Atascadero Condo – One Gone, Another Coming

Our listing at 5550 Traffic Way #12 in Atascadero went Pending Sale but we have another one coming on the market in the same complex. This one is unit #9.

This new listing is also an end unit, bottom floor. The differences between the two is that the new listing (#9) is is handicap accessible with wider doors and a larger bathroom. There is also a handicap parking space right outside the unit. The other difference is that there isn’t an indoor laundry hookup in #9 because of the larger bathroom but the shared laundry room is right next to the unit.

It’s rare that one of the handicap accessible unit comes on the market. The first listing was on the market for only 16 days so here’s another “don’t delay” listing. The price is $98,900.

Here’s the link to the first unit – #12 – www.5550Traffic.com

Light, Bright and Airy Home Staging Tips

Happy Tuesday, and Happy Fall! I hear from the government that the recession is over, whether you believe this or not, I have some staging and remodeling words of caution. My words of caution come with an upturn in the economy- in case we all get back to feeling rich and ready to remodel every square inch of our homes. Too often I get called to do a staging for a house that has been “remodeled” and I am continually shocked by the expensive things that remodelers get talked into, that don’t add nearly as much value as they cost. If you are thinking about a remodel anytime soon please follow a few simple rules of thumb:

  • Always get more than 1 bid before work begins
  • Look for pictures for ideas and share them with your contractors- BEFORE work begins
  • Ask your contractor, if there are some similar ideas that can be done, but that cost less?
  • Estimate your entire budget, and then add at least 10% for miscellaneous things that WILL turn up, before work begins.
  • Shop for light fixtures, faucets and appliances with your budget in mind, not with what the salesperson tells you, “you deserve the BEST” – there are lots of great things out there for mid-price, that work awesome, and at the end of the project no one will care if you spent $1000 or $150 on your faucet, just that it looks nice.
  • On expensive items, like counter tops- choose more neutral, timeless tones – so that you can change cheaper things, like paint, in 5 years, but not feel the need to change counter tops again for a long while.
  • Don’t upgrade your house beyond your neighborhood’s fanciest home, otherwise you will be very challenged to get a good return on your remodeling dollar when you sell.

Happy Remodeling! – Shannon D’Acquisto

For more remodeling insight or to contact me directly, please email me at: shannon@LightBrightandAiry.com or visit my website at: www.LightBrightandAiry.com

Morro Bay Wastewater Treatment Update

(submitted by one of our North Coast agents)

The Morro Bay Public Services Department is an easily accessible office where you can stop in and get answers to your questions about Planning, Engineering, Building, Water Systems, and Capital Projects for Morro Bay.

I stopped in earlier this week and had an opportunity to talk with Dylan Wade, the Capital Projects Manager. I was interested in getting an update on the upgrade and rebuilding of the wastewater treatment facility that is shared by Morro Bay & Cayucos.

We are now in the fourth year of the eight year plan and the project is continuing to move forward. The projected completion date is early 2014.

At this time, portions of the plant are slated to be rebuilt and parts of it to be upgraded. As I understand it, the re-built sections will be located very near the current water treatment plant- but on a parcel of land that is a bit higher in elevation. This change is intended to mitigate some of the current issues regarding the flood plane and water
run-off.

We will keep you updated on the overall progress. For additional information you can visit the Morro Bay Public Services Building or see their web-site: www.morro-bay.us.

Morro Bay Public Services
955 Shasta Avenue, Morro Bay.
(Just across the street from the Morro Bay Public Library)

Rate Update and New CCL Office

Mortgage interest rates rallied last week as the incipient economic recovery stumbled following the Fed announcement and negative housing and manufacturing data. Fed officials announced they will leave the benchmark interest rate between zero and 0.250%, and said it would stay “exceptionally low” for an “extended period”. The Fed also acknowledged that economic activity has “picked up… but remains constrained by ongoing job losses, sluggish income growth, lower housing wealth and tight credit”. Later in the week, we learned that Existing Home Sales fell 2.7%, the first decline since March. Durable Goods Orders also fell unexpectedly in August, dropping 2.4%. New Home Sales were slightly below expectations, while the median price of a new home fell 9.5% from the month prior. The 30 Year Fixed currently sits at 4.625% (4.804% APR) and the 15 Year Fixed is at 4.250% (4.557% APR). There is an abundance of potential market-moving news this week, including Consumer Confidence, Jobless Claims, Personal Income, Factory Orders, Construction Spending and Unemployment Data.

