Santa Maria Archives | Page 18 of 27

Orcutt New Homes – Rice Ranch Community Opens the Pine Creek Neighborhood!

Have you visited the models at the Orcutt new home community, Rice Ranch lately? I went by on Saturday to take a peek. The upgrades included are impressive: granite counter tops, 9.5 - 10 foot ceilings, surround sound wiring in great rooms, two tone interior paint, fully insulated exterior walls and ceilings, and ceramic tile flooring in the kitchens.

Santa Maria Homes – La Ventana Snapshot Update

La Ventana is a community of single family homes and luxury townhomes in northeast Santa Maria; its location is ideal for those who need to be near Marian Medical Center and the surrounding medical office complexes. Local builder, Inland Pacific, began selling homes in the La Ventana development around 2005 and because these Santa Maria homes were sold new during the height of the housing boom, many if not most of the recent re-sales in the development are foreclosures or distress sales.

Santa Maria Homes – Pacific Crest Estates Snapshot

Inland Pacific, a local builder, built Pacific Crest Estates beginning in about 2005. Because the homes were sold new during the height of the housing boom, many if not most of the current and recent sales in the development are foreclosures or distress sales.

Santa Maria Foreclosure Alert: Are foreclosures frozen in Santa Maria, CA?

I realize this is a controversial subject, but I do agree that freezing foreclosures or trying to turn back the clock only benefits a limited group of people. In California, most people who are losing their home to foreclosure are severely underwater and I find that once the foreclosure happens, a sense of relief soon follows that they can put the whole thing behind them.

How Much Down Payment is Required to Buy a Rental or Investment Property in Santa Maria?

Many investors that I am currently working with in the Santa Maria and Lompoc real estate market are paying all cash for their rental homes. That is why the market for foreclosures is so difficult for Santa Maria home buyers using FHA/VA financing; it is difficult to compete against a cash offer on a foreclosure where the bank wants to make no repairs to the property.

Santa Maria Orcutt Luxury Foreclosures: Homes & Real Estate Update

October 15, 2010
Vandenberg AFB Homes
Buyer Info, Foreclosure / Bank Owned (REO) Info, Santa Maria

Looking at the luxury real estate market in Santa Maria and Orcutt California, there are currently 57 homes priced above $400,000 with an average list price of $657,303 and 179 days on market, and a median asking price of $515,000.

Santa Maria Short Sale Alert: Contingent Short Sales?

October 13, 2010
Vandenberg AFB Homes
Buyer Info, Santa Maria, Short Sale Info

Contingent short sales are all over the Santa Maria market. Santa Maria home buyers are always asking me about them. They linger on the market. Often the seller is requesting no more showings. But why? With so many buyers looking for homes and condos in Santa Maria, why do these properties linger on the market? The answer is of course bank delay

Santa Maria First Time Home Buyer Alert

I’m afraid the days of 100% financing for everyone are gone. Unless you are a veteran with a VA home loan benefit, or buying in a rural area through the USDA loan program, there are not many 100% financing options. (Santa Maria does not qualify as a rural area, but in the past, Guadalupe and parts of Nipomo have qualified).

Santa Maria Real Estate: Tips for Buying Santa Maria Short Sales

October 6, 2010
Vandenberg AFB Homes
Buyer Info, Santa Maria, Short Sale Info

1) Be prepared for an “as-is” purchase. Many times there is deferred maintenance on short sale listings. Often owners in financial distress stop performing maintenance on the home either willfully and because they lack the funds. You can ask a short sale seller to make repairs, but often they are unable or unwilling to do so since they are losing their home. You can also approach the short sale lender and ask that they allow the cost of the repairs to be deducted from their “net” but often the answer will be no, even if the repairs are required by your lender in order to originate your new loan.

Santa Maria Real Estate: Tips for Buying Santa Maria Foreclosures

October 5, 2010
Vandenberg AFB Homes
Buyer Info, Foreclosure / Bank Owned (REO) Info, Santa Maria

1) For an “as-is” purchase – Banks don’t like to make repairs, and you will find that the Santa Maria real estate is littered with bank sellers who intend to make no repairs to their properties. This may even include situations where the property has been cited by the City of Santa Maria for violations of the municipal code.