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Big Bear Home Sales For September 2008

Home sales in Big Bear hit their highest mark of the year with 82 homes sold in the month of September. This surpasses the previous monthly high of 2008 which was 67 homes sold in the month of May.  This is also 22 (27%) more than Aug. 2008 and the previous Sept. 2007. The median price for Sept. home sales was $224,500, down 21% from Aug. 2008 and down 17% from Sept. 2007. The median price has been all over the board the past 5 months, ranging between $205,000 to $290,000.  With such a limited amount of sales, I … [Read more...]

Trying To Time The Real Estate Market

Whether it is with selling or buying, everyone would like to time the market.  A seller always wants to sell at the peak while a buyer always wants to buy at the bottom.  Who wouldn't?  But the reality is that timing the market happens more by luck than strategy.  By the time you know it is the bottom, or top for that matter, it will have already passed. Below is a quick video I did this morning talking about clients who want to time the market in the Big Bear purchase and what I believe they should … [Read more...]

Real Estate Reports Should Be Like the Weather Reports….Local.

If you turn on any national news channel in the morning before work you will always see the weather forecast for the day.  And sure enough, when they go to the "your neck of the woods" weather report, you will see your local weather news person give a quick 15-20 second local weather report.  Seems to be just the way it is with weather reports. But then, the next segment that comes on talks about the national real estate market.....is there such a thing? No local reports as with the weather, just one report that … [Read more...]

What You Must Know Prior To Buying A Bank Owned Home In Big Bear

I sat down with Israel Barden, our REO & bank owned expert with Coldwell Banker here in Big Bear Lake, for a quick video discussion on the 3 most important things buyers in this market need to understand about buying a bank owned property. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWoSVKChFPo[/youtube] There are many factors to consider when buying a bank owned property.  If you are thinking about a bank owned purchase, be sure to talk with your real estate agent and lender first.  A bank owned purchase can be … [Read more...]

Big Bear Home Sales 2008 – 2nd & 3rd Quarters

Below are the details on home sales in Big Bear for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2008.  See the 1st quarter home sales here.  Why am I posting the 2nd and 3rd quarters together?  Because I was lazy (or busy) in July and did not post the 2nd qrt. numbers then :). 2008 - 2nd Quarter #s Year Q2 # of Home Sales Median Sales Price Days on the Market List Price to Sales Price … [Read more...]

Bank Owned Properties – What Today’s Sellers Need To Learn From Them

Bank owned properties dominate the headlines in today's real estate world. Rightfully so, they are setting the pricing standards in most areas while comprising roughly 20%-70% of the current closed sales for many areas in our Nation. Here are a few recommendations for sellers that want to sell in this market and what they can learn from their bank owned competitors. [viddler id=d35e19f1&w=437&h=368] The key point here is that banks have to sell their properties. They are willing to take much less than … [Read more...]

List Price, Sales Price, and Market Value.

A lot of buyers today get caught up in what a property is listed for and how much they can get off of the price.  They think the more off the price they can get, the better value they are getting.  While this might be true in some cases, it can be false in others.  Buyers should be more concerned with what the value of the property is, not what it is listed for. Take a look at the video below for more details on a specific example I came across. [viddler id=8277b8d2&w=437&h=368] (Note - if you are viewing … [Read more...]

Absorption Rates For The Big Bear Real Estate Market – September 2008

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Big Bear, you may want to take a look at the absorption rate of homes that are currently for sale. This is a good way to become more informed on the current real estate market conditions in a particular area. There is an easy to understand article here describing what the absorption rate is and what it means for the real estate market. In simplistic terms, it is a mathematical equation that tells the amount of time it will take for a specified set amount of … [Read more...]

What Do Real Estate Agents Get Paid For?

Business coach Jim Rohn has a good response to this type of question.  As with any job, "You get paid for bringing value to the marketplace" Rohn says.  If you are not bringing value to the marketplace, then sooner or later you are not going to get paid. This is even more true in today's tough market conditions. In the life of a real estate agent, this statement could not be closer to the truth.  The role of the real estate agent has changed dramatically since the days before the internet, IDX, VOW's, blogs, … [Read more...]

Buying An REO or Bank Owned Property? Make Sure You Read The Fine Print.

Given the current real estate climate, bank owned or REO (real estate owned by banks) properties have become highly sought after by today's buyers.  Whether or not they ultimately end up purchasing one, most buyers are starting off with this thought in mind. Naturally, these buyers are looking for a deal and most bank owned properties fit this category perfectly.  It is not uncommon to see Big Bear REO properties selling from 75 to 90 cents on the dollar as compared to similar homes on the market. While buying a … [Read more...]