Camarillo Life & Real Estate

Last week our friends invited us to spend a few days with them at their beach house located on one of Ventura County's best Beaches, Faria Beach.

The days we visited this serene and majestic beach the weather was at its best. We woke up at dawn, 5:15 am, to take a peaceful walk on the beach. We watched our children play in the sand, surf, dig, kayak all day and discover a new window to look at the beauty of life. At night time we took another stroll on the beach under the moonlight.

There are many beach communities in Ventura County where home owners either live at their property all year long or rent out their home for parts of the year. As I was showing homes to a client in Silverstrand Beach this weekend I met a gentleman who informed me that he has lived in his beach house for over 5 years now and commutes to Beverly Hills everyday for work, a 65 mile drive one way!!!!

Ventura County Beaches are famous for their surfing points and attraction. Life seems to be on a different gear once you are at the beach. So close your eyes and imagine waking up and falling asleep to the sound of ocean waves, breathing in the clean and refreshing ocean breeze. If you like what you are hearing and you long for the peacefulness of the beach then give me a call.  

Camarillo Boy Raises Money to Help Find a Cure For His Mom and Others With Leukemia Through Light The Night!!

It was only 3 years ago when one of my dearest friends, Tina, was diagnosed with Leukemia. Tina's Cancer brought despair and uncertainty into the lives of those who love her the most, especially her two young boys.

In these 3 years I have become closer to Tina and her family.  I have watched her fight courageously with her fragile body and bravely preserve her bold, antagonist, approach to life!  Tina's love for life and the love she gives to her family and friends is the strongest medicine she has in the fight against her Cancer.

Tina's oldest son, Caden, approached me yesterday and asked if I could help him with his new plan. This little 9 year-old boy is going to raise money in order to help find a cure for his Mommy and people who suffer from Leukemia through Light The Night. Of course I said, "Yes!" how could I say no to him?!!!! 

In our fast-paced, hectic world it is too easy to become, too practical, too realistic and sometimes we need our children to remind us that Love and Hope can be found in the most unlikely places and at the times that we need them most. 

You can mail your donations to Caden at: P.O. Box 1567 Camarillo, CA 93011    

You can also donate online at: Caden's Light The Night Site, Payable to LLS (Leukemia/Lymphoma Society).

Watch how much Caden has raised by your generous donations.

This Camarillo Home Sold in 3 Weeks!!!!! 

That is after the tenants moved out of a home that they made almost impossible to show to any interested buyers.

A few days after the tenant moved out, I posted new interior pictures of the home with its fresh coat of paint and new carpet on to Ventura County MLS.

Before the week was over we received 3 Offers from 3 qualified buyers. All offers were extremely close in price, but my client decided to accept the offer that allowed us to close in 2 weeks and was an All Cash Offer!!!

We never had to lower the asking price or add any incentives to attract buyers. We just listed this 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Mission Oaks home at that right price.

What is that right price? As you prepare your home for sale ask your Realtor to provide you with a Competitive Market Analysis, CMA. Study the homes that have recently sold in your area. Also, see if there are any short sales, and/or bank owned homes offered for sale in your neighborhood. If you are able, try to price your home as close or lower than what lenders have to offer home buyers. Then just sit back and watch your home sell.

You might also find an article on Camarillo Home Sellers Competing With Lenders interesting.     

As a Realtor I hear the complaints and criticisms of many Camarillo home sellers who find themselves competing over price with Lenders for the sale of their homes.

The successful sale of Lenders' Short Sales and Bank Owned (sometimes referred to as Real Estate Owed, or REO) inventories are setting a trend for Camarillo's Real Estate Market. Now, more than ever, a home seller has to pay close attention to a Compare Market Analysis (CMA) and examine the short sale and bank owned homes in the neighborhood.

Since many Camarillo home sellers are not able to compete with the lenders' short sales or bank owned home prices, home sellers are left to make one of the following decisions:

• Keep reducing the sale price for their home; sometimes to the point that they can go down no further.
• Cancel their listing
• Let their listing expire
• Rent out their home

The number of short sales and bank owned homes in Camarillo are increasing by the month.

As a home seller if you are unable to compete with the prices lenders have to offer home buyers I suggest you wait until Camarillo's Real Estate Market turns in your favor.

 However, if you can offer Camarillo home buyers a compatible price this is your market.

