From the monthly archives:

April 2007

Laguna Niguel Short Sale – 2 Bdrm, 2 Ba – $375,000 !

by Vincent Bindi on April 28, 2007

This is an exciting opportunity that won’t last long… it is an approved Short Sale for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath End Unit Condo in Laguna Niguel on Ryan Dr.  This condo is in turn key, move-in condition with many upgrades such as: New appliances, fixtures, lighting. Ceramic tile in kitchen, baths & entry. Like new carpet, mirrored wardrobes in bedrooms, designer ceiling fans with vaulted ceilings in Master bedroom & living room. It also has two patios, a 1 Car detached garage and is an Carriage style end unit with no one above or below you.

This condo is located in Village Niguel Terrace which is a gated community and the association includes a swimming pool, spa, tennis courts and private park.  The association dues of approximately $265 per month also include property insurance, landscape maintenance and exterior property maintenance.

The most exciting thing about this property is the price.  There are three other 2 bedroom, 2 bath condos for sale in Village Nigel Terrace and the asking prices are $379,900, $414,000 and $418,500…. and the $379,500 property is adjacent to the busy street La Paz.

Village Niguel Terrace is centrally located in Laguna Niguel, and is close to highway 5 and 73 toll road, shopping, restaurants and other entertainment options.  Village Niguel Terrace is serviced by the Capistrano Unified School district.  The grade school classes are conducted at Laguna Niguel elementary school and the intermediate classes are at Aliso Viejo Middle school.  the upper grades are serviced by the Aliso Viejo High School. 

If you would like to view the inside of the this home, or obtain more information about other Short Sale homes for sale, please call us at:  949-388-3396 or drop us an email at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com  Click on the following link to view all homes for sale in Laguna Niguel.

Avenue One Condominiums, Irvine, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 26, 2007

There are re-sale and brand new condos available for sale at this time.  They range in price from a low of $369,990 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 602 square foot condo on the first floor, on up to $735,990 for the largest 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,538 square foot floor plan. The average price per square foot for the condos currently for sale is $584/SqFt and the average days on market is 66 days. Below is the complete list of the condos currently for sale are Avenue One.

AddressBdrmsBathsStoriesGarageSqFtPrice
1231 Scholarship1131602$369,990
1150 Scholarship1131725$376,990
2119 Scholarship11G1602$429,999
2310 Scholarship1131725$437,000
2302 Scholarship22121,037$568,000
2406 Scholarship1111923$615,000
2402 Scholarship22T21,213$654,900
1418 Scholarship 29532321,538$725,990

To date, there have been a total of 7 re-sale condos that have sold and closed escrow at Avenue One  as listed below: 

AddressBdrmsBathsStoriesGarageSqFtPriceDays on Market
1125 Scholarship 1131725$402,99034
1117 Scholarship 1131725$405,9905
1138 Scholarship1131725$409,91323
1224 Scholarship 1131725$412,99015
1414 Scholarship1131846$503,63326
1334 Scholarship 22321,037$545,99040
1328 Scholarship22321,037$579,99076

The average price per square foot of these sold units is 482/SqFt, and the average days on market was 31 days.

There are two other high-rise condominium projects in the commerce area of Irvine that have also been popular with buyers.  One is named Watermarke condos and the other is Marquee Park Place.  If you would like to view all condos listed for sale in Irvine, visit our website at:  Irvine Real Estate. 

If you would like a private showing of any of the condos for sale in Avenue One, Watermarke or Marquee Park Place, please feel free to call us at: 949-388-3396 or email us at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com  Since you found us via the Internet, we are offering a 1% rebate from the purchase price if you allow us to show you and represent you in the purchase of a brand new Avenue One condo.  This offer is valid for as long as the builder is offering new homes for sale.

