In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.7.        ... 12/24/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.6.        ... 12/24/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.5.        ... 12/24/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.4.        ... 12/24/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.3.        ... 12/23/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.2.        ... 12/23/2007

In today's "Buyers Market" there are many great bargains available in both the resale market as well as the new construction.  Make sure you weigh all of your options.  In Hemet, CA we do have many great opportunities to buy a home for sale either from the builder, the bank (as in foreclosure homes) and directly from the homeowner - either as a short sale or a straight retail transaction (although the later are becoming less and less available as it becomes more difficult to compete with the builders and the banks).This series of articles is provided to help the first time homebuyer or even the move up homebuyer make the right decision when buying new construction in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley in South West Riverside County area of the Inland Empire in Southern California.1.        ... 12/23/2007

The Inland Empire market in southern California has certainly gone through a major transition in 2007, setting the stage in 2008, for what I project will be the best buyers market we have ever experienced.Homeowners who would like to sell for any of a number of ‘normal' circumstances will certainly be disappointed.  Although I do believe that prices are near the bottom of the market, since a real estate investor can now purchase a property with minimal rehab expense and turn it into a positive cash flow rental unit.Although my prediction that the market has come close to hitting the bottom of the market, I do not see and end to the current situation for at least two years, as bad loans continue to be called and end up in the foreclosure process.  The effect, I predict, will see a flatte... 12/20/2007

The Hemet - San Jacinto Valley attract new families and businesses to our area for many reasons.  High on the list has to be the culture our valley has that emphasizes family values.  Our residents and business leaders interact with one another on a daily basis with integrity - which is a breath of fresh air when comparing the environment found in Southern California cities.  The Hemet - San Jacinto Valley offers convenience to some of the world's great recreational facilities making the possibilities almost endless.  Of course, our mild climate is another huge reason to attract newcomers to our valley.Every member of the family can find something to do and enjoy . . . regardless of age!  It does not matter if your interest is in sports and recreational activities to shopping or even a ... 12/19/2007

Last month, I posted about having lunch with fellow rainer Joey Aszterbaum. Sushi & Friendship - A Face To Face Meeting In The RainBoy, did I get a load of grief for not taking and posting pictures! Well, Joey invited me to amonthly breakfast meeting he holds:  Goal Setting for 2008 - Real Agent Help Monthly Breakfast. Hey, guess what? I brought my camera! Not only was Joey there, but I got the opportunity to meet fellow rainers John Occhi, Graham Holmes and Heidi Grey. Heidi hasn't posted anything yet, but I'm going to nudge her when we meet for lunch on Monday.Joey talked about setting goals for the new year and did a masterful job as host. He challenged us to take new action and step outside our comfort zone. One of his goals was to organize and hold a monthly breakfast meeting and h... 12/13/2007

Earlier this month, The United States House of Representatives voted and passed a measure, The Doyle-Pickering bill, referred to as the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 3541), that would make phone numbers a permanent addition to the "Do Not Call List", instead of the 5 year period numbers are currently registered for.  The matter is now pending in the U.S. Senate as Senate Bill 2096.The measure will eliminate the need for consumers from Hemet CA, or any where else in South West Riverside County, The Inland Empire or elsewhere in the country from having to renew their phone number every 5 years, as has been the practice.  The new legislation will also require the Federate Trade Commission (FTC) who oversees the Do Not Call List to remove disconnected and reassigned phone number... 12/13/2007

I have covered in previous blog articles numerous aspects of a short sale.  I have discussed it from the standing of the homeowner (seller), from the investor and even the ultimate homeowner (buyer).  I have discussed in great detail what an agent needs to know in order to successfully process a short sale.Today, I want to re-examine what I need from the seller to move forward in successfully marketing, negotiating and selling a Hemet property in a short sale situation.There is of course all of the standard listing agreement and disclosures that are mandatory for every California REALTOR® to complete on every listing - so I won't get into the details of the norm, here.However, there are a couple of disclosures that the seller does have to complete in their own handwriting.  I will typic... 12/10/2007

The holidays are here and many REALTORS® are in slow down mode, spending valuable time with family and loved ones.  Rightfully so, this time is well deserved and priceless as memories are created.However, in order to survive the Hemet, CA Real Estate market that we are in, that by everyone's expectations will only get worse in 2008 we have to figure out what we are going to do to survive.  I'm sure, I'm not the only one who receives emails soliciting my services to get into some other venture - using my REALTOR® skills and resources.  Well, if it's OK, I'm going to stick with this wonderful industry we call Real Estate.I will be doing things a bit differently though.  This is the time to plan and figure out just what you can do and what you will do for the next year, so once all of the ... 12/09/2007

