Tag Archives: D.R. Horton

WANTED: FRESNO LAND DEVELOPERS

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According to Fresno real estate blogger, BoNhai Lee, the City of Fresno says ±16,000 acres of land remain for housing development.  With that being said, Fresno is in need of land developers to entitle and process new tentative tract maps.

Land Advisors Organization’s Fresno office is happy to announce the San Joaquin Valley is (finally!) coming alive in “A” locations.  Builders are complaining there are not enough improved lots to choose from in Clovis and northeast Fresno.

POLL: 

RECENT CLOSINGS (September 2012): 

  • An investor purchased 36 finished lots in Madera (brokered by LAO)
  • A farmer purchased ±37 unimproved acres in Clovis (brokered by LAO)

NEW COMMUNITIES:

HOME SALES: According BoNhia Lee (@bonhialee), new home sales accounted for 5% of the Central Valley residential transactions this year compared to 26% in 2006.

Source: Mark Utman, Marketing Consultant, (559) 549-6326

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The Flipping Indicator – New Projects Vs. Flipped Homes

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The previous Landed blog posted by Land Advisors’ Los Angeles Urban Infill Team highlighted the value increases placed on flipped homes throughout a variety of Los Angeles neighborhoods.  (Re-read: Flipping Over L.A.: Out With the Old, In With the New)

For this post, we take our analysis a step further and compare how values of flipped single family detached homes correlate with those of newly constructed small lot detached and townhome units.  Conveniently, two public homebuilders have opened up projects in Northeast Los Angeles within the past week:

  • The first is Pulte Home’s project in Eagle Rock called Mosaic.  The project consists of 18 Small Lot Detached Units.
  • The second is D.R. Horton’s project in Echo Park called 36 on Echo.  The project consists of 36 Townhome units.

The first chart below represents average sales prices for flips that occurred in Eagle Rock and Echo Park.

This second chart below illustrates the asking prices at both new projects.

In comparing the two charts, note that the average square feet of the flips in each neighborhood is between the smallest and largest unit size at each new project.  You can see that the average flip pricing on a price/sq. ft. basis in each neighborhood lands squarely within the expected price/sq. ft. revenues at each project.  On a nominal pricing basis, the project in Echo Park exceeds the average flip values in the neighborhood, while the project in Eagle Rock is in the same range as the flipped homes in the area.

Why is this significant?  In our experience, properly projecting revenues on infill projects is a difficult task and has chased away a fair share of possible builders and developers.  By utilizing the correct data and local market indicators, the Urban Infill Team has created a system that helps instill a sense of comfort on project pricing for planned infill developments.

Land Advisors’ Urban Infill Team was involved in the acquisition of both of the above referenced projects, and our projected pricing was very similar to the values illustrated above.  If you are interested in discussing valuation, acquisitions or dispositions in the Urban Los Angeles market please contact…

Source:  Chris Gomez-Ortigoza, Marketing Consultant, (626) 376-9840 ext. 14; Richard Byrd, Senior Marketing Consultant, (626) 376-9840 ext. 13; and Tim Barden, Marketing Consultant, (949) 852-8288 ext. 30

D.R. Horton snaps up 74 “Finished” Lots in Inland Empire

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Land Advisors Organization – California Division is pleased to announce the closing of “Walnut III,” a ±20-acre residential subdivision located at the northeast corner of Cypress and Walnut, in the City of Fontana, County of San Bernardino.  YH Walnut, LLC sold the 74 single family lots to D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) for an undisclosed amount.

Land Advisors’ San Bernardino Team, which is based out of the firm’s Irvine office, represented the buyer and the seller in the transaction. 

Walnut III is located just south of the 210 Freeway, west of Sierra Avenue.  The lots are 7,200 minimum square feet, and were sold in fully improved condition with an approved final map.

“The Walnut III lots were the only finished lots available in Fontana,” remarked Land Advisors Senior Marketing Consultant, Winn Galloway. “The purchase will afford D.R. Horton the opportunity to commence vertical construction immediately and add coveted 2012 home deliveries to their business plan.” 

