What's good in North County

Disneyland vs. Disney World

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:08:44 -0500

For all of you that have been to Disneyland and have NOT been Disney World. What is your take on Disney world?

I am going to have a multi part blog on Disney.

(Now if you have been to Disney World don't answer or think about your perception of Disney World before your first trip)

Being a Cali Kid and growing up going to Disneyland, my take had always been that Disney World was a little bigger and what I always heard was that
"you have to go check out the Matterhorn, its supper cool"

Other then that I always had a perception that they were more or less the same.

I look forward to hearing your answers!

-James Baxter San Diego North County Realtor

What to do with the kids on Halloween. Legoland Brick or Treat Trail!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:57:54 -0500

I can't believe the end of the year is upon us already!
Which also means it is time for all the end of the year stuff too!

First on the list is Halloween.
If you have little ones... there is nothing funner (is that a word) for them then a trip to Legoland California to the Brick or Treat trail.

it is running from October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 and of course the 31.
The kids have to be 12 or under and after a day at the park they can do a run through the trick or treat trail and get a bag of goodies to take home.
(I would recommend getting in line early cause it gets long REALLY FAST!)

I would then tell you to plan on dinner at the Upper Deck Sports Cafe. Mom & Dad can sit down to a nice dinner we'll the kids get to head over to the lego room to play with Lego's. They have a nice selection of grown up food and a great buffet for the kids!

Then Legoland is also hosting their Party Nights as well for more info goto:
http://www.legoland.com/

What Kind Of Car Do You Drive?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:50:44 -0500

Ok... so some of my clients are telling me it is time for me to get a new car...

Not that my current one is bad... but it is a 2002 Camry XLE and I am just getting ready to break 100,000 miles on it.
I like my Camry a lot... it is black with leather seats and limo tinted windows.
I would like to think I have kept it in really good shape. It drives nice and has a lot of really cool features

But none the less, I have one client in particular that has told me I should go get a BMW or Mercedes.

My question is, "does the car you as a Realtor drive matter? should we be judged if we do not drive the latest BWM 7 series?"

I have been out looking at cars and I must say I am not impressed.

I have looked at the Toyota line up namely the new Camry and Venza (they are nice but I like my Camry better.)
I have looked at the Chrysler 300 (nice car, but god for bid you need to look behind you, the car has a ton of blind spots)
Ford Mustang, Fusion, Flex and Edge... they look good, but I am not impressed
GM cars ... The ones that look interesting are well over $60,000, more then I want to spend on a car.
The Honda Accord looks interesting (I still need to go test drive one)
I went and test drove a BMW ... they do drive nice but for $35,000 for the basic 328i with out a GPS system seems a bit steep to me.
(I all most bought one of them but we were $1700 bucks apart on what they wanted to give me on my trade in)

I would really like to get a Porsche 911 but again they start at $60,000 and that is a bit out of the price range at this point in time.

My next stop will be to my local Lexus dealer to see what they can do.

Any recommendations, pros or cons?

Apple's Time Machine Rocks... Back up all your files on all your computers at once!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:00:33 -0500

I have been tying to figure out what is the best way to back up my computers for some time now...
Now that pretty much all my client files are on my computer along with a life time of pictures.
My wife would KILL me if one day all those pictures were gone.

Lets face it, in the computer world, it is not if you will need to reinstall your computers operating system... it is when.
With that said I have been a long time Mac guy and knock on wood... 15 years of Mac I have never lost a file to my computer crashing.
I wish I could say the same for my Window machines.. I tend to have to reinstall every 6 months.

I thought it was time to start making back ups just in case something bad happened to my computer now that I have all these priceless files and pictures on my computers. Thinking I was being frugal I went down and bought a Western Digital My Book 1TB hard drive for $100 bucks from Costco. I installed the included back up soft ware and ... Well that is when the issues began... I should have known ... when you install software and they have a "uninstall feature" right next to the install one, that is a BIG RED FLAG.

Well the WD hard drive did what it said it would do... however when it was backing up my computer, it would slow my computer down so bad I could do nothing else, So I spent most of my time turning off the hard drive back up so I could get work done and not making the back up on my computer. We all know that if we are disciplined and make the back up every night we would all be just fine and not have a care in the world in regards to loosing our computer files... but lets face it... we are not disciplined to do that on a regular basis.

