San Diego California Real Estate News & Listings Presented By Mary McTernan Real Estate

Your San Diego Home Lost?

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Don't lose your San Diego home of your dreams.

In today's San Diego real estate market, it is becoming harder and harder to locate a home and more so, get your offer accepted. One way of not only getting your offer accepted, but getting a loan and actually getting the sale closed so that you can become the new owner is to;

#1- Work with an experienced Realtor. When I say experienced, I don't just mean someone who has had a license for 5-10-15 plus years. I mean someone who is actually selling homes currently. Someone who has sold more than 10-12 homes year to date. The person that has sold 10-12 homes in the last 12 months is hopefully current to what is happening in todays real estate market. This person will know know what type of things to expect and look for while you are in escrow. They will know what type of things are typical with the type of home your are buying and what things are not a big deal so that you can work through them.

#2- Pick your lender wisely. Don't just pick a lender out of the internet or some random person that shows you low interest rates.

If your Realtor is experienced and has sold 10-12 homes in the past year, then he or she should have a relationship with a few good lenders. Not all lenders are made equally and for this reason, if you pick someone, again,that is not experienced or can not think outside of the box, you may find that you may get into escrow, think that everything is going smoothly, remove all contingencies, and then last minute find out that the lender has dropped the ball, putting your down payment at risk and ultimately not being able to close escrow on the home that you thought would be yours.

This is not a good position to be in for either you or the seller, whose home you just kept off the market for a substantial amount of time while trying to get a loan approved.

3603 Union Street, Mission HIlls Open House

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Do not miss this Awesome Mission Hills Open House!

Saturday & Sunday, May 18th & 19th, 1 to 3 pm

3603 Union Street, San Diego CA 92103

Mission Hills Mediterranean Style Home

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Enjoy this Classic 1928 Mission Hills home located on a quiet cul-de-sac in South Mission Hills in San Diego.

Spacious living and dining room with high barrel beam ceilings features large windows with spectacular views of the bay. Remodeled kitchen features granite counters, custom cabinets, Viking stove, refrigerator and double oven... simply a chef’s delight! Enjoy the enclosed bay porch off the kitchen with lots of windows and glass that allow for a tremendous abundance of light to stream in. Guest Bathroom features walk-in shower designed with beautiful onyx tile and glass enclosure. Antique vanity with marble counter and beautiful custom made stained glass windows that really highlight the style of the home.

Walk up to the very spacious master bedroom featuring hardwood floors, picture railing, a custom designed closet with wood framed glass doors and built in seating with storage space. The master bathroom features marble counters, kohler soak tub with glass enclosure as well as subway tiles on the walls.

The basement, once an original speakeasy with private separate entrance and full bathroom, currently shows as a full family room and bedroom. Wonderful space for guest or family members to stay while visiting.

The backyard features a nice deck where you can sit and enjoy San Diego’s gorgeous weather under the shade provided by the many trees. The walk-score (www.walkscore.com) of this beautiful Spanish Style home is 71, so be sure to enjoy the ability to walk to stores, restaurants and coffee shops.

Seller will entertain offers between $649,000 - $689,000

INFORMATION ON THIS HOME IS DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED AND SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY BUYER AND BUYERS AGENT BEFORE CLOSE OF ESCROW.

3128 Grim Avenue, North Park Open House

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Do not miss this Awesome North Park Open House!

Thursday May 16th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Saturday May 18th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm

3128 Grim Avenue, San Diego CA 92104

North Park San Diego Bungalow

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:34:00 GMT

This 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath (+ den) bungalow is just what you are looking for to truly enjoy North Park’s urban neighborhood living. Located on a beautiful street within walking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, parks, and only ten minutes from the airport and Coronado Beach. With an open floor plan and newer bamboo flooring throughout, this energy efficient home also features a tankless water heater, dual pane windows, Energy-Star rated appliances, gas convection oven, and native drought-tolerant gardens.

