Traditional Sale! Single story 55+ two bedroom plus a den (or third bedroom) home in Oaks North w/ extensive upgrades: high end kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Wood flooring throughout, all new windows, custom paint, custom fireplace surround and bathrroms with tile shower surround plus custom high-end vanities complete with granite countertops…too many details to mention. THIS HOME IS A MUST SEE!

The Oaks North community is a beautiful, peaceful 55+ community located in the Rancho Bernardo community. Close proximity to shopping and local attractions such as golf and the Bernardo Winery with restaurants, shops and a farmer’s market make this the perfect location to call home.

Purchase price: $324,900

This home is a must see! Information from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Measurements/square footage/lot size approximate. Buyer to verify all before close of escrow.

Traditional Sale! Single story 55+ home w/ breathtaking panoramic views from the back patio. Enjoy gorgeous sunsets from this southwesterly facing home set atop a hill. The interior is equally as nice with all new solid-surface countertops, stainless steel appliances, new carpet in the living room and both bedrooms, new tile in the hallway and kitchen, plus custom paint and window treatments.

The Oaks North community is a beautiful, peaceful 55+ community located in the Rancho Bernardo community. Close proximity to shopping and local attractions such as golf and the Bernardo Winery with restaurants, shops and a farmer’s market make this the perfect location to call home.

Dog lovers rejoice! This two bedroom condo is the perfect place to call home for you and fido. Oftentimes it’s a challenge to find a condo complex that will allow your canine  to reside there…well, look no further. Located in Mira Mesa, the Creekside complex is a place for you and your dog to call home. Currently a dog run is being installed in the complex and is slated to open in June 2012.

With dual masters this over 1,000 sq. ft. two bedroom condo is located on the third floor of the building and is light and bright. The property boasts over $30,000 in upgrades including all new dual pane windows and doors, central A/C (one of the few condos in the complex with A/C), a newly tiled kitchen floor, fresh paint throughout and includes a washer, dryer and refrigerator plus has a home warranty that conveys.

Along with being dog friendly this condo is perfect for roommates because of it’s dual masters. One exit from Mirimar it is in  an excellent location for military folks. With it’s close proximity to several San Diego schools it would be great for university/college students. Perfect for investors because similar units rent for $1495 per month. For more information, fill out the form below and I will email the full MLS listing to you.  Call me at 858-335-5417 for further information about this condo or other properties in San Diego.

1) If you’re looking for a quick sale then be careful not to overimprove for the neighborhood or overspend keeping in mind your return on investment.

2) Kitchens and baths generally sell homes so if you have a budget for improvements the best rooms to update are the kitchen and master bath.

3) Clean up the outside – remove debris, trim the lawn and get rid of the weeds and if possible plant flowers or add a few potted plants because as you know you only have one chance to make a first impression. If your home is unkept on the outside buyers will be turned away and may never even make it inside. Sprucing up the outside is relatively inexpensive and yields a good return on your investment.

4) Best bang for the buck? Paint! Nothing brightens and cleans up the place more than adding a fresh coat of paint but remember to stick with neutral colors. You may love color but buyers want a neutral palette to then personalize and make all their own.

5) Clean carpets. It’s not very expensive but again brightens the space and will eliminate most stale odors. However, if your carpets are badly soiled it may be worth it to replace them at least in the high traffic areas.

I’m definitely experiencing the popularity of the short sale with three of my buyers currently in short sale transactions. As of today in the 92127, 92128, 92129, 92064 and 92131 zip codes there are a total of 531 Active Properties For Sale and 65 of them are short sale transactions. Therefore, in these 5 zipcodes in the north inland corridor 12% of the active properties are short sales. This is just a snapshot of the overall San Diego market but definitely points to the fact that Short Sales are NOT Short on Popularity!

Short sales aren’t for the weary because they take time and patience and a buyer who can be flexible on the move-in date. Lenders are cooperating with sellers to accept short sales instead of forcing the home into foreclosure. Short sales are better for the seller because their credit isn’t as adversely affected as a it would be with a foreclosure.

