Irvine Real Estate - Homes Sold vs. Leased Values - March 2011 - 03/31/11 07:03 PM
                        
174 Irvine, California, homes were sold during March 2011 (a solid number)


Average Irvine sold home price during March 2011 has been $667,889   
See Irvine CA single family homes now listed - click here for link 
 
4 of those 174 Irvine sold homes were at exclusive Shady Canyon
Average sold price at Shady Canyon was $3,563,740 That's average sold price at Shady Canyon of more than 3 million dollars See Shady Canyon Irvine homes listed - click here for link



228 Irvine homes were leased during that same time, March 2011

Average monthly lease payment for those homes … (0 comments)

FHA Loans Will Get More Expensive - 03/30/11 12:33 AM
 
FHA loans have helped lots of home buyers and real estate markets during this past year. 
But now the U.S. Federal Housing Administration is raising the annual insurance premium on new loans it insures starting on April 18, 2011.
Annual premiums for new 30 and 15 year FHA-backed mortgages will increase by one-quarter of a percentage point. 
The annual FHA premiums, which are spread over monthly mortgage payments, will range from 0.25% to 1.15% of a loan amount (which is up from 0% to 0.9%).  The rate on premium a borrower will get depends on factors such as loan amount and duration.  … (8 comments)

East Costa Mesa Short Sellers Avoid Foreclosure - 03/29/11 01:51 PM
 
East Costa Mesa at South Orange County is one of the sought after communities for residential living and buying in the area.
East Costa Mesa has 13 short sale home listings now on the MLS where the owners have no equity and are trying to AVOID FORECLOSURE and get lender permission for sale.
Average asking price for East Costa Mesa short sale listings is $683,384 Entry price point for East Costa Mesa short sale is 2 bedroom condo at 2512 Santa Ana #7 with asking price of $329k High price point at East Costa Mesa short sale listing is 369 22nd, estate … (0 comments)

Irvine, California, Celebrating Its 40th Year Birthday - 03/28/11 03:08 PM
 
  Irvine as a city is coming of age for its 40th birthday this year.
The economy powerhouse of the area, Irvine is the third largest city by population at Orange County, California. 
Irvine was charted as a city during 1971 and then had 10,081 residents.  Irvine's population has grown during the 40 years to current number of about 212,375 residents (per City of Irvine and California Department of Finance demographic research unit).  


Top Irvine employers  are the University of California Irvine, The Irvine Company, Irvine Unified School District, Verizon Wireless Corporate, Broadcom, St. John Knits, Allergan, Edwards Lifesciences and Parker Hannifin
Irvine median … (2 comments)

Homebuyers Should be Informed and Educated about Expected Closing Costs - 03/27/11 11:22 PM
 
Home buyers should be informed and educated about the purchase process as much as possible in advance, so they aren't surprised at closing time.
Closing costs for buyers are an important aspect of the deal and would cover title, processing of loan and transferring property ownership from the seller to the buyer. 
Some closing costs are negotiable between buyer and seller, and others can be addressed with mortgage broker and/or lender and escrow holder. 
Orange County, California, buyers expect to be informed about what costs they must pay during the process and what of those are negotiable between buyer and seller. 
Categories … (4 comments)

Laguna Beach Real Estate - More Homes Leased than Sold - 03/23/11 06:25 PM
 
Laguna Beach, California, homes for lease - March 24, 2011


With some of the most extraordinary and ocean view areas, Laguna Beach has 278 homes now listed for lease.
Average monthly rent asking price is $7,092 now at Laguna Beach.

Average interior size is 1792 SF on Laguna Beach homes for lease. 126 of Laguna homes for lease are condos, and others are single family residences.
 
Laguna has more non-owner occupied homes for lease and leased than other areas at South Orange County.
There are lots more homes leased at Laguna Beach than the number sold.
233 Laguna Beach … (0 comments)

Shady Canyon Irvine Real Estate - March 2011 Update - 03/18/11 02:06 PM
 
Shady Canyon is one of the most extraordinary and exclusive residential communities in Orange County and Southern California and is located in the hills east of Turtle Rock.








