Archive for December, 2009

Finders Fees – An Unexploited Way to Make a Killing From Real Estate

Author: Maggie Dawsonbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Finders fees are probably the most underexploited way to make money from real estate foreclosures that exist in the current economy. Why? One main reason is likely the culprit: real estate investors are simply ignorant to the possibilities inherent in helping victims of foreclosure recover the equity theyve lost to the government.

Everyone has seen the websites run by the state where you can type your name in and see if youve got any forgotten bank accounts or stock dividends being held by the state unclaimed funds division. What almost never shows up on those websites are sums of money like tax and mortgage foreclosure overages. Why? Those funds take a while to make it to the states unclaimed funds department.

Since most finders fees are capped out by state law at 5-15%, the opportunity to be a professional money finder seems less than appealing, since youd have to be successful at collecting a lot of huge amounts to become wealthy. But since these funds often dont make it to the state level for at least 2 years, theres a huge opportunity to make unlimited finders fees from those funds while they are still floating around outside the state level. During that time, they are largely ungoverned.

Also, unfortunately for many tax and mortgage delinquent owners, often state law dictates that their overage equity escheats – that is, lost permanently – to the government before it ever even makes it to the state level, where theyd have a prayer of stumbling upon it.

What does this mean for you? It means that first, you are sorely needed as a money finder. People will lose their equity if someone doesnt help them find it (as many times, they dont even know they are entitled to it). It also means theres a wealth of money to be made from finders fees in the 30-50% fee range. With the skyrocketing foreclosure rate, now more than ever, opportunity is present to both help people keep their equity out of the governments hands, while at the same time fattening your own bank account to the tune of five figures a month.

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pThe most important thing to learn is how to find records of these funds, and find and approach claimants while keeping your sources secret. To read the Insiders Guide to Generating Finder Fees, a target=_new href=http://hooked-on-overages.com rel=nofollowClick Here Now/a./ppMs. Dawson is a found money expert./pbr
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Invest in Real Estate For a Brighter Future

Author: Jessica G Stevensbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Looking for a good way to prepare for your retirement? Why dont you try investing in real estate? Being a real estate investor is a rewarding career. And more importantly, it can help you fatten up your savings until the day you decide to just sit back and relax with your significant other.

Over the last few years, real estate investing (REI) has become the bread and butter of many people. It has helped them make their dreams into reality. And despite the recent economic setback, the real estate business has given most of us many opportunities to make big gains.

However, REI is not as easy as it may seem. There are many things that you need to take into consideration. And one of the most important of them is your education.

Many great philosophers said that learning shouldnt stop the moment you step out of school. This can be true for most investors. If you want to succeed in this business, you should continue to learn even after your first successful transaction. You must never stop sharpening your skills because they can help you avoid making huge mistakes that can affect your business.

When investing in real estate, make sure that you are spending your money on profitable properties. Never invest in houses that can cause you big profit loss. Therefore, choose the properties that you are going to buy carefully.

Investment properties that have high profitability and marketability are those that have proximity to important establishments such as schools, hospitals, restaurants, cinemas, and other recreational facilities. Those that are located in areas where urban development projects are planned are also great real estate assets to invest in.

Aside from your education and the quality of your investment properties, another important matter that you should look into is your budget. Having sufficient cash flow is a must for a investor because it can help ensure the success of a project. In addition, it allows an investor to act quickly and appropriately in case a good deal comes his or her way.

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pReal estate investing is indeed a good way to prepare for your retirement. With patience and perseverance, you can provide a brighter future for yourself and for your loved ones. Meanwhile, if you are looking for ways to boost your knowledge on REI, you can log on to a target=_new href=http://www.rehab-real-estate.com/ rel=nofollowhttp://www.Rehab-Real-Estate.com/a. The website is home to various learning resources that can bring out the best real estate investor in you./pbr
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Insider Real Estate Investment Tips For Getting Discount From a Seller

Author: Mike Lautensackbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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The recent slowdown in economic activity has made everyone weary of spending. Everyone everywhere is trying to save as much money as possible. One of the ways in which people can save money is through achieving discounts during financial transactions. Real estate activity is no exception to this rule. Whether you are buying a house or a property for investment purpose, you want to obtain as much discount from the seller as possible. The seller, on the other hand, tries to collect as much cash from you as possible. If you find yourself in such a situation, there are some steps that you can take in order to maximize the amount of discount from the seller and save as much money as possible in a real estate deal.