So I bit the bullet and bought an Apple Time Capsule for $250 bucks (regularly $500, got a refurb off the apple web site) This thing is KILLER! I am embarrassed to list all the Apple products I own (past and present) but if you ask I have more then likely have or have had it at some point.
And I have nothing but good things to say about them all!

This is just another very well built and designed product by Apple. It took me a bit to get it set up

(I was trying to bring it in to an already complex wifi network)
If you were just using this out of the box for a simple home system you would have it up and running in 10 minutes.

And it does everything it said it would!

I now have it up and running and it backs up all my computers every hour... then it has a feature where I can flip through my computers hourly back ups and retrieve that deleted file.

It runs quietly behind the scenes backing up all my precious files and pictures and I don't even know it is there.

Out of the box a basic set up is simple and straight forward and takes about 10 minutes as the install asks you very simple to understand questions.
(nothing that would remotely included having to ask your system administrator anything) It has an outstanding Wifi n router that works great.. then it has either net ports on the back. I did did find for the fist back up it is WAY faster if you have your computer hooked up to the either net port on the back instead of the Wifi n connection. It did take a little time for that first back up to be made. However once that one is complete... it is AWESOME!

I am now on day two of it making a back up every hour and it has been seamless and way cool!

I would have easily paid the asking $500 bucks for this now...

If you are looking to back up your computer... take a trip to the Apple Store and talk to the knowledgeable staff to see if a Time Capsule is right for you!

And if you have a Real Estate question... Call me =)

how to win with banked owned properties

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:27:01 -0500

Ok I must say this current market really has me frustrated to say the least.

I am proud to say I have finally figured out how to get my offers excepted... the last 6 I have submitted have all been accepted.

The thing that gets me is that they make you wait and wait and wait for a response ... then they want everything signed sealed and delivered
with in 12 hours (sometimes 24) none the less they want the buyer to respond immediately...

What is the deal?

Why can they get away with making the buyer wait, but god for bid the buyer gets anything longer then 24 hours to review paper work?

I run in to this with my buyers on bank owned or short sale properties and it is frustrating!

Then the banks all have their purchase contracts they want you to use... what is the deal with that?
They have since change it to an addendum, but still I would think they are opening them selves up for lots of lawsuits down the road.

The one I am working on at the moment has a 7 day inspection period however I have to give a 2 day notice that I am entering the property.
so that leaves 5 days to get the report back, review it and release contingencies. And that is granted I can get my home inspector in there to get the inspection done right away.... I hope he is not more then a day out ;)

I understand the banks have been dealt a bad hand.. and they are doing their best to clean it up... but they made these bad loans, that have foreclosed in the first place and for all the people that have been through a cycle or two also know that this is nothing new. It is bad, but nothing new.

The buyers market in North San Diego county is over it is a sellers market, but there are great deals to be had.

Well I would type more but I am on day 6 now and have to get an escrow closed!

Thanks for letting me vent!
Is there really a winner?

MCAS Miramar Air Show Blue Angels & The canadian Forces Snowbirds 2009

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:46:46 -0500

It is that time of year again for the Miramar Air Show 2009.
it is on October 2, 3, 4
Gates open at 8am
shows from 9-4

On Saturday the 3 rd they have a twilight air show from 5:30-9

It is free admission, free parking, free blanket seating.

If you would like preferred seating and more info goto:
www.miramarairshow.com

As a kid I remember going to the air show and my first time seeing the F117-A bomber talk about an awesome plane.
They have planes the kids (big kids too) and get in and play around.
and demonstration throughout the day.

It is a great event to go to and see what the Men and Women of our military do for us on a daily basis!
God Bless America!

Semper Fi

Baby pls don't flush when I am in the shower! Ba Ba Baby ... It's time to call a plumber!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:45:26 -0500

I had been having trouble with my homes water pipes.

I really did not know what the deal was other then;
My pipes rattled if the dishwasher was on and you had a faucet running.
It was awful if two showers were running.
You knew when the sprinklers were on, you could hear the water pipes all through the house.
I had leaks happening way to often.
and god forbid some one flush a toilet when you were in the shower.

I called my long time plumber Doug Long at Bert's Plumbing in Encinitas (760) 436-2511

and asked what the deal was?
He came over and tested my water pressure.

We found out I had 110 lbs of water pressure... which is WAY TOO MUCH for a house to handle.
The MAX is around 70lbs.

Bottom line my Homes water pressure regulator had died... I guess after 35 years it was time for it to go.

