Holiday Sale Pricing on Homes

Buy now to get Holiday Sale Pricing on Homes.

Nov., Dec. & Jan. are traditionally the best time for buyers to buy a home or an investment property. There are usually fewer buyers to compete
for the homes and some sellers need to sell without regard to the season.

Many of the banks want to clear out their inventory by the end of the year.
That means you need to be in escrow by December 1st to have a reasonable chance of closing by Dec. 31st, especially with the holiday season slowing down the process.

Some regular sellers will hold firm but many are willing to negotiate
instead of waiting till the Spring when the market heats up again.

The disadvantage of buying now is that you will have a
smaller inventory to choose from. Many sellers are aware that
the Spring time is the best time for the sellers,
so many of them wait until then to market their homes.

The other problem with buying now is that the inventory is low
and we have had 7 straight months of price increases in San Diego County.  We have almost 1/3 fewer listings than last year at this time. Foreclosure listings are almost 70% lower than they were a year ago. About 630 active at this time in the whole County.
There is increased competition as buyers realize that the
housing market is turning and is unlikely to go back down from here.

In San Diego, home buying and selling goes on all year as we do not have to contend with snow impeding our ability to get around and making it difficult to see what the yard looks like without 3 feet of snow.

Holiday Sale Pricing on Homes wont last long. 
These are bargain prices compared to where the prices were
and where they are heading.

Call me today to find out how you can get Holiday Sale Pricing.
Only 10 more home shopping days this year!



Dennis Smith, ABR, SRES, e-PRO, CDPE, Realtor® DRE# 00476662
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Taylor Place Real Estate
Buy or Sell a Home with Me, Use my Moving Truck - F R E E for life.
dennis@SanDiegoHomes4u.com
760-436-0087, or cell at 760-212-8225
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/home.htm

My Market Trends Report with graphs and charts for North Coastal San Diego will give you the Sales Statistics for the month and compare it with last year, by city!
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/RealEstateTrends.htm

You can view all available San Diego area homes for sale at http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/MLS_Search.htm
You can search by address, by MLS number or by general criteria.

Providing quality Real Estate services in the North Coastal San Diego area including Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Escondido & San Diego County.

Property Tax Reduction Deadline is Nov 30th

Property Tax Reduction Deadline is Nov 30th to reduce your taxes due to “Decline of Value”.

If you, or a friend or family member, bought a home in CA between
2003 and 2006, you can probably reduce your property taxes by 10% to 60%, depending on your area. (Location, Location, Location)

The County Tax Assessor must tax properties at the value of the property on January 1st of each year.
You can challenge that San Diego County assessment between July 1st & Nov. 30th. (Other counties may only go to Sept 15th)

The next appeal period is between March 1 and May 30
so you can appeal it again for Jan 2010 comparable sales.

Please be advised that the application will only be effective for the one year appealed. Subsequent years will normally require additional filings.

Here is the information you will need.
See http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub30.pdf

Here is the application:
http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/cob/docs/aab/aabadobeapp.pdf

The Assessor will determine the price/value as of Jan 1st, 2009.
If you disagree, then you have to go to the appeals board with your proof.

There are many companies that will assist you with your Property Tax Reduction.
You do not need to use these companies because the data is free.
Sometimes it is more convenient to use a company to assist you. EasyTaxFix.com is one.
I have not checked them out but they only charge $49.99.
They also show you the comparables but not the addresses.
All you need to do is click on the following link.
http://tinyurl.com/PropertyTaxReduction

The clients who have bought or sold a property with me are welcome
to receive free comparable sales date from us.
Please call or e-mail your request.  This applies to SD county properties only.

If you are not a client, www.zilow.com has comparable data
but it is not as complete or as easy to understand.
Just type in your address and click on "Comparable Data" in the info box.
Your results will display below the map.
Please note that their "Zestimates" can be as much as 30% of in either direction.
Do not use that number, just use the comparable sales.
You may only use sales comparables from November 2008 through
March 2009 as they are only looking at the value as of 1/1/09.

Here is an article in the Newspaper with more info.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081108/news_lz1c08taxes.html

Remember, the Property Tax Reduction Deadline is Nov 30th




Dennis Smith, ABR, SRES, e-PRO, CDPE, Realtor® DRE# 00476662
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Taylor Place Real Estate

Buy or Sell a Home with Me, Use my Moving Truck - F R E E for life.
dennis@SanDiegoHomes4u.com
760-436-0087, or cell at 760-212-8225
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/home.htm

My Market Trends Report with graphs and charts for North Coastal San Diego will give you the Sales Statistics for the month and compare it with last year, by city!
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/RealEstateTrends.htm

You can view all available San Diego area homes for sale at http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/MLS_Search.htm
You can search by address, by MLS number or by general criteria.

Providing quality Real Estate services in the North Coastal San Diego area including Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Escondido & San Diego County

Contingent listing - what the heck is that?

A CONTINGENT LISTING is the step between Active & Pending.
These properties fall into several catagories.


Offer contingent on Court approval - This is usually for a Probate Sale

Offer accepted or submitted pending lender approval of Short Sale

Offer submitted awaiting buyer or bank approval of a REO (foreclosure)

Offer accepted with ____ hour right of first refusal - Usually the buyer has a house to sell before they can buy this one.

Contingent listings still show up on most web sites as active properties. They have to be looked at on an individual basis to determine what the underlying status is...REO, Short Sale, Probate or time clause.
Then it can be determined if it is reasonable to submit an offer.
 
Please contact my about listings in any Status including CONTINGENT LISTINGS.  I am here to help.




