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Showing posts from June, 2010

2004 Pricing in The Shore has Arrived

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With the 2010 Super Summer Selling Season (tm) over before it began, sellers like this should be sweating enough bullets to fill Camp Pendleton. 210 SAINT JOSEPH Ave, Long Beach, CA 90803 Asking Price: $999,000 Purchase Price: $1,145,000 Purchase Date: 9/2006 Beds: 3 Baths: 2.5 Sq. Ft.: 2,343 $/Sq. Ft.: $426 Lot Size: 2,970 Sq. Ft. Year Built: 1924 MLS#: Y1001993 On Redfin: 91 days Description: Ideal Belmont Shore location situated between 2nd and Livingston Drive so close to stores/restaurants, Livingston Park and Playground, as well as in desirable Lowell Elementary and Will Rogers Middle School District. Not a short-sale or bank-owned property. Remodeled in 2006 with new Tile Flooring, Updated Kitchen with Granite Counters and Stainless Steel Appliances, Newer Stucco and Dual Paned Wood Windowns, Inviting 2-Story Entry with Staircase, Family Room with French Doors to Backyard with Patio and Grassy Area, Separate Office or 4th Bedroom, Sundeck of Master Suite, Vaulted Ceilings, Skyl

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

As a friend goes off to search for a house in another part of the state, I've found that since I can't access the area via the MLS, I must use the sites available on the web. She used Prudential at first, then Realtor.com, but today she discovered REMAX.com. As did I! Another friend had raved about it, saying there were ways to add more criteria than the other sites would allow, especially when looking for land. I agree! Currently there are 139 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Twenty-seven of these are in the village. Five (sort of) new ones came on this past week. The one truly new one is in the village in the low $400,000. The other four are either reconfigurations or reductions in price. By reconfigurations I mean listings that add or delete what is offered, or placed in the Skaneateles area when really they are in a different town. These two are waterfront, while the other two are town single family residences. One new prope

The Only Certainties in Life: FINAL UPDATE

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Sold on 05/30/10 - $785,000 Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This whack job started out with a $900,000 asking price, and after nearly six months rotting on the market he finally swallowed his pride, invited reality into his life, and accepted an offer almost identical to his 2005 purchase price. That's right, five years of ownership and all this dream-weaving dope has to show for it is a realtor smiling dumbly as he endorses a commission check. Speaking of commissions, factoring in those fees it looks like $840,000 was the break-even point. So in the end it looks like he ate a nice, juicy $ 55,000 loss . Sure, not a catastrophic loss compared to most of the jaw-dropping equity obliterating sales we see in Long Beach, but would you want to write that check for 55 Large? Exactly. The good news is he finally, luckily rid himself of this bubble-purchased error in judgment. It's somebody else's problem now. And honestly, for this neighborhood the new owner didn't do that bad

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I love real estate, in that each day can be radically different from the day before. Yesterday I left the house early, ran into the city for an appointment and then up to Liverpool to have lunch with a friend/client. After I flew (wish I really could!) out to Auburn for a home inspection then took lovely Route 20 to Caz and beyond to see a house. We came back by way of Pompey. I stopped in the heavy rains high on a hill on Route 20 to take phone calls and a moment to relax. Fortified, I went to the office to do paperwork where I opened a sweet thank you note from people who had visited. I got home in time for Bob's shrimp feast. Today I have hardly left the computer since early on. And there's still more work to be done! Currently there are 143 listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service, of which 26 are in the village. Ten are new this week. I expected to see many re-lists but there were only two -one a perennial favorite now for around $300,000

A Tale of Two Listings

Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing several homes for listing possibilities. I am combining appointments and responses so that the issues will seem more black and white, plus it will protect the confidentiality of the owners. In fact, let's just say these are un-real estate properties. I was invited into one home that I had sold to the owners many years ago. I remember at the time when we drove around looking at houses that we had a discussion about clutter. I was in my getting rid of it all phase, when it bothered me that we had taken in three and a half (Alex) households under one roof - and probably only Bob was willing to part with anything. The couple told me that their parents were like us, and now found themselves taking things to the dump that they hadn't looked at for years and now, with downsizing, they had to get through and be through with it all. They weren't going to be like them! No, sir! So they bought a big house and settled in nicely. I saw it

The Tax Credits End, Let The Anxiety Begin

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1901 East OCEAN Blvd #205, Long Beach, CA 90802 Asking Price: $705,000 Peak Purchase Price: $725,000 Beds: 2 Baths: 2.5 Sq. Ft.: 1,883 $/Sq. Ft.: $374 Community: Downtown Area/Alamitos Beach MLS#: P734338 Source: CARETS On Redfin: 35 days HOA Fine: $444 20% Down Payment: $141,000 (20%)/$28,200 (FHA) Income Requirement: $161,000 (Mortgage/3.5X) Monthly Nut: $4,200 (conventional)/$4,900 (FHA) Description: Here is your opportunity to own in the exclusive Park Regency complex along Ocean Blvd. This stunning complex is a real gem with an incredible courtyard and exterior finshes and details!This premiere 2bed+Den corner location affords stunning ocean and park views and is the largest floor plan in the complex!The interior of the home offers beautiful slate floors, custom crown molding, open and functional kitchen, newer appliances, custom window shutters throughout, full home theater, fireplace in the living room and more!This open floor plan is full of natural light and is sure to impress