Shady Canyon homes now listed for sale
22 Shady Canyon homes are now listed for sale on the MLS
Average list price is $7,806,000  Average interior size is 9211 SF  Average time on market is 214 days   
3 Shady Canyon homes have sold so far during 2011
26 Vernal Spring sold for $2,850,000  51 Golden Eagle sold for $3,630,000  97 Canyon Creek sold … (2 comments)

Newport Coast Real Estate - March 2011 update - 03/17/11 12:02 AM
 
Newport Coast is a spectacular part of Newport Beach with private and gated communities and Pacific ocean views, which has attracted some of the rich and famous people to South Orange County.
Newport Coast owners had 14 homes sold during February 2011. 
Average sold price was $1,276,040 Average interior size was 2552  SF Average sold cost per SF was $459 Average time on market for sold homes was 147 days
Last year 16 homes sold during February 2010 at Newport Coast.
   Average sold price was $2,505,812
   Average size interior was 3382 SF
   Average sold price per SF was $522

 
 
As … (0 comments)

Foreclosure Report for California - 03/15/11 06:13 PM
 
The ForeclosureRadar.com California report for today said that foreclosure filings in the Golden state dropped to levels not seen since since late 2008 when governmental intervention temporary slowed the foreclosure filing process.
Notice of Default filings dropped 12.8% month-over-month and Notice of Trustee Sale filings fell 12.5% from the prior month.
The foreclosure filing percentage decreases are more moderate when adjusted on an average daily basis due to the fewer filing and trustee sale days in February with a 3.1% drop for Notice of Default filings and a 2.8% decline for Notice of Trustee Sale filings.
On a year-over-year basis foreclosure filings were down … (6 comments)

Irvine City Council Moving to Support Local Economy Growth - 03/11/11 02:28 PM
 
It's good news that the Irvine, California, city council shows that it wants to improve local economy growth. 
The council took action on March 8, 2011, to approve some pro-business initiatives. 
This Irvine city council action represented some bi-partisanship between two groups, which have been at odds during recent years.
Councilman Jeff Lalloway said that the "varied and forward-thinking proposals" will help Irvine become "the most business-friendly city in Orange County."    New approved Irvine city council measures include:
Deferred fees to reduce up-front costs for new developments.  One year of waived fees for installation of solar panels.  Online business-license applications and a local vendor preference policy. Shop … (0 comments)

Message from CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® on Home Foreclosure Crisis - 03/10/11 09:16 PM
 
An important message from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (March 10, 2011):
I write on behalf of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, whose 170,000 members continue to witness the devastating consequences the home foreclosure crisis is having on California's families, neighborhoods, and communities on a daily basis. 
The number of families affected by foreclosure is staggering.  During the past three years, more than 640,000 Californians have lost their homes.  With the number of homeowners who owe more than their home is worth hovering at 30 percent, experts predict there will be many more foreclosures in 2011 and 2012.  Unless we take … (0 comments)

The Contractor Agreement - 7 Tips for an Iron-Clad Contract - 03/10/11 07:21 PM
The CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT   -  Follow these seven tips to make sure your contractor agreement works in your favor - not your builder's.
Tip 1:  Hire a lawyer
Contractors use their own forms, which are drafted for their benefit, not yours.  You'll benefit from hiring an attorney to review your contractor agreement or draft one that's you-friendly.  Even though this may cost around $250 to $500, it can save thousands of dollars later if there's a dispute. Tip 2:  Take the home court advantage
Add a "choice of law" or "forum selection" provision, which says that disputes will be litigated on your turf. This … (6 comments)

Eastbluff Newport Beach Real Estate - March 2011 Update - 03/10/11 06:36 PM
 
Eastbluff at Newport Beach is an area of homes located east and above the Back Bay (offering bay water views and ocean breezes), west of Jamboree Road, and north of Park Newport and the canyon. 
See Eastbluff single family homes now listed for sale - click here for active link 
This popular part of Newport Beach is within two miles of the Harbor and Pacific Ocean and beaches of Corona del Mar and walking or strolling distance from well-known kayaking and bird watching places.
See Eastbluff condo homes listed for sale - click here for active link
 
