Just did a check on how the market in my area is doing. I work Real Estate in Mission Viejo, CA Population is over 95,000 Total Active on the market        7/17//09- - 170 detached houses.               8/17/09- - 181 detached houses. Short Sale Active        7/17/09- -35 out of 170                            8/17/09- - 49 out of 181 REO Active       7/17/09-4 out of 170                               8/17/09- - 5 out of 181 In Default Active properties       7/17/09- - 5 out of 170                              8/17/09- - 3 out of 181 That leaves 124 out of 181 as equity sellers for 8/17/09 in Mission Viejo, CA Aug. has changed a small amount 124 out of 181 are equity sellers and last month it was 126 out of 170 showing an increase of short sales sellers. Inventory is down in a month tha... 08/17/2009

I had to go in today for an eye exam at Saddleback Eye Medical Associates in Mission Viejo. This was at a new office and doctor I hadn't seen before, so I was checking them out. Of course the first time you have to fill out all the papers when you arrive but it wasn't too bad.  By the time I finished filling them out, I was called in by a very cordial young man and asked a few questions. He preformed some eye test and then I was seen be a very pleasant young woman who did the prescription for my glasses. I had my eyes dilated before Dr. David Gwynn came in for the final exam. All in all it was well done and very professional. The good news for me, my eyes haven't change enough to require new glasses at this time.  I got to talking to the Dr. David Gwynn to find out more about what they ... 08/14/2009

I am amazed when I talk to people about their credit! They don't understand what it all means for their lives. Housing, car, furniture, appliances, business, entertainment and health all have to do with your credit. Why, because it will comes down to how much house you have, how nice a car you buy, where you will go to eat out, what kind of vacation you will take? Bad credit will ruin all of that! It isn't about the income you make but what you do with it. Make $200,000 a year and spend $220,000 and you will be in trouble someday! Do you know anyone living a decent life on less than$50,000 a year and they have excellent credit? Nice house all paid for before they were 50 years of age, new cars- small but paid cash, living with-in their means but happy. Credit scores 800 and they only ow... 08/08/2009

    Robert Cray is playing tonight at the Lake!  So my husband being the good man that he is woke at the early morning hours of 5:30 to go to the lake and get a wrist band-- this makes it such a great way to get a seat without being trampled!  His wrist band color was called second, I think that is the soonest he has ever been called in the 5 years they have used this system but we always enjoy our seats.  So this concert we will be closer to the stage, maybe even be able to see the artist :)  but it is always a great time.  We gather on our blankets with our LOW lawn chairs, we bring drinks- No GLASS please, and munchies and a blanket to wrap up in as the evening progresses and enjoy the tunes.  Hope to see you there.   This Grammy Award winner, is one of contemporary Blues' biggest st... 08/08/2009

 I have noticed that the lower priced detached homes are not going down in price in Mission Viejo or Lake Forest, CA as a matter of fact prices are up since Jan.2009 In the last 2 months there have not been many REOs available which would of made the bottom line lower. We have within the 2 cities 422 houses total available today and only 12 of those are REOs, that means that less than 2% are Lender owned properties. The news media doesn't look at each city and see that we are getting better. Now looking at sold properties for June. and July., total sales were 405 and of that amount, lender owned was 71. This equals 18% that were sold were REOs. That is a small percentage. I read conflicting reports on lender owned properties saying that the lenders are holding up foreclosures and settli... 08/06/2009

Our poolside summer party was a great success as always! Good food, great weather, games and friends adds up to success. Our Aug, event is going to be held at Dana Point Marina, so come have fun with us. We will on a grassy area over looking the ocean with picnic tables for the food and BBQ's for cooking. Bring lawn chairs with you to sit on, your own drinks and a dish to share with others. Sign up for either a side dish, salad or desert for 6 to 8 people. The club will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, buns and all your favorite fixings. Oh, don't forget the sunblock and a blanket if you like to layout and watch the boats go by. Music and games will be provided as well for all to enjoy. This is an event to be with friends and have fun, plus meet others. For our dancers and e... 08/05/2009