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I went to Saratoga yesterday to visit friends for the day. Yes, yes, an offer went out and another one came in.....as you have learned over the years, it always happens when I am on "vacation." While I was leaving town (Saratoga) I got a bit turned around because of all the new construction and ended up on side streets. There on the corner was a "For Sale" sign reading "Vintage Cottage." But there was also a back hoe and a pile of dirt where the cottage had stood. I hope we don't come to that. There are currently 132 (count 'em!) listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Twenty-seven are in the village. Eight new ones came on this past week. Three of these are re-lists, the waterfront home with a new price. The other five are split between waterfront - low $500,000 - to a high of a million, and two "to be builts," one at the $500,000 mark (in the village) and the other just outside for $400,000. Sorry, no

Closed in Skaneateles! The First Twenty

The last time I wrote about the closings was in January - and those were the list of the final 20 closings for the year 2009. It's been a while, but we are definitely picking up steam. In alphabetical order: 1937 Amnaste (Town of Skaneateles) $217,000 31 Calemad (Town of Sennett) $310,000 34 Calemad (Town of Sennett) $345,000 101 Carlton's Cliff (Town of Niles) $344,250 2866 County Line Road (Town of Skaneateles) $325,000 3887 East Street (Town of Skaneateles) $190,000 1541 East Lake Road (Town of Spafford) $270,000 104 East Lake Street (Village of Skaneateles) $260,000 4829 Foster Road (Town of Skaneateles) $156,800 1058 Lacy Road (Town of Skaneateles) $150,000 32 Lakeview Circle (Village of Skaneateles) $386,880 1646 New Seneca Turnpike (Town of Skaneateles) $183,000 2672 Nunnery Road (Town of Spafford) $199,900 103 Orchard Street (Village of Skaneateles) $426,000 33 State Street (Village of Skaneateles) $235,000 789 Stump Road (Skaneateles Fa

Made in the Shade: UPDATE II

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The price was "$875,000" and changed to "$825,000" Gee, that only took seven months. Poor guy. He really thought he would more than triple his initial 2002 investment. And now, after 552 days on market, it looks like he won't even double it. I'll try to hold back my tears. **************************************** The list price was "$995,000" and changed to "$875,000" Wow! Quite a price reduction! But before you get too excited and start thinking he suddenly found religion and will start pricing aggressively, it took him four long months to make this much-needed cut. In the grand scheme of things this reduction doesn't mean anything. All it means is the property was $120,000 overpriced. This jackass is less than a month away from his one-year anniversary on the MLS. That's a scarlet letter ("S" as in "Stale") any seller should fear. You think he'll wake up in time to beat the clock? Considering it took 34

Wooden Teeth: UPDATE II

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The price was "$299,000" and changed to "$269,000" Days on Market: 911 NEVER FORGET! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Well, this is a fun way to start the new year: The price was "$344,000" and changed to "$299,000" By the way, this marks the THIRD YEAR on the MLS for this property. There are a lot of notable delusional greedtards in the LBC, but I think this guy, given that he paid $50,000 ages ago yet is still too dumb fucking stupid to price realistically ("I'm not going to just give it away!") and take the money and run, earns the Official RE in the LBC Eternal Shitbird Award: I think it's especially appropriate given this photo: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 732 N Washington Pl, CA 90813 Price: $344,000 Beds: 2 Baths: 1 Sq. Ft.: 1,064 $/Sq. Ft.: $323 Lot Size: 3,850 Sq. Ft. Property Type: Single Family Residence Year Built: 1905 MLS#: S514617 On Redfin: 630 days Down Payment: $67,000 Income Requirement: $95,000 Mon

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Before I forget - refinance now if you are going to do it! The rates are now around 4.875% for 30 year conventional loans with good credit, and I got a 4.25% for 15 years rate. It will save us about $45,000 over the life of the loan, or more importantly almost $300 per month. I am not an expert on mortgages - talk to your bank or mortgage person - but I know the value of a lower rate. The cost of refinancing will be paid off before the end of the year, and then we can put more towards the principle. And we went from 5.675% - which I thought was pretty good at the time! Currently you can get that rate (hah!) by buying one of these active properties in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing system - there are now 127, of which 25 are in the village. Only one new one - I went back and checked, because that seemed quite low! - this past week and it was my re-list. Think about it - 50 acres, a 3,000 sf ranch, 78 feet of waterfront - for $750,000. There's no sign - it's

Bungling Buffoon Badly Burned by "Bottom" Buying: FINAL UPDATE

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Things have been nuttier than squirrel shit around here, so forgive the lack of posts. I wish I could say things will mellow out soon, but that's not the case. Anyhow, this condo ended up selling in May for just under full asking price. That represents a loss of about -$80,000 after commissions. Wow. Losing your entire cash down payment is one expensive way to find out all the 2008 bottom callers were dead wrong. You could have saved yourself some serious loot by reading this blog. What's interesting is that in April the REO from the same post also sold...for only $326,000 . Now, we don't know the condition of that bank-owned unit, so it may not be apples to apples, but I am curious why the bank approved $395,000 for Unit G2 when Unit H1 -- an identically sized unit in the same building -- sold for a whopping $70,000 less just a month earlier. Unless H1 was a complete dump, it looks like the new owner of G2 is already in the hole. Ouch. Look, although I think he waaaaaaaaa