All of you in the Huntington Beach market, check out this video I just posted to YouTube about short sales and how they're NOT the majority of listings in Huntington Beach.                          There are a lot of homes available for standard sale right now, no need to worry about the extra work in buying a short sale.  Dixon Team OC http://www.dixonteamoc.com info@dixonteamoc.com     03/03/2010

There are lots of ways to get rid of your old things but one of the most fun just might the online auction. These days you can buy anything you can possibly image through an auction. So many online auction sites allow for unprecidented sales of items previously thought to be totally intangible. Since the online auction sites allow for posting of auctions without prior approval, many times things even get put up just to be taken down soon after. Everything from prosthetic limbs to false positive pregnancy tests can be bid on, and people have even been known to sell their souls to the highest bidder.  But what about auctions for homes? Can you buy a condo in Huntington Beach from an auction? The answer used to primarially be no. For many years home auctions were prevalant in the mid-west... 03/01/2010

Huntington Beach Real Estate Minute - Huntington Beach Market Report Huntington Beach well known as “Surf City USA” with its excellent surfing has 8.5 miles of beaches and over 200,000 residents with 11 million visitors annually coming to see events such as the US Open of Surfing, the Surf City USA Marathon and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. It is also known as one of the 10 safest cities. Huntington Beach Real Estate offers a wide variety of housing from moderately priced condos to multi-million dollar estates. Below is the current Huntington Beach Homes report: The real estate market in Huntington Beach right now has very little inventory, making it competitive for buyers in the lower price ranges. Persistence and patience should be used to find just the right house. Real Estate Market rep... 02/28/2010

I just blogged this on my own site www.dixonteamoc.com but I had to share it with all you active rainers too.      Last week a home for sale in Huntington Beach offered more than basic staging, this house included a reptile petting zoo! Ok so maybe it was just one reptile, but the three legged iguana who's name comes from the number of limbs he currently has, is more than any animal I've met at an open house. According to an article on the OC Register's website, "Three" has been living in this backyard for over 10 years and from what I can tell he's seen a whole lot of home improvement go on in that time.           With an asking price under $550K this house attracted as much attention as the lizard. It's square footage is highly deceiving when you include it's outdoor entertainment are... 02/28/2010

Looking for numbers of houses sold or listed in your tract? Look no further! If you are looking in Huntington Beach California, go to the Biggest Real Estate Company in Huntington Beach: Exit Beach Cities Realty. We have over 50,000 agents and have 1,400 offices all over North America to help you sell your home. Whether you decide to stay in Huntington Beach or move out of state we can serve you. We can help you get  market data for your neighborhood. Another place to get a general idea of what your zip code is doing is www.dqnews.com on the left hand side of the websites. Check out the  Orange County charts and you find the city broken down into zip codes. Truth is you need to look at the active sales which tell you what your competition is doing, and by competition I mean your neighbo... 02/26/2010

February 2010 Huntington Beach Real Estate Sales Market Update-Home Sales activity for 92646,92647,92648,92649 Every month I like to take the pulse of the market and see what the actual numbers are being reported for number of active sales, pending, closed, expired and withdrawn. I learn a great deal about the market as  I look at what the actual numbers reflect. It's amazing because your perception is your reality. Often times what we perceive to be the truth is in stark contrast to the facts and evidence before us. I go to DQnews.com to get the latest statistics and also use the Southern California Multiple Listing which all Realtors subscribe to the service to pull the the rest of the numbers and statistics. All this information is reported in my monthly e newsletter which you can su... 02/24/2010

Huntington Beach Real Estate Minute - Huntington Beach Market Report Huntington Beach well known as “Surf City USA” with its excellent surfing has 8.5 miles of beaches and over 200,000 residents with 11 million visitors annually coming to see events such as the US Open of Surfing, the Surf City USA Marathon and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. It is also known as one of the 10 safest cities. Huntington Beach Real Estate offers a wide variety of housing from moderately priced condos to multi-million dollar estates. Below is the current Huntington Beach Homes report: The real estate market in Huntington Beach right now has very little inventory, making it competitive for buyers in the lower price ranges. Persistence and patience should be used to find just the right house. Real Estate Market rep... 02/21/2010

