Archive for December, 2007
December 30, 2007
Feng Shui for your closets
Yes, I know, you’ve already done your bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bath. You already know the immeasurable value of Feng Shui in maintaining peace, harmony and love in your life. Unfortunately many people neglect to apply Feng Shui to their closets.
How many times have these sad events occurred to you? Lost items- socks, panties, gloves (and you thought it was the laundry). Clinging hair/fuzzballs/sticky things on your knit garments. Excessive, persistent wrinkles on folded and hanging garments. Colors that transmute inexplicably into nightmare shades. Shoes that develop alien odors. Yes these are all signs that the energies in your closet are out of synchronization with the optimal flow (qi) that you need.
How do you feel when you reach into your closet? Is there a sense of dread, of ominous obfuscation, of delirious disorientation? Is there a vague thrift shop odor hanging in the air? Does the 60 watt bulb put out only 20 watts? Does your arm tingle as you reach for that dress that just doesn’t seem the same as when you bought it? When you wear that dress, do you have the feeling that it belongs to someone else who is two sizes smaller? Your closet directly affects your well-being, just as your house does. A sick, unhappy closet will dampen your spirits in many ways.
The good news is that Feng Shui for your closet doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Done at the same time as another major part of the house, the additional cost is insignificant. A special treatment just for the closet(s) might seem expensive, but the comfort and confidence that results can last for many months.
BONUS: How to get your closet Feng Shui at no cost! Many people include the garage in a major Feng Shui treatment. Experts generally agree that the garage doesn’t benefit a great deal from Feng Shui. As a smart homeowner, you might consider doing the closets instead of the garage for the same or lower total cost.
Stay tuned for next Monday’s blog when we report on another home comfort bugaboo: resident demons and troublesome evil spirits.
December 29, 2007
It will come as no surprise to anyone that home prices by the shore are significantly higher than they are inland. The houses themselves are not necesarily any nicer, it’s the view and the proximity to the ocean that draw top dollar. As a San Diego native and resident, I know and love so many of our fantastic neighborhoods and I’m wondering how often we locals actually use and enjoy our own beaches. On the other hand, anytime we want to go enjoy the ocean we know we are just minutes away. We might not always see the ocean, but we know it’s there. We hear it, we smell it and our most valued life experiences involve sand between our toes. The beaches have effects on us in other ways too. We are an extremely casual group and it is not uncommon for us to go to work in shorts and flip flops. My prom date actually picked me up in a tux and flip flops and then later took me out to see Vertigo - but let me not digress to memory lane. We’re easy going about our politics and generally pretty darned accepting of others. We appreciate diversity and love the arts. Our consumer culture rests on fish tacos and sunscreen. And still, we are just as consumed with work, family and social obligations as the rest of the country. I know I don’t vacation in my own backyard nearly enough despite the bounty our city has to offer. I’m sure if I lived on the beach I would spend more time there but would all the grains of sand be worth their weight in gold? Heck yeah. Otherwise we’d all live in Des Moines!
2663 Ocean Front Walk #2 
- 2007 multi-family condo with 4 beds, 3.5 baths
- 1,821 square feet, priced at $1,809 per square foot
- Asking $3,295,000
- On Redfin 133 days
5173 Brighton Avenue #4 
- 1958 multi-family condo with 3 beds, 2 baths
- 1,950 square feet, priced at $818 per square foot
- Asking $1,595,000
- On Redfin 42 days
810 Avalon Court #A 
- 2003 multi-family condo with 2 beds, 2.5 baths
- 1,298 square feet, priced at $901 per square foot
- Asking $1,170,000
- On Redfin 165 days
Bonus link: Ocean Beach Webcam - watch ‘em frolic!
December 28, 2007
Holiday Doldrums:
I wish I could offer a smörgåsbord of choices for your early Winter gustatory delight. Only two houses in all of East County are available for you to feast your eyes on.
653 La Presa Av. Spring Valley at Jamacha Blvd. 91977
Not the first open house for this address. What an odd picture–looks like a condo but claims to be single family detached. No special features, no AC, one car garage. Without a square foot figure it’s difficult to know whether it’s worth a visit on Sunday.
