If you want to make improvements to your home, you may want to take a second look at Houzz.com. Cited as a source for inspiration and collaboration and research for home owners everywhere, Houzz is also a source for hiring local contracting professionals, too.

With more than sixty categories of home related projects to choose from, including interior remodeling contractors and outdoor living space professionals, Houzz is more than just a place to get great ideas for your home. Houzz is also a great source for you to find the interior designers, architects, and landscapers for your home who created and constructed those designs in the first place!

Increased home values often result in homeowners deciding to make changes in their homes, whether due to a potential sale or just a quality of life improvement, and technology makes this process so much easier.

“Homeowners and professionals alike are telling us that they are moving forward with more building, renovation and design projects this year,” said Liza Hausman, VP Community at Houzz. “Houzz provides homeowners with the absolute best resource to find the right professional for their project.”

As a homeowner, ideas for improving your home may come in many forms, but Houzz.com is definitely a resource to be considered. Another resource to consider when determining whether a home improvement will add to your home value is your local real estate expert. If you would like some tips on projects that will help to increase the resale value of your home, please give me a call!

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Last week was jam-packed with economic news; here are some highlights with emphasis on housing and mortgage related news:

Monday: Retail sales for April increased to -0.1 percent from the March reading of -0.5 percent and also surpassed Wall Street’s downward forecast of -0.6 percent. Retail sales are important to economic recovery as sales of goods and services represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. economy.

Tuesday: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released its Small Business Optimism Index for April with encouraging results. April’s index rose by 2.6 points to 92.1. A reading of 90.7 indicates economic recovery. This index is based on a survey of 1873 NFIB member businesses.

Wednesday: The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for May matched investor expectations with a reading of 44. At three points above the March reading of 41, this report suggests that builders are slowly gaining confidence in national housing markets. 

Thursday: The U.S. Commerce Department reported that Housing Starts fell by 16.5 percent in April to a seasonally-adjusted annual level of 853,000 from 1.02 million housing starts in March. This reading fell short of investors’ consensus of 965,000 housing starts, however, this decrease was caused by the volatile apartment construction sector.

Friday: Consumer sentiment for May surpassed investor expectations of +0.3 percent and came in at +0.6 percent. As consumer sentiment improves, it’s likely that more consumers will buy homes.

Rising Interest Rates Show Strengthening Economy

Mortgage rates rose last week according to Freddie Mac. The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose from 3.42 percent to 3.51 percent with borrowers paying 0.70 in discount points and all of their closing costs.

15-year fixed rate mortgages rose from 2.61 percent last week to 2.69 percent this week with borrowers paying 0.70 in discount points and all of their closing costs.

This news is consistent with a strengthening economy, but is narrowing opportunities for home buyers seeking both affordable home prices and low mortgage rates.

Federal Open Market Committee Minutes To Be Released This Week

Looking ahead, economic news for this week includes the Existing Home Sales report for April with an expectation of 5.00 million homes sold on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis against the March tally of 4.93 million homes sold.

Also set for release on Wednesday are the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes for the meeting held April 30 and May 1. The FOMC meetings typically include discussions of the Federal Reserve’s current policy on quantitative easing (QE) which consists of the Fed buying $85 billion per month in MBS and treasury bonds.

When the QE program ends, mortgage rates will likely increase as bond prices decline due to lesser demand.

Thursday brings the weekly Jobless Claims Report along with New Home Sales for April. The consensus for new homes sold is 430,000 as compared to the March reading of 417,000 new homes sold.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will release its Home Price Index for March on Thursday. 

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New to the Market San Marcos Homes For Sale

San Marcos Real Estate Company brings you the freshest, San Marcos Homes for sale every Monday morning. Find recent listings of homes, houses, properties, condos.

 When you are looking for San Marcos, CA homes for sale, do you know exactly what you want, or are you determining that through the search? It matters not. San Marcos Real Estate Company can help you find the homes for sale in San Marcos.

Showing properties 1 - 15 of 15. See more Hot San Marcos Homes For Sale.
(all data current as of 5/21/2013)

View All San Marcos Homes For Sale

San Marcos Homes for Sale – May 13, 2013 | May 19, 2013 

San Marcos Homes for Sale – May 13, 2013 | May 19, 2013

Written By: Durrell Thomas

San Marcos Listing Realtor

Contact a San Marcos Realtor to learn more about buying, selling or investing in real estate in San Marcos CA or San Diego North Valley area.
www.google.com www.yahoo.com www.bing.com  to Learn more about Durrell Thomas REALTOR on Short Sale and Real Estate

View All San Marcos Homes For Sale

Showing properties 1 - 12 of 99. See more View All San Marcos CA Homes & Real Estate For Sale.
(all data current as of 5/21/2013)

1. $369,000 : 1574 Hilcorte Dr, San Marcos
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,222 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,600 sqft