Surf’s Up at Southern California Beaches This week in the Newport Beach area has been glorious with warm weather and sunshine. Although the weather is supposed to change this weekend, we definitely enjoyed it while it lasted. Last Sunday, on Valentine’s day, we took a bike ride to the Huntington Beach Pier to enjoy the beach climate and California sunshine and get some exercise at the same time. Huntington Beach is known as surf city. This surfer below creating a fan while surfing a wave in Surf City. Looks like he is having a good time! There were a lot of surfers out as there was a good swell on Sunday. The surfers surf right by the Huntington Beach pier, and it is a great opportunity to watch them and take some great photos. The pier was lined with observers. Main Street in Huntingto... 02/19/2010

Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try-Outs begin on March 6, 2010 The Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try-Outs are beginning next month at March 7, 2010. For those of you who want to consider a position as a state lifeguard, this is your opportunity to try out for this event. The try outs will be held rain or shine, and despite the weather conditions, so make sure you are prepared! The 2010 Ocean Testing Dates and Locations are as follows: Huntington State Beach Saturday, March 6, 2010  – 9:00 amVentura (San Buenaventura) State Beach Sunday, March 7, 2010  – 9:00 amSilver Strand State Beach Saturday, March 13, 2010  – 9:00 amRio Del Mar State Beach Saturday, March 13, 2010  – 9:00 amSouth Carlsbad State Beach Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 9:00 amLeo Carrillo State Park Saturday, March 20, 20... 02/17/2010

RE/MAX Homes & Estates Pre-Foreclosure Division  (714) 588 -7676 ∙  www.remaxann.com   If you are in a situation where: • You lost your job • Your Medical Expenses are too high • Just went through/going through a divorce • You are behind on your payments • You have no equity • You can't afford the cost of selling your home • Your income has been reduced • You are in foreclosure   WE CAN HELP YOU! It's easy and doesn't cost you any MONEY! Our services are Free!!! WHEN THE DEBT EXCEEDS YOUR HOME'S VALUE... we can help is with a SHORT SALE.   Benefits of a Short Sale: • Avoid Foreclosure • Avoid Bankruptcy • Reduced damage to your credit • Postpone your foreclosure sale date • A short sale will stay on your credit approx 3 years • BE FREE of financial and emotional burdens!     We are lice... 02/16/2010

  From Surf to Snow, you can see it all in Huntington Beach Let me start by saying I know there's no snow IN Huntington Beach. But that's beside the point. Huntington Beach is perfectly located at the northern end of Orange County which puts it just a short drive from California's most famous cities and beaches like Hollywood, Malibu and Venice Beach, but it's far enough removed to move at a slower more peaceful pace. Sure we've got our share of craziness, as you can see from previous articles about the Surf City Marathon and local landmark the Castle of Magnolia St but overall Huntington Beach is a nice relaxed place to be. This morning I went to go visit Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach and stood in silence thinking about the fact that I live in one of the most beautiful place... 02/15/2010

Huntington Beach Real Estate Minute - Huntington Beach Market Report Huntington Beach well known as “Surf City USA” with its excellent surfing has 8.5 miles of beaches and over 200,000 residents with 11 million visitors annually coming to see events such as the US Open of Surfing, the Surf City USA Marathon and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. It is also known as one of the 10 safest cities. Huntington Beach Real Estate offers a wide variety of housing from moderately priced condos to multi-million dollar estates. Below is the current Huntington Beach Homes report: The real estate market in Huntington Beach right now has very little inventory, making it competitive for buyers in the lower price ranges. Persistence and patience should be used to find just the right house. Real Estate Market rep... 02/14/2010

Do you know what steps to take to Avoid Foreclosure in Huntington Beach, CA?  My name is Dori Kay, Certified Distressed Property Expert, and I am here to help you avoid foreclosure. Chances are you or someone you know are having difficulties in making the monthly mortgage payments.  More than 70% of these homeowners proceed without seeking assistance and without getting the facts on how to avoid foreclosure. Many homeowners don't realize that foreclosure is a process, and there is time to make decisions that may result in a better outcome.  Time is of the essence though, so take action to avoid foreclosure now.  Having the motivation to take action, and finding a professional who can work with you in finding a solution to avoid foreclosure, can ease the frustration.   So where do you st... 02/11/2010

