All About San Diego Real Estate

Median Condo Sale Prices

2007-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

A 20 year Glance at San Diego Downtown Condo Sale Prices

Visit www.metroteamsd.com for more information.

An Ounce of Prevention

2007-05-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

There’s a home fire in the United States once every minute, and more than 75% of all fire deaths occur in home fired, making it imperative that all homes have smoke detectors, but especially those of seniors.

Seniors are of greater risk to die in a house fire than any other segment of the population, according to national safety statistics.

To help change those grim numbers, the Burn Institute is offering free smoke detectors and installation to residents of San Diego and Imperial counties 55 years and older.

“As people get older, their reflexes slow down, they take more medication that can make them drowsy, and their skin is thinner and more vulnerable to fire,” said Burn Institute spokeswoman Rosella Aplin. “Having a smoke detector cuts the risk of dying in a house by 50 percent.”

In addition to being 55 or older, you must own a home, and be without a working smoke alarm to qualify for the Senior Fire Safety and Smoke Alarm Program. Call (858) 543-2277 to register.

“The Burn Institute’s mission is to reduce burn injuries and deaths and this is such a simple way to do that.” Aplin said.

www.signonsandiego.com

2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey

2007-05-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Typical home buyer now an Internet buyer, according to the “2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey”

Use of Internet by all home buyers rises to 70 percent

LOS ANGELES (May 18) – The Internet buyer has become the “typical” home buyer over the last few years, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ “2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey,” released today. Since 2001, the share of home buyers using the Internet as an integral part of the home-buying process has nearly doubled to 70 percent. While the characteristics of Internet buyers and their traditional counterparts have started to converge, important distinctions between the two segments remain. According to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) report, Internet buyers were younger, wealthier, better educated and more likely to be married than traditional buyers. Internet buyers also reported greater satisfaction with the home-buying process compared with traditional buyers.
C.A.R.’s “2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey” will be distributed by the First American Family of Companies in booth #316 during the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 2006 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, running from May 17-19 in Washington, D.C. First American also will distribute the report at the California REALTOR® Showcase, June 7-10 at the Sacramento Convention Center.
“The Internet is changing the dynamics between buyers and their agents, as well as the way business is conducted throughout the real estate industry. However, while the Internet has become an important research tool for home buyers, it has only enhanced the REALTOR®’s role in the transaction,” said C.A.R. President Vince Malta. “Buyers continue to rely on their REALTOR® for help with interpreting the information gathered from the Internet and to guide them through the home-buying process.”
According to the survey, more than nine out of 10 Internet buyers indicated that the Internet helped them better understand the process of buying a home. Additionally, Internet buyers are accustomed to receiving more frequent communication and faster response times from their REALTORS®.
“More and more consumers have high-speed Internet access at home, enabling them to gather information on all types of products and services both quickly and easily,” said Malta. “This trend has carried over to the process of buying a home. As a result, home buyers are more informed, have a greater sense of control over the process, and hold high expectations concerning how quickly they receive information.”
Internet buyers and traditional buyers expressed significant differences in how they conducted their home-buying research. Internet buyers conducted more research at the onset of the home-buying process, while traditional buyers relied more on their agent as their source of information.
Other key findings from C.A.R.’s 2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey include:
• The median age of Internet buyers was 39 years compared with a median of 42 years for traditional buyers.
• More than nine out of 10 Internet buyers were married, while nearly eight of 10 traditional buyers were married.
• Seventy-three percent of Internet buyers had at least a four-year college degree and 11 percent completed post-graduate work. By comparison, 72 percent of traditional buyers held a college degree and 5 percent completed post-graduate work.
• Internet buyers had an annual income of $184,900, compared with $148,910 for traditional buyers.
• Internet buyers spent an average of 5.8 weeks considering buying a home before contacting a REALTOR®, nearly three times more than traditional buyers, who spent 2 weeks in this stage of the home-buying process.
• Internet buyers spent 2.2 weeks looking for the home they ultimately purchased, compared with 7.1 weeks for traditional buyers.
• Fifty-four percent of Internet buyers said the information that they gathered from the Internet was less useful than that provided by their REALTORS®; none considered the information gathered from the Internet to be more useful than that obtained from their REALTORS®.
• All first-time buyers typically spent 5.3 weeks considering buying a home and 4.3 weeks investigating homes for sale before contacting a REALTOR®. They then spent 3.2 weeks previewing eight homes with their REALTOR®.
• All repeat buyers spent 3.3 weeks considering buying a home and nearly three weeks investigating homes for sale on their own. They spent 5.4 weeks previewing 13 homes with their REALTOR®.

