September Gardening Tips 2020

September Gardening Tips 2020 Fire behind Carlsbad homes

September is a great month to start seeds, do some cleanup work and get your garden ready for planting once the weather cools off. Here are some September gardening tips to help you get your yard ready for fall.

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Home Office Tips

Home Office Tips modern home office Pam Fraser

As more people are transitioning to working from home in some capacity, the need for a well-designed home office is paramount. Having a space where you feel comfortable and motivated will lead to increased productivity and happiness. To create the perfect working space, consider the following home office tips.

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August 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets

August 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets

The August North County and San Diego real estate markets showed strong, year-over median price increases last month. Pent up buyer demand, historically low interest rates and continued inventory shortages are all keeping pressure on home prices, despite the impact of COVID-19.

Those low interest rates are also motivating homeowners to refinance. If you have already refinanced your home, you are lucky to have missed the 0.5 percent “adverse market fee” on all refinances that was just announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Freddie Mac said this new fee is going into effect as of September 1 “as a result of risk management and loss forecasting precipitated by COVID-19 related economic and market uncertainty.” If you’d like more information about this new refinance fee, please contact me.

North County and San Diego Real Estate August 2020

Year-over, median prices were up 10.3 percent countywide and 11.1 percent in North County. Inventory dropped by about one-half compared to the previous year, and market times were shorter. The number of new listings dropped while pending sales increased in both markets.

See below for this month’s statistics and daily interest rate updates.

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Lowest Mortgage Rates in History: What It Means for Homeowners and Buyers

Lowest Mortgage Rates in History: What It Means for Homeowners and Buyers

In July, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 3% for the first time in history. And while many Americans have rushed to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity, others question the hype. Are today’s low mortgage rates truly a bargain?

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August Gardening Tips 2020

August Gardening Tips 2020 Pam Fraser tagetes lemmonii

Brace yourself for this month’s hot, dry weather and make sure your plants are properly irrigated. Here are some August gardening tips to help keep your garden happy and healthy.

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North County and San Diego Events August 2020

North County and San Diego Events August 2020 Pam Fraser

NORTH COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO EVENTS FOR AUGUST

Since we still need to control the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, North County and San Diego events for August look quite different than they have in past years. Many are canceled or delayed, but others are now virtual.

Here are some fun North County and San Diego events in August for you, your family and friends. I’ve also included links to city and county websites with COVID-19 updates letting you know what’s open and what’s not along with ideas on how you can create your own North County and San Diego events this month.

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July 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets

July 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets

We are continuing to see tight inventory and short market times in North County and San Diego real estate markets this July. Bidding wars are commonplace. But experts predict a slowing market in months to come. CoreLogic’s Home Price Insights report forecasts a year-over decline of 6.6 percent in home prices nationally. Though in San Diego, they estimate that drop to only be 1.3 percent.

Although prices are expected to soften slightly, it’s doubtful we will see many foreclosures due to COVID-19. This market is very different than it was during the Great Recession. Inventory is scarce. Homeowners have equity, and mortgage delinquency rates in San Diego County are very low compared to the rest of the country. The San Diego Union Tribune recently published a good explanation of why large numbers of foreclosures are probably not in our future.

North County and San Diego Real Estate July 2020

Of all the markets within the county, North County is the only one that saw a year-over decrease in prices with the median sales price dropping 2.5 percent. Countywide, year-over prices were up 2.4 percent. Inventory dropped by almost 50 percent in both markets, and pending sales were up over 20 percent compared to the previous year.

See below for this month’s statistics and daily interest rate updates.

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Add Value to Your Home with These 9 DIY Improvements

Add Value to Your Home with These 9 DIY Improvements Pam Fraser

Whether you’re prepping your house to go on the market or looking for ways to maximize its long-term appreciation, these nine home improvement projects are great ways to add function, beauty, and real value to your home.

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July Gardening Tips 2020

July Gardening Tips Pam Fraser monarch butterfly

Summer’s in full swing and we are entering our three hottest and often driest months in San Diego County. Make sure your garden has plenty of water, and don’t forget to add mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.

Here are some July gardening tips to help your yard stay beautiful throughout the summer.

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North County and San Diego Events July 2020

North County and San Diego Events July 2020

North County and San Diego Events for July

Although we’ve seen some reopening of businesses and facilities, most North County and San Diego events in July are still canceled or virtual. San Diego County had a record number of new COVID-19 cases in early July and will be added to the state’s monitoring list. Because of this, we may have new restrictions. The County of San Diego issued a new health order as of July 1, 2020 delimiting social distancing and sanitation guidelines, but this may be updated.

Read on for up-to-date information from North County cities, San Diego County and California State showing what’s open, what’s closed and what precautions you should take. I’ve also included an updated listing of July 4th firework displays Continue reading North County and San Diego Events July 2020