The housing market continues to stay competitive according to the latest HomeDex Report for North County San Diego attached and detached homes:

Just like last year at this time, prospective home buyers should expect a competitive housing market for the next several months. With payrolls trending upward and unemployment trending downward month after month in an extensive string of positive economic news, demand remains quite strong.

Given the fact that gradually rising mortgage rates often infuse urgency to get into a new home before it costs more later, buyers need to remain watchful of new listings and make their offers quickly.

Closed Sales decreased 18.4 percent for Detached homes and 17.0 percent for Attached homes. Pending Sales decreased 5.9 percent for Detached homes and 3.4 percent for Attached homes.

The Median Sales Price was up 4.0 percent to $728,000 for Detached homes and 10.0 percent to $480,000 for Attached homes. Days on Market decreased 7.1 percent for Detached homes and 19.0 percent for Attached homes.

Supply increased 8.3 percent for Detached homes and 14.3 percent for Attached homes.

Although home sales may actually drop in year-over-year comparisons over the next few months, that has more to do with low inventory than a lack of buyer interest. As lower days on market and higher prices persist year after year, one might rationally expect a change in the outlook for residential real estate, yet the current situation has proven to be remarkably sustainable likely due to stronger fundamentals in home loan approvals than were in place a decade ago.

Want to find out more about the HomeDex Report for your home? Call The Lawhead Team!

The Lawhead Team recently hosted their oldest grandson, Keegan, for a round of golf at La Costa’s Legends Course as part of his Thanksgiving vacation while visiting from Indianapolis.

This fourteen year old is already out driving his grandparents from the tee boxes!   Perhaps a golf scholarship is in his future?

Contact The Lawhead Team if you or someone you know may want to call this lovely property in Aviara home.

The Lawhead Team would like to share our latest listing we have in La Costa.

Located at 7210 Plaza de La Costa, this beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo is located in a gated community and is priced at $410,000.

View the virtual tour of this gorgeous La Costa property here.

If you are looking for a condo or town home in the North San Diego area, continue reading to see what the latest scoop is for single family attached homes:

• The North San Diego County median-priced single-family attached (SFA) home decreased 0.59 percent, to $337,000 in January 2014 from $339,000 in December 2013.  Non-North San Diego County SFA home median price increased 1.06 percent, from $282,000 in December 2013 to $285,000 in January 2014.
• North San Diego County SFA median price increased 18.25 percent year-over, compared to $285,000 in January 2013 – the 25th month of a year-over price increases.  Non-North County SFA median year-over price increased 25.55 percent, from $227,000 in January 2013.
• San Diego County SFA home median price increased 1.67 percent, to $305,000 in January 2014 from $300,000 in December 2013.  Year-over county median price increased 24.49 percent compared to January 2013.
• The median number of days-on-market for North County SFA homes sold increased, to 36 days in January 2014 from 29 days in December 2013.  The average number of days-on-market increased to 54 in January 2014, from 49 days in December 2013.
• The number of sold SFA home units dropped 21.15 percent in January 2014 from December 2103; the number of sold SFA units in non-North County Zip Codes fell 12.98 percent in January 2014 from December 2013.
• Year-over SFA sales in North San Diego County increased 1.38 percent, compared to January 2013. Non-North County year-over sold units increased 2.75, compared to January 2013.
• SFA home listings (active and contingent) in North San Diego County increased 7.01 percent in January 2014 from December 2013, and decreased 7.22 percent yearover compared to January 2013.
• San Diego County SFA listings (active and  contingent) increased 4.54 percent in January 2014 from December 2013, and decreased 2.58 percent year-over compared to January 2013.