For more information about Land Advisors’ San Bernardino Team, contact Doug Jorritsma at (949) 852-8288 ext. 13/ djorritsma@landadvisors.com, and Winn Galloway (949) 852-8288 ext. 27/wgalloway@landadvisors.com.

Coachella Valley: 1, 2, 3… Cha Cha Cha…

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Some impressive numbers are driving growth within the Coachella Valley. 10,000… 300,000… and 3,600,000… According to the Social Security Administration, these are the numbers of Baby Boomers who are turning 65 years old each day, each month and each year, respectively, for the next 19 years! 

Ranked by CNN Money.com as the second Best Retirement Destination in the United States, Palm Springs (and the rest of the Coachella Valley) is experiencing growth and demand today not seen in many other markets across the US.

From a land investment perspective, demand and activity within the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley is decidedly picking up.

  • Toll Brothers is demonstrating that selling new homes in the Coachella Valley for $740,000 IS possible.  The Nation’s top luxury homebuilder sold FIVE homes in its first month of sales at their new Alta project in Palm Springs.
  • With the majority of the finished lot opportunities spoken for within the Valley, interest in entitled but undeveloped land is picking up.
  • D.R. Horton is having success finding qualified home buyers for Renaissance at the Gallery in Palm Desert.  With homes ranging from $269,990 to $355,000 the community is at about 50% build-out and is seeing increased interest from potential buyers. 
  • In 2011 the volume of resale home transactions within the Coachella Valley was 96% of the 2004 market peak (7,275 vs. 7,574). Conversely, 2011 new home building permits are at the lowest levels since before 1983 according to Marketwatch, LLC.

CLOSED DEAL IN IMPERIAL CO.!  The Coachella/Imperial Team (Stone James & David Landes) represented the buyer (investor) and the seller (lender) in the sale of 222 acres of prime farmland located within Brawley city limits.  This Imperial County buy-and-hold asset has an approved Specific Plan for 1,149 residential units.  Contact Stone or David for more details on the deal.

Source: Stone James, Marketing Consultant, (760) 219-7227

KB Home Changes the Rules in Santa Clarita Valley

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“When people are giving directions to their home, they always refer to some unique feature of their house as a landmark,” said Tom DiPrima, Executive Vice President, KB Home Southern California Division, in a recent Santa Clarita Signal article. “Buyers don’t want a cookie-cutter look to every home on the street.”

KB Home recently opened a new home interior design center in Santa Clarita, one of only three in Southern California.  With the opening of the center, the public homebuilder is putting homebuyers in the driver’s seat by offering customization choices that were nearly unheard of in prior market cycles, including lot selection without imposed lot premiums. 

KB Home is currently selling homes from three new communities within the Santa Clarita Valley, making it one of the most active builders in this submarket.  Home prices range from the mid $300,000’s to the high $500,000’s. Other active builders include Pardee Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes, Lennar, Shapell Homes, and D.R. Horton.

The Santa Clarita Valley is a desirable location for Southern California families as it is known as one of the safest communities in the U.S. and offers multiple high ranking schools. 

The majority of the Valley’s future developable lots are currently under the control of only a handful of developers.  Therefore, residential land opportunities are a precious find right now in this favorable submarket.

The Land Advisors team recently secured a new listing in the Santa Clarita Valley.  Stay tuned for more details to come!

Source: Michel Faris, Marketing Consultant, (949) 852-8288 ext. 18

D.R. Horton Hears a Who

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While many of the public homebuilders are sitting on the land-buying sidelines this quarter, D.R. Horton hears the call to purchase more land!

Land is scarce in the fictional city of “Whoville” so the D.R. Horton team has taken to several cities in the Inland Empire, and recently closed on transactions in both Eastvale and Chino. 

The Eastvale site consisted of 173 entitled lots just west of the I-15 Freeway. 

