Hidden Falls
I was just thinking about how lucky we are to live in this beatiful area. All of Placer County is really pretty great. The rain has been good, but I am ready for spring! If you like the outdoors, there is so much to do around here. Just recently, my Mom came down for a visit and we were able to take a couple day trips. We went down to San Francisco and went through the California Academy of Sciences. What an incredible place! The kids, especially my 5 year old, loved the sea life and everything else there was to see. We are located in a perfect spot between the culture of the city and the natural beauty of the Sierras. Where else can you travel for about an hour and either be out to the coast or skiing on world class resorts? We also had the chance to take my Mom on a hike through Hidden Falls Regional Park just here in Auburn. Just about 15 or 20 minutes from Lincoln and that place is pretty incredible too! I could go on and on about all the great places we have close by. Camp Far West Lake is just North of town and is pretty quiet compared to Folsom Lake and some of the other lakes around. Some of my favorite hikes that we do with the Boy Scouts are only an hour up I-80 – Loch Leven Lake, Warren Lake, Castle Peak and many others…I am always looking for new places too, let me know if anyone else has any favorites. We do live in a beautiful place!
Well, it’s old news now, but it was very exciting for the kids to wake up to snow the other day. Growing up in Canada, it was a regular occurence for me and it was always hard to get excited about having to shovel the walks, scrape the car windows, not being able to play hockey on the outdoor rinks (can’t see the puck or stickhandle)… but I did feel that twinge of excitement when my wife woke me up at about 4:30 telling me that it had snowed and asking if she should wake the kids up because she was afraid it would melt before they got up. I told her not too worry and to got back to sleep, but the kids were up before 6:00 building snowmen and sledding down the front yard. It was sort of neat to see. Anyway, for those of you looking to get away from the snow, it only happens here about once every 30 years, so I think you are okay! I have to admit, we did let the kids stay home and the boys played in the snow most of the day. They slept well Monday night. Lincoln is a great location, you can get up to the snow in about an hour and enjoy snowboarding, skiing or snowmobiling (ski-dooing for those Canadians out there) in the winter and the beauty of hiking in the Sierras in the summer (I take the Boy Scouts up there frequently). We are also a couple hours from the ocean and can get to a variety of beaches and do any of the Bay Area attractions in a day trip. We enjoyed trips to Tahoe and Santa Cruz this summer and the kids are looking forward to a snowtrip in the next couple weeks. I love Lincoln, it is a great place to live!
I have been involved in a number of different businesses through high school, during my college time and after graduation. Whether or not it was my own business, I have always been interested in looking at the trends that affect the performance of a company. Obviously there are many factors that a business owner can’t control and either has to adapt or suffer. Over the last five years or so, it has become very apparent to me how quickly the real estate industry changes. I am not talking about the overall economy (although the effects are evident), I am thinking about adjustments in marketing listings and advertising for new business. Years ago, the newspaper and slick magazines at the grocery stores were a big part of marketing. Now, many of these companies have either changed to an online presence, are half the size they used to be or gone completely. Of course, there are many options for advertising but one tool that we are now using is one that I am really excited about.
The National Listings Distribution Program is a new program from Realty World that gives our listings maximum exposure on the internet. Here’s how it works…within 72 hours after we enter the listing in our system, your home is displayed on 34 major national real estate portals, providing instant, maximum exposure and increased search results on the property. Also, we have a partnership with Trulia.com and they promote our listings to an additional 170 partner websites. The facts are that about 80% (I think it may be higher) of buyers are using the internet to search for a home. Calls from buyers come in everyday saying that they saw my listing on the internet. I can’t even begin to explain how important this is. The truth is, selling your home is a numbers game. The more people that know about it, the more chance we will get people through the door and the more people that come, the better chance we have to sell and sell at a good price. This program works! No other real estate company is providing this type of exposure at this point.
So, you are looking for an agent to help you sell or buy real estate. What should you look for? There are numerous questions you may ask as you try to get a feel for who the agent is you are interviewing. Take a look at my introduction video to get you a better feel for who I am, how I conduct my business and why I should be your next agent. Click on the link below:
Thank you to Jim, Neal and Rebekah for their time!
So I was thinking about this the other day as my stack of short sale files is getting higher and higher (Don’t despair if I am working one for you, I am closing them but they are taking time). A lot of agents are complaining about the banks not working with them, basically making life difficult and sometimes foreclosing in the middle of a deal. I have yet to see that happen on any of my files, but I have learned that representing a seller on a short sale is not for the faint of heart. A short sale definitely isn’t short and is nothing like a sprint.
Last month, I had the chance to run my first marathon. The route was full of elevation changes and at a much higher overall elevation than I am used to running. Just like in a marathon, there are times in the short sale process when you feel great about the progress then times when you feel like you can’t finish and want to give up. What I have found is that if you can push through those times without too much frustration or longing to quit, the desired results are generally attained. Let me know if there are any questions regarding the process or different phases and I would be happy to answer based on my experiences over the last couple years.
2431 Celtic Drive-No Mello Roos
I just wanted to let everyone know about a new listing I just took in Glenmoor. As I have mentioned in previous articles, I like selling homes in this West Lincoln neighborhood because they don’t have the high Mello Roos like Lincoln Crossing and other areas of Lincoln. Due to this fact, the resale value is generally higher and the numbers work better if you are an investor. This home was built in 2000, is 2624 SF, has 4 bedrooms, a large den, a loft area and formal living and dining rooms in addition to the kitchen/family great room. It also has a spacious 3 car garage and a nice yard. This is not a short sale or bank owned property. Call me if you want to see it or if you have any questions. Priced at $299,999, I think it will move quickly. For more pictures, visit the featured homes tab on the site.
Good afternoon. I thought I would just write a quick post about a questions I answer numerous times everyday. People are always asking “Have we seen the bottom of the real estate market yet?” and “What’s going on with the market in Lincoln?”
There really isn’t a short answer to it, but I will try to sum it up without going into too much detail. First of all, in some market segments I believe that we are at or close to the bottom. In the lower prices, $200K and below, I believe we are pretty much at the bottom. Most listings coming up at that price are sold very quickly regardless of condition. That being said, it may also be due to the fact that there is a low supply at this point. The prices seem to have stabilized and are even trending upwards in some areas. Who knows though, if we see another big influx of bank-owned properties in this segment the prices may fluxuate to some extent. Bottom line, the numbers are working for investors and if the rental market remains strong, the less expensive houses will sell as long as lenders make the money available.
In the mid range, $250K to $350K, I am seeing about the same results. Homes are selling quickly, but most of the buyers are move-up buyers or even some first-time buyers. Not as many investors in this segment.
The luxury homes, $600K and above seem to still be falling substantially. We are starting to see home owners default on their principle residences whereas it was mostly investors that bought on speculation that had bailed out previously. In the lower luxury homes (tract homes in Verdera priced between $400 and $500K etc.) we are seeing a very competitive market with most listings recieving multiple offers in the first couple days. Currently I think this is a safer risk than the higher priced custom homes.
Hopefully this gives everyone some insight. Obviously there are many factors that can swing the market one way or another. Area (even within Lincoln) makes a difference, interest rates, supply and demand, lending policies and dozens of other variables can cause changes. Please feel free to comment or ask questions on this post.
In the market for a beautiful custom home in Rocklin? This home is in a great location just down the street from Mansion Oaks Park. Take a look by clicking the link below and let me know what you think!