What had happen was the regulator was not .... well, regulating.

and that was the cause for all my headaches!

Doug quickly found the issue and had it resolved.

He installed a new regulator and a few, well worth it, hundred dollars later, my pipes are as good as new!

My sprinklers are working better then ever, I don't hear when they come on any more.
You can have more then one shower running at a time. Which is wonderful when I have guests.

And flush away on that toilet... You aint gonna hear me yell!

This was such a simple and inexpensive fix... but I had put it off for way to long. However it could have really been a big issue if one of my pipes burst while I was out. If you are experiencing any of these issues call a plumber you trust! .... I trust Doug!

Museum Day for the San Diego County Museum's Free Entry!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:24:18 -0500

Museum Day for the San Diego County Museum's

On this Saturday September 26th 2009 ( 9/26/09 )

The Smithsonian Magazine is sponsoring a free entry to all San Diego Museums:
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Air and Space Museum (one of my favorites)
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Quail Botanical Gardens
And other museums and cultural institutions nationwide.

Go to:
www.smithsonian.com/museumday

to download your free museum card and to see a list of all participating museums.

Bates Nut Farm , Best Pumpkin Patch In San Diego North County

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:33:38 -0500

There are no shortage of corner pumpkin patches that start popping up this time of year... and for most city slickers, we don't really know any better.

Let me tell you between Encinitas and Del Mar we have some killer pumpkin patches that come to town about and they are about as grand as the Del Mar Fair.

However if you want to take you kids some where, where they can really see what farm life is like, I highly recommend Bates Nut Farm (insert joke here) Bates Nut farm is a family run farm since 1921 and every year it just keeps getting bigger and better!

They have tractor rides, vendors selling their wears, a general store with all kinds of fund stuff, horse rides, petting zoo and not to mention pumpkins... and plenty of them!

Be sure to check out Bates web site for other fun things they do through out the year like Cars Shows, Arts and Crafts Fair, Scout Day, Farm Education Day, Scarecrow Contests and Christmas Fair.

Then of Course for all you people in the know, on your way out of Bates Nut Farm...

keep your eyes open for the guy with too much time on his hands..

He has built a replica of the US Capital entirely out of match sticks.

Cheers,

James Baxter

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Where To Go Julian Apple Picking

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:24:24 -0500

Every year my wife takes us apple picking in Julian. Being a San Diego native I grew up going to Julian every year and walking around the Julian store fronts. However we never really did much apple picking growing up. Well times have changes and my wife feels it necessary for our family to experience the American past time of apple picking every year.

We have been to the apple orchards with rows and rows of apple trees, which is great for filling your apple picking bag quickly... however picking apples this way does not wear your little ones out.
Well my wife has found the solution to this, Apples and Art Orchard in Julian. If somebody never told you about Apples and Art orchard.. I am not sure you would ever be able to find it. It is a bit of a hodgepodges of a farm.... but fun none the less.

They have wild apple trees spread over 10 acres. Let just say your little ones and you will be ready for a nap afterwards. Lots of hiking and you have a nice verity of apples. Some you have never heard of.

You get to experience Julian apple picking at its finest. Then afterwards meet farmer John and make some fresh apple juice.

I learned something new this year apple picking. Every other year there is a good year and a bad year for apple season. (or as I was told)
This is a bad year... and it has been magnified because of a dry year and a lack of bee's. Bee's play a major roll in the quantity and quality of apples for the year.

This is a rough year for apples... if you are planning on going apple picking you better go sooner then later. They are rapidly running out of apples.

Julian Pie company is still my favorite place to get an apple pie, We tend to always do lunch at the Julian Cafe and a stop at Dudley's for some of their bread has become a tradition. As always it is a fun trip!

Cheers,

James Baxter

5209 Palmer Canyon 91711 asking $125,000

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:46:06 -0500

Welcome to this highly unique property nestled in the foothills of the majestic San Bernardino
National Forest. Complete with three spacious lots totaling 8,676 esf in all, this property is a blank
canvass waiting for someone to make it there own. Enjoy a morning sunrise over the beautiful
mountain tops and all sorts of wildlife just minutes north of the beautiful city of
Claremont. Situated close to freeways and shopping yet you feel like you are a world away! Enjoy the
woodsy out doors and wildlife from your front porch. A place to call your own. Welcome home!

