Meet Laurie MacDonald, who was recently elected to serve as your 2024 PSAR President.

“Serving as President-elect in support of our 2023 President Jason Lopez, I’m looking forward to growing our association, serving our members, and continuing the good fight for property rights and homeownership,” said Laurie. “I’m a big believer in giving back, no matter how busy you are. 

Laurie is a fourth-generation San Diegan. “My great-great grandparents arrived in San Diego from Halifax, Nova Scotia, sometime in the 1890s and my great-grandmother was born here in 1909.”

Real estate is part of her family history. “My great-grandmother, the same one born in 1909, bought a house in the Normal Heights area by herself in 1939. She was a widow at the time, but a female buying a home without the assistance of a man was rare in those days,” said Laurie. “Later, my grandparents owned and operated a real estate office, called Kelly and Associates, for many years on Parkway Drive in La Mesa.”

Laurie grew up in La Mesa. She attended Murray Manor Elementary School, Parkway Middle School, and Helix High School.

During and after high school for 12 years she sold and designed swimming pools, hardscapes, and landscapes mostly in the new homes developments of San Diego.

In 2009, she opened her own bridal boutique in La Mesa, which led her to become involved and serve on the boards of the La Mesa Village Merchants Association and the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to enhance the city’s parks and present community events such as Sundays at Six, a summer concert series. She is currently board president of the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation.

“I’m a helper at heart,” said Laurie. “I’ve been involved in my community and my kids’ schools. I live by a philosophy of giving back and serving my community.”

Laurie’s career in real estate began in September 2015. She served for several years on PSAR’s Government Affairs Committee and chaired PSAR’s YPN (Young Professional Network) group for two years. She has served on PSAR’s board of directors from 2020 to 2021.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today in real estate without my involvement in PSAR,” said Laurie. “Becoming an active volunteer with PSAR has propelled my career and helped me better serve my clients.”

Throughout her upcoming term as president, Laurie says she will continue to encourage PSAR members to get more involved with their association. “The best place to be in-the-know is at the table where decisions are made,” said Laurie. That’s because the more you know, the better you can serve your clients. Thanks to PSAR, the connections and relationships you make with other realtors and real estate professionals are simply invaluable.”

_______________________________

PSAR's mission is to empower real estate professionals.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth & development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.

Meet Valerie Gardner, who was recently elected to a two-year term (2023-2024) on the PSAR Board of Directors.

Valerie was born at Eglin Air Force Base located in the western Florida Panhandle. She is the middle child of seven in a family of four daughters and two brothers.

Valerie’s mom was a homemaker and her father served in the United States Air Force. Her father’s Air Force career took Valerie to live in Augsburg, Germany, for elementary school, Great Falls, Montana, for middle school, and Albany, Georgia, for high school.

In high school, Valerie excelled as an athlete and was a member of the school’s track team and women’s basketball team. “I received recognition for my abilities while in all these sports,” Valerie said.

After high school, Valerie attended Troy State University in Troy, Alabama, where she graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree. Her major was criminal justice and her minor was in business.

After college, Valerie joined the United States Navy and honorably served for nine years. She worked in the Navy as an electrician, repairing motors and controllers on submarines. “I lived on the ship and carried on with my fitness and received commendations for being the fittest female sailor on the ship,” said Valerie.

After her Navy career, Valerie worked in the insurance industry for 12 years. “I started working in the claims and worked my way up to branch claims manager,” she said.

According to Valerie, “I got into real estate because I had a goal to be self-employed before I turned 40, and I have not looked back.”

She began her real estate sales career in 2001 and was honored with the Rookie of the Year award in her first year.

“Over the course of my 20 years in real estate, I have learned that is my job to be an advocate for my clients,” said Valerie. “My job is to meet them where they are, to listen and deliver on their needs, and to keep them on course.”

Valerie’s approach to real estate is also her motivation for serving on the PSAR board of directors. A friend encouraged her to run for a seat on the board and she decided to submit her name for the board election.

“My job will be to stand up for ethical and fair real estate business practices and protect private property rights, and protect the monetary investment made by our members and their clients.”

According to Valerie, “I come from a place of love and understanding and this is why I have been a successful REALTOR® in one of the toughest markets in the country to succeed. Now, I’m ready to give back to our industry and help PSAR and our members in any way that I can. My friendships with other PSAR members, as well as the great educational and networking opportunities, have been an important part of my real estate business. I encourage all of our members to expand their participation and get involved with our Association because, with PSAR, you can make a difference.”

