About Seaside, CA on the Monterey Peninsula

Seaside, CA is an ocean side community located just to the north of the city of Monterey and has a population of approximately 33,000 people. Although it isn’t located on the Monterey Peninsula, it is convenient to all Monterey Peninsula cities. Seaside attractions include beautiful Monterey Bay views including the city lights of Monterey and Cannery Row at night, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), Seaside Beach and Del Monte Beach, the Seaside Auto Center, Big Box retailers which are hard to find on the Monterey Peninsula and the Seaside Bike and Walking Trail which runs from Marina all the way to Pacific Grove.

History of Seaside

Before being founded in 1887, the area which is now Seaside was considered “East Monterey” and was started as an outgrowth of the Hotel Del Monte and served as a tourist destination. In 1887 Dr. John Roberts purchased 160 acres David Jacks and by 1888 Roberts had divided the land into 1000 parcels to sell to the well to do tourists who came to visit the beautiful Monterey Peninsula.

In 1910, Roberts, now a county supervisor, successfully lobbied President Theodore Roosevelt to locate Ford Ord in Seaside. This changed Seaside from a tourist town full of middle class into a military town. By 1914, Fort Ord drove the economy in Seaside evidenced by the quote in the Seaside News-Graphic claiming “The biggest breadbasket the Peninsula has ever had is Fort Ord…and we in Seaside are the nearest to the head of the table where the bread is coming from.” As a military town, Seaside grew into a center of diversity and became known as a forward thinking model of political inclusion during the civil rights era.

Fort Ord was shuttered in 1994 and the city of Seaside has had the opportunity to grow and evolve since then.

Real Estate in Seaside, CA 93955

Real estate in the city of Seaside, CA is very diverse.  It is home to the most affordable housing in the Monterey area and also has one of the newer sub-developments in the area, giving it a wide range of potential properties for home buyers.  At the time this was written, you could buy a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath home in Seaside for under $200,000 with the median price somewhere around $350,000.  There are also luxury homes being offered on the Blackhorse/Bayonet Golf course for over $1,000,000!  So as you can see there are a lot of different opportunities to purchase a home for sale in Seaside, CA.

Seaside, CA Real Estate Statistics

Our website has detailed information including Seaside real estate statistics that are updated each month.  If you are interested in learning more about real estate values in Seaside, CA or any of the specific neighborhoods on the Monterey Peninsula, you should check out this page.  

Latest Seaside Real Estate Listed For Sale on the MLS

The 5 latest Seaside real estate listings of homes for sale listed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) in the city of Seaside, CA 93955 are on this page and are updated daily.  For a full list of everything that is available in any Monterey Peninsula city you can build an advanced search or contact us and we can do it for you.

Monterey Peninsula Home Team Testimonial

The Monterey Peninsula Home Team recently helped Maggie close escrow on her home in Carmel Valley.  This was a rather tricky escrow as it was a corporate owned property with the sellers being real estate agents from Southern California where the escrow and title was handled by their affiliated group.  There were competing offers so our client decided to get aggressive.  The offer called for a very quick escrow and an even quicker inspection contingency!  It truly took a team to make this deal work in the amount of time allowed.  

Here is what Maggie had to say about working with our team:

Thank you Mark, Jeff, Teresa and Nicole for all your work on 191 

Ford Rd!!! Mark informed me that it closed last night yay!! I really appreciate all your time and I know it was confusing with all the different people taking different legs of it and the out of town sellers with their weird ways. :) 

Mark, thanks for manning it, researching, talking to folks, scheduling meetings, all the paperwork and details involved in this purchase and for the years of looking! You better hope this one takes us awhile so we don't start looking again! 

Jeff, thanks for stepping in and being so proactive, thorough and informative and helpful, you are frickin on top of things. Your calls and discussions and emails always made me feel relaxed. 

Teresa, thanks for all the work and papers and calls and talking to folks and also taking over when Mark was gone, going to inspections, looking at houses with us, giving us your opinion and for supporting me when I was super stressed!!! Nice to have that female support among all the dudes. 

Nicole, thank you for allllll your work! All those papers and signatures and having different people telling you different things and having to know what needs to be filled out by when and organizing all of that is amazing and would be totally overwhelming for me! I couldn't keep it all straight and I was just in charge of reading my paperwork and signing. I'm sure you have multiple projects you are working on and I don't know how you do that. Thank you so much for all your work and communication between many parties in a confusing process. 

Thank you all for everything I am aware you have done and the many things I am sure I will never know you did in regards to this. And for all the extra calls and care and fun. I really appreciate you all. 

Thanks! 