For more information visit http://www.car.org/
Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 185,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

NAR Responds to 60 Minutes' May 13, 2007 Segment

2007-05-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

CBS News Magazine Show Misses the Mark

-- In the world of political campaigns, it's a standard ploy to set the stage with an empty chair when one candidate refuses to debate his opponents.

The CBS show 60 Minutes gave the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® the empty chair treatment in a May 13 segment that examined the impact of online brokerages on the real estate industry. The show featured interviews with a representative from the now-defunct eRealty and the president and CEO of Redfin, but no one from NAR, even though NAR twice offered and prepared Association spokespersons for interviews with Leslie Stahl. It was CBS that made the decision it would rather interview our opponents and let them make unanswered -- and inaccurate and unfair -- accusations about REALTORS® and NAR policies.

The one-sided journalism and egregious errors served no one well, especially the once-vaunted news magazine show. NAR staff spent nearly a year working with CBS, briefing producers on the issues involved. The producers attended the REALTORS® Conference in New Orleans and met with NAR's legal counsel for half a day in Chicago. Yet, still the segment was full of major errors.

NAR is in communication with 60 Minutes about its unbalanced reporting and presentation of misinformation and will be sending the CBS network a letter demanding an opportunity to correct these errors and misrepresentations.

More on this subject an be found at www.realtor.org.

Heads-Up! Downtown Events and Traffic Delays

2007-05-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Downtown San Diego Events

21st Annual Navy Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk – May 20
On May 20 the 21st Annual Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk starts at 8 a.m. on Fifth Avenue under the Gaslamp sign. Setup for the race begins at 5 a.m. and cleanup will conclude at 8:30 a.m. The following downtown streets will be closed for the race.
• Fifth Avenue from K Street to Harbor Drive
• Harbor Drive from Fifth Avenue 5th to Cesar Chavez
For more information contact: www.mwrtoday.com.

KIFM Jazz Festival – May 26
The 32nd Annual KIFM Jazz Festival will take place in the Gaslamp Quarter on Saturday, May 26. The festival begins at 2 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. The following streets will be closed for the festival:
• G Street between Fourth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• Fifth Avenue between Market Street and F Street
The streets will be closed to vehicle traffic at 6 a.m. and pedestrian traffic at 1 p.m. The street should reopen at 2 p.m. For more information contact: www.kifm.com.

Padres Baseball at PETCO Park
Regular season baseball continues at PETCO Park on May 22, 23 and 24 against the Chicago Cubs and May 25, 26 and 27 Milwaukee Brewers. Weekday evening and Saturday games begin at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday games begin at 1:05 p.m. The PETCO Park Event Transportation and Parking Management Plan (ETMP) will be in effect for every game. The ETMP requires that certain streets keep all travel lanes open, that some streets have unimpeded sidewalks, and that other streets be closed around PETCO Park to ensure safe pedestrian travel. No parking is permitted around the ballpark beginning 3 hours before game time. When parking near PETCO Park, always check the signs to see if the no-parking times are in effect.

The San Diego Trolley will provide Special Event Service to all Padres games. For trolley information contact: www.sdcommute.com.

Rock and Roll Marathon – June 3
The 9th Annual Rock and Roll Marathon will be held in San Diego on Sunday, June 3. The race route through downtown has been changed from previous years and now loops around PETCO Park. The race starts at Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street in Hillcrest at 6:25 a.m. for the wheelchair racers. The marathon starts at 6:30 am. The following downtown streets will be closed beginning at 5 a.m. for the marathon.
• Park Blvd. from I-5 to B Street.
• B Street from Park Blvd. to Eleventh Avenue
• Eleventh Avenue from B to G streets
• G Street from Eleventh to Tenth avenues
• Tenth Avenue from G to Park Blvd.
• Park Blvd. to Tony Gwynn Drive
• Tony Gwynn Drive to Seventh Avenue
• Seventh Avenue from L to J streets
• J Street from Seventh to Fifth avenues
• Fifth Avenue from J to Market streets
• Market Street from Fifth to Harbor Drive
• Harbor Drive from Market to Broadway
• Broadway from Harbor Drive to Tenth Avenue
• Tenth Avenue from Broadway to the entrance to Highway 163
Downtown streets will reopen after the last runner passes. On June 3, southbound Highway 163 will be closed from 2 a.m. until noon.

Bands in the downtown area will be playing at the following locations:
• Tony Gwynn Dr. between Seventh Avenue and Park Boulevard from 6:45 to 8:30 a.m.
• Pacific Highway and Harbor from 6:50 to 9 a.m.
• First and Broadway from 6:50 to 9:15 a.m.
• Ash and Tenth from 7 to 9:30 a.m.

