Sometimes San Diego real estate buyers and sellers experience difficulty selecting the perfect Real Estate Professional to assist them with their home buying and selling experience.

Often it can be as easy as taking a test to find the perfect agent for your home buying or selling experience.

Find out who truly is the very best Real Estate Professional for YOU!

(DON’T SCROLL DOWN YET)
DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW, AND THEN SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE PERFECT REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR YOU.

No Peeking!!!
It’s AMAZINGLY CRAZY how accurate this is!!

1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9
2) Multiply by 3
3) Add 3
4) Multiply by 3, again
5) You should now have a 2 or 3 digit number….
6) Add the digits together

Now, scroll down.

With that number, see who your PERFECT AGENT is from the list below:
(1) Your cousin, Vinny, who just received his real estate license this past Tuesday

(2) Bob, who rode his bicycle 7 miles to your house, because he lost his license to drive

(3) Nancy, who told you to get in, sit down, and shut up, because you were in for the ride of your life

(4) Madeline, the agent who consulted with a Ouija board to determine your home’s list price

(5) Eric, who brought his aggressive Pit Bull along for showings, because he didn’t know “who” or “what” we might encounter while viewing vacant properties

(6) Marcus, your car’s auto-mechanic, who also sells real estate on Sundays, and sometimes in the evenings

(7) Allison, who once volunteered her time at the hospital, but is into real estate as a hobby now.

(8) Ellis, who told you before you could sell your home you needed to complete the list of 78 improvements on your home. Total cost of improvements $56,000. Home value – $150,000

(9) William Johnson – Realtor for over 20 years and lives here in wonderful San Diego. Caring, experienced and the consummate professional.

(10) Oh, oh, need to cross Don’s name off this list, because we buried him last month.
See, it wasn’t that difficult to select the perfect real estate professional after all.

At the end of your successful real estate home buying or selling experience with #9, you will know how accurate this test was!

Why are you laughing???

P.S. Stop picking different numbers. Just dial (858-487-6975) and ask for William Johnson, author of the Real Estate Text Book with over 20 years of experience. Tell him you took the test, and it told you to call.

*This test is meant for entertainment purposes only! Any names used (other than my own), are either fictional, or have been changed to protect the guilty!

If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.

I specialize in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of those communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho
Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach. If I didn’t mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.

The Governor signed into law a senate bill that provides  New Home Buyers with a tax credit

Between March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010, New Home Buyers can earn a tax credit up to $10,000 on a qualified personal residence. The qualified property an be a single family home or an attached property. There is 100 million in tax credit available so it will be available on the next two years on a first come, first serve basis.

The qualifying rules are as follows:

The Buyer must occupy the New Home for at least 2 consecutive years after the purchase.

The Seller of the new home must certify within one week of the sale that the New Home has never been lived in.

The Buyer must be eligible for the homeowner tax exemption.

Buyer must make application for the tax credit prior to the close of escrow.

The amount of the credit will be the lesser of 5% of the sales price up to $10,000.

The credit will be claimed over three consecutive years and a copy of the Seller Certification must accompany the tax return.

The Franchise Tax Board will be working with Title and Escrow companies to implement the program throughout the state. What’s is especially nice is that the New Home Buyers may also qualify for the Federal $8000 tax credit if they are first time home Buyers.

With our economic system in a tailspin, for the older generation hit the hardest by declining fortunes coupled with the rise of unemployment, property values and retirement investments,there may be yet another way for them to tap into the greater amount of their home equity in these hard times.

For home owners that are age 62 or older and have a good amount of equity, Reverse Mortgages may be their Golden Egg that helps them through the tough times and ensures they can stay in their homes.

While there are scores of Reverse Mortgage offerings out there from  private companies and even some state and local government types, the federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage might be a good place to start in the discovery of the costs and requirements to see if the idea of a Reverse Mortgage is your Golden Egg.

