating mortgages.

It is my contention that we will experience even more upcoming surges in good sales months ahead but there is no correleation that an increase in the number of sales ( short sleas and froeclosures still making up a significant percentage of the ttal sales) indicate that housing prices have stabilized and will be heading up.

I am course hopeful but we also must be realistic . There is too much that is unclear in the outside factors affecting home values to declrae that we are finally at the bottom.

If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.

For over 20 years in local real estate as a Certified Residential Specialist ( CRS ) , I have specialized in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of the communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach. If I didn't mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.

Need Help and Guidelines for Buying or Selling a Home ? Check out my new " Voice of San Diego Real Estate Blog "

Copyright 2009 William Johnson author of The Real Estate Text Book
******************************************************************************************************

LIKE MY BLOG, Subscribe and enjoy all the great and creative things yet to come!