Jump in, get your feet wet
By Denise Dohogne
Published: November, 2006
Buy low, sell high. Location, location, location. This is the name of the real estate game.
Everything in life’s a gamble and there’s no guarantee, but California real estate has always been the one sound investment. In fact, with the current historically low mortgage rates and lower home prices around various Bay Area waterfront communities, the odds are in your favor to place your bets, roll the dice and buy a great waterfront property.
When’s the best time to purchase a designer bathing suit or water skis? If you want to get a good deal, you buy in the off-season, or when demand is at its lowest. This basic economic dynamic also holds true for the real estate market. But because of a glut in homes that have not sold during the high season, due to a lack in buyer confidence, what we have now is an even bigger sale going on for buyers and sellers who are ready and willing to make a deal.
A good opportunity is out there for those who can see the long-term value in waterfront real estate investing. Ranked among the most expensive and sought after properties in the world, waterfront homes are of the highest demand, with the most limited supply. Barring a natural or economic disaster, this fact alone helps insulate investors in waterfront homes against lengthy downward fluctuations in market value. The universal desire for Bay Area waterfront living is always going to be there acting as an incubator for home appreciation. Waterfront development continues due to this strong desire.
In fact, developers are competing against each other to lure you in with incentives and special deals. However, because real estate is such a large investment, and by no means a trivial pursuit, it is best to use the expertise of a knowledgeable broker. Get in the game while the market is hot. Now is the time to make your move. Eventually the new development will slow. It’s a safe bet your property will be even more valuable. And always remember to enjoy the water, the shoreline, the birds, the sea lions, the fishing, the sailing… you get the idea. Come share the view with me.
Denise Dohogne is a Waterfront Real Estate Specialist serving the SFBay & Delta regions of Solano, Napa and Contra Costa Counties. She is broker/owner of Denise Dohogne Real Estate in Benicia, Captain of a 1977 CHB Trawler, Hey Diddle Diddle, and a member of the Vallejo Yacht Club. For more information, call 1-888-DD4-WATER or visit www.DeniseDohogne.com