An FHA Reverse Mortgage, was granted a higher loan limit last fall that currently stands at $417,000.

Some of options of the reverse mortgage is that it can give these older home owners various ways to take the loan. It can be an equity line of credit, lump sum payment or a combination of both, all the while they can remain in the home without the burden of making mortgage payments. And the costs and types of loans will most likely vary greatly.

Below is a general overview of the requirements for an FHA approved reverse mortgage, fully guaranteed by the federal government ( Federal Housing Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veteran affairs).

Requirements:

Must be 62 years of age or older
Property must be your principle residence
Agree to be counseled by Home Equity Mortgage Counselor *
Have enough equity in the property

The Amount of Mortgage is based upon:

Age of youngest borrower ( must be at least 62 years of age )
Either the appraised value or Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Limit ( whichever is less )
Current mortgage interest rates

Financial Qualifications:

There is no income or credit evaluations needed of the borrower (s)
Costs associated with the Reverse Mortgage may be a part of the financing
No payment is required unless residence is sold, residence changes from being the primary residence or borrower passes away

Eligible Property Requirements:

Property must meet the minimum FHA property standards
Must be a single family home or 1-4 unit home with one unit occupied by the borrower as his/her principle residence
If the property is a condominium it must be on the FHA approved list
If the property is a manufactured home, it must meet the minimum FHA standards for manufactured homes

*The purpose for the counseling is to determine if eligibility requirements can be met, what the financial implications and alternatives would be for the reverse mortgage and also what kinds of costs are involved. At that time, the provisions of the mortgage are presented with what circumstances will trigger the mortgage to become due and payable. After the counseling session, the Borrower(s) will be best able to make the determination if the reverse mortgage would be of benefit and ultimately meet their needs.

Pacific Beach

In this marvelous coastal community of Pacific Beach,you’ll find that the stereotypical ‘ California Dream ‘ popularized by the California Beach Boys, alive and well. One of the more fascinating aspects about this beach community is its amazing diversity. It draws its citizens from the world over.

Enjoy this the wonderful look back in musical history that helped popularize all of Southern California Beaches and Pacific Beach “PB” was no exception. For many this became more than a dream, it is now their new California Lifestyle.

Yes, Pacific Beach has become one of America’s favorite surfing destinations but it is so much more. It is a beach community that has become a real ‘Mecca’ for it’s night life, known throughout the country and beyond, From it’s many coffee houses, nightclubs, and late-night restaurants that are clustered mainly along Garnet Avenue and Mission Boulevard, PB is practically a phenomenon enjoyed by nearly everyone living in San Diego county.

But just a block or two away from all the beach activities provides for the “much quieter” residential community. If beach front living is your preferred style, you will love the ambiance that PB provides with it’s casual, friendly, laid-back and eclectic life style. Housing opportunities from affordable condominiums to luxury homes will be sure to satisfy most any taste or budget.

The excitement begins this Thursday June 12th. San Diego is all dressed up and waiting the many many thousands that are descending in our wonderful community. Torrey Pines, a public course in La Jolla over looking the ocean,  will host this marvelous event and the players to watch are 2 of the worlds best players , Tiger Woods, currently ranked number one in the world  and his playing partner,  the player ranked number 2 in the world, Phil Michelson.

As play begins early Thursday morning,the 3 day event will expose San Diego to an International audience and it would surprise no one if we saw a real surge in people migrating here from all parts to take up residency here in America’s Finest City.

Most Sincerely,

William Johnson GRI CRS e-PRO
RE/MAX Associates

According to the National Association of Home Builders, NAHB, these communities are seemingly getting faster approval from local building departments than others as they require less infrastructure for school children and bring in the same or even higher taxes.

There is significant room for developers to increase the number of these seniors community subdivisions as the total current supply is only about one million homes. The number of Americans who are 55 and older is expected to climb to 85.6 million or 26.3% of the population by 2014. This increase of 52.2 million, up from the population numbers of 1990, will create a rapid demand for this new specialized housing.