:) Maggie 

Maggie, thank you for putting your trust in our team and for all of your loyalty over the years!  We love working with you and are happy to do whatever we can to help you achieve you real estate goals!

If you are looking for a great experience buying or selling your next home, be sure to interview our team!  To learn more about selling your home with us, click here.  For more Monterey Peninsula Home Team testimonials, click here.

8 Tips for Monterey Peninsula Home Sellers BEFORE putting your Home on the Market

If you are planning on selling your home in Carmel, Carmel Valley, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Monterey, Seaside, Marina or the Highway 68 Corridor, here are a 8 tips to help you prepare so that you’re not scrambling last minute.

1. Construction Permits: Go to the city or county office and make sure that any construction permits have been closed out. Even if you haven’t taken any out, the previous owners may have.

2. Make sure all of your toilets and faucets meet the current Monterey Peninsula Water Management District standards. If any of them are not in compliance, get them changed prior to listing your home.  If you have other water fixture related questions contact us for a free consultation. 

3.  Get a pest report from a reputable pest company.  We recommend Ailing House or Cypress as they are both local and most local agents are comfortable with either of these reports.  You can do the work if necessary to get Termite Clearance if you want to, but the important part is we have a copy of the report prior to receiving an offer so we are not negotiating a termite clearance for a buyer without knowing what it will cost you the seller.  That would be like writing a blank check!  Not good...

4.  Pre-home inspections: For homes that haven’t been updated in several years or need a lot of work, have a home inspection done by a reputable home inspector prior to putting the house on the market and provide to buyers as an attachment to the seller disclosure. Either fix anything major, and state that in the seller disclosure, or sell the house in as-is condition. This will avoid buyers renegotiating your already discounted price. Even if your house has been updated, but you haven’t had an inspection done in several years, it’s not a bad idea to have a pre-listing home inspection that you attach as part of the seller disclosure. This way you have the option of fixing  issues ahead of time, and all other issues will have been disclosed. Surprise free inspections are a good thing for buyers!

5.  Check your mortgage balances - home equity lines of credit count!  If there is a possibility that your home’s value is less than your mortgage balance, and you don’t have the funds to make up the difference, we can  guide you through the process and help you with your options.  Same if you are behind in your payments. Foreclosure should be your LAST resort. Short Sales are a better way to go!

6. Before you start investing money fixing your house up for sale, consult with a Realtor. For example, last week I was called out on a listing and the homeowner had just spent $15,000 updating her bathroom. However in one minute, I knew that the property (land) was worth more than the house and that it would most likely be a tear down grabbed up by a builder. She basically threw that $15,000 away.

7. Staging: Paint colors matter. Light matters. Furniture matters. Clutter matters. Staging matters more than ever because the first impression today is online, not in person. Just watch some of the staging shows on HGTV or look at the photos of my listings and you’ll see what I mean.  I’m happy to offer advice on this. And if necessary, will recommend  a professional stager. Whenever I list a home that didn’t successfully sell with another Realtor, 9 times out of 10 the house was not staged properly for the photos. It’s crucial today.

8. Photography: The number one thing consumers want to see online when shopping for a home is lots of pictures!  It is critical to have professional photos taken of your property and to show it in the best possible light and from the best angles.  We once took over a listing from another agent who failed to get it sold and by simply taking an aerial shot of the home that included the view, we were able to put it under contract in just a few days! The house looked amazing and people could now see there was a great view of the Monterey Bay from just about everywhere.  In real estate, a picture is worth 3000 words!

The busy selling season will soon be underway and what you may not be aware of is that my teams pre-listing consultations are free of charge and no obligation, so if you’re trying to figure it out on your own...Just stop...and get a professional!

Buying a Home is 38% Less Expensive than Renting! 

In Trulia’s 2014 Rent vs. Buy Report, they explained that homeownership remains cheaper than renting throughout the 100 largest metro areas in the United States; ranging from an average of 5% in Honolulu, all the way to 66% in Detroit, and 38% Nationwide!

The other interesting findings in the report include:

"Even though prices increased sharply in many markets over the past year, low mortgage rates have kept homeownership from becoming more expensive than renting."

"Some markets might tip in favor of renting later this year as prices continue to rise faster than rents and if – as most economists expect – mortgage rates rise, due both to the strengthening economy and Fed tapering."

"Nationally, rates would have to rise to 10.6% for renting to be cheaper than buying – and rates haven’t been that high since 1989."

Bottom Line

Buying a home makes sense. Rental costs have historically increased at a higher rate of inflation. Lock in a mortgage payment now before home prices and mortgage rates rise as experts expect they will.