The Home on this property was destroyed in the 2003 Padua fire in 2003. There was a beautiful 3 store rustic home that was built here in the 1930's. One of the few develop-able lots in the Palmer Canyon area. The owners are moving out of state and rather then rebuilding they are looking to sell the property. Grab a beautiful property in one of the most beautiful area's backing up to Claremont Wilderness Park. The property is located in the Los Angeles County area. Sewer and Water are in the works to be installed to the lots on Palmer Canyon. I do not have an ETA. Please contact me for more information.

Cheers,

James Baxter

Encinitas Oktoberfest 9/20/09

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:03:11 -0500

Once again Oktoberfest is upon us! It never ceases to amaze me, how fast time flies.
Encinitas host a small, very family friend Oktoberfest celebration.
This year it will be on September 20th from 10-6 and admission is free.

Encinitas closes down Mountain Vista St (Just off of El Camino Real) and sets up more of a mini street fair, with a collection
of local merchants peddling their wears. Along with plenty for the kiddies to do!

I have to mention that Karl Strauss is present with his Oktoberfest brew and John Haedrich of Tip Top meats
make sure that authentic German food is available for all!

Of course an Oktoberfest festival is not complete with out Dancers and a Bavarian Band.

It is a fun family day for all!

Now beckons the question... what is Oktoberfest, well other then an excuse to go have some fun with good food and
drink?

Oktoberfest traditionally starts on the third weekend in September and ends the first Sunday of October. It began with the Royal Wedding on October 12th, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The decision to repeat the celebration in subsequent years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. Now held all over the world!

And now we celebrate the 176th Oktoberfest!

$40 referral fee? SIGN ME UP!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:06:54 -0500

Hey Active Rain community,
Thought I would share a tid bit with you all.
I just had my first featured blog on Active Rain on my "iPhone turning water into wine"

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1132702/iphone-turning-water-into-wine-

I would first like to thank you all for my post success and I hope I can only contribute to our feature success with future posts!

As I was reading some of the new post I ran across this one from Maureen McCabe titled:
"SPAM Points - the easiest pointson ActiveRain"

I thought how true and we need to do this. Not to mention we earn Active Rain points for reporting spammers!

However what do you do when they call you?

Since my posting on Monday I have had a slew of phone calls from all sorts of people show casing their wears.
That want me to spend "X" to increase my business, to get a better rating on google or to refer me business.

My favorite phone call was the referral one.
For $40 a month the call/salesperson claimed that I would get 3 referral leads a month.
I told the salesperson "that's all you wanted?" Then proceeded to inform them that I pay a 30% referral fee.
And they would make a whole lot more money if they did it that way.

lets do the math, shall we?
12 months times $40 a month = $480 a year for 36 hot leads of buyers ready to buy.
Sounds like a great deal.

So lets do the math my way. 36 buyers - lets say they all buy a $300,000 house at a 2.5% BBC that is $10,800,000
in business they are promising me. That would be $270,000 in commission form that business alone of which I would
pay out $81,000 in referral fees to.

They are leaving $80,520 on the table by running their business that way.

This sounds like a great deal and I am on hold now trying to sign up! Maybe I can convince them to take the 30% referral instead?

Bottom line if I signed up for every program that has been pitched to me over the last 12 months, I think I would be out about $100,000
and I seriously doubt I would have any more business because of it!

Oh spammers... PLEASE do not call me =)

But you can follow me on twitter:

follow me on Twitter

iPhone turning water into wine?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:32:14 -0500

Over the weekend I was at my cousins wedding chasing my 3 year old son around, well my wife was enjoying a day as a bridesmaid, yet again.
(I think this makes 8 dress she has purchased that she will never wear again)

None the less as the pictures were being taken before the wedding I noticed the DJ seem to be having issues and since I was watching my son I did not give it much thought , That is, till it was time for the young couple to tie the knot and the wedding planner was telling everyone that the wedding was being pushed back an hour.
(tell that to a 3 year old that has not had a nap)

I went in to see my wife and the bride and ask what was up (hoping the bride or worst the groom was not getting cold feet???)

Come to find out, the DJ was not having any luck with his "ton o fancy equipment" and that he could not play the wedding march. He needed to get his system up and running for the holy event to take place.

