la mesa homes: La Mesa homes and architecture-- what to look for and where
- 05/05/15 11:06 AM
With a population of over 58,000, La Mesa has thousands of single family homes, and many unique styles of architecture. If you're looking for a "consistent" subdivision, where they all look pretty much the same, you won't find much of that in your La Mesa real estate search. But if you like eclectic architecture, La Mesa is a great choice! When you consider that the bulk of La Mesa homes were built from the 1940s to the 1970s, you'll enjoy a tempting array of choices, depending on which part of town you're home shopping in. Another charming downtown La Mesa home … (1 comments)
la mesa homes: List price: think of it as “Suggested Retail Price”
- 05/29/13 01:31 PM
Buyers get ready! Purchasing a home is NOT like any shopping experience you’ve ever had. And that’s because you’re not really “shopping”, instead you are just one of many participants in a high-stakes, fast-moving, ever-changing supply-and-demand roller-coaster ride. Right now, La Mesa homes and San Diego homes are selling for steadily increasing prices.
It’s easy to get hung up on thestated list price, and when the price goes up due to limited supply and huge demand, many buyers point back to the original price and exclaim “but they said the price is X!!” It almost feels like a breach … (4 comments)
Real Estate Fact of Life: Unless the original builder designed your chosen home just for you, and all the past owners did repairs and upgrades with your exact tastes in mind...every house will need something. And that’s before your home inspector starts sleuthing around!
Even is the home has been recently remodeled, you might not like that particular style.
A few smart items to put in your budget, right alongside your down payment and closing costs, because no matter which home you pick, it’s going to need something right away:
la mesa homes: What’s the future for eye-candy flips?
- 05/20/13 03:27 PM
We’ve all seen plenty of them...the same granite countertops, the same Home Depot carpeting, the same shades of paint....even here in La Mesa where homes have very diverse styles, walk through a few flips and they all look practically the same.
I predict in about 5 years, a large percentage of eye-candy flips will be screaming for new plumbing, new electric and new roofs. The high ticket items are ignored, while flippers create cookie cutter clones.The good news is, the freshened up exterior painting and colorful landscaping can give a much needed facelift to a block or a … (4 comments)
Everyone loves a deal, and it used to be with short sales that you would trade time and a little risk for money-- you as a buyer would wait patiently for 2-6+ months for the bank(s) to approve the short sale at the price you offered, and in exchange, they would usually agree to a price lower than the “traditional” sales in the same market area.
A disturbing trend has surfaced lately-- after the lengthy wait, many banks have now come back wanting significantly more than contract price, and have not … (1 comments)
Aside from writing great offers, persistence, faith and a little flexibility are the best ways to win in this market. Here in La Mesa and all over San Diego county, we continue to get 8-14 offers on every reasonably priced home. 95% of the offers are very strong, and well over list price. It’s easy to get discouraged, so here are a few helpful pointers to help you stay in the game and win.
1. Separate the emotion from the economic reality. Hunting for a home is a very emotional experience. But from an offer-acceptance point of view, … (61 comments)
My son just bought his first home just 5 months ago, and one of the exact same models just closed for $70,000 more...so he's got equity! (He must have had a really good agent, too!)
Seriously, a 27% rise in in just a few months is pretty staggering, and met with mixed reactions.
There's been a huge sigh of relief from potential sellers who were underwater and now can finally come up for air, and at least break even on a sale. There are new homeowners who want to dump their M.I., and others … (5 comments)
la mesa homes: All San Diego County tax rates are not the same
- 10/04/10 09:47 AM
All San Diego County property tax rates are not the same-- so when you're calculating your PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance), or just want to know how much you'll really be spending each and every month, please take this into consideration. As an industry, we generally ballpark "taxes" at 1.25%, to allow a little extra room for additional supplemental taxes and insurance, too. For example, the property tax rate in National City is 1.0127%, whereas the rate for the city of San Diego is 1.12%. Right next door in neighboring La Mesa, it's 1.08%. If you like the beach, Carlsbad … (2 comments)
la mesa homes: Fast Flip or Long term Quality? Don't Let Your Buyers be the Biggest Losers!
- 07/26/10 12:37 PM
We've all seen it-- the quick flip with nothing more done than yard clean up, new paint, low grade carpet and a granite countertop, all this for $50K-$75K more than the investor purchased it for. That's great, if your buyer goes for skin deep looks, and the house is only 5-10 years old. But what about most of the homes out there? The vast majority which are 30,40,50+ years old? Have they fixed the plumbing, or updated the electric? How many layers does the roof have? If you hand the average American $50,000 to update their home, most people will do … (5 comments)
la mesa homes: Why is it so important to read and heed LOCAL real estate news?
- 07/25/10 08:31 AM
I'm blessed with such wonderful clients. One lady always sends me the most interesting real estate headline news, and it's important to keep up with real estate in general. But the national news is such a huge lump, that it rarely accurately reflects what's happening locally here in San Diego. We were the first in this mess, and we're the first ones out of it. Sales are increasing, prices are rising, and those who sat on the fence waiting waiting waiting for prices to go down are now faced with paying more monthly than they wanted to. The only thing that's … (0 comments)
la mesa homes: Quit Trying to Outguess the Market. Just put your Best Offer in Now!