They sure seem to be a good idea.  They are lightweight, small, compact and most of all portable.  But let me ask you, is this a blessing or a curse?Yes, I have used a thumb drive for about a year, on a fairly regular basis.  It sure is a good way to keep the office laptop, office desktop and my home personal PC as close to synchronized as possible.Being a guy who does not like to carry a briefcase or other bag, I do not have a convenient place to store a thump-drive.  I have used my key chain...but the drive I had there broke off at the swivel and got lost somewhere.  Fortunately, there was no critical data that was lost.Then there was the one that one of my puppies chewed, because if fell off of the table where I empty my pockets.  Again, nothing critical and at least I knew where my ... 12/08/2007

We knew there would eventually be some sort of government intervention into the current housing situation in this country.  Just this week the Treasury Secretary, Harry Paulson, proposed a plan that would either freeze or fix the rates on adjustable rate mortgages (ARM).On the surface, this appears to be good for the country, right?  Or is it?  I am just a simple REALTOR® who wants to sell real estate for a living.  I do not pretend to be an economist or financial analyst, yet something does not smell right here.The proposed program is being touted as helping the 4 to 7 percent of the homeowners who are effected by what is being summarily labeled "predatory lending".  That is such a good term to make it sound like we are going after the bad guys and helping those in need...riding in on ... 12/06/2007

In a previous article, So, you want to Invest in Real Estate but not sure about Finding Good Tenants... we discussed the challenges of finding a good tenant for your newly acquired Hemet, CA investment property.In this article, I want to examine the overall responsibilities of Property Management, so you will be able to decide if you are up to the task or is this a place to add a new team member to your roster.Successful Property Management is more than just finding a good tenant - it is about being a good landlord.  It keeps you involved in your property before it is rented during the rental process and once it has been rented - the past, present and the future!Let's look at what might be involved in managing a typical rental property in Hemet, CA:            Property Preparation:  Whe... 12/04/2007

This is a topic that has bothered me for some time, and this weekend I finally was pushed to the edge.I had a very busy weekend, working with two sets of investor buyers, writing a total of 4 offers.  (Check out my end-of-the-year strategy.) It seems like all I did was show property all weekend.  The second buyer, is a listing of mine, that I squeezed in Sunday morning after church and before my 1:00.  We looked at one property and wanted to see a second.  Had I had the time to respond to my mid morning meeting, I would have better prepared myself - so I take some of the heat...but, come on people.You see, Hemet California is a member of the SoCalMLS - which I believe is the 2nd largest in the country.  Unfortunately ALL of our surrounding markets are members of the MRMLS.  The big diff... 12/03/2007

Hopefully this headline made you mad - hopefully not mad enough to blow right past what I have to say, because the headline is a sham!That's right, there are no easy ways to make money in real estate.  It may be easy to learn if you are a quick study.  It may be able to duplicate, if you are well documented.  It may even be profitable if you do your homework and do it right...but let me share a little secret about real estate investing...there are no guarantees and there are no golden roads to riches.There are so many "Guru's" populating late night television and the Internet, it's amazing that everyone in this wonderful country of ours has not earned the big bucks investing in real estate by now.The truth is if you ever tracked down all of the gurus who have made a pitch for ‘their sys... 12/03/2007

Yesterday I was out with a client who is looking to buy up 2 or 3 properties before the end of the year, utilizing the strategy I outlined in my recent article, By Far, Today is the VERY BEST DAY of the Year To Sell Real Estate!The big question my client has regards the proper finding of tenants - especially since my office does not do property management, and other than listing the property for lease in the MLS - we do not get involved in the day-to-day property management operations. (yet)We discussed how this generation of parents is more involved with their kids than any I have ever seen before in my 53 years.  This translates to the fact that parents don't want to move from the are they currently live in, as the priority is the kids having friends at school and all of their activit... 12/03/2007

Real Estate investing in Hemet CA has many excellent opportunities for the seasoned real estate investor as well as the first time investor...and even the first time homebuyer.The Hemet market values are rapidly approaching the bottom.  I say this, because I am constantly now seeing deals that will have a positive cash flow with a 20% down - which most real estate loans will require, in today's lending world.Now, please, don't misunderstand what I just said, the values are approaching bottom - not the market itself.  I agree with every other analyst out there - 2008 will definitely see a huge increase in the number of foreclosures and distressed property on the market.  Now is not the time to be selling your home, just because you are ready for a change.SIDEBAR:  I can get off on anothe... 12/02/2007