Embracing Gratitude, Giving Back & Holiday Highlights!
As we enter into this holiday season we begin with something we feel like everyone can get behind, the heart of gratitude. It's not always our first instinct, and it's something that we must intentionally practice. Gratitude can change everything. It changes your perception on life, both it's trials and it's victories. We practice this mindset, by reminding ourselves of the simple things in our life that are gifts like sunshine, family, friends, health, a place to call home, mentors, and sometimes the next meal we have. We can also put this practice into action by giving back what we have. One way that really impacts the community around you, is donating to a local food bank. We know several food banks nearby that consistently distribute food to the homeless, families, and seniors in need in our very own San Diego. If you'd like to join us in donating food this season, you can look up one of the many distribution centers around the county (some listed below) to find their donation hours. 1. Journey Food Bank - La Mesa 2. Table of Hope - Lemon Grove 3. San Diego Food Bank - Several Locations 4. Good Shepherd Ministry Center - El Cajon Current Inventory 6937 Coleshill Dr., San Diego, CA 92119 - Pending10531 Kerrigan Ct., Santee, CA 92071 - Sold for $578,000 This year will be the 23rd annual 5K Turkey Trot, held in Balboa Park. Father Joe's Villages has a mission to prevent and end homelessness, which we all know has a big presence in San Diego. The non-profit has been around since the 70s and has grown to fund programs that help homeless get temporary shelter and give them opportunities to work. It's not to late to join this amazing cause and jumpstart your Thanksgiving with some outdoor movement! Holiday Selling Myths Debunked Every year people question if selling during the holidays is a bad idea, but we have a few benefits to selling during the holidays. This time of year always showcases the serious batch of buyers. These are people who are eager to find their home and get settled before the new year. People who have been waiting on the sidelines for interest rates to drop, and now that we've seen a slight relief in interest rates people are ready to act. These aren't your window shoppers, these are buyers ready to act, offer, and close. Celebrating Veterans and VA As we honor our veterans this month, we want to take a moment to remind all of our VA Eligible friends and family about VA loan benefits. VA loans are truly a fantastic benefit that are earned and have helped many of our clients build wealth in real estate. We hope you call us well before you jump into a purchase, so we can brief you on the advantages at your fingertips. These are lifetime benefits, allowing veterans/active-duty military/surviving spouses multiple uses. Here are 4 highlights of the benefits: 1. No Down Payment Required - VA eligible buyers are not required to have a down payment. 2. Assumable Loans - VA loans are assumable, which means when a VA homeowner with a low interest rate wants to sell, a VA eligible buyer can adopt the seller's else's great rate. 3. Unlimited Use - You can use it on a primary residence as many times as you move and buy. 4. Great buyers - Despite what some people think, VA buyers are excellent buyers because of the appraisal process and guarantee by the VA. Market Update Median Sales Price: $895,000 New Listings: 2,419 Active Listings: 4,869 Pending Sales: 1,780 Closed Sales: 1,602 Average Days on Market: 30 Median Percent of Asking Price Received: 98.5% November is a season of gratitude and reflection, reminding us that change is a constant part of life. Ironic, isn't it? Whether it's adapting to the shorter days, embracing new traditions, or reflecting on personal growth— change can bring unexpected opportunities. This month, we're focusing on how change has shaped our lives. Whether through personal milestones, relationships, or small everyday challenges. Sometimes it's through loss, which can make the holidays a time of mixed emotions. But think back - when you went through these changes, you changed: personal growth, new experiences, and deeper connections people around you! We are constantly witnessing people go through real estate transactions for many reasons, all resulting in change. Whether it's moving from one place to the next or selling a family home for a loved one whose passed, we see both the discomfort and the growth first hand. Thank you for trusting us with such big moments of change! It's an honor to be looking out for you in the major moments of your life.
October Updates: Local Highlights, Market Insights & More!
