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.
Continue reading Add Value to Your Home with These 9 DIY Improvements
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.
Continue reading July Gardening Tips 2020
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
As the economy opens up, we are seeing the June North County and San Diego real estate markets do the same. Pending sales and new listings are moving back up, although inventory is still very low.
This lack of inventory, low interest rates and high demand from millennials is keeping our market stable. And with the Fed’s recent announcement that they will continue to buy mortgage-backed securities, experts predict that mortgage rates will continue to remain low.
Year-over prices were up 2.2 percent countywide and 0.5 percent in North County. Inventory was still down 36 to 37 percent compared to last May, and market times were shorter. There were 26 percent fewer new listings. Pending sales were 6 to 8 percent lower than last year, but that’s a big improvement over April’s 40 percent drop, and an indicator that buyers are coming back to the market more quickly than sellers.
See below for this month’s statistics and daily interest rate updates.
Continue reading June 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets
Traditionally, spring is one of the busiest times of the year for real estate. However, the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent stay-at-home orders led many buyers and sellers to put their moving plans on hold. In April, new listings fell nearly 45%, and sales volume fell 15% compared to last year.
Fortunately, as restrictions have eased, we’ve seen an uptick in market activity. And economists at Realtor.com expect a rebound in July, August, and September, as fears about the pandemic subside, and buyers return to the market with pent-up demand from a lost spring season.
But given safety concerns and the current economic climate, is it prudent to jump back into the real estate market?
Continue reading What’s Ahead for Real Estate?
Summer’s just around the corner and days are long. June’s a good time to plant heat-loving tropicals and annuals. Make sure to adjust your watering and spread mulch to conserve water and keep weeds down.
Here are some June gardening tips to keep your yard healthy and happy.
Continue reading June Gardening Tips 2020
We are seeing things start to open up, but since we’re not yet ready for large gatherings, North County and San Diego events in June are still limited. Below are 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 for you and your kids Continue reading North County and San Diego Events June 2020
We have seen a significant drop in the number of homes selling in the North County and San Diego real estate markets due to COVID-19, but in April as in March, there was also a large decrease in active and new listings. In addition, the number of homes that are going under contract (pending) has increased quite a bit since the beginning of April as you can see in the chart below.
This is keeping the real estate market very competitive, especially with entry-level homes. Many homes are seeing multiple offers. They are selling more quickly and at a higher sales price to list price ratio than they were at the same time last year.
Does this mean that our real estate market will see no effect from COVID-19? Not necessarily. The Mortgage Bankers Association reports that as of May 10, 2020, slightly over 8 percent of loans nationwide were in forbearance. The San Diego and North County markets could be adversely affected by this, but most likely we won’t know what those effects are until 2021. And because there are so few homes available to purchase, the consequences may be minimal.
Year-over prices were up 4.3 percent countywide and 6.3 percent in North County. Inventory dropped by about one-third compared to the previous year, and market times were 31 percent shorter. New listings and pending sales all dropped by over 40 percent in both markets.
See below for this month’s statistics and daily interest rate updates.
Continue reading May 2020 North County and San Diego Real Estate Markets
These days, it seems like everyone’s looking for ways to save money and stretch their income further. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your household expenses without making radical changes to your standard of living. When combined, these small adjustments can add up to significant savings each month.
Here are 20 things you can start doing today to lower your bills, secure better deals, and begin working toward your financial goals.
Continue reading 20 Ways to Save Money and Stretch Your Household Budget
It’s time to plant and prepare your garden for summer. Check your irrigation systems, get rid of those pesky weeds that sprouted after April’s heavy rains and plant heat loving subtropicals, vegetables and herbs.
Here are some May gardening tips to keep your yard bountiful and blooming.
Continue reading May Gardening Tips 2020