We'll I was standing there I asked the groom what songs they had picked out for the wedding, he told me and giving the DJ a few more agonizing minutes to fix what ever was wrong, I whipped out my trusty iPhone and began to download the song from iTunes to my iPhone.

it was now 5 minutes after the wedding was scheduled to start. I went to the groom and said I am all set, lets hook the iPhone up to the speakers and get this wedding started. He was totally on board and the Bride was ready to have the brides maids hum, so needless to say she was on board.

I hooked my iPhone up and hit play, they were walking down the isle to their music of choice, all thanks to Apple and iTunes! (and AT&T too)

Well the DJ, finally! after two systems and 4 hours later got it working and we danced the night away!

But I got the wedding rolling a few hours earlier thanks to the iPhone.

Now as a Realtor, I love having my iPhone with full internet and email capability along with some great apps by Zillow and the Real Estate Calculator Not to mention the Mobile Me feature that keeps your phone and computer contacts and calendar synced with out you having to do anything!

If you have not gotten your iPhone yet... then what are you waiting for?

It did not turn water into wine, but it did save the wedding!

With all the great comments I have recieved on this post I added a page to my website about the great Realtor apps, check them out:

www.JamesBaxterHomes.com/iPhone

as always, if you have any questions, just ask!

www.JamesBaxterHomes.com

is it a buyers market?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:14:04 -0500

As I sit here on a Friday night when most other red blooded Americans are with their families or are partying like it is 1999 I sit here looking over the MLS trying to find new and exciting properties to show my clients. After all it is a buyers market... right?

I find myself having to disagree with that statement.

The 4 homes in the 92081 zip code, 2 are missed labeled mobile homes ... (should I report that)
I mean come on if you are a Realtor and you can't tell the difference between a mobile home a SFD
you really should not be in this business.
The other 1 is a cracked slab.
The last 1 just has 1 picture of the garage door... (it does in compass most of the front of the house, but seriously, 1 freaking picture? We are sales people.... that means we are selling things, in this case homes.... More then one picture is expected if not, it should be required. I think at least 10 should be mandatory)

Then the 92069 zip code 6 home match what my client is looking for.
First home asked me to email for the home inspection (very nice, that is until you read it, the whole house just about needs to be redone, we'll be skipping that one)
The next one has an offer accepted pending lender approval. I thought that is why Sandicor added the contingent listing.
The next one says no showings at this time and only has 4 pictures 1 is of the garage door, 1 is of a bed on the wall or maybe the picture is sideways.
The next picture is of the computer desk (I wonder if these items come with the house and that is why the pictures of them?) and the last picture is of the grass in the back yard with a clothes line. (Hey washer and dryer included! ... right?)
Next we have a REO with 9 pictures ... I about fell out of my chair on this one, thank you Mr. Wagner .... I am proud to call you a Realtor
The next one is a short sale with a pending foreclosure, I think I will put an offer in on this one so that my clients hopes can be smashed when it gets auctioned off and goes back to the bank. The last one, thank god, I can just go show however.... again just a picture of the garage door. I am sooo glad all of these homes have such photogenic garage doors.

Well in the mean time the good thing is I will not be out long with my clients tomorrow. Which is good, cause I spent the last 30 minutes typing this.
Tomorrow, I will be able to get home and spend time with my family and maybe enjoy my fathers day weekend.

However in the mean time if you have a listing that your clients would like to sell to a nice FHA couple, please feel free to contact me
they are looking for a decent 3 bedroom home under 290,000 that is in a somewhat of a nice neighborhood we can open escrow right away and close in 30 days or less. And you had better have more then one picture on your listing!

Denise Richards home is for sale!

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:32:01 -0500

Denise Richards Dad, is selling his home in Leucadia.

Leucadia Beach Home for Sale on the "Easy Road to Hana"

My good friend Paul Guess has listed Denise Richards Dad's Home for $1,795,000

This is an amazing combination of attributes for a Beach Home. Almost impossible to find... yet here is it... in one of the best Buyer's Markets we have seen in years. No one particular feature makes this home unique... but the combination certainly does. West of I-5, Blocks to the beach and Batiquitos Lagoon, 1/2 Acre, 3 Years new, 4,301 Sq Ft with Five full Suites including the Lanai Guest House , Ocean View, Pool, Cul De Sac Street and Quiet Location, San Dieguito Schools... and an oversized 3 car garage. Throw in no HOA fees and no Mello Roos... and you have the impossible dream... found. Architecturally this Craftsman treasure looks like it came strait from Maui and right in the heart of Funky Wonderful Leucadia.

