Recently, the Harris Poll results recently released tracking American’s attitudes toward the environment and their “green” behaviors show an alarming decline in many green behaviors. More alarming, considerably fewer U.S. adults now express concern for, and awareness of, environmental issues.

Some of the findings include adults are now less likely to do each of the following in their daily life:

 Reuse things they have instead of throwing them away or buying new items, make an effort to use less water, buy food in bulk, purchase all-natural products, and purchase organic products.

Most significanly, the poll shows, only about 1 in 3 U.S. adults say they are concerned about the planet we are leaving behind for future generations – an almost 10 percentage point decrease since 2009.

Venture Homes Sales all within the last year

In the last 12 months, there have been 737 detached home sold and 295 sales of condos, townhomes and mod/manufactured homes in Ventura.

The average house was a three bedroom, 2  2/3 bathroom home of 1680 square feet  with a list price of $449,123 and a sales price of $434,041 and days on market of 112.

In that same period in Oxnard, there have been 1201 detached home sold and 394 sales of condos, townhomes and mod/manufactured homes.

If you would like to see the activity on your street and in your neighborhood, give me a call.

I am Teryn down the road for you!

PS: You can find me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MovingToVentura

My Rock Surprise in a New Zealand Riverbed

The agent caravan today was slim pickins’ with so little inventory. But just when you thought there was nothing really out there, I found two surprise properties.

In mid-town Ventura you’ll find a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home which has a 2 bedroom property behind the house. What makes this so special is that the back house has its own entrance so it is perfect for a separate office, art studio, guest quarters, in-law house, artist studio. Both rooms are  very spacious and one is currently set up as a living room.  You could probably rent it for around $1,100 a month which would offset your mortgage. The house in back even has its own beautiful green lawn!

Also in mid-town Ventura is another 3 bedroom, 1 bath home that has been beautifully remodeled and has a wonderful backyard. This is a terrific location that is close-in and on a very nice street.

If you are interested in seeing these, or any other, properties in the Ventura area, please give me a call. I’d be happy to create a custom tour of homes just for you.

I’m Teryn down the road!

March 2011-2012 For Sale vs Sold by Month

Real Estate Parcels are Unique and Finite:

Real Estate Cannot be Moved to Fill Shortages:

Over-supply Means Lower Prices:

Under-supply Means Higher Prices:

Always Remember that Real Estate is a Local Business:

Remember, all real estate is local!

California pending home sales posted higher for the third consecutive month in March, rising from both the previous month and year, C.A.R. reported Tuesday.  Additionally, the share of distressed sales dropped for the second consecutive month, as equity sales typically increase with the start of the spring home buying season.

C.A.R.’s Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* rose from a revised 126.5 in February to 143.7 in March, based on signed contracts.  The March 2012 index was the highest since April 2009, when the PHSI was 146.9.  The index also was up from the 128.9 index recorded in March 2011, marking the eleventh consecutive month that pending sales were higher than the previous year.  Pending home sales are forward-looking indicators of future home sales activity, providing information on the future direction of the market.

• The share of equity sales – or non-distressed property sales – compared with total sales increased in March to 55.4, up from 51.1 percent in February.  Equity sales made up 50.2 percent of all sales in March 2011.

• Meanwhile, the total share of all distressed property types sold statewide decreased in March to 44.6 percent, down from February’s 48.9 percent and from 49.8 percent in March 2011.

• The share of short sales was down again in March.  Of the distressed properties sold statewide in March, 21.1 percent were short sales, down from February’s share of 23 percent but up from last March’s share of 20.1 percent.

• The share of REO sales also declined in March to 23.1 percent, down from February’s 25.2 percent and down from the 29.4 percent recorded in March 2011.

CA median home price: March 2012: $291,080 (Source: C.A.R.)
CA highest median home price by region/county March 2012: San Mateo, $677,900 (Source: C.A.R.)
CA lowest median home price by region/county March 2012: Tehama, $108,000 (Source: C.A.R.)
CA Pending Home Sales Index: March 2012: 143.7, an increase from the revised 126.5 recorded in February. 
 
Mortgage rates: 
Week ending 4/12/2012 30-yr. fixed: 3.88% fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 3.11 fees/points: 0.7% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.80% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

The Fairchild & Ridgway Group!

In 1969, the devastating images of a massive oil spill from an oil platform off Santa Barbara’s coast galvanized California into action and caught the attention of the rest of the nation, including Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, who visited Santa Barbara shortly after the spill. The resulting swell of outrage and concern gave rise to the first Earth Day in 1970, as well as to the creation of the Community Environmental Council – one of the most established environmental organizations in the region, and the host of Santa Barbara’s annual Earth Day Festival.

Thank you, Ventura County, for getting out there with us last weekend to clean up our beach!

Joins Us in Cleaning our Beaches this Saturday!

 Come Join the Fairchild & Ridgway Group this Saturday for the Annual Earth Day Beach Cleanup

Saturday, April 21 from 9:00-11:00 am at Surfer’s Knoll on Spinnaker Drive to help remove litter and cleanup one of our busiest local beaches. (located next to Harbor Village off Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Marina)

Cleaning supplies will be provided but volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves and a plastic bucket to collect debris.

This event is open to volunteers of all ages, including community groups, individuals, and Corporate Games participants. Youth under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All participants and parents/guardians must sign a waiver, available at the project site.

Borders of Midtown Ventura, CA

Like every other town in the US, Ventura has many, many neighborhoods.  There are, however, general areas that the locals refer to more often.  General speaking there is Westside, Downtown, Harbor Villiage, Oceanfront, Midtown, and East Ventura.  The map above shows the borders of midtown provided by the Midtown Ventura Community Council.

Top 10 Investment Markets

Realtor.com’s latest top 10 investment markets report shows metros just off the beaten path leading the way.

Built from Realtor.com data updated through February 2012, the report put Tucson, Ariz.; Austin, Texas; and Kansas City, Mo., as the top current real estate markets to invest in.

The top 10 list was built by analyzing the housing inventories, price trends and unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 146 markets Realtor.com tracks.

Thanks to the jobs boom surrounding the University of Arizona and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and an 8.19 percent drop in real estate owned (REO) properties along with a 3.03 percent median house list-price increase from a year ago February, Tucson, Ariz., tops the list. A median price of $170,000 anchors the market.

Austin, Texas, the “live music capital of the world,” with a median list price of $229,500, representing a 12 percent year-over-year increase, and low relative unemployment (6.3 percent as of December 2011), is a close No. 2 on Realtor.com’s top 10 markets to invest in. It’s usually a good idea to bet on breakfast tacos, live music and that laid-back Southwest charm that fuels the hip, beautiful capital of Texas.

Kansas City, Mo., too, features relatively low unemployment at 7.3 percent and a strong year-over-year median list price increase (4 percent) to bring the largest city in Missouri, and its renowned barbecue, into the top three housing markets to invest in, according to Realtor.com. Its cross-state cousin, St. Louis, caps the list at No. 10, with its strong job market, 7.5 percent year-over-year median list-price increase and 11.29 percent uptick in rate of speed a house sells compared to a year ago.

Rounding out the top 10, in order, are: Baltimore, Md.; Fort Worth, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Jose, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; Milwaukee; and St. Louis.