Between new home construction on the rise, the prospect of a decline in foreclosures in certain parts of the country and now this news about GDP, it’s looking to be a great 2012 for real estate!

Start your search for a new home TODAY by calling (619) 307-0507 or email me!

Yesterday’s article in the San Diego Union-Tribune reports some positive numbers for the San Diego housing market, including a 24.3% drop in foreclosures from January 2011 to January 2012.

While there has been a steady drop in foreclosures, they were actually up slightly from December 2011. But coupled with the positive jobs reports, new construction on the rise and financial markets showing growth, the foreclosure rates look to be a very positive turn for the fledgling real estate market.

Are you facing foreclosure, or have questions about purchasing one? Let Imagine San Diego help you navigate the current real estate market.

Email or call today: (619) 307-0507

A little recap:

• Housing starts are up 10% from one year ago
• Building permits are up 19% from one year ago
• Housing completions up 4% from one year ago

For more information on the housing numbers above visit CNN Money.

With all the upswing in real estate and economic news, there couldn’t be a better time to get into a new home.

Email or call today for information on how to get started on your journey towards finding the perfect home in San Diego!

(619) 307-0507

Imagine San Diego and the San Diego Union-Tribune have got you covered!

Check out the U-T today for a list of upcoming market reports, information about the latest mortgage deal and more!

Come back to Imagine San Diego throughout the week for blog updates and all your real estate needs!

This is a part-time job.

We are looking for an intelligent, highly motivated, team oriented person who has a strong work ethic, likes to have fun and get things done.

Job Description
Objective:
• Build, implement, and manage systems for sellers, buyers, lead generation, database management, and information management.
• Oversee all contracts through closing
• Oversee social media and some marketing functions
• Be the first point of contact in handling customer inquiries or complaints
• Keep the partners informed regarding any problems or issues that need to be handled

Regular Work Activities
• System development, implementation, and management
• Information management
• Writing and posting on social media
• Customer/vendor relations

Key Skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional organizational and project management abilities
• Great ability to focus
• Concerned about doing things the right way
• Calm under pressure
• Learning based attitude
• Service-based attitude
• Proven ability to succeed

Job requirements
• Possession of a high school diploma required
• 2 to 3 years of successful experience in an administrative assistant role
• Must have knowledge and proficiency in a variety of computer software applications in word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software (MSWord, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Continual attention to detail in composing, typing and proofing materials, establishing priorities and meeting deadlines
• Must have high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations. Position continually requires demonstrated poise, tact and diplomacy
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks as well as to accept direction on given assignments

To be considered for an interview, go to the Contact page and enter why you are interested in this position.

30 years ago, the median mortgage payment was more than double what it is today.

Owning a home is more affordable than you probably think.  Affordability measures ability to buy – that is, the amount of a median family’s income consumed by the median mortgage. In 1981, it took 36% of the median family’s income to pay the mortgage on the median priced home. Today it takes 15% — a historic low!

Contact me to learn what a mortgage payment would be on your new home.

Mortgage rates continue to push lower, dropping to 3.98% from 4.23% in October of 2010, offering historic affordability to today’s home buyers. While mortgage lending conditions continue to be a challenge, more and more people are seeing the advantage of buying a home sooner rather than later. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, “Home sales have been plodding along at a sub-par level while interest rates are hovering at record lows and there is a pent-up demand from buyers who normally would have entered the market in recent years. We hope this indicates more buyers are taking advantage of the excellent affordability conditions.”

Existing homes sales improved 1.4% in October, or to an annual pace of 4.97 million, a 13.5% increase from October of last year. Even more dramatic, was the jump in pending home sales, which surged in October by 10.4% from September, and were up 9.2% from October 2010. This jump in pending sales could lead to a strong fourth quarter as signs continue to point to a pent-up demand brought on by current lending conditions of mortgage providers.

December 2011 Market Update           One of the key drivers of homes sales, the employment rate, is beginning to show promising signs of a turnaround. The four-week average for jobless claims, as of November 19, was 394,250, a drop of 3,250 from the previous four weeks, and at the lowest levels since April. Consumer confidence also rose 15 points in the last month, and is now at its highest point since July of this year. Eric Green, Chief Market Economist at TD Securities Inc. said, “The trend remains very constructive. Jobless claims are back below 400,000, which seems to be the pivot point in terms of a strengthening labor market as opposed to a weakening one.”In addition to improving employment conditions, home affordability also improved as interest rates fell further, opening the door for more first-time home buyers who accounted for 34% of the sales in October, an increase from 32% last month and over last year. The western United States saw the greatest increase in home sales, which were up 4.4% month to month and up over 15% from last year.A strengthening job market, along with encouraging signs from the housing sector, including a 10% jump in pending sales for October, are strong economic forces. While mortgage lending still remains a challenge, these forces may send a signal to banks to relax lending regulations and allow for a more rapid recovery.

The national median home price in the U.S. saw a small decline in October to $162,500, from $165,800 in September. This number can be affected by the sale of distressed properties, which typically sell at discounted prices. Distressed properties accounted for 28% of homes sales in October. Yet despite a drop in the median price from last September, the Federal Housing Finance Authority reported that seasonally adjusted prices rose 0.2% in the third quarter from the second quarter in 2011, which could be an early sign of appreciating home prices.

By the end of October, the total number of homes on the market had fallen 2.2% to 3.33 million homes, which represents 8 months of inventory at the current sales pace. Since a record high of 4.58 million homes in July 2008, the inventory of homes for sale has been steadily declining. When homes sell faster than they come on the market, the market comes from its current favor toward buyers into balance or in favor of sellers. This can trigger an appreciation in home prices and lead the way to a stronger recovery.

Let’s begin with the 7 Key Reasons Why NOW is the Prime Time to Buy a Home: