San Diego Coastal Homes Blog

O.K. Here is a house located at the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe…it’s a custom home designed and built for a very discriminating family who loved style, design yet the casualness of having a home that you can actually LIVE in!  Elegant yet casual.  Travertine floors in the great room – Hickory Planks in the Family Room, kitchen, halls – you get the drill.   It is a steal as we have priced it against some “semi custom” homes in the area – with teeny family rooms and many times located under – again – famous electric power lines.  We like to “fry” our folks here in San Diego!

Of course it’s a custom home meaning it was built for a specific family…YET we have some challenges like a single sink in the beautiful Master Suite.  YES a single sink is a design mistake in a multi millian dollar house – but honestly when these “buyers” – flocks of them – come through you would think it was the “end of the world”!  Mind you the bathroom looks out of a world famous golf course, is SE facing with natural light pouring in all day – gorgeous shower- gorgeous two sided fireplace but OH MY GOD it only has ONE sink! (we are actually installing one because I can’t hear the word SINK one more time).  Now the comments are – The sink’s will be too close together…Obviously folks – if you can afford a 3 million dollar house you have NO INTEREST in standing ANYWHERE near your husband or wife.  THe male half who occupied this home had a complete gym downstairs and always used the bathroom in that room.   Amazing he had no interest in hanging in the bathroom.

Best story yet are the “men” – yes “men” who want to know where the “men’s bathroom is”… obviously DOWNSTAIRS in the GYM.  Have I lost my mind or am I the only person on earth that only spends a half hour TOTAL a day IN THE BATHROOM… Now MEN want their own personal bathroom that is NEXT to their wifes own personal bathroom– shoot me now!  I guess I’m lucky that I can’t afford a 3 million dollar house.

 Just had to share this tidbit of knowledge… please please if you are building a house ALWAYS put TWO sinks in the Master Bath.  If not – don’t call me with the listing!  Kidding!

In my constant search for interesting real estate “tidd bits” I scour the California Association of Realtor web site as they are a wealth of knowledge.  Some stuff we all know unless we have been living under the “bed” which in these times can be quiet a few of us.    It seems like you folks living in San Francisco are the luckiest “sellers” because your median resales in condo’s from November through January have stayed steady from last year.  Pretty much leading analysts and agents to conclude that in this area if CONDOS have settled HOUSES have really settled.  Buyers are a little sad…but it’s always been a really expensive city.  I have a good friend who lives in a condo across from Fisherman’s Wharf and literally keeps her winter clothes in the storage area of the garage in the summer and flips that in the winter.  But hey, it keeps a girl from buying stuff she doesn’t need.  Remember Sex and the City where Carrie keeps her SWEATERS in her oven:) Gotta do what you gotta do…

Because of all the vacant houses that are not selling throughout the state cities are starting ordinances that requires owners to REGISTER their homes with the city if they are vacant for more than 30 days.  Great more for the understaffed and overworked police to do!  In many areas there is “squatting” happening in many neighborhoods and you can imagine the neighbors are not so happy.  See, we should hide under the bed!

On the positive side when selling if you accurately price a home you have a really good chance of success.  We recommend that you add furniture to empty rooms, replace dark carpeting with BEIGE and NEUTRAL tones so rooms look larger and more appealing.  Obviously de-clutter.  CALL or e mail me- I’m really good at this part!

One more good piece of news.  Because of the instability of employment – California rate at 12.4% (which sounds low— I think if you work ONE day a week you are NOT in these stats) many buyers could find themselves unemployed at some point.  The CAR is offering a Mortgage Protection Program (MPP) to qualified first time buyers offered by CAR’s Housing Affordability Fund.  This provides up to $1,500 per month for up to 6 months to qualified buyers who lose their jobs.   If interested again I will give all readers the “scoop” as I always need to check what “qualified buyers” means TODAY!    At least that’s a good piece of news for First Time Buyers who I love to work with!!!      Have a great week….