Some of those steps are as under:

Be bold

Its a common formula that one shouldnt haggle too much over the price of a desired item. Like most of the formula, it simply not true. Its perfectly normal to bargain over the price of a property. You should be bold enough to let the seller know how much you can afford for a certain house or a piece of land.

Be practical

The whole point of bargaining is that the final price must be acceptable to both parties; the buyer and the seller. You simply cannot strip the seller of a reasonable margin of profit on the transaction. Keeping this in mind, your offer or counter offer must be rational. You must not offer an amount that is far below the initial price of the property. This will irritate the seller and your chances of getting a discount will, altogether, vanish.

Find out and bargain with the right person

This is the key to a successful discount negotiation. Not everyone, in any deal, real estate or otherwise, is authorized to make a discount. The right person to talk to, in a real estate, deal is the owner of the property since an agent or a broker only has a benchmark within which he must cut the deal. The owner is the person who can actually decide at what price he will finally settle. Bargaining with an agent or a broker will not get you anywhere. Seek the owner and talk to him. This can get you a great margin of discount.

Dont insist upon an amount

Naturally, the owner will also quote certain amount at which he will let go of the property while you are negotiating with him. Look out for such an amount and if it seems fair enough, and within your reach, accept it. Do not insist upon a number that you want. The amount quoted by the owner may be his last offer. If you are being stubborn, you may lose a the chance of getting a property at a reasonable price

Be prepared to let go

If it seems to you that the owner has stuck to a price which is not within your reach, pull out at once. There is no point in wasting your time on a property that you cannot afford. You can always buy another property at a reasonable price from someone else.

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pI invite you to learn more about Real Estate Investing and become a member of our FREE weekly tele-seminar class where we teach tips and strategy on how to grow your real estate investing business and how to raise Private Money by going to a target=_new href=http://www.realestatewealthtoday.com/TuesdayTipsSignUp.html rel=nofollowhttp://www.realestatewealthtoday.com/TuesdayTipsSignUp.html/a./ppbMike Lautensack/b is a full-time real estate entrepreneur, coach and mentor in Philadelphia, PA and creator of the Private Lending Presentation Kit. This powerful done-for-you kit is loaded with tools and techniques to attract and develop a consistent stream of private investors into your real estate business. To learn more about this kit and receive your FREE eBook go to a target=_new href=http://www.learnrealestateinvestingblog.com/ rel=nofollowReal Estate Investing Blog/a./pbr
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Some Negotiation Tips for Purchasing Real Estate

Author: Jeff Adamsbr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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Negotiation plays a major role when we are going to purchase real estate. Here are some tips to help you negotiate for a better price on your next real estate purchase.Every day, new investors looking into investing in a new piece of real estate ask I thought the real estate market had depreciated; why these aren’t prices much lower? The prices of property dont seem any lower because sellers are still hoping to sell for what real estate was worth three or four years ago, and its your job to negotiate them down to a more sensible level. Let us see some of the real estate negotiation tips.Don’t tell true price range to your real estate agentReal estate agents usually make a percentage of the total sale, and by that make more profit when you spend more money. Drop your true price range by at least 8 to 10% when speaking with a real estate agent, and make sure to highlight the lower end of your range, so that they dont stress you with homes outside your soothe range.Dont try to dive in before researchIts enticing to just start looking at real estate, but the reality is you must know what youre looking for before you start meeting sellers, asking more questions, and evaluating properties. Take a look at median neighborhood home values, median cost per square foot in that area, and the values of facilities like pools or fireplaces in that neighborhood, before speaking to a real estate agent.Try to learn the sellers background and storiesWhy the sellers are selling now, and how urgently they want to sell the property, will make a large difference in how low theyll be eager to go. You can often learn a great deal from about the sellers circumstances from their listing agent, so you better ask them all about the sellers circumstances. Sometimes sellers would rather sell immediately than wait for months and months for the good offer, hence highlight how quickly you can settle when you make that lowball offer.Don’t tip hand when you like a houseDont disparage the property to the seller, as their home after all, but dont let them know just how much you like the home, either. Rather, you may ask some questions like; what’s the asking price? Why do the sellers want to sell the property? How long have they inhabited the property? What updates, maintenance, and repairs have they performed? When are they interested in settling?Make Them Convince YouAs many real estate investing professionals know, the person who is being inclined has the most power, so let the inventory agent and the sellers pitch you on the property. Show some unwillingness, hesitate a little before making an offer, but an important issue is dont seem anxious in the least.br
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pJeff Adams is an author for a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.realestatemillionairecode.com/ title=Jeff Adam Investments WebsitesJeff Adam Investments Websites/a. He has written article a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.realestatemillionairecode.com/jeff-adams/buying-the-note/ title=Jeff Adams InvestmentsJeff Adams Investments/a,a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.realestatemillionairecode.com/jeff-adams/buy-it-fix-it-sell-it/ title= Real Estate InvestingReal Estate Investing/a.