Rainbow Ridge Condos in Mission Viejo, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 23, 2007

The desirable Rainbow Ridge Condominiums are located in North Mission Viejo by the intersection of Marguerite Parkway and Santa Margarita Parkway. These sought-after townhomes are located within walking distance of the local high school, shopping, dining, and just around the corner you will find the magnificent Mission Viejo Lake where you can enjoy beaches, fishing, boating, and summer concerts. The Rainbow Ridge subdivision was built in the mid to late 1980’s by the renowned builder – The Mission Viejo Company. This friendly, tightly nit community consists of 312 townhomes comprising of 39 buildings, with an assortment of models and styles assured to fit most buyers needs. The 4 diverse floor plans are as follows:

  • Plan A – Cobalt – 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 840 sqft, 1 car garage
  • Plan B – Coral – 2 bedrooms, 1.25 baths, 993 sqft, 1 car garage
  • Plan C – Crystal – 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,221 sqft, 1 car garage
  • Plan D – Crimson- 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1,308 sqft, 1 car garage

Each spacious condo includes a fireplace.  The home owners’ association dues are approximately $220 and includes a community swimming pool, spa, trash service, landscape maintenance, exterior of home maintenance, and property insurance.  There is no Mello-Roos in Rainbow Ridge.

Currently, Condo prices in Rainbow Ridge in Mission Viejo range in price from $320,000 to $370,000 for the 2 bedroom – 1 bath floor plan.  For the 2 bedroom, 1.25 to 2 bath models, the price range varies from $375,000 to $430,000.  For the largest 3 bedroom, 3 bath floor plan the prices range from  $475,000 to $550,000

The street names that make up the Rainbow Ridge community are as follows: Amber, Aqua, Auburn, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Cobalt, Crimson, Fuchsia, Hazel, Ivory, Jade, Lavender, Magenta, Mauve, Persimmon, Rose, Tangerine, Teal, and Violet.

The Rainbow Ridge Community is located within the award winning Capistrano Unified School District. The grade school classes are administered at Montevideo Elementary School, the intermediate school is La Paz Middle School and the upper grades are conducted at Trabuco Hills High School, a short walk away.

If you would like to view all Condos for sale in Mission Viejo, please visit our website at:  Mission Viejo Condominiums.   If you would like more information about Rainbow Ridge community, or if you would like to see the inside of any Condo for sale, please feel free to contact us at:  949-388-3396 or by email at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com

SoCal MLS is now 2nd Largest MLS in the Nation !

by Vincent Bindi on April 22, 2007

The Orange County CA. MLS called SoCalMLS recently merged with the MLS that services much of the San Fernando Valley, called CrisNet MLS.  This merger in February now makes the SoCal MLS the second largest MLS in the country.  Currently there are over 13,140 attached condos listed for sale on SoCalMLS and 31,250 detached homes listed for sale, with over 50,000 licensed members comprising of real estate agents and brokers, mortgage lenders, appraisers and other support professionals.  SoCal MLS uses the TEMPO MLS system software technology that is owned and operated by First American MLS solutions, a division of First American Title Company.

This additional size, now gives SoCal MLS much more clout and capital funds in which to acquire additional technology services for it ‘s Realtor members and the Public. Some of the many important and useful technologies added to the SoCal MLS in the past several years have been:

  • MongoFAX – turns ordinary FAX machines into PDF scanners.
  • eNeighborhoods – provides neighborhood and school information to Orange County home buyers and Realtors.
  • MLS Alliance – allows Orange County Realtors to perform home searches for their buyer clients throughout the greater southern California region.
  • Multiple photos which allow Listing Agents to add up to 30 photos to every property they list for sale.
  • Home Video tours – Listing Agents can add Video Tours from most every 3rd party vendor, to any listing in SoCal MLS. 
  • Aerial Maps – shows Google Earth type satellite images of most every property listed for sale.
  • Lightning CMA Plus – a sophisticated software service that assists Listing Agents in provided Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) for their clients.
  • Tempo Client Gateway – a web based home searching, capture, sorting and comment Internet software service that let’s Realtors to set up an automated search  for their buyer clients, that only captures new listings of homes for sale that meet the buyers pre-defined criteria (ie: price, size, location etc).  This service saves these new listings on a custom website and allows to Buyers to Sort,  Prioritize and even comment on each listing..  One of the more powerful tools added to Tempo for the use of prospective home buyers.