When The Lawhead Team isn’t busy helping people find their dream homes, we love to take a break and play golf. We would like to share some helpful tips from the PGA:

• To many people think that a sand wedge is just for bunker shots. The sand wedge should be used for sand shots as well as most pitch shots to the green.  The sand wedge whether a 54-degree or 58-degree has “bounce” on the sole of the club.
• A carpenter’s chalk-line and a CD disc are great putting aids to have in your golf bag. The chalk-line is useful to help you with your alignment and stroke. Find a straight six to ten foot putt on a practice green. Snap a chalk-line from the hole back to desired distance.
• A pitch short or short chip shot from short grass or a tight lie can be a challenge even for the very best players. Make a few practice swings and brush the ground in a way you would do it if the ball was there.
• If you miss the green and your ball ends up in a closely mown area don’t forget about the hybrid putt.  Approach the shot just as you would a putt.  Use your putting grip, stance, pre-shot routine and stroke.  You will find that with a little practice you will start getting up and down.
• When the wind picks up you want to choose a club that is more than what you would normally choose.  Go through your normal pre-shot routine and then swing easy.  The windier it gets the easier you should swing.  You will quickly find that your golf ball is boring through the wind and not ballooning.
• With over 60% of your strokes coming from inside of 100 yards, it is essential that you spend a proportionate amount of time on your short game as you practice.  You should devote most of your short game practice to putting and chipping.  These two shots make up the majority of your short game strokes.
• Is your golf bag organized?  Having your golf bag organized will help you greatly as you improve your skills.  Knowing where each club is within the bag, you will not lose focus on the shot you have planned, while you search for the proper club.
• A greenside bunker shot is so much easier than most think. It is nothing more than a “fat pitch.” In a greenside bunker we want to hit the sand first.
• The easiest way to learn the golf swing is to relate it to another learned movement. The golf swing is a rotary movement; it contains a throwing element similar to baseball. For the non-athletes, it would be like skipping a pebble.

golf tips are from the PGA‘s website.

Today is the first day of the Komen 3-Day Walk!

The Lawhead Team came across this short article from CBS Channel 8 about day 1 of the Komen 3-Day Walk to help fight against breast cancer.

Check out the article about the Komen 3-Day Walk:

DEL MAR (CNS) – The annual Komen San Diego Three-Day Walk is scheduled to begin this morning to raise money to fight breast cancer.

The trek will cover 60 miles, beginning at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and ending with a celebration Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

Special cheering stations will be set up along the route to urge the walkers on. The first-day will take walkers down Camino del Mar, to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and into Pacific Beach.

Walkers are required to raise at least $2,300 to participate. Organizers say the walkers usually raise an average of around $3,000.

The walk is the second major event for Susan G. Komen for the Cure this month in San Diego. Around 14,000 people took part in the 17th annual Race for the Cure 5K on Nov. 3.

Entire article for the Komen 3-Day Walk may be found at CBS8’s website. Photo is courtesy of CBS8.com.

The Lawhead Team is proud to work and live in such a beautiful area. We love our beaches here and would like to share some information with our readers about the Leucadia area’s beaches.

Located just north of downtown Encinitas is the funky beach community of Leucadia. The beaches of Leucadia are all located below steep vertical cliffs, and the three main stairways that lead down to popular spots are difficult to find, which makes for relatively secluded beach areas that are frequented by locals.

If you are looking for some great surf spots, Leucadia is your place!

Where to Go:

• There are three popular surf spots in the area between Leucadia State Beach and Encinitas County Beach – Grandview, Beacon’s and Stone Steps, which are accessible via well-maintained stairways along Neptune Avenue.
• Neptune is one-way running northbound, so if you overshoot your target you’ll have to circle back south on Coast Highway and try again. El Portal Street (leading to Stone Steps), Leucadia Boulevard (the trailhead for Beacon’s), and Grandview Street at the far north end of Neptune (leading to Grandview Beach).

Parking:

• Free street parking in residential neighborhoods along Neptune Avenue.

Bathrooms, Showers and Lifeguards:

Leucadia beaches offer no bathrooms, permanent lifeguards or facilities of any kind. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you aren’t looking for amenities, then

Leucadia

may be just the thing to inspire your mojo.

