San Diego Real Estate Blog 

San Diego Realtors Conference and Expo 2009

The annual Realtors Conference and Expo will be held in my town, San Diego California. San Diego couldn’t have been a better choice for the 2009 Realtor Conference. Who wouldn’t want to come to San Diego anyway?  Now Realtors in other parts of the country will truly understand why San Diego is America’s Finest City. And why real estate in San Diego is priceless. The event is being held at the San Diego Convention Center in Downtown San Diego from November 13 – 16. Some of the guest speakers are Condoleezza Rice, Sugar Ray Leonard and Reba McEntire. Our great city will be gracious to all Realtors throughout the country coming to San Diego to experience this great event and the finest city in America.

Info from Realtor.org about the San Diego Real Estate Event.

THE 2009 REALTORS® CONFERENCE & EXPO

Chart your winning course through today’s turbulent economy!

The 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Expo delivers money-making strategies to help you succeed.
Four days of intensive training from real-world speakers in top-rated sessions.
Substantive programs for everyone who makes their living in real estate – brokers, agents, commercial practitioners, property managers, international specialists, and IT professionals.
Watch this week’s tip from a 2009 Conference speaker!
Sail confidently through troubled waters!
REALTORS® Expo has new ideas, products, and services to increase your productivity.
Ask questions, compare features and strike your best deal with 500 exhibitors, all under one roof.
Learn about opportunities to expand your market working with immigrants, foreign investors, and Americans buying property abroad.
Be part of a winning crew!
Network with the most successful real estate professionals in the country.
Build your referral network and increase sales opportunities.
A boat load of fun!
First REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego!
Enjoy a wide-range of Conference special events, including the REALTORS® Celebrity Concert starring Reba McEntire.
Combine business and fun — the Convention Center is right on beautiful San Diego Bay and in the center of nightlife, shopping, and dining!

Make sure you don’t miss out. See you in San Diego!

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

May 2009 - The Mortgage Reform and Anti Predatory Lending Act HR1728 passed on Thursday May 7, 2009. The House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 300 to 114 and is said to protect homeowners from questionable and predatory lending practices that were partially responsible for the record home foreclosures and financial crisis.

This Mortgage Reform and Anti Predatory Lending Act sets up rules to ensure that lenders make loans that mortgage borrowers can afford to pay back. The act also bans prepayment penalties on ARMs Adjustable Rate Mortgages that are the real culprit loans in the foreclosure mess. This bill will also hold accountable the secondary mortgage market for following the same rules. One lawmaker said, “The message is simple. Lenders can’t give loans to people who can’t afford them. And borrowers have to tell the truth about their finances when they apply for a loan.” Not to be disagreeing with the administration of hope but isn’t this just common sense?

Nancy Pelosi the Democratic House Speaker said, “The simple fact is that our laws and enforcement efforts did not keep pace with the complexities of a global economy and a financial industry where the greed of some trumped common sense. Insisting on responsible borrowing and lending and ensuring that borrowers enter into mortgages they can repay or refinance will help families protect their most valuable asset — their home — and guard against another financial and housing market meltdown.” I would have to ask Nancy why she didn’t do something about it, she was a lawmaker at the time and there were many economists warning the government about this.

Many San Diego home owners and potential home buyers know the facts about the San Diego housing market and its foreclosure mess. This act, although very important for protecting potential home buyers when getting a mortgage comes in way too late. The damage is already done. I think if anyone dropped the ball it was the U.S. Government and there lack of proper legislation to protect home buyers and the greed that’s within the system itself. Isn’t that what we elect them for? It’s very interesting to see where all of the elected officials got their campaign contributions, the banks and companies now getting all of our future tax dollars in the form of a so called bailout? What a joke.

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

There are many foreclosures because of the Foreclosure Moratorium that are waiting to be put on the market for sale by banks, asset managers and REO agents. The foreclosure moratorium here in San Diego County as well as most areas of the United States has kept homeowners in their homes through the 2008 holidays and then extended into 2009. Now that we’re well into 2009 there are many wondering why hasn’t the banks released the foreclosures. Many of them are vacant and the buyers are looking for new foreclosures to buy. In fact there are so many buyers here in San Diego they are starting to get discouraged in some San Diego markets and price ranges on the lack of inventory. There are also multiple offers on many homes sometimes exceeding 30 offers.

