Green Real Estate Appraiser

San Diego had the third highest annual home price increase in the nation in August, a distinction not reached since 2014, said a top real estate index released Tuesday.

San Diego County home prices have risen 7.8 percent in a year, said the S&P Case-Shiller Indices, which are adjusted for seasonal swings. Only Seattle and Las Vegas had bigger increases in the 20-city index.

In the last two years, the San Diego region has averaged around 10th place in the index, making August’s jump noteworthy to industry watchers. San Diego’s yearly increases outpaced the nationwide gain of 6.1 percent and the rest of California.

“San Diego clearly, suddenly, jumped into the big leagues,” said David Blitzer, managing chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

The indicies go beyond just looking at the median home price of a region, evaluating home transaction prices to track repeat sales of identical single-family houses as they turn over through the years.

Cheryl Young, senior economist at Trulia, said San Diego’s housing market is affected by lack of available homes for purchase, but also its ranking could be affected by other markets experiencing changes. For instance, Dallas has seen its year-over-year increases slow as Texas home building alleviates some demand.

read more at: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/real-estate/sd-fi-case-shiller-august-20171031-story.html

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Tucked between the corporate offices and condos of Kearny Mesa, a new model of next-generation landscape practices has sprouted at the headquarters of the San Diego County Water Authority — an oasis brimming with graffiti star clusters, Dallas red lantana, Santa Barbara daisies and dozens of other plant varieties arranged artfully between pavers, mulch and stone.

As part of its efforts to promote water-use efficiency no matter the weather, the Water Authority recently installed the showcase garden to feature four core principles of sustainable landscapes — healthy soils, climate-appropriate plants, high-efficiency irrigation and using rainwater as a resource.

Residents also are encouraged to take advantage of a financial incentive of $1.75 per square foot offered by the Water Authority for landscape upgrades through the Sustainable Landscapes Program.

Grant funds are nearly exhausted, but the agency is still accepting applications from property owners for upgrading 500 to 3,000 square feet of existing turf areas. Participants must comply with the same design criteria featured in the demonstration garden for water-efficient plants and irrigation equipment, rainwater detention features and soil amendments.

read more at: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/sd-hm-sustainable-landscape-20171025-story.html

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only