3721 Mississippi, San Diego 92104

Sat, 11 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

HURRY..This great North Park Bungalow sits high off the street with tree top views. The front house has an updated kitchen and bathroom, newer dual pane windows, hardwood floors throughout. A nice deck off of the back of the home overlooks the extremely large backyard. This home is great starter home as well as an investor's delight. The lot is zoned for 2units (r-3000) so you can expand what currently exists to make it much larger. Currently it is 2 units on 1 lot.

North Park 2 Units on 1 Lot, 3721 Mississippi Street

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

North Park 2 homes on 1 lot

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:06:00 GMT

Offered at $500,000-$549,000

Hurry... This great north park bungalow sits high off the street with tree top views. The front has an updated kitchen and bathroom, newer dual pane windows and hardwood floors throughout. A nice deck off of the back of the home overlooks the extremely large backyard. This home is a great starter home as well as an investor's delight. The lot is 6747 square feet and can host a much larger home/duplex. It also features an unfinished basement as well as a wonderful 2 car garage which is rare in north park.

A darling studio cottage comes with this property and currently has a tenant who would like to stay. Three blocks to Morley Field, golf, tennis and swimming. Five minutes to downtown and airport. Just a few blocks to Hillcrest. Big lot zoned R-3000. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be verified before close of escrow.

North Park Contemporary Estate

Thu, 02 May 2013 03:09:00 GMT

North Park Contemporary Home rests high off the street with spectacular, breathtaking views, day and night. No expense was spared when designing this sophisticated home and attention was paid to every detail. Specific amenities include a distinctive open floor plan that consists of 4 bedrooms and 3 baths with an attached 2 car garage and a separate detached 803 square foot garage/studio space. This dream home features a generous and gorgeous kitchen adorned with attractive Silestone counters, custom European style cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen looks out to the oversized dining and living area that features a 15 foot sliding multi-panel door that opens up to the private balcony that creates an amazing indoor/outdoor space.

Upstairs is the luxurious master suite along with two other bedrooms. A staircase from the foyer leads downstairs to the customized and spacious family room along with a second master suite. Three of the four bedrooms feature French doors that lead out to either a deck or patio. All three bathrooms feature custom, modern cabinets and Silestone counters. Two of the bathrooms feature frameless glass shower doors. The flooring upstairs is solid hardwood and downstairs is beautiful porcelain tile.

This delightful home is the epitome of urban sophistication. With 3360 square feet of living space, an additional 1211 square feet of garage and garage/studio space, all on a 40,000 square foot lot, you’ll only find a home like this in North Park once in a lifetime.

• New electrical and plumbing

• New HVAC with 2 zones

• Modern recessed lighting throughout house

• New Spartaflex coating on garage floors

• All new landscaping, drought tolerant and watered by drip system

• New bronze metal framed garage doors with obscure glass panels in between

• All faucets and shower valves in house are MOEN brand

• All toilets are low flow and comfort high

• Laundry room is equipped for side by side washer and dryer

• All windows in house are dual paned Low-E

• New roof with 30 year warranty

• New tankless water heater

• Complete LED lights around 2nd floor eaves

• Bay Alarm security system installed and paid for the next 3 years

North Park Contemporary Estate • 3428 Juniper Street • San Diego CA 92104

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

2934 29th Street, North Park Open House

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Do not miss this Awesome North Park Open House!

Saturday & Sunday, May 4th & 5th, 1 to 3 pm

2934 29th Street, San Diego CA 92104

Charming North Park Retreat

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:39:00 GMT

Seller will entertain offers between $419,000 - $439,000

This North Park retreat is nestled away on a private lot with distant peak views of Balboa Park. Small private entrance to your tranquil oasis awaits you. Full of charm, this 2 bedroom 2 bath Spanish Urban home with sparkling hardwood floors throughout upstairs living room and bedroom, cove ceilings, updated antique kitchen with breakfast nook and updated bathrooms, is unique and delightful. French Door and windows allow for incredible afternoon cross breezes. Spiral staircase connects both floors via enclosed patios, both dressed with Saltillo-like tile flooring and providing the best in indoor/outdoor living.

