VENTURA COUNTY — The sizzling hot housing market is driving some homeowners to cash in big, selling their larger homes and opting to downsize while pocketing the profits. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in October 2021, the U.S real estate market registered a 7% increase in existing home sales. The average home price in Ventura County in December 2021 was $805,000, an 18.4% increase from December 2020 (Redfin.com).
Top housing markets in California, Arizona, and Nevada are seeing a hot new trend – downsizing. While some families look to make the jump to expansive suburban homes, there is a savvy group of homeowners making a different choice: downsizing to a comfortable and affordable home. Whether it be a city condo in a more walkable neighborhood closer to public transit or a tidy beachfront estate they have always dreamed of owning, young professionals to retirees are making moves.
“We are definitely in a seller’s market right now,” says Eric Baucom, broker and owner of Coastlands Real Estate Group in Ventura. “Available inventory of single-family homes & condos is slim. We are seeing multiple offers on most homes priced under $1M in our current market. That said, most homeowners that have been in their home for many years have a lot of built-up equity and by selling now, they are able to capitalize on this hot market. This is a great time to downsize and take advantage of the equity stored up in your home.”
PODS Local offers tips for downsizing:
- Have a plan: Set a realistic goal based on income and accessibility, not items in your current home.
- Involve your family: Plan a group decluttering and packing party.
- Have a yard sale: AARP suggests you ask yourself, “When is the last time I used this?”
- Donate: Everything that doesn’t sell can be donated to a good cause.
How PODS unique portable moving and storage containers and services can help you downsize:
- Decluttering: When sifting through items, PODS storage containers can help alleviate the clutter.
- Storage: Items too precious to part with but have no place in a smaller home can be easily stored in a secure PODS Storage Center.
- Moving: Pack at your own pace. Once it’s time to move to a new location, PODS containers can travel with you to the next location.
“The easiest way to start the downsizing process is to use a portable PODS container,” said Steve Yapp, owner of Local PODS Moving & Storage. “They stay on your property until the job is finished or are whisked away to one of our secure storage facilities.”
About Local PODS Moving & Storage??— Steve Yapp is the owner of three Tri-Counties PODS® franchises that serve residents and businesses in Ventura, Santa?Barbara?and San Luis Obispo Counties.????
Dedicated to the local community, Yapp’s franchises have donated hundreds of PODS containers to nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San?Diego?and Los Angeles counties since opening their doors in 2005.????
A partial list of recipients includes Boys & Girls Clubs, FOOD Share of Ventura County, Casa Pacifica, Toys 4 Tots, California Strawberry Festival, Ojai Music Festival, Relay for Life, C.H.P. Holiday Toy Drive, Salvation Army, Santa Maria Good Samaritan, Oxnard Downtown?Management District, Boy Scouts of Ventura County, California Visitors Center, Simi Valley Days, the Oxnard Salsa Festival, and Catholic Charities.????
A moving and storage leader for nearly 25 years, PODS offers flexible, personalized solutions tailored to our customers’ unique needs. When PODS pioneered portable storage in 1998, we introduced the world to a new way of thinking about moving and storage, with unlimited time, control, and flexibility. Today, PODS provides residential and commercial moving and storage services in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the UK. The PODS network has completed more than 1.2 million long-distance moves and more than 5.4 million initial deliveries. Whether it is a long-distance or international relocation, across-town move, or renovation project, PODS provides customers with a personal moving and storage team ready for any situation. To learn more, visit PODS.com.