Every week, Hillary Caston and her team at The Coastal Property Experts look for homes for sale that are of interest. Take a look at the Picks for 7-29-10. To see the full MLS listing information on any of these properties, go to: http://www.thecoastalpropertyexperts.com/Market-Snapshot-Report.php

This week, we highlight 6 homes: 2 Homes for sale in Laguna Beach, 2 Homes for sale in Laguna Niguel, and 2 Homes for sale in Dana Point.

Registered Users of the website get the first look at these properties. To get on the list, be sure to register after clicking on the “Search MLS Listings” button.

33932 Barcelona Pl, Dana Point, CA

33932 Barcelona, Dana Point Homes for Sale

Priced at $1,849,000

$307.81/Sq.Ft.

The layout of this home is a little “unique”; however, the extras on this Dana Point home for sale are incredible: gameroom,

Guest/Maid quarters, Photo Lab/Dark Room/ Wine Cellar

Workshop, Media/Music Room/Game Room, Unfinished

Basement, Exercise Room, Au Pair Suite, Pool&Spa,

4-car garage (which can fit an RV)  and more!

The home is 6007 SqFt and sits on a 9500 SqFt Lot.

32512 Azores Rd, Dana Point, CA

32512 Azores, Dana Point Homes for Sale

Priced at $1,699,000

$536.47/Sq.Ft.

Single Level Custom home in Monarch Bay Terrace.

More than 1/3 acre lot size with a 3167 SqFt Home

715 Marlin, Laguna Beach, CA

715 Marlin, Laguna Beach Homes for Sale

Prices at $2,130,000

$495.35/Sq.Ft.

4300 Sq. Ft. on a 9000 Sq. Ft. Lot

Ocean Views and a Master with Fireplace

232 Chiquita St., Laguna Beach, CA

232 Chiquita, Laguna Beach Homes for Sale

Short Sale Priced at $1,200,000

$571.43/Sq.Ft.

Ocean view remodel with 3 Beds/4 Baths

2100 Sq. Ft. on an R2 lot that has a 1/1 rear unit that currently rents for $1400/mo

31941 E. Nine Drive, Laguna Niguel, CA

31914 E Nine, Laguna Niguel Homes for Sale

Priced at $1,050,000

$ 368.42/Sq.Ft.

Gated community of Links Pointe with views of El Niguel Country Club Golf Course

4Beds/3Baths/2850 Sq. Ft. on a 7560 Sq.Ft.Lot

14 Palisades, Laguna Niguel, CA

14 Palisades, Laguna Niguel Homes for Sale

Priced at $1,195,000

$ 497.92/Sq.Ft.

Ocean views on a single loaded cul-de-sac

4 Beds/3 Baths / 2400 Sq. Ft.

We have talked often about getting your financial ducks in order before hitting the pavement to find your Laguna Beach Dream Home for Sale. It’s always nice to look and dream about a life at the beach. But it’s even nicer to make that dream a reality.

I know that it’s hard to look past the forest of economic news that is in front of you and see the opportunities. But the fact remains that we are seeing prices of Laguna Beach Homes for Sale that were last seen in 2002! Plus, the interest rates remain at historically low levels.

Lenders are more cautious with some of their underwriting criteria for various reasons. Don’t let this keep you from doing what you can to position yourself to grab your dream home when the right opportunity and circumstances collide.

One of the entry level thresholds of obtaining a loan has always been your credit score. Understanding what is factored into this score will help you to create habits that will give you the best chance at the highest score available for you. Here are just a few tips:

• Bill payment history accounts for about 35% of your FICO Score. Paying your bills on time each month is important.
• Outstanding debt accounts for about 30% of your FICO Score. This is an interesting mix. The lenders want to see that you have other credit and you know how to use it wisely, but they don’t want you to use too much of it by maxing out your cards. Most experts advise to use less than 30% of the total credit limit. For example, if you have a credit card with a $5000 limit, then keep your balance at or below $1500. Unfortunately, if you have a card that you max out but pay off in full each month, it doesn’t always reflect in your favor on your report, even though paying the balance in full each month is a good practice. If you plan to apply for a loan in the near future, start getting your credit balances down to favorable levels.
• Credit history accounts for about 15% of your FICO Score. So if you are just starting out, you won’t get too many points here. However, it is a small percentage of the total score.
• The remaining 20%…well, that’s still a bit of a mystery!
• Don’t apply for too much credit in a short period of time since it may look as if you are desperate. If you are shopping for a loan, you get a little break since credit pulls from mortgage companies over a period of several days will count as a single credit inquiry.
• If you have been approved for a home loan, don’t make any major purchases, additional credit inquiries, or changes to your credit report. Lenders are pulling credit reports for approved borrowers right before they fund the loan (which could be after you have signed loan documents and think that it’s all over but the singing). Don’t get caught with your household belongings in the moving van and no place to go!