In a change from previous years, Highway 163 northbound will be open during the race. The Rock and Roll Marathon recommends the following route to leave downtown during the marathon.

• To leave the area inside the downtown loop of the course (between Harbor Drive and 12th Avenue and Broadway and Market Street, between 5:30 am and 10:00 am) go east on Broadway from State to Eleventh, where cars can turn left to access northbound Highway 163 and I-5 By 8:45 am the eastern portion of the downtown course will reopen to traffic, including 10th and 11th Avenues, for easy access in and out of the downtown area. During the race, vehicles will be metered across the course at the discretion of the police officer on duty.

www.ccdc.com

Bernanke Sees Limited Impact from Subprime

2007-05-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Fed looking at new rules, but favors market forces to fix problems

By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The slowdown in the housing market probably has further to run, but it won't have a significant impact on the rest of the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday.

Addressing a conference on bank structure at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, Bernanke promised that the Fed and other federal bank regulators have been actively looking at tightening up the rules for mortgage lending to prevent the kinds of abuses that have been seen in the past few years.

"Combating bad lending practices, including deliberate fraud or abuse, may require additional measures," he said.

"Markets can overshoot, but, ultimately, market forces also work to rein in excesses," the top central banker said. "In the long run, markets are better than regulators at allocating credit."

A copy of his remarks was made available in Washington. Read the text.

Bernanke said the cooling in the housing markets has been an "important source" of the slowdown in the economy. And he gave no assurances that housing has hit the bottom.

The latest readings on home sales "indicate a further stepdown in the first quarter."

Banks and other lenders are tightening their standards for subprime, near-prime and even prime borrowers, a Fed survey of banks' loan officers showed earlier this week. At least 44% of banks were tightening their standards, including 16% in the prime market. See full story.

"Curbs on this lending are expected to be a source of some restraint on home purchases and residential investment in coming quarters," Bernanke said. He predicted increases in delinquencies and foreclosures this year and next as adjustable-rate loans face interest-rate resets.

That said, "we believe the effect of the troubles in the subprime sector on the broader housing market will likely be limited, and we do not expect significant spillovers from the subprime market to the rest of the economy or to the financial system," Bernanke said.

"Importantly, we see no serious broader spillover to banks or thrift institutions from the problems in the subprime market," he said. "The troubled lenders, for the most part, have not been institutions with federally insured deposits."

Bernanke traced the problems in the subprime segment to exuberance over home prices, intense competition for lending, increased securitization of mortgages, and delusions and misrepresentations by lenders and borrowers alike.

He said the Fed, other regulators and Congress must "decide what additional regulation or oversight may be needed to prevent a recurrence."

"Regulators must walk a fine line," Bernanke said. "We must do what we can to prevent abuses or bad practices, but at the same time we do not want to curtail responsible subprime lending or close off refinancing options that would be beneficial to borrowers."

One key senator said Congress and regulators should act quickly to stem the tide of foreclosures. "I hope that Chairman Bernanke is right when he says that a slumping housing market will not affect the broader economy, but I would not bet the house on it," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who has introduced legislation to address foreclosures and abusive lending.

Subprime lending refers to borrowers with a high credit risk. Near-prime borrowers are people with good credit, but who take on additional "risk-layering" in their mortgages, such as reduced documentation, high loan-to-value, or option payments that may reduce the buildup of equity.

About 14% of the outstanding first-lien loans -- some 7.5 million -- are subprime loans. Near-prime, also known as Alt-A or nontraditional loans, account for 8% to 10%.

Rex Nutting is Washington bureau chief of MarketWatch.
www.marketwatch.com

Mixed Messages for Real Estate Buyers

2007-05-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's a great time to buy," says the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Alternatively, says NAR, existing home prices in February 2007 were down 1.3 percent when compared with a year earlier.

So can this really be a great time to buy if home values are falling? The answer is yes.

Increased real estate ownership is a national goal which has produced helpful and useful national policies. For instance, we encourage homeownership by tilting the tax system to favor owners. As a property owner you can write off property taxes, you can deduct mortgage interest in most cases and when you sell you can shelter profits of up to $500,000 if married and $250,000 if single from federal taxes.

We do these things because we believe that ownership gives people a greater stake in local communities and because owning a home affords individuals a certain ego, status and financial standing. We also encourage ownership for a very simple reason: Money. In addition to all the good qualities associated with ownership, each real estate transaction generates substantial transfer taxes, brokerage commissions, loan fees, insurance charges and legal fees.