_______________________________

PSAR's mission is to empower real estate professionals.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth & development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.

STOP California's Legislature from Taxing Families
out of Homeownership

PSAR OPPOSES Senate Bill 1105 (Hueso) and Senate Bill 679 (Kamlager) each of which creates an unelected agency with the power to impose a range of new property taxes.  Those taxes would make keeping and getting into a home more expensive and difficult, potentially taxing people out of their homes and pushing homeownership out of reach for many of California's working families. Homeowners need YOUR help to STOP these bills!  Please ask your clients to TAKE ACTION NOW!

SB 1105 grants vast, unchecked, taxing and bonding authority to an unelected Housing Agency Board in San Diego which would consist of 6 appointed representatives, serving 4-year terms that can by resolution, or initiative, impose: 

• special taxes on real property,
• a parcel tax,
• a gross receipts business license tax,
• a special business tax,
• a documentary transfer tax,
• a special land value windfall tax, or
• a commercial linkage fee.

The proposed Agency requires revenues generated to assist in the construction of housing broadly defined. Revenue could go to large developers of rental homes and no restrictions on the agency purchasing single-family homes which could then further limit the opportunities for home ownership. The costs of solving California’s housing problems should not be placed on working Californians struggling to stay afloat and keep their homes in a tough economic environment, especially when there is a 97 billion dollar state surplus.
 
Similar to SB 1105, SB 679 would establish a local Housing Agency in LA with a 19-member “governing board” to raise revenues through: 

• a parcel tax
• gross receipts business license tax
• a document transfer tax, or
• the issuance of bonds to fund affordable housing preservation (acquiring, rehabilitating, deed restricting, etc.).

Here’s how you can help:
  
Ask your clients, friends, and family to TAKE ACTION and continue posting on social media!

We are stronger together, and your voice will help us defeat SB 1105 and SB 679.

For questions, please contact realtorparty@car.org. 

Housing demand in California’s housing market cooled even further in July 2022, as the effects of rising interest rates and high home prices dragged down the efforts of would-be homebuyers, according to the latest home sales and price report from the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Statewide home sales dropped below the annualized 300,000 benchmark for the first time since May 2020.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 295,460 in July, according to information collected from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2022 if sales maintained the July pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

Statewide, the rate of homes sales in July 2022 was down 14.4 percent on a monthly comparison with June 2022, when 344,970 homes were sold, and down 31.1 percent from a year ago in July 2021, when 428,980 homes were sold on an annualized basis.

July 2022 marked the fourth consecutive monthly decline and the 13th straight annual decline.

In San Diego County, home sales dropped 41.1 percent in July 2022, compared to a year ago in July 2021, and 21.4 percent decline in a month-over-month comparison from June 2022. July’s 41 percent year-over-year drop follows a 30.5 percent drop in June 2022, compared to June 2021.

Statewide, the median home price in July 2022 declined 3.5 percent to $833,910 from the $863,790 price recorded in June 2022. The July 2022 price was 2.8 percent higher than the $811,170 recorded in July 2021. The July 2022 price was the smallest year-over-year price gain in more than two years.

The price moderation is largely attributed to a change in the mix of sales in July, as million-dollar home sales plummeted nearly 25 percent from June.

In San Diego County, the median sales price for an existing, single-family detached home in San Diego County declined in July 2022 by $20,000, or 2.1 percent, to $930,000, compared to $950,000 in June 2022. The July 2022 median price was still 8.1 percent higher from the year-ago price of $860,000 in July 2021. The median is the price at which half of the homes sell for more and half for less.

“In the midst of the peak home-buying season, high home prices and rising interest rates depressed housing affordability to the lowest level in nearly 15 years, which in turn dampened home sales,” said C.A.R. President Otto Catrina, a Bay Area real estate broker and REALTOR®. “However, buying opportunities remain in the coming months for those who have been waiting on the sideline as more listings become available, competition continues to cool off and rates begin to stabilize.”

“Home sales have taken a trouncing as the market has shifted in response to the recent surge in interest rates, and pending sales suggest that the market could remain soft in August,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “The pace of sales declines is expected to slow in the coming months, however, as rates continue to stabilize, market volatility begins to subside and supply conditions further normalize.”

Other key points from C.A.R.’s July 2022 resale housing report included:

-- At the regional level, sales continued to decline sharply with three of the five major regions dropping more than 30 percent from last year. The Central Coast region experienced the biggest drop of all regions, with sales plummeting 37.3 percent from a year ago. The San Francisco Bay Area followed closely with the second-largest decline (-37.2 percent). Southern California also recorded a 36.9 percent drop from July 2021.

