The Top 11 Cities Where You Can Sell Your Home the Fastest

I came across an article on Realtor Magazine’s website which lists eleven cities where homes sell the fastest. This entry may make a few of you who live in these areas and plan on selling you home particular happy.

Interestingly, many of these cities— Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Jose, and Fresno—are located in California. Since most real estate market analysts expected for this state’s housing market to recover faster, I wasn’t surprised. As a matter a fact, I predicted that affluent cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles would have a speedy recovery. I guess I was right. After all, rich people with money to spend tend to prefer homes in these areas over less glamorous cities such as Bakersfield.

What surprised me the most about this article was that Oakland, California placed first— homes are on the market for just 50 days. Now that I think about it, this is probably due to the fact that people working in the “Silicone Valley” create a demand for affordable homes. Keep in mind, the median list price here is about $319,00—compare this to San Francisco where the median price is an astounding $639,000. Buyers looking for homes in northern California can get a great deal in Oakland.

Prince Avoids Foreclosure

Seven-time Grammy winner Prince almost made it to the growing list of celebrities who have been foreclosed on. However, according to foreclsoure.com, he avoided losing his home by paying his bank a lump sum payment of $368,000. This equates to all of the delinquent payments he “forgot” to pay on his 20- acre Minnesota home.

What surprised me the most when I read this article wasn’t that the Pop- Music- Icon was able to simply cut a check for more than $350,000. After all, he has the money— he’s Prince. I’m most curious about what prevented him from paying his mortgage in the first place. Last time I checked, a home loan is a pretty hard thing to forget about. Keep in mind, he probably has several assistants working for him; and they even forgot!   

USC is Going Green

You heard me right! According to the April 25^th issue of The Daily Trojan, USC is officially on track to become an environmentally friendly campus. The administration’s end goal is for certain buildings on campus— for example, Pardee Tower (a residence hall)— to be certified by LEED. I have already spoken about the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system several times; so, there’s no need for a refresher. Measures have already been taken to lower USC’s carbon footprint. For example, most dorms have low energy power strips. Efficient laundry machines and low output showerheads have also been implemented— all in an effort to reduce water consumption. Nonetheless, the key to a “greener” campus is a flexible and environmentally conscious student body.

I think making the USC campus more environmentally friendly is a great idea. Global warming, climate change, and the depletion of non-renewable resources are big problems that must be dealt with. Luckily, many college student are well aware of the environmental problems we are facing and will probably be willing to make a few changes their lifestyle. However, as mentioned in The Daily Trojan article, costs cannot be transferred to students for this plan to succeed. USC already costs too much money! 

A Home Made from Bottles?

Several of the homes I’ve spoken about on this blog have been pretty unique. Some were built using paper and others using railroad ties. I recently read about a home in Quilmes, Argentina on the website greenlaunches.com— it was built using six million bottles! Made by Tito Ingenieri, this home is a cross between a junkyard and modern art. The owner’s main goal was to build a low cost home that was sustainable and environmentally friendly. In this case, all six million bottles were donated and the home helped recycle millions of bottles. So. It’s safe to say both of his goals were achieved.

This house can be considered a “sustainable dwelling” for a few reasons. To start off, most of the materials that were used to build it were recycled junk— old bottles, scrap metal, and second-hand furnishings. This home also uses less energy because the bottles help keep it cool in the summer and relatively warm in the winter. As if that’s not enough, this home still kept six million bottles from entering a landfill.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this house is unique. How often do you see a home built using bottles? Even though I’m not an environmentalist, I can’t help but be impressed by the fact that such a large house was built using recyclables. Even though this home may be unsanitary, it’s still pretty cool.

The Trend of Los Angeles Home Prices

As I’m sure many of you know, home prices in many major U.S. cities are still falling. One of these cities is Los Angeles. Bubblemeter.com recently posted a graph showing the trend of Los Angeles home prices. According to the graph, the “city of angels” is still in trouble; but that not what mainly grabbed my attention.

What instantly caught my eye was the sudden jump in prices around 2006. The market’s rapid grown can easily be seen by the provided chart. Sudden increases like this are a clear sign of trouble. This is especially true for real estate since the market is cyclical. What’s just as interesting is how suddenly the market began to nosedive. By 2007, prices began to tank— this was the start of the market crash. This graph also shows the expansion and explosion of the housing bubble—the sudden rise indicates the expansion and rapid drop signifies the explosion.          

The Future of Coastal Living

Many people around the world dream about living by the ocean. I guess this explains why some people are willing to pay a small fortune for a beachfront home. Take for example Cher’s $45 million dollar Malibu mansion. However, over the last few years, designers and architects have become more daring. Companies such as “Sub Find” offer what they call a “semi-submerged dwelling environment”— the Trilobis 65. These homes are a cross between a submarine and a houseboat and are the closest thing to living underwater that I’ve ever seen. Half of the dwelling is submerged while the other half reaches a height of about 3.5 meters above sea level. The Trilobis 65 is divided into four separate levels and accommodates six people comfortably. The top floor houses common areas such as a kitchen, while the lowest level (3 meters below water) is an observation bubble. As if all of this isn’t impressive enough, these “homes” can still move under their own power.  

        The Trilobis 65 is also designed to be environmentally friendly. For starters it uses hydrogen to power its AC motors. To be as sustainable as possible, the semisubmersibles also implement solar power. Sustainable materials are also used. To avoid using too much energy for air conditioning, a system that automatically tints the windows is in place.    

I think this is one of the coolers things I have ever seen. Just imagine having an all- glass basement that’s completely underwater. I could spend hours just staring into the ocean around me. The views residents experience must be nothing short of amazing. However, I can’t imagine living in a home like this full time. Nonetheless, if I had the money, I would love to have a home like this as a vacation home! Who wouldn’t?

A Sign of Hope for South Florida Residents

The economic downturn left Florida residents, particularly those of the southern tip of the state, in financial turmoil. Foreclosure rates here are sky-high. The only region worse than here is Las Vegas. Luckily, the state government enacted the “Hardest Hit Program”. This program literally hands out cash—up to 12,000— to prevent foreclosures. I think the government’s strategy is great. People in certain parts of the country have really been suffering. Measures like this will help ease the pain. Fortunately, the “Hardest Hit Program is actually working”—foreclosures are slowly dropping. I think this program’s success shows government action and planning at its best.

Nonetheless, one thing still concerns me: how does the government plan to finance programs like this long term. After all, for those who qualify, money is pretty much being handed out. This will almost surely create a future tax burden. The current deficit is already big enough!

Regardless of this major downside, more programs like this should be created. The foreclosure crisis we’re facing can't be ignored.  I’m usually not an advocate of government intervention, but action must be taken now.