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Real Estate Internet Marketing Is The Future, And The Future Is Now

Author: Lanard Perrybr
Source: downloadbr
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Have trouble sending and opening email? How about downloading zipped documents? Okay, heres something a little more challenging. Do you know what html is, or how to write it?
Now that I have your attention let me say this! If youre computer/Internet challenged, but are serious about your real estate career you should hot foot it to the nearest computer class and get some skills!
Why? Because the Internet has changed the way real estate is being transacted, and youre either onboard as an active participant, or a passive observer as it flashes by you at warp speed.
Here are some things to consider about real estate internet marketing.
Real Estate Marketing Reports
One of the most effective ways to market real estate on the Internet is by offering real estate and mortgage related marketing reports in exchange for the recipients email addresses. Informational reports can make lasting impressions.
You can offer the reports via Ecourse lessons, web site pages, special reports, flyers, letters, etc. The manner in which you deliver the reports is only limited by your imagination.
In exchange for providing this information you gather the email addresses from the people requesting information from you. And once you have them you can continue plying them with your marketing messages until you convert them to paying customers.
Youll learn, if you dont already know, that it takes 4-7 communications to convert a prospect into a paying customer. Having their email addresses enables you to do this by providing information that they have requested. Your messages will be welcomed, appreciated and in many instances actually anticipated.
Finally, as noted below, there are effective ways to do this automatically! Meaning, its easy and cost effective to market to them until you get the desired response, which is often times a sale, or listing!
Web Sites
A real estate agent without a website is like a bird without wings. Unless the bird is a penguin it is seriously handicapped, as are agents without web sites!
Agents without sites are out of the loop, and are mostly unknown to many real estate customers. Therefore, they are not even a consideration for their business. If youre not online you are not accessible by the millions of online real estate prospects looking to buy, sell, rent, or exchange real estate. Arguably, your real estate license is near worthless if you dont have a web site.
Auto responders
An auto responder is an email system that enables you to provide real estate related information to prospects… automatically! Its the online version of the Ronco cooking machine; once you set it you can forget it.
Once you program it with the information you want it to deliver, and specify the frequency in which the information will be doled out youll have a virtual secretary that works for you 24/7, 365 days a year! And itll never ask for a day off!
Instant Gratification
Buyers and sellers want information when they want it, which is usually now and will gravitate towards agents who can respond quickly to their interests. If you can do this you can get a slice of this huge, lucrative niche market. However, if your computer and Internet skills are sub par, you will be at a serious disadvantage to your competitors.
Real Estate Internet Marketing Is the Future, and the future is now! Online real estate marketing is booming. Increasingly, buyers and sellers begin their real estate related interests searching for information on line before their first contact with agents.
So, if you want to be a serious contender in the online real estate marketing industry you must be proficient enough with a computer to navigate the Internet, send and receive email messages, attach, send and open email documents, download zipped files, send zipped files, etc. If you dont have the skills, get them. A class is often just a shopping center complex away!
Lanard Perry, author of a real estate marketing system that shows Realtors how to average 1 or more listings a week. Visit him at Real Estate Marketing Talkfor more marketing ideas.br
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A Few Great Books to Get You Started in Real Estate Investing

Author: Brennan Tomasettibr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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I have been investing in real estate for over 10 years and when the topic comes up in conversation, people always ask the same question – How did you get started?

The answer is books – to be more specific, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I was fresh out of college, working as a software consultant, when a more senior colleague/mentor recommended that I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. He said to me, If I were your age, THIS is what I would be doing. A few weeks later, while stuck at the Buffalo airport, in a snow storm, I read the book cover to cover. From a financial standpoint, my thought process was forever changes.

