Carlsbad Real Estate News and Views: December 2006

Here's the REAL scoop on living in Carlsbad ~ beaches, things to do, places to eat, community events, and of course neighborhoods, homes and the Carlsbad real estate market in general, including surrounding communities like Encinitas, Cardiff, San Marcos, Oceanside, Solana Beach and Del Mar.

Mortgage Insurance Premiums Will Now Be Tax Deductible - with exceptions

 I just learned this a short time ago and wanted to share the information for those who may not yet know.

The President just signed a new bill that goes into effect in 2007. This bill will allow for mortgage insurance premiums to be deducted - potentially a great savings for some individuals.

  • The deduction is for households whose adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less
  • The bill covers purchases and refinances that occur after January 1, 2007

This is good news for lots of people. Many who are in the lower income brakets have less cash for downpayments and, therefore, are required to have MI. They now get a bit of a break on their taxes. Obivously the impact will depend on the individual tax circumstances but it appears it will be good news for lots of buyers and homeowners who are refinancing in 2007.

Rather than summarize all the details here, check out this site which provides a more in-depth review of the new bill and what it means.

Anyone have particular thoughts on this? Do you see it as a good thing?

 

My Jeff Dowler signature

 

**************************************

365 Things to Do in Carlsbad (and Nearby) on Facebook   Lifestyle Search on AtHomeInCarlsbad.com - Jeff Dowler

Jeff Dowler's Flickr Profile  Jeff Dowler's Facebook Profile   Jeff Dowler's YouTube Profile  Jeff Dowler's StumbleUpon Profile  Jeff Dowler's Twitter Profile  Jeff Dowler's Friendfeed ProfileSubscribe to this blog Jeff Dowler's LinkedIn Profile

Click to Search for All San Diego Homes          First Time Home Buyer Central Website          Relocation A to Z blog

Home Owner's Short Sale Guide

 

   Southern California Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS)

 My New Brokerage - Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad CA

 

ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE

 

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com

Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village),  Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego

Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News

All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.

Carlsbad REALTOR - How To Search for a Home On-Line

 For those of your who are looking for a new Carlsbad home, searching on-line is probably the most efficient strategy you can employ. Recent studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2005 found that about 79% of buyers were using the Internet to search for a home, and many do this even before they contact any agent. It is likely that this percentage has grown since that study was done. (While my focus here is on Carlsbad, the strategy is the same no matter what area you are looking in).

The advantages to searching on-line are many. Most properties that are for sale are on-line somewhere - individual MLS sites, agent or brokerage sites, for sale by owner sites, Realtor.com - so your chances of finding homes that meet your criteria are pretty darn good. Keep in mind that once data is entered into a website it must be modified by someone, and if that is NOT done the listing may not reflect current conditions (price may changed, property may go off the market, etc).

Realtor.com, one of the most frequently visited real estate sites, pulls its Carlsbad listings (and elsewhere) from individual MLSs. So, once the data are changed in the MLS by an agent, Realtor.com will change as well - however, this does not happen right away, and may take several days. Thus the downside of Realtor.com is that is does not show homes that are brand new on the market ,nor indicate that they have changed status (e.g., under contract, price change) right away so data are old. In a slower market this may be less of an issue, but in a fast-moving market you can miss out on properties that are new. Thus it is smart to use a multi-site approach. And if you do have an agent, that person's automatic email system (daily) that sends listings matching your criteria, may be more effective. And of course staying in touch with your REALTOR is the best method.

Because of today's technology, the Internet offers you, the buyer, a wealth of information on individual listings (depending on the site), virtual toursof properties, multiple photos, videos, blogcasts, web commercials, and more. Thus you can arm yourself with a tremendous amount of information about homes you like, and the market in general, without leaving your home. The more you can learn about Carlsbad homes you like and market conditions, the more effective a consumer you will be. Keep in mind, always, that the data on a home are only as good as what the agent (or whoever loads it) inputs (i.e., JUNK IN, JUNK OUT). Information may be missing, or inaccurate, and photos may be poor or missing altogether (I do not recommend overlooking a home simply because it does not have a photo - it may end up being a great property for you).

