Where to Find Permit Information on San Carlos Homes.

Need Permit History?

If you’re buying a home in San Carlos, it’s sage advice to spend a little time researching the permit history on the place before you get too far down the road with your purchase.  Why?  Since much of San Carlos was developed in the 1940′s through the 1960′s, there’s a very good chance that some level of work has been done on the home — anything from simply replacing the roof, to remodeling a kitchen, and all the way to adding significant square footage.  It’s good to know whether this work was done with the blessing of the City Building Department, or whether it was done without their consent or knowledge.

A big reason why the City requires permits for home projects is that they want to ensure that the work is being done correctly.   If you look at a typical permit card, you’ll see that there are various sign-off points by the City’s building inspector that shows they have been monitoring the project from the beginning.  So a fully-permitted project will likely adhere to the building code that was in place when the job was completed, and minimizes short-cuts that the contractor might have been tempted to take.
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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/31/10

Inventory Analysis

And the beat goes on.  Quite a few homes closed escrow this past week, which reflects a very busy June and July in San Carlos.   But what’s interesting in those numbers is that of the 11 homes that closed, 8 were at or above the asking price.  This confirms what you already knew if you’re shopping for a home right now — the market still has strength in San Carlos.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/31. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

1067 Hewitt Drive, San Carlos

1067 Hewitt Drive (pictured).  Sale Price: $1,385,000. Original List Price: $1,385,000. No difference from list. Sold in 18 days. MLS# 81027804, listed by Jim Minkey of RE/MAX Today.

2651 Debbie Place.  Sale Price: $1,119,500. Original List Price: $1,127,000. Difference: $7,500 (0.7%) below current list. Sold in 94 days. (Originally listed at $1,227,000.)   MLS# 81012111, listed by Laura Bertolacci of RE/MAX Today.

231 Kelton Avenue.  Sale Price: $1,020,000. Original List Price: $949,000. Difference: $71,000 (7.5%) above original list. Sold in 11 days. MLS# 81031765, listed by Wendy Suter of Prudential California Realty.

201 Aberdeen Drive.  Sale Price: $975,000. Original List Price: $1,128,000. Difference: $153,000 (13.6%) below original list. Sold in 208 days.  MLS# 80955077, listed by Ines Malardino of Cashin Company.

893 Cordilleras Avenue.  Sale Price: $959,700. Original List Price: $899,000. Difference: $60,700 (6.7%) above original list. Sold in 11 days. MLS# 81027584, listed by Shirley Kraus of Intero Real Estate Services.

1651 Alameda de las Pulgas.  Sale Price: $905,000. Original List Price: $968,999. Difference: $63,999 (6.6%) below current list. Sold in 33 days.  MLS# 81026349, listed by Greg Pierce of Intero Real Estate Service.
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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/24/10

Inventory Analysis

It was a pretty decent week, considering that it’s the end of July.    The pace of new listings and pendings has slowed down a little bit from a few weeks ago, but as we head into August it’s very encouraging to see the level of buyer interest as high as it is.  Chalk it up to those crazy-low interest rates.   In a “normal” year, the pace of activity drops significantly in August as thoughts turn to vacation.   But with the heightened level of buying activity lately, good listings should continue so sell quickly…even in August.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/24. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

2607 Graceland Avenue, San Carlos

• 2607 Graceland Avenue (pictured).  Sale Price: $1,595,000. Original List Price: $1,595,000. No difference from list. Sold in 34 days. MLS# 81021276, listed by David Young of Coldwell Banker.

• 209 Club Drive.   Sale Price: $1,028,040. Original List Price: $1,049,000. Difference: $20,960 (2.0%) below original list. Sold in 5 days. MLS# 81028080, listed by Lenard Weaverling of Cashin Company.

• 2016 Arroyo Avenue.  Sale Price: $990,000. Original List Price: $945,000. Difference: $45,000 (4.8%) above original list. Sold in 7 days. MLS# 81028987, listed by Jackie Cockreham of RE/MAX Today.

• 11 Highland Avenue.  Sale Price: $816,000. Original List Price: $829,000. Difference: $13,000 (1.6%) below original list. Sold in 19 days. MLS# 81025274, listed by Liza Vernazza of Coldwell Banker.

• 54 Bayport Court.  Sale Price: $735,000. Original List Price: $759,888.  Difference: $24,888 (3.3%) below original list. Sold in 13 days. MLS# 81026444, listed by Tony Gabb of RE/MAX Star Properties.

• 1528 Saint Francis Way.  Sale Price: $710,000. Original List Price: $649,950. Difference: $60,050 (9.2%) above original list. Sold in 4 days. MLS# 81030740, listed by Maxine Dumas of Dumas & Company.