Here are a few other books I recommend – to anyone looking to get started in RE investing:

- Investing in Real Estate, by Andrew J. McLean and Gary W. Eldred – This book provides a more in depth look at real estate investing – examples of deals, issues which may occur throughout the purchase/ownership process, etc. In my opinion, the authors do a very good job of walking you through various sample transactions. The focus here is on fundamentals – long term wealth accumulation via the Buy Hold approach. This book will not teach you how to do short sales, lease options or some of the other, more involved scenarios; however, it will provide great insight into basic real estate investing practices.

- Landlording on Autopilot, by Mike Butler – for anyone looking to understand property management (even if you plan on hiring someone, it is important to know good strategies), this is an excellent book. Mike developed some great methods for streamlining the PM process – which is critical – particularly when you start to accumulate a multiple properties. It can be the hardest part of the business – but if you start out right, you can prevent a lot of headaches.

- Loopholes of the Rich, by Diane Kennedy – Another book within the Rich Dad series – Diane gives a great, easy to understand, perspective on the tax advantages and legal (company structures, etc.) that should be considered when investing in real estate. Just as important as learning how to get the money coming in is learning how to keep it! This book is a great starter for understanding those strategies.

- Grow Rich with the Property Cycle, by Kieran Trass – This book was a more difficult read (for me anyway) but the perspective is priceless. It describes the various stages within the property cycle and how to make money in each phase! It may sound as if what we are experiencing in the current economy is something which has never been seen before. While that may be true – with regard to the exact cause – it is certainly not the first time our markets have seen a similar recession/depression. The most important thing is to understand where you are in the property cycle and how to best take advantage. I read this book once every few years.

No one book will teach you everything and there is always more to learn. Knowledge is the best ally when heading into new territory!

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pBrennan has a background in Accounting/Finance and has been investing in real estate for over 10 years. She currently owns over 40 properties in the Philadelphia and Jacksonville markets combined. She recently launched a target=_new href=http://www.WomenGetWealthy.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.WomenGetWealthy.com/a – a place for women to connect and discuss strategies for building wealth./pbr
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Real Estate Investing – Become an Instant Millionaire

Author: Flynna Sarah Molinabr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Nowadays, when you have extra savings you would plan to invest it into something worthwhile. And one of the common suggestions is to acquire a second home. Purchasing real estate can surely give you a high return of your investment. It is the best move you can ever do in your life because you can do business and work for another company all at the same time. However, this is not as easy as purchasing one and rent it. You need to be knowledgeable of what kind of market you are entering into.

To guide you in this venture, consider some of these tips for real estate investing.

When you put up any kind of business, a thorough research is highly needed. Prior to committing to any transaction, perform a feasibility study to broaden your knowledge about the subject matter. The scope of your study will basically focus on the types of real estate properties, value of each of these houses, prices of your possible competitors and the home improvements or upgrades that you will need for a certain residence. Other minor details will also be of big help to your evaluation. In this way, once you start your operation, you can easily handle every situation that comes in your way. Of course, you can not always expect for your business to boom.

Before buying the property, you need to check it carefully. Make sure that it is free of any legal issues or damages. This is what most of the investors tend to overlook, securing the actual condition of the property. This is also one way to assure you that there are no possible complications later on.

You also have to be aware of the amended tax laws related to your business. In this way, you can fully comply with all the requirements that the government stipulates. Aside from that, knowing your rights will also let you avail of the tax credits that are intended for your business. Consult your legal counsel regarding this matter. He can surely guide you along the way.

When you are about to start looking for possible renters, make sure to have a list of your requirements or the characteristics you are looking for in a tenant. This is very important when you are entering into rental property business. These renters are the life of your business, but they can also be the cause to pull it down. Occupants are eventually the ones who will use your buildings, and thus they have to show their concern on your property. They should know how to take care of your property and abide by the policies that you made. Bear in mind that these are strangers, so you can not expect them to show the same level of concern you have for your property. And be transparent to them so as to build good business rapport.

Planning to invest in real estate is definitely a worthwhile thing to do, only if you are fully equipped with all the learnings you need to know about the business. It takes a lot of patience and determination to be successful in this venture. Once you possess these characteristics, you will surely become an instant millionaire in due time.

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pWant to know more about real estate properties? Check these sites a target=_new href=http://losangelescommunityguide.com/ rel=nofollowLos Angeles Community Guide/a and a target=_new href=http://www.allsouthernphoenixmetrorealestate.com/46680-Southern-Phoenix-Metro-AZ-FixerUpper-RESCmty.aspx rel=nofollowSouthern Phoenix Metro Fixer Uppers/a./pbr
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Effective Online Marketing For Your Real Estate Business

Author: James Smithbr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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When it comes to being successful in the real estate business, you need to use a multiple component strategy to attract homebuyers to your website and keep them there. You can accomplish this with the winning online marketing and sales strategies that have been proven to work. Your website is the first consideration, since you only have a few seconds to make a first impression. Analyze the appearance it gives. Is it professional and easy to navigate? Is it helpful in finding them the homes they are looking for using the MLS system and integrated real estate IDX searches? Cultivating new leads means making customers come to your website and stay there to find what they are searching for. It also means getting them to sign up for newsletters or contact information on listings so that you can get your foot in the door and make a sale. Search engine optimization is helpful in driving online traffic to your website. Without it, you could have a hard time competing in a highly competitive real estate company market. Winning sales strategies for online marketing include having an SEO or search engine optimized website to drive your website to the top of the search engine rankings. Real estate listing syndication and property launch of individual property websites can be crucial in grabbing the attention of pre-qualified buyers and helps you to increase market share because they can find listings easier and faster, which makes them more cost effective. These strategies might require the help of experts that specialize in IDX search, real estate website design and real estate online marketing to make the entire process a success. Wasted time is wasted money in commissions, so you cant afford to do your online marketing and sales efforts by experimentation. When it comes to the success of your real estate business, you need to incorporate the best websites, IDX property searches and sales strategies you can find or another real estate company will. Because most real estate experts arent necessarily experts in the online marketing techniques, many of them waste time trying different methods without results. Trying to save a few dollars by doing some of the work themselves can cost thousands of dollars in lost sales commissions in a short amount of time. There are ways to optimize your website for the best customer experience and you can build a loyal customer following from the leads you are able to generate. Of course, they have to find your website in the sea of thousands that might have listings that are equally attractive. This is where search engine optimization can be so important, yet it is more than a random repeating of certain keywords or phrases. In fact, some real estate websites can get penalized and lowered in rankings because a novice will keyword stuff a website or not fit search engine rules and guidelines. Once this happens, your online presence will virtually disappear. This is a risk that isnt worth taking, when it can be so affordable to get expert help and generate more sales leads. Consider an expert in online marketing and sales strategies for real estate business- learn more at http://www.yourmlssearch.com.br
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pYourMLSsearch.com makes a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.YourMLSsearch.com Real Estate SEO /a real simple. With over a thousand real estate clients, their a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.yourmlssearch.com/idx-mls-search/ MLS and IDX search /a and a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.yourmlssearch.com/real-estate-website-design/ Real Estate Website Design /aservices have helped many Real Estate professionals realize their dreams.
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Mission Valley, San Diego, Real Estate Market Trends And Community Information, August 2006

Author: Real Estate Prosbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
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COMMUNITY INFORMATION

The Mission Valley community is situated in central San Diego County within the state of California. There are approximately 13,597 residents in this Zip code (92108) and 7,829 households. The median age of residents is 33.23 years.

TEMPERATURES

The temperature in Mission Valley is relatively moderate. The warmest time of year occurs in August during which temperatures reach an average high of 73ฐF. The coldest time of year occurs in December with average temperatures falling to 58ฐ F.

HOME AND REAL ESTATE PRICES

The housing options in Mission Valley include single-family homes and properties, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. The price of housing is as follows:

ท One bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the mid $200,000s.
ท Two bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low $300,000s.
ท Three bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the mid $500,000s.
ท Two bedroom single-family homes start in the low $400,000s.
ท Three bedroom single-family homes start in the mid $500,000s.

REAL ESTATE MARKET TRENDS

As with most products and services in the United States, price shifts in the real estate industry are subject to the forces of supply and demand. Whether its a buyers market or a sellers market, it is useful to evaluate home sales data for the most recent month available (June 2006), compared against the same period in the previous year (June 2005).

The median price of single-family homes dropped from $540,000 in June 2005 to $510,000 in June 2006, which represents a 5.6% decrease. Fewer homes sold in June 2006 (7 homes) than in June 2005 (18 homes). The average time to sell a home decreased from 42 days in June 2005 to 39 days in June 2006.