Blog post source: http://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2014/09/10/buying-a-home-is-38-less-expensive-than-renting/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Blog_Promo

2014 Monterey Car Week 

Monterey Car Week, 2014 is over.  It always amazes me how fast one of my favorite times in Monterey comes and goes each year.  There is so much going on during Monterey Car Week that you certainly can't make it to all of the events, but the video below does a nice job of stringing together all of the steel, carbon fiber, rubber, chrome, smoke, speed and style car week brings each year.  I hope you enjoy it:

10 Steps to Buying a Home on the Monterey Peninsula

Buying a home on the Monterey Peninsula may not be as easy as 1, 2, 3—but it just might be as easy as counting to 10. And while a variety of factors can affect the ease and timing of your transaction (distressed properties, 1031 exchange or a special mortgage programs) a few basic steps are universal for most central coast homebuyers during the process of buying a home.

1. Determine your readiness: 

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you have already tackled the first step of deciding whether purchasing is a good option for your finances and your family. Obviously, your current financial situation will be a major factor in this decision. Understanding the costs of home buying and home ownership are vital steps in determining whether you’re ready to “take the plunge.” Factors that determine your financial readiness include your current income, savings, fixed expenses, and debts.

2. Become optimal mortgage candidates: 

With lender requirements stricter than ever, you’ll need to make sure your credit and finances are in excellent condition. Try to pay off or pay down outstanding balances on credit cards, car loans, etc. This will help improve your income-to-debt ratio, which will in turn improve your credit score. A credit score higher than 700 will help you get the best rates.

3. Get a pre-approval letter: 

In today's competitive real estate market, especially hear on the Monterey Peninsula, if you aren't pre-approved, the sellers will not take your offer seriously.  Some Monterey Peninsula sellers won’t even let you look at their house unless you are preapproved!  Getting pre-approved for a mortgage means that a loan officer has reviewed your finances and credit report and believes you qualify for a specific loan amount for one or more mortgage programs. The lender will then offer you a pre-approval letter, which will be a testament to your buying power when you are ready to make an offer on a home. 

4. Determine your budget: 

Just because the bank says you are pre-approved up to a certain amount doesn't mean you have to spend that much. Your pre-approval letter will tell you how much the bank is willing to lend you based on your credit, income, and other factors, but how much you can really afford is a personal decision. The bank will take your fixed expenses into consideration when determining your pre-approval amount, but you will need to determine what you’re comfortable spending each month.

5. Find a local Monterey Peninsula real estate agent: 

With access to the local Monterey Peninsula multiple listing services and insight into the idiosyncrasies of each individual peninsula city, a Monterey Peninsula Home Team real estate agent can help you find the home you’re looking for as well as facilitate the negotiating and closing process. While you don’t have to use an agent to purchase a home, it will make the entire process much easier for first-time homebuyers as well as experienced sellers.

6. Select a property: 

With your real estate agent, narrow available properties by determining what you really want in a home. Your agent will help arrange home viewings for properties that suit your preferences. This can be a long process here on the Monterey Peninsula as inventory is sometimes limited and demand can be high making competition for homes a real factor at times.  Once you’ve found the right home for you and your family, it’s time to make an offer and work towards closing the transaction.

7. Make an offer: 

Placing an offer on a home for sale here on the Monterey Peninsula can be a delicate process. The current market condition, time of year, work needed on the home, the length of time the home has been on the market can all affect your offer – not to mention your own budget. The price is not the only factor within an offer, either; you can also negotiate closing costs, necessary repairs, etc.  Your Monterey Peninsula Home Team agent can help you navigate the ins and outs of an offer explaining all of the local customs and practices.  You can likely plan on a counter offer and many times we will counter back and forth several times before there is an agreement in place.  This is pretty normal.

8. Get "under contract":

Once all the details are hashed out between you and the seller and you are ready to "go under contract," you will accept the final counter offer and you will officially be in contract on the purchase of your Monterey Peninsula home!!!  The purchase agreement, will outline the specific directions of the transaction including (but not limited to) fixtures sold with the house, payment of earnest money, negotiated payments of various costs (like county transfer taxes, escrow fees, title insurance, government retrofits, etc.) whether you want/need an appraisal, contingency periods for your loan (how long you have to get approval) and contingency period for your inspections (how long you have to inspect the property). The earnest deposit along with a copy of the purchase agreement will be held by your escrow officer who is typically picked by the seller, since the seller normally pays for the bulk of the closing costs. The purchase contract is basically a road map defining your purchase so that both sides can then get to work on providing what they agreed to do and escrow checks to make sure both parties have provided what they promised.

