Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 170
Unfortunately, wire fraud is alive and well in real estate. There are not many transactions that involve a larger financial investment than purchasing real estate. All buyers are required to deliver earnest money funds within three days of acceptance on an offer. In Fallbrook, with the median price being $610,000, that deposit will be somewhere between $6,100 and $18,300. Two to three days prior to the close of escrow, buyers are required to bring in the balance of their... Full story
Everyone who knows me knows that I love Fallbrook. I love the charming downtown, with its unique shops, delicious restaurants, top rate art galleries, and historic theater. I love driving our country roads with the amazing variety of landscaping. I love the diversity of residences and neighborhoods. I love the hiking trails and the natural wildlife discovered on those walks. But most of all, I love the people. To be honest, not all the people, but as a group, we’re s... Full story
Here we are, once again, in the dog days of summer. For many of us, this means a time to relax and reconnect with our families and friends, maybe travel or take on a new project. I always thought the term referred to the way my two dogs get to spend all their days, relaxing in the sun and simply chilling, waiting for Chris or me to come home and play with them. The term, however, refers to the period when our Sun occupies the same region as Sirius, the brightest star in the... Full story
When we think about “green” initiatives or environmentally friendly approaches, we generally think about clean air, water and land. Recently, the state’s legislative branch has passed laws that focus, to a greater extent, on property owners. Many of the initiatives, at first glance, appear to be burdensome, but over the long haul, will improve and/or sustain the quality of life we all enjoy in California. As we modify and adapt our homes, to meet the revised standards, we ar... Full story
All aspects of people’s lives are changing more rapidly than many people can fathom. Just the other day, when I started my car, the onboard computer informed me that my left rear tire was low, 7 pounds low, to be precise and that all my other tires were slightly lower than the factory recommended 33 pounds of pressure. I was impressed and thankful for the information because, by sight, the tire looked exactly like the others. On top of that, by that evening I received an e... Full story
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, is a well-intentioned platform to protect the environment. The California Environmental Quality Act was passed in 1970, shortly after the United States government passed the National Environmental Policy Act. It was created to have a statewide policy of environmental protection. CEQA requires state and local agencies to follow specific analysis and provide public disclosure of environmental impacts of proposed projects and... Full story
An ADU is an accessory dwelling unit that real estate professionals commonly refer to as granny flats or mother-in-law units. In the wake of California’s severe housing crisis, they have become a highly desirable entity which has earned them the official name, ADU. They are additional living spaces on single-family lots that have a separate kitchen, bathroom and exterior access independent of the primary residence. These spaces can either be attached to, or detached from, t... Full story
One thing everyone knows is if two people experience the exact same incident, each person will have a slightly different perspective or analysis of the incident. Everyone comes packaged with their past experiences and knowledge. It happens in the political arena and filters down to how stakeholders view the outcomes of legislation that is passed and eventually becomes law. Two days before the May 31 legislative deadline in Sacramento, the Assembly voted 42-29 to approve Assemb... Full story
Yes, we have a housing shortage. Are you tired of hearing me say that, again and again? I am. But sadly, it is true. On the horizon, we have a massive group of buyers that are finally coming of age, who will want to buy their first home, but will this be possible? Let’s start with a little background. There are approximately 37.9 million people between the ages of 35 and 44. There are approximately 41.1 million people between the ages of 25 and 34. These two groups form the mi... Full story
Assembly Bill 1568, written by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, is on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for signature. It is the first bill with a “stick” to promote housing development across the state. The bill prohibits a city or county, on or before Jan. 1, 2025, from applying for state grants, except for specified transportation funding, if the city or county is found to be in violation of state housing law. If the Department of Housing and Community Development deter... Full story
I’m writing to you from Sacramento. Each year, approximately 2,500 Realtors gather there with the specific goal of meeting with our legislative representatives. Realtors meet with the legislators to speak in favor of protecting private property rights and defending home ownership. Currently, home ownership is at a crisis point. California is comprised of only 55% homeowners and 45% renters. We are also the home of nearly 20% of the nation’s homeless population, with over 50%... Full story
Recently I had to purchase a new automobile. Since I knew that I wanted an SUV but wasn’t sure what make and model I wanted, I visited a few dealerships to test drive the vehicles. At the first dealership, I met a nice salesperson who showed me the various models that might work for me and even had me test drive a few of the cars. They were great. New vehicles are always nice. They smell good, and they generally handle well. Being a car person, I always like driving new m... Full story
