Confidence, or lack thereof, is also still keeping some sellers sidelined.

“There always is a tendency to time the market, which we know is becoming a little bit harder to do,” said Budge Huskey, CEO of Coldwell Banker in an interview on CNBC. “It’s an assessment of their overall impressions of the economy. I think there’s still a little hesitation. People want to see stronger economic growth, people want to see more progress made toward unemployment rates and just feel better about moving on.”

Lack of inventory means it is a seller’s market, despite so much hesitance by potential sellers themselves. That will keep home prices strong, unless and until more people decide to list their homes and home builders ramp up production, which they have been so far slow to do.

(Read more: $1 million summer homes)

It begs the question, what is housing worth today, market-to-market? A million dollars may buy a McMansion in Oklahoma, but barely buy a bedroom in Manhattan.

In an effort to gauge differing values, CNBC is trawling the million-dollar market again, this time in a “back-to-school” edition.

Starting on “Squawk Box” this Friday, two reporters will show two homes without disclosing their locations; they will document the interiors, exteriors, marketed features and one unique bonus offered by each home.

Real estate maven Dolly Lenz will decide which house gives buyers a better bang for the buck.

We will then reveal where the two houses are located, and with that added to the mix, Lenz will choose a winner. That house will then go up against the next mystery location on the next show.

(Follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #MillionDollarHome and see the early winners here as well).

—By CNBC’s Diana Olick. Follow her on Twitter @Diana_Olick.

Questions?Comments? facebook.com/DianaOlickCNBC

Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101009330

Foreclosures were a common sight in many towns, such as San Pablo (pictured), just two years ago. Now with fewer foreclosures and home values surging, many people who got a temporary property-tax reduction will see a bump up this year. (Chronicle staff photo)

It’s a letter from Larry Stone or Ron Thomsen or Gus Kramer or another Bay Area county assessor.

You open it up and your eyes pop. Steam starts coming out of your ears like a little cartoon character.

Your property taxes are going up by a hefty amount for the 2013-14 tax year.

What happened? What about California’s Proposition 13, which guarantees a 2% annual cap on property tax increases?

Think back to 2009, when a similar missive arrived. Remember what a relief it was that your property taxes were slashed by about a third? Your house had plunged in value due to the real estate downturn. Under Proposition 8* — a companion to Prop 13, also passed in 1976 — assessors are supposed to cut your property taxes  temporarily when your home’s market value goes below your previous assessed value. That went on extensively throughout the state over the brutal downturn; it’s one reason cities, counties and California itself had to tighten their belts so much.

But the key word is “temporarily.” That same Prop 8 requires assessors to bring the values back up when the market recovers. It can go up by a big chunk. There is still a ceiling.  The maximum you can be assessed is what’s called your “factored base value.” That’s you original base value (what you paid for the house) plus 2% a year increases (or even less; if the California consumer price index is lower than 2%, that gets used instead).

Thousands of people will be getting these notices in coming weeks.  For instance, in Alameda County, 9,800 properties are being fully restored to their “factored base value” after having had a temporary tax cut. Another 69,000 are being partially restored in sync with the changing market. In San Francisco, 4,900 properties are being fully restored, and another 9,900 are being partially restored.

All the assessors have extensive explanations about Props 8 and 13 on their websites. The one on the Sonoma County Assessor’s website has a helpful graphic showing the interactions between Prop 13 values and Prop 8 market values.

Assessors are hopeful that homeowners will see the bright side.

“We are getting out of the market-value reductions and increasing our values,” said Ron Thomsen, Alameda County assessor. “It’s good for homeowners as they see increases in the equity of their homes.”

But many folks may not be jazzed about this.

Still, for the counties, cities, special districts and schools that depend on property-tax revenue, it’s definitely good news that the assessments are going up after several brutal years of steep declines. For a detailed look at what’s happening for Bay Area county assessments, click here. For more information about the impact on homeowners, click here.

Remember, you have the right to appeal your property-tax assessment — and you definitely do not need to pay anyone else to help you with this. Information on filing an appeal is available on each county assessor’s website.

*Not the Prop 8 about same-sex marriage that just went to the U.S. Supreme Court. California thriftily recycles proposition numbers; it wouldn’t be that catchy of a slogan to say: “Vote for Proposition 46,787?!