This specialty requires that common areas and community features have the look and feel that also says, ” We are here , We are successful and We want to live the way we want”. This new group of seniors have suffered through the transformation of starting out life with less and evolving to where they are today. Builders of these specialized subdivisions know they must create environments that are specialized and unique. They must also reflect the success of their clients careers that they got them there. Visually opulent but structurally sound, practical and easy to maintain.

The Real Estate Text Book

The best news for San Diego county property owners is that the median price dropped only 2.2% and then numbers show just a small drop of the 2006 median price of $500,000 to $489,000.

Considering all the hysterical news of foreclosures and the ensuing potential for short sales this is some really positive news.

Data Quick analyst John Karevoll, attributes at least part of the market slowdown we are experiencing to the financial markets. Some well known lenders have all but stopped processing loan applications. Hopefully, the market will resolve those issues and the inconvenience to homeowners and home buyers will be short lived.

He also commented that the South Bay area of San Diego county and East County areas have suffered the largest drop in their median prices. North County Coastal and North County Inland has suffered the least amount of change while central San Diego didn’t fair to badly either, dropping only less than two tenths of a percent more than North County.

Comparatively, San Bernadino county has suffered a 42.6% drop in sales but only a 3.1% drop in their median prices .

Riverside County which also includes the exclusive but seasonal Palm Desert area, showed a large drop of 41.9% in sales and only a 3.9 % drop in the median prices. Factoring in that it is primarily a seasonal market and most of the snow birds have long gone , that market doesn’t seem to be too far off its normal pace for this time of year.

Los Angeles enjoyed a gain in the median price of a home there of 5.3% butt did suffer it’s sales dropping a significant 23% below the 2006 levels.

It is clear to me that San Diego is still very strong in the market because more Seller’s are doing their part by better preparing their homes and doing more to attract the Buyers to America’s Finest City. Surfs Up, so come to San Diego and bring the family. Who knows , the temptation to stay and enjoy all that San Diego provides might have you soon calling San Diego, “home”. Welcome!

That’s right, the In-Group is pouring out of their other home styles for a new lifestyle home in a Downtown Hi-Rise. They are appearing at extravagant ultra Chic parties sponsored by Hi-Rise Developers to attract the rich and the not necessarily so famous ” life style” oriented Buyers for the Hi-Rise Lifestyle in Downtown San Diego.

Just last month, One Smart developer spend over $500 per guest on a Chic Night time party to lure their best potential buyers.

The developer in an interview recently said ” We are not dealing with the sub-prime borrowers. It allows us to to establish a buzz among the right people”. The ” right people” at this party included 90 buyers who had already closed escrow, scores of potential buyers and assorted VIP’s.

Invitations to this party were engraved on Lucite and when they arrived the guests were also given other tokens of the developers esteem.

From the extravagant food and specialized beverages, band selection and the entertainment, the environment was comparable to Chic Hollywood parties with all the bling and glamour.

How about seeing a few Cirque de Soliel style performers rappelling off the side of the building. Now that’s entertainment Grand style.

One invited guest said this was one of the most fabulous opening parties ever done in San Diego. A comment from a major PR firm representative also invited said that events like also serve to keep buyers from cancelling their sales contracts and convincing on the fence hesitant buyers to buy. It all demonstrates that there are many Buyers seeking the active life styles associated with living the Chic lifestyles. One thing for certain, with lots of competition and so much for Buyers to choose from, the Best Opening Party may be yet to come.

Whatever the reason, Buyers are demonstrating a zeal for the New Life-Style being afforded by the Downtown San Diego Developers. Whats not to like? All the comforts of Urban Styled Home Interiors with so many added benefits. The proximity to the Gaslamp Quarters Night life, Shopping, Convention Center,The Bay, Seaport Village, and the downtown locations, maybe soon to be considered a Destination for the In-Group, just seems to have it all.

The new Stylings are true Urban Chic.