What’s been happening in the Rosemont area of Sacramento in terms of real estate activity? The trend graph below is based upon the past 90 days of sales and listings from information provided in Sacramento MLS (the only listings included in the graph are those which were actually listed in the past 90 days – some listings have been on the market for well over 90 days and were not used in the graph).

From the trend graph it appears that there are many recent sales and current listings being priced between $175-200K. It appears too that there are a good amount of listings priced below the level of the most recent sales, which is a classic feature of a declining market.

Data for Rosemont Area of Sacramento as of 02/27/09:

• 7 current Actives
• 20 current Short Sale Actives
• 20 current Pendings
• 27 sales over the past 90 days
• Median Price of $190,000 over past 90 days
• Average price per square foot over past 90 days: $126.33

The graph and data is based upon the following boundaries:

Please contact Lundquist Appraisal Company if you have further questions about the Rosemont area of Sacramento or other areas we cover within the Greater Sacramento Region. Thank you.

On December 8, 2008, flood insurance became mandatory for the Natomas Area of Sacramento. Since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that the Natomas area was at a greater risk for flooding because of a weakening levy system, the area was rezoned and homeowners are now forking out greenbacks for flood insurance.  

It will be interesting to see how the Natomas situation plays out and to see if there is much of an effect on the real estate market. What are your thoughts? Any home owners, agents, or other real estate professionals want to pitch in here? Do you think buyers care about flood insurance? Do some buyers avoid Natomas to not pay for this insurance? Or is it no real biggie?

I have not conducted an exhaustive study on the matter and so I won’t speak to any real effect, but I will say that when certain changes take place, such as economic, governmental, or zoning changes, there could be an impact on the local market. As an appraiser, this highlights for me how important it is to have “geographical competency” and really know what is going on in the market – especially the changes.   

Eastern Natomas Trend Graph: Below is a 12-month trend graph of a portion of Eastern Natomas with blue dots representing “sales” and red dots representing “listings”. The graph data is bound on the North by Elkhorn Blvd., West by I-5, East by Vacant Land, & South by Del Paso Road.

What has been happening in the Mather real estate market? Here is a trend graph of the past 36 months of sales (blue) within the Mather area as well as all current listings (red). What do you notice?

Mather Data from MLS, DataQuick, and Realist:

• 24 sales in past 90 days (MLS)
• 11 sales since January 1, 2009 (MLS)
• 41 current listings on the market – 10 pending, 18 short sale actives, 13 actives (MLS)
• Decline of 17.40% when comparing January 2008 home sales with January 2009 home sales (Data Quick HERE)
• 21 houses in pre-foreclosure (Realist)

There are 1271 homes in the Mather community, which was built by KB Homes, and dreamed up by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. SHRA spearheaded the building project as an attempt to breathe life back into the Mather area when Mather Air Base was closed in 1988 (huge effects in the community and in Rancho Cordova too). Independence at Mather is an HOA with very minimal monthly fees (basically to cover front landscaping – no swimming pool or clubhouse). Mather is close to a local golf course, lake, trails, the Sacramento Speedway, and Mather Airport.

If you are a home owner in Mather, what is it that attracts you to this community? What are the benefits? What are the downfalls?

If anyone needs further information or has any needs for a real estate appraisal in Mather, I am glad to assist.

It’s interesting to take a look at what the market is doing in a neighborhood by comparing sales over the past months as well as current listings. Here is a graph I made this afternoon on current sales over the past year within the Vintage Park neighborhood in the Sacramento area (95828 zip code only – not 95829). The blue dots are sales and the red dots are current listings. Click the following thumbnail image to enlarge:

Vintage Park Neighborhood Data: 

• 56 current listings
• 64% of current listings are bank-owned
• 21% of current listings are short sales
• 5 listings priced under $125K
• 13 listings priced between $125-150K
• 12 listings priced between $150-175K

The data was taken from Sacramento MLS and is based upon detached single family residential properties within the following boundaries: Calvine Road to the South, UP RR to the West, Elk Grove Florin Road to the East, & Vacant Land to the North.

Have you received a letter? My household has been mailed two so far claiming that XYZ Company will help me lower my property taxes if I send them some money. Fellow residents, may I offer some advice? If you feel that the Assessor’s Office did not get your home value right, then don’t waste your money on out-of-area companies like this? If you need to contest your property tax levels, use a local specialist who knows your neighborhood very well and can personally talk you through the entire property tax appeal process.

Here is what you need to do:

1. First off, wait to see what the Sacramento County Assessor’s Office says your home is worth. They should have this data available around May 2009 (hopefully). Figures for 2009 property taxes aren’t even out yet, so be leery of companies that promise to be able to “lower your taxes” if they don’t even know what your home is assessed at?

2. If you are not satisfied with your property tax assessment, you can contact the Assessor’s Office and fill out a “Decline-in-Value Reassessment Application” between July 2, 2009 and November 30, 2009 (NOTE: Some other local counties besides Sacramento have a filing date of September 15, 2009). Basically, the application asks you to provide two similar properties that sold in 2009 between January 1 and March 31. Honestly though, this step is not an appeal and the best use of your time is to go straight to step 3. If you do want to do this step and you are unable to provide the needed information, I am capable of doing so for a very reasonable fee.

3. You can file an “Application for Changed Assessment” with the Assessment Appeals Board by November 30, 2009 for Sacramento County. This application basically asks you to provide evidence for your opinion of value. If you can supply this evidence through your own knowledge and research, that’s great. If not, this is where we can work together. As a local and reputable licensed real estate appraiser in the Sacramento area, I can act as a consultant on your behalf and provide detailed evidence of the true value of your property. With my detailed knowledge of how the appeals system works and what they look at to justify lowering property values, I can be a crucial asset for your property tax situation.

4. Don’t wait until the end of November to do Step 3. Make sure you have enough time to get your appeal in (or I can do that for you). After the November 30 deadline for Sacramento County, there is nothing more you can do to contest your property taxes if you miss the deadline.

Please contact me with any questions at 916-595-3735. I look forward to helping you understand the tax appeal process and working together if it is relevant for your needs.