There were a lot of new faces in the local San Carlos restaurants this past winter and that is because we have a lot of new homeowners!  The 2012 real estate year has begun in high gear as you will see from the numbers below. 
In spite of many provocative news headlines that might catch your attention, if you pay close attention to the bottom line, the economy in the US is improving and the Mexican economy is quite healthy.  According to a recent Reuter’s news report “Mexico’s Finance Department says the country’s economy grew by 4 percent in the second quarter of the year as compared to the same period of 2011.” 
Real estate sales north of the border are stabilizing and in some communities bidding wars have erupted.  Certainly not on the scale that we once saw and this is good news.  We want a stable market and one that is based on true values and not on speculation and risk taking.  No doubt many lessons have been learned and one key lesson is that people want value for their hard earned money and value is what they can buy in San Carlos.
Along with more economic stability, our local economy continues to attract more foreign factories and these expansions provide hundreds of jobs plus import personnel from their corporate headquarters.  It is not uncommon to have a group of business men and women sitting next to you at dinner in one of our local restaurants.
And, if that isn’t enough good news; the el Mirador lookout in San Carlos was designated as the Number #1 Ocean View in the World by National Geographic in October 2012!  Those of us who live here know how much natural beauty surrounds us and now, so does the rest of the world!
Buyers of real estate continue to come from Mexico, Canada, the United States, and now, more Europeans.  Our local artist community hosted an international art festival last fall and we had artists from South America and Europe.  Many of these artists were charmed by San Carlos and are now returning to stay.
Now, on with the numbers!  The real estate information listed below is from the local San Carlos Multiple Listing Service (www.sancarloslistings.com), MLS.  Please note that these sales figures do not include properties sold directly between seller and buyer or any other private transaction.  I am also noting the 2011 sales figures for the same quarters for comparison.

Real Estate Sales for the 1st Quarter of 2011=$1,529,400 USD
Real Estate Sales for the 1st Quarter 2012=$2,622,813 USD
This is an increase of 41%
Real Estate Sales for the 2nd Quarter of 2011=$3,909,000 USD
Real Estate Sales for the 2nd Quarter of 2012=6,130,550 USD
This is an increase of 36%
Second Quarter 2012 Summary
Homes: 15 sold at median sales price of $249,000 USD
Condos: 4 sold at a median sales price of $94,000 USD
Lots:  2 sold at a median sales price of $65,000 USD
Note:
There are approximately 3,000 single family homes and 690 condominiums in San Carlos.
Currently there are 250 single family homes, 86 condos, and 202 lots actively listed on the MLS.
We welcome our new neighbors to San Carlos and in the meantime if you have more specific questions regarding real estate please visit one of our local MLS member brokers!

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