Greenacres: The Place to Be?

In 2005 life was obviously very good in Orange County, California. There were so many things you could see, do and achieve. It never really mattered how much money you actually earned from your employment or what you're disposable income looked like after all expenses and debt payments. All that mattered during this glorious slice of time was how much you could borrow. Banks throughout the land enabled all Americans - both rich and not so rich - to borrow heaps and heaps of dough.

It is shocking to consider the shear amount of money that Californians not only borrowed to buy their primary residence or investment property, which was sometimes $500,000 or even more, but also how much they borrowed on top of all of that in the form of HELOCs (home equity lines of credit) loans, which the consumer could use...well, for almost anything from a set of new kitchen counter tops, to a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, to a vacation for two in the Azores. It didn't matter what you're net paycheck looked like, or your next paycheck for that matter.
The banks who gave lent the money did not care. So why should anyone have cared?

Here's a single family house in Mission Viejo that was first listed for sale June 20, 2005, a full three months after it was purchased in March 2005 for a whopping $930,000.

What's interesting is how this house was listed and then delisted over and over again in utter futility over a period of 4 years. Why?

Today (June 2010) it is listed once again for sale at $715,000. With a 20% down payment of $143,000, the income requirement to purchase this bad boy is $141,500 assuming 5% mortgage and zero other monthly debt liabilities (I've always been interested to know just how many people in Mission Viejo bought their cars for cash, i.e. have no auto loan(s)) This home is located in the Capistrano Unified School District, which is on it's 7th superintendent in just 4 years. Given the recent district turmoil from questionable past leadership and the impact of the California budget crisis might be something for prospective buyers with families to think long and hard about.

28861 Greenacres, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
4 bed
2.5 bath
2,800 sq. feet
6,000 sq. foot lot
457 days on market (technically speaking yes, but based on original list date)
Asking: $715,000 (Correction - MOVED UP TO $745,000 on day of post!)
Last Purchase: March 2005, $930,000

HEYYYY! Great to see you again! Where have you been!?

This is a beautiful house. The owners took good care of it. But given recent comparable sales (comps) of like size and features that have sold in the $650K range, Greenacres comes back to us somewhat (update: way) overpriced. This is common to see everywhere in Orange County, I believe, whenever sellers and banks try to place a tourniquet on monumental financial mistakes of the past.

The thing is, it's been 4 freaking years since the original purchase. I mean, I don't know what it was listed for in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (I wish Redfin kept a history of this), but hasn't the train sort of left the station already on $745,000?

We'll soon see.