-- Nearly 80 percent of all California counties continued to record an increase in their median prices on a year-over-year basis. Price growth rates, however, were more moderate compared to a couple of months ago when the state set its new record high.

-- The overall supply conditions in California loosened again, with the statewide unsold inventory index rising from 1.9 months in July 2021 to 3.2 months in July 2022, the highest level since May 2020. The improvement in the index was primarily due to a pullback in demand.

July 2022 County Sales and Price Activity
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

-- In San Diego, the inventory of available homes for sale in July 2022 was 3.1 months, compared to 2.4 months in June 2022, 1.9 months in May 2022, 1.6 months in April 2022, and 1.4 months in March 2022 and 1.5 months in June 2022. Inventory levels indicate the number of months it would take for the available supply of homes on the market to sell out given the current rate of sales.

-- Forty-six of the 51 counties tracked by C.A.R. registered a year-over-year increase in active listings in July, compared to 44 counties in June.

-- The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 14 days in July and 8 days in July 2021.

July 2022 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

-- In San Diego, the median number of days it took to sell an existing, single-family home in July 2022 was 10 days, compared to 8 days in June 2022, 7 days in May 2022, and April 2022. A year ago, in July 2021, the figure was 7 days. The median represents a time when half the homes sell above it and half below it.

-- The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 5.41 percent in July, up from 2.87 percent in July 2021, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate averaged 4.29 percent, compared to 2.49 percent in July 2021.

New Paragon upgrades arriving on August 3rd!

Paragon has a new set of updates to hotsheets, open houses, and more that go live on Wednesday, August 3rd. These improvements include:

Read Paragon's Knowledgebase article for a full list of updates.

Here were three of the most impactful changes that were updated in June:

1) Hotsheets

We have completely remodeled the hotsheet search in Paragon Connect. You’ll be able to save and edit your hotsheets, set up alerts, view extended days back, and access even more features to get the most out of your search.

 

2) Open Houses

The new enhancement will empower you to do more with your open houses in Paragon Connect, including creating and editing open houses and adding them to your device's calendar.

 

3) Listing Maintenance

This release will roll out the first features of the listing maintenance module we're building in Paragon Connect. You'll be able to access published and unpublished, or partial, listings that you have permission to maintain. Additional features like Auto-tax fill and Cloning will arrive in future releases.

Older updates from June 8th.

Validate Address Location

The listing edit module in Paragon Connect now contains a feature called Validate Address Location. (This works like the Change Geocode feature in the desktop version of Paragon.)

From the Edit button on one of your listings, click on the overflow menu (three vertical dots) in the upper right corner and select Validate Address Location. The map will appear, including a property pin and the new Accuracy Indicator.

If the Accuracy Indicator is red, the geocode accuracy is less than 100%. The Accuracy Indicator will appear green if the accuracy is at 100% or if you placed the indicator manually. This feature gives you a clear indication of the geocode quality.

From the Accuracy Indicator, click the tool tip icon to see more information about the rating.

 

Geocode Using Address Search

You can now place geocode pins in Paragon Connect through a manual address search. Enter the address in the search bar, tap on the search icon, and compare this pin’s location with your pin’s location. (This map search functions the same as Center Map and Zoom on this Address in the desktop version of Paragon.)

If the default Road view doesn’t give you enough information, switch to any one of seven views using the new Map Types feature.

 

Geocode By Moving a Map Pin

You can move a map pin manually by selecting it and dragging it to the new location. After you move the pin, the Accuracy Indicator will change to green and read “Manually Placed.” If you’re happy with the location, click “Apply.”

You will see a prompt saying, “Changes applied. Save to retain.” Click or tap the Save button.

Note: Overflow options are only available on saved searches that have Collaboration Center notifications turned on.

 

Enable/Disable Saved Search Displays

You can now use Paragon Connect to enable or disable saved searches in your Collaboration Center site. In the example below, a user disables a saved search. Disabling the search removes its activity chart and moves it to the bottom of the list.

You can re-enable a saved search at any time by going to the overflow menu and selecting Enable Collaboration Center.

 

Email Options Menu

The Email Options menu allows you to edit who receives any specific email notification update from the Collaboration Center. You can also add a custom message to display each time Paragon sends a notification email.

New capabilities include:

• Add or modify primary recipients
• Add or modify CC recipients
• Add or modify BCC recipients
• Modify email subject lines
• Add or modify a custom message

A full list of changes is available on the CRMLS Knowledge Base page. Click here to see the updates.