One other searching suggestion. The RE/MAX.com website now lists properties from all over the country, and not just those of RE/MAX. The site is now getting more than 2 million hits per month and is ranked Number 1 out of all the brokerage websites. Don't overlook using this site in your searching (yep, I am a RE/MAX agent so this is my personal plug). But I would not suggest this if I didn't feel that, as a consumer, you can benefit from searching here. But if you are hooked up with an agent, please be loyal, respect the relationship, and use their personal website or information from their broker site.

Bottom line? Use the Internet wisely in your search for a new home in Carlsbad. Gather all the information it offers, but don't let this substitute for using a knowledgeable REALTOR and visiting properties in person.

 

My Jeff Dowler signature

 

**************************************

365 Things to Do in Carlsbad (and Nearby) on Facebook   Lifestyle Search on AtHomeInCarlsbad.com - Jeff Dowler

Jeff Dowler's Flickr Profile  Jeff Dowler's Facebook Profile   Jeff Dowler's YouTube Profile  Jeff Dowler's StumbleUpon Profile  Jeff Dowler's Twitter Profile  Jeff Dowler's Friendfeed ProfileSubscribe to this blog Jeff Dowler's LinkedIn Profile

Click to Search for All San Diego Homes          First Time Home Buyer Central Website          Relocation A to Z blog

Home Owner's Short Sale Guide

 

   Southern California Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS)

 My New Brokerage - Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad CA

 

ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE

 

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com

Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village),  Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego

Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News

All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.

Market Data for OCT. and NOV. 2006 - Encinitas, CA

Here are the last two months of summary statistics from the MLS for Encinitas, CA. The biggest change is the drop off in inventory from October to November, which is not unusual as we enter the holiday season. Prices have dropped a little but only 1% when comparing November to October.

If I can provide more information or there are any questions, please let me know. As always, one should not draw any firm conclusions from monthly data as things change from month to month, but the trends are helpful to watch.

AS OF OCT. 31, 2006

ATTACHED HOMES

DETACHED HOMES

Active

115

243

Sold in Last 6 Months

86

210

Sold/Pending

In Last 6 months

96

261

Absorption Rate (Solds)

241 days

208 days

Absorption Rate (Solds

Plus Pendings)

216 days

168 days

Average Days on Market

74

64

Median Price Change

From 1 Year Ago

-6%

-6%

Median Price

$480,000

$840,000

% Chgn. In MDN from prior month

-1%

0%

Average Price

$548,460

$1,053,911

New to Market (Oct.)

28

50

Pending in Oct.

11 (4 new in Oct.)

39 (6 new in Oct.)

 

AS OF NOV. 30, 2006

ATTACHED HOMES

DETACHED HOMES

Active

94

223

Sold in Last 6 Months

63

193

Sold/Pending

In Last 6 months

83

256

Absorption Rate (Solds)

269 days

208 days

Absorption Rate (Solds

Plus Pendings)

204 days

157 days

Average Days on Market

74

66

Median Price Change

From 1 Year Ago

-1%

-1%

Median Price

$475,000

$835,000

% Chgn. In MDN from prior month

-1%

-1%

Average Price

$542,715

$1,056,131

New to Market (Nov.)

11

49

Pending in Nov.

17 (1 new in Nov.)

34 (7 new in Nov.)

 

My Jeff Dowler signature

 

**************************************

365 Things to Do in Carlsbad (and Nearby) on Facebook   Lifestyle Search on AtHomeInCarlsbad.com - Jeff Dowler

Jeff Dowler's Flickr Profile  Jeff Dowler's Facebook Profile   Jeff Dowler's YouTube Profile  Jeff Dowler's StumbleUpon Profile  Jeff Dowler's Twitter Profile  Jeff Dowler's Friendfeed ProfileSubscribe to this blog Jeff Dowler's LinkedIn Profile

Click to Search for All San Diego Homes          First Time Home Buyer Central Website          Relocation A to Z blog

Home Owner's Short Sale Guide

 

   Southern California Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS)

 My New Brokerage - Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad CA

 

ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE

 

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com

Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village),  Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego

Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News

All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.

