2007 Santa Maria Valley Conventional Sales / Foreclosure gathered from CORT report and sorted by Assessor's Parcel Number.  Accuracy of this data is not guaranteed.                                                              Closed Sales          REO Foreclosure Sales January 07        71                             2 February 07       84                             2 March 07           91                             3  April 07             90                             5      May 07             100                          10June 07            109                          10 July7 07            82                           16August 07         96                            22Sept 07            80                            28Oct 07              70                           18Nov 07   ... 02/24/2008

Gathered from local MLS boards from the central coast, the following sale change occurred from 2006 to 2007. Santa Maria Valley  -14.5% San Luis Obispo  -11.% Scenic Coast  -6.4 %Paso/Templeton  -5.5%Atascadero   -.2%So Santa Barbara Coast +3.4%2007 sales continues to see adjustment in the local housing economy as high inventory, credit adjustments, foreclosures, short sales(pre-foreclosures), continue to push home prices downward.   The market offers buyers opportunities to purchase at discounted prices, favorable negotiation opportunities, and attractive financing rates.  Contact me at 805.264.1646 or email me at cesarbautista@kw.com for purchase or sales opportunites or if you want a list of foreclosure(REO) or short sale properties email to you.        02/24/2008

The number one question I'm asked by new clients is "Tni, how can I buy a foreclosure?"  The Santa Maria and Orcutt market is full of foreclosed properties right now making it an excellent time to buy.  I specialize in helping people buy these types of properties.   I am a certified HUD buyer's agent, and I am the exclusive agent for RealtyTrac in Santa Maria, Nipomo & Oceano. There are, however, several misconceptions about buying foreclosures.  Many people want to buy homes on the court house steps at auction believing they will be able to purchase a home for pennies on the dollar.  Indeed, there are people that buy homes for pennies on the dollar, but those type of "professional buyers" often buy homes sight unseen, in bulk, and pay all cash or do not use conventional financing, i.e.... 02/17/2008

I had the good fortune of seeing Leslie Appleton Young speak in Santa Barbara yesterday and it was refreshing hearing her speakhow she speaks without overwhelming you with economic data. I will be getting a copy of her presentation soon and post some of the useful information she shared. In the mean time I went to the California Association of Realtors website and poked around a little and found some statistics I found useful for December of 2007. The first was the median home sales price for Santa Barbara, South and North County.Santa Barbara County $492,860 (12/07) $673,080 (11/07) $607,140 (12/06) Santa Barbara South Coast $925,000 (12/07) $1,080,000 (11/07) $1,250,000 (12/06) North Santa Barbara County $323,810 (12/07) $354,760 (11/07) $431,710 (12/06)The comparison of prices from ... 02/08/2008

The North County Sales showed some signs of life in December rebounding from October and November's numbers. The Santa Maria and Lompoc Real Estate Sales posted a 13% gain in the number of sales from November. If you look at some of the past years, this seems pretty typical in that market. In reviewing the list of sales, there were quite a few bank owned properties selling. Hopefully that is going to help strengthen that market by getting those properties out of the mix of listings that are available. If you focus your attention to the Santa Maria Orcutt sales, there increase over November was 17.5%. This was the highest number of sales in that area since August of this year. It is interesting to note that for December 2006 in Santa Maria there was not an increase in the number of sale... 01/22/2008

 SOLD!  509 E. Williams St, Santa Maria, CA 93454Smashing Value!You Must See This Today!4BR 3BA home in NE location! Two master bedrooms OR 3br 2ba and attached 1br 1ba with kitchenette! Great for large or extended family! Newer vinyl windows; comp roof. With some fixing-up, this can be a spectacular home! Great investment or living! This is a Steal-of-a-deal! REOPatti Emmerling, Broker800-689-2456 12/29/2007

SOLD! 509 E. Williams Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454SMASHING VALUE!You Must See This Today!4BR 3BA home in NE location! Two master bedrooms OR 3BR 2BA and attached 1BR 1BA with kitchenette! Great for large or extended family! Newer vinyl windows; comp roof. With some fixing-up, this can be a spectacular home! Great investment or living! REOA Steal-of-a-Deal at only $249,900!Patti Emmerling, Broker800-689-2456 Direct805-934-7806 Fax 12/28/2007

