It's the beginning of a new year, so many people are waiting anxiously to hear how many homes and condos were sold in Grover Beach last year, what the average sale price was, and how it compared to 2009.
Grover Beach, California foreclosure activity: There are 88 active and pending homes and condos in the city of Grover Beach. Of those 88 properties, 9 homes are foreclosures (10.2%) and 27 are short sales (30.6%). Looking back six months, there have been 72 sales in Grover Beach with an average listing price of $346,140 and an average selling price of $338,940.
Pismo Beach, California foreclosure activity: There are 139 active and pending homes and condos in Pismo Beach currently. Of those 139 properties, 9 homes are foreclosures and 12 are short sales. Looking back six months, there have been 35 sales in Pismo Beach with an average listing price of $671,239, and an avergae selling price of $616,669, so sellers are getting about 91.8% of their asking prices in Pismo Beach
You would think that once a bank found a willing buyer, who won the "highest and best" bidding process for a foreclosure property, they would be hot to close the transaction. Well think again. I've actually had an all cash buyer trying to close in 10 days (or less) and the bank and their escrow company simply were not able to do it! The buyer couldn't believe it, but having dealt with REO properties many times before I certainly could There are several delays that seem to happen time and time again in bank owned purchases:
What is an approved short sale? Let's start with what a short sale is -- a short sale is where the owner owes more on their loan than their home is worth but they still must sell the home. So, the home is placed on the market and offers are accepted -- subject to lender approval. Lender approval can take months to obtain. An approved short sale is a short sale where the seller has already received approval from the bank. So, usually they list the property at a price that the bank has already indicated that they will accept, and they typically indicate how much closing costs credit and any repair credits the bank will allow.
Oceano is one of California true beach towns. It is not saturated with deliberate commercialism, yet still sports cutesy names like Beach, Ocean and Surf Ave on its streets. Off the beaten path of Highway 101, Oceano instead straddles the scenic route, Highway 1. Known for the Oceano Dunes, a sand dune area of the coastline preserved for off road vehicle recreation and exploration, Oceano attracts many from the inland areas who seek to beat the heat.
Are we beginning to turn the corner on foreclosures on the central coast? The number of notices of default ("NODs") filed in both counties marked a sharp decline last month.
There is a tremendous amount of interest in buying second homes in this market. Due to the financial and housing crisis, some are taking the opportunity to buy a vacation home on the central coast. Although, we have most certainly seen significant price reductions, foreclosure activity is relatively low in Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande & Grover Beach compared to the nearby northern Santa Barbara communities of Santa Maria, Orcutt, & Lompoc.