Welcome! Don and Leslie have been full time Realtors in Ventura County for over 30 years. It's been fun watching as "little" Victoria Avenue (and many other streets) have morphed into what they are today.

Just as our local communities have evolved, we've seriously considered for the past several years how we could someday "give back" and "finish well" - expressions that can mean a lot of things to different people.

As part of our research into opportunities for service, in early 2013 we contacted a Peace Corps recruiter who helped us start our journey. But our new path wasn't going to be as straight and easy as we thought! And so we began a transition into something completely different from the routines we've known for the past 30 years - and have begun a path that's leading into the exciting unknown. This will be our story!

Real estate activity for July for Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo

Prices for single family homes sold in Camarillo are trending downward; while the number of homes sold for Ventura has broken the 12 month high.

The percentage of single family homes that were distressed sales in the month of July are:

Ventura – 41%      Oxnard – 59%      Camarillo – 41%

All data is taken from the Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo MLS.

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

  • 12 month graph – Ventura has been hovering at ± $400,000 for last 8 months, Oxnard is steady as a rock at $300,000, Camarillo has been hovering at $500,000 – now trending toward $450,000.
  • Quarterly graph ending 2nd quarter – Ventura is on the increase, Oxnard remains unchanged and Camarillo shows a slight decrease in sold prices.

Sold prices – Condos in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo:

  • 12  month graph – Ventura has been see-sawing between $200 to $225,000, Oxnard is holding between $175 to $200,000, Camarillo prices were on the upswing from March (at $250k) to June (at $300k) while July shows a slight decrease.
  • Quarterly graph ending 2nd quarter – Ventura shows a slight decrease, Oxnard a modest decrease and Camarillo a slight increase in sold prices.

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

  • 12 month graph – Ventura broke through to the highest number in over 1 year; Oxnard is rebounding back to 80 mark; Camarillo has vigorous see-sawing between 35 – 60/ month. June was 60 while July is 40.
  • Quarterly graph ending 2nd quarter – All are trending upward for number of homes sold.

Detailed data for single family homes sold in:

Detailed data for condos sold in:

Detailed monthly data for pendings (in escrow) – single family homes and condos:

Filed under article topic: 2011 Pendings,2011 Solds,Homes sold,Market statistics/Trends,Pending home sales
Comments Off on Real estate activity for July for Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo

Real estate activity for Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo for June

The percentage of single family homes that were distressed sales in the month of June are:

Ventura – 33%

Oxnard – 61%

Camarillo – 37%

Quarterly graphs for 2nd quarter are included in this post. All data is taken from the Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo MLS.

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

  • 12 month graph – Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo are all unchanged for sold prices.
  • Quarterly graph – Ventura is on the increase, Oxnard remains unchanged and Camarillo shows a slight decrease in sold prices.

Sold prices – Condos in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo:

  • 12 month graph – Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo are all upward for sold prices.
  • Quarterly graph – Ventura shows a slight decrease, Oxnard a modest decrease and Camarillo a slight increase in sold prices.

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

  • 12 month graph – Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo are all on the move upward for number of homes sold.
  • Quarterly graph – All are trending upward for number of homes sold.

Read more….

Read the rest of this article »

Filed under article topic: 2011 Pendings,2011 Solds,Homes sold,Market statistics/Trends,Pending home sales
Comments Off on Real estate activity for Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo for June

B of A, short sales and back-up offers

Nothing drives buyers, sellers and agents more crazy than when a buyer “walks” on a short sale, there’s a back-up offer – and the lender doesn’t consider that back-up offer. Rather, the first offer’s file is closed and the entire process starts from scratch. Weeks are lost.

Agents desperately hope the 2nd buyers are patient! But often times they’re not – they move onto another home and the process repeats itself.

I listed a cute short sale home down by the beach some time ago with B of A as the lender, and had to repeat the process 5 times before we could finally close because I had to start new every time with every offer! I’m sure that sale took years off my life in frustration!

Bank of America said just last week however that they’re now significantly altering their short sale process by looking at the back-up offer without closing the original file. Why this wasn’t figured out long ago I’ll never know. Now if Wells, Chase, et al, would do the same…!

 

Filed under article topic: Short Sales | HAFA program
Comments Off on B of A, short sales and back-up offers

Short sales and deficiency judgments

Governor Jerry Brown signed into law just last week Senate Bill 458 which prohibits a deficiency after a short sale for one-to-four residential units, regardless of whether the lender is a senior or junior lienholder.

The following is quoted from the California Association of Realtor’s legal announcement:

Effective immediately for transactions closing escrow from this day forward, both senior and junior lienholders cannot require a borrower to owe or pay for a deficiency in a short sale.

This law also prohibits any deficiency judgment to be requested or rendered for senior or junior liens after a short sale of one-to-four residential units.  Any purported waiver of this rule shall be void and against public policy.

Read the rest of this article »

Filed under article topic: Short Sales | HAFA program
Comments Off on Short sales and deficiency judgments

Another loan mod attempt ends in foreclosure Thursday

On Thursday, at 11:00 a.m., a couple lost their home at a foreclosure auction at the entrance to the Hall of Justice in Ventura. It was bought by a third party investor.

While this happens every day in Ventura County, this particular case is poignant to me because it didn’t have to end this way. This couple had been trying to do a loan mod. But as many of you know, the so-called “dual track” process can be running simultaneously while the homeowner tries to get their loan mod.

Several months ago Don had spoken to this couple about the possibility of doing a HAFA short sale (the US Treasury’s ‘graceful exit’ program for distressed/under-water owners). It was apparent to us their financial situation was dire, but they insisted they were working with their lender on a loan mod.

Last Friday, when their auction was finally set, Don and I spoke to them again about their time running out. The husband stated he was told by their lender that he was going to get a decision on their loan mod by “next Friday” (the 8th). But we said, the auction is set for next Thursday!

They listened to us, but we sensed either a stubbornness, or perhaps indecision, about what they were going to do. They genuinely (I think) thought everything was going to “work out” okay.

I’ve written and counseled that distressed homeowners have to go through the so-called 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) before they can deal with the financial decisions of their home. Many homeowners are stuck in denial and anger and never get to the point where they can make the best financial decisions for their family.

So it saddened me knowing that a stranger was going to knock on this couple’s door and say he was now the new owner of their home.

 

Filed under article topic: Foreclosures,Short Sales | HAFA program
Comments Off on Another loan mod attempt ends in foreclosure Thursday

Don's building a replica of a 1930s era biplane at Camarillo airport. Over the past several years, he's had numerous students help in building the plane. Track the Tiger Moth progress here!