The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Report announced that Pending home sales have improved, with the national index climbing 2 percent since December while increasing 8 percent above the level seen in January 2011. Wow, this is exciting news!

Locally in San Diego, if a home is priced right and shows well, sellers are seeing multiple offers and in some instances bidding wars are resulting in sold prices above the asking price.

No one knows if the real estate market has turned around for good but for now sellers are definitely benefitting from this surge in the housing market.

Check out this video to learn more about the current market.

Pictured: Chloe & Troy my first time homebuyers in front of their new home!

1) What can I afford?
The first step in the real estate transaction is for buyers to meet with a mortgage lender. The lender will go over tax returns, income, assets, credit scores and determine the buyer’s debt to income ratio. Based on the lender’s findings they will pre-qualify the buyer for a home in the price point appropriate for them. Your real estate agent can provide a list of recommended  lenders if requested.

2) What are the real estate agents fees?
The seller pays the buyer’s agent’s real estate fee so there is no cost to the buyer to be represented by a buyer’s agent. That being said, the buyer’s agent works for you and is providing you with knowledge and representation throughout the transaction and has your best interest in mind.

3) How much money do we have to put down?
There are several types of loans products for buyer’s to go over with their lender however, buyer’s are typically required to contribute a minimum of 3.5% of the purchase price for their down payment.

4) What other costs will there be to close the transaction?
Once a home has been identified and an offer is accepted, the lender will provide a good faith estimate which will outline the buyer’s costs which will include closing costs and fees. In certain loan products buyer’s can ask the seller to pay up to 6% of their closing costs

5) What are the important dates in the transactional timeline?
Within three days of an accepted offer escrow will open.  A one to three percent (of the purchase price) deposit is required to open escrow. This is known as the buyer’s earnest money deposit and will be applied to the buyer’s overall down payment at closing. From the date of acceptance the buyer has 17 days to conduct a physical inspection, negotiate repairs, review HOA documents, order an appraisal and finalize their loan. Timelines are critical and your real estate agent will keep everything on track, help you negotiate contractual items and be your advocate throughout the transaction for a successful closing and homeownership!

“We continue to see increased optimism from builders and developers in the 55+ housing segment,” says NAHB 50+ Housing Council Chairman W. Don Whyte. “We are servicing the largest growing group of buyers that we have ever seen in this age category, and it is a population that is dramatically different from what it was only a few years ago. This creates an opportunity for builders and developers in this market to create communities that address the specific needs of the 55+ consumer.”

The 55+ single-family HMI measures builder sentiment based on a survey that asks if current sales, prospective buyer traffic and anticipated six-month sales for that market are good, fair or poor (high, average or low for traffic). An index number below 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as poor than good. All index components remain well below 50, but increased considerably from a year ago, each reaching an all-time high: Present sales rose 12 points to 27, expected sales for the next six months increased eight points to 32 and traffic of prospective buyers rose nine points to 26.

The 55+ multifamily condo HMI remains the weakest of the 55+ housing market indices, but also recorded an all-time high at 15, up seven points from a year ago. All index components showed an increase compared to a year ago: Present sales rose five points to 14, expected sales for the next six months increased seven points to 20 and traffic of prospective buyers jumped nine points to 15.

The 55+ multifamily rentals continue to lead the way in the overall 55+ housing market. Present production climbed 11 points to 31, expected future production increased eight points to 35, current demand for existing units rose three points to 42 and expected future demand increased one point to 45.

“Like the overall single-family housing market, the 55+ housing segment is facing a slow but steady recovery,” says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “Consumers are starting to see the resale market show some improvement, which allows them to start thinking about moving into 55+ housing.”

For more information, visit www.NAHB.org, and you can also fill out the form below and I will be happy to email the article to you.  Call me at 858-335-5417 for any other information on the senior home market.