• Camarillo home buyers who have been waiting for months to hear from a lender on an offer they put on a short sale are turning to you, the reasonable home seller.
• Home buyers who need to relocate to Camarillo right away are looking for you, a home seller that can close escrow in 30 or less days.

When pricing your home ask your Realtor to give you a detailed print-out on short sale or bank owned homes in your area. You don't have to price your home at what the lenders are offering. However, try to price your home as close to what the lenders' in your neighborhood have to offer home buyers. Most home buyers understand that you, as a private seller, will be offering them much more than a lender would (repairs, disclosures, termite reports.......) and many people prefer to work with private individuals rather than getting lost in the "corporate jungle" that Short sales and REO's can sometimes feel like.

Selling a home in today's real estate market is becoming more challenging by the day. If you decide to go ahead with the sale of your home I wish you the best of luck. And remember if you need any help with the sale of your home I am only a phone call away.

What Happens to All the Short-Sale Homes in Camarillo That Don't Sell?

I am often approached by curious home buyers and home sellers who ask: "So Mana, what happens to all these short-sale homes in Camarillo that do not sell?"

I'm thrilled to help answer this very valid real estate-related question, along with all like-minded inquiries from friends, family and clients.

All Camarillo Short-Sale Homes that don't sell end up in one place, the steps of the Ventura County Court House for sale in an auction. No matter where the home is located in Ventura County, all the foreclosure sales transactions occur at Ventura County Government Center Administration Building- Lower Plaza Assembly Room, 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura.

There are many agencies such as REDC that administrate the sale of foreclosed homes. If you are interested in purchasing a property through a foreclosure sale, I urge you to visit the property and thoroughly inspect and investigate the property beforehand.

Lenders may attempt to sell their properties in different counties; however, if the lender is unable to sell their foreclosed home in an auction, the home then become Bank Owned or Real Estate Owned (REO).

The number of REOs in Camarillo are increasing by the month. Why? You may ask. Well, many of the homes that are foreclosed on are homes in which the home owner most likely had very little equity in the property. At the foreclosure sale, the lender will price the home based on the loan balance, any accrued interest, plus attorney's fees and any costs associated with the foreclosure process.  Since what is owed to the bank in most cases is more than what the property is worth, very few foreclosure auctions result in a successful sale. Consequently, the property becomes Bank Owned.

A Bank Owned Home is free of its Mortgage Loan and is priced usually below the market value for a quick sale. Lenders may also do some repairs and cleaning before the property is put on the market for sale.

Bank Owned Homes in Camarillo seem to be setting the price for our real estate market. As the lenders' inventory of REOs are increasing, so are the interests of Camarillo home buyers in Bank Owned Homes.

If you are interested in purchasing an REO, or if you are interest in receiving a list of REOs in Camarillo, feel free to contact me.   

The 2008 Camarillo Street Fair kicked off with a day of music, food, and fair rides. My enthusiastic daughters and I arrived at the Street Fair around 6:30 p.m. and met up with the rest of our friends and family members. Even though my daughters had been looking forward to the rides, we spent most of the night dancing with the rest of Camarillo's citizens. I don't think the girls were disappointed though; on that Friday, the opening night, my 11-year-old had her first, official, public dance with a young man.

Earlier in the evening, the country music lovers danced along to the music of Caught Red Handed.

As the night settled in, the music of the 50's, performed by Ronnie & the Classics, had the whole crowd up and rocking. It was in this crowd that my daughter found her dancing partner. The young handsome man was swift on his feet and had my daughter on her knees! We danced, and danced till the band ran out of songs.

Thank you Camarillo! 2008's Annual Street Fair was fabulously energizing. The community is already looking forward to next year.

Santa Rosa Valley, an area northeast of Camarillo, is well known for its beautiful farm lands and equestrian trails.  This unincorporated community lies between the cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks.  Most homes in Santa Rosa Valley sit on an acre, or more, of land and offer breath-taking views of the valley and hills.

Santa Rosa Valley Real Estate:

At the time of this report, the average home prices in Santa Rosa Valley were $1,876,945 and there were 49 homes for sale in this picturesque setting.

In the first half of 2008, from January to June, 23 homes were sold in Santa Rosa Valley with an average price of $1,532,806. 