For a showing please give me a call!

you will need to prequal beofore a showing is schedualed do to the nature of this unique home!

James Baxter

760-271-9971

james@baxterco.com

www.jamesbaxterhomes.com

Is it a good time to sell?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:25:23 -0500

Of recent, I have been of the mind set and telling my clients, "if you do not need to sell right now.... don't!"

However one of my colleges brought up an interesting point that I now will be sharing with my clients from here on out.

It is a great time to sell! (at least in the San Diego North County area with homes under $500,000)

Here is why:

1.)In a market run a muck with short sales competing against multiple offers and long approval processes.
Imagine being able to put a property on the market that can give an answer to an offer, in, oh say 48 hours?! OR LESS!

unheard of now a days, the seller would be the talk of the town!

2.)Interest rates are at an ALL time low.

3.)Tax advantages for first time home buyers that we have not see before for. Click Here for more info.

It is truly a great time to buy! ... which in turn if one must sell, it is a great time to sell!

There are buyers out there that would love to buy what you are selling!

Buyers are frustrated and bidding short sale property up ... above market values.
Buyer are going around to multiple properties, making multiple offers on them hoping sooner or later one will stick.
Buyers are backing out because it is taking too long to get approval on their offers, or they are sticking it out only to
find out that the bank is just going to foreclose on the property or worse yet, the seller has accepted a higher offer.

I know that this must sound more like an argument for a great time to buy then sell.

But here is the deal, I can only imagine that come 2010 interest rates will be going up, no guarantee however click here to see what has happened in the past.

If interest rates go up that will effect a buyers buying power and will reduce the number of buyers competing for your home.

Bottom line if you can hold off on selling and by holding off I mean more then 5 years do so....
however if you plan on selling before then? Truly now is a great time!

All information is deemed reliable however is not guaranteed. For specifics for your area contact your local Realtor.

"What Goes Up.... Must Come Down" HomeDex™ March 2009

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:34:17 -0500

Once Again it is time for the HomeDex™ report.

Over all we are up this month by 4.13% from same time last year. As with all real estate markets, they are local and what is happening in San Diego (and even North County) vs. any where else may not and more then likely will not be the same.
In North County, I am seeing an increase in activity, lots of cash buyers that are closing quickly and a lot of FHA loans.
People are still getting loan but they just have to qualify for them now, imagine that! And rightly so. I believe that was a big part of what got us headed down this path was the free unregulated money.

As with anything, call it the Darwin Theory, or what goes up must come down, The Yen and Yang. The market must and will correct themselves.
Nobody likes to loose money, but the only way you can make money, is if you have the chance to loose money.

Does this mean I think we are headed out of this mess we are in? By no means! We still have a ways to go. Just looking at history

http://andexcharts.com/u_wall.htm

I would think we have 2-3 years of a flat line in the market, at which point we should see a return to the 6-8% return for a few years.
But only to be met with this again in the early 2020's. Interest rate have got to start going up come next year.

"Is it a good time to buy?" you bet your bottom dollar it is! are you gonna get rich by filliping homes in 30-60 day, not in this market your not.

But if you are looking for a deal and getting a historically low interest rate, you have come in to the perfect storm!

HomeDex™ Key Points March 2009 Data
1. The median price for all North County home sales – attached and detached – increased 4.13% in March 2009 from February 2009, to $324,889.

a. Detached homes in North County decreased 0.25 percent, from February 2009 to March 2009, from $364,900 to $364,000.
    i. Detached home prices OUTSIDE North County decreased 4.69% from February 2009 to March 2009, from $320,000 to $305,000.
    ii. March 2009 median single-family detached homes in North San Diego County fell 25.71%, from $490,000 in March 2008. The median
       price OUTSIDE North County for single-family homes fell 25.61% from the $410,000 a year ago.
    iii. The countywide median price of homes sold decreased from $335,000 in February 2009 to $325,000 in March 2009 and was
        down 26.14% from the March 2008 number.

b. Attached home prices in North County increased during March 2009 by 2.76%, from $181,000 a month earlier to $186,000.
    i. Non-North County attached home prices decreased 10.05% in March 2009; from $189,000 to $170,000.
    ii. North County attached homes decreased 45.28% from $339,900 a year ago.

c. Median days-on-market for single-family detached homes in North County decreased from 52 to 46 days between February 2009
    and March 2009. The number of North County single-family homes sold increased 25.97% last month, from 543 to 684.
    There was a year-to-year increase of 41.32% from the 484 homes sold in March 2008.

