The California Legislature Considers Tax on Homeowners

 

The state legislature has been considering a tax that would be imposed on homeowners who need to record certain documents with their counties. This $75 per document tax will be imposed on a variety of documents, which will include, for example, documents related to refinancing properties, taking properties in and out of trusts, making lot line adjustments, obtaining constructions loans and upon the death of a spouse.

The tax also applies to foreclosures (the owner would be responsible, not the lender) and filing mechanics liens. For instance, it’s not untypical in a refinance, for six documents to be subject to the new tax, resulting in a tax total of $552. If a spouse dies, up to five documents need to be recorded, creating a total tax of $440 including existing recording fees.

SB 391 is in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is opposing this bill. 

Listings Under $300,000 in Long Beach

My last post was in July, 2013, when there were 47 SFR active listings in this price range, the rest being condos or own-your-owns. 

Surprisingly, the number hasn't really changed since then:  As of today in Long Beach there are 49 active single family home listings, with a total of 162 of all types.  See current listings  here.

Since the majority of these are condos, it's good to know that downtown Long Beach and Alamitos Beach offer quite a few opportunities in this range.  Due to the price range, many investors consider them as good rental purchases. Condos are a good opportunity, for the right buyer.  Just some of the things important to look into, especially for a first time owner-occupant buyer: 

1. Is the HOA already FHA or VA approved if that's the loan type being used? 2. For conventional loan buyers, does your lender want to see 70% owner occupancy, or is 52% OK?  You must this before writing an offer, and you should find out the owner occ % before writing an offer.  3. If an investor, find out first if the CCRs restrict the number of rentals, or allow any at all--why waste time finding out later you cannot close escrow without it becoming a primary home for you or an immediate family member. 

For the right buyer, a single family home opportunity is at Windward Village--a community of manufactured homes converting into a Planned Unit Development meaning the owner has his/her own plot of land inside a gated community with open space and recreational facilities. These are priced in the mid and low-$200,000's for homes in the 1500 sq. ft. range.  And, as with condos, you should consider your loan type and ask all questions from your lender as to what conditions could an appraiser expect to note--these may be issues for your loan as well.

Do you think a Spanish style bungalow in North Long Beach could be a great buy at $290,000?  It could, because you might also find one that's been "flipped", or was otherwise remodeled by it's most recent owner.  And because it's in clean condition, it probably won't last long.

If you're concerned about neighborhood crime conditions, or the schools serving the area, it's easy to look up this information at the sites for Long Beach Police Department and the Long Beach Unified School District.

Currently, the average list price for a Long Beach house under $300,000 is $263,000; the average list price for a condominium under $300,000 is $205,000.

For more information about any area in Long Beach, please contact me:

Housing Affordability in Southern California Is Once Again Raising Its Head

March 2014 Prices for Long Beach

Sales of lower to medium-priced homes have become a challenge. 

First time buyers are feeling the effects as inventory levels remain low, and multiple offers are a continuing feature of the market in many instances.   In the last year, some zip codes in the Long Beach area saw a 20% increase in the average price of a single family home, yet sales volume is low.  Younger, first time buyers are the most impacted by the increase--financing has higher requirements to meet and many younger buyers have heavier debts. 

"Housing affordability is really taking a bite out of the market," said Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Assn. of Realtors. "We haven't seen this issue since 2007."

Investor activity in the market has actually leveled off since 2013 as prices have risen, and combined with some buyer frustration and buyer loan qualification issues, this combined effects have actually left many homes on the market for longer, a paradoxical effect to the competition over certain homes.   The March stats for Long Beach, for example, show a 20% range increase to the average and median home prices of $450,000 to $504,000 for the last 12 months, as well as a very modest 15% increase in supply of inventory.  But that inventory is still well below the 6-month supply level, but still, it's an increase. 

So it's unknown how long this slowdown in the lower ranges may be here, but if you're a solidly pre-approved homebuyer who is financially prepared, seeing some houses sit on the market a little longer could mean the chance for you.

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-home-prices-20140416,0,4794538.story#ixzz2z5asarPC