On the extra large postcard pinned to the wall in the grocery store there was this colorful message:  For Sale: Rally Neat House!  It continued...."There are lots of trees -- BIG ONES!  There's a 4-ft. wall in the lower front yard that a family of toads lives in; they have two openings in the wall to go in and go out.  There's a great big back yard with a patio for barbecues, and a lawn for sports."The house has three bedrooms: one for mom and dad; one for myself and my younger brother; and one for my little sister.  We have a good place to eat and plenty of room to watch television, and if you like roses, my mom has a great rose garden in the front yard surrounded by a flagstone porch.  The soil in the rose garden is great for growing fishing worms, too."You can buy this house for abou... 12/11/2007

The leaves have fallen, with the real estate market fluttering in the winter winds of the Foothills.  As most of you are preparing for Christmas, Realtors® are busy helping buyers and sellers figure out what to do next.  The Glencrest Team is working with buyers and sellers and we are busier now than we were during peak selling season.  Why is that?  Sellers that need to sell need to figure out the best way to squeeze the most out of their sale, and buyers are trying to determine when the rock bottom price is really rock bottom.Going by the numbers, when the Market Index is above 1.20 we have a seller's market, between 1.20 and 0.80 a neutral market, and below 0.80 a buyer's market.  Last November La Crescenta was had a Market Index of 0.37, in July 0.031, and in November 2007 a Market ... 12/05/2007

The leaves are falling from my maple tree, mirroring the sales activity in La Crescenta.  If you are a buyer, pay attention...actually, if you are a seller, you should too!Back in June, at the peak of the spring sales season, we had a market index of 0.31 with 155 active listings, selling 25.  Fast forward to October, a market index of 0.18, 148 listings active, and 10 sold.  Not a huge change just looking those numbers, but all put together, an index of 0.18 means buyers are really in control.Although not the end of the world as we know (according to some media outlets), the gradual accumulation of listing inventory coupled with the increasingly restrictive lending requirement has created a perfect storm.  As inventory levels increase, the number of qualified buyers has decreased, so w... 11/18/2007

Statistics Don't Lie - REALTORS do!As we enter the second half of 2007 we have a great opportunity to evaluate our market and make some pretty broad conclusions.  Whether buying, selling, thinking (or dreading) of doing SOMETHING, don't we all like to know the TRUTH about the market?  You bet.For those that receive my monthly market report that covers 25 different local areas, you are familiar with my Market Index.  If the index is above 1.20 we have a Seller's market, if between 1.20 and 0.80 it's a balanced market where neither buyer nor seller have advantage, and below 0.80 we have a buyer's market.  Overall in my service area we are at 0.30, down from 0.32 from May.  So, in other words, a very strong buyer's market.  Which is good, because most of the time, an average market is a bu... 07/08/2007

What I love about the real estate market is that it is always changing.  Helping buyers and sellers understand the type of market we have is like giving someone a manicure on the telephone.  Almost impossible because of all the nuances.  Let's see if I can clear the air a little bit:In April we had 145 properties in inventory, increasing to 156 in May, typical of spring market.  In April 69 properties came on the market, and 14 went into escrow, a pending rate of only 20%.  In May 51 properties came on the market, and 23, or 45%, went into escrow.  So the typical trend of maximum inventory seems to be approaching.  People that need to buy are buying.The sale side is a different story.  In April 16 properties closed escrow and sold, with an average market time of 38 days, to add 1/3 for ... 06/08/2007

The view from the "Balcony of Southern California" is great...a little smoggy, but still great.  Great school scores (they keep going up), nice people, a great place to live and work.How's the real estate market?  One of my favorite questions.   How do we really know?I'll explain how I do it:I measure the overall market with a Market Index, which is composed of key market variables we can measure.  If the Market Index is greater than 1.20, then it's a seller's market.  If it's between 1.20 and 0.80, it's a balanced market.  Below 0.80, it's a buyer's market.  La Crescenta's Market Index at the end of March was 0.53.  At the end of April it was 0.38, a fifteen point drop, or 28%.  If the stock market dropped 28% would you be worried?Let's look at what makes up the Market Index and see if... 05/09/2007

Memorial Day, Monday, May 28thAs we take this time to remember those who have served in our armed forces please consider attending one of these events.  It's important to not forget the men and women who have died that we might have the freedoms that we enjoy.Burbank: Memorial Day Ceremony, 11 am at the McCambridge Park War Memorial.Montrose:  8am at the corner of Oceanview and Honolulu Avenues by the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.La Crescenta:  Rick Dinger reporting:  8am at Two Strike Park this is a first time event that is sponsored by veterans.Glendale:  Carvel Gay, (Gay's Towing, and also the National Guard) reports: 9:30am at the Veterans Memorial, at Broadway and Isabel Streets. The keynote speaker is Maj. General William H. Wade II, the Adjutant General of the State of California, ... 05/09/2007

The view from the "Balcony of Southern California" is great...a little smoggy, but still great.  Great school scores (they keep going up), nice people, a great place to live and work.How's the real estate market?  One of my favorite questions.   How do we really know?I'll explain how I do it:I measure the overall market with a Market Index, which is composed of key market variables we can measure.  If the Market Index is greater than 1.20, then it's a seller's market.  If it's between 1.20 and 0.80, it's a balanced market.  Below 0.80, it's a buyer's market.  La Crescenta's Market Index at the end of March was 0.53.  At the end of April it was 0.38, a fifteen point drop, or 28%.  If the stock market dropped 28% would you be worried?Let's look at what makes up the Market Index and see if... 05/09/2007