Blog > How Many Days Until... DON'T SAY IT! J&J's September Newsletter
Can it be? September is here! We won't create anxiety by telling you how many days are left before the holidays. The local stores already do that by putting out Christmas decor this time of year! Instead, we want to enjoy this month. Back to school for the kids, our annual bonus month of warm days where we can get our beach back from the tourists, and anticipation of what's to come. Jennie's bump is showing, crossing the 6 month mark in pregnancy (due Dec)! The Long's are navigating college applications for Keaton, but how can it already be his senior year!?
We know you may have some of the same things going on, and maybe a few other things happening too. Whether it's great news or challenges, please know that we're here and we care. We're not just Realtors checking in with strangers; you're our friends and our family. We care more about you than the house you may buy or sell. In our lives, our work does not come first. People do.
In this month's newsletter you'll find...
- Our Recent Activity — Check out our most recent listings & sales activity.
- The Realtor® Report — Take our Pop Quiz.
- Personal Updates — Hear all about the Long's Summer Staycation they took last month!
- San Diego Activities — Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop, Liberty Station: Foodie Paradise, and GoCart Tours!
- Learning Loans — A refinance checklist, for those of you prepping for rates to drop.
- Holidays & Happenings — Holidays, memorials, and season changes this month.
- Local Market Statistics — San Diego's market based on last month's statistics.
- Punny I'm Home — Our joke section... Though we're the first to admit we're not funny.
Recent Activity
Pop Quiz: Lowest Taxes, Highest Property Values
We thought it would be fun to throw a "Pop Quiz" into the mix this month.
Which U.S. State listed below has the lowest property taxes, but the highest property values?
- New York
- California
- Hawaii
- Washington
Scroll to the bottom of our newsletter (after the pun section) for the correct answer!
The Long's Summer Staycation
As kids get older, vacations get harder. If you're there, you get it; if you're not, just wait. Summer jobs, graduations, theater productions, and other summer events make planning a challenge. But we have one thing in our favor: living in San Diego. We don't need to go far to get away. For the past few years, we've ventured a few miles up the coast to Solana Beach to a beachfront condo for a week. It's perfect for us! Close enough for the boys to get where they need to go and yet ideal for us to unplug (as much as we can) from real estate.
One of our favorite activities is frisbee right at the water's edge. It adds the challenge of making a good throw and being a good catcher, the challenge being not losing the frisbee in the surf. There's always a catch that makes the record books. Sometimes it's me making a running catch that has people wondering if I'll be in pain for hours after making a leap (thankfully I'm in pretty good shape at 59!). This year, though, the award went to Keaton. I'll do my best to set up the visual. The frisbee was heading his way but definitely wasn't straight on. He was going to have to act fast, but that was a lot to ask. Standing in knee-high water with the disc about five feet from him and just inches off the receding wave, he made the decision: DIVE! As if he was stealing a base, he dove head first risking life and limb (theatrical license allowed for a theater family). His aim was good but the catch wasn't visible. So we watched. He went under water and came up... frisbee in hand! Applause and cheers came from the crowd of... uh... six participants, for what was an epic catch. All was good until we realized he lost his hat he had just bought. The one that was the color of the surf. Thank goodness for young eyes, because it was spotted and retrieved by a friend.
Other events? Lots of them. Morning walks, scooter to VG's Donuts, catching up on some leisure reading, played games, amazing conversations, perfect sunsets, and falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves. I woke up at 2:15 the morning after the tsunami warning and captured the sound of the large waves. They were definitely a foot taller, I could hear it! What makes the times sweeter now is that our boys are old enough to choose what they want to do. And they choose to hang with us. We know that's not the case for everyone, so we don't take it for granted. We feel blessed to have the family we do. And blessed to have the extended family that is all of you. Thank you for making it possible for us to have these moments. We know that it's your trust in us to work with us and refer business to us that makes it possible.
San Diego Activities
Hike Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop Get Your Inner Foodie on at Liberty Station San Diego "GoCar" Tours
Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website
Even though we will technically be in fall this month, we know the heat tends to hit us hard in September. So in response, we have highlighted coastal activities to keep life active and exciting this month! Between the two of us, we have personally done these three activities and highly recommend them. If you have too, we'd love to hear what you enjoy! See something new?