The good news is, wherever you are at right now in terms of your credit score, credit scores are salvageable. With the right information about what will give you the most bang for your buck, and a little determination, you can get your score to a level that the banks will approve.

Take action today with the following steps:

• Get a copy of your credit report. Call your lender and have them pull it for you or get a copy from the credit companies for free.
• Take the time to review the information to make sure that it is accurate.
• Correct any errors by writing to the credit bureaus and notifying them that there is an incorrect item on your report.
• Finally, make a list of steps that you will take to improve your score (i.e.…start paying bills on time, reduce the balances to less than 30% of the limit per company)
• Take action on the steps, little by little, consistently, each week.

Remember…nothing happens until something moves…so, get moving!

See you at the beach!

Until next time…

I wanted to share with you two things about the Laguna Beach Real Estate Market:

1) Information on 8 Home for Sale in Laguna Beach that have had significant price reductions since they were first listed. Many of these are priced under $1 Million which can be considered a fabulous deal for this coastal beach community in Orange County.

2) From our archives of information, we pulled up an article from 2008 discussing what real estate REO and Short Sale investors were looking for at that time…what they considered to be a bargain when buying a home for sale.

Price Reductions: If you would like to see details on any of these Laguna Beach Homes for Sale, click through to the website.

Discover What Some Real Estate Investors Consider to be a Bargain:

I have often mentioned that we are seeing prices in Laguna Beach that haven’t been seen since 2002 – this is good news for buyers. Add to that, historically low interest rates and you should keep your eyes open for your next home.

I ran across an interesting article that appeared in Investor’s Business Daily in July, 2008. The article was titled “Investors Hunt for Bank-Owned Property Bargains in Packs”. The article explained how investors were pooling their money to buy defaulted loans in bulk directly from the banks rather than trying to negotiate properties just one a time, a process which they felt was too pricey, and too slow.

The interesting thing was what these investors were looking for in regards to price rollbacks. It stated, “Some want only homes with prices cut to 2001 sales values…People who have cash positions now are going to do very well….”

So where are these investors looking? “Some investors say a key to this type of purchase is focusing on spots with strong rental markets. Some buy strictly in the Sun Belt – Texas, Florida, California – citing the region’s long-term desirability”

Location is always important in real estate. You may be able to get a lot of house in a place such as the Inland Empire; however, the better value may be near the coast.

In the past, the entry level cost of a home in this area has pushed people further inland for a home purchase. What was true in the past may not be true today if you are paying attention to the prices.

Keep your eyes open for your opportunity and if our team can be of assistance to you, give us a call.

New Laguna Beach Home for Sale since July 1, 2010

Here are just a few homes new to the Laguna Beach Real Estate market since the beginning of the month. Do any of these spark your interest?  2 Emerald Bay Beauties, a Plantation inspired REO in “The Loop”, and an Ocean Close lot with approved plans for a Gregg Abel cottage reminiscent of “Old Laguna”.

Click here now to see all the details for these homes!

21056 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach:

Listed at $969,000

Large, 13,740 Sq. Ft. Lot, with main house and studio apartment

200 Fern St., Laguna Beach:

 Listed at $899,000

Secluded lot with plans in Woods Cove

1316 Cerritos Drive, Laguna Beach:

 Listed at $1,149,000

4 Bedroom Temple Hills Home

3035 Bern Drive, Laguna Beach:

 Listed at $1,329,000

Single Story pool home with views on a 28,350 sq. ft. lot

974 Del Mar Avenue, Laguna Beach

Listed at $1,995,000

Panoramic Views from this 3300 Sq. Ft exquisite home

723 Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach

Listed at $3,995,000

Soft European influences adorn this 4 Bedroom home

73 Emerald Bay Drive, Laguna Beach

Listed at $10,995,000

5 Bedrooms / 7 Baths and prime Main Beach location

Newly constructed in 2008

31302 Monterey Street, Laguna Beach

REO Listed at $1,400,000

Period charm throughout this 2222 Sq. Ft. Home for Sale

About 180,000 homebuyers that were under contract, hoping to make the tax credit deadline have a little room to breathe.