9185 Grossmont Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91941
This house is on 0.61 acres and runs a surprisingly high $373/sq.ft. That gets you hardwood floors, central AC, an automatic gate and some security features. No pool. In April it sold for $560k. Redfin Savings: $16,780*
Before Open Houses fade into nostalgia we should be proactive. Be sensitive to the time and dedication of the sales agent hosting the event. It can be a lonely or a hectic time for them and they need all the support you can offer. Go ahead and buy the house to show your appreciation.
[data from generally reliable sources, please comment on any errors!]
December 28, 2007
Real estate dominated business and economic headlines in 2007. The stories were good, bad and ugly. Sometimes frightening and sometimes exciting, but always intriguing. For buyers, it was hopeful; for sellers, grim. For a while it looked like decent investment opportunities might sprout up in front yards and on wall street.
January - Homeowners Cut Prices, Drawing Some Buyers Back
February - Rising Foreclosures Rip Families
March - Scary Math: More Homes, Fewer Buyers
April - Subprime Worries Shake Up Housing Market
May - The Follies of Measuring Home Prices
June - Foreclosure Crisis Forecast Worsening
July - Post Boom Hangover Lingers
August - No Money Down Disappearing as Mortgage Option
September - How Housing Ills Infected the Economy
October - House Flippers Get Burned Chasing Dream
November - Housing Inventory Climbs to Record Level
December - Pain Street USA: ‘08 Housing Outlook
As the year comes to a close, the stock market appears to be the caboose on the real estate train. Buyers, sellers, watchers, analysts and brokers alike hope for blue horizons in 2008, albeit with a healthy dose of skepticism. Will a phoenix rise in the new year or are we doomed to another nasty cycle of fiscal uncertainty? Whatever comes, we wish you satisfaction, prosperity and great rewards in all your endeavors.
December 26, 2007
Tickle tickle, coo coo. Who doesn’t love a new baby? I have to admit that I’m a little surprised that sellers are putting their homes on the market right now and they’re really not being shy about their asking prices either. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I know you’ll be just as interested as me to find out if these sell and for how much. I’ll keep watching and report back…you just sit tight and stay tuned.
4430 Highland Avenue 
- 1941 single family home with 2 beds, 1 bath
- 787 square feet, priced at $508 per square foot
- Asking $399,000
- Immediate past sale was 8/30/07 for $285,000
- Zestimate $313,916
- On Redfin 1 day
4385 Georgia Street #4 
- 1985 multi-family condo with 2 beds, 2 baths
- 782 square feet, priced at $442 per square foot
- Asking $349,900
- Immediate past sale was 9/18/02 for $255,000
- Zestimate $308,214
- On Redfin 2 days
2711 Ocean Front Walk 
- 1944 single family home with 2 beds, 2 baths
- 968 square feet, priced at $3,048 per square foot
- Asking $2,950,000
- No past sales data or current market valuation available
- Street name true description of location
- On Redfin 2 days
December 23, 2007
Oh me, oh my. What a whirlwind of pricing that’s going on! It’s making even me dizzy and disoriented. I almost called this post “schizophrenia,” but all the confusion is not part of an illness or incurable madness. Rather, I blame it on the mixed messages we’re getting from recent news and the polarizing nature of buying and selling. Nobody has their feet firmly on the ground right now and I imagine things will be this way for a while. Is anyone else getting nauseous from all the ups and downs?
Up - 1762 Linwood 
- Was asking
$1,500,000, Now $1,750,000
- 2007 single family home with 4 beds, 3.5 baths
- 4,200 square feet, $417 per square foot
- Zestimate $1,206,821
Down - 4491 Georgia
- Was asking
$555,000, Now $545,000
- 1927 single family home with 2 beds, 2 baths
- 1,540 square feet, $354 per square foot
- Zestimate $591,973
Up - 4620 Oregon Street
- Was asking
$440,000, Now $450,000
- 1926 single family home with 3 beds, 2 baths
- 5,600 square feet, $333 per square foot
- Immediate past sale was on 10/1/04 for $615,000
If you liked this post you might also enjoy:
Good Bye Good Buy
All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go
Recent Fathead Buys - Doah!
December 23, 2007
Santa House back on Market?