 Closed Sales in Santa Maria Valley increased very slightly from October to November 2007 with 78 closed sales in November 2007.  In October 2007, there were were 76 closed sales.  As we enter winter, sales typically slides downward until spring.  Now for buyers, this is a great time to take advantage of the favorable interest rates, large inventory, motivated sellers, and favorable terms available for the qualified buyer.  Increase foreclosures and short sales continues to push the price downward.  If you are a buyer, investor or someone who wants to take advantage of a "buyers market" where prices in Santa Maria Valley on average has dropped approximately 18% in October 2007 from a year ago per association's data.   One thing about real estate and markets is it is dynamic and cyclical... 12/15/2007

November 28, 2007 - As more and more consumers begin their search for real estate-related information on the Internet, it is critical that real estate professionals are well educated in the use of technology to the benefit of both the consumer and the agent and/or broker.Realizing the importance of technology training, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) now offers its members the e-PRO certification course -- the only technology certification program offered by NAR. The program is designed to prepare real estate professionals to make the most of Internet technology and to identify, evaluate, and implement new Internet business models. The elite group of course graduates represents only one percent of all REALTORS in the country including Tni LeBlanc of Mint Properties. "The rea... 11/28/2007

As reported by the Santa Maria Times, FEMA has decided that the new maps which are expected to place most of Santa Maria in a flood plain, will not be issued until September 2008 at the earliest.  These maps had been expected this fall.  This provides a small reprieve to Santa Maria property owners, who would be required to purchase flood insurance, if they hold a federally insured mortgage.  Homeowners who purchase flood insurance before the maps become effective may be able to receive a discount on the cost of insurance.  Of course, city and county officials are still trying to work with the Army Core of Engineers to get the levee fixed which would remove the concern altogether.Remember to contact Tni LeBlanc with Mint Properties for all your Central Coast real estate needs.  I would ... 11/26/2007

In October 2007, the number of closed transaction was 76, compared to 86 closed transaction in October 2006 and 180 closed transaction in October 2005.   In November 2006, the number of closed transaction was 115 but closed transaction number were not available at the time of this writing for November 2007.  Typically, November through January are generally slower months because of the increment weather and holiday season.   Santa Maria Valley, like many areas of California is experiencing higher inventory, credit industry adjustments, buyer reluctance, pending foreclosure homes which supports a possible continued sluggish selling market.  On the other hand, buyers are in the driver's seat with many inventory options, negotiation leverage, and historically low interest rates.   Real est... 11/25/2007

The Santa Maria and Lompoc areas have been hit pretty hard this year by the amount of foreclosures and bank owned properties that are on the market. The prices have declined, the inventory has grown and the number of sales has continued to drop. September was no exception. There were 102 transactions in that area which isn't the lowest number for the year. January had that with only 100 sales. I am going to sound like a broken record, but I think that if you are waiting for the market to hit bottom you may be missing the boat. There are homes to choose from, sellers are negotiating and rates are low. This sounds like the perfect time to buy. I think if the agents can get that word out and the press starts picking up on that the tide will turn. If you would like to view our market trend ... 10/15/2007

 St. Claire is located at 1735 Biscayne Street in Santa Maria on the corner of Blosser Road and Sonya Lane.  These homes are 1,175 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 1 story condominiums starting at $299,990 and include a free refrigerator, washer and dryer, as of 9/25/07.  The builder, D.R. Horton offers no closing cost and low financing.  Special financing program and incentives are available on selected homes when executing a standard purchase agreement by September 30, 2007, and financing through DHI Mortgage.     Address:        1735 Biscayne St., Santa MariaOffice:           805.928.2506Cellular :        805.310.3711Open Saturday to Tuesday 10 to 5PM to view . Visit for more information: http://www.drhorton.com/corp/GetCommunity.do?dv=D8&pr=44250There is a 3% Brokers Co-op for real ... 09/24/2007

As the market continues to correct around the country and real estate changes continues to capture our daily conversations, most local Central Coast residence know there is a significant price difference between living in San Luis Obispo County South and Santa Barbara County North.  If you take the average of Santa Barbara South Coast the median price is $1,100,000; North Santa Barbara County is $386,110 per C.A.R.     This significant price difference encourages home purchases in less expensive areas and commuting becomes commonplace.  The median price home in Santa Maria for example, based on an MLS average of home sold in the last 6 months with an average of 1630 square feet is $375,829.  The average residential property in Santa Maria, on average sold in 73 days.  Most locals also k... 09/09/2007