We’ve enjoyed a summer with plenty of monsoonal rain. Fall temperatures are here, along with a couple inches of snow last night. If you take a drive around Big Bear, you’ll find trees heavily laden with apples and pears. This is a great time of year to plant apple trees and berry bushes. Besides providing a delightful harvest, improving your landscaping is an easy way to increase property value and boost curb appeal. A study done by Virginia Tech in 2007 showed that good landscaping can improve a home’s resale … [Read more...]
New “App” for Home Improvement Projects
March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you’ve been considering a remodel project for your Big Bear cabin or home, and just don’t know where to start, there’s a great new “app” available - and best of all, it’s free. Zillow Digs, launched by Zillow.com, is hoping to corner some of the social media market share that houzz.com and pinterest.com have in the virtual real estate world. Zillow.com is the website that allows visitors to get an estimate (or as it’s called on the site, "zestimate") on the value of homes. Zillow helps homeowners, buyers and … [Read more...]
Snow and Real Estate
November 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
If you purchased a home in Big Bear during the summer months you probably weren’t thinking about things like blowing and drifting snow or sheets of ice around your property. The sun is slowly sinking to its lowest point in the sky and many areas will be shaded by trees or mountains for a large part of the day. Some winters will have snow storms one after the other. Other years can be super dry with hardly any snowfall. No matter what the forecasters say, we just don’t know what will happen until it happens. While … [Read more...]
Your Big Bear Lake Home – Mold and Mildew
October 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The recent summer storms and high humidity in Big Bear Lake have created potential breeding grounds for mold and mildew. And there’s no denying that household mold and mildew can be dangerous to our health. In fact, it has been proven to promote asthma, allergies, and colds. Likewise, it’s thought to increase the occurrence of mood swings and depression. Prevention is the best way to eradicate the problem; however, that seems to be the issue with mold — we often don’t know it’s forming until it rears its nasty … [Read more...]
Renting Out Your Big Bear Home
May 13, 2012 by 1 Comment
If you own a second home in Big Bear, you’ve probably considered jumping into the rental market. The Big Bear vacation rental market is one of the most active and lucrative markets in California. The City of Big Bear Lake currently has over 1,100 registered vacation rentals on the books and they estimate another 300 to 500 properties are operating “under the radar”. If you take into account the hundreds of vacation rental properties located outside of the city limits, the total number of rentals in the Big Bear … [Read more...]
Springtime Home Maintenance
April 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
One of the great things about living in Big Bear is the variety of weather we enjoy. In mid-April, we had over a foot of snow and temperatures were well below freezing. As I write this, just two weeks later, the temperatures are in the seventies and the snow has all but disappeared. We’re swapping our ski poles for fishing poles and everyone is happy to see warm weather again. As temperatures rise and snow melts it signals the time to start thinking about seasonal home maintenance. On average, exterior home … [Read more...]
New Real Estate Trends
April 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The National Association of Home Builders expects future housing trends to reflect the current economic and demographic changes of our society. They believe the average size home will be reduced by about 400 sq. ft to 2100 sq. ft. These homes will be energy efficient and family friendly. Expect to see homes that have larger family rooms and smaller dining rooms. Formal living spaces will be either downsized or eliminated. We may see the end of the living room. The demand for resource efficient water systems and … [Read more...]
Big Bear Real Estate – Tour Moonridge
December 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Moonridge area is comprised of Lower Moonridge, Upper Moonridge and High Timber Ranch. It backs up to the San Bernardino National Forest and was one of the first areas settled in Big Bear Lake. Today it's home to the Moonridge Zoo, the Bear Mountain Golf Course, and Bear Mountain Resort. The area is loaded with hiking trails and is a perfect location if you love mountain biking. Aside from activities there are shops and great places for lunch. Lower Moonridge The lower section of Moonridge has all of the … [Read more...]
Winterizing Your Big Bear Home – Part Two
December 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Heat, Gas, and Electricity Heating Systems Most experts advise against turning the heat completely off - for two reasons. First, the winter air brings condensation that can cause mildew and dry-rot. Second, the freeze and thaw will add undue stress to your home and has been known to crack foundations. Install a thermostat that can be set to 40 degrees and make sure you’ve sealed all potential air leaks throughout the home. Natural Gas and Propane Even though you need gas for the heat, you can turn off the gas to … [Read more...]
Winterizing Your Big Bear Home – Part One
December 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Big Bear’s been hit with a blast of artic air and overnight temperatures have dropped into the single digits. If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to winterize your Big Bear home and avoid any costly damage that can occur when the temperatures drop. Here are a few tips for protecting your mountain home during the winter months. Water Supply and Plumbing Besides wrapping your pipes and insulating your home, there are several things you can do to protect your property from freezing temperatures. If you do … [Read more...]