- 07/22/10 05:47 PM
Quit trying to outguess the market , the seller or the bank. Just put in your best offer! The other day I was out with a buyer who kept peppering me with questions: when did they buy this home, how much do they owe, what will the bank take, when will they decide, how many other offers are in??? Yes, yes, I always have an initial buyer’s consultation where we discuss the market, what’s important and how to be strategic and win. But some folks feel just compelled to find out every last detail and try to second guess the … (4 comments)
la mesa homes: Handy Dandy Buyers' Market Guide-- Read ONLY if you want to WIN
- 07/12/10 09:43 AM
Whenever I represent a buyer, I write them several emails describing the current market and best strategies to get the home they want. I realize that this is an enormous amount of information, spread out over several weeks and many conversations. So that people won't have to go through and review all these notes, now's a great time to recap all this info on one page: Here's what you DON'T/CAN'T CONTROL: *When they review offers/when they accept offers *If you get a second chance to bid higher. no seller is required to give you a counteroffer *How much other people are … (2 comments)
la mesa homes: Buyers-- Stop Looking for the Perfect House
- 07/03/10 01:19 PM
The perfect man, the perfect woman, the perfect wedding, the perfect kids, the perfect house, the perfect car, the perfect school… sound familiar? Searching for perfection is as old as man, but as Miss Manners so wisely puts it in her new book: “Perfection does not exist this side of heaven, especially when it involves complicated arrangements and all kinds of other people, and you’ll drive yourself and others crazy if you think you can achieve it.” So buyers, quit looking for the perfect house! If you tell me you’re not doing this, then I will ask you: what is wrong—specifically-- … (15 comments)
la mesa homes: Red Hot and Revved Up-- did you miss the Classic Car show last night?
- 06/18/10 04:08 PM
It must be summer! La Mesa's Famous Classic Car show just started up again, and you can join in and bring back all the memories every Thursday night in La Mesa Village. It's totally free, and happens from 5PM-8PM. Of course, all those wonderful La Mesa antique stores, boutiques and delightful restaurants are right there and open, so be sure to save some time and appetite to enjoy all that La Mesa has to offer. Click on La Mesa Village events for more information. Little Red Corvette Remember the fins? So who can identify these beauties? Stop and talk with the … (1 comments)
la mesa homes: Who's up for a free oil filter in La Mesa? And free disposal?
- 06/10/10 05:55 PM
Remember the days when you just changed your oil and didn't think too much about where all the gunk was going? Those days are long gone, but making life easier for you is alive and well in La Mesa, CA. Aside from all the wonderful Summer events which launched with last weekend's Flag Day Parade, summer's in full bloom now with the OIL FILTER EXCHANGE on Saturday June 12. Just bring in your used oil filters to be recycled and receive a FREE oil filter! And your free filter is not limited by brand or model. June 12, 2010, … (3 comments)
la mesa homes: Sellers in Distress-- Please be Respectful
- 06/07/10 06:48 AM
There are so many sellers in distress these days-- they've lost jobs, income, and now their home-- can you imagine what that would feel like? A home, aside from being touted as the cornerstone of the American Dream, is also tops on the list of Maslow's famous hierarchy of human needs-- it's basic shelter. Now add in years of working hard to get there, and a little pride and ego (the good kind) and when all of that is yanked out from under someone, it's nothing less than tragic. So it's even more important that buyers treat these sellers with respect … (0 comments)
la mesa homes: Considering an LLC for a home purchase? Consider this first:
- 06/07/10 06:29 AM
Considering an LLC as the vehicle for making a home purchase? If you're looking at forming a multi-person LLC to pool your money to make a home purchase, the first thing you'll be doing is visiting your attorney to discuss the legal ramifications. And here are some key factors to consider from a real estate perspective: 1. LLCs increased in popularity over the past few years as more and more banks started freezing available home equity lines of credit. Suddenly, homeowners who were counting on several thousand dollars to be there waiting and available for whatever purchase they wanted to make, … (1 comments)
la mesa homes: Free Summer Concerts at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa
- 06/04/10 01:56 PM
Free Sunday concerts at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa are starting again soon-- it's that time of year again to get out the lawn chair and the cooler, put together a tasty picnic, grab your friends and family and head off to one of La Mesa's nicest parks. It all starts Sunday June 13 at 6PM, the perfect time to relax to the tunes of country, jazz, concert band and other varieties of music. Sundays at Six La Mesa Concerts Click here for the 2010 schedule and directions: Concert Schedule And remember, Sundays at Six all through July 25. The … (2 comments)
la mesa homes: Bring New Life to Dead Trees and Color Up your Garden, Too
- 05/30/10 12:08 PM
You can bring new life to dead trees, and color up your garden at the same time. If the trees are safe and not likely to tumble over or blow down with the next strong wind, assess their former health and if they most likely died from old age or a watering condition, you can use their form and structure as a base for planting colorful, climbing vines. Make sure that the tree did not perish from a bug infestation, as those same critters may gobble up your new plantings quickly. When we moved to Mt Helix La Mesa 20 years … (2 comments)
la mesa homes: Does you own your home-- or does your home own you? 5 reasons to consider DOWNSIZING
- 05/29/10 08:05 AM
Does you own your home-- or does your home own you? Many people are downsizing these days--some because they've lost their homes to foreclosure, but others because they have made the decision that smaller is better for them. I just met with a retired lady who is struggling to make ends meet, and she's rapidly eating into her savings. Since the market is down, her ratios are off and she can't refinance into a much needed $500-less-per-month payment that would be a lifesaver for her. We talked about the ever increasing cost of electricity, water, other utilities, and the general upkeep … (2 comments)
With a population of over 58,000, La Mesa has thousands of single family homes, and many unique styles of architecture. If you're looking for a "consistent" subdivision, where they all look pretty much the same, you won't find much of that in your La Mesa real estate search. But if you like eclectic architecture, La Mesa is a great choice! When you consider that the bulk of La Mesa homes were built from the 1940s to the 1970s, you'll enjoy a tempting array of choices, depending on which part of town you're home shopping in.
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