Published January 28, 2026

December 2025 Central Coast Real Estate Update

Written by Owen & Camille Schwaegerle

December 2025 Central Coast Real Estate Update header image.

HELLO! Thanks for tuning in to this month’s newsletter. Our goal is to bring you valuable real estate content and local updates, so we hope you enjoy it.

We would also love to hear from you! Let us know what type of content you’d like to see more of in next month’s newsletter!

Please reach out to us with any questions, comments, or concerns–we are here to serve you!

New Senate Bill Could Help Open Up More Homes for Buyers

In early December, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the More Homes on the Market Act in the Senate. This bill pairs with a similar one already in the House and aims to update a major piece of the federal tax code for homeowners.

If passed, it would raise the capital-gains exclusion on home sales for the first time since 1997! Up to $500,000 for single filers and $1 million for joint filers. Find the article here.

What this means for us:

If this bill moves forward, it could have a real impact on our local market. SLO County has a large number of longtime homeowners who’ve built significant equity over the years. Many would consider selling by downsizing, relocating, or passing property to the next generation but the current capital-gains limits often make that move financially tough.

By raising the exclusion, more homeowners may finally feel comfortable listing their homes. And more listings mean more options for buyers who are currently facing low inventory and strong competition across the county.

This could bring some much-needed movement to our market, helping free up homes, balance supply and demand, and create new pathways for both first-time and move-up buyers.

We’ll keep you posted as C.A.R. shares updates on this bill and as always, we’re here to help you navigate what this could mean for your real estate goals!

5 Immediate Strategies to Get Your Adult Child Out of Renting and Into Homeownership

Many adults are waiting far longer than past generations to buy a home with the average first‑time buyer now being 38, compared with much younger ages in prior decades.

Below are five practical strategies we found to help parents move their grown children from renting into home ownership.

Strategy #1: A gift or loan (typically $10k–$30k) can close the down payment gap immediately. Parents can gift up to $18,000 per child per year without gift tax implications (consult a CPA).
Strategy #2: Co-signing or co-borrowing helps a child qualify using the parent's income and credit history.
Strategy #3: An intra-family bridge loan from a trust allows a large loan (not a gift) at a lower interest rate, potentially creating a cash buyer.
Strategy #4: Co-investing with your child in a multi-unit property allows for a house hack and shared investment growth.
Strategy #5: Helping to pay off high-interest debts (like car or student loans) reduces the child's debt-to-income ratio for better loan qualification.

For families in SLO County or similar high-cost markets, these strategies may provide a viable roadmap to make home ownership more attainable, especially where inventory and affordability remain challenging.

Check out this episode where we dive into this topic further!

SLO County Assessor’s Annual Report

The Assessor’s Annual Report is in, and the data is fascinating.

Fast facts:

There is over $78 billion of assessed value in our county.
Homeowners’ Exemptions are continuing to decline, suggesting there are a growing number of homes owned by landlords.
Prop 19 and the transferring of lower property tax base values continue to have an impact on our county, which results in lower property tax revenue for the county.

While this information isn’t necessarily surprising, it is very interesting to see the numbers as we look at overall real estate sales trends for the year.

Check out the report here for further information.

Looking for guidance on how to achieve your real estate goals? Here’s what we can do to help…

We are a resource for educating and empowering you on all aspects of homeownership. We offer complimentary strategy sessions to create a customized game plan whether you are buying, selling, investing, or making an upsize or a downsize.
We have become a Certified Trust and Probate Specialist so we can help you with your estate planning needs.
We are big proponents of House Hacking! Finding a way to turn your house into an income-producing asset will be a game changer for tackling housing affordability. We can walk you through different house hacking options and take advantage of any first-time homebuyer benefits as well. If this is your first home purchase, we need to do whatever it takes to just get your foot in the door. This means that we need to go for a starter home rather than jumping ahead straight to the dream home.
If you're thinking about selling, we need to have a realistic conversation about pricing correctly in order to create a wider buyer pool. We offer complimentary strategy sessions for listing houses that include a thorough comparative market analysis to accurately price homes to help you reach your end goal.

Our mission is simple: To connect with individuals to achieve their real estate dreams, experience financial freedom, and love where they live.

Let's Be Social

Thanks so much for reading our newsletter. We want to hear from you! Please let us know how we can support you on your real estate journey. Whether you just purchased a new home, want to explore home-buying options, are curious about what your property might be worth, or just want to know more about the market, please reach out!

@theschwaegerleteam

The Schwaegerle Team donates 2.5% of all transactions to Dream Makers. Thank you for helping make dreams come true for terminally-ill adults in SLO County.