2020 CMAR President

On November 15, 2019, Charles “Chuck” Meissner was installed as the 2020 President of the Coastal Mendocino Association of REALTORS® by California Association of REALTORS® Region IV Representative, Amanda Mills.

Two CMAR REALTORS® Receive Emeritus Awards from NAR

The Coastal Mendocino Association of REALTORS® (CMAR) recently had the privilege of presenting certificates to two local REALTORS® who were extended REALTOR® Emeritus status at the National Association of REALTORS® 2019 Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo.  The recipients of the status were Paul Clark, broker of Century 21 Fort Bragg Realty, Century 21 Seascape Realty and Mendocino Coast Property Management, Inc. and Gale Beauchamp of Gale Beauchamp Realty.  Only REALTORS® who have held membership in the National Association of REALTORS® for a cumulative period of 40 years and have completed at least one year of service to the association are eligible for this status. The honor extended to both Paul Clark and Gale Beauchamp reflect many years of long and faithful service, including a variety of efforts and activities including service on numerous committees, leadership positions as Officers and Directors of the local association and in many civic activities in communities along the Mendocino coast.

Paul Clark and Gale Beauchamp

2019 CMAR President

On November 9, 2018, Phillip Jago was installed as the 2019 President of the Coastal Mendocino Association of REALTORS® by California Association of REALTORS® Region IV Representative, Blaine Morris.

Quarterly Market Update

The Mendocino Coast Real Estate market has been steady and here are the third quarter stats:
There were 56 residences sold as reported in the MLS (multiple listing service) with a median sale price of $525,000 well up from Q2.
The average days on market (from time of listing to closing date) was 149 days with 160 active residential properties for sale as of 10/22/18.
The prices range from $239,000 to $7,500,000.
Call a Realtor today! It’s a good time to buy as interest rates are anticipated to rise 1/2 percent by the end of 2018.
Respectfully submitted by
A. B. Priceman and Turan Kilki
CMAR Public Relations Committee

California Housing Crisis Hangs in the Balance: Why Rent Control Isn’t the Answer this November and Property Tax Fairness Is

Finding appropriate housing has never been so difficult in California, given skyrocketing prices and limited inventory. And this November, voters will determine consequential outcomes for the state’s housing future.
As a licensed REALTOR®, I see these challenges firsthand every day. But empty-nesters face a particular challenge. Many seniors whose children have grown and gone have a desire to downsize, to sell their three or four bedroom home and relocate closer to family members. But they know that if they do, they’ll pay a moving penalty in the form of drastically higher property taxes. It’s the kind of tax sticker shock that keeps these homeowners right where they are. And in turn, that keeps a vise on California’s housing supply, with fewer single family homes going on the market. That is neither fair nor wise.
This November, California voters can move decisively to help solve both of these problems by voting yes on Proposition 5, the Property Tax Fairness Initiative.
Proposition 5 would protect those 55 years of age and older by providing them the opportunity to take their property tax protections with them when they move. That means providing the flexibility to move to a more suitable, practical home, or to a home that’s closer to children and grandchildren. Seniors aren’t the only ones who would be helped. That same protection would be extended to the severely disabled and to victims of natural disasters. In a year when wildfires have devastated large portions of California’s rural and urban landscape and caused widespread housing losses, this kind of change makes even more sense. Proposition 5 would also replace an inconsistent patchwork of confusing rules about property tax protections that vary from county to county throughout the state.
There are also other competing measures on the ballot this November, like Proposition 10, the so-called “Affordable Housing Act,” that would actually make the housing crisis worse. It would repeal important protections for homeowners that have worked for more than 20 years and would let local government bureaucracies pass new rent control laws, which worsen shortage and affordability issues.
New government fees and regulations under this measure would provide a powerful motive for homeowners to sell or convert rental properties into other more profitable uses such as vacation rentals. That would serve to increase the cost of existing housing and make it even harder for renters to find affordable housing in the future. It’s already a significant problem, with California hosting six of the nation’s 11 most expensive rental markets.
We are all aware of the need to address California’s housing shortage. With severely limited supply and prices going up, too many homebuyers are priced out of the market. In the Coastal Mendocino region where I work, the median price of housing is now $446,750 (YTD) up 7.65 percent from a year ago.
As a REALTOR®, fellow Mendocino County resident and Californian, I urge voters to look closely at this year’s ballot, as our state’s housing future depends on it.