Some say the foreclosures are being held off the market because the banks are waiting to see if the Obama administration will subsidize the banks for their toxic assets. If that’s the case one of two things will happen the government “our tax dollars and our kids and grandkids tax dollars” will bailout the banks once again and then the foreclosures will come onto the San Diego market or the administration wont bail them out and the foreclosures will come on the market. Either way if this is the hold up let’s make a decision already because my buyers are getting real tired of waiting.

The word here in San Diego is that there are buyers galore and not enough homes for sale in some areas and some price ranges. Mostly first time home buyer price ranges. The inventory is filled with REO’s that are heavily damaged and needing lots of work or short sales with many offers and slow moving negotiators at banks. I HOPE by summer the Obama administration will CHANGE what’s going on.

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

 San Diego Real Estate Blog

The National Association of Realtors® NAR reported that the February 2009 sale of existing homes in the U.S. including single family homes, condos, town homes and co-ops rose by 5.1% from the 2009 January sales numbers. This is great news for the real estate market especially here in San Diego. The Southern California Real Estate Market has seen a huge influx of buyers in early 2009. Some of this could be due to the great $8,000 Tax Credit for First Time Home Buyers and the $10,000 New Home Buyers in California. I am working with a lot of investors in the San Diego Real Estate Market and so are many other Realtors® I know.

This news is also coupled with the news of median home prices of existing homes across the nation has dropped 15.5% from February 2008. Buyers should delight in the fact that prices are low and interest rates are also down. San Diego REO or foreclosed homes in lower price ranges are getting multiple offers and are even having appraisal problems when selling because comps are lower than the new sales. These are good signs and investors and home buyers “especially new home buyers” are out in force in the San Diego area. The new foreclosures “dubbed the Next Wave” are hitting soon and from what I see the buyers will be there to gobble them up.

San Diego in 2009 should be a year of high volume sales!!!

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

This $10,000 tax credit in the state of California only applies to homes that have never been occupied and purchased between the dates of March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010. The California home buyers must also reside in the home as their primary residence for at least 2 years from close of escrow.

A qualified home buyer is:

A taxpayer who purchases a single-family residence, whether detached or attached, that has never been occupied, that is purchased to be the principal residence of the taxpayer for a minimum of two years, and that is eligible for the homeowner’s exemption under California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 218.

A qualified principal residence – new home is:

-A qualified principal residence means a single-family residence, whether detached or attached, that has never been occupied and is purchased to be the principal residence of the taxpayer for a minimum of two years and is eligible for the property tax homeowner’s exemption.
- Types of residence: Any of the following can qualify if it is your principal residence and is subject to property tax, whether real or personal property: a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a houseboat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home.
- Owner-built property: A home constructed by an owner -taxpayer is not eligible for the New Home Credit because the home has not been “purchased.”

The State of California has set aside $100,000,000 in tax credits for new home buyers. This program is on a first come first serve basis and once the allocated new home tax credit money is gone it’s over. Make sure if your California real estate agent is unfamiliar with this tax credit you let them know about it. You should also contact your accountant. Some details include that the tax credit amount is equal to either five percent of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less. Taxpayers must apply the total tax credit in equal parts over 3 successive taxable years which is a maximum of $3,333 per year beginning with the taxable year of when the new home is purchased. This can also be used in addition to the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit in the Stimulus Package.

If you are interested in applying you will need to:

- Do the following within 7 days of close of escrow on your New California Home.
- The seller must complete Part I of Form 3528-A which is the Application for New Home Credit and certifying that the home has never been occupied as well as provide a copy to the buyer or escrow person.
- The buyer will complete Parts II & III of Form 3528-A.
- The escrow person on behalf of the seller and buyer will fax the completed Form 3528-A to FTB at 916.845.9754, and provide a copy to the buyer.
- Fax is the only delivery method that will be accepted and considered for credit allocation by FTB, as the date and time stamp on the fax will determine the order in which credits are allocated.
- Fax only one completed application per residence with all qualified buyers listed. Do not include information on nonqualified buyers. An incomplete application may delay or prevent credit allocation.
- Do not fax the application to FTB before escrow closes.
- Do not fax the application to FTB more than once. We will process the applications in the order received as quickly as possible.
- Escrow companies should only send one application per fax transmission.
- The buyer keeps a copy of the completed Form 3528-A for their records.
- The State of California Franchise Tax Board will have a fill able Form 3528-A online soon. In the meantime, if you fill out the form by hand, please print numbers as clearly and neatly as possible using CAPITAL LETTERS and staying between the lines. The faxes can be very hard to read.

