Archive for August, 2007
August 31, 2007
For the Labor Day weekend, when the smart people are buying and selling, here’s a sample
of what’s out there.
From Craigslist:
9500 Harritt Road, Lakeside- A 55+ community, Lake Jennings Park Estates, has several mobile home units available. Said to be well maintained; residents own their homes and their lots. No price listed. Open Sat & Sun afternoon. Craigslist and Lake Jennings Living
947 Greenfield #E, El Cajon at Mollison- A 3bed/1.5bath townhome offering 2 car carport, AC, patio, dual paned windows and low HOA fees at the reduced price of$310k. Sunday afternoon. See more at Craigslist
7950 Michelle Dr at El Paso, La Mesa- $565k gets you a real home, view from a large redwood deck, dual pane windows and fenced yards. Note this is for Sept 9- next weekend. Craigslist
2730 Bonita St at San Miguel- 5bed, 2bath home on a quiet cul-de-sac asking $459k. Sounds great for a big family that needs a big back yard and room for an RV. See it Sat & Sun Craigslist
from other sources:
10235 Madrid Way, Spring Valley- Saturday only: 2bed, 1.5bath, $250k, not much info for this property. If this interests you call the agent: gemma Delima (619) 944-3511 Ref# 076066877. This was the only East County open house listed at http://sandiegoopenhouses.com/
10080 Sir Lancelot, Santee- About 1827 sq. ft., 2 stories, 3bed, 2.5bath, large lot, pool/spa, all on a private cul-du.sac with mountain view. This is Saturday only, see more here openhousesandiego. This was the only East County open house listed at this site.
7208 West Point Ave, La Mesa- Lots of pics at the link (sorry I can’t copy them here). This is a 3bed, 2bath, about 1669 sq. ft., single family home for $449k. It has 2 stories and was built in 1942. Open house Sat & Sun. This information is courtesy of McMillin Realty. They have several other listings on their user friendly site.
As I explore resources like the above I’ll try to gather information that you can use- which sites have the best info, etc. It’s too bad that there isn’t one site with all the open house listings and I’m sorry I can’t list them all so I’ll try to point you to the best alternatives. The Union-Tribune had nothing for the East County and so far Craigslist has the best selection- they are free to the listers and free to you; how can you go wrong? Have a nice Labor Day!
[as always, please comment on any errors, bad links, and feel free to share your information as well.]
August 30, 2007
Tomorrow is the cut-off for discount tickets to Hillcrest’s Centennial event, Toast to Hillcrest. So just a day and a half left to scoop up those $10 tickets! On Thursday, September 20, this kick-off event will run from 5:30-8pm. Participants can jump aboard the double decker bus or stroll by foot along University Avenue where vendors between Park and Third will have their doors open featuring “wine, spirits and nibbles” toasting Hillcrest’s 100th birthday bash.
Ben Cartwright will host aboard City Sightseeing’s big red bus which will run from 5-9pm. Maps and same day tickets ($15) will be available in the WaMu parking lot at Fifth and Robinson starting at 5pm, then follow the red balloons to participating businesses along the route. This is a 21 and older event. See you there!
August 30, 2007
3796 Alabama #506 - 412 Days
This is a 1 bed, 1 bath condo. Unit #123 is also available with similar stats.
4262 Wilson Avenue #18 - 380 Days
1 bed, 1 bath condo priced at $250 per square foot.
4151 34th Street #7 - 363 Days
1 bed, 1 bath condo priced at $400 per square foot.
August 29, 2007
A friend of mine recently purchased a two bedroom condo in Point Loma and was excitedly sharing his renovation plans with me. He started to describe sanding down some old kitchen cabinets, pulling up linoleum and replacing popcorn ceilings. My delight for him, and his enthusiasm as a first time homebuyer, quickly turned to concen when I asked him what year his home was built. He told me he thought it was built in the late 60’s. I jumped in with warnings about lead based paint and other environmental hazards like asbestos that could be in the flooring and ceilings and gave strong caution to him in proceeding with his do-it-yourselfer plans. http://www.epa.gov/lead/
I just want to say a word about purchasing and remodeling homes built before 1978. http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5054.html Realtors and contractors are required to inform purchasers/owners of environmental hazards associated with older homes and certain activities that can lead to airborne contaminants. Sadly, I have witnessed first hand the effects of lead poisoning in children and can say it is a very very sad event. Please take the time to have your home assessed for lead before you buy. The ideal time to abate contaminants is between a sellers’ vacancy and a buyers’ occupancy, not after people get sick or exposed. Believe me, the long term effects are not worth saving a little extra time and cash upfront. If you now own a home built before the mid 1970’s and aren’t sure if you have lead paint hidden in your house (it could be beneath layers and layers of safe paint or in nooks and crannies that are often overlooked), please get an assessment before you stir anything up. http://www.leadpro.com/faq.html#FAQ%20Kits
August 27, 2007
4755 Long Branch Avenue - Now Asking $699,900
Last sold $732,500. 3 bed, 3 bath. $613 per square foot. On Redfin 95+ days.