There are many new and exciting technologies in the development pipeline scheduled to be added to the Tempo MLS system for this year and next, which will make SoCal MLS one of the most robust and use friendly MLS in the Nation. 

If you would like to search for any home for sale on the made for Public version of the  SoCal MLS system, please visit our website at:  Orange County CA. MLS

Valmont Condos in Ladera Ranch, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 21, 2007

Orange County CA. Economic and Finance News…

by Vincent Bindi on April 20, 2007

Here is some of the more important Mortgage and Financial news that happened this week ( April 16th – 20th), that affects our real estate market here in Orange County California.

  • The NAHB housing market index fell to 33 in April from 36 in March. This is the second month homebuilder sentiment has dropped 3 points. Homebuilders lowered their ratings of present single-family home sales, sales six months from now while foot traffic through model homes decreased significantly. The level of the index suggests the downturn in housing will continue through the spring selling season and summer with possible adverse affects on the economy.

  • New residential construction starts gained unexpectedly in March, boosted by warmer weather. Housing starts increased 0.8% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.52 million, the highest level this year. Nevertheless, housing starts have tumbled 38.2% over the past twelve months, the largest year-over-year decline since 1991.

  • The MBA mortgage applications index fell 2.5% to 630.6% for the week that ended April 13. This was the fifth straight decline in the index. The purchase index dropped 4.2% last week while the refinance index fell 0.3%. Rising mortgage rates over the past few weeks have cut into application activity. Even with the string of declines lately, mortgage application volume remains 10.7% above year ago levels.

  • Freddie Mac announced plans to purchase as much as $20 billion in sub-prime mortgages as a way to curb rising mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures in that market. The plan will need to be approved by OFHEO. Freddie Mac will work with originators to develop new products which will include more stable financing through longer fixed rate periods. Mortgage backed securities are the largest fixed income market at $6.5 billion compared to $4.3 trillion in U.S. Treasuries and $5.4 trillion in corporate debt.

  • Mortgage rates fell in Orange County for the first time in six weeks on tame core inflation data released recently. 30-year fixed rate mortgages averaged 6.17% this week compared to 6.22% last week according to Freddie Mac’s mortgage market survey. Economists at Freddie Mac said that lower rates should help to stabilize the downturn in housing market activity.

  • Jobless claims dropped 4k to 339k for the week that ended April 14. The elevated level of claims suggests some slack in labor market conditions with a higher rate of layoffs and a slower pace of hiring. The outlook is for initial jobless claims to trend moderately higher in the next several months as cyclical, housing-related construction and seasonal, auto manufacturing layoffs increase.
    • If you have any questions regarding your mortgage loan here in Orange County, or if your thinking about buying a home and would like to receive a no obligation quote from the areas most cost effective lender, please feel free to contact us at:  949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com

New Homes for Sale in Laguna Beach, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 19, 2007

Laguna Beach CA. offers some of the most desirable estate properties in the country… and no wonder given the spectacular ocean views, pristine beaches and near perfect weather that one finds in Laguna Beach. 

New homes for sale are hard to come by, for there if very little buildable land remaining, and the building department of Laguna Beach is very demanding regarding permits.  Currently there are only 12 homes for sale ranging in price from $1,085,000 to up to $38 Million.  Below is a list of all homes for sale that were built in the years 2006′ or 2007′ as follows:

