The Carlsbad real estate market continues to show some positive trends, and the statistics for June show a number of changes as compared to May 2009. These data do not include any private sales nor manufactured/mobile housing; the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate but are not guaranteed.
Media reports speak in general terms, rather than local, so their information may not represent the reality of our local Carlsbad real estate market. Having data, and knowledge, about the local market conditions benefits you as the buyer or seller.
In June 2009 there were 103 homes sold in Carlsbad's 4 zipcodes, as compared to 114 for May (a decline, for the first time in several months, of 10%). Here's the breakdown of overall activity.
TOTAL HOMES
Detached
Attached
Number
103 (down 10%)
67
36
Days on Market
52
51
53
Average Sales Price
$562,886 (up 4%)
$662,124 (up 4%)
$365,166 (up 7%)
Average Sale$ / List$
96%
96%
97%
The number of sales was down from May, following the trend we have seen in some other communities during the same period, however the average sales prices increased over May 2009 prices. We also saw a decline in the Days on Market from an average of 61 to 52 days.
There were 106 properties in Carlsbad at the end of June with the CONTINGENT status (i.e., homes with offers being reviewed for approval by short sale and REO lenders), an increase of 33% over May. 60% were detached and 40% attached (these are included in the total inventory below since they are considered to be ACTIVE properties until offer acceptance). This could be due to the fact that the status was new in May and was not being used by agents when it should have been. It may also be that there are simply more short sale and REO homes getting offers.
At the end of June 2009 there were 578 Carlsbad homes for sale (390 detached, and 188 attached homes), almost the same number as in May. This represents an inventory of 6.8 months for attached homes (just a slight increase from May) and 6.8 months for detached homes (up from 5.7 months in May) based on the current rate of sales over the last 6 months. These absorption rates continue to be encouraging when compared to many other parts of the country, some of which have over 2 years of inventory.
In June 155 homes came on the market (an increase of 15% over May 2009). And during the same time 139 homes went pending, a decrease of 5% from May.
Thus Carlsbad's inventory has not changed in the last two months, but with more homes coming on the market in June and fewer pendings, you can expect the absorption rate to increase next month.
This overview of the Carlsbad real estate market is based on information provided by the MLS for homes that went under contract in the last couple of months and closed in June. More details can be provided if needed with regard to current activity as well as within the specific zip codes of Carlsbad.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Buyers in the Carlsbad real estate market who are seeking new construction, and who would like to take advantage of $8000 first time home buyer tax credit, have a number of options.
The newest opportunity, now available for purchase, is at Rockledge, in the La Costa Oaks subdivision in La Costa.
Rockledgeis on the east side of Rancho Santa Fe Road (as you head toward San Elijo Hills) which puts it within a couple of miles from the Henry's Fresh Food Market, the CVS, a couple of restaurants and several other stores. You are about 15 - 20 minutes to the Carlsbad and Encinitas beaches, as well as golf at La Costa and the Four Seasons, and all the dining and shopping along El Camino Real.
You can buy a brand new home with about 1900 SF to almost 2500 SF for less than $290/SF - practically unheard of in our area even with the price shifts we have seen
Only 43 homes will be built in this village, keeping the community small as compared to some subdivisions like Bressi Ranch.
Residents will have access to a private club, The Oaks Club, with competition-sized swimming pool, wading pool, picnic and BBQ areas, plus an exercise facility, gathering room and gourmet catering kitchen. A second Club will be built with an expected completion date of late 2009.
An incentive of $10K is available if you use on of their preferred lenders, which can be used for flooring, upgrades or closing costs.
There are 5 Carlsbad homes in Phase One available, priced between $602,490 and $706,990. Homes, all of which are two-story with 2-car garages, range in size from 1913 SF up to 2463 SF, with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths up to 4 bedrooms and 3 baths in 3 floor plans. A number of these homes have canyon and ocean (distant) views due to their elevation on the hill looking west. Styles include Tuscan, Santa Barbara and Spanish.
Landscaping is included for the front yard (which is not typical for the new homes built in the area) but not the rear so factor in that additional cost. Average lot sizes are around 5000 SF.
Property taxes and Mello Roos total about 1.3% which is similar to other new subdivisions in Carlsbad; HOA fees will range from about $242/month to $246/month.
Expected completion time for this phase is late September to early October 2009.
