My high school baseball coach used to say,

“I don’t believe anything I hear, and only half of what I see!”

In our latest contest, readers submitted their guess at the highest bid + 5% buyer’s premium for this property in SE Carlsbad:

https://www.bubbleinfo.com/2014/06/03/carlsbad-reo-contest-2/

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The auction included an outrageous set of conditions, which many thought would drive down the price to compensate.  They included:

  1. The 5% buyer’s premium tacked onto the highest bid.
  2. No showings.
  3. Tenant-occupied, and buyer was responsible for evicting.
  4. Cash only.
  5. No buyer’s agent commission paid.
  6. Not in the MLS.
  7. 5% deposit required upon winning.
  8. Reserve price.

They conducted the auction online, which gave participants the convenience of bidding from their couch at home. It should have allowed bidders the chance to double-check the comps as the auction wore on – because every time a new bid was made, they extended the ending by 1-2 minutes.

Those checking the comps would have seen that in the heat of the frenzy last year, three of this identical model sold for $638,000, $653,000 and $679,000.  Then in October this sale with nice view closed for $705,500, which was the highest price since May, 2007:

http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-130050274-2704_La_Duela_Ln_Carlsbad_CA_92009

The bank foreclosed in 2011, and nobody wanted it then for $459,088.  The opening bid this week was $325,000, and once the auction started the initial bid increment was $25,000.

Most of our readers guessed it would sell in the $400,000s, which would be an adequate buffer to evict and remodel.

Look what happened today:

lamaca42

AND IT DIDN’T HIT THE RESERVE PRICE!!!!!!

Somebody was willing to pay almost $200,000 more than the bank didn’t get in 2011, and that wasn’t enough to reach the reserve price?  Hopefully the bank will come to their senses and reconsider before that bidder changes their mind.  Counting the 5% buyer’s premium, the highest bid was $678,038!

Our closest and winning guess was $568,050, and submitted by blucore – congratulations!

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