This Gorgeous single level Mediterranean style residence on a flag lot of .45 acre offers privacy & panoramic mountain views. This south Escondido home is a must see! The stunning features of this property include: granite kitchen countertops, distressed finished cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, tile flooring with the look of stone, custom paint, plantation shutters, fireplaces in 3 rooms, and a Tropical pool & spa.

 

 

The oversized entry door with side lights & vanishing screen opens to the foyer with 16" tile flooring set on the diagonal extending to the hallways & kitchen. The formal living room has a wall of view windows, marble faced fireplace & a granite topped wet bar that both see-through to the family room. The formal dining room has tile flooring, coved ceiling, and luxurious custom paint.

The central island eat-in kitchen is complete with granite countertops, distressed finished cabinetry, stainless steel 5 burner gas cooktop, Bosch dishwasher, double ovens, plus microwave & extra counter space. This gorgeous kitchen is open to the family room that has a marble faced fireplace, wet bar, entertainment niche & sliding doors to the patio & pool. An elegant powder room is nearby for guests.

Double doors open to the master suite with sliding doors to the pool, a marble faced fireplace open to the bath, dual sinks, oval tub, separate shower plus seat & walk-in closet with mirrored doors & built-ins. Two secondary bedrooms share a full bath and the 4th bedroom is separate and has its own bath. The laundry room has a sink and extra storage cabinets.

Additional features include 10'+ & vaulted ceilings, upgraded neutral carpeting, custom paint, plantation shutters, interesting architectural details, ceiling fans, spot lighting, plumbed for central vacuum, and security system including screens.

Exterior amenities include the tropical pool & spa, plus two waterfalls, limestone-like tile, multiple stamped concrete patios, BBQ island with a refrigerator, lush lawn area, colorful mature landscaping, fruit trees, and 3 car finished garage plus driveway parking allowed.    

This property has it all, plus it's conveniently close to Westfield Mall, I-15, South Escondido Schools, California Center for the Arts, The San Diego Wild Animal Park, The Vineyard Golf Course & Hodges Driving Range.

Offered at $695,000 this South Escondido home is a must see! Contact us today to schedule a private tour.

Consumer confidence appears to be on the rise in San Diego County from our point-of-view in the real estate trenches. We have noticed a significant increase in market activity as both buyers and sellers feel more comfortable in "getting off the fence" and moving forward with their real estate plans.

Although the fall and winter are typically considered slow months for real estate, we experienced a flurry of activity during the end of 2009 as first-time home buyers were eager to take advantage of the first-time home buyer tax credit. Market activity slowed slightly after the holiday season, but has been bustling for us ever since the beginning of January 2010. This increase in market activity can partly be attributed to factors such as the extension of the first-time home buyer credit and interest rates remaining at historic lows. Entry-level home prices have raised slightly due to the high demand from first-time home buyers and the lack of inventory, while prices for mid-level plus homes appear to be stabilizing but remain down from past years.

Recently, we have been meeting with sellers who are also ready to move forward with their real estate plans. There seems to be a current trend of baby boomers who are either looking to down-size to be closer to family, move due to job transfers or settle down in their retirement destinations. 

Our listing inventory continues to increase and our sales for the first quarter have been up, which leads us to believe that the spring market has come earlier this year. These recent sales have all been traditional sales and not distressed properties; therefore it appears we have reached a period of market stabilization. How long these trends will last and what we can expect in the months to come, remains to be seen.

Below are some interesting 2009-2010 market statistics and highlights from the California Association of Realtors, which discusses the current market outlook and forecast.

2009-2010 State of the California Housing Market - Highlights

Outlook and Forecast

With buyers returning to the market to take advantage of the discount home prices, government tax credits, and interest rates, the existing home market in California experienced strong sales throughout 2009. As expected, distressed properties generated more interest from buyers because of their deeply discounted prices, but many home sellers of non-distressed properties responded promptly and cut their price accordingly to stay competitive in the market.  Sales of all homes increased, inventory fell to below-normal levels, and home prices adjusted upward in response to tight inventory levels.