Tax roll shows 588 square feet however 2 garages were converted over time and incorporated into more living space, including a spacious bedroom and office space, creating the full 1025 square feet. The spacious 3rd garage remains intact for your vehicle. Have direct access to your new found home from the garage and walk right into the property. Efficiently upgraded with complete Invert Solar System keeping your electric bill down to pennies. Second bathroom was permitted. Just two blocks to the golf course, tennis, swimming and North Park's Bird Park. Just 5-10 minutes away from downtown, airport and Coronado Beach. Hurry, what are you waiting for?

Home Buyers, Get Your Offer Accepted!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

I know that I have given you pointers before on how to get your offer accepted, but as our market in San Diego gets tighter, I will include other tips to help you even further.

In todays housing market, we are receiving multiple offers on most of the listings that we are putting on the market. With that being said, we are able to see just why one offer stands out above the rest and ultimately why our sellers pick that one great offer.

With San Diego's low inventory, when a home comes on the market, and you really want it, the first thing that you should have in place is good representation. Not only is a good Realtor important but a great Lender is crucial as well. Your Realtor should guide you and suggest to your lender that you get a lender underwriter approval. What this means is that you have filled out your application for your loan with your lender and you have been fully approved, not just a Pre- approval. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and will make your offer stand out! With this in place, you will be able to cut your loan contingency dates down from the customary 17 days to 12-14 days.

When writing an offer, another thing to cut down are the days of your home inspection contingency. In this market, your agent should be able to get this done with in 5-7 days, removing the inspection contingency in 7-8 days. Your Realtor should have a relationship with a few home inspectors and be able to get one to accommodate them rather quickly. Another thing to consider is to not ask for the seller to do termite work.

Of course let us not forget about list price. Just because you write an offer at list price does not mean that you are in the playing field. We are receiving offers 10-50 thousand over list price, depending on the price points. If you write you offer under list price, you are probably going to write a lot of offers without being successful.

If you are considering buying a home in San Diego, feel free to contact us. We are here to help.

Meticulously Cared For Condo

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:47:00 GMT

Fantastic opportunity to buy in a great neighborhood close to Adams Ave stores and restaurants. This inviting Top Floor unit has been meticulously cared for and is move in ready. Open Floor Plan featuring Granite Counters, Cherry wood cabinets, travertine tile in the bathroom over tub with cherry wood vanity and granite counter. Enjoy doing your laundry in the privacy of your own unit. Washer and dryer tucked away in a closet. Fantastic opportunity to buy in a great neighborhood close to Adams Ave. stores and restaurants. Easy access to freeways....Hurry!

4367 Idaho Street, North Park Open House

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Do not miss this Awesome North Park Open House!

Saturday & Sunday, April 27th & 28th, 1 to 3 pm

4367 Idaho Street, San Diego CA 92104

Preparing Your Kids for the Sale of Your Home

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

When preparing your home for sale, one of the hardest things to do is keeping it organized and spotless. This becomes more challenging when there are children around.

Here are some Clever Storage for Kid's Rooms:

If your child's room is on the small side, think about adding vertical storage.

Wall hangers that have pockets are great for holding small toys and shoes.
Tiered organizers hanging from the closet rod are great for holding shoes, small toys or shoes.
Hooks placed on the wall at the height of your child; easy access to reach jackets, clothing, etc.

Containers:

Containers are great for keeping toys in one condensed area. By labeling the outside with pictures or words so that your child knows exactly where to put each its.
Plastic storage bins are great for larger toys, also great for clothes not being used for the season. Finding bins that fit under the bed or on shelves are also great.
Baskets do not weigh a lot and may have handles, making it easier for the child to remove and place back.

Have some fun with it:

Add Velcro strips on your child's toys and walls. Your kids will really have a great time sticking their toys to the walls.
Have the child decorate a flower pot and then keep all pens, pencils and markers there

Below I found a great website with wonderful examples of what I mean.