9. Contingency period:

Once your offer is accepted, you will have a specific amount of time to do your due diligence on the property and make sure you can secure a loan.  This is called the contingency period.

It’s customary to schedule a buyer’s home inspection. This is when you have the opportunity to get a professional opinion on the condition of the home and determine any red flags (like damage, pests, structural issues, etc.).  If you don't know a good, local Monterey area certified home inspector, we will provide you with a list of qualified proffessionals.  In addition to checking out the interior of the property, a good home inspector will crawl under the house, get on the roof and check out the attic for signs of past, present or potential future issues and will document those issues with pictures and a thorough description of each.  This report will likely be 50 plus pages long and it will contain valuable information that will help you move forward or potentially not purchase the house. You will also review all seller disclosures and title documents during your inspection period.

During the contingency period, you will work with your lender to secure your mortgage. This process will involve gathering a wealth of financial paperwork as well as arranging a lender’s appraisal of the property.  Your lender will let you know when your loan has final approval at which point you can remove your loan contingency.

It's decision time!  If you are ok with the condition of the home, you can remove your inspection contingency and if your loan has been approved by the lender, you can remove your loan contingency.   Once you remove all contingencies, you are locked and loaded and set to purchase this home.  Your deposit is now in play, meaning the seller can keep your earnest deposit (up to 3% of the purchase price in CA on a SFR or 1-4 unit property) if you change your mind and no longer want to purchase the property.  I always tell my buyers is you need to be 100% sure you want to purchase this home when you remove your contingencies.  

10. Close the transaction: 

The process of closing on a home can require several weeks (or longer) and many steps.  During the closing, your lender may require you to purchase a policy of homeowners insurance, and you will have the option to purchase an owner’s policy of title insurance. When the requirements of your purchase agreement have been fulfilled and your mortgage has been approved, you will be given a final walk-through of the property to determine that all repairs were made as negotiated. Several days prior to the closing date, you will sign your mortgage documents.  You will receive your keys the day it closes escrow and records with the County of Monterey.

Congratulations, you now own your new home on the Monterey Peninsula!

Linda Dorris Joins Monterey Peninsula Home Team

40+ Year Real Estate Veteran Joins Coldwell Banker’s Monterey Peninsula Home Team

The Monterey Peninsula Home Team is proud to welcome long time industry veteran Linda Dorris to their already highly qualified and experienced real estate team.  Linda has been a resident of the Monterey Peninsula 46 years and started her real estate career at Del Mar Real Estate in Pacific Grove 41 years ago!  Prior to joining the Monterey Peninsula Home Team with Coldwell Banker Del Monte Realty in July, 2014 she worked at Coldwell Banker Gay Dales in Salinas, CA where she was one of the top earning real estate agents in the office.  

“Linda Dorris has been providing real estate services here locally on the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding areas for over 41 years!  She has handled just about every type of real estate transaction imaginable that kind of experience is hard to come by.  She is a valuable addition to our team!” says Jeff Davi of the Monterey Peninsula Home Team and former Real Estate Commissioner for the State of California.  “Linda and I have known each other for over 20 years and have worked together on various charities in the past.  We currently serve together on the board at Kinship Center, which is a non-profit organization that helps abused, neglected and abandoned kids. She has a great work ethic and is loved by her past clients, which will make her a perfect fit on our team.”

“I joined the Monterey Peninsula Home Team because I was impressed with Mark and Jeff’s back end transaction management and lead generation systems,” said Linda Dorris about the joining the team, “I was am most impressed with how there systems allow me to spend more time away from the office where I can focus on my clients.  I am looking forward to more face time with my existing clients and less time on back end processes.”

“Realtors should be able to focus on their client’s needs, not paperwork, advertising and lead generation,” Says Mark Bruno, partner and brain child of the Monterey Peninsula Home Team concept.  “Our team is implementing systems that allow our agents to remain focused on their clients which results in better client relationships and more sales! Linda recognized this and believed it was worth being a part of.   We sure are happy to have her!”

Linda Dorris can be reached at (831) 594-5523 or you can email her at linda.dorris@cbnorcal.com.

The Monterey Peninsula Home Team is a part of Coldwell Banker Del Monte Realty and is a top producing real estate team that sells residential and commercial real estate in and around the Monterey Peninsula.  If you are interested in talking to them about buying or selling real estate on the Monterey Peninsula or joining their team, call Jeff Davi at (831) 594-3290 or Mark Bruno at (831) 917-8190 or check out their website, http://www.SearchMontereyPeninsulaHomes.com. 

Monterey Peninsula Real Estate - What is Title Insurance?