Included in H.R. 5623, the Home Buyer Assistance and Improvement Act that is headed to President Obama’s desk for signature, is an extension to September 30, 2010 for those transactions to close escrow and qualify for the tax credit. Many buyers were experiencing delays in getting their loans finalized. Part of this was attributed to the increase in the number of loan applications and lenders being short-staffed; while others are entangled in the short sale process which often involvs a little more time than a traditional equity sale. See More….

Other items that the Bill provides include:

• Enhanced information sharing that would prevent prisoners from claiming the Homebuyer tax credit;
• Applying a bad check penalty to electronic checks payable to the IRS;
• Modifying the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 to extend the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to implement fees that they project will reduce the deficit by $95 million over 11 years.

To read the full text of the Bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5623

I just can’t help it! When I see a great opportunity to purchase Laguna Beach Real Estate I just need to share it.

Below are 2 properties that just came onto the market and are great deals for someone interested in a Laguna Beach Cottage on one of our Artist’s street, or a 4-Plex income production, ocean view rental property.  If you would like more information on these properties, please visit the website at http://www.TheCoastalPropertyExperts.com OR call me directly at 949-922-8490, Hillary Caston.

480 Broadway Street, North Laguna Beach 4-Plex

INVESTORS ATTENTION!

Priced at  $1,350,000

PRIME NORTH LAGUNA INVESTMENT PROPERTY. Excellent, easily rentable, income property with ocean and canyon views. Fantastic location overlooking beautiful downtown Laguna Beach. Short walk to the beach, movies, restaurants and Pageant of the Masters from these 4 one-bedroom apartments. Each unit features hardwood floors, a full kitchen with eating area, living room, bathroom with shower tub, bedroom and sunny view decks. Laundry and storage are available to all tenants as well as one assigned off street parking space. All units are metered seperately for gas and electricity. 

675 Wendt Terrace, Laguna Beach, CA

Priced at $798,000

3 Bedroom / 2 Bath / 752 Sq. Ft on a large lot 6213 Sq Ft

This cottage is located in central Laguna on one of the ‘Artist’s Streets’ within close walking distance to the high school, downtown and the beach. It is a classic 1940 beach cottage with three bedrooms and one and one half baths. Features include some hardwood floors, a wood burning fireplace, an oversize one car garage, driveway parking, ocean and Catalina Island views from an updated kitchen, the living room and the west facing deck. The cottage is nestled among trees gving it a feeling of privacy. Interested parties should measure size of house and lot to satisfy their needs. Accuracy of information in listing is not warranted.

Today I want to share 2 videos with you that we did to highlight some Laguna Niguel Homes for sale. If you would like additional information on any of these properties, please visit us at:  http://www.TheCoastalPropertyExperts.com

You will need to scroll down a bit for the 2nd Real Estate Home Video, but you don’t want to miss this Short Sale that has been reduced almost $3Million!

Here are the Stats for Laguna Niguel:

Laguna Niguel Homes for Sale

Currently, the number of Active Homes for Sale = 297

97 (or 32%) of Active homes for sale are listed as REO or Short Sales

Laguna Niguel Closed Home Sales since 1/1/10

Total Homes closed in Laguna Niguel since 1/1/10 = 289

137 homes (or 47%) of these were REO or Short Sales

Average price of closed REO and Short Sale Homes = $435,612

93 homes (or 67%) of “Distressed” closed sales had a sales price of $500K or less

122 homes (or 89%) of “Distressed” closed sales had a sales price of $750K or less

This information on the closing price of closed “distressed” properties falls in line with the news that many homes in the market in the first quarter were in the price ranges that qualified for government incentives or FHA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac financing.

Special Feature Short Sale Property in Monarch Custom – Price Reduced!

This next home is priced well above Government spending limits; however I wanted to highlight it for you since it has received some recent price reductions that may be of interest to someone looking in this area. This is a gorgeous Short Sale property located in the Monarch Point Custom community:

Watch the Video Presentation

Location: 31951 Monarch Crest, Laguna Niguel

Originally Priced at $6,699,000

Now Priced at $3,895,000

MLS# U8005331

This property is FEATURED as a property of interest!

Listed by Surterre Properties, Inc.

LOVED by Hillary Caston and the team at The Coastal Property Experts

http://www.TheCoastalPropertyExperts.com

For more information on this, or any other great properties in Orange County Real Estate, please check out the website or call Hillary direct at 949-922-8490

Location: 31951 Monarch Crest, Laguna Niguel

Originally priced at $6,699,000

Reduced to $3,895,000

This is a Short Sale!