DRE Commissioner Douglas McCauley releaseS the Summer DRE Bulletin.

• Comments on the housing shortage and adaptive reuse or converting a building from one use to another.
• Senate Bill 263 (SB 263), amended the continuing education requirements for real estate licensees becomes effective January 1, 2023.
• DRE Survey, Realtors, please comment.  The Commissioner is looking for feedback.
• Continuing Education (CE) audits
• Trust Fund Signatories. Can a property owner sign on a real estate broker’s trust account? Can a real estate broker sign on the property owner’s general account?
• California’s Call to Action: Build 2.5 Million Homes in the Next Eight Years
• California Mortgage Relief Program
• Mortgage Loan Servicers and the Foreclosure Process
• Advertising Guidelines and the Use of Former Surnames and Nicknames

READ The Entire Bulletin Here

 

  

 

 

California’s housing market in June 2022 continued to downshift as housing demand logged its biggest dip since May 2020, cooling to levels not seen in the past two years.

The latest home sales and price report from the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) also showed San Diego County’s home sales dropping 30.5 percent in June 2022, compared to June 2021, and a 6.4 percent decline from May 2022.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 344,970 in June 2022, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2022 if sales maintained the June pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

The sales pace in June 2022 was down 8.4 percent on a monthly comparison with May 2022 when 376,560 homes were sold and down 20.9 percent from a year ago in June 2021, when 436,020 homes were sold on an annualized basis. Home sales again dipped below the 400,000 level for the second time since June 2020.

Year-to-date statewide home sales were down 10.9 percent in June 2022.

Meanwhile, California’s median home price in June 2022 declined 4.0 percent to $863,790 from the revised record-high of $900,170 recorded in May 2022. The June 2022 price was 5.4 percent higher than the $819,630 recorded in June 2021.

In San Diego, the median price of a single-family home in June 2022 declined by $20,000, or 2.1 percent, to $950,000, compared to $970,000 in May 2022. The June 2022 median price was still 9.8 percent higher from the year-ago price of $865,000 in June 2021. The median is the price at which half of the homes sell for more and half for less.

The moderation in the median home price was due partly to a change in the mix of sales in June, as the high-end market started pulling back.

After increasing for four consecutive months, the share of million-dollar home sales dipped as sales in the higher-price segment dropped 8.3 percent from the prior month. Sales of homes priced at $2 million and higher plummeted 17.9 percent from May 2022. On the other hand, the sub-$500,000 market increased 2.1 percent on a month-to-month basis in June 2022.

Price moderation is expected to continue in July as sharp declines in pending sales in the upper-price segments may drag the statewide median price in the upcoming months.

“California’s housing market continues to moderate from the frenzied levels seen in the past two years, which is creating favorable conditions for buyers who lost offers or sat out during the fiercely competitive market,” said C.A.R. President Otto Catrina, a Bay Area real estate broker and REALTOR®. “With interest rates moving sideways in recent weeks and fewer homes now selling above listing price, prospective buyers have the rare opportunity to see more listings coming onto the market and face less competition that could force them to engage in a bidding war.” 

“Excluding the three-month pandemic lockdown period in 2020, June’s sales level was the lowest since April 2008. Pending sales data also suggests we can expect additional retreating in the coming months,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “With inflation remaining high and interest rates expected to climb further in the coming months, the market will normalize further in the second half of the year with softer sales and more moderate price growth.”

Other key points from C.A.R.’s June 2022 resale housing report included:

-- At the regional level, all major regions experienced double-digit declines in June 2022, compared to June 2021, with three of the five regions falling by more than 25 percent on a year-over-year basis. Southern California had the biggest drop of all regions, with sales plunging 27.1 percent from a year ago.

-- At the regional level, home prices in all major California regions increased in price from last year with the Central Coast leading the way at 10.1 percent increase, followed by Central Valley (10.0 percent) and Southern California (8.4 percent).

-- The overall supply conditions in California improved again in June 2022, with the statewide unsold inventory index rising to 2.5 months, the highest level in two years. The improvement in the index was partly due to an increase in supply and partly due to a pullback in demand. The June 2022 inventory level compared to 2.1 months in May 2022, 1.8 months in April 2022, 1.7 months in March 2022 and 1.7 months in June 2021.

-- In San Diego, the inventory of available homes for sale in June 2022 was 2.4 months, compared to 1.9 months in May 2022, 1.6 months in April 2022, 1.4 months in March 2022 and 1.5 months in June 2022. Inventory levels indicate the number of months it would take for the available supply of homes on the market to sell-out given the current rate of sales.