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Rental Scams Still Lurking on the Internet.

Online Rental Scam

I first wrote this post back in October of last year, but it’s worth updating again…because the scam seems to be alive and well.   Basically, scammers are posting ads on the various online classified ad sites (Craigslist, etc..) that they have homes to rent at very attractive prices, often well below market value for the area.  When you contact them (almost always via email), you’ll find that for a variety of reasons they don’t have time to show you the property — BUT they’ll ask you for some sort of deposit to reserve this *incredible* deal, and then they’ll meet you at a later date to give you the keys.

Sure sounds like the old Nigerian prince scam, because it’s basically the same thing.

What they are doing is stealing photos and property information off the MLS, and then posting a fake ad online.   With today’s computers, it’s so simple that even a caveman can do it.  But in this competitive rental market, over-eager renters are feeling pressured to jump the gun on their competition and consequently they’re prime targets for this scam.   They write the check and show up to pick up the keys — only to find that they end up with no keys, no rental….and no deposit.

But there are ways to protect yourself.

If It Sounds Too Good…

Online classified ads remain the primary place to find rentals in this area.  Unfortunately, there’s almost no policing or regulation of this media — it’s basically the wild west of the online world.   But there are things you can to safeguard yourself (and your money) if you come across one of these rentals that just sounds too good to be true.

1. Google the Address.    If there’s an address listed on the ad, Google it (I guess “Google” is now a verb?)    If you see various ads for the same property, but there are discrepancies in the details (price, contact info, etc..) something fishy is going on.
2. Check the MLS.     Although most landlords today choose to rent on their own without the help of a Realtor, there are still many that will have a Realtor list the property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).   Since the scammers will often pull the info from the MLS, it’s worth taking a quick look to see if the listing is also on the MLS — and most important, that the information matches the online ad.  (For example, is someone other than the listing agent posting the online ad?)   If you need help with this, contact your Realtor.    It takes all of two seconds to pull the property info.
3. Insist on Seeing the Property.    Before you part with a single penny of your money, insist on seeing the property and meeting the landlord.  YOU are the one who is (hopefully) going to live at this address, so you’re well within your right to insist getting access to the property.   This act alone should weed out the scam, since they shouldn’t be able to provide access to the property.

Finally, trust your instincts.   If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.     Be careful out there!

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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/17/10

Inventory Analysis

New listing activity slowed a bit this week, as we start to head into the slow part of summer for real estate sales.  With only two new homes this week (and one of them being a re-list) it was the lowest number of new listings in several months.  Buying activity has remained fairly brisk though,  as over twice as many homes went pending as there were new listings.

This week marks an important deadline of sorts for families with school-age kids looking who are moving into San Carlos from out of the area.  With school starting around August 25 and they typical escrow taking about 30 days to close, those who need that San Carlos address in time to register for the first day of school will feel the pressure to lock something up this week.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/17. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

324 Oakview Drive, San Carlos

324 Oakview Drive (pictured). Sale Price: $1,235,000. Original List Price: $1,295,000. Difference: $60,000 (4.6%) below original list. Sold in 4 days.  MLS# 81008746, listed by Bob Bredel of RE/MAX Today.

703 Crestview Drive. Sale Price: $1,128,000. Original List Price: $1,299,921. Difference: $171,921 (13.2%) below original list. Sold in 46 days. MLS# 81024103, listed by Donna Marie Baldwin of Coldwell Banker.

350 Devonshire Boulevard. Sale Price: $1,100,000. Original List Price: $1,098,000. Difference: $2,000 (0.2%) above original list. Sold in 11 days. MLS# 81027882, listed by Shelly Roberson of Alain Pinel Realtors.

898 Orange Avenue. Sale Price: $783,000. Original List Price: $799,000. Difference: $16,000 (2.0%) below original list. Sold in 21 days. MLS# 81022256, listed by Nancy Carlucci of Marshall Realty.

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Strike Averted: San Carlos School District Reaches Agreement with Teachers

Deal Reached

Much to the relief of parents of San Carlos school-age kids, it was announced today that a tentative agreement has been reached between the San Carlos School District and the San Carlos Teachers Association, thus averting a possible teacher’s strike at the beginning of the school year.  The deal that has been reached is discussed in greater detail in this article from the Daily Journal, and the new proposal must still be approved by the Board of Trustees in their July 22 meeting.

An “A+” for persistence and patience on both sides.  These negotiations have been ongoing for months, and had hit a standstill on several occasions.  But it’s a huge relief that there will be now strike.  That would not have been a great way to start the school year!

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