By Ana Gomez Salcido 

A mix of low interest rates and high activity from homeowners selling their houses makes the real estate market in San Diego good right now.

“Generally, the real estate market is very good. We are seeing a lot of homeowners selling their houses, as well as people interested in buying,” said real estate sales professional Jose Hernandez. “The biggest reason why we are seeing a lot of activity is a mix of things including the interest rates that are still very low, historically low, and that gives the home buyers an opportunity to qualify and buy.”

There are two types of people selling their houses right now, and both are taking advantage of their home equity. Young couples that took advantage of low prices a few years ago are selling them, and using their home equity to buy bigger houses. People that have been living in their home for over 20 years are also selling their houses taking advantage of their home equity to sell and buy a smaller house.

“They are taking advantage right now to sell because the market is good,” Hernandez said. “San Diego is one of California’s markets that is always going to be in demand, like San Francisco and Los Angeles.”

San Diego offers beaches and great weather, that gives it an advantage over other places in the United States.

“I always tell my clients that a great moment to buy a house is when they feel like they are financially ready to make the move”, Hernandez said. “At the moment you buy a house and take advantage of low interest rates, you can start to create something long-term.”

Downtown San Diego is always a hot area to buy a home, especially for investors, because of its bayside location, great views, and lots of activities near by.

South County is also in demand because of affordability in terms of price per square foot. South County specially attracts military families who are looking for a good community with great schools and pretty houses, such as Chula Vista.

There are also trendy areas in San Diego right now that are under remodeling like City Heights, North Park, and Balboa.

Hernandez mentioned that the amenities people look for are different from one and another. A family focuses around schools, while some other people focus on having their work close to home, or even live close to a freeway.

“The first step to buying a house is to contact a real estate agent, and to pre-qualify. Unless people are buying a house with cash, people need a home loan,” Hernandez said. Having a home loan helps determine three things: the best type of loan for each buyer, the down payment needed, and the total amount to be loaned.