The beauty of Santa Rosa Valley has attracted many families with different needs and interests. Horse lovers choose to live in Santa Rosa Valley given its many equestrian facilities and the ease of riding along Santa Rosa Valley Trail. Additionally, the hiking and horse-friendly trails of Wildwood Park are practically in their back yard.

Santa Rosa Valley also offers one of the best K-8 schools in Pleasant Valley School District (PVSD).  Santa Rosa Technology Magnet School combines technology and the PVSD's curriculum to equip their students with the knowledge needed to successfully thrive in and engage with the modern world. 

If you are interested in relocating to this area, or if you would like to learn more about what Santa Rosa Valley has to offer, please feel free to contact me.

I am sure you have seen a few of these listings in your local MLS. I am referring to listings where the listing agent is too busy or lazy to make the necessary changes and update. If you have a listing please be courteous to your clients, the potential home buyers, and other Realtors by:

• Update the status of the sale. If the home is pending please take a moment to enter this information in our local MLS.

• If your marketing remarks say "This home will not last" and the home has been on the market for more than 200 days maybe you should consider changing your marketing remarks.

• If it's July and your MLS pictures show Christmas decoration throughout the home, you may want to think about retaking some new photos of your listing.

• If you are listing a Short Sale, once you have received an approved price for sale from the lender please change your listing price. Eventually home buyers are going to discover that you have under priced the property.

• If the home you have listed is now vacant, again maybe you should take a moment to update the occupancy of your listing.

Home sellers rely on a Realtor's skills and marketing abilities. With many homes for sale in our market, making a successful sale is now more challenging. Nonetheless, it is still possible for some of the strongest and the best represented home sellers to make it to the finish line.

If you want your home seller to pass that finish line you need to work harder than ever to market their home. Remember the first place a Realtor's marketing starts is at your local MLS.   

Camarillo Real Estate Summery

Camarillo has always been one of the most desired cities in Ventura County to live in. The proximately of Camarillo to the Pacific Ocean, and larger cities such as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara has made Real Estate investment in Camarillo a sensible choice.  However, Camarillo has not been immune to the epidemic decline in the Real Estate Market.

Below is quick examination of Camarillo's Real Estate Market for the first half of both 2007 and 2008.

As you can see the number of homes sold in the first half of 2008 compare to last year, 2007, have decreased by 28%. At the same time, Camarillo has seen an increase in the sale of short sales and bank owned home sales.

Below is a snap shot of June's real estate sale report for Camarillo. As you can see the total number of sales has decreased slightly, but the number of short sales and bank owned sales have increased considerably. 

What Does This Mean For Camarillo Home Sellers?

Home buyers are now looking for the best deals available. The deals home buyers are attracted to in our current real estate market are those offered by lenders through Short Sales or Bank Owned Sales (also known as REO). 

If you are unable to compete with the prices lenders have to offer buyers, I would suggest holding off on the sale of your home. The lenders' huge inventory has to end one day and the market will bounce back to a place where you can sell your home for your desired price. However, if you have to sell your home in the current market, please listen to the advice of your RealtorÒ and price your home accordingly.

What Does This Mean For Camarillo Home Buyers?

If you are ready to purchase a home and you feel that "Your" time to become a home owner is now, then you have picked a time of vast home inventory. Your choices of short sales and bank owned homes are increasing by the month. Home owners who have to sell in this market are pricing their homes so they can compete with lenders who are also selling their inventory. I highly recommend that you look all over Camarillo and find the right home that fits your budget and is for sale in the "traditional way."

Why, you may ask? Because when you buy a home from a lender you usually must buy the home As-Is. Whereas, home sellers will disclose to you any known issues that might affect the condition of the home and they might even fix the problem for you before the close of escrow.

No matter how you plan to participate in this up-and-down Real Estate Market I wish you the best of luck.

Also, please feel free to give me a call if you need any advice or help on any Real Estate Related Issues. I can't single-handedly move the market, but I'll be more than happy to help you.

The second Friday and Saturday of every month the city of Camarillo assists its residents with a HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM.

The accepted items are:

Antifreeze, solvents, pesticides, household cleaners, pool and garden chemicals, household and car batteries, lancets, fluorescent light tubes, cathode ray tubes, computers, compressed gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, oil based or latex paint, antifreeze, unused or expired medication, and motor oil and filters.

For additional information, please call (805) 388-5392.

In order to take advantage of this recycling program, appointments must be made in advance: (805) 987-0717