Address Area/Tract Bdrms Baths # Gar SqFt Price
355 Pearl St   Laguna Village 2  1.5  1    853  $1,085,000 
1275 Cerritos   The Village 4  3.5  2    3,000  $1,850,000 
988 Acapulco St   Arch Beach Heights 3  3.5  2 D  3,000  $2,150,000 
756 Bluebird Canyon Dr   Woods Cove 4  3.5  2    2,650  $2,425,000 
2800 Terry Rd   Laguna Village 3  3.5  4 A  2,331  $2,695,000 
2938 Rounsevel Ter   Upper Victoria Beach 3  3.5  2 A  2,600  $2,995,000 
2626 Victoria Dr   Victoria Beach 3  3.5  2 A  2,690  $3,500,000 
591 Balboa   Laguna Village 4  4.5  2 A  ? $4,950,000 
1360 Moorea Way   Mystic Hills 5  6.5  4 A  7,947  $6,900,000 
11 Camel Pt   South Laguna 3  3.5  2 A  ? $9,500,000 
31897 Circle Dr   South Laguna 4  4  2 A  2,559  $12,000,000 
171 Emerald Bay   Emerald Bay 6  6.5  10 A  11,961  $38,000,000 

Due to the hillside topography and beach close location, many of the above new homes offer panoramic ocean and catalina island views.

The homes on Emerald Bay, Circle Dr, Camel Pl., and Victoria Dr. are still under construction and are scheduled to be completed this year or in 2008′.  The estate property on Emerald Bay for $38 Million, is a 4 Story home, with each level offer a breath taking ocean view.  Per the seller, this is one of the most remarkable oceanfront properties in the world.   It boasts of 11,961 square feet of living area and a 10 car garage.  The property on Circle Drive offers unmatched coastline views and easy beach access.  The Camel Pl. estate is located in Camel Point and is situated on it’s own private bluff.  The Victoria Dr. home features 3 levels with ocean and coastline views.

The little Cottage on Pearl St. is a rare find at just $1,085,000.  It is situated on a smaller 3,750 square foot lot and only offers a small peek-a-boo view, but is in a very desirable down town location.  None of the above new homes have association dues except for the Emerald Bay property.  Also, there is no Mello-Roos tax in Laguna Beach. 

If you would like to view all home for sale in Laguna Beach, please visit our website at: Laguna Beach Homes for Sale.  If you would like additional information about these new homes for sale, of if you would like to see the inside of any home listed for sale in Laguna Beach, please feel free to contact us at:  949-388-3396 or email us at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com

Applause Condos – Aliso Viejo, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 17, 2007

Let’s hear a round of applause for the Applause townhomes in Aliso Viejo… (pardon the cheesy pun).  The Applause tract is located by the intersection of Aliso Creek Rd. and Pacific Park Dr. and just a block away from the Aliso Viejo Town Center, an enormous dining, shopping and entertainment complex. With access to the community pool and spa, and just minutes from the toll road and beaches, Applause is a great place to call home.  These beautiful Townhomes were built by Epac Builders in the early 1990’s, and are kept in remarkable shape. Built with a variety of styles and models, the spacious Applause condominiums are sure to have something to fit everyones’ needs. The 3 different floor plans are as follows:

  • Plan A – Chorus Line – 2 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 1,327 sqft.
  • Plan B – Swan Lake – 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 1,636 sqft.
  • Plan C – Elton John- 2 bedrooms 2 baths, 1,563 sqft.

Each home includes a fireplace, 2 Car garage and balcony. The homeowners association dues are approximately $270 per month and includes association swimming pool, trash service, exterior maintenance and landscape maintenance.

There are currently 5 townhomes for sale in Applause, ranging in price fro $519,900 for the 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,563 square foot floor plan, up to $585,500 for the largest 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1,636 square foot plan.  In the past 90 days, there have been 3 Condos that have sold in Applause ranging in price from $450,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1,327 square foot model, up to $505,000 for the 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,563 square foot plan.  Our featured model for sale, is at 3 Theatre Lane, which is a spacious and very private 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage model with 1,636 square feet of living area, for an asking price of $578,000.  This is my listing and due to personal reasons, the seller is very motivated to sell.

