Ramona Real Estate DRE 01037960

05/04/2026

Kicking off our 4th of July fundraising the Ramona way ✨

So proud to see our community come together—Ramona Lions Club, Ramona Rotary, Kiwanis of Ramona, Ramona Water District and the Ramona Jr. Fair—all working side by side to make it happen.

It takes a village, and this is what Ramona does best ❤️💙
Thank you to everyone involved for your time, effort, and support!

05/04/2026

03/16/2026

Actually mind-blown
🤯✨

02/27/2026

Real Estate News you can Use compliments of Oakwood Escrow. Call Paul for more information.

Dear Oakwood Clients, Partners, and Friends,

At Oakwood Escrow, our responsibility has always been to protect our clients, safeguard transactions, and stay ahead of regulatory changes that impact the real estate community. Beginning March 1, 2026, new federal reporting requirements issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) will apply to certain residential real estate purchases - where the Buyer is paying cash or obtaining financing through a non AML reporting lender - particularly when property is acquired through an LLC, corporation, partnership, or similar legal entity.
This update is being shared early so you can plan ahead, avoid surprises during escrow, and ensure your transactions close smoothly.

What Is Changing

FinCEN has introduced a nationwide reporting rule focused on non-financed residential real estate purchases involving legal entities. The purpose of this regulation is to increase transparency in real estate transactions and help prevent financial crimes involving anonymous ownership structures.
Under this new rule, settlement agents such as Oakwood Escrow may be required to collect additional information and file a federal report when a qualifying transaction occurs.

Who May Be Affected

These requirements generally apply when:
Residential property is purchased without traditional lender financing
The buyer is an LLC, corporation, partnership, trust, or other legal entity
The transaction involves one-to-four unit residential property, condominiums, or similar residential real estate, as well as vacant land when the Buyer plans to build a structure….

Paul Tarr
Ramona Real Estate
DRE 01037960
760-789-4000
[email protected]

02/19/2026

2026 is shaping up to be a good year.
Inflation Slowdown

Greetings!

Inflation rose at a slower pace than expected in January, according to the delayed Consumer Price Index (CPI) Report from the US Department of Labor. Prices increased by 2.4% over the 12 months ending in January 2026, down from 2.7% in December. On a monthly basis, prices went up 0.2%.

Core Inflation, which excludes more volatile food and energy prices, grew 2.5% year-over-year, marking the smallest increase in nearly five years. On a monthly basis, Core Inflation increased 0.3% from the previous month.

The cooler-than-expected inflation report was mainly caused by price decreases in gas and shelter. Prices at the pump fell 3.2% last month and are down 7.5% from a year ago. However, electricity prices jumped 6.3% year over year, driven by demand from data centers to support artificial intelligence. Shelter costs, which make up nearly a third of the CPI and include rents as well as motel and hotel rooms, rose 0.2% after increasing 0.4% in December. Food prices rose only 0.2% in January, a notable decrease from 0.7% the month before, partly due to the Trump administration's rollback and reduction of tariffs on some imported foods. Still, food prices are up 2.9% from a year ago.

"The primary explanation for the gap is that households focus on the price level while inflation measures the price change, but a secondary one is the behavior of household essentials," said Eric Winograd, Chief Economist at AllianceBernstein. "Food, medicine and rent prices are rising faster than the series as a whole, and those prices are more important to households than the overall basket."

How Will the Fed React?

The January CPI report was released following the stronger-than-expected jobs report. As a result, it is probable that the Central Bank's policymakers will decide to keep the Federal Funds Rate at its current 3.5%-3.75% range during the next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), scheduled for March 19-20.

"Inflation is not high enough to force action, but in [Fed Chair] Powell’s view, it is not yet low enough to justify turning fully toward the labor side either," says Jake Krimmel, Senior Economist, Realtor.com. "Markets continue to price two cuts this year, and stable or falling inflation is a prerequisite on this divided Committee."

According to the January FOMC minutes, "[policy makers] commented that maintaining the current target range of the Federal Funds Rate at this meeting would leave policymakers well positioned to determine the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the policy rate, with these judgments being based on the incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks."

We’ll continue to keep you updated as conditions evolve. In the meantime, if you’d like to talk about buying, selling, or refinancing in today’s market, feel free to call or email. We’ll be happy to help.