Click on the photos or the buttons above them to visit the respective attraction's website!
Learning Loans
Are you among the many people who are keeping your eyes open for rates to drop? Having these four things ready will allow you to move quickly when the time is right for you.
- Keep a file of the latest documents the lender will need. Save a file on your computer with two recent pay stubs for each borrower, two month's of bank statements, last two year's W2s, and two years of tax returns. Update your pay stubs and bank statements monthly.
- Know your credit card, car loan, and student loan balances. Pay down credit card balances as much as possible.
- Choose a lender or two to work with. If you want the lowest rate, you should have a couple so they can update you regularly on current rates. The ideal time to consider (but not necessarily refinance) is when the current rate is 1/2% lower than what you have. Make sure you always ask the lender about the break even period - the number of months of payments it'll take to break even on the cost of refinancing.
- Consult with the lender if you're going to make major purchases, such as a car, or open a new credit account.
September 1st: Labor Day
September 11th: 9/11 Memorial
September 22nd: First day of Fall
Market Update
This data is pulled from last month and based on all residential sales in San Diego County.
Median Sales Price: $900,000
Slight decrease in home prices from last month.
New Listings: 2,949
That's how many homes were added to the market last month.
Active Listings: 6,296
We have 3 months of inventory on the market!
Pending Sales: 2,089
Consistent amount of escrows the last few months.
Closed Sales: 1,979
About the same amount of deals closed than last month.
Average Days on Market: 33
Homes are taking about a month to go under contract, with minor exceptions.
Median % of Asking Price Received: 97.6
Properties are selling slightly below their asking price, but we're motivated to sell ours for over asking!
Punny, I'm Home!
Why did the HVAC guy become a therapist?
Because he was great at helping people vent and keeping things chill.
ANSWER to Pop Quiz: C. Hawaii
This is one of those “sweet spot” trade-offs between tax burden and property value... Hawaii consistently has the lowest effective property tax rate in the U.S. at about 0.27% of assessed value. This number is shockingly low in comparison to the state with the highest property tax rate, which is New Jersey, at 2.33%. At the same time, Hawaii also has some of the highest property values in the country! So while you’ll pay more in dollars, because homes cost more, the tax rate relative to value is the lowest in the nation.
For example:
- A $1M home in Hawaii (at 0.27% tax rate) = about $2,700/year in property taxes.
- A $300k home in New Jersey (at 2% tax rate) = about $6,000/year in property taxes.
So, how does the beautiful state do it? One simple answer is their hotel taxes, a recently controversial topic, are some of the highest in the nation. The tax on the average hotel stay in Hawaii is 19%, which includes a 10.25% statewide transient tax, in addition to various surcharges and excise taxes that vary by county. If it were any other state, this tax would destroy any chance of profit from tourism; Hawaii, however, hasn't stopped bringing people in due to it's unmatchable beauty. There's so much depth to this topic, and active debate on whether the tourist tax is right or not. We'll save that for another time, and give you the source to a local blog about it for now, but we're glad you're interested enough to read this far!
Source: Blog.OnlineEd, Ethan Atkinson, https://blog.onlineed.com/2025/07/10/the-lowest-property-tax-in-the-u-s-is/
Thinking about buying property this year? Reach out for a FREE buyer consultation! We break down the home buying process for you, and run actual numbers to show you how much of a home you can afford in your desired timeline. Text/email us with FREE BUYER CONSULT, and we will schedule with you!
Homeowners, want to know how much your home is worth? Reach out for a FREE home valuation that’s more accurate than your online Zestimate is! You don't need to give us a reason, and we don't expect you to sell if you ask for one. Reply back to this email with FREE HOME VALUATION and we will get to work on yours!
Whether you're planning to make a move soon, considering to rent vs. sell, or maybe you're making a plan for years down the line — We're here to provide insight, guidance, or just a friendly conversation about the market. We are all ears for your feedback on this newsletter too. Let us know what you think or how we can add more value to your real estate journey! Reach out, let's talk!
Growing Together,
Jim & Jennie
GET MORE INFORMATION
Jim & Jennie
License ID: 01879102 & 02163353
License ID: 01879102 & 02163353