The design of the community was inspired by the musical industry and the streets were named accordingly as follows: Applause Ave., Bravo Ln., Encore Ln., Front Row, Matinee Court, Music Ln., Opera Ln., Orchestra Ln., Ovation Ln., Overture Ln., and Theater Ln.

Applause townhomes are located within the award winning Capistrano Unified School District. The grade schools classes are conducted at Foxborough Elementary School, the intermediate school is Don Juan Avila Middle School, and upper grades are conducted at Aliso Niguel High School. 

To view all Condominiums for sale in Aliso Viejo, please visit our website at:  Aliso Viejo Condos.  If you would like to see the inside of any of these homes for sale, please feel free to contact us at:  949-388-3396 or by email at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com

Laguna Beach Ocean View Homes

by Vincent Bindi on April 9, 2007

Laguna Beach, CA. offers some of the most spectacular Ocean View properties in all of southern California.  The city slopes slightly in from the beach, and then ascends into hills and local mountain tops, thus providing many home-sites with majestic ocean  and coastline views. The beaches in Laguna are some of the most scenic in southern California due to the many white sandy beach coves, rock jetty’s, crashing waves and steep cliffs. Due to the hilly terrain and some landslides over the years, the Laguna Beach building codes makes home construction very challenging and expensive.  Permit costs, construction costs and land costs all add up to some of the most expensive real estate in the Nation. 

Relatively more affordable detached homes priced less then $2 Million that offer sweeping ocean views can be acquired in Arch Beach Heights, Summit Ridge, Top of the World, Temple Hills and even in Upper Victoria Beach areas to name a few.  These homes range in price from $1,250,000 for a 4 bedroom, 2 bath (actually 2 cottages on one lot), on a 4,770 square foot lot on Top of the World Drive.  The ocean views from this property are marginal but do exist.   A smaller home in Temple Hills with unobstructed whitewater view of Main Beach currently has an asking price of  $1,799,000 .  The home has 2 bedrooms. 1.5 baths, 2 car garage  with 1,392 square feet of living area and many fine upgrades…. and a killer ocean view.  These homes range in age from 1929 to 1997 and everything in between.  Some of the older and smaller homes with nice ocean views are basically priced for their land value.

The median priced ocean view home in Laguna Beach is priced at $3.2 million for a nominal 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 4,500 square foot home with distant panoramic ocean views.  Ocean View homes will range in price from $550 per square foot up to $10,000 per square foot. On average, one can expect to pay about $1,200 to $1,400 per square foot for a typical panoramic ocean view home.

For those with very deep pockets, beachfront estates with up-close sweeping ocean views range in price from $15 to $40 Million dollars.  There are currently 7 such properties on the market for sale in Laguna Beach.  A 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath, 7,220 square foot home located on the sand has a current asking price of $15.9 Million.  This estate is located in the prestigious gated community of of Lagunita, and was built  in 1983.   A second oceanfront property for sale in Lagunita offers panoramic coastline and Catalina island views, with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and 4,300 square feet of living area with a price tag of $17 Million. 

In the desired community of Emerald Bay there is a 5 bedroom, 5 bath, 2,774 square foot estate currently for sale for $18 Million.  This prestigious property is situated directly over Irvine Cove Beach and has a separate Care Take Quarters and was built in 1989.  In the Victoria Beach area of Laguna Village, there is a 6 bedroom, 7.5 bath, 10,000 square foot palatial estate for sale for $24,950,000 boasting of breathtaking ocean and coastline views  on  an Acre of  beach front land.   This home was designed by the renowned architect Ed Lohrbach and offers world-class luxury amenities.

Currently, there are 2 properties for sale in the South Laguna Bluffs community in South Laguna Beach.  These properties are both located on Circle Dr and are situated on the OC’s trophy beach.  One estate with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2,500 square of living area is being offered for $31.9 Million and the other 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 4,000 square foot property is currently offered for sale for $33 Million.  Currently, the most expensive ocean view property in Laguna Beach is a 18,000 square foot home situated on 11 Acres offering unobstructed sweeping Ocean views with an asking price of $39 Million.