If I can provide more information or arrange a personal tour, please let me know.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: TODAY, July 2, is the last day to fax applications in for the $10,000 tax credit in California - this was just announced on the CA Franchises Tax Board site after this post was written. But you can still get a great home at a great price.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Breakfast, and especially brunch, is a popular activity it seems, especially on the weekends
The Broken Yolk Café adjacent to the Starbucks in South Carlsbad is a popular gathering place for foodies on the weekend. There is both indoor and outdoor dining, and an extensive breakfast and lunch menu with just about everything you could want (carbs, protein, vegetarian).
Starbucks remains a popular gathering spot, but let's face it, their breakfast and brunch offerings are pretty limited, so if a good sized meal is on your plate for the day, The Broken Yolk way be just the ticket.
Don't be surprised if you have to wait. The place is popular, and despite being a decent size you may find yourself waiting for 10-15 minutes, especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The food is decent - not great, IMO (you can read some reviews on Yelp) - but it will fill you up at a price I think many will feel is a respectable value. Our service the day we were there was friendly, prompt and efficient - hopefully that is true in general but I have no information on that.
If you know the Albertson's Shopping Center at the corned of El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue in Carlsbad, you know The Broken Yolk Cafe is not a quaint, charming eatery on a quiet tree-lined street. But then that's not why you're there, right? Check out the street view on Google Maps.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Do you prefer to do it once? Or is twice better for you?
Opinions vary on this, and whether it's once or twice depends on a number of factors.
Some folks, myself included, prefer to do a one step listing presentation - meeting the sellers and viewing the property, discussing market conditions and pricing, and everything else in one visit.
Others prefer to visit and inspect the home and meet the sellers on the first go round, then make a second appointment to discuss the market and pricing, the marketing plan, and obtain the listing.
Obviously one can use either method when the circumstances warrant - a home in an area you don't know, a high-end property, or homes that are hard to find comparables for may be better suited to a two step, even though you may be a one step kind of person. The sellers' availability, say someone from out of town, may also influence - there may only be time for one visit. And with some out-of-area sellers perhaps the listing presentation is only via email and phone - you never even meet them F2F.
Or if the seller has made it clear they are having YOU, and only YOU, in to discuss listing because they want you to be the one.
I almost always use a one step, although I suppose it is somewhat modified - after gathering good deal of data from the sellers over the phone and via email, I always drive by the home to take photos (which I use in my pre-listing kit and in my presentation/discussion - more on that in another post) and see the area. My pre-listing kit is, in a sense, an initial visit with the sellers - they get to know me, how I work, have many of their questions answered, and so much more.
I suspect many of you will have varying opinions on the pros and cons of one versus two step listing presentations, as well as suggestions for how best to make use of each method. So let's hear what you have to say.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Carlsbad buyers who want new construction, and who also would like to take advantage of the $10,000 new home tax credit in California, has some terrific options. The newest opportunity, now selling, is at CopperWood.
CopperWood is located on the west side of Rancho Santa Fe Road adjacent to the existing La Oaks development, just a short distance from the Henry's Fresh Food Market, the CVS, a couple of restaurants and several other stores. You are about 15 - 20 minutes to the Carlsbad and Encinitas beaches.
You can buy a brand new home over 3000 SF for less than $250/SF - practically unheard of in our area even with the price shifts we have seen
Only 53 homes will be built, keeping the community small
Residents will have access to a private club, The Oaks Club, with competition-sized swimming pool, wading pool, picnic and BBQ areas, plus an exercise facility, gathering room and gourmet catering kitchen
An incentive of $10K is available if you use a preferred lender - this can be used for flooring, upgrades or closing costs.
There are two Carlsbad homes in Phase One still available, priced at $815,190 and $796,000 with 8 homes (1 has been reserved) in Phase Two just released. Homes, all two-story but some with downstairs master bedrooms, range in size from 3,189 SF up to 3688 SF, with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths up to 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. Styles include Tuscan, Santa Barbara and Spanish. Prices in the latest release are from $754,490 to $810,990, landscaping not included. Some homes offer dramatic La Costa Canyon and distant ocean views.
If I can provide more information or arrange a personal tour, please let me know.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
It was just announced TODAY that JULY 2 is the last day to fax applications for the $10,000 new home buyer tax credit in California since they have reached the limit.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Summer is in full swing and the big holiday is upon us, with lots of entertainment and fireworks in the Carlsbad area.