Housing is either the recipient of, or stimulus to, a community’s vibrancy. In other words, housing, in one way or another, has an impact or is impacted by everything that happens in a region. When the economy of a region slows down, housing follows suit. When school performance declines, housing prices fall. When homelessness increases, businesses suffer, and housing prices fall. On the other hand, when communities find solutions to these issues, those communities improve a... Full story
There has been a failure to launch in the Fallbrook housing market. Since the Great Recession of 2006, housing has not rebounded to fully recover from the losses that occurred. Housing serves as a propellant for expansion for the local economy, so when housing stalls, so does the economy. So, what’s the problem? Interest rates did creep up in 2018 but have recently declined. The Fed said that they do not anticipate any interest rate increases and that possibly, future r... Full story
It is a great weekend for Fallbrook as the town celebrates the 33rd Avocado Festival. Many local artists, craftsmen and small businesses participate in this fun event. It is a way for visitors to see Fallbrook’s quaint downtown and get to know “The Friendly Village.” To the visitors who are captivated by Fallbrook, I’d like to tell you a little bit about “our town.” If you are looking for a unique community with everything from cute country farmhouses to luxury estates that pr... Full story
The word “commission” in the context of real estate conjures up a different opinion or reaction from everyone. Some sellers see it as an expense, rather than an investment in their success. Buyers often don’t even think about it, because it is something that the seller pays, but do they really? To Realtors, it is how we get compensated for the service and expertise we provide. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, not all Realtors are created equal, so it makes sense tha... Full story
What exactly is the “California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018?” It sounds like it has something to do with financially supporting our communities and schools through a bond or statewide ballot initiative. The initiative is another money grab, compliments of Sacramento that entices our support by laying the benefit at the feet of our schools, and who wouldn’t want to support schools? The title was a real bait and switch and was circulated last fall to gathe... Full story
A jobs-housing balanced community is one in which residents can both live and work without having to leave the area. Implicit in the concept is a mix of housing types to accommodate households and workers of a broad range of income categories that reflect the community. Jobs-housing balance also refers to the distribution of employment relative to the distribution of workers within a given geographic area. A community is considered balanced when these distributions are... Full story
I’ve spent the last five weeks writing about some of the big issues facing real estate throughout California. I wrote about availability and its impact on affordability, on rent stabilization, which is another word for rent control and last week on the electrification of housing. Big topics that need big solutions. Today I want to return to something that is more personal to me, negotiating and compromise. I believe they are not mutually exclusive. In other words, n... Full story
Since 2006, California has adopted aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, including returning to 1990 levels by 2020, 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. California residents, businesses, and utility companies have embraced new forms of energy production, including wind turbines and solar, so much that California met its 2020 target early. However, there has not been any direction of how the state will address reaching... Full story
There are many discussions and proposals being considered by the state legislators to alleviate California’s housing crisis. Last week I wrote about “affordable owner-occupied workforce housing” and “affordable workforce housing.” Both groups represent individuals or families that have a desire to live in the community in which they work. Specialized housing concepts or “carve-out” loan programs could potentially provide a vehicle to assist with the development of affordable w... Full story
Two weeks ago, I was in Indian Wells for the California Association of Realtors state directors meeting. As I reported in last week's column, there are topics that are either coming forward in the form of discussion or in the form of pending legislation. This week I want to dig deeper into “affordable workforce housing” which is central to housing availability, as well as transportation gridlock, across the state. What exactly is “affordable workforce housing”? What is “aff... Full story
Last week I was in Indian Wells for the California Association of Realtors winter state directors meeting. It was like drinking from a fire hose, getting up to speed on the vision and corresponding legislation coming down from the new administration. There is a new sheriff in town, named Gov. Gavin Newsom, and things will be different for California if he has his way. He is surrounded by a super majority in both the state Senate and the state Assembly, so passing legislation... Full story
A shortage of anything will cause that item to become more expensive. I wasn’t an ace in my college economics class, but I understand supply and demand. When the nation experiences a drought and the cattle aren’t producing milk, we have a shortage of milk and prices go up for all dairy products. Years ago, when there was an oil embargo, gas prices went through the roof. Availability and affordability go hand in hand. California has a deficit of 3 million homes. California nee... Full story
Last week, I reported on the transitioning real estate market. Moving from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, presents a huge psychological shift for buyers, but even more so, for sellers. Buyers are ready to take over the steering wheel, but sellers are having a hard time giving it up. Let’s first look at the components that have brought us to this point of transition. We have an affordability problem. The affordability is directly related to lack of supply. Lack of suppl... Full story