Need help getting into the full swing of fall? Attend one of the six Oktoberfest Festivals we have in San Diego! Looking for something a little more family friendly? Browse the list San Diego's featured pumpkin patches all over the county, and visit one near you! Have fun dressing festive, listening to live music, picking out pumpkins, and getting lost in a maze! Most of the seasonal pop-ups are free to visit. Carlsbad, Oct. 5th, $10East Village, Oct. 5th, $10-$50Mission Bay Oktoberfest Cruise, Oct. 5th, $40Ocean Beach, Oct. 11th-12th, Free-$45La Mesa, Oct. 4th-6th, Free-$45El Cajon, September 27th-Oct. 6th, $5-$90 Curious question... are you using Zillow to get an estimate of your home's value? No shame if you do, it's quick and easy so we get it! But is it accurate? No, it's not! Zillow, like many other automated home valuations, doesn't consider crucial details like renovations, street location, and other important features. So if you're looking to check on your home's worth, we have a better solution: Ask us! We do home valuations for people all the time, and we do it for free. We don't make the assumption you want to sell because you ask us for one. Maybe you're curious to see if the market is going down, or because you're thinking about doing some renovations yourself, or...maybe you're just curious! Whatever the reason, we're glad to do it. Reach out anytime! Will the new president, whomever it is, negatively impact our local market? No, and here's why: The height of our market was April 4, 2022, when there was over 40,000 real estate sales in San Diego County in the previous 12 months. Today that number is just over 22,000 - that's a 45% reduction! We're seeing that people aren't buying and selling because they want to, but because they need to. We're helping a lot of first time buyers who need a home. And we're also helping a lot of people dealing with loss or divorce, therefore need to sell. These situations aren't going to change based on the elections. We believe our market can only go up and that we've already hit the bottom. So when people, and headlines, shout concerns for a dramatic shift in the market due to the elections we hope you rest assured that the real estate market will not feel a thing! We're curious what you think will make the market go up? Let us know what you think. Most think it's interest rates, but that's not all. Email us! We'd love to hear from you. Did you see it? Or maybe the better question is, did you miss it? Last month the Federal Reserve lowered their rate by 0.5%, but you'll be surprised that the mortgage rate didn't go down afterwards. In fact, it went up! So what's going on? Most people think that the Federal Reserve controls the mortgage rates, but that's incorrect. The mortgage rate is a market-based rate, just like stock prices are based on the market. The Federal Reserve has a bigger influence of interest rates based on what they say they're going to do, even more so than what they actually do. For example, a few weeks ago the Federal Reserve said they were going to lower rates, so the market responded to this "talk" by lowering interest rates. When the Feds actually lowered rates like they said they would, the market has already seen the lowered rates. However, what they said about the economy actually concerned the mortgage market. As a result, rates went up a little right after they met. So, the question remains, what will make mortgage rates go down? It's going to take confidence in the economy along with Federal Reserve rate reductions. You should also know it's going to take a while, we're guessing 4-6 months, before we see the economy find a solid footing. When it does, we should see rates respond favorably. That's just our prediction, though. Market Update Median Sales Price: $890,000 New Listings: 2,676 Active Listings: 4,964 Pending Sales: 1,835 Closed Sales: 1,727 Average Days on Market: 28 Median Percent of Asking Price Received: 99% Punny, I'm Home!! What's the best time to book a dental appointment? At tooth-hurty.
September Updates: Local Highlights, Market Insights & More!