We are just ending our summer program and will have 2 weeks off, before starting back up. Casta del Sol makes sure we have everything available to keep us young in body and mind. You just have to make yourself go and be involved. Our summer program consists of all around fitness. Monday and Wednesday are for Aerobic Workout to promote healthy hearts and lungs. The instructor works us for 45 minutes with a small break to take in much needed water. This is done to music, making sure to move all parts of the body. She finishes with 15 minutes of stretching and cool down time. Tuesday and Thursday are Body Sculpting for strength building, agility and balance. Leila, our instructor, works us for 45 minutes using weights in connection with balance pods, stretch bands and stretch tubes. We mak... 07/31/2009

Cypress Point is a community that rest on Alicia just across from Mission Viejo Lake.  It consists of eight different models to these attached homes they are know as Cherry Hills, Inverness, Killarney, Agusta, Wheaton, Pinehurst, and Torry Pines.  The community consists of 101 total units in a secur gated community.  The attached homes all have fireplaces and 2 car garages.  The Pinehurst model has 2 fireplaces.  The homes range in size from 2 to 3 bedroom homes with 2 to 3 baths.  The smallest home is 1257 sf.  and the largest is 2195 sf.  Some on the homes back to the Casta Del Sol golf course.  This community is known for its views and for the serenity of the community.  The community does have a pool and is family friendly.  Behind the same gates is the Lake Ridge community that sha... 07/31/2009

A big article appeared in The Orange County Register this morning on US Index showing signs of stabilizing  It maybe true, I hope it is.  The Case-Shiller 20 city index for May posted its first monthly increase since 2006.  However, the greater Los Angeles area includes Orange County and we showed a .1 percent decrease from previous mohth.  We were hit harder than a lot of other areas of the country due to the risky loans that the buyers have and had.  Those will still have to work their way thru the market so we may not recover as fast as other areas.  We will be watching and let you know as the market changes. 07/29/2009

Which is Better, a Foreclosure or Short Sale to Buy Again?       The question always comes up, "Is it better to do a short sale than go through foreclosure?" The circumstances that lead up to the loss play a roll in the final answer along with the timing of how soon someone can purchase another home. These are the guidelines in place by FNMA and FHLMC.    Foreclosure: A legal procedure in which a mortgaged property is sold by the trustee to pay the outstanding debt following a default. Short Sale: A workout program wherein the lender accepts an amount as payment in full that is actually less than the total payoff due.    In order to be able to purchase a home again after a foreclosure there are two timeframes that are determined by the circumstances that lead to the foreclosure. The two... 07/28/2009

CASTA DEL SOL INFORMATION Located In Mission Viejo, CA 23 active homes available today 14 in backup 3 pending Prices Range:   $300K - $590K Association Dues Range:  $308 Year Built Range:  1972 to 1987 1920 homes sights within the gates Gated:  Human Gate Guarded Home Styles:  Single Family detached and with 1 and 2 car garages ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet.  Single family attached with 1 car garage ranging in size from 1,000 to 1,600 square feet. Community Amenities:  2 Swimming Pools, Tennis Courts, 2 Club Houses, Recreation Facility, Gym/Exercise Room, Basketball Court and horse shoe pit.  It's also adjacent to Casta Del Sol golf course which has reduced rates for seniors. Mission Viejo Lake close by for swimming, fishing, boating and BBQ with picnic tables, member... 07/27/2009

Summer is a great time of year here is South Orange County.  Sunny warm cool evenings and nights.  Have you ever thought how great a place this truly is.  Others have to live with humidity, super hot temps. and hot at night as well.  The weather alone is worth any other problems we may face.  The area is clean beautiful and does not have a high crime rate.  No extreme danger here.  I guess that is why I live here.  If you need more info. on the area contact me. Thanks Tim 07/26/2009

I need some help.  As a real estate agent in this market it is thinner than it has been in the past so I am looking for buyer and seller who are thinking of purchasing a home or investing in a home in the next 2 months.  Please contact me.  Thanks Tim. 07/26/2009

Ok today in the newspaper we saw indications that there is a brighter yr. than last yr.  in the last 4 weeks according to the statistics those 3 areas have show significant positive change.  The change was that the percentages have gone up in the number of sales and in the actual number of sales.  The price is still going down overall.   I look at the three cities Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo to get an idea of what and where the market is going.  It is a quick way to assess South Orange County from the news paper every Sunday.  I use those 3 areas because they have a large enough number of transactions in every type of market condition.  If you look at some of the others they are small numbers that tend to skew the results.  To buyers it means there is a lot o... 07/26/2009