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. For news and insights on Bay Area real estate, follower her on Twitter: @csaid

Article source: http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2013/07/05/brace-yourself-your-property-tax-bill-is-on-its-way/

Foreclosures were a common sight in many towns, such as San Pablo (pictured), just two years ago. Now with fewer foreclosures and home values surging, many people who got a temporary property-tax reduction will see a bump up this year. (Chronicle staff photo)

It’s a letter from Larry Stone or Ron Thomsen or Gus Kramer or another Bay Area county assessor.

You open it up and your eyes pop. Steam starts coming out of your ears like a little cartoon character.

Your property taxes are going up by a hefty amount for the 2013-14 tax year.

What happened? What about California’s Proposition 13, which guarantees a 2% annual cap on property tax increases?

Think back to 2009, when a similar missive arrived. Remember what a relief it was that your property taxes were slashed by about a third? Your house had plunged in value due to the real estate downturn. Under Proposition 8* — a companion to Prop 13, also passed in 1976 — assessors are supposed to cut your property taxes  temporarily when your home’s market value goes below your previous assessed value. That went on extensively throughout the state over the brutal downturn; it’s one reason cities, counties and California itself had to tighten their belts so much.

But the key word is “temporarily.” That same Prop 8 requires assessors to bring the values back up when the market recovers. It can go up by a big chunk. There is still a ceiling.  The maximum you can be assessed is what’s called your “factored base value.” That’s you original base value (what you paid for the house) plus 2% a year increases (or even less; if the California consumer price index is lower than 2%, that gets used instead).

Thousands of people will be getting these notices in coming weeks.  For instance, in Alameda County, 9,800 properties are being fully restored to their “factored base value” after having had a temporary tax cut. Another 69,000 are being partially restored in sync with the changing market. In San Francisco, 4,900 properties are being fully restored, and another 9,900 are being partially restored.

All the assessors have extensive explanations about Props 8 and 13 on their websites. The one on the Sonoma County Assessor’s website has a helpful graphic showing the interactions between Prop 13 values and Prop 8 market values.

Assessors are hopeful that homeowners will see the bright side.

“We are getting out of the market-value reductions and increasing our values,” said Ron Thomsen, Alameda County assessor. “It’s good for homeowners as they see increases in the equity of their homes.”

But many folks may not be jazzed about this.

Still, for the counties, cities, special districts and schools that depend on property-tax revenue, it’s definitely good news that the assessments are going up after several brutal years of steep declines. For a detailed look at what’s happening for Bay Area county assessments, click here. For more information about the impact on homeowners, click here.

Remember, you have the right to appeal your property-tax assessment — and you definitely do not need to pay anyone else to help you with this. Information on filing an appeal is available on each county assessor’s website.

*Not the Prop 8 about same-sex marriage that just went to the U.S. Supreme Court. California thriftily recycles proposition numbers; it wouldn’t be that catchy of a slogan to say: “Vote for Proposition 46,787?!

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. For news and insights on Bay Area real estate, follower her on Twitter: @csaid

Article source: http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2013/07/05/brace-yourself-your-property-tax-bill-is-on-its-way/

Nationwide, more than 40 percent of homeowners with a mortgage are in a negative or near-negative equity position (less than 20 percent equity in the home), according to Zillow. Housing may be local, but this particular credit issue is national.

(Read more: NY’s Luxury Penthouse Shortage Pinches Prices)

Short supply pushed prices higher for Manhattan condominiums, but not for co-ops. Condominiums, which have a median price of $1.25 million, about twice that of co-ops, are being helped by foreign, all-cash buyers. International buyers tend to shy away from tough Manhattan co-op boards.

(Read More: Mortgage Rates Pressure Home Builders)

“Scarcity is an important issue, and when apartments are properly priced they are selling quickly. While there is great demand and small supply, buyers are reluctant to pay a price that is not justifiable,” said Hall. F. Willkie, president of Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales in a release. “Job growth remains strong in the city as does interest from both domestic and international buyers; this bodes well for a healthy market.”

Sales began to pick up dramatically this year, as fears of the fiscal cliff abated and optimism returned to real estate. While limited inventory would appear to make this a seller’s market, agents say savvy buyers are the norm in Manhattan, and that has kept price increases in check. While home prices in the rest of the nation were up just over 12 percent in May from a year ago, according to a new report from CoreLogic, Manhattan prices in general are not rising that fast.