2. The residential real estate market has swung from the seller’s market of three years ago when home prices were increasing as much as
    20 to 30 percent per year to the buyer’s market today where prices have decreased and there’s an abundant inventory of homes from
    which to choose. That’s good news for those looking to buy a home.

a. Interest rates continue at record lows, at least for the short-term future.
    The current condition of the housing market needs to be kept in historical perspective. Home values rose 88 percent on a national average
   – higher in California – over the past decade.

3. Sales continue to be hampered by problems in real estate finance. Both tighter underwriting standards and the ongoing effects of the credit/liquidity
    crunch continue to limit sales.

a. Buyers with secured financing, or all cash are not hampered by the constraints of the real estate financing market.
    In fact, several North County brokers and agents have experienced significant increases in activity in recent weeks, working with well-qualified buyers
    who recognize optimum buying conditions in which there are low interest rates and an abundant selection of homes on the market.

Information taken from HomeDex™ Copyright © 2009 by the
North San Diego County Association of Realtors (NSDCAR). Used by permission.

Is Cash Really King?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:18:40 -0600

My clients are split down the middle as for sellers and buyers.
I posed the question to myself is cash really king?
What difference does it make if one is paying with cash or credit.

After looking at offers coming in and offers going out.
I must conclude, that in fact cash is king.

Keeping it short, here is the deal.
Think for a moment that you are a seller.
You have your home listed at $500,000 in a decline market,
we do not know what the market will be doing 30 days from now.
You are looking at two offers.

First one is for $515,000 will close in 30-45 days and the buyer
would like to make their offer contingent on inspection of the property.

Second offer is for $485,000 will close in 7 days.

You are the home owner..... which would you choose?

Obama's Budget Proposal

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:02:37 -0600

As I sat and read the latest e-mail from NAR (granted I do take most of what I read with a grain of salt)
The NAR President had this to say about President Obama's budget proposal:

"As currently drafted, the plan changes the Mortgage Interest Deduction by reducing the amount of mortgage deductibility on families earning over $250,000. This proposed change in the Mortgage Interest Deduction will result in further erosion of home prices and home values. If this proposal is enacted it will lead to a new round of price depreciation, will cause greater distress on the balance sheets of banks as the collateral value of mortgage backed securities declines. A second credit crisis could emerge before the first one is resolved."

My first thought was "so what, who cares about that segment of the population" (well other then that segment of the population)
Then it hit me.
What President Reagan had preached all those years.
It is the trickle down factor. (water does not roll up hill)

Anytime someone on the spectrum moves up, it makes room for the next guy and the next guy and the next guy to infinity.
Iron sharpens iron, wealth begets wealth.

All through out history we have never seen anyone tax themselves into prosperity. We have seen great successes with sticking to a budget and
and doing what is right with ones money.

That opens up a whole new topic of what is right with ones money, we'll save for a later date.

None the less, I do not envy anyone in that office right now. I truly believe that whoever was going to get elected was going to be set up for failure.
How great that failure will be is up to that individual. He has a tough road ahead - but the answer does not lie in more taxes, it lies in accountable spending.

But for now.

"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
-- Winston Churchill

Expanded Tax Break Available for 2009 First-Time Homebuyers

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:18:32 -0600

Well all here it is right from the horse's mouth!

"IR-2009-14, Feb. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who qualify for the first-time
homebuyer credit and purchase a home this year before Dec. 1 have a special option available for claiming the tax
credit either on their 2008 tax returns due April 15 or on their 2009 tax returns next year.
Qualifying taxpayers who buy a home this year before Dec. 1 can get up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married filing
separately.
“For first-time homebuyers this year, this special feature can put money in their pockets right now rather than waiting
another year to claim the tax credit," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “This important change gives qualifying
homebuyers cash they do not have to pay back.”
The IRS has posted a revised version of Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit, on IRS.gov. The revised form
incorporates provisions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The instructions to the revised
Form 5405 provide additional information on who can and cannot claim the credit, income limitations and repayment of
the credit.
This year, qualifying taxpayers who buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009, can claim the credit on either their 2008 or 2009
tax returns. They do not have to repay the credit, provided the home remains their main home for 36 months after the
purchase date. They can claim 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married individuals filing
separately.
The amount of the credit begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or
$150,000 for joint filers.
For purposes of the credit, you are considered to be a first-time homebuyer if you, and your spouse if you are married,
did not own any other main home during the three-year period ending on the date of purchase.
The IRS also alerted taxpayers that the new law does not affect people who purchased a home after April 8, 2008, and
on or before Dec. 31, 2008. For these taxpayers who are claiming the credit on their 2008 tax returns, the maximum
credit remains 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $7,500, or $3,750 for married individuals filing separately. In
addition, the credit for these 2008 purchases must be repaid in 15 equal installments over 15 years, beginning with the
2010 tax year."

