Inventory Is Bleak!

For the buyers who want to live in a master-planned community with good schools, how bleak is it?

No one will be surprised to see the newer tracts hunkered down for another decade or longer, so let’s look at the older communities – those that are 20-25 years old. Those original owners are bouncing around in their empty nest, and should be cashing in and downsizing by now, shouldn’t they?

Yeah….no.

For homeowners who are planning their move carefully, April should be seen as the ideal month to list a home for sale. Yet look at the results:

The Carmel Valley tracts used were Belmont, The Breakers, and Lexington.

I know there are still a few days on April left this year, but it doesn’t look good for buyers so far!

Carmel Valley Pacific Highlands Ranch

Our new listing in Carmel Valley! Open 12-3 this weekend.

Check out this attractively-priced Portico home with fully remodeled kitchen, hardwood floors, 3 bedrooms + loft and downstairs den, sumptuous primary suite with two walk-in closets, and upstairs laundry room. New paint and carpet, private yard, and cool front porch to watch the balloons go by! Live here and send your kids to Solana Ranch Elementary School – verified with the school district on Nov. 16th. The community pool/clubhouse is like a 5-star resort! It’s a good distance away from Carmel Valley Road too. This model sold for $2,086,000 on May 9th. Look at the savings – our list price is 20% off, and the 30-yr jumbo rate is back down in the 5s! Fed governor Bullard said today that the Fed Funds rate might have to go 1% to 3% higher. This home is the best discounted price/low rate combo you’ll see in the next 1-2 years! Only $1,675,000.

Del Mar Mesa New

For new homes, it’s mostly just infill projects now in the prime areas so even the big boys are looking for smaller projects. It looks like Toll picked this up for $12 million last October, and they are going to build 4,765sf to 6,036sf houses that are the same or similar to what they built at Palomar in PHR.

Yesterday, they sent emails saying prices will start at $3,500,000 for the 25 houses, which means they should get into the $4-millions pretty quick. Here’s what their biggest model in PHR looked like just four years ago, which coincidentally is up for resale, priced at $5,995,000:



https://www.tollbrothers.com/luxury-homes-for-sale/California/Del-Mar-Mesa-Estates

NSDCC Summer Update

The July stats have been updated on these interactive graphs of the 92009 (SE Carlsbad), 92024 (Encinitas), and 92130 (Carmel Valley) markets:

We hear how the inventory has exploded, but compare it to history:

Sales during the 2022 selling season have been similar to February/March numbers:

It’s good to see the insane-bidding-over-the-list-price has slowed:

We’ve pulled forward about ten years’ worth of appreciation – sellers will be reluctant to give it back:

CV Listing Closed Escrow

Our Carmel Valley listing closed escrow yesterday!

It was the 3br/2.5 ba, 1,804sf home built in 1989 that we completed about $60,000 worth of upgrades in preparing for market (it had been a rental for years).  The before-and-after photos were featured here:

Previous Blog Post

The house looked great and it was vacant but this was when I did the blog post about spring break interrupting the market’s momentum. We decided to forge ahead, and I inputted the listing onto the MLS on the Thursday morning before spring break with immediate showings available that day – in hopes of catching any buyers that might be leaving for vacation the next day.

We had six showings on Thursday and Friday, and 100+ people came to open house over the weekend.

In January, I predicted that we would list for $1,750,000, and sell for $1,900,000.

On March 31st, we hit the MLS priced at $1,750,000, and closed for $1,875,000.

We received one offer.

Thankfully, the only offer included a $125,000 premium to incentivize the sellers to take the deal, instead of waiting for two in the bush. But we were already on Day 4 of open-market exposure, so I knew we were at peak market and our chances of selling for over list price would start dropping .

We contemplated whether we should counter-offer on price, or extend the two-week escrow period because we wanted the extra time for the sellers’ 1031 exchange. But given the fact that we only had one offer, the sellers signed it.

We had already completed a home inspection in advance, and thought we had fixed everything.  The buyers did their own home inspection – which we always recommend to our buyers as well, and here’s why.

Their inspector noted that the water-meter gauge was running, even with all faucets being off.  It’s the sign that a leak had developed, and the hot-water heater was operating the entire time too.  The sellers checked their history of utilities and found their costs spiked on March 31st.

We have a ‘slab leak’, and we knew it was the hot side!

Just the thought of a slab leak causes grave concern and panic for most people. But we’ve handled them before, and know that they can be fixed with money like any other home repair.

Donna’s vendors jumped on it, and we closed in 16 days, instead of fourteen.

Here’s the video:

Jim’s 10,000th

Check out our new listing in Carmel Valley!

13010 Brixton Pl., Carmel Valley 92130

3 br/2.5 ba, 1,804sf

YB: 1989

LP = $1,750,000

Location is everything! Enjoy this end-of-culdesac gem that is just steps from Torrey Pines High School (so close you won’t need to buy your kid a car!) and an easy stroll to Del Mar Highlands & One Paseo! Totally renovated with newer kitchen & baths, Pella Pro-line designer wood windows, new paint & carpet, new light fixtures, and new landscaping! No rentback needed at closing either – just bring your toothbrush and move right in! Wow!

I’ll be there 12-3pm this weekend for open house – stop on by!

P.S. This is my 10,000th blog post!


 

The consumers’ fascination with the zestimates has never been greater! With home prices detached from comps, the zestimate is the only other measuring stick for both buyers or sellers – right or wrong!

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