There is no doubt prices have been slowly softening over the past several months, much like a slow leak in a tire. Even though, historically, interest rates are super low and price points make it “easier” to buy a home than in years past, buyers are in the driver’s seat as short sales and foreclosures continue to dominate the market.

Buyers are more fussy. Even in entry level homes ($400k range), they want granite countertops, current colors (not “white”), newer appliances (not “avocado green”), and for heavens sake – no “cottage cheese” ceilings! In the past, buyers were willing to accept perceived shortcomings, but with both husband and wife working full time jobs, they want things to be move in ready. Homes that don’t meet that criteria have to be discounted price point wise.

So take a look at these trend charts. Note that we won’t have the updated quarterly charts until the end of this month (first quarter, 2011).

Sold prices – Single family homes in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo:

• 12 month graph

Sold prices – Condos in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo:

• 12 month graph
  

Numbers sold – Single family homes in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo:

• 12 month graph
  

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve updated progress on the Tiger Moth! Too much work and not enough play time at the airport…

But during the past 6 plus months I’ve managed to finish the lower right wing which has the aileron. Some biplanes have ailerons on all 4 wings, but I’ve chosen to just have them on the lower wings.

To see how this wing progressed, especially how the aileron was built, I’ve posted some more pictures.

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On Monday night, the City Council spent most of the evening considering various housing related issues. Culminating almost 3 years of stakeholder involvement (homeless advocates, landlords, city staff, etc), the Community Development Director presented the City Council its report.

Much of the discussion concerns “bootlegged” dwelling units (converted garages, un-permited room additions, etc), but what concerns a lot of Realtors is a proposal for an official, notarized inspection of all home sales in the City, provided to the City, conducted by a local certified home inspector (the “Local Resale Inspection Report Program”). See page 9 in the report. There would be fees involved for this report to the City.

In my personal opinion, this is completely unwarranted and unjustified. There is no reason the City needs to become so intimately involved in this intrusive manner of “big brother”. There will now be hundreds of dollars of extra cost for a home inspector to go to City hall to review the permit file, then act as an appraiser and measure the square footage of the home, determine number of rooms, etc, then have his report notarized before turning it into the City.

Unbelievable! How can this creeping bureaucracy continue? Have these people lost their common sense? I say – enough already!!