5 Eastbluff homes … (0 comments)

Corona del Mar Real Estate - March 2011 - Seller Price Nostalgia - 03/07/11 02:48 AM
 
Corona del Mar - Spanish for "Crown of the Sea"
Average list price of home for sale at Corona del Mar is $1,625,687 higher than recent average sold prices.
Classic Pacific ocean-oriented community @ South Orange County, California 

 See Corona del Mar single family homes now listed for sale - click here for active link.
131 Corona del Mar homes were for sale as of February 28, 2011, with average asking price of $2,880,230, and average time on market of 142 days.
15 CDM homes were sold during February 2011, with average sold price of $1,254,533, and average time … (0 comments)

Turtle Rock at Irvine Real Estate Update - 03/05/11 07:04 PM
 
Turtle Rock Village at Irvine has for years been one of the most sought after residential communities in Orange County with about 3,400 homes.
Turtle Rock is located in the hills within a mile to the University of California Irvine campus and a shorter distance from the most popular and highly decorated public schools.
Just 4 Turtle Rock homes sold and closed escrow during February 2011. 
Average sold price was $1,062,500, and average time on market was 104 days.
February was slow last year February 2010 also.  3 Turtle Rock homes were sold during that month with average sold … (0 comments)

5 Signs Homebuyers Should Consider Whether Now is Time to Buy - 03/04/11 01:24 PM
 
Five signs that say "buy"
Home buyers sitting on the fence wondering if now is the right time to buy should consider five factors when making this decision: Jobs, recent sales activity, construction, mortgage availability, and anecdotal evidence.  Each of these issues can help consumers make the best choice for their situation and financial circumstance.
1.  Jobs
Although many areas of the country were deeply impacted by the recession, some areas were less affected by job loss.  If employment stability is a concern, prospective buyers should review job-growth data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov.  The data … (4 comments)

Home Selling Strategy and Reducing Asking Prices - 03/03/11 12:11 PM

 
6 Reasons for Home Seller to Reduce Asking Price
While you'd like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price.
If you don't receive any offers for a few weeks, check out other comparable houses on the market and what they're going for. 
Home not selling?  That could happen for a number of reasons you can't control, like a unique home layout or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage.  There is one factor you can control: your home price.
These six signs may be … (6 comments)

27.4% of Orange County Homes Sold January 2011 Were to All Cash Buyers - 03/02/11 08:10 PM
 
We have some investor clients and have sold homes here at Orange County to all cash buyers, but that's not been common.  
I was surprised to see that California home sales hit record 30.9% all CASH buyers during January 2011.  Orange County wasn't far behind at 27.4% all cash buyers. 
People disagree about reasons for this all CASH buying of properties.  It's probably a combination of good availability of lower cost properties, tighter credit these days, investor interest, foreclosure bargains, trustee sales, and positive belief in real estate as value.
During the past ten years, the percentage of CA homes sold for all CASH … (5 comments)

Woodbridge Irvine Real Estate - March 2011 - 03/02/11 02:06 AM
Warren Buffett said buying a home was the third-best investment he ever made, after the rings he bought for his first wife and, after her death, for his second wife.  He has also said that home ownership makes sense for most people, especially after a recent slide in prices and record-low interest rates.
Buffett is right of course, and we recommend Woodbridge Village at Irvine for home buying. 
See Woodbridge single family homes now listed for sale - click here.
Woodbridge has two beautiful lakes with beaches, boating and fishing, a tennis club, community swimming pools and fitness facilities. 
Woodbridge is a beautiful and central part of … (6 comments)

 
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Harrison K. Long, business, REALTOR®, GRI, Broker

Harrison K. Long

Irvine, CA

More about me…

Coldwell Banker Previews, Irvine, South OC

Address: 6833 Quail Hill Parkway, Irvine, CA, 92603

Office Phone: (949) 854-7747

Cell Phone: (949) 701-2515

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