   Year built: 1971

   Days on market: 4
2. $607,979 : 811 Via La Venta, San Marcos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,608 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,905 sqft

   Year built: 2013

   Days on market: 4
3. $439,000 : 2272 Flatiron Wy, San Marcos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,775 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 6
4. $340,000 : 273 Richland Rd, San Marcos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,419 sq ft

   Year built: 2007

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 7
5. $349,900 : 925 BLOOMFIELD Ave, San Marcos
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,342 sq ft

   Lot size: 9.88 ac

   Year built: 2004

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 7
6. $415,000 : 592 Monterey Cir, San Marcos
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,857 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,300 sqft

   Year built: 1974

   Days on market: 7
7. $489,000 : 3510 Lone Pine Ln, San Marcos
   
   4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,249 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,421 sqft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 7
8. $495,000 : 731 W Bel Esprit Cir, San Marcos
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,579 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,160 sqft

   Year built: 2002

   Days on market: 7
9. $560,000 : 1481 Beechtree Rd, San Marcos
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,889 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,304 sqft

   Year built: 2001

   Parking spots: 5

   Days on market: 7
10. $739,000 : 646 Atherton St, San Marcos
    
    4 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 3,741 sq ft

    Lot size: 8,406 sqft

    Year built: 2006

    Parking spots: 5

    Days on market: 7
11. $1,249,000 : 1397 Rock Ct, San Marcos
    
    5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 4,237 sq ft

    Lot size: 32,234 sqft

    Year built: 2007

    Parking spots: 6

    Days on market: 7
12. $304,000 : 350 Plateau Ave, San Marcos
    
    3 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 1,529 sq ft

    Lot size: 1.55 ac

    Year built: 2004

    Parking spots: 4

    Days on market: 8

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

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RealtyTrac recently reported that national foreclosure filings are down while foreclosure filings are seeing marked increases in some states.

There are two systems for foreclosing residential real estate in the United States; judicial and non-judicial foreclosure. The states individually decide which foreclosure process will be followed in their state.

Click Here To Download An Overview Of The Foreclosure Process

Judicial foreclosure requires action by the courts because the mortgage is not written including a “power of sale clause”. Judicial foreclosure proceedings generally take longer than non-judicial processes due to this court involvement.

A log-jam of delayed judicial foreclosures are beginning to move through backlogged courts with the result of higher numbers of foreclosures started, foreclosure auctions scheduled, and properties either sold to third parties at foreclosure auctions or repossessed by mortgage lenders.

In states allowing non-judicial foreclosure, the matter may be handled outside of the judicial system as the mortgage is written with the power of sale clause which allows the lender to take control of the mortgaged property to satisfy the outstanding lien.

Here are highlights of April’s foreclosure report:

Nationally, 144,790 foreclosure filings were made in April, a decrease of 5 percent compared to March and representing an annual decrease of 23 percent year-over-year. 

Overall, April’s residential foreclosure activity was at its lowest since February 2007. About one of every 905 U.S. housing units had a foreclosure filing during April.

Due to the aforementioned backlog of judicial foreclosures, scheduled foreclosure auctions hit a 30-month high in April rising by 22 percent between March and April.

Some states had markedly higher rates of foreclosure sales scheduled in April 2013 as compared to April 2012. Examples include Maryland (+199 percent), New Jersey (+91 percent), Ohio (+73 percent), Oklahoma (+57 percent), and Florida (+55 percent)

Foreclosure auctions scheduled in non-judicial states were 7 percent lower in April as compared to March, and were an encouraging 43 percent lower in April 2013 as compared to April 2012; this was the lowest reading for non-judicial foreclosure sales scheduled since December of 2005.

Non-judicial foreclosure sales were impacted in some states as the result of legislation affecting foreclosure procedures. Affected states included Arkansas, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

70,133 U.S. homes went into foreclosure in April 2013, which is 40 percent lower than for March 2013 and 28 percent lower than during April 2012.

With home values increasing and large numbers of delayed foreclosures clearing the books, this data offers further evidence that the U.S. real estate market is steadily improving.  As more foreclosures are removed from the housing inventory, home prices should continue to stabilize and increase in the San Marcos area.

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We did it

We seem to have a lot of “firsts” going on around the Burns Residence lately and a few days ago marked yet another one. We planted our “first” vegetable garden. We’ve been wanting to do it for some time, but every year has come and gone and for one reason or another we haven’t been able to to it. So this year we made it happen this year we did it!

Mike cleared out a large part of the side yard that gets a ton of sun and we ( I say we but mostly it was me asking and Mike doing) built the raised beds, turned the soils and added new top soil. Mike did a fantastic job. They look awesome.

Sammy wanted….

