Garth Evans

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!

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!

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.

So here are a couple of the listings that caught my eye as pretty good deals-one on the high end and one that could be a good investment or a starter home.

207 Corte Sendero, Lincoln, CA 95648

This home is in the highly desireable neighborhood of Catta Verdera. A custom home with amazing views of the city and golf course, a nice location on a cul-de-sac and a built-in pool, I don’t think it will last too much longer. They recently reduced the price to $830,000. This home sits on .74 of an acre, 4 beds and 4 baths, 4174 sf, built in 2006 and is richly appointed with many upgrades. The pictures they posted really don’t do it justice. If this was my listing, I would have a lot of fun with the marketing.

The other new listing is located on the East side of Lincoln and is a Ron Ward built home and I just found out it went pending…That was quick! Homes that are priced well really move quick in this market. FYI, it was listed at $155,000, 3 bed 2 bath, about 1350 sf and had new flooring, A/C … More like this one will be coming, let me know what you are looking for.

I frequently have buyers getting excited about the prices on large homes in Lincoln Crossing. Many of them are coming in at under $100 per square foot. Then I bring up the fact that there are high mello roos in that area. Most homes are at a minimum of $250 a month and I have even seen some up in the $400 a month range. Add this with your $115 a month Homeowner’s Association Dues and you can be looking at an extra $400 or so a month added onto your payment. For example, I have some buyers looking at 2 very similar homes, one in LC and one in the Glenmoor subdivision (no mello roos at all). The LC home is priced at $275,000 and the Glenmoor home is at $300,000. Even though the price is $25,000 more, the monthly payment for the Glenmoor home is about $100 less a month. Make sure you have someone working for you who knows about the mello roos and can give you exact numbers so you can make an educated decision. There are good deals in Lincoln Crossing, but take all the factors into consideration.