3614 Wawona Drive - Now Asking $589,900
Last sold $594,000. 3 bed, 2 bath. $426 per square foot. On Redfin 3+ days.
4845 Narragansett #4 - Now Asking $519,000
Last sold $1,000,000. 3 bed, 2.5 bath. $438 per square foot. On Redfin 19+ days.
August 26, 2007
learn from the past
How do you find recent sales at the Redfin site?
1 Zoom into your neighborhood on the map.
2 Click on ‘Filter Search’ near the search box.
3 Set ‘Past Sales’ to ‘Last 3 Months’
4 Click search.
Past sales are in blue, current properties are green on the map. Click a property for more info. At the bottom of the list view you will find averages. If you change ‘LISTING STATS’ to ‘SOLD STATS’ you will see averages for sold properties.
Here’s a look at the first house on the list-
Let’s compare some recent sales around $400k in the following table:
These prices are slightly below average for Lemon Grove, but they are way below average prices in flashy coastal communities. Most of these streets are quite pleasant to live on.
[data from generally reliable sources, please comment on any errors!]
August 26, 2007
There is so much fun to have in and around Hillcrest. The best of San Diego is right here and, being that this is where I call home, I thought I’d share my favorite hot spots with you all. These are my top pics for eating, shopping and getting away close to home.
Eat - Mr. A’s
Sleep - Britt Scripps Inn
Shop - Play it Again Sam
Come for the day, come for the weekend, play and stay in your own backyard. Whatever your pleasure, come enjoy Hillcrest! This is the best of the best, but in future posts I’ll tell you about hot spots on the “B” and “C” lists. If you have favorites in this neighborhood, let me know!
August 26, 2007
Realtors bring such enthusiasm to the game! Game? Well it seems that way sometimes when you see and read all the commentary on the real estate market. I try to keep in mind the seriousness of your concern. Whether buying or selling, there are powerful incentives, fears, and other practical and emotional factors. Correct me if you find I’m too casual in my attitude.
I mention enthusiasm because it can be overwhelming in open house announcements and even more when you actually attend them. Try to keep a perspective, stay relaxed and don’t push yourself too hard on the weekends.
Let’s see what this Sunday brings in El Cajon according to craigslist.org:
1781 Garrison Way at Granite Hills- $725k. This is a 3bed/2.5bath nice country home w pool, granny flat, 2588 sq. ft. on one acre, many pluses. This is quality country living with all that civilization offers. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rfs/406112096.html
1221 Rathmoor St at Coldstream Dr- $725k. Nice home to compare to the above. Billed as an ‘entertainer’s paradise’, this is 3bed/2bath plus a bonus room, pool, spa, fountain & citrus trees. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rfs/406142317.html
675 Dewane Dr at W Main- no price, no pics, no specs on craigslist- try the agent at 619-920-3437 (Cell) http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rfs/406359262.html
1402 N Mollison ave at greenfield- $349k. Cute 3bed/1bath house in the city. Affordable! http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rfs/406418324.html
1525 Eagle Lane at Cuyamaca- $390k. 3bed/2.5bath townhome in award winning community. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rfs/406410705.html
August 24, 2007
This post is dedicated to my friend Christopher who pointed out there are some decent buys in the Hills under $400,000. Thank you, Christopher, for inspiring me to take a closer look at what we can get for $300-400,000. There are some nice condos and townhomes available, most are 1 bed 1 bath units somewhere between 700-900 square feet. I was able to find a few larger units as big as 2 bed 2 bath and just over 1,000 square feet. Here are some of my finds:
540 Hawthorne Street #1-C - $399,995
$370 per square foot. 2 bed, 2 bath. 1,081 square feet. On the market 153+ days.
2701 2nd Avenue #105 - $335,000
$399 per square foot. 1 bed 1 bath. 839 square feet. On the market 55+ days.
475 Redwood Street #801 - $389,000
$537 per square foot. 1 bed 1 bath. 725 square feet. On the market 13+ days.
August 23, 2007
The last post I wrote about depreciating properties was hugely successful. I know this not because I had a lot of response but because several properties on my list have since sold. As you know, we have only just launched our blog in San Diego. The fact that a significant number of featured properties have moved in this sleepy market says a lot. Namely, buyers want value, deep discounts, and the assurance of appreciation. In fact, I had to change a post sitting in my pipeline because one of the properties sold within days. So, I am going to make this a weekly post, highlighting properties that are listed at prices below their last sell price. Here are this week’s picks.
1456 Essex Street - Now Asking $598,500
Last sold 01/2006 for $655,000, this 3 bed, 3 bath home is priced at $333 per square foot and on the market 180+ days.
2618 Juan Street #6 - Now Asking $329,000
Last sold 08/2004 for $340,000, this 1 bed, 1 bath home is priced at $435 per square foot and on the market 180+ days.
2410 Albatross Street #14 - Now Asking $399,888
Last sold 01/2003 for $675,000 this 2 bed, 2 bath home is currently priced at $277 per square foot and is on the market 111+ days.
