Rancho Bernardo’s Seven Oaks

One of two senior communities in Rancho Bernardo for residents ages 55 and up, Seven Oaks enjoys a desirable location in the heart of Rancho Bernardo. The homes are meticulously cared for, and the residents enjoy the peace and quiet of adult living, with the added bonus of the well-equipped Seven Oaks Community Center nearby.

16361 Sarape Drive

This single-level property has been beautifully updated, with upgrades including an updated kitchen, air conditioning, insulated rollup garage door on the oversized single-car garage, and a versatile extra room leading to the delightful back yard with fruit trees. You’ll enjoy privacy in abundance and gentle evening breezes from the covered back patio.

The Seven Oaks Club – Recreation and Activities Center

The Seven Oaks Club offers a variety of activities too numerous to mention, but count on swimming, shuffleboard, billiards and ping pong, woodworking, sewing, ceramics, jewelry making, volleyball, and best of all, companionship and camaraderie with friends who share your interests.

The seller will entertain offers between $265,000 and $295,000.

Contact us to schedule your viewing, and you can start enjoying the best of what Seven Oaks has to offer.

Why Savvy Seniors Love Seven Oaks is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Real Estate Buyers and Sellers: Their Unique Perspective

We all read the same newspapers and listen to the same analysis, right? While no one has a crystal ball, buyers and sellers have very different opinions about whether their real estate glass is half full or half empty.

The Question Posed

When asked, “Do you think home prices in your neighborhood will go up, down or stay flat in one year, five years and 10 years?”, their answers are significantly different.

The Home Sellers’ Point of View

More than 40% of home sellers predicted a down market lies ahead, with the next highest percentage believing the market will stay flat. The least common answer from sellers was up, and essentially none expressed uncertainty. Home sellers are skeptical of home values improving, and not afraid to say so.

The Buyers’ Counterpoint

As for buyers, the vast majority expressed uncertainty for the future of real estate prices. The ones who took a position opted in nearly equal numbers for a move upward and a flat market, with virtually no one predicting a downward trend.

What Does it Mean?

The obvious conclusion is that home buyers are much more hopeful than sellers dare to be at the moment. With interest rates at historic lows and affordability at record high rates, home buyers are testing the waters and bumping up against the competition of multiple offers in many markets and many price points.

There is no question that competitive pricing is essential for homes to sell, but they are selling. Power in negotiating comes in part from confidence in your position. Is it possible that home buyers hold more power than they realize?

Affordability- Even in California

Affordability in California reached its peak near the dawn of 2009, and remains high, with more than 50% of California households able to buy at today’s prices. Affordability nationwide hovers at less than 70%. There are attractive opportunities for home buyers to re-enter the marketplace and enjoy the benefits of home ownership today.

*Source: California Association of Realtors

Real Estate Outlook: Buyers vs Sellers is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

     Double Backflip

That’s likely to be your first impulse when you see this exquisite former model home in 4S Ranch!

     The Setting

First of all, it’s on a cul-de-sac, with lots of privacy, a split 3-car garage and an oversized back yard–but you won’t know all of that right away–so it’s OK to be patient for a minute.

Stylish Decor and Upgrades

Once you step through the front entry, you’ll start seriously thinking backflip. Expansive Noce Travertine makes an elegant statement, a hint of the upgrades you’ll discover throughout this exquisite home. Zoned central air, security system, wiring and speakers for home theater, and impressive built-ins in the family room and master bedroom are just a few of the special touches you’ll find here.

The Floor Plan

The floor plan is what you might love most of all. The beautifully appointed granite and stainless steel kitchen, breakfast nook and family room combine to form an enormous yet inviting living area–all your friends can enjoy your future Superbowl parties right here!

A spacious main floor guest suite with private full bath is tucked away for maximum privacy, and you also have a separate powder room on the main floor. That leaves 3 secondary bedrooms, the master suite and a loft for the 2nd floor. That means you have a total of 5 bedrooms, the loft, and 4.5 baths.

The Yard

The cul-de-sac setting is partly responsible for the large yard size, and the professionally designed landscaping, meticulously maintained, is the icing on the cake. Enjoy near-total privacy as you relax or play games with friends and family on the lush lawn.

4S Ranch

4S Ranch is a highly desired planned community, offering an abundance of recreational opportunities, as well as shopping, a great variety of restaurants, a library, LA Fitness, community parks, and nearby schools, part of the nationally acclaimed Poway Unified School District. Conveniently near the 15, RB Business Park, Fairbanks Ranch, Del Sur, and the 56, you can get pretty much anywhere from here with ease.

The seller will entertain offers between $825,000 and $899,000.

Contact us to arrange for your private viewing today.

Former Model Home for Sale in 4S Ranch is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Del Mar Bluffs

We call this a “Sweet Sale”: owned by a nice human with equity, so it’s not a short sale OR bank owned!

With a terrific location on the top floor in Del Mar Bluffs, this charming unit has been beautifully redone from top to bottom: kitchen and bath, flooring, window treatments have all been updated, ready for you to move right in.

You’ll also love the location, tucked away near the rear of the complex, away from any busy roads. An elevator is available for your convenience, just near enough–but not too near the unit, for added privacy and quiet. Parking is gated; 1 assigned space is included.

What’s the Most Important Thing in Real Estate?

