Superbowl plans fall through? There are a couple of spots in Santa Maria where you can go catch the game with strangers who will soon become friends depending on who your team is. Since both sides of my family are originally from Louisiana, (although my mom was born and raised in Texas, her family is from Minden, Louisiana), and my Dad was born in New Orleans -- it should be obvious who I'm pulling for although I think there is just too much pressure on the Saints! I'm hoping for the best. Quite frankly, just getting there is such a victory for New Orleans. I visited New Orleans just this past December, and you could have heard a pin drop in the French Quarter while the Saints were playing, every place we went people were watching the game or listening to it on the radio. The city of New Orleans is so united behind this team.
There were 16 sales in Los Alamos, CA in 2009. Compared to last year, sales are down from the 20 homes that were sold in 2008. Overall average prices are also down from 2008, when the average sale price was $417,000. In 2009, the average sales price was $353,000 with 117 days on market at $208 per square foot. Days on market are also up as the 2008 average days on market was 95.
Let's see, if I had to say three things that Santa Maria was known for it would be strawberries, tri-tip barbeque, and now its wine country. Strawberries are honored at the yearly Strawberry Festival. And although the number of strawberry stands has decreased over the years, you can still get some of the best strawberries in the country from Santa Maria fields.
How many houses are for sale in Santa Maria right now? I get this question all the time. To many buyers, it feels as if there are no houses for sale. When I surveyed the MLS this morning, there were 163 houses listed for sale in the Santa Maria and Orcutt CA area. Of those 163 homes, 29 were foreclosures (REOs) and 45 were short sales.
So many of the first time home buyers in the Santa Maria market today are concerned about whether they will qualify for the $8000 tax credit. Short sale purchases can qualify for the credit , so long as the buyer qualifies for the credit in general. (You should check withb your tax professional on this issue). However, because the timelines on short sales are somewhat undetermined, they can fail to close by the deadline for the tax credit. Right now, it is my understanding that in order to qualify a buyer must have a confirmed contract by April 30th. In the case of a short sale purchase, this means the buyer must have a signed contract and bank approval of the short sale in hand in order to qualify for the tax credit. And, the transaction must close by June 30th.
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