Do you have cabin fever?  It is that time of year when everyone is ready for spring.  We have had some tough weather this winter here in Paradise and I am ready for a change of scenery.  Luckily the Butte county community is hosting some great events towards the end of this month and into March.  One that sticks out in my mind is the California Nut Festival which is going to be held February 21st through February 24th right in the midst of Almond Blossom season.  The event will be held at a variety of locations in Chico, you can click this link for a full detail of events and locations during the 4 day festival.  Some pre-festival events will even start this weekend where merchants will be hosting tastings, tours, and demonstrations.  This event makes me feel like spring is right around... 02/14/2008

Despite the fact that the Paradise real estate market is slower now than it was in 2005 and 2006, one major thing remains the same.  Kitchens and baths are still a  huge factor in selling you Paradise home.  Prospective buyers first look at all the major items in the home; roof, furnace, electrical, plumbing, siding, and windows.  Then it is on to the kitchen.  Can the prospective Paradise buyer picture him or herself making pancakes on Sunday morning in your kitchen?  Would they feel good about entertaining in your kitchen?  Although they won't say it, that is what they will be thinking in their mind.  The kitchen is the heart of the real estate purchase for many.  Often times, just having a more modern feel to a kitchen makes all the difference in the world.  You don't necessarily hav... 02/08/2008

The Paradise Real Estate market had some great activity this past week with 9 sold properties and 9 properties that went under contract.  There were 16 new listings that hit the Paradise market, with 7 listings expiring, and 13 listings undergoing price reductions.  The bulk of the properties that go under contract and sell, continue to be manufactured homes and single family residential homes priced under $250,000. With the mortgage rates still remaining at near record lows, and plenty of Paradise real estate opportunities on the market under $300,000, now is an amazing time to enter into Paradise homeownership.   02/07/2008

 Last weekend I dropped by the local home improvement center to get a few things for a room fix up, we are doing this week.  Is it just me or did the prices of building materials dropping?  Drywall was the best example I can think of right now.                                       Right after the Katrina storm the building supplies skyrocketed and now they are adjusting downward, or is it that the construction of home building in Chico, Paradise and surrounding Butte county is almost non existant.  Whatever the reason, I am sure that local Paradise California home owners are liking the reduction in prices.  When your ready to take on another project to fix up your home, you will appreciate those lower building material costs in Paradise.                              02/04/2008

On a brisk cold morning in Paradise, dropping by an older friends home for a warm coffee and donut,  I felt a coolness, where I was resting.  I asked my friend Dee, if they had checked the home for energy leaks recently.  Her reply was no.  Well, I definately feel a cool draft and that could be costing her extra energy money.  so, with that, we set out to find out what was leaking and if there was anything we could do about it.  Many years ago my husband and I installed weatherstripping and insulation for a PG&E program.  First we checked the windows and found some leaks there.  We looked at outlets, yes there were leaks there too!  I suggest we get an energy audit.   As this was a older home, we knew it would have many leaks because building restrictions were much more loose then.  If ... 02/04/2008

Local residents involved in the Gold Nugget Museum are busy these days preparing for the upcoming "Gold Nugget Days" in Paradise, California.  This town wide event held in Paradise features the gold nugget musuem located at 502 Pearson road.  If you have a desire to learn more about the early history of this area known as Paradise, California, drop by and see the musuem in action.  During the spring the "Gold Nugget Days" celebration held in April, comemmorates the discovery of the 54 pound gold nugget in 1859.                                                         The largest "Gold Nugget" found in North America.  Exhibits in the museum include one room schoolhouse, walk thru mine, Maidu indian exhibit, new animated assay office, old country store.  The Gold Nugget Museum rotates the ... 02/04/2008

As Super Tuesday and the presidential elections get closer, I think it is important to take a look at where the candidates stand on the sub prime lending problems, as well as the plans they believe will improve our current mortgage situation.  Whether it be a temporary moratoriums on foreclosures, universal mortgage credit, or a short term freeze on interest rates; each candidate seems to be standing firmly behind their position.  Forbes.com recently did a great piece outlining each candidate's proposals on the sub prime issue and then also provides some expert analysis of what it really means.  I would encourage you to take a look at this article as it provides some great information on how the positions of each of the candidates could ultimately affect our national and Paradise real e... 02/04/2008

Come join in the fun.  These scheduled events for the month of February 2008.   We'll see you there. BabyTheatre on the RidgeFebruary 1, 2008 - February 16, 2008The story of three couples which deal with funny consequences. Thursday, Friday & Saturdays Location: 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. Call (530) 877-5760Rhythm 'N Motion VIThe Paradise DancersFebruary 2, 2008The Paradise Dancers put on their annual vaudeville-type show that includes dance, drama, comedy and plenty of beauty. Begins Sat. at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Location: Paradise Performing Arts Center777 Nunneley Road in Paradise.Call (530) 872-8454.BingoParadise Ridge Senior CenterFebruary 4, 2008 - February 25, 2008Held every Monday at 1:15 PMParadise Ridge Senior Center877 Nunneley RoadCall (530) 877-1733Friends of the Library M... 02/01/2008

Wow!  Another drop in the 30 year fixed rate in Paradise. It has been lowered to 5.48 this past week from 5.69.   This is obviously great news for buyers; especially first time buyers who do not have a Paradise property to sell before buying a new one.   Unfortunately, the amount of closings in Paradise is not quite as exciting.  There were only 2 homes that were sold last week in Paradise.  There were 14 new listings and 6 homes that went under agreement.  Price reductions continue to be prevalent week after week, with a total of 12 price reductions occurring last week.  The percentage of real estate properties under contract compared to total listings in is slowly starting to get better.  We are now seeing that 16% of all listings in Paradise are now under contract, compared to 14% or... 01/31/2008