Go to my website for more information and to down loan IRS form 5405 www.JamesBaxterHomes.com

Store Closings in Encinitas

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:25:22 -0600

I was looking around Encinitas and thought I would count all the stores and places that have closed over the last few months.
Or the stores that are scheduled to close. I really find it interesting, be it no surprise that so many have closed.
I have walked in to a few of these places and asked myself how the heck are these stores staying in business.

(granted some have down size or move, but most have shut down)

There was:
Von’s on Encinitas Bl,
Fast track kids,
Banner Mattress,
Patio Sources,
BIg Jim's,
Santa Fe BBQ,
Flippis,
Maui Wowi,
LA Weight less center .
The computer store and the smoke shop also next to Maui Wowi.
Hershel's Restaurant
Meritage Restaurant & Bar,
Red Robin.
Tweeter,
the Carpet store,
the Ebay store.
Blockbuster
All American Yogurt,
AMC,
Three Day Blinds,
Submania,
Trophy Shop,
The Door Store,
Dream Dinners,
AT & T store,
Krispi Kream Donuts,
Shoe Povillians,
Linens and Things,
Comp USA,
Solon NV,
Hollywood and Game Crazy.
The cell phone store next to Rubios.
Toygarden,
Pout, Susui on The Rocks,
Bombay.
The soccer store next to Henreys.
Home Depot Expo
Dalagers
Charles on 101
Ace Hardware
J Jill's is on its way out.
Albertson's and Circuit city are on there way out and yet Walgreens does not like any of our empty places so they have to build there own

I can't wait to see what happens and what new business take their place.

What does the new stimulis bill mean for me buying a house?

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:36:09 -0600

Well to sum up from the Realtor board:

"So here's what we have achieved: 1) the loan limits will be raised to $727,000 in high cost areas, 2) the tax credit will be raised to $8,000 with NO payback [a true credit], 3) interest rates have come down 125-150 basis points, and 4) the bill has over $50 billion in it for foreclosure mitigation, with Geitners Treasury plan signaling that the second half of TARP and TALF will be used to mitigate foreclosures through a government guarantee, drive down interest rates by buying another $200-300 billion of mortgage paper from the GSES's thereby freeing them up to do the same with new mortgages, and Fannie has just agreed to lift the cap of 4 investment properties eligible for loans and raise it to 10."

So what has this done?

I am not really sure and only time will tell.
I do know one thing taking on more debt has never helped to get one out of debt.
I am sure for every argument you find for one way, there is an equal argument for the other.

Bottom line - I have never met some one that is as careful with money as when it is you with your own money.
When we tend to be using someone else's money we tend not to be as cautious.

When we were faced with this issue in the early 80's I think Reagan did it right.
Now the question is, did Obama do it right?

He just signed our kids up for a credit card bill that their kids will be paying for.

Lets hope it works, other wise all we will have is change.

$8000 to home buyers

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:08:17 -0600

In Folowing up I just read that the New Deal just passed by our fearless leaders has a $8000 tax credit for home buyers.

I am feverishly looking through the internet (where I like to get all my facts) for the details on the tax credit.

More to come =)

Tax benefit OK'd in stimulus bill to aid home owners

James Baxter 760-271-9971 (Richard Realty Group) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:18:18 -0600

Just read in the paper today that the Senate passed a $15,000

tax break to aid home buyers and help get the economy going again.
I think this is a step in the right direction, but only time will tell.

Home ownership is a wonderful thing - that is when done right.

This is wonderful news for home owners.

consult with your tax adviser for your full benefit.

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Is Cash Really King?

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Expanded Tax Break Available for 2009 First-Time Homebuyers

Store Closings in Encinitas

What does the new stimulis bill mean for me buying a house?

$8000 to home buyers

Tax benefit OK'd in stimulus bill to aid home owners