As to renting, not so much. There are no transfer taxes to be paid when someone leases, no closings, no new mortgages, few if any legal fees and only small real estate commissions.

And yet as a society we need renters and we recognize that not everyone benefits from homeownership. We need renters because without 'em investment real estate would make little sense. Also, not everyone should buy, especially individuals who will be short-term residents in a given community; those with small, declining or uncertain incomes and, often, individuals who live in areas where both jobs and people are leaving.

Real estate ownership is not a good short-term option because of the costs to acquire and sell property, but it routinely makes sense for those who expect to hold for a lengthy period, say eight to ten years.

NAR says it's a great time to buy or sell because interest rates are near historic lows, "prices overall have stabilized," there's a positive outlook according to Alan Greenspan and during the past decade real estate has been a great investment.

"The national median price of homes bought ten years ago has increased 88 percent. The number of US households is expected to increase 15 percent during the next decade, creating a continued high demand for housing," says NAR.

The points made by NAR are all true -- and each deserves to be examined with some care.

Interest rates are near historic lows and that means borrowers should grab fixed-rate loans rather than elastic ARMs, a form of financing where rates can rise and the advantage of low monthly costs can be lost.
To say that prices have "stabilized" is a good example of creative wordsmithing. This is a cute expression, but irrelevant. The important issue to check real estate trends with local brokers because some communities are seeing price increases, some are seeing declines and what happens nationwide may not reflect local market activity.
Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, is quoted by NAR as saying that "most of the negatives in housing are probably behind us. The fourth quarter should be reasonably good, certainly better than the third quarter." The thoughts of the Chairman Greenspan are no doubt interesting, but quarterly results are for Wall Street and not homeowners. The real question is where local values are headed in five or ten years, something unknown.
Price increases during the past decade have plainly benefited most owners in most communities. However, as they say on Wall Street, past performance does not guarantee future results. What happened before does not tell us what will happen tomorrow. One way or another, we just do not know.

The view here, for whatever it's worth, is a little different: People ought to buy real estate because it's an investment that provides shelter, tax breaks, amortizing loans, the potential for appreciation and encourages the joy of individualism, having something of your own to shape and develop as you wish -- an option unavailable to tenants.

Written by Peter G. Miller Realty Times

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

2007-05-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Take steps to make sure you are prepared in case of an emergency or disaster

Create a Plan for Your Household – Have a Meeting
Discuss why it is important to prepare, and learn about what types of emergencies could occur
Talk about how your family will prepare and work together as a team in case of an emergency
Post emergency numbers, and teach family members how to turn off utilities in emergencies
Pick meeting places in the neighborhood or outside the neighborhood in case of evacuation
Learn first aid and CPR, and contact the fire department to learn about home hazards
Practice and reinforce what you have learned throughout the year Prepare an Emergency Kit
Storage – In your home you might store your emergency supplies in a large, covered trash container, but also keep those items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container, such as a duffle bag or backpack. A smaller version might also be kept in the trunk of a car. Basic needs include Water, Food, First Aid Supplies, Clothing and Bedding, Tools, and other Special Items.
Water – Store one gallon of water per person per day (three-day supply) in plastic containers. The water supply should be changed every six months.
Food – Store at least a three-day supply of nonperishable foods that are lightweight and require little or no preparation or cooking. Suggested items include canned meats, fruits, vegetables, juices, soup, along with high energy foods like granola bars. The stored food should be rotated out every six months.
First Aid Kit – Many organizations, particularly the American Red Cross, have basic first aid kits or manuals for sale.
Tools and Supplies – Paper cups, plates, and utensils; battery-operated radio and flashlight with extra batteries, cash or traveler’s checks, manual can opener, utility knife, matches in waterproof container, signal flare, pliers, wrench, tape, plastic storage containers, plastic sheeting, garbage bags, whistle, maps, compass, tube tent.
Clothing & Bedding – Rain gear, blankets or sleeping bags, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and gloves, sunglasses.
Special Needs and Medications – Infant needs such as formulas and diapers, personal hygiene and sanitary items, extra glasses or contact lenses, games and books to pass the time, nonprescription drugs as well as prescribed medications. Remember to consider supplies for your pet.
Documents – Bank account and credit card numbers, phone numbers, family records, passports, social security cards, inventory of household items. Many documents may be stored on computer disks or USB flash drives.

For more information, visit www.sdar.com

60 Minutes Skews Facts on REALTORS®

2007-05-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

60 Minutes Article on Real Estate

Presented by: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)

On Sunday 60 Minutes, one of the most respected names in television journalism history produced one of the most one sided, articles I have ever seen. As a long time viewer and admirer of the show, I was shocked at what they did. I have listed the information I and others - including the National Association of Realtors (NAR) - feel they have done wrong...
All I can say at this point is there is always a need for all types of companies in helping consumers buy and sell real estate, and I for one welcome them. But whats fair is fair, and 60 minutes needs to present BOTH sides of the story.

