Not long ago, you had to go to a real estate agent in order to get information on property listings. Books filled with all the local real estate listings were distributed to real estate offices and the agents would review the books and find homes that matched their clients' needs. This information was not readily available to the public. The times have drastically changed. Today, much of the once-private information is now public. But does that mean you can handle the entire real estate transaction on your own? … [Read more...]
How Will The New 3.8% Tax Affect Big Bear Real Estate?
October 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Starting in 2013, there will be a new 3.8% tax that will affect some sellers, not all, of Big Bear real estate. There have been a lot of rumors, many of which are not true, flying around the Internet the past few years about a new real estate tax. Contrary to popular belief, this tax will not apply to all home sales. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), this new tax will only affect 2-3% of the home sales. What is the new 3.8% tax law? The law was passed by Congress in 2010 with the … [Read more...]
Big Bear Real Estate – Tips For a Smooth Move
August 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Congratulations on selling your Big Bear home! It’s time to concentrate on the "fun" part of selling a home - packing up all those clothes, toys, and pots and pans. Here are a few tips for a smooth move. Start the packing process as early as possible. The earlier you begin packing the more organized and stress-free you’ll be. Go room by room and make notes on what’s going with you (and staying behind). Stock up on packing supplies, including: boxes, bubble wrap, newspapers, labels, markers, packing foam, packing … [Read more...]
Big Bear Sellers, Time is Not on Your Side.
July 23, 2012 by 1 Comment
Click here for video link. Back in the "crazy" Big Bear real estate years of 2000 thru 2007, the longer a home was on the market, the more a seller could get for it. The prices were going up every month, and sellers were getting lucky. Over the past 5 years however, this process has flip flopped. Generally, the longer a home sits on the market, the lower the price it will fetch. Seems pretty simple. Yet, sellers continue to tell me they want to sell, but they are not in a hurry. Therein lies the … [Read more...]
Dip In Inventory Equals Opportunity For Big Bear Real Estate Sellers
January 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Direct link to - Window of opportunity for Big Bear sellers The number of homes for sale in Big Bear has been steadily dropping the past few months. Just recently, we dipped below 600 homes for sale. With that comes a window of real estate opportunity for some Big Bear home sellers. As the inventory levels drop, so does the number of available options for buyers to choose from. And when they have less options to choose from, this makes certain properties stand out, which in turn increases the odds of that … [Read more...]
Who Controls the Real Estate Prices in Big Bear?
January 7, 2012 by 4 Comments
Direct link to Big Bear Real Estate - Who Controls Real Estate Pricing? In short, the buyers. Real Estate agents like to think they have some effect on the pricing, but I believe it is determined mostly by the buyers, and to some degree, sellers. It doesn't matter how great an agent thinks they are, our how much money they spend marketing the property, if the price is too high and the buyers don't agree with it, it won't sell. No amount of skill or marketing will force a buyer to pay a significant amount … [Read more...]
Big Bear Real Estate Buyers – Time is of the Essence!
November 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Click here if you cannot see the video above. The standard real estate contract for the state of California includes a clause that says, "Time is of the Essence." Essentially, this means that the parties to the contract need to perform according to the timelines laid out in the contract or they could otherwise be in breach of the contract. It appears to me that a lot of buyers, and many agents, seem to totally ignore this clause. It is pretty common for most escrows to be delayed 1-2 weeks or more. It is … [Read more...]
The Proctologist Called…….
November 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
And they found the bank's head! It's no wonder that the majority of short sales don't ever close escrow. There's not a week that goes by that I don't hear a story similar to the one below. Several months ago I had a short sale property in escrow located in the Boulder Bay area at 39029 Robin Rd. We had it in escrow for $465,000, and after 60-75 days of back-and-forth negotiating with the first lien holder, Freddie Mac, as well as the second lien holder, a private party, we were about 10-14 days away from … [Read more...]
