PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

What would you say if I told you pricing right now is right on track! You would probably say, pricing is crazy!  I recently attended Keller Williams Economic Recap and Forecast and a couple of details really hit me.  Because I too, even being in the business, was thinking this pricing is crazy! Then I saw this graph.  Home Prices This above graph shows the average home prices over the last 20 years has averaged about 4%. That is below the historical average of 6-8% before the downturn in 2008-2011.  Portola Hills saw appreciation of over 20% last year, so while that is great, it really was just the market making up for downturn.  Four percent appreciation is a very healthy real estate market.  Annual Home Appreciation The biggest hurdle to the market right now is inventory of homes.  There simply has not been enough building to keep up with demand since the downturn.  How we catch up is going to be a challenge certainly for the near future.  Below is a look at the inventory of homes an

We are in about our 7th week of quarantine in Orange County and if you are anything like me, I am sure you are getting restless.  We just really hope no one in the community has been too affected by this virus either with their health or financially.  We get many questions asking how the real estate market is performing during this time? The good news is, it is hanging in there.  This is not like 2008!  The current inventory levels are extremely low compared to what we saw during the last recession.  The biggest impact to the real estate market is going to be unemployment, but pleasantly the numbers and activity in Portola Hills remained strong in April, as you can see below!  Looking at the above numbers you can see the strength of the market in two indicators.  First the list to sale price ratio. Seller's received over 100% of what they were requesting when they listed their home. Actually the received over! Most likely from multiple offers. The second indicator is the months o

As we enter summer in Portola Hills, all signs for the real estate market are hot, hot, hot!  Low inventory, high buyer demand are the key factors keeping this market hot!! Typically this time of year we see an increase in listing activity but all over Orange County the number of new listings is down.  Overall the economy is improving, prices are up but some homeowners are still siting on the fence...  Maybe waiting for price increases, maybe repairing credit after taking hit, the answers are in the hands of homeowners, but one thing is certain those who have decided to sell are receiving top dollars for their home. If you are considering a move and looking to move up into that dream home then you will want to keep in mind with the continued low interest rates and high buyer demand you truly have entered the perfect storm to sell and buy your next home. Portola Hills April-May 2013 Closed Sales   In April and through today, 9 homes have sold in Portola Hills.  On the snapshot