A recent article from the Carlsbad Patch discusses San Diego’s hot housing market:

North Coast Keeps Pace in Hot San Diego Housing Market

La Jolla and Del Mar lead pack with growing median prices, but Carlsbad and Oceanside are heating up considerably too.

If you’re interested in buying or selling your home, these facts from May should tell you a lot – the market is gaining ground fast.

• The median price of a single-family home in San Diego County was $466,000 in May, up 22.6 percent from a year ago and 3.6 percent higher than April, the San Diego Association of Realtors reported online.
• More than 2,400 houses were sold last month, up 15.5 percent from April and 10.2 percent from May last year.
• The number of days a house spent on the market dropped by nearly one-third in the first five months of this year, compared to the same time last year.

In the North coastal market:  

• In Carlsbad, more than 120 homes sold in May. The average median price in the month across the community’s four zip codes was $741,250, an improvement on both the year-to-date trend and over May 2012.
• In Del Mar, 17 homes were sold in May. The median price was $1.27 million, down from the 2013 trend so far, but up from May 2012 by almost 21 percent.
• In Encinitas, 49 homes sold in May, at a median price of $771,000, which was down both compared to the year-to-date numbers and last May.
• In La Jolla, 41 homes sold in May and the median price was $1.5 million, up slightly from earlier this year and more than 10 percent from a year ago.
• In Oceanside, nearly 150 homes sold in May, at an average median price of $407,747 spread across four zip codes. That’s up both year-to-date and compared to last May.
• In San Diego, just off the coast, 60 homes sold in Carmel Valley, where the median price was $989,000, improving slightly on the 2013 trend, but rising more than 15 percent over the May 2012 numbers.

As far as condominiums and townhouses, the median price in the county was $305,500 in May, up 32.8 percent from the same period a year ago and 5.9 percent from April.

In May, more than 1,000 condos or town homes changed hands – a 9.6 percent hike from the same month last year.

Read entire article on San Diego‘s coastal housing market at the Carlsbad Patch: http://carlsbad.patch.com/groups/real-estate/p/north-coastal-cities-keep-pace-in-hot-san-diego-housing-market

The Lawhead Team strives to provide up to the minute information for our clients on the housing industry, including single family detached home prices. Please see the following bullet points for April’s HomeDex report for North San Diego County’s single family detached home prices during the month of April.

Remember, if you have any questions on buying or selling your home, please call us! “Because Two Lawheads Are Better Than One!”^TM

• The median price for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family detached and single-family attached – jumped from $405,000 in February 2013 to $448,000 in March 2013.
• The median-priced single-family detached home in North San Diego County increased 11.11 percent to $525,000 in March 2013 from $472,500 in February 2013. Year-over median SFD price in North San Diego County jumped by 26.51, compared to $415,000 in March 2012, continuing an eight-month trend of year-over median price increases (the last seven months exceeding 10 percent). March 2013 marked the highest median price in North County since mid-2008.
• The single family detached home median price in non-North County Zip Codes increased 5.33 percent from $375,000 in February 2013 to $395,000 in March 2013. Year-over non-North County prices increased 17.56 percent, from $336,000 in March 2012, a 12-month trend of year-over median price increases.
• The median single family detached home price in San Diego County increased 7.14 percent, from $406,000 in February 2012 to $435,000 in March 2013. Year-over county SFD median price increased 19.18 compared to March 2012, the tenth month of year-over price increases.
• The median days-on-market for North San Diego County single family detached homes sold fell from 38 days in February 2013 to 26 days in March 2013.
• The single family detached home median price-per-square foot jumped to $242 in March 2013, from $222 in February 2013, and was up 17.24 percent year-over from March 2012.
• The number of sold SFD units in North San Diego County jumped 43.37 percent in March 2013 from February 2013. Year-over sold SFD units increased 10.47 percent compared to March 2012; year-over sold units have increased in 20 of the past 21 months.
• SFD total sales volume increased 26.54 percent year-over from March 2012, the twelfth month trend of year-over increases.
• SFD listings (active and contingent) in North San Diego County declined 2.89 percent in March 2013, from February 2013, and decreased 40.9 percent year-over compared to March 2012 (the 19th month of year-over declines in listings).
• SFD listings (active and contingent) in San Diego County decreased 1.11 percent from February 2013 to March 2013, and decreased 39.10 percent year-over from March 2012.
• The monthly payment – including principal, interest, property taxes, and insurance – for the median-priced SFD home in North San Diego County increased from $2,197 in February 2013 (based on a conventional mortgage) to $2,459 in March 2013. The monthly payment for the median-priced single family detached home in non-North San Diego County increased to $1,850 in March 2013 from $1,743 in February 2013.
• The percent of San Diego County households that could afford the median-priced single family detached home in North County decreased from 36 percent in February 2013 to 31 percent in March 2013, according to the North San Diego County HomeDexTM; the affordability percentage in non-North County Zip Codes decreased from 47 percent in February 2013 to 44 percent in March 2013.
• In March 2012, the affordability percentage was 36 percent in North San Diego County and 45 percent in non-North San Diego County.
• The HomeDexTM affordability percentage for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family detached and single-family attached together – decreased to 39 percent in March 2013 from 43 percent in February 2013.

Please visit the entire HomeDex report by clicking here.

Public transportation in North San Diego County is working hard at making major improvements.  If you haven’t yet experienced taking the Sprinter down to the Oceanside coast and cruising along the Coaster while checking out the beach scene, it’s a must do!