Lemon Grove CA, A small bungalow is coming back on the market after less than three years. It’s a familiar story these days. A gentleman named Saint Nicholas, apparently a bishop from Asia Minor, bought the home as a summer retreat in 2005. He qualified for a very low interest rate and was thrilled with the purchase. However, his English is not too good and it seems he didn’t fully understand the terms of the financing. His interest rate is currently 3 times what it was and he is unable to sustain such payments.
There are some complications in this foreclosure. The debt is currently held by the Old Nick Omnihold (ONO) investment group; well known for taking a hard line with defaulters. While a surprising number of friends and neighbors of Mr. Nicholas have spoken in his defense and pleaded with ONO for leniency, the firm wouldn’t budge. Senior partner Old Nick (not to be confused with Saint Nick as the borrower is sometimes known) himself said “This is a particularly egregious default by an educated man who deliberately tried to cheat our fine investors.”
However, the friends and neighbors seem to think that Mr. Nicholas is something of a saint and deserves better treatment. They suggest that he is a hard working man who does much for humanity. There is little evidence to support the argument. Sources say that he sits around, basking in Lemon Grove’s famous “Best Climate on Earth“ almost all year until the Winter holidays when he seems to take a vacation. “Vacation from what?” some say. Sources say that Mr. Nicholas has no visible means of support.
There is much speculation about the man. For one; he has many aliases: Saint Nick, Santa Claus, Nicholas of Myra, Agios Nikolaos, Sancte Claus, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas and ‘patron saint of children’. If this isn’t suspicious enough, the Asia Minor address he put on his mortgage documents was destroyed by rebel hordes 1,200 years ago. He sometimes refers to an obviously fictitious address at the North Pole. In an interview he has said “All I want is a quiet place in a comfortable climate where I can get away from the elves.” It is not clear whether his mental health is good. He appears to be quite old and obese.
THIS JUST IN:
The situation came to a head just yesterday when ONO threatened to call the Sheriff to remove Santa from his cottage. A massive uprising from the community, including a surprising number of children stormed the offices of ONO in protest. For the first time in financial history, ONO backed down just a bit. They offered to split the difference between the original teaser rate of the loan and the current extremely high rate. The crowd cheered and citizens lined up to pledge a contribution to help Father Christmas keep his summer home. Asked for comment, Santa would only say; “Ho, ho, ho!“
December 23, 2007
Last week, I promised to showcase some recent million dollar real estate buys and I am nothing if not a woman of my word. There is wealth in San Diego and this is a highly desirable place to live despite its still over-inflated real estate prices. You can read my past posts about great deals, steals and depreciations for some fantastic falling prices on homes here. Still, the cost of housing is high and the market is tight. There is precious little infill inventory and developments continue to increase in density. Population growth remains concentrated to the north and south of the city center and the most sought after neighborhoods are tough to infiltrate for the average homebuyer. Still, not everyone falls into that segment of the population and some are fortunate enough to be able to invest in prime San Diego real estate. Here are a few that beat the odds.
4171 Stephens Street
- 1945 2,958 square foot home with 6 bedrooms and 3 baths
- Sold for $1,006,206 on October 9, 2007
- Depreciated from its immediate past purchase price of $1,200,000
2947 1st Avenue
- 1945 4,568 square foot home with 3 bedrooms and 4 baths
- Sold for $2,000,000 on October 26, 2007
- Appreciated from its immeidate past purchase price of $900,000
932 Amiford Drive
- 1956 2,010 square foot home with 3 bedrooms and 5 baths
- Sold for $1,222,500 on October 29, 2007
- Appreciated from its immediate past purchase price of $740,000
December 22, 2007
Just the Facts, Ma’am
Unemployment is stuck at a rather high 4.8% for the last 5 months in SD County, 5.6% in CA and 4.7% in the US. Hospitality & leisure jobs increased by 4,100 and construction jobs dropped by 5,500. Financial activities lost 900 jobs, including real estate financing. As usual, of late, the jobs that pay a living wage are replaced by underpaid service jobs. Who has the figures for RE agents & brokers leaving the business?
