A Quick Update to all the News about Foreclosures
As all of you have heard the real estate markets are struggling in many areas of San Diego. This is due primarily to the other hot topic in the news: Sub-Prime Lending. Unfortunately many homeowners in the last few years have fallen victim to the frenzy in the lending market that encouraged homeowners to buy or refi using a loan that starts with a low rate and then, at the end of its initial two year period, begins adjusting. During the first five years of this frenzy rates were low and it didn’t matter when the loan reached that first adjustment. Today we are in a different Interest Rate market and many borrowers are finding that first adjustment is causing their payments to be out of their reach. This in turn is the reason why we are hearing so much about Foreclosures. It is unfortunate for many that are losing their homes, however the reality is that this also creates opportunity for many investors.
As many of you know I have spent years managing and disposing of foreclosed properties for banks and lenders. The number of available foreclosed homes is growing and the prices are dropping. During the last 7 years, many of you would call me and ask about buying a foreclosure and I would tell you that it was very rare to find a foreclosure in this market because there were so many buyers for every home that came on the market. This has changed and we now have growing lists of condos and single family homes.
Remember, as with any investment, the time to buy is when the market is Down and Sell when the market is up. You may remember the early 90’s when we saw a record decline in real estate prices in San Diego. Many of you also took advantage of that market and purchased property that we sold 5 years later at double and even triple what you paid for. While no one can predict the future, we can make decisions based on what we have seen in previous markets. We are heading into another similar market as the 90’s and if you have an interest in investing in this market this is the time to do it!