The median price of condominiums and townhomes dropped from $367,500 in June 2005 to $344,950 in June 2006, which represents a 6.1% decline. Fewer units sold in June 2006 (36 units) than in June 2005 (68 units). Moreover, units took longer to sell in June 2006 (64 days) than in June 2005 (45 days).

Homebuyers and home sellers should keep in mind that the data above is simply a snapshot in time. Therefore, the data must be evaluated over a longer duration to understand enduring market trends./pbr
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Mira Mesa, San Diego, Real Estate Market Trends, Single-family Homes, Mid Year Analysis, 2006

Author: Real Estate Prosbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
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The Mira Mesa region is located in central San Diego County, California. The community is located between Interstates 15 and 805, and falls within the 92126 Zip Code.

The real estate and homes for sale in Mira Mesa fall into the moderate-income category. The number of homes sold in a particular year is relatively high. For example, during the period from January through July 2006, approximately 236 single-family homes sold. Approximately 340 homes sold for the same period in 2005.

One method to analyze pricing trends for a particular community is to evaluate the median and average price of homes for a particular month, and compare that data against the same period last year. What follows is a comparison of the median price and average price of homes for the past seven months (January through July 2006), compared against the data for the corresponding time period in 2005.

The median price of homes represents the point at which half the homes are above a particular price point, and half the homes are below a particular price point. The average price of homes is calculated by adding up the sales price of all homes sold in a particular month, and dividing that value by the number of homes sold.

The median price of homes in July 2006 was $511,000, compared to $525,000 in July 2005, which represents a 2.7% drop. The average price of homes in July 2006 was $528,734, compared to $535,515 in July 2005, which represents a 1.5% drop. Approximately 32 homes sold in July 2006 and 54 in July 2005. In summary, there was a downward price trend in July 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in June 2006 was $510,000, compared to $535,000 in June 2005, which represents a 4.7% drop. The average price of homes in June 2006 was $518,400, compared to $539,732 in June 2005, which represents a 3.9% drop. Approximately 45 homes sold in June 2006 and 47 in June 2005. In summary, there was a downward price trend in June 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in May 2006 was $520,000, compared to $540,000 in May 2005, which represents a 4.5% drop. The average price of homes in May 2006 was $531,469, compared to $550,088 in May 2005, which represents a 3.9% drop. Approximately 32 homes sold in May 2006 and 40 in May 2005. In summary, there was a downward price trend in May 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in April 2006 was $529,000, compared to $515,000 in April 2005, which represents a 2.7% increase. The average price of homes in April 2006 was $631,786, compared to $525,034 in April 2005, which represents a 20.8% increase. Approximately 45 homes sold in April 2006 and 59 in April 2005. In summary, there was an upward price trend in April 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in March 2006 was $510,000, compared to $529,000 in March 2005, which represents a 3.2% drop. The average price of homes in March 2006 was $516,655, compared to $535,257 in March 2005, which represents a 3.3% drop. Approximately 44 homes sold in March 2006 and 65 in March 2005. In summary, there was a downward price trend in March 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in February 2006 was $517,500, compared to $513,250 in February 2005, which represents a 0.20% increase. The average price of homes in February 2006 was $512,135, compared to $528,829 in February 2005, which represents a 3.4% drop. Approximately 22 homes sold in February 2006 and 38 in February 2005. The data is mixed for February 2006, as there was a slight increase in the median price and a drop in the average price.

The median price of homes was $505,000 in January 2006, compared to $525,000 in January 2005, which represents a 3.0% drop. The average price of homes in January 2006 was $504,088, compared to $529,351 in January 2005, which represents a 4.4% drop. Approximately 16 homes sold in January 2006 and 37 in January 2005. In summary, there was a downward price trend in January 2006 compared to the same period last year.

So what does the data tell us? Overall, the number of homes sold decreased 30.6% for the period observed from 2006 to 2005. Five out of seven months showed a downward price trend compared to the same period last year with a range of 1.5% to 4.7% decline (January, March, May, June and July 2006). April 2006 demonstrated a slight increase in the median price (2.7%) and a strong increase in the average price (20.8%) compared to the previous year. The data for February 2006 was mixed, as the average price dropped 3.4% and the median priced increased slightly (0.20%). On balance, there is evidence of a downward price trend for this community. However, a longer period of evaluation is needed to understand enduring market trends.

Be sure to consult your Realtor on other factors that influence home pricing before buying or selling real estate in Mira Mesa./pbr
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