$365,000 - 109 W Escalones, San Clemente

Rising Interest Rates has become a problem for those looking to get a mortgage when buying a home in today's real estate market.  These higher rates were intended to slow down pries and inflation but the actual opposite as happened.  Due to low inventory, we have what they call shelter inflation which is reaction to the Federal government raising interest rates.  It's basically explained as the higher the interest rates go, less and less people who currently have a 3 or 4 percent mortgages on their home would not want to put their home on the market and buy another property at interest rates in the 6 to 7 percent range due to the higher costs involved.  So the higher interest rates have created a very limited number of homes coming on…

San Clemente is an older beach town down that dates back to the 1920's when the homes were first built here.   Since many of the neighborhoods in San Clemente have been around for a long time you won't typically find any Mello Roos in these neighborhoods.  Mello Roos is a bond that is associated with brand new communities as a way of passing on the costs to the homeowners associated with building a new neighborhood.  Builders are always looking for ways to minimize the costs when building homes and creating a Mello Roos bond which typically goes for 25 to 30 years and is smart way for them to avoid the costs associated with building streets, sidewalks, etc in a new community.  Most buyers don't like this added extra cost when buying a…

If you are new to San Clemente one of the first places you will probably visit would be the San Clemente Pier area.  This is also a great place to find a short or long term rental depending on what you are looking for.  During the summer months San Clemente becomes a very popular place to vacation so many residents who own properties in this area will increase their rental prices for this high season time frame which typically seen during June, July, August and September.  These normally are fully furnished rentals that offer everything you would need for the perfect vacation by the beach and San Clemente really has a lot to offer. There are also some long term rentals found in this area as well.  Expect to find rental rates…

San Clemente offers a wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from the downtown San Clemente area that was originally built staring in the 1920's to newer areas like Talega that started constructions approximately 20 years ago and has spanned over 40 different communities.  The one thing that all of these homes have in common is offering homes that are located on cul-de-sac streets.  When looking for a home most buyers have a bucket list of items that they want to have in their new home.  Location is typically at the top of the list when a client wants to live in a certain neighborhood or an area that is approximately that is a certain distance to the beach.  Many times buyers will also want to have a private location which a…

The San Clemente Real Estate market in the last three to four months has been really crazy as buyers are bidding against each other when new listings that are priced well come on the market.  Many thought COVID would bring the real estate market down but it has actually had a reverse effect and the market has never been stronger.  One of the biggest issues is limited inventory which has been a problem for the last two to three years in San Clemente and has become even more limited due to COVID.  What many buyers are doing is looking for homes that are not on the market yet but will be coming on the market soon.  These listings that were once only limited to real estate agents are now available to the general public. One of the…

San Clemente has many different neighborhoods that can offer private backyards if you know where to look.  It seems like the latest trend in real estate is to build new homes close to each other which sometimes seems to come in the lieu of offering privacy between properties.  For the most part it's always best to look in older and more established neighborhoods as these were often built on larger lots.  This is especially true for some sections of the Forster Ranch and neighborhoods by the beach in San Clemente. The first place we recommend looking is the Forster Ranch of San Clemente.  While this area isn't the oldest community in San Clemente, homes in this area are well known for having large over-sized lots.  This is…

The San Clemente historic home tour is set to take place next month on October 12, 2019. This year will feature a tour of 9 historic properties here in San Clemente.  San Clemente has a very small number of historic properties still in existence so a chance to visit nine different properties is a rare opportunity.  The San Clemente historical society is now offering advance tickets for those who would like to attend.  Currently tickets are being sold at $30.00 per person or $100 for 4 tickets.  This changes on the day of the event which increases to $40 per person. The tour details of which properties will be on the tour have not been released yet but will be sent via email once tickets have been purchased.  It's important…

When I first got into real estate over 20 years ago I always heard the word "turnkey" and had no idea what people were talking about.  It seems like its a favorite word among real estate agents for describing a home that is in excellent condition.  it wasn't later that it was explained to me that it literally meant turn the key in the door and leave without any concern about something falling apart or not working correctly.  Once I got this explanation it started to make sense but I still feel like it's a word that is over used by the real estate community. Nevertheless, it's a short way to describe a home that needs little to no work done on the home.  Basically, bring your touthbrush and move right in.  This is especially…

Real Estate agents have a special day when they get to preview brand new listings that come on the market in the San Clemente real estate market place.  This is called "broker preview" since real estate agents and brokers have the ability to view a large number of listings in a short four period.  Often times, agents will spend just a couple minutes looking at a property and then drive on to the next property.  This allows them to be able to see a large number of properties so they are better able to identify properties that may work for their clients. The dates for properties located in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano is every Wednesday from 9:30am to 1:30pm. Buyers are also welcome to attend these open houses and…

The Villa Grande building in San Clemente, California is ideally located on a hill that overlooks the ocean and the San Clemente Pier in the downtown area.  There are a total of 4 floors in this building that are situated adjacent to a historic building that was built in the early 1920's named "Casa Romantica."  This was the home of the former founder of San Clemente and he choose that location for it's superior views.  Villa Grande views are equally as nice with high floors located on the north side of the building offering the best views of the ocean. The majority of units located here are 2 bedroom units with a few 3 bedrooms condos.  The basic floor plan is similar to a row house with the bedrooms located in the back of the condo and living room,…

San Clemente is a seasonal beach town with a wide variety of vacation rental homes throughout the city.  The key to success with a vacation rental home is having a great location.  Most renters who will be visiting for a short time want to stay in a spot that is close to the beach and local attractions.  In San Clemente, this means being close to the beach and the downtown shopping area.  One of the popular spots for these vacation homes is at the top of the bluff front street known as "Buena Vista."  Homes located on the ocean side of the street have oceanfront views and is considered a great location here in San Clemente.  Of course the San Clemente Pier area is the most sought after locations due to it's prime…

Ole Hanson was the founder of San Clemente and was the person who had the vision of many of the older Spanish homes from the early 1920's and 30's that you see today in San Clemente.  During the 1960 and 70's many of these homes were torn down in pursuit of building larger homes and condo buildings.  Luckily, many of these homes were preserved and have become the rich heritage that San Clemente is proud to be associated with.  These homes can be found in the older sections of town which are the Southwest San Clemente, San Clemente Central and San Clemente north neighborhoods. The homes tend to be on the smaller side with two to three bedrooms and range anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet of living space.  Many of these properties rarely come…

Downtown San Clemente condos are for those who want to live near the center of town and ocean side of the 5 freeway.  The downtown area starts on the famous "Avenida Del Mar" street that is pictured below during a wonderful sunset.  The area is best known for condos that are located near the San Clemente Pier going several blocks both south and north of the Pier.  This is considered a walking area where you can easily walk to the beach and downtown area within minutes. If you are looking for ocean front homes in this area you have a lot to choose from.  Located just several blocks to the north is the ocean front street known as "Buena Vista."  Condos with odd ending house numbers are those that are located on the bluff front and have incredible views…

We get a lot of requests for buyers looking for ocean view condos here in San Clemente.  In San Clemente, you will find a high concentration of condos located in the immediate area right around the San Clemente Pier with condos starting around the $800,000 range.  For those not familiar with San Clemente should note that you will find some great ocean view condo buildings located just north of the Pier.  Prices will vary a lot depending on the size and the view of the condo so here are some quick tips on where to look. One of my favorite view streets in San Clemente is the street called "Buena Vista."  One of my first real estate sales over a decade ago was an oceanfront condo located on this street.  The views are really incredible and depending…

A wonderful ocean view condo has just been listed in the downtown San Clemente area located at 148 W Mariposa for $635,000.  The condo is located in a Mediterranean style building that is home to two upscale condos, similar to a duplex building.  The west facing condo has wonderful ocean and sunset views from the living room, kitchen and Master Bedroom.  The condo has lots of windows and natural light and features two large bedrooms and two baths and located on the upstairs level of the building with a one car garage.  Ocean View condos are hard to come by in the $500 to $600,000 range so we are excited to see this new condo come on the market.  The area is very tropical and just a short walk down to the beach.  You will also enjoy easy walks to the…

One of the main attractions of being a resident here in San Clemente is the joy of living by the beach.  Many love the carefree lifestyle and warm attitude you will find here in San Clemente.  If you are thinking about buying a home in 2012 then you many want to consider the 3 main areas where you will find San Clemente Real Estate listings by the beach.  The first area is the downtown San Clemente area that has recently become a popular place to live.  Surrounded by the San Clemente Pier and to the north and the south you will find luxury homes and condos in the downtown area.  Those who are not familiar with the city will quickly learn that this is where you will find all of the downtown shopping and restaurants in San Clemente. In recent years many…

Homes For Sale in San Clemente with Ocean Views is one of the most requested items when out of state home buyers come to San Clemente to buy a home.  Having an ocean view makes you connected with the ocean and the beach and makes you feel like you are living the California lifestyle.  Recent years have seen ocean view properties come down in price with many single family homes selling in the $500,000 with ocean views!  Where is the best place to look for an ocean view property?  Well that depends what kind of home you want.  Homes located by the beach will be more expensive do to it's location so the amount of ocean view you will have will be very limited unless you get closer to the beach and have a higher budget.  If you are looking to maximize your…

The downtown San Clemente market has always been desirable do to it's prime location near the San Clemente Pier, Pacific Ocean and all the shops and restaurants that line "Avenida Del Mar" street.  The downtown area is very much alive and living the hub of things doesn't get much better than the location of the townhome that has just been listed by San Clemente Real Estate agent Sam Smith.  407 W Monterey #A is a luxury craftsman style townhome with three levels of living space.  The main level features a master suite and bath, elevator and private gated entrance to the unit.  There is even direct access to the 2 car garage on this level.  On the 2nd level you will find two additional master suites on each wing of the townhome complete with it's own…

For those looking to live by the beach there is no better place to live in Orange County than San Clemente.  San Clemente embodies all good things about living by the beach.   One of the most common requests we get here at our office is for those who would like to live on the ocean side of the freeway.  There are three main areas that are located on the ocean side of the freeway:  San Clemente Central, San Clemente North & Southwest San Clemente.  Each of these areas has it's own unique signature and style of homes.  The San Clemente north area is an up and comming area with a mixture of multi dwelling units, namely duplex, triplex and fourplex's next to single family homes.  The homes are typically single level in size and date back to the early…

A Southwest San Clemente Home has just been sold by San Clemente Real Estate agent Sam Smith who represented the seller in this real estate transaction.  173 W Avenida Alessando, pictured below, was a cute two bedroom two bath home located in the desirable south west area of San Clemente situated between the San Clemente Pier and Trestles surf break and sold for $650,000.  This area is one of the most requested areas to live since all the homes have been custom built over the years and each and every home has it's own unique style and personality!  This bungalow style home a featured large front and back yard which is ideal for entertaining.  The home even had an peek view of the ocean from the inside living room.  The kitchen was also done in the…