For more information please visit the State of California Franchise Tax Board link.

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

I spent some time today researching San Diego median home prices in 2009 compared to what they were in 2008. I found a great link that shows the median price from January 2008 to January 2009 and shows the difference in median prices in percentages. My theory based on real estate trends and experience in San Diego County has held true. I have been stressing the fact that many coastal areas will be hit the hardest despite what many so called experts have been saying. I have also said that areas like newer Chula Vista like EastLake, Rolling Hills Ranch, San Miguel Ranch and Otay Ranch have taken a huge hit early in this San Diego real estate downturn and won’t be hit nearly as bad as some of the areas that have a false sense of security. What I mean by false sense of security is that many coastal areas in San Diego just because they’re close to the beach are said to be by some real estate agents immune to a real estate downturn. Nonsense!

Some of these so called “untouchable to recession proof real estate areas” are North County Coastal and Coastal Central San Diego. Some of these areas are; Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, and more. These areas have taken some of the biggest hits of all and in my opinion will continue to see slashed prices through 2009. These costal real estate areas should see bigger drops than the areas of Newer Chula Vista which has already taken its biggest drop early on.

The false sense of values in these coastal areas has allowed inventory to build and short sales and foreclosures to start their run up. These areas are and will be a buyer’s delight in 2009. I still think the newer areas of Chula Vista are closer to their bottom than many of the other areas in San Diego County. This means if you’re buying a home in these areas it could very well drop in value less than other areas of San Diego County. From January 2008 to January 2009 this was exactly what happened and is a good trend going into 2009 for home buyers.

Now the reality of some of the statistics in this San Diego Real Estate Median Home Price Chart is that the number of sales in some of the communities is so low that they are not that accurate. What is accurate is the overall median home prices by areas like; North County Coastal, East County, and South Bay San Diego. These are a culmination of the total sales in the areas and have a large enough number of closed sales to be accurate.

The chart tells me there has been a lower reduction in median home prices in South Bay San Diego OVER ALL OTHER AREAS of San Diego County. The bleeding is less in this area and some good signs of recovery and less hemorrhaging than other San Diego communities. Buyers and investors both are seeing the value in many South Bay San Diego Communities.

Checkout the San Diego Median Home Price Chart and make your own conclusions.

http://www.dqnews.com/Charts/Monthly-Charts/SDUT-Charts/ZIPSDUT.aspx

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

Many people hear short sales and think “shorts for sale” these are not shorts for sale in San Diego. They are short sales or selling your home short of what is owed on it to the bank.

The San Diego MLS is filled with Short Sale Homes. Many buyers think that most of the homes for sale in San Diego Foreclosures or bank owned homes. The fact is that there are many more short sales in San Diego County than there are foreclosures. When buying a short sale home in San Diego there are many things that need to be taken into consideration. Things that you will need an experienced San Diego Short Sale Realtor to help you with. There are many reasons why a short sale home can be a better option over a bank owned home.

A short sale home is a home that is listed for sale and will sell for less money than what is owed by the homeowner to the bank or mortgage company. San Diego has many short sale homes on the market and will continue to through 2009, 2010, 2011 and maybe even further down the line. If the home doesn’t sell as a short sale it will in most cases become a foreclosure and will be taken back by the bank and become an REO or Real Estate Owned on the banks books. The banks will then sell this home or hire a San Diego REO Listing Agent to sell the home as a foreclosure.