Trying to plan your weekend? Need suggestions of things to do? Or just curious about the happenings in town? Fireworks are the big entertainment, of course, and you can see them in lots of areas.
Here's a partial list:
La Costa Resort and Spa (South Carlsbad) - while they are for hotel guests you can see them from the La Costa area around the golf course and up in the hills
Four Seasons Aviara Resort - for hotel guests, but you can watch along the Batiquitos Lagoon and from other areas, even La Costa
And of course you can sit in front of the TV and watch terrific fireworks displays from around the country - NY and Boston are some of my favorites, and with the time difference we can enjoy them at 6 PM, then see another round live in our area.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Summer is here, finally, bringing with it all that the season has to offer here in Carlsbad.
The weather much of the year is terrific here (compared to other places I have lived) but the summertime is the best. So what makes summer so special in Carlsbad?
********************************
The TGIF Jazz in the Park concert series - free, for 10 consecutive weeks, with concerts in 3 of Carlsbad's best parks. Plus a whole bunch of other summer outdoors concerts in the area - more than you can ever attend - such as the Jazz on the Green at the Four Seasons Resort in Aviara.
Spending time at Carlsbad State Beach, or one of the other terrific area beaches in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff or Solana Beach.
Surfing - OK, surfing is popular all year round but the summer weather means surfing without a wet suit and warmer water.
Dining al fresco - at the beach, or one of the many outdoor restaurants throughout Carlsbad
Visitors - lots of them, to enjoy the gorgeous weather and beaches. It makes for great people watching.
Carlsbad Triathlon - the 28th, in fact, at Tamarack State Beach on July 12th.
Traffic - yep, there's more of it because of more visitors especially along the coast. And on the freeway there are more folks traveling north and south on the weekends, complicated further by the San Diego County Fair and Racing Season at the Del Mar Racetrack.
Leucadia Art Walk - OK, so it's not in Carlsbad, but it's right next door and it's a terrific outdoor event on August 30 from 10 - 5.
Carlsbad's famous Farmer's Market - in the Village on Saturdays and Wednesday. While it runs year-round, summertime is the best for the variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and so much more.
My summer photo. OK, it's not special, nor is it new! Folks who know me or who have been following for some time have seen this photo each summer for the last 2 two years. It's a self-portrait, taken just after spending a few hours at, where else? The beach.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Buyers interested in Carlsbad oceanfront property have a number of options.
But it's important to realize that Carlsbad actually has few true waterfront properties because the coast road/historic Route 101/Carlsbad Boulevard runs close to the coastline and many water view properties are actually east of this road.
The other issue is the state park - Carlsbad State beach - which is west of the coastal road and takes up a substantial bit of coastline from the southern-most border (by Encinitas) to just past Palomar Airport Road.
That said, there are a number of homes right along the coast road which have terrific views, and a few areas - Terramar and in Carlsbad Village - where you can buy true oceanfront property.
As of this writing there are 2 oceanfront properties (detached homes) and 2 properties right along the coast road with terrific views. These homes are priced from $2.499 million to $10.8 million; one is a new construction property that is nearing completion in the $3.8 to $4.2 million range (a significant drop from prior pricing).
Folks interested in attached homes/condos have a few possibilities, but again, several are on the east side of the coast road or along the east side of Ocean (near the Village) but with amazing view. Currently there are 6 such condos, priced from $950K (range price $950K to $1.05 million - a penthouse unit on the coast road with amazing views) to the ult in luxury - a 5800 SF 3 bedroom 4 bath home at the ocean's edge in Carlsbad Village on Ocean for $9.29 million.
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Opening night for the latest exhibit, the annual Invitational Show, at the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad was last night.
Four well-known area artists, selected by the gallery director/curator, Karen McGuire display a diverse set of works in various media including assemblages:
The exhibition will be on display from June 27th through August 16th, 2009.
The popular family open studio, which allows families to create works of art related to the current exhibition, will be on Saturday July 25th in the courtyard outside the Carlsbad Library and the Cannon Gallery from 11 am until 2 pm.
The William D. Cannon Art Gallery is located in South Carlsbad at 1775 Dove Lane adjacent to the Carlsbad City Library.