Prices for co-ops, which account for 75 percent of the Manhattan market, were flat in the second quarter of this year, while the median price for a condo was up 14 percent from a year ago, according to the Douglas Elliman report. Larger co-ops saw bigger price gains, but for condos the gains were in studio apartments. Sellers are getting 98 percent of asking price, according to another report from Halstead Property.

(Read More: Pending Home Sales Soar to 6-Year High)

Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100860538

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The real estate glory days have returned to San Francisco.

The median price for a home in the city is back at the $1 million mark, according to the SFGate.com real estate blog On the Block.

It appears that the data from April reveals a median price increase of 32 percent from 2012, according to the Business Journal. That’s higher than the average list price of $799,000, which means “too many buyers [are] vying for too few properties,” the blog reported.

Supply and demand means that a home that sold at auction in 1998 for $106,500 in Twin Peaks is now listed for $995,000, the blog reported.

In general, sellers are getting 112 percent of their asking prices for San Francisco homes, according to Redfin.

A seller’s market — but could it get any hotter?

Yes. Another home, bought in November 2012 for $875,000, is back on the market, less than a year later — for an asking price of $1.2 million. Will it sell for a 100 percent profit? It could — which is saying something.

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Article source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/SF-Median-Home-Price-Tops-1-Million-211448041.html

I remember learning in high school science class that equilibrium is a state of “no force or disturbance in any one direction.” Applying this concept to real estate, one might say that a balanced market – one with “equilibrium” – would have roughly the same number of buyers as it would properties for sale.

Not that many months ago, many parts of the Bay Area’s real estate market were saturated with properties for sale. It was, in many areas, a buyer’s market – buyers had their way when it came to selecting from a wide range of properties in nearly every corner of every market. But now, as the economy has been coming back, and real estate along with it, the pendulum has swung and we have shot past that real estate equilibrium point in a nanosecond.

Today we have many more buyers than we have properties for sale. (Potential sellers, take note! It hasn’t been this good for sellers in a long time – but that’s fodder for another article.) Our market has gone from having too many properties on the market to not having nearly enough.

The “inventory” of properties for sale has suddenly become so slim that the supply is now far below the demand almost everywhere. The average time a property spends on the market has decreased by 40% over a year ago.  That makes life for hopeful real estate buyers really tough.

If you’re a buyer right now, you are probably in competition now for almost every property, and although your agent might tell you that you are a SPECIAL buyer (and I’m sure you ARE), it’s more than likely that every other buyer out there is just as special. And it’s just as likely that all of those special buyers are competing for the same property, creating a “multiple offer” situation.

What’s a buyer to do? For starters, be honest with yourselves about your expectations. Expect there to be multiple buyers for the same property and talk to your agent about what will make your offer stand out.  Understand also that an offer is not just about price. There are lots of other factors in a purchase contract that might appeal to a seller as well. Things like length of escrow, minimal contingencies, and even who you choose as your mortgage company can make a seller happy or have them quickly flipping to the next buyer in their stack of offers.

In some areas as recent as a few months ago, it was possible to ask for seller concessions and give-backs, but we are now in a time where those factors will send your offer to the circular file faster than almost anything else.

Work with your agent as any effective team would work together. Be sure that your agent knows your situation and your personality so that he/she can tailor their approach to each property that you choose to purchase.  Be honest and open with them, and don’t be afraid of what he or she will think. Ask your agent how you can best work together, and understand that while you really can’t do this by yourself, no agent is “Super(wo)man” and none of us bat 1000 in multiple offer situations.

Lastly, be patient. It will probably take a while, and very possibly more than a few offers before you win in a multiple situation. But keep trying, and listen to your agent. We do this every day. And yes, you ARE special.

A Bay Area native, Mark Penn has been a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker since 2004. He is also active in animal welfare, and is a former educator, facilitator, and air traffic controller. Mark can be reached at mark@MyHomeInSonoma.com 

Article source: http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=17489

The housing market in San Francisco is leading the country in growth with a large demand for housing and a limited supply of inventory. Latest statistics from San Francisco Association of Realtors are showing February year-over-year single-family home inventory dropped by 38 percent while condo inventory dropped 33.3 percent for the same period. In any seller’s market, buyers work hard to be more appealing in making an offer. This begins with an increase in offer price, changes to financing parameters, and occasionally, waiving contingencies in extremely competitive markets, such as San Francisco.

