Long Beach Real Estate Market, October 2024

Long Beach Sales October 2024

 In October, the average sales price of a single family increased by 1.1% since one year ago, to $1,089,651.

The median SFR price for October was $940,000, an increase of 4.2% from one year ago.

For condos, both the median and average prices also increased, by 1.5% and 1.6% respectively, $559,000 and $619,000 respectively. 

 

The inventory of homes for sale increased also, an encouraging sign for buyers, by 3.1%, but at a total of 270 homes for the entire city, that's not such a very large number compared to other cities in some states. 

Note the small print at the bottom, that the sales price showing does not account for down payment assistance or seller concessions.  Many people may not know this, but seller concessions, i.e., repairs, seller contribution to buyer costs, are noted in the MLS separately when the property closes.  So an appraiser notes these concessions and subtracts that figure for the net amount of the sale price of the property.  And, broker compensation has always been calculated into final sales figures, so knowing that amount is of significance to all parties as well.

In the coming 2025 year, increased inventory, lower interest rates and a strong economy will create a more viable real estate market.  Supply and demand are always the key driving factors, so greater supply helps both buyers and sellers.

If you would like to know your home value, even if you're not sure about selling, but perhaps for insurance purposes, or any other reason, just  contact me or use the property search on my website to review the market in your area.  Go to https://www.abodes.realestate/mls-property-search

Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996

September Sales Data Graphic for Long Beach California

 

Seller Guide Graphic

September 2024 sales data in Long Beach California shows a climbing 3 year price trend using price per square foot for single family homes, an increasing number of days on the market and more homes selling under list price as over list price. Properties on the market longer than 5 weeks amounted to 65% of the listings. Price per square foot is more commonly used in commercial listings, but here it's an additional way of showing the overall price increase in single family homes.

The average price of a single family home in Long Beach in September was $1,105,665 the condo average was $571,828.

Yes, there are homes lower than $1,000,000, and it's even possible to use FHA financing (3.5% down payment) in the higher brackets. Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more! Or go to my website below to use the property search which has the latest information from the MLS.
 

Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996

Are You Voting on California Ballot? You Should.

If you are not registered to vote, please do so now so you can vote in the upcoming election.  

Did you know:

California is highest in state income tax - over 13%. (some states have no state income tax)

California is highest in sales tax - 7.25%, plus local city taxes on top of that.

California property tax - 19th out of all states.

Propositions affecting our property, aren't we paying enough taxes already?:

Proposition 5 - Allows local government to request bonds for affordable housing and public structure with only a 55% approval, down from 66.66% current requirement. Will raise our property taxes - vote NO.  

Proposition 33 - Expands local government authority to enact rent control on residential property. This is the 3rd attempt by Michael Weinstein and his multi-million dollar special interest group, AIDS Healthcare.  It will revoke the Costa-Hawkins Act which exempts single family homes, townhomes,  condos, the rent can be raised to market level. If Prop. 33 passes, these properties will come under rent control (Current Exemption from rent control: Single-family homes and condominiums, as well as construction after 1995, are exempt from rent control.)  Vacancy decontrol will not be allowed if law passed by municipality, this proposition can tell landlord what to charge for a vacant unit, owner may never be able to catch up to the current market rate by being forced to cap rents at lower amounts, thus causing owner to defer maintenance which now costs more than 10-15 years ago when the tenant moved in. Renters may think they will start getting lower rent if this passes, but first, cities have to pass local laws, and each city may be different. In spite of ads that say 33 will fight corporation takeover of rental properties, in actual fact the majority of rental properties in California are owned by small independent owners, i.e., families who inherited or bought years ago. This proposition is already causing private owners to sell their rental houses which are being bought up by new owner occupants, so that much more rental housing is being taken off the market, further decreasing the rental supply.  Vote NO.   Go to https://votenoprop33.com/

Proposition 34 - Health care providers, see previous paragraph, who get discounted federal money for their healthcare programs are turning around and reselling that program for a profit, and then are spending it on their tenant initiatives (see Proposition 5), not on their health care programs.  Vote YES to require discounted federal money profits to be spent on healthcare, not on special interest groups and their political propositions.

You should have received the booklet explaining all ballot propositions, please read it!

Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996

New California State Law Requires Buyer Broker Agreement as of January 1, 2025.

 

Craftsman home in Long Beach

As predicted, Governor Newsom has signed into law AB 7229, the new requirement for buyers and their brokers to sign an agreement with each other before making an offer on  a property.  This law applies to both residential and commercial real estate.  There are some differences from the National Association of REALTORS settlement requirements already in practice, including the fact that the NAR settlement concerns residential property only, whereas the new state law (in effect starting January 1, 2025) covers all properties both residential and commercial, and all licensed agents whether or not they are REALTOR members of the National Association of REALTORS.

"Unlike the N.A.R. settlement, which focuses solely on homes listed on an MLS, AB 2992 requires a written buyer representation agreement for any property, residential or commercial, whether it is listed on an MLS or not. This means that all licensed real estate agents, regardless of the type of property they are showing, must have a signed agreement in place before representing a buyer. This is a significant improvement in transparency for consumers, ensuring that they are fully aware of the services their agent will provide and the compensation structure before engaging in any transaction."  from the Santa Barbara Independent, Oct. 3, 2024 .

Contracts may be renewed, and are limited to 3 months for each contract period. While some people may not understand the significance of having such a contract, as a buyer it is important to understand what is to be expected of the agent and the standard of care to be received by the buyer. Buying a property is a large financial and legal commitment, and both agent and buyer need to be actively engaged with each other. According to the NAR settlement, such contracts must be signed before showing a property which will affect REALTORS, and per state law, commercial agents must have a buyer agreement signed before submitting an offer.

It's worth noting that if the state law requirement for a buyer broker agreement is not met, the Department of Real Estate may remove an agent's license.

If you would like more information on working with a Realtor, please contact me for further explanation and consultation before entering into a contract.

See prior post for buyer broker contracts

Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996