Dennis Smith, ABR, SRES, e-PRO, CDPE, Realtor® DRE# 00476662
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Taylor Place Real Estate
Buy or Sell a Home with Me, Use my Moving Truck - F R E E for life.
dennis@SanDiegoHomes4u.com
760-436-0087, or cell at 760-212-8225
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/home.htm

My Market Trends Report with graphs and charts for North Coastal San Diego will give you the Sales Statistics for the month and compare it with last year, by city!
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/RealEstateTrends.htm

You can view all available San Diego area homes for sale at http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/MLS_Search.htm
You can search by address, by MLS number or by general criteria.

Providing quality Real Estate services in the North Coastal San Diego area including Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Escondido & San Diego County.

Wachovia & World Savings Offering cash for short sales.

Wachovia & World Savings Offering cash for short sales.

If you have a Wachovia or World Savings mortgage and qualify for a Short Sale, Wachovia is paying you to move. Homeowners with Wachovia and World Savings mortgages who are upside down on their property and have a finantial hardship, can get 1 percent of the price of their short sale, with a minimum of $2,500 ($250K sale).

Wachovia understands that a short sale is quicker and less costly for them than a foreclosure.

You will be expected to move out promptly and keep the property in as good or better condition as when the process begins.

Sellers must act quickly because the program is temporary and could end anytime.

Another important thing for sellers to note is that Wachovia has agreed not to pursue sellers for any part of the balance due if you cooperate with this program.

If you know anyone who is in finantial problems and upside down in their mortgage, do them a favor and call me with their contact information and I will give them free foreclosure counseling. This way, they will know what their options are and can act accordingly.

It does not matter if the lender is on the Short Sale, Wachovia, World Savings or any other lender, I would love to help them understand their solutions.

See my Short Sale and Foreclosure Avoidance Web Site at
http://HAFAShortSaleConsultant.com/



Dennis Smith, ABR, SRES, e-PRO, CDPE, Realtor® DRE# 00476662
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Donna "Sunshine" Smith, SFR, Realtor® DRE# 01249837

Short Sale, Foreclosure Resource Certified

Taylor Place Real Estate
Buy or Sell a Home with Me, Use my Moving Truck - F R E E for life.

dennis@SanDiegoHomes4u.com
760-436-0087, or cell at 760-212-8225

See my Short Sale and Foreclosure Avoidance Web Site at

http://HAFAShortSaleConsultant.com/
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/home.htm

My Market Trends Report with graphs and charts for North Coastal San Diego will give you the Sales Statistics for the month and compare it with last year, by city!
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/RealEstateTrends.htm

You can view all available San Diego area homes for sale at http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/MLS_Search.htm
You can search by address, by MLS number or by general criteria.

Providing quality Real Estate services in the North Coastal San Diego area including Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Escondido & San Diego County.

It is all about friends...

It is all about friends...
This story touched me but I do not send chain e-mails.

We all know or knew someone like this!!

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.


As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.'
They really should get lives.

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak Graduation day. I saw Kyle. He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses...
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
' Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends....
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them
I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions...
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse, God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.

You now have two choices, you can : 1) Pass this on to your friends or
2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
As you can see, I took choice number 1.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.. But today is a gift. That is why they call it
THE PRESENT!

$8000 Homebuyer tax credit update

$8000 Homebuyer tax credit update…The tax credit has been extended!!!!

Under the law, individuals with income up to $125,000 a year and couples earning up to $225,000 may be eligible for the $8000 Homebuyer tax credit. The extension would cover homes under contract by April 30th and closed by June 30th, 2010. And as we had also predicted, the  homebuyer tax credit will be expanded to non-first time homebuyers as well. There are a few tweaks for non-first time homebuyers - the credit is reduced from $8000 to $6500, and they must have owned and lived in their primary residence for at least five of the past eight years. Their new purchase must be for their primary residence, not a second home or investment home.

This is a great deal for home owners who want to more up, downsize or get a job transfer.
The purchase price of the home is capped at $800,000 in both instances.

Under additional provisions included in the bill, taxpayers can claim the credit on purchases completed in 2010 on their 2009 income tax returns. The legislation maintains the provision that home buyers do not have to repay the credit provided the home remains their primary residence for 36 months after purchase, and waives this requirement for active duty military personnel who move due to a military order.

Military veterans earn one-year federal tax credit extension


Military personnel, members of the Foreign Service, and employees of the intelligence community
have an extra year, through June 2011, to buy their principal residence in the U.S. and claim the federal tax credit. The deadline for a binding contract is April 30, 2011; the deadline to close the purchase is June 30, 2011. The extension applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at period of least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.
 
The bill also adds some fraud protection.  Buyers will now have to include proof of purchace with their tax return.

For more details:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/glance.php

How does all this work in my case?  Ask your tax professional/

Dennis Smith, ABR, SRES, e-PRO, CDPE, Realtor® DRE# 00476662
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Taylor Place Real Estate
Buy or Sell a Home with Me, Use my Moving Truck - F R E E for life.
dennis@SanDiegoHomes4u.com
760-436-0087, or cell at 760-212-8225
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/home.htm

My Market Trends Report with graphs and charts for North Coastal San Diego will give you the Sales Statistics for the month and compare it with last year, by city!
http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/RealEstateTrends.htm

You can view all available San Diego area homes for sale at http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/MLS_Search.htm
You can search by address, by MLS number or by general criteria.

Providing quality Real Estate services in the North Coastal San Diego area including Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Escondido & San Diego County.