The San Diego Source just published an article on the North County Transit District’s changes to their public transportation. Check it out:

North County Transit District: Radical changes lead to smoother ride.

Oceanside‘s North County Transit District is shaking things up in the transit industry. A new business model, new buses, lower fares, customer improvements, and a lean and mean, forward-thinking board of directors and management team are combining to create more riders and more revenue for the transit district which operates COASTER trains, SPRINTER light rail and BREEZE buses.

History

• In early 2009, amidst the worst economic crisis the country has encountered in a generation, North County Transit District in Oceanside was faced with a looming budget deficit of $15.5 million and two vastly different approaches for how to address it.

The agency could choose to eliminate jobs, increase fares and reduce services or it could make radical changes to its organizational structure and operations.

• The Board of Directors, noting a responsibility to fulfill its commitment to taxpayers and customers to provide services, reached consensus on a new business model that utilizes a strong network of public/private partnerships.

– The board’s actions erased a structural budget deficit and provided for a balanced budget going forward.

– By working with the private sector, along with other cost reduction measures, NCTD is projected to save an estimated $50 million in taxpayer money over the next five fiscal years.

Result

• After implementing changes to its business model to improve its financial condition, NCTD set measurable, strategic goals, outlined in a business plan, to hold it accountable to customers and taxpayers.

– The district is now on strong financial footing to meet its current and future obligations.

– NCTD has identified the funding sources for the $87 million needed to fully implement Positive Train Control, a federal mandate that must be online by 2015.

– Oceanside‘s NCTD undertook a complete evaluation of its fixed-route bus services and developed a Mobility Plan, designed to maximize use and minimize inefficiency by focusing service in the areas of highest demand.

– NCTD continues to look for new revenue sources from its real estate assets as well as identifying new advertising opportunities, such as wraps of the COASTER and SPRINTER rail cars.

Today

The new business plan has put NCTD on solid financial footing. Investing in the system is up with a $12 million jump in capital improvements such as new bridges and technology. The transit district continued to buck national trends by lowering fares in January, 2011 while at the same time expanding service — 80 percent of transit services nationwide have done the opposite.

NCTD’s ridership is up system-wide with a 23.6% year-over-year increase in COASTER ridership and a 13.7% increase in SPRINTER ridership leading the way. After closing a five-year, $80 million budget gap NCTD has increased its financial reserves from $0 to $15 million. The numbers are only part of the story. Customer improvements like free Wi-Fi on select COASTER cars are adding to passenger comfort. The district continually looks at ways to improve its routes such as creating a new BREEZE bus route that takes passengers from the SPRINTER station in Escondido to Palomar Health’s new hospital and nearby Stone Brewing Co.

The wayside horn pilot project in Del Mar has been lauded by residents who praise the quieter horns and may be the model for other neighborhoods and cities. The Positive Train Control system is being developed which should greatly enhance safety on the rail tracks. Other improvements on tap for the near future include a text messaging system that will let passengers get real-time arrival information. The first-ever customer appreciation day will take place on November 16th at the Oceanside, Vista and Escondido Transit Centers and the Sorrento Valley station. March 9, 2013 the district will honor the fifth anniversary of the SPRINTER light rail system which runs between Oceanside and Escondido.

Clearly, NCTD is giving the community and its passengers plenty of reason to celebrate.

Do you like taking advantage of the public transportation available in the heart of Oceanside?  Let us know!

Article Link: http://www.sddt.com/Reports/article.cfm?RID=883&SourceCode=20121029crt&_t=North+County+Transit+District+Radical+changes+lead+to+smoother+ride#.UI8EDGcw_eU

The Lawhead Team would like to share some stats from North San Diego County HomeDex^TM September 2012 Summary Report.

• The median price for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family detached and single-family attached – increased to $405,000 in August 2012 from $395,000 in July 2012.

• The median days-on-market for North San Diego County single family detached homes sold fell to 40 days in August 2012 from 44 days in July 2012; the average number of dayson-market decreased to 74 days in August 2012 from 78 days in July 2012.

• In August 2012, 61 percent of county households were able to afford the median priced single family attached home in North San Diego County with 69 percent in Non-North San Diego County zip codes.

• Year-over SFA sales in North San Diego County increased 25.72 percent from August 2011 – year-over sales have increased in seven of the past eight months. Non-North County year-over sold units jumped 4.94 year-over from August 2011.

• The single family detached median price in Non-North County zip codes rose 1.13 percent to $359,000 in August 2012 from $355,000 in July 2012. Year-over Non-North San Diego County prices jumped 5.59 percent from $340,000 in August 2011, the fifth month of year-over price increases.

• The median-priced single-family detached home in North San Diego County increased 3.81 percent from $439,250 in July 2012 to $456,000 in August
  2012. Year-over median SFD price in North San Diego County jumped 5.33 from $432,918 in August 2011, the highest year-over increase since January 2011.

• The single family detached median price-per-square foot increased from $213 in July 2012 to $216 in August 2012 and increased 2.64 percent year-over from August 2011, offsetting 17 months of year-over price declines.

• The number of sold single family detached units in North San Diego County increased 16.96 percent from July 2012 to August 2012 – the number of sales has increased in six of the last eight months. Year-over sold single family detached units jumped 39.02 percent compared to August 2011, the 15th month of year-over increases in sold units.

• Single family detached total sales volume increased 59.17 percent year-over from August 2011, the fifth month of year-over increases.

Information from the following HomeDex Report for North San Diego County.