Next came the fun part. As a family we headed off to the nursery to pick out what we wanted to plant. Sam wanted watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe. We also picked out corn, tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkins, onions, artichokes, and we also threw in a blueberry bush.

Labor of love in our own backyard

The very next day Mike was off to work so it was up to the kids and I to get everything planted. It took the better part of the day but once again, we did it!!
It has been almost 2 weeks now and everyday we are out there inspecting our little garden. Checking for bugs, making sure everything  is doing well. The kids are so excited everyday to go out and see how much the corn has grown or how much bigger the bell peppers are. I just smile because I think I’m just as if not more excited than then they are to see our little labor of love growing in our own backyard.

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In almost every San Marcos home, there are awkward spaces that are difficult to utilize.

Especially in older houses, there are rooms, closets and nooks that once had a purpose that is now outdated.

So before you try to cover it up or fill it with junk, take a look at the smart solutions below to see how you can revitalize those problematic spaces and turn them into something useful.

The Space Under The Stairs

While this is likely to be more of a hiding spot for dust-bunnies than teenage wizards, it is valuable space that you don’t have to board up. Use it for storage!

Create custom storage cabinets, or if it’s near the kitchen, build in a wine refrigerator or display shelves for china.

You could also build in a coat or shoe closet if the stairs are in the front entryway.

The Bedroom Too Small For A Bed

You might have an office that sometimes needs to be used as a bedroom or a bedroom that could fit a bed and nothing else.

If these issues strike a chord, then you might want to invest in a Murphy bed.

These space-saving inventions allow you to use a small space for another purpose during the day, and then miraculously have a place to sleep at night.

The Unused Closet

Especially in an older home, you’ll run across closets that just don’t make sense. If you don’t need it for storage, then turn it into something creative, such as a small library or toy room.

Take off the door, add adjustable shelves, build a comfortable cushioned bench and install attractive lighting. Now you and your family can curl up for story time in your new book nook.

Or put in a desk or countertop, an office chair and table lamp and use it as an office nook that can be closed off when you’re not using it.

Don’t write off awkward spaces in your home as lost causes. With a little ingenuity, hard work and smart design, you can create a useful area that everyone in your family can use and enjoy.

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Mortgage rates fell last week and approached or reached record low levels.

According to Freddie Mac, the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) fell from 3.40 percent to 3.35 percent. Average rates for a 15-year FRM moved from 2.61percent to 2.56 percent.

Average rates for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) fell to 2.56 from last week’s average of 2.58 percent Discount points for last week’s mortgage rates ranged from 0.7percent for 30 and 15 year FRM loans to 0.5 percent for a 5/1 ARM.

Rock-bottom mortgage rates can offset the impact of rising home prices.

Last Week Was A Strong Showing For The US Economy

Last week’s economic news provided further indications of economic recovery, with housing related reports contributing to overall confidence in a stronger economy.

Highlights of last week’s news include:

Monday: Pending home sales moved up to 1.50 percent in March from February’s -1.07 percent. This reading also surpassed Wall Street’s forecast of 0.90 percent for March.

Tuesday: The Case-Shiller Home Price Index for February reported that the national average home price had increased by 9.3 percent year-over-year between February 2012 and February 2013. By comparison, the average national home price between January 2012 and January 2013 increased by 8.1 percent year-over-year. Rising home prices are contributing to the economic recovery, but in some areas demand for homes exceeds supply, which also contributes to rising home prices.

Wednesday: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its scheduled statement after its meeting concluded. Committee members noted signs of an improving economy, and cited housing markets as a leading contributor to the recovery. The FOMC statement also indicated that economic conditions were not sufficiently improved for the FOMC to change or cease the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing policy. The Fed’s goal for its current quantitative easing program is keeping long-term interest rates including mortgage rates low.

Thursday: The weekly Jobless Claims Report brought better-than-expected news with new jobless claims coming in at 324,000, less than the expected reading of 345,000 new jobless claims and also higher than the previous report’s reading of 342,000 new jobless claims.

Friday: The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its monthly “Jobs Report,” which consists of the Non-farm Payrolls Report and the national Unemployment Rate. Again new jobs added exceeded expectations for April with 165,000 jobs added against expectations of 135,000 new jobs added. April’s reading also surpassed the March reading of 138,000 new jobs.

The unemployment rate dropped to 7.5 percent as compared to a consensus of 7.6 percent and last month’s reading of 7.6 percent. To put this reading in perspective, the FOMC has targeted an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent as a benchmark for adjusting its current policies including quantitative easing.

What To Look For This Week

This week’s economic events include latest Jobless Claims report on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if this week’s reading will be lower than last week’s reading of 324,000 new jobless claims.

On Friday, the Federal Budget will be released; this could influence financial markets depending on what programs and services are cut or reduced.