June 2022 County Sales and Price Activity
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

-- With both closed sales and pending sales slowing by more than 20 percent, total active listings surged 64.4 percent in June 2022, the largest year-over-year growth in more than seven years. Active listings in June 2022 also climbed to the highest level since November 2019, with a month-to-month increase of 28.8 percent from May.

-- The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 11 days in June 2022, compared to 9 days in May 2022 and 8 days in June 2022.

-- In San Diego, the median number of days it took to sell an existing, single-family home in June 2022 was 8 days, compared to 7 days in May 2022 and April 2022. A year ago, in June 2021, the figure was 6 days. The median represents a time when half the homes sell above it and half below it.

June 2022 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

-- The statewide median sales-price-to-list-price ratio remained above 100 percent at 101.3 percent in Jun 2022, compared to 103.4 percent in May 2022, 104.2 percent in April 2022, 103.3 percent in March 2022 and 104.1 percent in June 2021. Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and sellers under current market conditions. The ratio, expressed as a percentage, is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its last list price. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, while a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.

-- The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 5.52 percent in June, up from 2.98 percent in June 2021, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate averaged 4.28 percent, compared to 2.56 percent in June 2021.

 

Registered vs Coming Soon

Click here to view the Registered FAQ and Click here to view the Coming Soon FAQ.

For an updated printable PDF of this checklist, go here.
Download the coming soon form to be signed by sellers here.

 

1 Registered listing contracts do not enter the MLS per the seller’s instructions, either temporarily or for the whole term
of the listing. They are not “in” the MLS. Only the listing agent, listing broker, and office manager, and Association/CRMLS staff can view Registered listings.

2 Agents may treat a Coming Soon listing like an Active listing that no one can show for 21 days and that does not go out via listing distribution feeds (Realtor.com, etc.). Click here to learn more about IDX and listing distribution.

3 If agents are using the C.A.R. form RLA dated 6/2020 and option 7.D.1 is complete, agents do not need an additional
exclusion form. Agents do not need to submit exclusion forms to CRMLS. However, they do need to keep the signed and completed form(s) on file with the brokerage and provide them if the CRMLS Compliance Department requests them.

4 Agents may only show Registered listings to clients of the listing brokerage firm. CRMLS defines a “client” as an individual or entity that has signed, within the previous year, a Disclosure Regarding Real Estate Agency Relationship form in Compliance with CA Civil Code section 2079.16 which identifies the Listing Broker.

5 Coming Soon listings in San Diego County will go out to IDX feeds for applicable brokers. Applicable brokers are those
who participate in CRMLS and have Coming Soon listings for properties in San Diego County, regardless of their MLS
system or Association or Board membership. This does not affect any CRMLS listings outside of San Diego County.

6 Agents may only use the Coming Soon status for a maximum of 21 days from the date of entry. On day 22, the MLS system will move the listing into Active status. Please note: Agents may list New Construction Listings under the status of Coming Soon for longer than 21 days (until a notice of occupancy is issued), per Rule 7.18.4 of the CRMLS Rules and Regulations.

7. Information provided by CRMLS and current as of 7-14-2022.  Rules constantly change. Check the CRMLS knowledge base for updated rules and changes.  

President-Elect
Laurie MacDonald

 

Secretary / Treasurer
Sam Calvano

 

Directors

Affiliate Director

Martha Garcia

The incumbent set of Board of Directors and Officers will remain in their posts and continue to serve PSAR until December 31st, 2022.

Board of Directors (2023)

Jason Lopez, 2023 President

Laurie MacDonald, 2023 President-Elect

Sam Calvano, 2023 Secretary-Treasurer

Max Zaker, Immediate Past President

Anthony Andaya, 2022/2023 Director

Camille Bruno, 2022/2023 Director

Merrie Espina, 2023/2024 Director

Valerie Gardner, 2023/2024 Director

Paula Gonzalez, 2022/2023 Director

Dylan Graham, 2022/2023 Director

Rafael Perez, 2023/2024 Director

Amy Ruiz, 2023/2024 Director

Norma Scantlin, 2022/2023 Director

Amber Tannehill, 2023/2024 Director

Martha Garcia, 2023/2024 Affiliate Director

________________________________________________

PSAR's Mission is to empower Real Estate Professionals.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth, and development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.

We remain thankful to those who were nominated to lead PSAR. We are looking forward to great things from both the elected candidates and those who will continue to serve in our committee leadership roster.