Here are some examples of the misinformation:

Error: The six percent commission is "sacrosanct."
Fact: All commissions are negotiable. The average commission rate is not 6 percent, but 5.1 percent, according to Real Trends, a national industry magazine.

Error: NAR is the industry's "governing body." Fact: NAR is a trade association. It does not govern the industry. Error: In 2003, NAR issued new rules of its own that threatened to block Internet discounters' access to the MLS.

Fact: The Virtual Office Website policy did not block access to MLSs for discounters or any other brokers who are members of the MLS. Discounter's listings ARE shown in the Portland MLS

Error: The MLS is the database that lists virtually every home for sale in the country.
Fact: There is no single national MLS. Rather, there are more than 900 local and regional multiple listing services. These are not simply "databases" but private exchange of offers of cooperation and compensation between real estate brokers.

Error: Eight states have "minimum service laws" that require REALTORS® to provide a level of service many Internet discounters can't afford.
Fact: "REALTOR®" is a trademarked term and should never be used synonymously with "real estate agent." The intent of minimum service laws is to ensure consumers receive a minimal level of service from licensees.

Error: The brokerage industry has a powerful lobby. Eleven states flatly prohibit rebates.
Fact: The intent of anti-rebate laws is to prevent kickbacks in real estate transactions, not to limit brokers' incentives to attract customers. The brokerage industry does not lobby for anti-rebate laws.

Other key points 60 Minutes misrepresented or overlooked:

NAR supports all business models and favors none. Our 1.3 million members include REALTORS® who work on a full-service basis, as well as those who consider themselves to be limited service, fee-for-service, minimum service, and discounters. We think it's great that consumers have a choice today.

The real estate industry has harnessed technology for the benefit of consumers and will continue to do so. Real estate is both high-tech and high-touch, so can be enhanced by both electronic and personal interaction.

There is no such thing as a "standard commission." Commissions are negotiable and prices vary. The fact is that commission rates have decreased 16 percent from 1991 to 2004 (source: Real Trends).

The real estate business is unique in that competitors must also cooperate with each other to ensure a successful transaction, and MLS systems facilitate that cooperation. The first MLS was created more than 100 years ago as way for brokers to share their listing agreements with each another in hopes of procuring buyers for their properties more quickly and efficiently than they could on their own.

The MLS is a tool to help listing brokers find cooperative buyer brokers to help sell their clients' homes. Without the collaborative incentive of the existing MLS, brokers would create their own separate systems, fragmenting rather than consolidating property information.

The article can be found on the official 60 minutes website at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/11/60minutes/main2790865.shtml

Ballpark Revitalization Wins ULI Award

2007-05-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO’S BALLPARK AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROJECT WINS ULI AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Downtown redevelopment initiative honored from among 167 nationwide applicants

SAN DIEGO, CA— Downtown San Diego’s Ballpark and Neighborhood Revitalization Project was chosen today as one of 10 Award of Excellence winners at the 2007 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Awards for Excellence in Chicago. Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) President Nancy Graham accepted the award.

“This important award granted by one of the most prestigious land use and real estate organizations reaffirms the fact that the City of San Diego is gaining positive momentum in its fiscal recovery and is being viewed positively from outside our region, said Mayor Jerry Sanders. “The significant private investment in our downtown will generate substantial new revenues to the City now, and into the future.”

Development investment (projects completed, planned or underway) within the 60-blocks surrounding PETCO Park and the Park the Park today is expected to exceed $4 billion. This private investment will exceed ten times the public investment in the ballpark ($301 million) made by CCDC, the City of San Diego and the Redevelopment Agency. Projects completed, underway and planned for the ballpark area will result in 8,300 new homes, 1.3 million square feet of commercial space, 1,200 hotel rooms and more than 3,000 public parking spaces.

“We’re delighted that this downtown redevelopment effort was recognized with such a prominent award,” said Nancy Graham. “The Ballpark and Neighborhood Revitalization Project is a wonderful example of how a large well-planned project can serve as a catalyst for the renaissance of an entire neighborhood. This award is validation of the strong commitment from numerous visionary people in both the public and private sectors who have, and continue to, work on the positive improvement of downtown.”

To learn more, visit: http://www.ccdc.com/

We at Neuman & Neuman commend the efforts of CCDC, and congratulate them for winning the prestigious ULI award.

2007-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

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