We almost forgot to post today as we are preparing for the grand opening of our newest office location at 1319 Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo. Central Coast Lending now offers two office locations to serve your mortgage-related needs. We offer a full array of conventional and government loan programs for your next purchase or refinance. Whether you are a first-time home buyer, a savvy real estate investor or a family of five looking to improve monthly cash flow, we have the loan expert that understands your needs. Stop in and see us on the scenic coast at 601 Morro Bay Blvd, Suite B in Morro Bay. Or drop by our brand new office in downtown San Luis Obispo at 1319 Marsh Street.

Central Coast Lending, Inc.
(805) 771-9870
info@centralcoastlending.com

SLO Area Rated One of the Safest Places to Live

Being in a safe community is one of the most important factors that buyers consider when purchasing a home, condo or any other type of real estate. So where are America’s most secure places to live? The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has released its third annual ranking of top 20.

The top 20 safest places to live among mid-size cities are:
1. Las Cruces, New Mexico
2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, New Hampshire
3. Huntington, West Virginia.-Ashland, Kentucky
4. Bellingham, Washington
5. Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont
6. Lynchburg, Virginia
7. Medford, Oregon
8. Prescott, Arizona
9. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California
10. Binghamton, New York
11. Provo-Orem, Utah
12. St. Cloud, Minnesota
13. Fargo, North Dakota
14. Hagerstown, Maryland -Martinsburg, West Virginia
15. Olympia, Washington
16. Charlottesville, Virginia
17. Chico, California
18. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington
19. Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire
20. Duluth, Minnesota

Read the entire article here

Million Dollar Home Market Stats

I ran some numbers earlier this week for a Tribune reporter doing a story on the $1M plus market. Following are some of those stats…

One Million+ Solds (single family homes, SLO County)

Solds:

1/1/09-9/20/09 – 65 properties sold $1M+ (Average Days on Market = 179)
1/1/08-9/20/08 – 124 homes sold $1M+ (Average Days on Market = 182)
1/1/07-9/20/07 – 168 homes sold $1M+ (Average Days on Market = 114)
1/1/06-9/20/06 – 231 homes sold $1M+ (Average Days on Market = 84)

Cities they were sold in (1/1/09-9/20/09):

Arroyo Grande – 8
Atascadero – 0
Avila Beach – 1
Cambria/San Simeon – 6
Cayucos – 2
Creston – 0
Cuyama – 0
Los Osos – 2
Morro Bay – 5
Nipomo – 3
Oceano – 1
Pismo Beach – 10
Paso Robles – 7
San Luis Obispo – 7
Santa Margarita – 0
Templeton – 13

$750K- $999,999 Price range Solds (single family homes)

1/1/09-9/20/09 – 107 properties sold $750,000 -$999,999 (Average Days on Market = 147)
1/1/08-9/20/08 – 153 properties sold $750,000 -$999,999 (Average Days on Market = 125)
1/1/07-9/20/07 – 292 properties sold $750,000 -$999,999 (Average Days on Market = 131)
1/1/06-9/20/06 – 299 properties sold $750,000 -$999,999 (Average Days on Market = 82)

Actives (as of 9/21/09)

As of a minute ago, there are 322 single family homes $1M+ on the market. Based on the sold activity over the last 30 days, we have 32 months of inventory in this price range.

Where the $1M+ Actives are:

Arroyo Grande – 44
Atascadero – 11
Avila Beach – 10
Cambria/San Simeon – 37
Cayucos – 22
Creston – 7
Cuyama – 3
Los Osos – 8
Morro Bay – 11
Nipomo – 13
Oceano – 2
Pismo Beach – 22
Paso Robles – 55
San Luis Obispo – 44
Santa Margarita – 5
Templeton – 28

Inventory for the $750,000 – $999,999 price range is 225 homes. Based on the sales activity over the past 30 days, there is currently 12.5 months of inventory.

Sea Lions Dying :(

(from one of our North Coast agents)

Over the past 2 weeks as I have been walking along the Morro Beach Strand I have seen sea lions, about eight to date, that have come on to the shore and soon after died.

I called the Harbor Patrol today and asked them about it. They told me that the Marine Mammal Center is aware of this and told them that it is due to an overabundance of sea lion pups born this year, about 59,000, which is more then 2 times the normal amount. With all the new pups there has not been enough food for all of them, so some have died.

The department doesn’t have the back hoe equipment to bury them, so the ones that die on the beach will be left there to complete the cycle of life.