Coastal Real Estate and Lifestyles

Let me start by saying, I know this is a dry subject, but if you’re in the market, you want to know this stuff.  So grab a coffee or glass of wine and read it, including the good linked articles…

Getting a loan in the current economic environment.   If you plan to borrow any money from a lender to complete your purchase, you will quickly realize that it is not the same loan process of a year or two ago.  A few consideration points…

1)  Will you use a mortgage broker, direct lender, mortgage banker?  They’re the money person who will play an integral part in getting your escrow to a successful close, not to mention determining your monthly payment.  What are the differences and how will those differences affect what is best for you?  Ask questions until you feel comfortable.

Mortgage broker - A mortgage broker works with many lenders, perhaps hundreds, to locate the best loan product for your needs.  Some may favor certain lenders; you can ask why if they say they mostly work with one or two.

Direct lender - some borrowers go directly to the bank they currently do business with as a starting point.

Mortgage banker - A mortgage banker accesses only that lender’s portfolio of programs.

Two important changes related to the getting a loan took affect this year:

1)  Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act of 2008 (MDIA) as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) took effect on July 30, 2009.  In a nutshell:

• Timely delivery of the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) following loan application.
• Mandatory three day review period for loan documents.
• New disclosures required if your interest rate changes (not sure how much it has to change).
• Rate locks can be extended up to 3 weeks, down from 4 weeks.
• The cost of a one week rate lock extension is one-quarter of a percentage point of the loan amount.
• Another 3-day waiting period may be required during escrow if the annual percentage rate (APR) on the loan increases by at least an eighth of a percentage point.

Our local in-house lender, Susan O’Driscoll provided this PDF handout:  MDIA Information Sheet

New York Times 8/16/09:  New Law May Cause Delays for Borrowers 

2) Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) took effect May 1, 2009. (i.e. the new appraisal process)

• The code does not require or prohibit use of foreclosure data as comps.
• A lender may order appraisals directly from an appraiser.
• A lender may not accept an appraisal prepared by an appraiser that was ordered by a Mortgage Broker.
• The borrower may not pay the appraiser directly for the appraisal.
• The lender must provide the copy promptly upon completion of the appraisal, but no less than three business days prior to closing. (by “closing” they mean the signing of the loan docs).
• Appraisers and Realtors are able to communicate with each other; “Realtors can often be a source of data in the market in which the subject property is located. ” quoted from Fannie Mae 2009 HVCC FAQ July 2009 (link below).

Local market side note - the appraisal for a Montara property where I was representing the buyer came in over list price and over the offer price.  The lender was Wells Fargo; the appraiser they sent was from Fremont.  I provided him with not only local comps, but first hand information about the houses and locations.  He was planning to use a Clipper Ridge neighborhood house for this ocean view Montara house.  He seemed grateful for the local info… also called twice to get clarification on comps before finalizing the appraisal.

July 2009 update to HVCC FAQs.

Examiner.com 6/26/09:  Home Valuation Code of Conduct

The Big Picture 8/19/09:  Home Appraisal Reform:  WSJ vs NYT

Pending Show - ratified contract with contingencies
Pending - ratified contract with contingencies removed
Pending with Release - a 48-72 hour release of contract clause for performance, for example, when the buyer has a home to sell making the contract contingent on the property selling.

39 total pending statuses
11 are pending
24 are pending show
4 are pending release

Other data tidbits:

50% sold after 100 days on the market

The area with the most pendings currently is lower El Granada (MLS area 620)

5 should have closed by now based on the Close of Escrow Date in the MLS

13 are due to close in August

14 are due to close in September

2 are due to close in October

1 is due to close in November

List price points selling:

• $2 Million + - 1
• $1-2 Million -8
• $900K’s - 0
• $800K’s - 4
• $700K’s - 5
• $600K’s - 8
• $500K’s - 6
• $400K’s - 3
• $300K’s - 2
• under $200K - 2

Noteworthy - the Million dollar buyers are coming back into the market.  A well-priced/presented/located home in the $500K-$600K range is selling very quickly.  Still lots of inventory for the time being; currently coming down a little (129 single family homes for sale compared to 158 just a few weeks ago).

My opinion - There are very well qualified buyers now in the market.  They are writing offers with strong down payments and pre-approvals.  Some are all cash buyers.  They are being selective and they are savvy.

My apologies for not writing more frequently these days…been extremely busy writing offers, working for my sellers, and being there for my youngest who graduated from Half Moon Bay High School this June, who is now getting ready to head off to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.  I have so much to share, it’s just going to take me a little while to get it onto the blog.

Lower El Granada’s real estate market appears to be shifting in the last month.  Lots of buyers have been watching beautiful lower El Granada because there has been so much inventory.  There is still good inventory if you’re in the market, but these properties are under the microscope.  Sales Under Contract (those getting accepted offers and going into one of the MLS “pending” statuses) has risen 50% in the month of June 2009, the highest of any month in the last six months, since January 2009. 

Sales Under  Contract per MLS: 

Jan 09 - 3
Feb 09 - 0
March 09 - 3
April 09 - 4
May 09 - 4
June 09 - 8

One reason for this is that sellers now realize that our current economic situation is not a quick fix and the solution to getting on with their lives is to understand their goals - as a first step.  Once they understand their goals, if one of the action items includes selling a property, they are doing what it takes to sell it – preparing it, pricing it properly, and presenting it as best they can.  Buyers, too, are realizing that even in a declining market, the best and most unique properties will not last.  We’re moving to a phase where buyers and sellers are coming to the table more prepared, resulting in more sales going into contract.  Even though Lower El Granada is a small market, this activity is consistent with other markets in which I’m working now.

In my opinion, the most notable new listings within the last month in lower El Granada are:
179 West Point - a waterfront home in the Princeton Harbor area.
*523 Francisco St - a lot of house for the money plus tons of charm and character.
(*full disclosure:  this is my listing)
779 Palma St - a cute small house on a large lot with potential. 

What makes Lower El Granada so special?  Location. Location. Location.  Half way between Half Moon Bay and Montara on the mid-coast in the heart of Daniel H. Burnham’s unique design in the early 20th century.  Also located in the local “coastal sunbelt”.  Quaint neighborhoods and streets with mature trees and some ocean views.  Close proximity to the beach, Princeton, Pillar Point Harbor (where many people drive for miles to pick up fresh crab), close proximity to Cafe Classique, and great restaurants and the new Harbor Village, close proximity to the Coastal Trail, and much more.

As I’ve gotten to know more about my new listing on 430 6th Street, Montara, it’s quite clear that it has gone through quite a transformation.  One area of major improvement was the yards, both front and back.  This is a picture from 1997 before the front yard landscaping began…

Here is what it looked like freshly finished back in 1998, ready for the plantings to grow, designed for privacy and garden views from all the windows…which you’ll see in the panorama slides below.

Here’s what it look likes now…

 TO GET THE FULL IMPACT, HERE ARE SOME PANORAMAS.

This amazing little house with a big personality is now available.  It will be in the Multiple Listing Service by the end of today, first Broker Tour this Tuesday, 6/16.