The Mira Costa section of Manhattan Beach is one of several areas in the South Bay that have seen an increase in the number of single family homes sold in 2009 from 2008. Yet at the same time, the median sales price dropped by 20 percent from the previous year.

What is interesting about this is that the median sales prices for the years 2006 through 2008 were within striking distance of each other and so the 20 percent drop in price more or less represents the decline in value from the peak year of 2006. The current median sales price is $1.35 M, up significantly from the beginning of the decade when it was $835 K. Given that there are only a handful of single family homes in escrow at this writing and that the current active inventory is just 10, this new year is off to a timid start. (more…)

The crash in the real estate market has put a hold on the building of new homes in Oceanside. Almost every builder has stopped building new homes. The home prices have dropped so much over the last few years that it almost costs more to build a home than the price that it can be sold for once it is built. There have been a lot of new homes that were built over the last few years but they have been sold already.

It is very rare for a buyer to be able to find a home to purchase that has not been lived in before. There might be a home here and there that maybe were built by the owners with a construction loan, but there are no new track neighborhoods that can be bought new. (more…)

I read an article and heard on TV today that “…foreclosure filings hit a record in 2009″ and that more were expected in 2010. Pretty interesting headline and there are some numbers to back it up: According to Realty Trac, there were over 2.8 million homes that faced at least 1 foreclosure filing in 2009. That’s not foreclosures, but foreclosure filings; the difference is that not all homes that are initially posted for foreclosure end up being foreclosed. Still, 2.8 million is a big number.

As it has been now for several years, there is no shortage of bad news about the national real estate market. I was anxious to research our local market here in Boulder County to see how we fared in 2009 vs. the national trend(s). (more…)

The What House? Awards have celebrated the best in the new homes industry for 28 years. These Property Awards reward successes in new build Property; awards also given for prime developments. The ceremony was hosted at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on 20th November 2009.

For example here is an outline of winners from a recent Property Awards ceremony.

In the Best Development category, the Gold Award was awarded to City and Country Group for the Galleries in Brentwood, Essex.

This outstanding conversion is a Grade II Listed Victorian building, formerly a sanatorium building. It was converted into 168 one, two and three-bedroom houses and apartments, set out within ten acres of gardens. With interesting reintroductions of original courtyards and sympathetic development work staying true to the original style and structure of the building, no two properties are the same, each having bespoke features.

The apartments and houses all have a modern twist in terms of interior design, and a brilliant blend of the old and the new. Fittings and finishes are also of an excellent quality, with exemplary attention to detail throughout the development, both internally and externally.

The Best Development Silver Award went to Stone Homes Ltd for Peacock Gap in Morpeth, Northumberland for three luxury stone-built new build properties. Awards also went to St James Urban Living for their contemporary development of a formerly derelict site at Grosvenor Docks, Chelsea Embankment.

The Gold Best Luxury House Award was given to Millwood Designer Homes for Tyburn House in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. This stunning country house development offered superb attention to detail, including a copy of the oak staircase costing 㿨,000, imperial measurement brickwork and oak panelling. The house also boasts an airtight wine cellar, service lift and dog shower. With five bedrooms and one-bedroom guest accommodation, a tennis court and 56 acres of private grounds, this development blends modern living with historical architecture with ease.

The Silver Best Luxury House Award was given to Huntsmere Ltd for five-bedroomed Ravensood in Prestbury, Cheshire, and the Bronze Luxury House Award was offered to Octagon for Old Avenue in St. George’s Hill, Surrey.

The Gold Best Apartment Scheme Award went to Ask Life for Abito at Salford Quays in Manchester, a stunning development of 284 studio apartments and six two-bedroomed apartments. These affordable housing units are designed with easy living in mind, and enough space is given to create a light and airy feel. The Property Awards also acknowledged clever space-saving fittings and detail such as integral lighting, TV points and hidden hinges, that give the units a sense of space, as well as a full-width balcony and glass wall that comes with each affordable studio unit. There is also a community area courtyard and clever building lighting to illuminate the development.

The Silver Best Apartment Scheme Award went to United House Developments and Londonewcastle for their Wenlock Building in Islington, London, and the Bronze Award was awarded to St James Urban Living at Grosvenor Waterside in Chelsea in London.

The Gold Housing Award for Best Sustainable Development went to London & Quadrant Housing Trust for One Vale Street, Lambeth in London in a former brownfield site.

Achieving Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, this development demonstrated excellent new-build property specifications. Efficient design and structure included extra wide cavities for insulation and triple-glazed windows. A low-carbon communal boiler system was set up to heat all of the homes, so that individual boilers were not required for each property. The Housing Awards also recognised the ecological environment that has also been integrated with open space and nesting boxes.

The Silver Best Sustainable Development Award went to Croudace Homes in Partnership for Privett Green in Hampshire, and the Bronze Award went to Mar City Developments for Key Gardens in West Bromwich.

Written by Peter Aps for What House? Property Awards. For further information, please visit: http://www.whathouse.co.uk/TheWhatHouseAwards.aspx.

For many people, owning their homes is a dream come true. However, for many, this is not an option as they are either financially incapable of purchasing a home or simply choose to go another route for their housing needs.

Fortunately, for the people choosing to live in Denver, they do have options when it comes to deciding on whether they prefer to buy or rent their next home. The Denver housing market is now picking itself up again and this results in some beautiful and affordable home rentals being made available, just waiting for the perfect tenant. (more…)

Renting a home may be intimidating to some. While much has been written and publicized about home ownership, however much less has been available on the ease and pros of renting a home instead of buying it.

In the Denver area, for example, the housing market is quite strong – however this market is not based only on home purchases, but rather on the overall availability, affordability and ease in which the consumer can readily get access to the lodging that is best suited for them. There is, therefore, a nice blend of home rentals and home ownership. (more…)

A Little About Bemus Point:

Bemus Point, or Bemus, as us locals know it, was founded in 1806 and boasts some of the most striking homes and views on Chautauqua Lake. The real estate and ambiance of Bemus Point, some of which is located on one of the “gold coasts” (Lakeside Drive) of Chautauqua Lake, is some of the most sought after shoreline around. Bemus is known for being a dynamic lakefront village of restaurants, shopping, nightlife, local entertainment, and four-season recreation all within walking distance to the lake and beach. Other local attractions, such as Chautauqua Institution, are within minutes by car or boat.

Bemus Bay Condominiums on Chautauqua Lake:

Early 2009 brought about some of the first completed sales of the Bemus Bay Condominiums on Chautauqua Lake constructed on Lakeview Avenue in Bemus Point, New York. This enormous lakefront condo project consisted of two buildings named Browning and Columbia each containing 20 units. These structures were named after hotels that existed on the site back in the early 1900s. (more…)