Must Visit Spots In Leucadia:

• The Leucadia Donut Shoppe on Coast Hwy 101 – after an early morning paddle out, it just can’t be beat.
• The Leucadia/Encinitas Farmer’s Market and Art Fair, Sundays 10AM to 2PM. Cross streets of Union & Vulcan.

The Lawhead Team would like to share some recent facts from the HomeDex Report just released a few days ago. Check out the facts for North County’s Single Family Detached Homes:

• The median price for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family detached homes and single-family attached – increased from $470,000 in April 2013 to $485,000 in May 2013.
• The median-priced single-family detached (SFD) home in North San Diego County rose 3.83 percent, to $555,500 in May 2013 from $535,000 in April 2013. Year-over median single-family detached homes prices in North San Diego County increased 23.72 percent, compared to $449,000 in May 2012, making a ten-month trend of year-over median price increases (the last three months exceeding 25 percent). Spring 2013 has reported the highest median prices in North County since mid-2008.
• The single-family detached homes median price in non-North County Zip Codes rose five percent, from $400,000 in April 2013 to $420,000 in May 2013.  Year-over non-North County median price increased 21.74 percent, compared to $345,000 in May 2012, a 14month trend of year-over median price increases.
• The median single-family detached homes price in San Diego County increased four percent, from $450,000 in April 2013 to $467,950 in May 2013.  Year-over county-level SFD median price increased 23.14 from May 2012, the 12th month of year-over median price increases.
• The median days-on-market for North San Diego County single-family detached homes sold, fell from 19 days in April 2013 to 18 days in May 2013.
• The SFD median price-per-square foot increased to $252 in May 2013, from $247 in April 2013, and increased 20.96 percent year-over from May 2012.
• The number of sold SFD units in North San Diego County increased 11.49 percent in May 2013 from April 2013.  Year-over sold SFD units increased 12.54 percent from May 2012.
• Single-family detached homes total sales volume jumped 35.33 percent year-over compared to May 2012, the 14th straight year-over monthly increase.
• SFD listings (active and contingent) in North San Diego County increased 5.35 percent in May 2013 from April 2013, but decreased 34.56 percent year-over compared to May 2012 – continuing a 21-month trend of year-over declines in listings.
• Single-family detached homes listings (active and contingent) in San Diego County increased 3.1 percent in May 2013 from April 2013, and decreased 35.46 percent year-over from May 2012.

The latest key points from the HomeDex Report for May for North County San Diego provided to you by The Lawhead Team.

• The median price for all North County San Diego home sales – attached and detached – increased to $470,000 in April 2013 compared to $448,000 in March 2013.
• Detached homes in North County increased 1.9 percent in April 2013 to $535,000 compared to $525,000 in March 2013. Year-over median price for SFD in North San Diego County jumped 27.38 percent, from $420,000 in April 2012, continuing a nine-month trend of year-over median price increases (the last two months exceeding 25 percent). April 2013 reported the highest median price in North County since mid-2008.
• Detached home prices OUTSIDE North County increased 1.27 percent to $400,000 in April 2013 compared to $395,000 in March 2013. Year-over non-North County median price jumped 17.73 percent compared to $339,750 in April 2012, making a 13-month trend of year-over median price increases.
• Attached home prices in North County San Diego increased 4.1 percent to $330,000 in April 2013 compared to $317,000 in March 2013.
• Non-North County attached home prices remained constant at $265,000 in April 2013.
• The number of North San Diego SFD listings (active and contingent) rose 0.76 percent from March 2013 to April 2013, but decreased 38.83 percent year-over from April 2012 – the 20^th month of year-over declines in listings.
• The number of sold North San Diego County SFD units increased 9.03 percent in April 2013 compared to March 2013. Year-over sold SFD units increased 8.91 percent compared to April 2012.
• Median days-on-market for single-family detached homes sold in North County fell to 19 days in April 2013 compared to 26 days in March 2013.
• The HomeDex affordability percentage for all homes in North San Diego County – attached and detached – decreased to 36 percent in April 2013 compared to 39 percent in March 2013.