3205 Nile Street, North Park Open House

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Do not miss this Awesome North Park Open House!

Saturday & Sunday, April 20th & 21st, 1 to 3 pm

3205 Nile Street, San Diego CA 92104

San Diego Housing is Back!

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

San Diego Housing is Back!

What does this all mean? Well, I found a couple of visual charts so you can see what is going on in our housing market and many other places in the U.S.

For the last couple of years, buyers would come see the homes for sale that we had listed and basically took their time to decide if they really wanted to buy the home and/or the neighborhood. There were plenty homes to choose from and so there was no big hurry, and there were many demands when they did decide to write an offer. Prices were dropping and buyers felt as if though they waited a little, they would most likely get "a deal". With interested rates dropping at the time as well as price; buyers had no fear about finding a home. I actually remember many buyers calling us and saying that they wanted to buy but they wanted "a deal. Waiting actually helped some buyers over the last several years. Well, this is definitely not the case at this present time.

If buyers move at the same pace that they did several years ago, find a home that they believe they will love but wait another 4-6 months so that they can look at a few more before they decide; that home will be gone and other similar homes in that same area will most likely come at a higher sale price and higher interest rate.

Most homes on the market today are receiving multiple offers. We are letting our buyers know that if they really love the home they are bidding on, they should just raise their offer to there absolute highest that they feel comfortable with, making it their very best, as they may not have a second chance. In many cases, the listing agent has put in the MLS to put in your highest in best. This language means that you may not receive a counter back. Make it your best!

Since November of 2011 up to January of 2013, prices have actually gone up nationally 5.1 percent. What 118 leading analyst think, is that between 2013 through 2017, we are going to have approximately a 4.1 percent annual appreciation. So, for the next 5 years it seems like the prices will be going up. We won't see the crazy numbers of 2004-2006 but simply catch - up numbers.

With all of this being said. Homes that go on the market priced relative with what is happening in the market are having multiple offers and being sold. In this current market, with all of the media hoopla, some sellers have become a little unreasonable and these homes do sit on the market, until the price comes down to a reasonable listing price. Unfortunately as this happens, the home stays on the market, becoming stale and if and when it does get an offer, it will be a lot less had the seller priced it at market value,

and let the buyers escalate the price indicating what the price should be and what they are willing to pay for it.

If you are looking for a home in the San Diego Area and need help doing so, please reach out and call, email or text. We are here to help.

North Park San Diego

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:50:00 GMT

North Park Home

Offered at $625,000-$650,000

We all know of the low inventory in San Diego. Here is one that you don't want to miss. This Spacious North Park Home sits on a quite block close to the park.

Lovely Remodeled North Park Home located in a quiet neighborhood just a short walk to Montclair Neighborhood Park where dogs and neighbors enjoy meeting.

Enjoy this beautiful home with an open floor plan, featuring nicely updated kitchen cabinets, granite counters, Stainless steel Samsung refrigerator with french-door. Formal dining room off of the kitchen with front window that allows for an abundance of light.

Central heat and dual pane windows throughout, help keep the home toasty in the winter and cool in the summer. Sparkling hardwood floors, recessed lighting and crown molding contribute to the clean lines and add those final elegant touches to the decor.

Retreat from the main portion of the home and relax in the master bedroom and bath that are conveniently located on the second floor. A huge window gives the master bedroom a loft-like feel with nice views of North Park.

But wait, there’s more… the backyard is to die for. Entertain with indoor/outdoor dining under the shaded pergola and enjoy the mature lush fruit trees. Start you own vegetable garden and take advantage of this great outdoor space.

For those looking for a 2 car garage with alley access and a large home in North Park, look no more... this is it!

2013 Crime Mapping in San Deigo

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

There are so many things to consider when looking to buy a home in San Diego. One thing to really look at besides the type of home that you are about to invest in is what is the crime rate. What is the crime rate and more specifically, what types of crimes have been or are being committed.

I just found this Crime Mapping site that I thought was very important and wanted to share. The default here is for 92104 but you can change it to any zip code that you are considering.