Huntington Beach Short Sales - By the Numbers Huntington Beach has seen a large decline in prices in the past few years, just like the rest of Orange County.  As a result, short sales have become common place. It's obvious from reviewing the numbers for the current Huntington Beach real estate market that it too reflects this loss in value. There are 489 homes currently for sale in Huntington Beach, and 120 of them are short sales or in the foreclosure process.  This means that nearly 25% of all of the homes that are for sale are short sales.   When looking at the homes in escrow, the numbers are even more incredible.  129 of the 291 homes that are currently in escrow are short sales.  Thus, the majority of homes in escrow are short sale, with nearly 55%. Even more interesting is the fa... 02/09/2010

Huntington Beach Real Estate Minute - Huntington Beach Market Report Huntington Beach well known as “Surf City USA” with its excellent surfing has 8.5 miles of beaches and over 200,000 residents with 11 million visitors annually coming to see events such as the US Open of Surfing, the Surf City USA Marathon and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. It is also known as one of the 10 safest cities. Huntington Beach Real Estate offers a wide variety of housing from moderately priced condos to multi-million dollar estates. Below is the current Huntington Beach Homes report: The real estate market in Huntington Beach right now has very little inventory, making it competitive for buyers in the lower price ranges. Persistence and patience should be used to find just the right house. Real Estate Market rep... 02/07/2010

Run Surf City . . . . Run The Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach is tomorrow February 7, 2010. The marathon begins at 6:30 am. I have driven by there and they are set up, and there are many participants registering for this event. The participation for the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach is one of the largest ever, with over 20,000 participants. Other events include the half marathon, and a 5K run. There is also a children's run. You can go out and cheer on the participants in this run! Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, as it has been raining all day, however there are some blue skies in the distance over in Huntington Beach. If you want to  spectate at the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, you can find the route information and street closure here. I suggest arriv... 02/06/2010

The IRS finally released details regarding the New Homebuyer Credit as it applies to existing homeowners who are purchasing a new/different primary residence.  We already knew if you were a first time homebuyer you could qualify for a tax credit up to $8,000.  What was far less publicized was the credit for existing homeowners.  If you own and have lived in your Huntington Beach home for 5 of the last 8 consecutive years, and are purchasing a different home to serve as your primary residence, you may qualify for a tax credit up to $6,500.  So, if you are thinking of selling your home in Huntington Beach or Orange County, either downsizing or moving up, this may be the time.  The tax credit only applies if you are in escrow by April 30, 2010, and you must close escrow by June 30, 2010.  ... 02/02/2010

Huntington Beach Real Estate Minute - Huntington Beach Market Report Huntington Beach well known as “Surf City USA” with its excellent surfing has 8.5 miles of beaches and over 200,000 residents with 11 million visitors annually coming to see events such as the US Open of Surfing, the Surf City USA Marathon and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. It is also known as one of the 10 safest cities. Huntington Beach Real Estate offers a wide variety of housing from moderately priced condos to multi-million dollar estates. Below is the current Huntington Beach Homes report: The real estate market in Huntington Beach right now has very little inventory, making it competitive for buyers in the lower price ranges. Persistence and patience should be used to find just the right house. Real Estate Market rep... 01/31/2010

  By Jeremy Lehman | Agent in Orange County, CA   If you are in the market to purchase a home, you've undoubtedly heard about shortsales, and maybe even been "warned" about them. I just read an article in the OC Register stating that 70% of homes in escrow in Huntington Beach are distressed properties (read here http://huntingtonhomes.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/27/70-of-hb-homes-in-escrow-are-distressed/81921/ ). Because of the lack of Bank Owned (REO) inventory in our market, Shortsales are replacing them as "The Best Deal" out there. Shortsales will most likely dominate our marketplace over the next couple of years because we have record numbers of homeowners unable to make their mortgage payments. Over 37,000 in Orange County in 2009 and that number is expected to be much higher in ... 01/29/2010

Based on a report from the Associated Press there was a 17% reduction of home sales for the month of December. Apparently no one was giving Huntington Beach homes for Christmas gifts.  Now 17% may not mean much to you but listen to this: this is the biggest reduction in home sales in 40 years! The last time there was a reduction like this some whites in the south were still fighting to keep segregation and Janice Joplin ended her rough life of rock and roll. There are lots of factors related to the situation we’re in now, here are just a couple: The Home buyer tax credit incentive was supposed to end in November forcing a race to the finish if you will.  The Fed is buying mortgage backed securities, falsely keeping interest rates down Interest rates should be going back up after March ... 01/25/2010