San Diego Restaurant Week Calling all foodies! SDRW is a celebration that showcases the upcoming hits in the culinary world. From Oceanside to Chula Vista, there are over 180 restaurants participating across 30 different cities. Prices vary based on the restaurant, but recommendations are all tried and vetted for your utmost enjoyment! Check out the SDRW website to browse the list of restaurants and more details about pricing/location/reservations. When you've picked your restaurant of choice, make sure you book a reservation in advance and browse the special prix fixe menu recommended by SDRW. If you're a foodie who wants to join in on the fun, mark your calendars for September 22nd-29th! No passes/tickets are required. Recent Sales As summer winds down, we hope you've had a fantastic season filled with both work and play. We've had an exciting summer ourselves, with increased business and plenty of time to spend with our families and friends!Here are some exciting updates:PENDING 6153 Pembroke Dr., San Diego, CA 92115 CLOSED 4465 Ocean Blvd. #42 San Diego, CA 92109Sold for $975,000 19326 Bigfork Rd Lake Elsinore, CA 92532Sold for $707,000 Do You Have a Trust? Not a will, but a trust. There is so much confusion about wills and trusts, and you might not know which one you have. For example, people think that if they have a will, their heirs will avoid probate. Guess what... that's not true! Only a trust will do that. So if you're now thinking you need to talk with someone about that, we have just the person. Craig Lambourne of Ewin Lambourne Law is our go-to person. Craig has worked exclusively in the area of estate planning, trust and probate law since 2009. He is a Certified Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. Craig serves as a court-appointed attorney and guardian ad litem for the San Diego Superior Court in a variety of different proceedings. He is a frequent presenter on a wide range of estate planning topics. Why do we love Craig? There are 3 reasons. One, we know that he's a great attorney. He's worked with us and our families to craft trusts that make sense. Two, he's a great communicator. He explains things very clearly and simply so you know what he recommends and why. And three, he's also a great person. Craig is someone who is relatable and relational. He wants to help you now and in the future. And when you meet him and work with him, you'll see what I mean. Give him a call to schedule an appointment. (619) 698-1788. County-Wide Stats MEDIAN SALES PRICE: $880,000 NEW LISTINGS: 2,998 ACTIVE LISTINGS: 4,805 PENDING SALES: 2,016 CLOSED SALES: 2,013 AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET: 24 MEDIAN % OF ASKING PRICE RECEIVED: 99.3% Confidentiality Confidentiality Working with friends can be a challenge, especially when it comes to real estate. You may have first-hand experience of how personal selling real estate is, so you won't be surprised that we learn a lot about our buyers and sellers amidst the process. Oftentimes, we're working with friends in stressful situations. Sometimes we work on extremely exciting sales, and other times the reason for selling/buying is extremely difficult. That's why we make the commitment to confidentiality from the very beginning. From the first phone call/text/meeting with you about real estate, our journey is private and it stays that way. The only way other people know we are working together is if you tell them - after all it's your news to share! We are so grateful to our clients who have trusted us in good times and hard times of their life. You are our first priority, and it's an honor to work with friends and family like you! How often do Interest Rates Change? Should you let the interest rate dictate when you jump into the market to buy or sell? We get questions about rates all the time in the lending world. There are so many factors that impact rates. Basically, it's market conditions such as inflation, the stock market, unemployment, and yes, the Federal Reserve (keep reading because it's probably not what you think). When one or more of these market conditions fluctuate, it impacts mortgage rates. That's why it makes predicting rates so hard. Right now, so many people are excited because the Federal Reserve is going to lower rates. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee mortgage rates will drop too - they don't control them. It's likely that when they lower rates in the next month or so, the mortgage rate won't go down. Or if it does, it won't go down much at all. That's why we've continued to give the same advice: If you're ready to sell, do it - just make sure that if you're planning to buy, you should buy in the same market. Do NOT try to time market fluctuations. For all of our readers looking to buy, don't wait for the lowest rates to get started - start looking and buy when you see something you like. Timing the market is essentially gambling. Rates could go up, or they could go down, so your odds are 50/50. San Diego Events & Happenings San Diego has something for everyone this fall from festivals and food fairs to outdoor adventures and cultural experiences. Discover exciting events happening around the city and plan your next outing!*Click the image below to redirect* Punny, I'm Home!! I'm on a seafood diet, have you heard of it? When I see food, I eat it.
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