Contingency-free offers bring risks. This is especially true in a city where many of the homes are older. People are not requiring the same inspections, repairs and other safeguards put in place to protect the home buyer. The calculated risk can pay off for some buyers but others, whose financing requires these contingencies, end up losing in the multiple offer situations.

“Cash is still king. More buyers are not only submitting offers well over list price, typically in the 10 -20% range, but the market place is seeing an increase in contingency-free offers,” says Dahle. “This has made the buying environment even more competitive. What are the risks for the buyer with financing versus cash buyer and how does one mitigate those risks? Especially when the offer involves limiting or ditching the safeguards of contingencies? It’s called calculated risk. Each property is different.”

Only the most informed real estate professionals can guide you through the ups and downs of the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market, and Kirk Dahle has been doing just that for buyers and sellers for several years. A relentless advocate for his clients, Kirk is constantly networking with real estate professionals to find the best listings and to bring a property to market. Contact Kirk directly at sfkirk(at)gmail(dot)com or call 415.203.8638.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10586144.htm

Article source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1165943

A: This is a concern that often leads sellers to sit on the sidelines rather than call their Realtor and put that “For Sale” sign in front of their house.

There is a logjam of sorts in our market right now. The number of homes for sale remains far less than needed to adequately meet current buyer demand. Until sellers gather the courage they need to move forward this is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.

NOW is a great time to sell, because:

1. It has become evident in the past 10 years or so that the real estate market is as volatile as the stock market. Its temperature is related to a number of factors (health of the stock market, employment figures, etc.). As it becomes more challenging to predict future market strength, making decisions about when to sell (or to buy) becomes more about what the real estate market is doing now.

4. If by chance you do not find your new home before you must move, there are good interim housing options, including short-term rentals, available. It is certainly true in my experience, that when a seller takes a leap of faith, with focus and intention, putting their homes on the market, even though they are uncertain about where they will land, the next “right” home for them appears just at the right time.

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Sound-Off-What-to-consider-in-a-seller-s-market-4321772.php

Supplies are down across the nation, not just in the former crash markets, like Phoenix and Las Vegas, where investors decimated inventories of distressed homes in bulk purchases. Listings are down 31 percent in Seattle from a year ago, down 32 percent in Denver, down 20 percent in Houston, down 37 percent in Boston, according to local Realtor associations.

(Click Here: Recover Watch Map, Complete Coverage)

“At the moment it’s a seller’s market again,” said David Fogg, a real estate agent in Burbank, CA. “Very low inventory, very low interest rates, almost no bank inventory of homes, it’s crazy out there. Every good property I’ve listed this year has brought 10-50 offers and sales prices 10-20 percent over comps. Cash is King.”

Nearly one third of all existing home sales in January were paid for in cash, and not just by investors, who are making up a shrinking share of the market. Fierce competition is forcing buyers to use every advantage, given that so many are going after so little.

In California’s San Fernando Valley there are usually over 9,000 homes for sale this time of year, according to real estate agent Billy Wynn. Today there are just over 1,400.

“Realtors are getting so many offers they are taking the homes off the market and not accepting additional offers before any offer is even accepted,” said Wynn. “This is real estate bubble 2.0 on steroids.”

It is a puzzling situation, given all the warnings of a tsunami of so-called “shadow inventory” that was supposed to be flooding the market right now. As it stands, fewer distressed properties are coming to the market.

“The ticking time bomb of shadow supply has been diffused by a combination of foreclosure processing delays in judicial states, legislation slowing down the foreclosure process in non-judicial states, foreclosure prevention programs and initiatives encouraging short sales,” said Daren Blomquist of RealtyTrac. “Notably, in 2012, was the National Mortgage Settlement, which both encouraged foreclosure prevention and short sales as an alternative to foreclosure, and the loosening of short sale guidelines by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in November.”

As a result, short sales, where the home is sold for less than the value of the mortgage, are rising as a share of total distressed sales, while bank-owned home sales are falling. Investors are now competing for such little supply that they are ironically pricing themselves out of the market.

(Read More: Distressed Homes Still Drive Sales)

“We are hearing also, that new home buyers are not really looking at the foreclosure market—the houses are either not in good neighborhoods or the house is in bad condition and needs a lot of updates,” noted Paul Miller, an analyst at FBR. “So home buyers are either going to new-builds or being very picky with the type and shape of the house. We are hearing from plenty of mortgage brokers that they are working with many couples, and they just can’t find the perfect house.”

Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100512238