Following the mantra of the 1954 book with a similar name, “a deal is a deal no matter how small,” D.R. Horton closed on 43 finished lots in the College Park master planned community. 

In addition, in the first quarter of 2011 Land Advisors assisted D.R. Horton in the acquisition of 53 lots adjacent to California State University – San Bernardino.

2011 TEAM “SB” YEAR IN REVIEW: 

Despite a sluggish market, the San Bernardino Team (Doug Jorritsma & Winn Galloway) participated in several transactions totaling more than $84 million in 2011.  The majority (57%) of transactions was conventional sales; REO’s only accounted for approximately 36% of all transactions.  The Team anticipates the number of REO’s to decline moving into 2012, as many troubled assets have already worked their way through the market. 

On the Buyer side, private investors lead the way totaling 36% of all San Bernardino Team transactions in 2011.  Of the last five transactions, four were purchased by private investors looking for unimproved land for long term hold.   

Echoing the sentiments of the mayor of “Whoville,” “We are here” at Land Advisors to help you with your land needs in 2012.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Source: Doug Jorritsma, Senior Marketing Consultant, (949) 852-8288 x13 and Winn Galloway, Senior Marketing Consultant, (949) 852-8288 x27

Strike a Pose. Condos are Back in Vogue in San Diego County

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After seeing a huge boom in urban condominium development in the early to mid-2000’s, followed by a few years of hibernation, several suburban multi-family condominium projects are finally emerging in the marketplace, and several more are planned for actual development.  The combination of affordability and ideal infill locations is putting condominiums back on the radar screen for possible new home buyers.

Nearly every local builder has a current project in the works, either attached or detached product types.

  • Carlsbad is a hotspot for new home projects.  Shea Homes, Taylor Morrison, CityVentures and Brookfield Homes all have new communities breaking ground in the coming months, and D.R. Horton (53 Melrose), KB Home (Avellino) and Brookfield (Sago at the Foothills) are building out existing projects in this city.
  • San Marcos is also seeing an uptick of activity.  Colrich is starting to market their new project (Solaire) in the Old Creek master plan, and Lennar is building out Belmont at the top of San Elijo Hills.
  • Farther south, Davidson Communities is breaking ground on their new detached condominium site, (Arista) at The Crosby.
  • Shea Homes is also making news in Mission Valley with its new communities in the Civita master plan.

The communities of Otay Ranch and Olympic Pointe in Chula Vista will supply the San Diego South Bay with new product in the near term.

Future projects in North County, Mid County and South Bay currently in the planning stages ensure that condominiums will continue to supply lower priced homes throughout the region.

Source: David Landes, Marketing Consultant, (858) 568-7428

Few Builders Finding Opportunities in Supply Constrained Ventura County

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Very few residential land REO’s are available for sale in Ventura County at this time.  Most of the REO properties sold in 2009 and 2010, and now only four remain.

Ventura County’s eight primary cities are desirable locations for homebuilders and developers.  Home buyers are drawn to the region’s beachside lifestyle (good schools, safe cities, rolling hills and wide open spaces).

However, the County’s restrictions on new developments create a very supply constrained environment for homebuilders.  Many homebuilders and developers would love to find the right opportunity at the right price in the area.  Now it’s a matter of finding available deals that pencil in the current economic environment.

Homebuilders currently active in Ventura County:

  • D.R. Horton building in Thousand Oaks
  • Toll Brothers building in Moorpark
  • Standard Pacific Communities and Watt Communities building in Simi Valley
  • Watt Communities, Standard Pacific Homes and Shea Communities building in Oxnard
  • City Ventures building in Ventura

Ventura County Lot Suppy (Source: Hanley Wood):

  • 3,812 Tentative Mapped Lots (Approximately 65% of these lots are located in Ventura and Oxnard)
  • 1,366 Finished Lots (Approximately 60% of these lots are located in Moorpark)

Source: Michel Faris, Marketing Consultant, (949) 852-8288 x14