As real estate is the nation’s largest market, the purchase and sale of real estate is essential to the health of the US economy. The same thing is true on the Monterey Peninsula and in Monterey County.  However, these transactions are never without risk. That’s why title insurance has been protecting American homeowners for more than 125 years.

Video about Title Insurance on the Monterey Peninsula

 See This Video About Title Insurance in:

(Chinese)     (Spanish)     (Korean)    (Japanese)

Title Insurance Overview

When a piece of Monterey Peninsula real property is financed, purchased or sold, a record of that transaction is generally filed in the Monterey County public archives. Likewise, other events that may affect the ownership of a property are also documented and filed. These may include liens, levies, encumbrances, etc. When a Monterey Peninsula real estate buyer purchases title insurance, the title company searches these records to find (and remedy, if possible) issues that may affect the purchaser’s ownership.

Monterey Peninsula Real Estate Title Search and Exam

That’s where title insurance differs from traditional insurance models. When you purchase a policy insuring you for matters relating to your car or health, the insurance company assesses the risk of insuring you, and bases its premium on the risk being assumed. With title insurance, the insurer first works to identify the status of ownership, liens and other matters affecting title by collecting documents affecting title from the public records that are statutorily identified for the recording of real estate transactions.   This process is called the search.  Once the search is complete, the title insurance underwriter can then determine the insurability of the title and list exceptions from coverage and requirements to insure.  

Undiscovered Risks

Of course, even the most skilled title professionals may not find all title problems.  Other risks include matters that are more difficult to identify, such as title issues resulting from filing errors, forgeries, undisclosed heirs, and other unforeseen problems. That’s one reason why your title insurance policy can play a key role in protecting your Monterey Peninsula real estate investment.

Loan Policy

When you purchase a new Monterey Peninsula home or other piece of real property by securing a mortgage, you will be required by your lender to purchase a loan policy of title insurance. This policy insures the lender against covered title defects up to the amount of insurance. This coverage in favor of the lender lasts for the life of the loan under limited circumstances stated within the policy.

The Owner’s Policy

You will also have the option of purchasing an owner’s policy of title insurance, which provides insurance directly to the insured owner listed in the policy, and describes the type of real property interest owned.  The insurance in both an owner’s and a loan policy is subject to the policy provisions, which include the covered risks, exclusions from coverage, the conditions and the exceptions to title listed on a schedule to the policy.

Premium

You will pay a one-time premium for both the loan policy and the owner’s policy at the close of your transaction, based on the total value of your home and the amount of your loan. This is another way in which title insurance differs from other insurance models, where premiums are paid on an ongoing basis.  The purchase of a Monterey Peninsula home or other real estate may be the largest financial investment you ever make. Title insurance can give you added peace of mind in knowing that the title to your investment is insured.

25385 Camino de Chamisal Special Features List:

Listed by the Monterey Peninsula Home Team

Features:

•    3 free standing fountains
•    50 ton boulder water fall into custom pebble sheen pool with its own beach
•    Built in plasma screen TV in master bedroom with 5.1 built in surround sound system which includes master bed and bath area.
•    7.1 High fidelity HD Dolby surround sound reverse projection Theatre with 3 seating levels
•    9 Head Master Bath Shower
•    A circular drive consisting of 10400 sq. ft. of custom pavers and a built in Driveway Alert system
•    Structured cabling throughout the house, with end runs to one utility closet as well as AV system serving several different zones throughout the house.
•    Detached artist studio or outside office
•    Self-contained Hot Tub
•    Surveillance system throughout the entire property
•    Numerous Skylights in Main house
•    7+ Car garages including a tandem garage for boat parking
•    Concrete secured built in hidden safe (location provided at COE)
•    Soft water system and 2 reverse osmosis systems for drinking
•    Vaulted Ceilings
•    Custom built freestanding Bar kiosk between living room and family room
•    Radiant Heat throughout the house and guest house
•    Thin wall colored plaster throughout the house and guest house
•    Recently repainted entire exterior
•    Large grassed play area between guest house and main house - (private mutual well, not CalAm – water bill is only $120 per month for all landscaping and use)
•    Wood casement windows
•    3 balcony’s – one off the master and two off two guests rooms
•    1500 sq. ft. of storage under  the house with built in Sump pumps
•    Huge Kitchen with 13+foot long King Island and a 48’ Thermador Professional  4 burner duel fuel Range and pot filler.
•    Walk in Pantry
•    Fire sprinklers, and a security alarm
•    Plenty of on-site storage and meticulously landscaped yard
•    1600 Sq ft of solar panels  - On Grid – Electrical Bills are very low!