SHORT SALES - DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?I recently attended a full day seminar on Short Sales, thinking this was the 'new wave' in real estate.  I've got to tell you I cam away very disapointed if this is the direction the market is headed.  To sum it up, they are a lot of work, will take at least twice as long as a normal transaction and ther is no guarantee that the deal will happen (is there ever?) or what your commission will be at the end of the day.I really hope we can avoid this dierection, both for the sakes of the poor souls going through the drama in their lives and for us as REALTORS - let us do what we do - sell houses!Anyway, look the notes over, and if they can help you, then so be it  Let me through in a disclaimer though, these are notes from a seminar, they are not re... 12/26/2006

Another Interesting Statistic...Or More Listings Equals More Expireds!By John OcchiI was doing some work looking at some of the statistics for the Hemet Real Estate market and determined what ‘I  knew to be true" is in reality a fact, that can be backed up with cold hard facts.I have been looking at the Expired listings in Hemet.  "Expireds" are REALTOR liongo for properties that have been under contract and listed in the MLS with a REALTOR®. For a specific period of time - typically somewhere between 90 and 180 days, and the contract has expired without the property being sold.Just to show you the significance of the numbers, for the sake of this article, I am comparing November 2005 to November of this year, the last full month with information availableThe first number I looked at wa... 12/26/2006

Cost vs. Value Revue:  Every year the National Home Remodeling Association publishes it's annual Cost vs. Value Report, which is then republished by the National Association of REALTORS in their monthly REALTOR Magazine.I wish I could say how long this report has been published. All I know is that I was using it 10 to 15 years ago when I was selling replacement windows and other remodeling jobs for contractors.  It is a tool with a great amount of credibility that is hard to dispute.  This version is based on data from 2006.The report looks at the 25 most common renovations.  First it breaks down the projects into one of three categories:  Additions, Remodels & Replacements.  The report then breaks down country into 9 different regions.  (They also offer a paid version of 60 different c... 12/26/2006

I recently did extensive research on a particular neighborhood.  I'm sure the local residents have a name for their corner of Hemet, but I am sorry to report I do not know it.It is a unique area, surrounded on two sides by senior mobile home communities - ‘Panorama Village' to the east (east of Lyon) and 7 Hills to the south (south of Stetson).  The north is separated from adjoining lands by railroad tracks.  The community runs west to Kirby, although some could argue that it actually extends all the way to Sanderson.  However, the homes on the west of Kirby are typically newer and larger, even if only by a few years.I was trying to find comps on a 2 story home of approximately 1550 square feet in the area, and amazingly, I could only find one.   Because the information I was tasked wit... 12/25/2006

I received an email this Christmas evening, through my website,  with a question which every potential buyer must be asking themselves right now..."Is this a Good Time to BUY?"Well, here is the actual email I received and the return answer I provided...Comments:i'm moving into the area and am indecisive whether to jump into a full fledged mortgage. can you tell me whether it's a good time to buy? thanks, aaronMy Answer:Aaron,You sure have asked a loaded question...one that has so many variables...most of which depend on you and your own personal situation.I can say over time, you will always be better off building your own equity in your own home as opposed to helping a landlord feed his investments.There is speculation that interest rates are back on their way up - no one can say for c... 12/25/2006

California - Riverside County - HEMET market conditionsGrowth has still remained strong as demand for local housing increases. Prices (avg. home $307,000) have remained steady to increasing over the past few months with San Jacinto (pricing up 16.7%) and homes in the Hemet Zip code of 92544 (prices up 1.6%) experiencing the most activity and appreciation. Yes, appreciation. Although many parts of California and the Country in general have experienced a slide in values and activity, the Valley continues to grow and must to meet demand. The press has had some effect on the market yet, home Sellers with proper marketing still experience much activity and those with MLS exposure only, are experiencing much less activity and average time on market approaching 180 days or more.A excellent are... 11/18/2006