4 Bedrooms / 6 Baths

6613 Sq. Feet of Luxury Living Space on a 10,427 Sq. Ft. Lot for all your entertaining delights.

PRICE REDUCTION! Stunning and luxurious ocean view custom estate in Monarch Point. Perched high above Laguna Beach with panoramic ocean views from Dana Point to Los Angeles. Unique amenities in this amazing home include 6 fireplaces, 3000 bottle wine cellar, 7-car garage, elevator, sparkling pool & spa and outdoor loggia with fireplace.

Until next time…..

Location: 1818 Temple Hills Drive, Laguna Beach, CA  92651

Currently priced at $4,299,500

4200 Square Feet

4 bedroom / 5 bath

HUGE lot of approximately 21K Square Feet

Are you interested in a viewing appointment or more information? Contact us: 949-922-8490 Hillary Caston

OR visit the website www.TheCoastalPropertyExperts.com

Listed by John McMonigle of Coldwell Banker Previews International;

Loved by Hillary Caston of The Coastal Property Experts

Contact me and I’ll tell you what makes this home so great. Don’t settle – get the home you deserve!

Supported by a canyon and fronted with a southwest Pacific panorama, this Temple Hills home envelops a classic Laguna lifestyle. Encompassing a 21,000-plus sq foot estate-sized lot, the Cape Cod-style residence offers 4,200 sq. feet of living accommodating 3 bedrooms and 5 baths; inlaid wooden flooring, wainscot finishing, crown molding, built-ins and interior doors with custom casework. A chef s kitchen serves marble counters, upgraded appliances, an island and custom cabinetry; an adjoining Butler s pantry flows to banquet-style dining with a marble hearth and silk wall treatments. A second level master retreat delights with extended white water ocean views, private balcony and custom cabinetry; dual master baths present marble vanities and separate dressing/closets with attached office. An English garden with pool and spa offer year-round outdoor living and entertaining; formerly a tennis court, the space – with city approval – retains a hidden 8 foot fence for unrivaled privacy.

This is a beautiful, showpiece home for sale in Orange County. Laguna Beach real estate at its finest!

This week’s picks include 3 Laguna Niguel Homes for Sale. These homes show the best of an Orange County lifestyle. 

14 Toulon, Laguna Niguel, CA

14 Toulon, Laguna Niguel Home for Sale, CA

MLS S609174

Priced at $1,075,000

3 Bedrooms / 4 Bath

Approx. 3183 Square Feet with View

Listed by Hanne Lohde of Tarbell Realtors

13 Copps Hill Street, Laguna Niguel, CA 

13 Copps Hill, Laguna Niguel Home for Sale, CA

MLS S608802

Priced at $1,079,900

4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths

2900 Square Feet

Listed by Jack Handley of Handley Real Estate

Fabulous remodeled home with a superior end of cul-de-sac location creating a more private rear-yard setting. Awesome canyon and city views. Premium lot has a 9 car driveway for parking or safety area for recreation. Remodeled kitchen with granite counters, new double stainless steel convection oven, new stainless steel dishwasher, granite fireplaces, granite bar, new carpet, newer tumble stone flooring, french doors and windows, wood plantation shutters, westec secruity system, and remodeled master bath wtih granite counters and seamless shower enclosre. Professional landscaping and wonderful community amenities.

Want more information?…Contact Us

22852 Seaway Drive, Laguna Niguel, CA

22852 Seaway, Laguna Niguel Home for Sale, CA

MLS L32421

Priced at $4,200,000

4 Bedrooms / 5 Baths

5400 Square Feet

Listed by Mark Sweeney of Monarch Beach Realty

First time ever on the market single family home with spectacular coastline and white water views facing the Ritz Carlton Hotel and Salt Creek Beach. Private gate guarded community in the custom development of Monarch Pointe. 5,400 square foot home on a single loaded street. 4 bedrooms, 5.5 bath, media room and workout/gym room and office. Gourmet kitchen and custom built-in bar. Entertaining yard with pool, jacuzzi and unbelievable views. 

Want more Information?….Contact Us

If you are interested in these, or any other properties, please call Hillary directly at 949-922-8490

OR

Want us to help you find something? Just fill out the contact form and let us know what type of home you are looking for and let our team get to work FOR YOU!

Remember…we look at property all day so you don’t have to!