You know the top 3 things you look for in a real estate purchase: location, location and location! It’s West of I-5, and you have easy access to the 5, Del Mar Village, beaches, golf, UCSD, Torrey Pines Reserve, fairgrounds, racetrack, and more!

That translates to lots of lifestyle on a shoestring budget.This is entry-level pricing to prestigious, ever-popular Del Mar.

Seller will entertain offers between $165,00 and $190,000.

Put this on your “must-see” list!

West of 5 Del Mar Condo for Sale is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Resolve to Shed the Weight of an Unmanageable Mortgage in 2012

Current estimates from RealtyTrac reveal that close to 7.5 million American households are delinquent on their mortgage or in foreclosure. An additional 11 million homeowners owe more on their mortgage than their homes are worth. Are you one of them?

While there are numerous programs offering help to homeowners in trouble, deciphering them all can be difficult. Here is a brief overview of those you’ll be hearing about most often in this election year:

HAFA

The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program helps homeowners avoid the negative effects of foreclosure by establishing incentives for completing a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. With a successful short sale or deed-in-lieu, HAFA provides for $3,000 in relocation assistance for the homeowner. The property and the homeowner must meet qualification standards to participate in this program.

HAMP

The Home Affordable Modification Program helps homeowners who are no longer able to make mortgage payments due to decreased income or increased payments. HAMP reduces the monthly mortgage payment to 31% of gross income by following steps that can include interest rate reduction, extension of the term of the loan, deferring principal payments and even possible reduction of principal.

HARP

The Home Affordable Refinance Program helps homeowners refinance and take advantage of today’s historically low interest rates. The mortgage must be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to qualify for the program. As of December 1, 2011, a previous requirement that the first mortgage didn’t exceed 125% of the market value of the home has been eliminated. Eligible borrowers may now refinance under HARP regardless of how “underwater” they are. Find out if your loan is backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Each month we publish a special report just for distressed homeowners. You can always see the current report by visiting ForeclosureOptionsToday.com and see all the archives at the Resources tab. We’re here to help.

Tipping the Scales Toward Foreclosure? is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Original owner of single-level home in Rancho Penasquitos in search of someone to love this home like they did.

How it all Began

First, they chose the best location on the cul-de-sac street…right near the end. They were happy to find it was a larger lot, just over 10,000 square feet, all usable. And the builder had chosen a single-level floor plan for this special lot–icing on the cake!

Why the Kids Loved this Home

Dave & Cory raised their boys in this wonderful home, everyone enjoying the great big yard, large enough for ball games with their friends. Best of all, they boys had an easy walk to the elementary, middle and high schools, all part of the Poway Unified School District. The kitchen is open to the family room and enclosed patio beyond, so mom could be part of all the activity. The oversized breakfast bar makes a great place for homework or dining.

Improvements Made with Love

They eventually had a permitted patio enclosure built, the perfect place for a pool table that might just end up conveying with the home, ready for you to enjoy with your family and friends. Upgrades include copper plumbing, a beautifully redone kitchen, new hot water heater in 2011, new furnace, A/C and programmable thermostat in 2007.

Some special features usually found in more upscale homes include Sun Clean Sound Windows, and Tex-Cote Super-Cote on the exterior of the home in 2002–a water-resistant coating that may keep you from ever painting the home again!

See for Yourself

Doesn’t this sound like a home you could love, too? We call this a “Sweet Sale”: owned by the aforementioned nice humans instead of a bank. That means you can close as quickly as you want, and start making some nice memories of your own here.

The seller will entertain offers between $465,000 and $515,000. Request an appointment today for your private viewing. Showings begin Thursday afternoon, January 12, 2012.

Home Seller Seeks Perfect Buyer for Special Home is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Get a Fresh Start

Has your life changed since you bought your home? Between rampant unemployment and the San Diego housing market still struggling to find the floor on home prices, many families find themselves without the stability they had once counted on.

If you are falling further behind each month due to a mortgage payment that you can no longer afford, there is actually some encouraging news. The Federal government, along with state and local agencies, have put some programs into place to help stem the tide of foreclosures.

Loan modifications are more accessible than ever, and some banks are offering incentives to encourage homeowners to do a short sale instead of walking away and letting the bank foreclose.

10 Warning Signs of a Mortgage Modification Scam

When times are tough, there are always con artists who prey on folks down on their luck, desperate to believe in anyone who offers them hope. The current foreclosure crisis involves so many people in trouble, scam artists are devoting their time and resources to target this group.

This month’s special report outlines 10 Warning Signs of a Mortgage Modification Scam. Check it out,  and be careful out there!

Each month we publish a special report just for distressed homeowners. You can always see the current report by visiting ForeclosureOptionsToday.com and see all the archives at the Resources tab. We’re here to help.

Are Your Mortgage Payments Weighing You Down? is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

See what’s happening in the Scripps Ranch real estate market over the past 5 years.

Scripps Ranch Real Estate Market Trends is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Rancho Penasquitos enjoys the benefit of being in the renowned Poway Unified School District, which means there is always demand for this area. Here’s what has been happening in terms of property values over the past 5 years.

Rancho Penasquitos Market Trends is a post from: San Diego Real Estate

Poway enjoys the benefit of being in the renowned Poway Unified School District, which means there is always demand for this area. Here’s what has been happening in terms of property values over the past 5 years.

Poway Market Trends is a post from: San Diego Real Estate