Market Data for NOVEMBER 2006 - Carlsbad, CA

Here are the summary statistics from the MLS for the month of November for Carlsbad, CA.

Some interesting things to note - inventory dropped 9% from last month. There was no change in the median price for attached homes from the previous month, but an increase of 1% for detached homes. However, both showed a decline in median price as compared to 1 year ago. We may be starting to see a slowing in the market over the next month or so which is typical during the holiday season.

If I can provide more information, or otherwise be of assistance, please let me know.

AS OF NOV. 30, 2006

ATTACHED HOMES

DETACHED HOMES

Active

306

553

Sold in Last 6 Months

247

439

Sold/Pending in Last 6 months

315

565

Absorption Rate (Solds)

200 days

201 days

Absorption Rate (Solds plus Pendings)

157 days

156 days

Average Days on Market

62

62

Median Price Change From 1 Year Ago

-7%

-5%

Median Price

$466,250

$771,250

Average Price

$484,817

$809,868

% Change in MDN from prior month

0%

1%

New on Market in November

64

109

Pending in November

40 (6 were new in Nov.)

56 (11 were new in Nov.)

 

My Jeff Dowler signature

 

**************************************

365 Things to Do in Carlsbad (and Nearby) on Facebook   Lifestyle Search on AtHomeInCarlsbad.com - Jeff Dowler

Jeff Dowler's Flickr Profile  Jeff Dowler's Facebook Profile   Jeff Dowler's YouTube Profile  Jeff Dowler's StumbleUpon Profile  Jeff Dowler's Twitter Profile  Jeff Dowler's Friendfeed ProfileSubscribe to this blog Jeff Dowler's LinkedIn Profile

Click to Search for All San Diego Homes          First Time Home Buyer Central Website          Relocation A to Z blog

Home Owner's Short Sale Guide

 

   Southern California Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS)

 My New Brokerage - Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad CA

 

ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE

 

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com

Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village),  Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego

Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News

All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.

244-246 Hillcrest Street, Encinitas, CA 92024 - SOLD 2/14/07

Front view of duplexThis updated and well-maintained Duplex is a terrific opportunity for a buyer wanting an additional source of income or a savvy investor wishing to compliment his or her portfolio.

Offering 2 units, up and down, each provides 2 bedrooms and 2 bath (one in the master), a good sized living room and dining area, kitchen (with newer appliances), and about 1080 SF of living space. Each unit also has a single car garage with attached lockable storage room with laundry hook-ups (washer and dryer included for first floor unit).

The first floor unit has a large separate yard with new landscaping and drip system; upper unit has a balcony and a separate fenced yard. The exterior has been recently painted and the driveway repaved. The property is 7 - 10 minutes walk to a great beach for walking, sunsets and terrific surfing. NOTE: THe beach view is of the nearby beach, but this is NOT an ocean view property!).

Both units are rented; 1st floor at $1460/month on a month-to-month basis; 2nd floor at $1550, with lease beginning in November until May 2007.

First floor unit may be shown with appointment with 24 hours notice for pre-approved buyers; both units have the same floor plan.

Contact me at (760) 840-1360 with questions and to arrange a personal tour. Please Visit my website for more photos, information and virtual tour.

Jeff Dowler

RE/MAX Associates - Encinitas

 

My Jeff Dowler signature

 

**************************************

365 Things to Do in Carlsbad (and Nearby) on Facebook   Lifestyle Search on AtHomeInCarlsbad.com - Jeff Dowler

Jeff Dowler's Flickr Profile  Jeff Dowler's Facebook Profile   Jeff Dowler's YouTube Profile  Jeff Dowler's StumbleUpon Profile  Jeff Dowler's Twitter Profile  Jeff Dowler's Friendfeed ProfileSubscribe to this blog Jeff Dowler's LinkedIn Profile

Click to Search for All San Diego Homes          First Time Home Buyer Central Website          Relocation A to Z blog

Home Owner's Short Sale Guide

 

   Southern California Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS)

 My New Brokerage - Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad CA

 

ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE

 

If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com

Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village),  Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego

Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News

All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.