Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 9:46 PM

RSF vs. The Rest

Feel like spending around $1.3 million or so?

Here’s what it’ll get you in the Convenant of Rancho Santa Fe:

Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 10:51 AM

Fake Fronts

shopfrontHat tip to Rick the Tuna!

With 140 empty shops in the borough, council bosses think they have come up with a unique way of ensuring shopping areas remain as vibrant as possible.

The first empty shop unit to be given a makeover with a “flat pack” shop front is in Whitley Bay.

North Tyneside Council said the move was cost-effective and would help to attract new investment.

The council said the fake shop in Whitley Bay – which alone has 49 empty units – has been welcomed by traders and shoppers.

‘Attractive to shoppers’

Judith Wallace, North Tyneside Council’s deputy mayor said: “The economic climate has forced many businesses to bring down the shutters.

“We need to ensure that the remaining businesses continue to survive and that means ensuring our high streets look attractive to both shoppers and potential business investors.

“This is a simple and cost-effective approach that keeps the retail unit available for potential new uses and in the meantime also contributes to the street scene.”

Empty shops in Wallsend and North Shields are now being earmarked for similar treatment, which costs about £1,500 a time.

The government-funded project involves colourful graphic designs featuring a range of different shop types, which are either taped inside the windows or screwed to the fascia so they can be removed and reused as required.

Karen Goldfinch, chair of Whitley Bay Chamber of Trade, said: “It’s an excellent way of promoting how a unit can be used, perhaps inspiring new businesses to come into the town.”

Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 7:34 PM

Freeway Traffic Report

A view of the eastbound 56 freeway, then turn north on I-5 at 5:30 in the afternoon:

Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 2:02 PM

$1 Million-Plus Club

Just the fact that so many more higher-end sales are closing these days is noteworthy, the NSD County Coastal sales of detached $1,000,000+ homes have increased 55% on a year-over-year comparison (and if you take out La Jolla, the others increased a total of 79%!)

Let’s chart the $1,000,000-plus market. Here are the number of active and pending detached listings, the 2009 and 2010 closed sales between Jan. 1 and March 10th, and the number of trustee sales YTD of SFRs that have a Foreclosureradar value of at least $1,000,000:

Town or Area ACT PEND/CONT SOLD ‘09/’10 YTD Trustee Sales YTD
Carmel Vly
90
30
14/19
5
Carlsbad
85
29
6/11
2
Del Mar
102
17
12/11
1
Encinitas
107
22
7/17
4
La Jolla
191
44
23/23
2
RSF
252
37
10/28
2
Solana Bch
42
6
3/7
3
Totals
869
185
75/116
19

Sales are healthier, how does pricing compare?

Town or Area ACTIVES PEND/CONT SOLD ‘09/’10 YTD
Carmel Vly
$415/sf
$354/sf
$364/$341
Carlsbad
$490/sf
$360/sf
$420/$295
Del Mar
$1,294/sf
$705/sf
$700/$815
Encinitas
$591/sf
$425/sf
$423/$404
La Jolla
$1,009/sf
$673/sf
$834/$566
RSF
$698/sf
$472/sf
$538/$433
Solana Bch
$730/sf
$553/sf
$701/$541
Totals
$591/sf
$358/sf
$378/$361

Price will fix anything!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 6:19 AM

Steady As She Goes

It looks like servicers are coasting into the HAFA/short-sale era, which officially begins April 5th. Here are the foreclosure stats from the last 12 weeks:

San Diego County Trustee-Sale Results, Weekly

My guess?  The HAFA package will encourage borrowers to pick a lane – either loan modification or short-sale.  But there are probably enough strategic defaulters to keep it busy down at the court house steps, but so far there have been very few quality properties at attractive opening bids.  I’m checking the list everyday, and I haven’t gone down to the ’steps once this year!

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 10:03 PM

More From Scrap Heap

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 9:12 AM

High Schools Leveling?

We’ve been talking about how the quality of schools are critical to the homebuying equation.  Here are the local public high schools, sorted by their totals of four scores from www.greatschools.net:

School Name GS Rating ‘08 API ‘09 API Parents Rating (# out of 5) Total
Canyon Crest
8
843
868
5
1,724
Torrey Pines
8
849
861
4
1,722
Poway
9
845
851
4
1,709
Westview
8
843
848
4
1,703
Rcho Bernardo
9
834
841
4
1,688
Mt. Carmel
8
827
815
4
1,654
San Dieguito
7
810
816
4
1,637
LC Canyon
8
805
817
4
1,634
Carlsbad
8
806
813
3
1,630
San Marcos
9
773
801
4
1,587

While it used to be that Torrey Pines had an edge on others around the county, it is remarkable how similar the scores are among the top five schools. I think you also have to hand it to San Marcos HS for making the strides they’ve made too.

With the scores bunching together, how else do you decide? The greatschools website has remarks from parents and students, but you never know what agenda they might be pushing.

P.S. Catholic schools do the same testing, but refuse to release their scores – but the website has testimonials on CCHS, and not all are flattering.

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 8:15 PM

Leucadia Price Check

Hymettus is one of the more prominent streets in Leucadia, but there haven’t been any sales there since summer. So two older sales on Hymettus are included, the first closed in July, 2009, and the second was January, 2009:

I hesitated with the first story, but it demonstrates how a life-changing event at the wrong time can be very costly.

Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 5:35 PM

More CV Peak vs. Now

A few more recent sales around Carmel Valley, and how they compared to model-match sales at peak:

Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 7:29 AM

State Tax on Short Sales

From the U-T:

San Diegans who have lost their homes through foreclosure or short-sales thought they had emerged from the dark times and could start rebuilding their lives.

Then the state tax man came calling.

With less than six weeks before taxes are due, an estimated 16,000 former homeowners statewide will owe $15 million in extra income taxes this year and $29 million through 2012.

The tax applies to what is called the “cancellation of debt” that occurs when property owners lose their homes through foreclosure or arrange a short-sale in which they sell for less than the mortgage balance. The lender sends them a form itemizing the forgiven debt, and the amount is subject to income tax.

Congress exempted most homeowners from the extra federal tax through 2012, and the state followed suit for 2007 and 2008 but did not extend the provision last year. The state Assembly may vote tomorrow on a bill to repeal the tax, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed such a bill last year over unrelated provisions.

“They’re probably stuck,” San Diego tax attorney Bob Kevane said of former homeowners facing the tax. “The biggest way around it is if you’re insolvent.”

Read the rest of this entry »