Muni bonds downgraded: Standard & Poor’s downgraded the insurer ACA Capital and hundreds of municipal bonds that it had insured. Fitch Ratings warned of similar actions. As insurers struggle, the already endangered bond market suffers. Many asset backed securities are heavily tied to subprime mortgage loans. Fitch, S&P and Moody’s Investors Service have all downgraded billions of dollars worth of debt over the past six months. Our cities are already struggling with reduced property tax income, increased unfunded mandates from the State, and now reduced ability to borrow. We all face some difficult times ahead.
Fire prevention still an issue: San Diego Association of Governments’ (SANDAG) board voted 19-0 to direct its regional planning committee to open talks with federal and state wildlife agencies on the matter early next year. It is hoped that vegetation clearing may exceed the usual 100 feet where warranted, but wildlife habitat must also be protected. Expect a bureaucratic delay in any actual changes, but ultimately we will probably be safer from fires.
Water supply: good news & bad. You probably know that because of an endangered fish in Sacramento, we expect to lose 30% of our water from that source. The latest ruling of a federal judge upholds that decision but the State is still reviewing the matter. The good news is that after 2 1/2 years, regional officials from CA, AZ and NV are agreeing upon a water allocation plan for the Colorado river water. Despite an 8 year drought, Southern California will receive a generous allocation and a large share of water stored in Lake Mead if necessary. It’s clear that we will have to cut water use. Citrus farmers are already feeling the pain. It’s not clear that anything will be done to reduce new housing development and additional strain on our limited resources.
The City of Lemon Grove is considering the purchase of a historic (no official designation) building adjacent to City Hall to be used as additional office space. There are pros & cons. Pro: the City needs more space; could preserve the building; would have help from the Historic Society… Con: it’s expensive- likely $2M+ to purchase, renew & equip; there may be less costly alternatives; it’s uncertain how much space the City will actually need. Public discussion was calm at the Council meeting with the Historical Society in favor of the purchase. Further consideration and professional assessment are expected.
East County areas such as Spring Valley are governed by the County with the guidance of Planning Committees. These committees have no authority, but their intimate knowledge of the local area is valuable to County Planners who make decisions about zoning, road building and other infrastructure considerations. If you are considering residence in a County area, you may wish to consult the local planning committee members for advice and background on the area.
Regarding County Planning, particularly the 9 year old project called the 2020 Plan, there is much controversy. It should have been finished by now and heads are rolling.Deputy Director Ivan Holler left this year for another job. Planning Director Gary Pryor was given an hour to clear his office after Supervisor Dianne Jacob became unsatisfied with progress. Pryor retaliated, insinuating the Supervisors were delaying progress to grant waivers to certain citizens. In any event, property owners and developers are in limbo, unable to build under existing liberal rules knowing that they will change unpredictably at an unknown future time.
December 21, 2007
The Hunt is On!
I’d hoped to feature El Cajon again but we have slim pickins this weekend. And rightly so as many will be home for the holiday. Nevertheless the business of buying and selling homes is important and some are motivated even now.
3526 Bentley Drive, Spring Valley 91977
The agent says “–a choir will present a program of carols from the Hartzel balcony at 2 p.m. Come for the caroling, stay for a house tour and refreshments!”
| Address |
Bd/Ba |
Sq.Ft. |
Day |
Price |
Comment |
| 3526 Bentley Dr, SV |
4/3 |
2,164 |
Sun |
$535k |
built 1958, listed 77 days ↑ |
| 653 La Presa Av, SV |
3/1.5 |
? |
Sun |
$200k |
1983, 20 days, 1 car garage |
| 8605 Northview Sntee |
4/2.5 |
2,010 |
Sat |
$550k |
1991, 9 days, HOA fee $166 |
3472 Meridian Av SD
|
3/1 |
972 |
Sat |
$389k |
built 1952, listed 135 days ↓ |
|
3472 Meridian Avenue, San Diego 92115
At the nexus of three cities and walking distance from Marketplace at the Grove. Several renovations include dual pane windows, paint, stucco, new porch, kitchen, countertops… Sold for $410k in 2004. Redfin Savings: $7,780*
Weatherman predicts nice house hunting weather this weekend. Sunshine and enough dawn & dusk chill to remind us that it’s Winter.
[data from generally reliable sources, please comment on any errors!]
