Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers will help protect you against fires originating inside the home, but the best way to protect your Big Bear property from a forest fire or a nearby structure fire is by creating defensible space. Defensible space creates a separation between structures and trees and shrubs. By removing congested trees and shrubs, fire cannot easily jump from one plant or tree to another and eventually to your home. The following is an overview of local Big Bear clearance … [Read more...]
Winter Fun – Big Bear Real Estate
November 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
As soon as the first prediction of snow is forecast, the excitement builds across the Valley. Many of us choose to live in Big Bear because of the variety of recreational opportunities. Both Bear Mountain and Snow Summit lead the industry in snowmaking. That means plenty of snow, even when the afternoon temperatures hit 60 degrees. Bear Mountain caters to snowboarders. There is free public internet access everywhere. We recommend you start at Red Bull Plaza. The Park at Bear Mountain is devoted to free-style … [Read more...]
Nuances of Mountain Living
November 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Purchasing a Big Bear mountain home is a different decision than purchasing one “down the hill.” You’ll want to be prepared for the change from urban living to our mountaintop lifestyle. Expect changes in trash pickup, mail delivery and even grocery shopping. Trash pickup is determined by your neighborhood. Big Bear Lake and parts of Big Bear City have regular trash pickup. Once you get out to the east Valley, like Baldwin Lake, you have to take your trash to the dump (as a resident, there is no charge). Big Bear … [Read more...]
Boulder Bay Lakefront Beauty Closes for $2,350,000!
October 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
This custom log style lakefront at 671 Cove Drive just closed escrow. Congrats to the new owners, and to Mike Wochner and Tyler Wood for handling the sale. … [Read more...]
Sales Up & Inventory Down for Big Bear Real Estate Market
October 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
That's the current Big Bear real estate in a nutshell. Here's a good chart for the Sugarloaf area that parallels the other Big Bear neighborhoods. If this holds steady, get ready to see prices slowly increase. If you're interested in more markets stats, be sure to check the Big Bear Communities pages on our website. Each area is updated monthly with pretty charts like these :-) … [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...]
Real Estate Appraisals
September 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Big Bear real estate market isn’t immune to market fluctuations and many sellers are finding themselves in an unhappy but common predicament. They may be in escrow with a qualified buyer but the financing has now fallen through because the appraisal has come in at less than the agreed upon price of the home. This has led to a high number of contract cancellations. The increase in contract cancellations or delays has been blamed on more lenders declining mortgage applications from stricter underwriting … [Read more...]
Homeowners Insurance
September 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you'll ever make. It's important to protect this investment. This is where homeowners insurance comes in. Homeowners insurance provides you with broad coverage for losses that can arise while owning or renting out your home – like damage to your personal property, theft and vandalism, and liability coverage for accidental injury to another person or property. Accidents do happen and you want to be sure you're protected if someone is injured on your property. In the … [Read more...]
How’s this for a back yard?
July 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Backing to the National Forest is a pretty nice way to expand your yard while enjoying the sounds of nature. While these type of properties are very nice, they are also in high demand and hard to find. … [Read more...]
How’s the Real Estate Market in Big Bear?
July 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I'd say it's pretty active based on our company transactions list for July. It's nearly full! I haven't seen it this way for a while. Nice to be busy, and productive, again. … [Read more...]