Paul Tarr
Ramona Real Estate
DRE 01037960
760-789-4000
[email protected]

01/28/2026

San Diego Market Round-up

Weekly new pending sales picked up the pace again.
Jan
16-22 Prev 4
Week Avg % Change
Jan 9-15
New Listings 624 461 35.43% 705
New Pending Sales 466 271 72.11% 400
New Sales 252 287 -12.20% 302
Active Inventory 4,757 4,489 5.96% 4,694
30 Year Fixed 6.19% 6.13% 0.94% 6.07%

(Source - SDAR and Mortgage News Daily Data)

We’re about 15% higher for weekly pending sales compared to this same week last year. That’s a noticeable difference.

Weekly new listings and new sales are about the same.

This article by the San Diego Union-Tribune just dropped last week.

And it is a perfect case-study for why I started writing Real Report back in 2019.

An article using November data coming out as “breaking” news 2 months later, saying buyers are in wait-and-see mode…at the same time that we’re seeing weekly new pending sales surge 15% higher than the same time last year.

That same article tries to paint the picture that sales volume was WAY below pace in November...but per SDAR data, closed sales were only 50 below that of November 2024.

That simple difference could be explained away by November 2025 having 1 less business day (19 total) to fit in closings compared to November 2024 (20 total). Yet that context is left out.

This is pretty much all the reporting we have available specific to the San Diego market…and for sure, this is ALL prospective buyers and sellers are seeing, unless we get in front of it.

That didn’t sit right with me then, and it still doesn’t today.

There is pent up demand for housing created by the higher interest rates we've seen. If you are thinking of buying, don't wait. As rates continue to fall, the demand will increase. it may become a Sellers Market by summer. You can always refinance later if there is a move down.

Paul Tarr
Ramona Real Estate
DRE 01037960
760-789-4000
[email protected]

01/26/2026

Mortgage rates down 1% this year.

12/26/2025

Truth of the matter.

Everyone's waiting for the perfect time to buy. Spoiler: It doesn't exist. And the wait is costing you.

Scenario 1: You wait for lower rates
Rates drop from 7% to 5.5% (your dream!)

What actually happens:

Every other buyer floods the market
That $450k house now has 8 offers
Seller gets $485k after bidding war
You're competing with 7 other buyers
You lost the house AND paid more

Your "savings" from lower rates?
Eaten by the $35k price increase.

Scenario 2: Rates stay high
You buy now at 7% on a $450k house

What actually happens:

Monthly payment: $2,995
You have negotiating power (less competition)
Seller accepts $440k (market's slower)
You close without drama

When rates drop in 2 years:

You refinance to 5.5%
New payment: $2,497
You saved $498/month
AND you bought at lower price
AND you have 2 years of equity

The math nobody's doing:

Rent: $2,200/month × 24 months = $52,800 (gone forever)

House appreciates 3%/year = $27,540 (you missed)

Equity from payments = $18,000 (you missed)

Total cost of waiting: $98,340

Buying now scenario:

Higher payment for 24 months = extra $9,000
Then refinance and save
But you gained $27,540 in appreciation
Plus $18,000 in equity
Net gain: $36,540

Waiting cost you $134,880.

The truth about timing the market:

Best case: You wait, rates drop, you save some money on interest

Likely case: You wait, rates drop, prices spike, you pay more overall

Worst case: You wait years, miss equity gains, pay $100k+ in rent

Actual best case: Buy when you're ready, refinance when rates drop

You can refinance your rate.
You can't refinance your purchase price.
Or the equity you missed.
Or the rent you paid.

The "perfect time" is a myth.

11/04/2025

Scrolling is easy but touring? That's a commitment 🔑

Before booking a private showing, get clear on a few things:

– Has the home been on the market long?
– Are there upcoming open houses?
– Have there been price adjustments already?

Asking the right questions before you put a food in the door saves time and avoids emotional attachment to homes that aren’t the right fit. The average buyer tours 8 homes before making an offer, and the smart ones? They filter before they ever walk in.

Taking this step keeps your search focused and your choices stronger.

11/03/2025

Daylight Saving Time just ended – which means fewer hours of natural light for tours.

A place that looked bright and open in July might feel a little flat on a November evening. That’s why sellers should think about layering light (overheads, lamps, and warm entry lighting) to keep spaces feeling welcoming all-year round.

And if you’re a buyer? Try to see a home at more than one time of day. It’s the easiest way to get a real sense of how the space lives.

➡️ Lighting might seem like a small thing, but it can shape a buyer’s first impression in a HUGE way.