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Real Estate NewsletterPublished October 6, 2025
February 2025 Central Coast Real Estate Update: Market Trends, Expert Tips & a Sweet Surprise
{original post 5/15/2025}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! In this newsletter, we will share with you the latest market trends, some great tips, and a sweet treat at the end, so make sure you read until the end! Please reach out to us with any questions, comments, or concerns–we are here to serve you! |
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| Join us at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, February 25 for a FREE Home Buyer Workshop at our office! Just email us back with your RSVP! |
| California Central Coast Housing Market Snapshot Imagine going to an amusement park early in the morning. The lines are short, the crowds are sparse, and you can have the run of the place. Then, as the day chugs along, things get busier, the lines get longer, and the crowds really start to swarm. Being at the amusement park early in the morning is like being a buyer in winter. Things slow down. It’s totally natural with the holidays. As we turn the corner on the new year and start entering spring, more buyers start to pool into the market. This is great for sellers, yet most sellers also need to find a place to go, so they too will be competing on a purchase. You can see the trend line for pending listings spike up every spring/summer here on this infographic. That being said, there is still a small window of opportunity to take advantage of the winter buying season. Inventory is still critically low in SLO County at only 599 homes actively listed for sale, yet it is actually up 13.2% year over year. You can take a look at the active listing inventory trend line to see how few options there have been on the market in the past few years. This is the primary reason prices have gone up and aren’t coming down anytime soon. There are simply more people wanting to live here than there are homes available. Also, let’s not forget what happens when interest rates drop. That’s like everything at the amusement park just went on sale! For every 1% drop in interest rates, a buyer’s purchasing power goes up by 10%. For example, if you’re looking at purchasing a home for $800,000 and rates dropped 1%, your payment would be the same as if you were purchasing a home for about $880,000. When that happens, prices climb higher even faster. That’s why if you’re even thinking about making a move in 2025, you want to meet with your real estate professional sooner rather than later to take a look at the market and what it means for your situation. We still hear people say they are waiting for prices to come down… unlikely. Or they are waiting for rates to come down, which will only cause prices to surge and cost them more over the life of the loan. You can always refinance if rates drop, however, you only get one shot at locking in the sales price. This is why the data indicates that buying real estate and holding on to it is a better strategy than waiting to buy real estate in the future. Now, there is obviously a point where it is unwise to buy real estate if you are not financially ready for it. You definitely need to focus on personal budget, paying down debt, and having savings before you buy a property. |
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| Take a look at the sales price trend for SLO County right next to the inventory and see the inverse correlation. When there were a number of homes listed for sale and no one was buying them, prices were low. Today, we have the exact opposite effect. There is a shortage of homes and an abundance of buyers, which is why homes are still selling in an average of 25 days on market. This is why we want to equip you as a buyer to succeed in 2025 with some fresh tips! |
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| Photo of our new listing at 5726 Old Tisbury Lane in Orcutt |
| Home Buyer Tips Tip #1: Find a Realtor you trust! If you’re in the market to buy a home, you don’t need to wait for an open house to check out the property. How would you like to have a private appointment scheduled to preview all of the properties that you’re interested in? Private showings are a great way to tour homes when it is most convenient for you. When working with our team, we will coordinate and schedule showings for you anytime you ask. If you are selling your home, we have the same recommendation: find your trustworthy Realtor. Creating a clear plan and timeline with our clients after meeting with them is key to getting their property on the market in the next few weeks or even months. With our team, we will establish a market value and collaborate together on an effective strategy for getting your property sold. Regardless of your timeline, the first step is always to set up a meeting with a fantastic Realtor. Tip #2: Get pre-approved for a loan. Even if you are thinking about making a move, get pre-approved now! This will help manage expectations, allow you to search within your budget, and guide you into positive decision making as you begin your search. Moreover, there are a number of buyers in the market right now looking for a home, and if you find one you love but are not pre-approved, you might miss the opportunity to put in an offer. Tip #3: Get under contract. Did you know you can renegotiate price and terms during our due diligence period when we are in escrow? We may receive a home or pest inspection that reveals thousands of dollars of damage not previously known. This new information can be used to renegotiate terms of the contract. Maybe you want the price to be reduced, a closing cost credit, or you want the seller to fix the issues. All of this can be done during the transaction! This is also why it’s so important to have a Realtor who is savvy in negotiating contracts to help you save time and money. If you are looking for a more practical guide of where to start, check out this great episode of our podcast. |
| A Sweet Treat for YOU! We’ve partnered with Proof and Gather Bakery to offer you 20% off your upcoming order! Located downtown SLO and in Tin City, this bakery makes the sweetest treats! We love their cinnamon rolls, champagne cakes, pastries, and sourdough bread. To get the discount, just mention “The Schwaegerle Team.”Enjoy! |
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| Coming Soon 4 bed 1.5 bath house in Lompoc - $520,000 3 bed/2 bath on 15 acres in Atascadero - $750,000 Active 413 Olive Dr, Paso Robles - $795,000 5726 Old Tisbury Ln, Orcutt - $1,050,000 1981 Green St, Cambria - $1,100,000 529 S Pine St, Santa Maria - $5,700,000 Pending Listings 3860 S Higuera St #B4, San Luis Obispo - List Price: $225,008 813 Valley Road, Arroyo Grande - List Price: $500,000 Just Sold 3960 S. Higuera St #22, San Luis Obispo - $305,000 1757 Baden Ave, Grover Beach - $820,000 |
 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! |
| 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 @your.realtor.slo @kylereis70 You can also follow us on YouTube and Facebook for more updates throughout the month. |
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