The State of the California Housing Market report takes a comprehensive look at these recent developments in the California real estate market and provides an outlook for 2010. In particular, the report examines the impact of the federal first-time buyer tax credit on home buyers, analyzes the sales trends of distressed and non-distressed properties, and takes a closer look at the surge in the share of FHA-insured loans.

Key Findings

• The share of first-time buyers surged from 35.9 percent in 2008 to 47.0 percent in 2009, and increased for the third consecutive year. The proportion of first-time buyers exceeded the long-run average of 38.6 percent, and the share was the highest since 1995 when more than half of all buyers were first-timers.

 

• The federal tax credit was a big factor in many first-time buyers' decision to purchase a home, as 69 percent of those surveyed said that the federal tax credit was either "very important" or "most important" in their home buying decision.

 

• Many first-time buyers were interested in distressed properties with deeply discounted price tags. In fact, over half of all first-time buyers (51.3 percent) either bought an REO/foreclosed property or a short sale in 2009.

 

• Low home prices not only encouraged first-time buyers to purchase their entry-level home, but also lured investors who wanted to add a piece of real estate to their portfolio. Home buyers who purchased their properties primarily for investment purposes and tax considerations increased from 14.0 percent in 2008 to 16.8 percent in 2009.

 

• Prices of distressed properties fell more sharply in 2009 than did prices of non-distressed properties. The median price of distressed properties declined 24.2 percent from $330,000 in 2008 to $250,000 in 2009, while the median price of non-distressed properties dropped 10.4 percent from $541,000 in 2008 to $485,000 in 2009.

 

• Sellers who planned on purchasing another home, or had already bought another home, declined from 43.1 percent in 2008 to 39.4 percent in 2009. The share of home sellers who expressed an intention to repurchase peaked at 74 percent in 2004 and has declined in each of the subsequent five years.

 

• The rapid growth in FHA-insured loans continued in 2009, with its share of total first mortgages soaring from 18.9 percent in 2008 to 32 percent in 2009. VA loans, meanwhile, adjusted slightly upward from 2.7 percent in 2008 to 4.7 percent in 2009.

 

• One-third (32.9 percent) of all sellers sold their home with a loss in 2009, a jump from the 22.2 percent recorded in 2008. It was the highest on record since C.A.R started tracking net cash losses, and was more than triple the long-run average of 9.3 percent.

 Source: California Association of Realtors (http://www.car.org/marketdata/currentresearch/2009-2010stateofthecalifornia/)

 For more information on market conditions in your neighborhood contact us directly at: http://www.barbarastuart.net/contact.php to schedule a personal market analysis.

To search for homes from Lake Hodges to Lake Poway & beyond, login to our blog site at: http://www.lakehodgestolakepowayhomes.com/genre/Lake-Hodges-to-Lake-Poway-VIP-Log-In . Here you can have direct MLS access and save your favorite properties without being hasseled by phone calls. Please call or send a request for information on any homes that interest you.

Nestled in the hills of Vista, breath-taking home sites with ocean and mountain views entice buyers and home builders to build their dream home.

Panoramic Estates is a gated community comprised of 35 custom home sites overlooking Vista Valley Country Club & Cal-a-Vie Health Spa with panoramic views of the ocean, mountains & valley, offering a peaceful & quiet ambience.

Lot sizes range from 4 to 16 acres, offering you the flexibility to find the home site that is best for you. Underground utilities and water meters are already installed, so all you have to do is choose your view and topography.

These beautiful home sites are priced from $556,000 to $944,000. This is an opportunity you don't want to miss! Come take a look today and get ready to break ground!

For more information or questions about buying or selling a home contact Barbara & Ashley!