Click here to view all Real Estate for sale in Laguna Beach.  If you would like a private showing of any of these fine ocean view estate in Laguna Beach, please feel free to contact us at 949-388-3396, or email us at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com

What is a real estate Short Sale in Orange County, CA.

by Vincent Bindi on April 5, 2007

The last time Orange County CA. experienced the current level of Short Sale properties for sale was in the mid 1990′s.  Back then, Short Sale and Foreclosure activity was due primarily to massive job losses and a glut of new and existing homes for sale.  Today, the main culprit is a correction in local home prices coupled with many highly leveraged, adjustable rate mortgage loans that were made in the past 4 years.

Using a Short Sale to sell you Orange County home is a difficult transaction, but is a much better alternative then out-right Foreclosure or Bankruptcy.  A Short Sale occurs when a homes sales value is less then the outstanding mortgage debt plus sales costs (sometimes called an “upside down Mortgage”), and the mortgage bank(s) has agreed to write off a portion of the outstanding loan debt in order to consummate the sale.  For example, if a home sells for $600,000 with $20,000 in total sales costs, and the total outstanding loan balance is currently $620,000, then the lender(s) would have to agree to reduce the mortgage loan debt by $40,000 in order to close the deal.  Lenders often entertain such an option for in the long run, they will usually receive a higher percentage of their principal back as compared to forcing the property into Foreclosure and run the risk of property neglect or damage, and additional delays and costs, and the possibility of property owner bankruptcy. 

Today, the “upside down Mortgages” in Orange County are due mostly to the risky, highly leveraged loans in which the home buyer purchased the home with little or nothing down, with an interest-only or worse yet, negative amortization loan in which the loan balance gets higher every month.  Combined with the softening of Orange County home prices that have now decreased by as much as 12% in some areas. 

These factors are causing many home owners to consider a Short Sale to solve their financial crisis, but this is a  difficult real estate transactions that requires additional paperwork and intricate negotiations between the real estate agent and the mortgage banker(s).  Basically, the real estate professional must prove to the mortgage bank(s) that the homeowner has a financial hardship.  In other words the home owner is unable to keep up with the current mortgage payments, and has minimal bank account savings, or other investments.  This financial duress can be due to job layoffs, illnesses, divorce, or even the unexpected large increase in mortgage payments due to interest rate resets. 

Many lenders today in Orange County, won’t commit to a Short Sale until their is a valid and firm purchase offer in hand from a qualified new buyer, and a knowledgeable broker/agent who can negotiate the deal. It’s imperative to work with an experienced real estate agent for they will need to prepare a professional and complete Short Sale package.  This package includes the purchase offer contract, buyers detailed loan qualifications, a realistic and detailed analysis of the fair market value of the home, current local real estate market conditions, and financial information and hardship letter from the homeowner.

In addition, there may be income Tax consequences if the home was refinanced.  Technically, the difference between your home’s value and the balance on the mortgage is considered a forgiveness of debt and this amount may be considered taxable income if the loan(s) were not purchase money, but were refinanced. If one can prove financial insolvency, then this tax consequence may be forgiven.  It is imperative that one consult with a Tax accountant regarding these matters.  This potential Tax issue is the same regardless of whether the property was sold via a Short Sale or taken back in Foreclosure, so a Short Sale is still a much better choice then Foreclosure. As a side note, Congress recently passed a bill (Mortgage Cancellation Relief Act of 2007 ) that essentially eliminates this tax issue for purchase money mortgages, and is awaiting Senate approval.. 

If you are a home owner that is falling behind in your payments, or potentially facing foreclosure, or a prospective home buyer who is entertaining the purchase of a home that is in Foreclosure or a Short Sale, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have at:  949-388-3396 or email us at:  Info@SearchOCHomes.com , or visit our website at: