KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-House Hunting and a Wedding
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SEASIDE, Calif- In a battered housing market, flooded with inventory and foreclosures. Homebuyers are roping in great deals on single family homes.
According to the National Association of Realtors Monterey County is ranked 10th in the nation for the most foreclosures. Many are flocking for the opportunity to call a home their very own here in the Central Coast.
The phone keeps ringing off the hook for real estate agent Becky Jones she works 24/7 to help buyers find a home of their very own.
"In Seaside there are 108 active listings so that means there is inventory so people here have the opportunity to look and get to choose between so many different homes."
Hans Thomas is a first time home buyer and getting married this Saturday. He is hoping to put some roots down so they can raise a family soon. He has lived in California for almost two decades and never thought he could own a home until now.
"Before the housing price started collapsing we were looking to buy a sail boat to live a board, we both enjoy that. When prices came down we said let's get into the housing market and take advantage of it."
Thomas says during the housing boom he and his soon to be wife had some huge decisions to make.
"We really did not want to be in a situation where the home owned us. That was a big deciding factor for us. We were actually looking for jobs else where in the country. Where what we earned was more in line with the cost of housing."
Thomas says that he is looking for a home that he can retreat to after a long day of work and a safe neighborhood for a growing family.
Real estate agents advise not biting off more then you can chew. What you see is what you get when you purchase a foreclosed home and sometimes your best bet is to buy a home off the market rahter then a bank owned property.
Monterey County of Association of Realtors say in the month of October 350 homes sold throughout the county and that 70% of sales were foreclosed homes.
