Best Price for Rental Cars
I took my wife to Las Vegas last week since she was on her break from school. In preparing for the trip, I read in a travel forum that the best rental car rates were through Costco. I didn’t even know that Costco.com had car rentals but now I know. The price was great! Sunday – Thursday for a full-size car from Alamo for only $100. I couldn’t find any other place offering close to this low of a rate. Check it out!
Local Best Buy Stores to Stay Open
Best Buy announced the 50 stores they are closing and the SLO and Santa Maria stores are NOT on the list. This is good news as it would have been a double whammy for the Central Coast if either store was on the list after last week’s announcement that Scolari’s is closing. I went to Scolari’s in Pismo yesterday and it was kinda depressing as the checkout clerk was asking the guy in front of me if he knew of any job openings.
These are the Best Buy stores in California that are closing:
East Palo Alto
Westwood
Manteca
Moreno Valley
Ontario
Pittsburg
Tustin
San Luis Obispo County Mortgage Rate Update – Time to get off the fence
For the fourth straight week, we get the pleasure of reporting that interest rate costs have dropped. This drop in particular is notable because we have again reached record low rates. Freddie Mac reports that the national average for the 15-year fixed hit a record low, at 3.11 percent, and the 30-year fixed fell to 3.88 percent. At Central Coast Lending, we advertise our 30-year fixed at 3.500 percent (3.633 percent APR) and the 15-year fixed at 2.750 percent (2.989 percent APR). Overall, costs for these rates have improved by over 1 point the last three weeks. If you have been on the fence about refinance, time to make the call – for more information and a free prequalification, give us a call at (805.543.LOAN). For more rates and information on the movement, see our April 16 Rate Update.
Last week was a busy one for economic statistics and indicators. In the first week of April, jobless claims reversed their positive downward trend and rose 13,000 to their highest level since January (380,000 total). The trade deficit dropped slightly, as exports rose 0.1 percent and imports dropped. Housing news has been mostly negative. For the third straight month, initial foreclosure notices increased (in March they rose 7 percent). MBA purchase applications fell and home prices are down to the 2002 level. For a full rundown of the economic and housing news we monitored, you can go HERE.
The market had another rough week, and the Dow continued its slump below 13,000. To begin this week, though, stocks ralled 71.82 points to settle at 12921.41. The market has been choppy over general concerns about the recovery both here and in Europe.
We had a solid lineup of content last week in our two blogs - Professional Insight and SLO County Locals. In the Professional Insight blog, KD Janni Landscaping wrote in with an article discussing the pros and cons of synthetic grass, Bradley Liggett continued his estate planning basics series on the topic of avoiding a probate conservatorship, and Eric Parkinson gave some tips on how to find the right litigation attorney. On our Locals blog, we did a feature on Morro Bay secret gardens and a review of the cheap and delicious La Parisienne Bakery in Morro Bay.
805.543.LOAN info@centralcoastlending.com
Patterson Realty Now #1 Independent Brokerage on Central Coast
Patterson Realty continues to grow. As of the end of the first quarter of 2012, Patterson Realty is now the #1 Independent Brokerage on the Central Coast! Kudo’s to Wes Burk (Broker/Owner) and all the other professional Realtors at Patterson. Having a great team of Realtors does make a difference!!
Custom Keith Byrd Team Monthly Solds Reports Now Available!
Buyers and sellers both love to know what has sold in their area recently, right? But it can be difficult to find the information you are looking for, all in one place, and in an easy to understand layout. The Keith Byrd Team now creates custom newsletters each month that include the following:
Street Address, City, Original List price, List Price on pending date, and final Sold Price, Total Days on Market, and Listing Detail (Standard Sale, Short Sale, or Bank Owned/REO.)
We break the reports down into 6 areas, so they are tailored to fit your needs. They include North Coast, North County, San Luis Obispo, South County, Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez Valley.
If you are interested in receiving these updates, click the link below, and enter your e-mail address. Newsletters are sent out at the beginning of each month, and will include everything that sold in the previous month.
You are able to unsubscribe at any time, if the reports aren’t fitting your needs.
If you are curious about what these reports will look like, feel free to contact Tanya Knowles, Information Specialist with The Keith Byrd Team, for the most recent reports. You can contact her directly at tanya@slocountyhomes.com.
Where is California Valley?
More people are talking about California Valley these days. California Valley is about 50 miles East of San Luis Obispo, but still part of the county. With a population of only about 500 people, it is a small town. When you go to visit, you will find large pieces of land being used for farming, ranching, and recently there has been talk of using land in California Valley as a place to harness solar energy.
