Halloween advice for Davis Homesellers

Plant rosemary by your doorstep to keep witches away.

Steer clear of ladders.

You’re in luck if a black cat enters your home or if a frog jumps into your house.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Davis CA real estate – October fence-sitting

Before the entire month of October sales figures are in for Davis, here’s a quick note on the month’s residential real estate activity through today, per MLS.  Some closings from the last few days may not have posted to the MLS yet, so the figures are likely to increase beyond simply adding this afternoon’s and tomorrow’s closing numbers.

17 closed residential sales – Davis pop. 65,000. Quiet may be an understatement. Economic turmoil keeping home buyers on the fence. Post election pop in activity, hopefully.

33 pending sales – Majority should close in November.  Only direction is up.

118 active listings, including 10 short sales and 5 REO’s (bank-owned)  – Tight inventory.  Don’t expect significant rise in new listings until after the new year.  In sum, few buyers, few sellers, supply and demand in relative equilibrium. Prices aren’t moving much as a result. Slight slippage in price until spring, if anything.

Downtown Davis Halloween Fun

Once again, the Davis Downtown Business Association (DDBA) is organizing some Halloween fun for the 12-and-under set between 1-5pm this Friday.  Bring your little goblins to the E Street Plaza to make their own trick-or-treat bags and get photos, then it’s off to the many participating downtown businesses providing treats. For years, agents and staff at my Coldwell Banker office at Second and D have dressed as Wizard of Oz characters.

Here’s the link to the DDBA site for more info, including a list of participating businesses:

http://www.davisdowntown.com/ddba_events/trickortreat/

New Listing – Sharp Halfplex in South Davis

3323 Monterey Ave.  *  Open house this Sunday, 1-3pm  *  Two bed, two full baths, 1135 sq. ft.  *  Nicely updated with new flooring, fixtures, plus newer roof  *  Large kitchen with abundant counters and cabinets  *  Indoor laundry  *  Attached only at the garage  *  Pest clearance  *  $335,000  *  Open House on Sunday, October 26, 1-3pm  *  Call Joe at 530-304-5978 for more details or to schedule a private tour.

I slowly biked from the home to beautiful Putah Creek Park, about 3 blocks away.  Watch the video.  You’ll see that it stopped recording before I panned to the play area, due to running out of memory on the flash card. Martin Scorsese, I’m not.

Attend composting class and get worms

Once again the City of Davis is offering free 45 minute classes on backyard composting and worm composting this coming Friday at 3pm and Saturday at 10am at the Community Gardens located on 5th St.  Participants will receive a free composting bin and worms that are ready to turn your kitchen food scraps into rich compost.

Here’s the link to the City’s October calendar to learn more. Please sign up in advance. http://www.city.davis.ca.us/calendar/

Supply of homes in Davis tightens

In May I posted an entry highlighting the relatively low supply of homes in Davis vs. nearby communities. Back then, Davis had a 5.4 months supply of homes, derived from dividing the current inventory of active listings by closed sales in the last 30 days. The supply has tightened in Davis to 3.7 months today, which is lower than all 18 nearby communities I sampled. Even though Davis only recorded 34 closings during the last 30 days per MetroList MLS, our low inventory is creating an equilibrium between supply and demand which is keeping prices afloat.

                                 Active Listings        Sold in last 30 days           Months Supply

Davis                                 126                         34                                              3.7

Elk Grove                        1132                      295                                              3.8

Stockton                          2552                      652                                              3.9

West Sacramento            283                         67                                               4.2

Roseville                          678                        163                                              4.2

Dixon                                122                          26                                               4.7

Woodland                        273                          55                                               5.0

El Dorado Hills                384                           73                                              5.2

Fair Oaks                          193                           35                                              5.5

East Sacramento              103                           18                                              5.7

Vacaville                           566                           98                                              5.8

Folsom                              318                            54                                              5.9

Midtown/Downtown Sac 101                        15                                              6.7

Vallejo                           1206                           176                                             6.8

Fairfield                          880                             128                                            6.9

Auburn                            214                              28                                             7.6

Napa                                 630                             65                                              9.7

Land Park/Curtis Park        79                          8                                              9.9

Open House at 4032 Alegre Way hosted by Joe on Saturday, October 11, 2-4pm

Stop by to meet Joe and discover this extraordinary Mace Ranch home. For more information about the property, including a virtual tour,  scroll down to the blog post titled, “Fall Classic.”

September Real Estate Stats for Davis CA

Envelope please…               

                                                  Average Price       # sales     

September 2008                        $490,168           38

September 2007                        $560,024           36

September 2006                        $567,458           55

 

YTD 2008,  09/30/08              $532,161          345

YTD 2007, 09/30/07               $571,964          445

YTD 2006, 09/30/06               $596,467          442

In sum, Davis average prices slipped 12.4% for the month and 7.0% YTD when compared to 2007 prices.  September 2007 prices were flat (-1.3%) relative to September 2006, while 2007 YTD prices were off 4.1% when compared to 2006 YTD averages.  Transaction volume in Davis has slowed considerably this year, down over 22% YTD from 2007, after flattening in 2007 vs. 2006.  The above statistics are for residential sales within the city limits, per MetroList MLS.

Solar Saturday, October 18th

 

After cruising the farmers market on the 18th, head across the street to the City Council chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. between 10-12 for this informational program on installing residential solar power sponsored by the City of Davis, the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center and PG&E.

From the City’s website:

Hear about current market-ready solar power technologies and the key steps necessary to own a solar electric system for your home.

This short overview is for residential customers interested in learning the fundamentals of solar power for small grid-tied systems.

Become familiar with the solar power installation process and how to reduce energy costs. Get answers to frequently asked questions, such as:

• How does it work?
• Will it work for my home?
• How much will it cost?
• What incentives exist?
• How much space will I need?
• Will PG&E pay me for the energy I produce?
• How can PG&E help me install solar?

Come learn the key factors to ensure a successful project and bring your solar questions.

The workshop will be conducted by Pete Shoemaker, the Renewables Program Coordinator from the PG&E Pacific Energy Center.

For more information, call the Parks & General Services Department at (530) 757-5656 or pgsweb@cityofdavis.org

Fall Classic

This exciting new listing in Mace Ranch at 4032 Alegre Way is certainly best in show with the style and size of Lake Alhambra Estates without the price tag.  Check out the photos, below.  Built in 1999 by Signature Homes with 2,854 sq. ft., five bedrooms and three full baths. Features include hardwood floors, granite counters, vaulted ceilings, new professional landscaping, and a south-facing back yard adjacent to the neighborhood greenbelt. Near parks, Korematsu Elementary and Harper Jr. High.  $700,000.  Call Joe to schedule a private showing of this magnificient home. See the virtual tour!