If you are about to have your loan adjust you can talk to your lender and see if they will give you a simple new low interest home loan or modify your loan.  If you have equity in your home and you have been thinking about moving up size of home or neighborhood. Now is the time! Understand that your home is worth less but so is the home you are going to purchase has also gone done in value.  In fact, the up scale home has a greater drop in value than the amount you have seen your home drop in value.  Properties go down by percentages and the more expensive homes go down more than the lesser expensive homes (in actual dollars) in a recession. Just look and compare homes in different price ranges (click on the blue and go to the website).  So, you may get a lesser amount for your home but... 07/25/2009

Ok I've around Real Estate all my life my grandfather sold Real Estate in Los Angeles.  My father in South Orange.  I've seen recessions and slow downs and how they can have a negative effect on the market.  This is a strange market. It is very active from 0 to $600,000 with multiple offers on homes.  Above that mark we have some activity, but the market is excessively slow $900,000 and up.  We do not have the move up buyer's of years past.  Most sales are short sales and bank owned properties.  Nothing I've stated is strange.  Strange is when I take out someone to look at property in the below $600,000 range and there are multiple offers on short sale and bank owned properties.  I go down the to equity properties that are fixed to the 10s and there are no offers and my client purchases... 07/22/2009

I have an idea! Remember when builders of new houses had held Lotteries to pick your house. Why don't we get the banks to do this, for the lower priced houses that have multiple offers on them. This way some of the FHA first time buyers would have a chance at getting a house. The bank sets the price they want, instead of us trying to guess how much they will take for the bottom line. I said "guess" because of what I see happening, latey. Like go WAY over with cash and then let the apprasial set the price. They could have buyers approved before hand, just like they do on most of properties anyway. At least it would even the chances out. It doesn't seem fair that investors with money get every house and families don't have an opportunity to buy a home. Families buying a home have to put i... 07/21/2009

Just did a check on how the market in my area is doing. I work out of Mission Viejo, CA Population is over 95,000 Total Active on the market        6/17//09- - 169 detached houses.               7/18/09- - 170 detached houses. Short Sale Active        6/17/09- -42 out of 169                            7/18/09- - 35 out of 170 REO Active       6/17/09-5 out of 169                               7/18/09- - 4 out of 170 In Default Active properties       6/17/09- - 3 out of 169                              7/18/09- - 5 out of 170 That leaves 135 out of 170 as equity sellers for 6/17/09 July has changed a small amount 126 out of 170 are equity sellers and last month it was 119 out of 169 showing an increase of equity sellers. Inventory is down in a month that is usually higher. June and July... 07/19/2009

Article in today's Orange County's Register business section written by Jeff Collins, that there were 135 offers on one property in just 3 days. Are there crazy people out there? You bet there are! The highest price during housing boom, for  this house was $760,000 and was offered now at $386,100. It has now sold for $501,000- $115,000 over asking. It says this isn't normal but could it become normal. Another house in Anahiem made news recently for having 63 offers. Not long ago in Downey there was a house sold with 101 offers on it. There were so many bids on the first day that they set the limit at taking offers for only 3 days. In that time they got more than 10 bids for $100,000 over asking price. The highest price didn't get it because it was a weak bid. It states that 25 offers we... 07/12/2009

Fourth of July Street Faire & Fireworks Spectacular Saturday, July 4 12:00p to 9:30p at Olympiad Road between Marguerite Parkway and Melinda Road, Mission Viejo, CA Held yearly on Olympiad Road and in the area adjoining Lake Mission Viejo, this Faire provides a classic Fourth of July celebration for the city of Mission Viejo. Rides and games enhance an exciting carnival atmosphere for all ages. Local clubs and organizations are invited to set up booths for food, drink, crafts, gifts and games. read more Price: Free admission. Phone: (949) 830-7066 Age Suitability: All Ages Tags: fireworks, july 4th, mission viejo, summer09 Held yearly on Olympiad Road and in the area adjoining Lake Mission Viejo, this Faire provides a classic Fourth of July celebration for the city of Mission Viejo. Rid... 07/02/2009