This beautiful single level Mediterranean style custom residence with 3 bedrooms, office, 3.5 baths, 2665 square feet, offers space and privacy on 1.77 acres in North Escondido. This beautiful Escondido home is conveniently close to shopping, Westfield Mall, schools, restaurants, Lake Hodges, the San Diego Wild Animal Park and California Center for the Arts.

The oak entry door with etched glass opens into a tiled entry and formal living room with 12 to 14 foot vaulted ceilings, upgraded carpeting & shuttered windows looking out to the pool. The nearby office and dining room have double hung windows & dramatic arches. The central island kitchen is complete with corian countertops, maple cabinetry, nickel plated handles, Dacor oven, microwave & warmer drawer, 5 burner gas cook top, dishwasher, dual sinks, walk-in pantry with etched glass door, eating bar and sunny breakfast nook with view windows.

Pergo style flooring extends from the kitchen area into the laundry room with a sink & French door to the outside. The adjacent family room has the pergo style flooring, a fireplace with cultured marble surround & hearth + French doors to the patio & pool. The hall bath has a cultured marble countertop & shower with a heavy glass door & outside access to the pool. Two spacious secondary bedrooms have ceiling fans & mirrored closet doors, custom paint & wood blinds. One bedroom has its own bath with a tub/shower & vanity.

The master bedroom is located at the opposite wing of the house and has a marble faced fireplace, outdoor access to the pool, wood blinds, ceiling fan, dual walk-in closets, built-ins, walk-in cultured marble shower, oval tub, dual sinks, vanity & arched mirrors.

Exterior features include a relaxing pool with two water fall features, covered patio & dining area, spot lighting, lush green lawns, color coated stamped concrete patios and walkways, tile roof, rain gutters, colorful plantings, fruit trees & mature oak trees. This fully fenced & gated property is perfect for car collectors with an oversized detached 3 car garage, including an RV or boat bay, a half bath and plenty of extra parking.

Offered at $665,000 this Escondido home is a must see! Contact us today to schedule a private tour.

Courtesy of Barbara and Ashley Stuart, this majestic Tudor style custom residence is located in Alta Vista Acres on a quiet cul-de-sac with panoramic views of the Vineyard Golf Course & waterway, San Pasqual Valley, Orfila Vineyards & the mountains beyond!

This spacious floor plan of 3,016 square feet of living space offers 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, formal living and dining rooms and a cozy family room! The covered entry has an oversized carved teak door & leaded glass, which opens up to a large foyer with tile flooring with the look of stone & decorative inserts. The formal living room has a marble faced fireplace, two story ceiling, gorgeous chandelier & a circular staircase leading to the loft.

The spacious formal dining room is complete with a bay window & new wood flooring in a chevron pattern. Slab granite countertops grace the central island kitchen with a sunny breakfast nook, tile flooring and stainless steel appliances. The adjacent family room has a bay window, built-in bookcases, surround sound speakers and new wood flooring.

The master suite is very spacious and offers a retreat and walk-in closet. The master bath is complete with marble counters with a beautiful oval tub & shower. Three spacious secondary bedrooms share a hall bath with marble finishes. Additional amenities include newer carpeting, custom window treatments, dual pane Anderson wood windows, Casablanca fans, solid teak doors, custom paint, brass hardware, spot lighting, wood burning stove & security system. The lower level includes an exercise/storage room of approximately 314 SF not included in the estimated square footage.This South Escondido home sits on a large lot with 1.7 acres of space, gorgeous colorful gardens and lush mature landscaping.  Enjoy panoramic mountain and golf course views from the timber tech deck or the private spa!

Take advantage of this wonderful home listed at $885,000 and enjoy a secure family-friendly environment and top of the line schools from the Escondido Union School District. This property is a must see!

For more information on any Lake Hodges to Lake Poway Homes for Sale, contact:

Barbara & Ashley Stuart
Windermere Exclusive Properties
16890 Bernardo Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92128
Direct: 858.204.5700 or 858.204.9675