If I can provide more information about Encinitas, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Presumably a homeowner lists their home because they want to sell it. We know there are some folks just testing the market, and others who for some reason don't really want to sell, or they won't accept a price below a certain number which is well above market value. But let's assume, for purposes of this discussion, that they do want to sell.
The issue of making your home available to agents and their buyers is kinda important, as is getting the word out on-line and off-line so folks know about it. If buyers can't see it, or it's hard to see, guess what? It won't sell. So there are lots of ways to make your home easy to sell. But there are also plenty of roadblocks that folks put up, including the agents.
A few recent real life examples:
I have seen several listings that were a bit confusing in terms of the nature of the property - was it a short sale? And REO? What are the showing instructions?
The agents comments in the remarks were...I kid you not...DO NOT CALL AGENT.
Hmm, so I have questions on your listing and I am not supposed to call you? Really?! Will you respond in a timely manner if I email or am I not supposed to do that either? Does your client know this? Read William Johnson's terrific post, "How Often Do You Check Your Email?" on this very issue.
Property can be seen on Saturdays from 12 - 4.
Oooh, that works for my buyer's schedule. Out of 7 days, using 9 - 6 as a typical showing time frame (that's 63 hours of availability for many properties) you have a window of 4 hours? This was not a tenant occupied property either. I guess that's better than "showings only with accepted offer."
Will be available for showings June 30 (but listed June 1)
Is the house so wonderful that folks will wait a month to see it? Or perhaps it's the psychology that making folks wait will make it more desirable? I guess I don't get the point of listing a home that is not ready to be shown fairly soon after listing, if not right away. Am I missing something?
And of course there are the lousy listings, as I call them. The ones with no photos whatsoever, (some buyers still say they won't even bother with these), or one crummy out-of-focus picture of the front of the home, and those listings with the barest of information and no remarks. With the reliance on the Internet that we see with so many buyers, and agents, this makes so sense in terms of doing your job to market the home for your clients. Granted, some of these are listings by agents who have never seen the home and live 100 miles away (especially the short sales and REO's).
I have been showing, or trying to show, a lot of property recently. Perhaps I am just impatient, or annoyed that I can't get my clients in to see the properties they want in a timely manner. But there are times I have to wonder...
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There were 106 properties in Carlsbad at the end of June with the CONTINGENT status (i.e., homes with offers being reviewed for approval by short sale and REO lenders), an increase of 33% over May. 60% were detached and 40% attached (these are included in the total inventory below since they are considered to be ACTIVE properties until offer acceptance). This could be due to the fact that the status was new in May and was not being used by agents when it should have been. It may also be that there are simply more short sale and REO homes getting offers.
The newest opportunity, now available for purchase, is at Rockledge, in the La Costa Oaks subdivision in La Costa.
A top selling point is that children will attend the top-ranked Encinitas Schools - 
Posted by 
Others prefer to visit and inspect the home and meet the sellers on the first go round, then make a second appointment to discuss the market and pricing, the marketing plan, and obtain the listing. 
The La Costa area of Carlsbad, anchored by the famed 
A top selling point is that children will attend the top-ranked Encinitas Schools - 
Spending time at Carlsbad State Beach, or one of the other terrific area beaches in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff or Solana Beach. 
Traffic - yep, there's more of it because of more visitors especially along the coast. And on the freeway there are more folks traveling north and south on the weekends, complicated further by the 
Buyers interested in Carlsbad oceanfront property have a number of options.
As of this writing there are 2 oceanfront properties (detached homes) and 2 properties right along the coast road with terrific views. These homes are priced from $2.499 million to $10.8 million; one is a new construction property that is nearing completion in the $3.8 to $4.2 million range (a significant drop from prior pricing). 
Four well-known area artists, selected by the gallery director/curator, Karen McGuire display a diverse set of works in various media including assemblages: 
Presumably a homeowner lists their home because they want to sell it. We know there are some folks just testing the market, and others who for some reason don't really want to sell, or they won't accept a price below a certain number which is well above market value. But let's assume, for purposes of this discussion, that they do want to sell. 
Hmm, so I have questions on your listing and I am not supposed to call you? Really?! Will you respond in a timely manner if I email or am I not supposed to do that either? Does your client know this? Read William Johnson's terrific post, "
;)
;)