Some of the benefits of buying a short sale home over an REO are that in many cases because the homeowner still owns the home the homes are in better condition. The homeowner wants their home sold before the bank forecloses on it and in most cases will have it well kept during the short sale process and in many cases be living in it. This is not always the case but it is more likely that a San Diego Short Sale is in better condition than a San Diego REO. The process for buying a short sale is usually much longer than buying a foreclosure. There is much more negotiation and bank processing time when purchasing a short sale.

If you are considering buying a San Diego Short Sale Home make sure you contact us. We have many to show you.

If  you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Foreclosures

San Diego REO Listing Agent

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

If you are a San Diego Border Patrol Agent buying a home in San Diego County including Chula Vista, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro and Imperial Beach make sure you call us. We have helped many Border Patrol Agents in San Diego buy a home. We appreciate all the hard work you do in San Diego County and want you to know when it comes to find a Real Estate Agent in San Diego we’re here to help. If you’re a Border Patrol Agent relocating to San Diego make sure you give us a call. We can get started right away emailing you homes for sale in San Diego and get things ready for your move to Southern California.

We have some great tools on our San Diego Real Estate Web Site to help you find your new home. We also have great maps to assist you in the location of the home to the rest of San Diego and distances to freeways. Also due to the large amounts of foreclosures in San Diego we have a San Diego Foreclosure Search Tool. If you’re in the U.S. Border Patrol and you need help buying a home or condo in the San Diego area make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtors.

San Diego Real Estate                     San Diego MLS

San Diego Listing Book                    San Diego Relocation

San Diego Home Buyers                  San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values                 San Diego Real Estate Blog

San Diego Foreclosures                   San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Realtors                          San Diego REO Listing Agent
All Information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Real Estate Blog

In 2009 San Diego Home Buyers are getting on board with the program. According to the National Association of Realtors many home buyers are out buying homes. Pending home sales has increased which is a great sign for the U.S. Real Estate Market. Pending home sales are measured by the Pending Home Sales Index which is a forward looking indicator based on purchase contracts signed in December. The index for December 2008 rose 6.3% over the November 2008 reading and this is 2.1% higher than December 2007. In the west we are seeing a17.5% higher number than the same month last year.

NAR states that the Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

NAR – National Association of Realtors stated that the improved affordability conditions such as low interest rates and cheaper homes were a factor to the increase in pending sales. Another great statistic for December 2008 was that the Housing Affordability Index rose to 10.9 %. NAR stated it was the highest on record. This is a very positive trend going into 2009.

Many areas of San Diego and Chula Vista have seen a jump in pending sales in early 2009. I have also been getting many more phone calls and emails from people wanting to buy a home in 2009. If you are ready to buy a home in 2009 please give us a call.

Start your San Diego Foreclosure Search today.

San Diego REO Listing Agent

Please use the links below to help you with your San Diego Real Estate Search and Information from your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.

San Diego Realtors 

Dawn Lewis - San Diego Realtor® Since 1989

Hi,

I’m Dawn Lewis and I’m a San Diego Realtor. You have just found the best San Diego Real Estate web site for searching for San Diego Real Estate. I hope it helps you with your San Diego home or condo search and answers questions you have about San Diego real estate. Please use the tools and features like the San Diego MLS with its great maps and community information.

My Experience:

Realtor® in San Diego Since 1989
SOLD well over 1,500 Homes
San Diego Top Producer
San Diego Relocation Expert
Top Real Estate Negotiator
San Diego New Home Sales Expert
San Diego REO Listing Agent
San Diego Foreclosure Expert
Short Sale and Foreclosure Expert
Winner of many Real Estate Awards in Sales and Customer Service

As you can see I have been a real estate agent in San Diego for quite some time. Please put my experience to work for you and give me a call today.

I love what I do and I would love to help you.

Dawn Lewis
San Diego Realtor®

Start your San Diego Foreclosure Search today.

San Diego REO Listing Agent

Please use the links below to help you with your San Diego Real Estate Search and Information from your San Diego Realtor.

San Diego Real Estate               San Diego MLS 

San Diego Relocation                San Diego Home Search by Map

San Diego Home Buyers           San Diego Home Sellers

San Diego House Values           Local Real Estate Information

San Diego Real Estate Blog      San Diego Short Sales

San Diego Foreclosures            San Diego Green Homes

All information is believed to be correct but not guaranteed.