Looking for property in California Valley can be tricky! It you search for California Valley, CA, you won’t find any results. Instead, use the search phrase “Santa Margarita, CA.” On SloCountyHomes.com, you can search by map. Under Neighborhood Search, scroll over Santa Margarita, and there will be a choice to view California Valley properties. Then, at the top left of the map, you can choose to search for Single Family Residences or Lots and Land.
San Luis Obispo Interest Rate Update – More Improvement
Mortgage rates are always subject to fluctuations and the whims of the market (investors), and this was perfectly on display last Tuesday (April 3). Here is a summary of what occurred:
- The Fed released their minutes from the March meeting.
- From these minutes, we learned that the Fed thinks the economy continues to experience weak growth, and that it is leaning against further intervention (Quantitative Easing). There is also uncertainty about the future of Operation Twist after it expires in late April. Operation Twist is a bond buying and selling operation used to bring down interest rates.
- Another small nugget from the report suggested the Fed might revise GDP slightly upward.
- The Dow quickly drops in the wake of the report.
- The bond market worsens amidst a small sell off.
- Interest rate costs increase by 1/2 a point.
All of this occurred within a few hours. Now, for those of you that have read our blogs here in the past, and follow our website, you know that typically when uncertainty plagues the stock market, the U.S. bond market improves (because investors look for safety), and interest rate costs drop. Well, in this case, everything became worse, and nobody really knew why. Investors were reacting to the news, but it wasn’t based on any fundamental reason or actionable data.
The markets settled down and so would interest rates. To begin the week, rate costs have again dropped between 1/4 and 1/2 point. Overall, this puts two-week drops between 1/2 point and 1 point. The 30-year fixed currently sits at 3.5 percent (3.653 percent APR) and the 15-year fixed is at 2.750 percent (3.007 percent APR). For more rates, see our Monday Rate Update. Remember, this is all happening after rates went up for about 1 or two weeks. All of this is a nice reminder to avoid having your vision clouded by sudden sparks, and instead take the long-term view. Rates have generally stayed very low, and until a major jolt to the market, they will likely stay there. Don’t be like the traders who see the Fed minutes and believe they need to make a move – stay calm and logical.
If you missed it, check out a few great articles from last week. We wrote a step-by-step guide to improving your credit score, and a look at why the new appraisal process (under new HVCC guidelines) is a headache for everybody. We also did a fun review of Morro Bay secret gardens, which got quite a lot of feedback. Check in this week with our Professional Insight blog for articles from landscaper Evan Moffitt (from KD Janni Lanscaping), and lawyer Eric Parkinson (from Parkinson Law).
805.543.LOAN info@centralcoastlending.com
March 2012 MLS Statistics
March 2012
Includes San Luis Obispo County – All Residential
(Last months data is also included - March (February))
New Listings – 433 (400)
Back on Market -165 (162)
Price Drops – 278 (289)
Contingent – 195 (209)
Pendings - 459 (356)
Solds - 322 (231)
Expireds - 111 (117)
New Search Sites Coming!
We are actively working to expand our Search Site to other areas. The first areas we will be adding are in Southern California. We currently have 28 search sites in the works, which cover a couple hundred cities. All of these sites will have our market statistics dashboards and custom Listing Reports (New Listings, Price Changes). We’re hoping to have these ready to go within the next few weeks!
10 Least Expensive Homes For Sale in Paso Robles
Showing properties
1 - 10 of 200.
See more city of Paso Robles real estate.
(all data current as of
5/17/2012)
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$129,000 : 1729 Park St, Unit B, Paso Robles2 beds, 1 full bath
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$140,000 : 1819 Ponderosa, Paso Robles2 beds, 2 full baths
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$149,000 : 3195 Vine St, Paso Robles2 beds, 1 full bath
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$149,900 : 244 19th St, Paso Robles1 bed, 1 part bath
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$152,000 : 1950 Adelaida Rd, Paso Robles2 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths
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$153,000 : 1808 Redwood Dr, Paso Robles3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths
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$160,000 : 2334 Blue Heron, Paso Robles3 beds, 2 full baths
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$165,000 : MLS # 181939 in Paso Robles2 beds, 1 full bath
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$169,000 : 1729 Park St, Paso Robles2 beds, 1 full bath
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$178,500 : 1222 Elaine St, Paso Robles3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