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When it comes to selling your home in San Marcos , you’ve probably thought of the most common staging tricks, such as clearing out the clutter to make your rooms look bigger and bringing in more light to brighten things up.

However, have you considered that the colors in your house might affect whether buyers are interested?

First impressions are everything when you are selling a house, so think about how the colors you choose will likely influence your potential buyers. A new coat of paint could be a simple and effective way to make your house more appealing.

Here are a few additional tips:

Choose Mellow, Neutral Shades

When a potential buyer is looking at your house, they want to be able to imagine themselves living there. If your walls are painted in lime green or hot pink, it can be difficult for a buyer to relate the house to their own tastes.

Instead, use neutral colors, such as cream, olive, beige and ivory. Then the walls become a blank canvas where prospective buyers can project their own style preferences.

Create the Illusion of Space

In order to make a space within your home feel larger, you can use a very light neutral color such as white, tan or pale grey. This will reflect more light and give the impression of a more expansive interior.

You can also try painting the moldings the same color as the walls, which will make the ceilings look higher.

Don‘t Forget About Exterior Color

It’s easy to focus on the interior of a house and forget about the outside, but the front of the house is the first thing potential buyers will see. Curb appeal can be a huge factor in their decision.

Caution: Lead-Based Paint

One important word of caution regarding the paint in your home is the issue of lead-based paint.

Lead-based paint was most common in homes built or painted prior to 1978. If your home falls in that age category, it may require further testing to ensure that the paint covering your walls is free of lead.

Color has a psychological effect on people, whether they are aware of it or not. You’ll be amazed at the difference the right colors can make in selling or improving your home.

If you would like more home staging and selling tips, please contact your trusted real estate professional today!

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Clean Air Systems

Now both the kids have one or the other or both asthma and allergies. This time of the year they are both wheezy, runny nose messes. So we’ve decided to take the extra step and have a clean air system installed in the house.

A clean air system is a whole house air purification systems that hooks up to your furnace and using the fan in the furnace pulls the air in the house thru this air purifier and traps and kills all bacteria, mold spores and any other gross stuff in the air. An added benefit is that you can run these systems with the windows open and they cut down significantly the amount of dust floating around.

We made the call

Now we had one of these fantastic systems in the past and we figured that we would at some point put one in here but we just haven’t done it yet. But the kids are miserable and we know these systems work. So Friday we made the call.

I like it!!

Major League Heating and Cooling did the job on our last home and they we’re fantastic then so Mike called them on Thursday and they we’re out at the house on Saturday giving us a quote. These guys are awesome!! I don’t usually plug businesses unless I really really really like them. This is one of those businesses. The whole this is set up and they’ll hopefully be installing it next week. Quick, easy, and painless!! I like it!!

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Housing markets continue to improve according to the S&P Case Shiller Home Price Indices released April 30 for February’s data.

The Indices consist of a 10-City Composite Index and a 20-City Composite Index with housing markets for each city reported based on a three-month rolling average of home prices.

Case Shiller Posts Highest Growth Rates Since 2006

The data released yesterday comprised the Indices’ highest growth rates since May 2006.

For the 12 months between February 2012 and February 2013, the 10-City Composite Index reports that average home prices posted a gain of 8.6 percent and average home prices for the 20-City Composite Index grew by 9.3 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. 

All 20 cities posted a year-over-year gain for at least two consecutive months.

The 10-City Composite Index grew by 0.4 percent between January and February, while the 20-City Composite Index grew by 0.3 percent for the same time period.

16 of the 20 cities reported rising annual growth rates for home sales between January and February 2013, while four cities including Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis and Phoenix saw decreases between -0.1 and -0.4 percent in annual home prices between January and February 2013 readings.

Longer-term readings provide a more positive light, as with the example for Phoenix, Arizona.

The month-to-month reading of annual home prices indicated a decrease, but the reading for Phoenix year over year indicates a + 23.0 percent increase in average home prices.

Ten Metro Areas Gain Double Digits Over Past Year

10 cities posted double-digit year-over-year growth rates; they include Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa.

San Diego and Tampa have joined the double-digit cities in February with average home prices increasing for each city of just over 10 percent.

Phoenix, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Atlanta posted the highest year-over-year gains in average home prices.

Three older cities, New York, Boston and Chicago posted the lowest year-over-year rates in average home price readings.

Atlanta and Dallas achieved the highest annual growth rates since the inception of the 10-City Composite (1991) and the 20-City Composite (2001).

Improving Housing Markets Seen As Beacon Of Economic Recovery

Improving housing markets are considered a leading indicator of overall economic recovery as home ownership typically increases wealth and leads to more spending.

Economists note that while current news for housing markets is good, average home prices remain at 2003 levels, which can be very good for new home buyers.

Shortages of available homes in some areas and news that apartment construction is increasing can impact availability and ultimately, the sale of single-family homes.

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