As Super Tuesday approaches I thought it may be helpful to let all of my fellow residents here in Paradise and Butte County know about a great document that can tell you where your voting location is by community and precinct.  This document is great if you are a new home owner here in Paradise and Butte County or if you are just not sure where your precinct voting location is.   If you are not sure what voting precinct you are in, you can likely find the information on your Butte County community website or by calling the local town clerk.  As so many of you already know, it is incredibly important to vote in both national and local elections.  It is unfortunate that so many people neglect the local elections as many of the items being decided have great impact on our community.  This ... 01/31/2008

I know how busy life can be, but I wanted to bring a bit of attention to some great volunteering opportunities here in Paradise.  It was brought to my attention that Feather River Hospital on Pentz Road in Paradise is always looking for volunteers in a variety of different areas.  This opportunity to volunteer not only can enrich the lives of other Paradise residents who may be in need, but also provides the opportunity for the person volunteering to learn new skills, develop a deeper sense of self confidence, investigate potential career opportunities, and make new friends and business contacts.  It may also be a great idea to get your whole family to volunteer together here in Paradise.  This will add some great family time to your week!  I have been selling real estate in Paradise f... 01/30/2008

We are in the midst of another snow storm here in Paradise this winter season and the conditions are pretty bad on some of our local roads.  The conditions are so bad in some parts of town that they have had to close the roads from Skyway to Oak Way.  Town officials are urging everyone to stay off the roads if at all possible.  This caused last evenings Public Workshop Meeting to be canceled.  This meeting was intended to bring all interested and affected parties together to discuss the proposed draft of future plans to develop the Southeast Paradise Area.  Once rescheduled, this is a meeting I would encourage all Paradise homeowners and citizens to attend.  As our community grows and changes, the decisions revolving around land development and land conservation here in Paradise will i... 01/30/2008

   Before the Next Storm covers Paradise Ca with white, prepare your family and home Prepare for possible isolation in your home by having sufficient supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove as regular fuel sources may be off.  Winterize your Paradise Ca home by caulking windows, insulating attics and walls and making sure doors seal tightly.  Clean rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall during a storm. Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.  Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking... 01/26/2008

There was a great deal of excitement in Paradise this past week as the 30 year fixed mortgage rates again took a drop.  They are currently 5.69 for 30 year mortgages, with the 15-year fixed rates being even more desirable.  The Paradise area mortgage rates haven't been this low for about 2 years, which brings some obvious excitement to this slower paced Paradise Real Estate market.  Paradise had 32 price reductions over the past week; this was likely in part a result of sellers trying to get their homes noticed in the midst of all the mortgage rate decreases.  The Paradise manufactured home inventory and those homes under $250,000 are still moving quicker than all other types of properties in Paradise with approximately 24% of the inventory going under agreement this past week.  Paradis... 01/25/2008

 Since going green has been in the news of late, if your like mnay home owners considering a change for the better, consider these options.  When considering going green, we first need to determine how to accomplish our goal.        1.  Healty Indoor Enviroment        2.  Reduce Waste        3.  Conserve Resources        4.  Conserve EnergyNatural lighting and fresh air ventilation are examples of using non toxic materials which reduces the gasses which are released into our air.   Reducing waste by recycling leftover materials instead of dumping in to our overcrowed landfills.  Think about when your mother told you "Waste not want not".  If not consider using materials from sustainable resources.  Utilizing recycled products, water saving and energy saving appliances can mean substanti... 01/25/2008

 Since the start of the new year I have been encouraging everyone I know to look at areas in their life where they could be Greener.  I therefore wanted to share Energy Star’s findings about the CFL light bulbs.  I think many people are already aware of the light bulbs and what kind of impact that can have, but I have been surprised lately by the number of individuals who didn’t realize how long their life expectancy was and how they could impact the energy bills.  The lower level of greenhouse gasses when compared to traditional light bulbs is also a great added benefit.  Energy Star posted their findings on their website and I would encourage you to take a peak at it when you get some free time.  I have been encouraging my Paradise home seller’s to move over to the CFL light bulbs.  ... 01/23/2008

People often ask me how what home improvement projects bring the most value when attempting to sell in this Paradise real estate market.  Each Paradise prospective home buyer is quite different, but there does seem to be some consistency in the desire for updated kitchen and baths.  Recently, a list was just published with the title, “5 recession-proof remodeling projects,” that I think reflects what many Paradise home buyers are looking for when home hunting.  Two of the items on the list are updated kitchens and updated baths.  The article however, focuses on how you can pare-back the remodel so that you can save costs and protect the majority of your investment within the Paradise home’s value.  Other items on the list include an in-law apartment, exterior siding replacement, and wi... 01/23/2008

Have you driven down the skyway recently?  You may have noticed lookout point is blocked off and some improvements are in the works.  PID donated a load of rocks, beautifully weathered rocks which is part of the upcoming landscape design for lookout point.  I am really proud that the tragic past of lookout point is gone and soon to be replaced by a beautul scenic point to view the canyons edge.  It's always been an attraction to me and visitors driving the skyway from Paradise. The design has yet to be determined but the paradise post reported that Lookout point will be dressed up with rock from Paradise Irrigation Distict pipeline improvement projects.  The rock was created by lava flows that cool, dry and crack, forming horizontal "rock posts," similar to what can be seen at a dry lak... 01/21/2008

This is a very exciting weekend for the Paradise Association of Realtors, as well as for me personally.  This Saturday, we will be installing all of our new officers for 2008.  I will be installed as President and I am very excited for the upcoming challenges and opportunities that this great honor will bring.  Following the installment, the California Association of Realtors will hold one of its 3 annual business meetings for 2008.  I will be in attendance as a state director, as are all of the local association presidents.  You can visit the California Association of Realtors website to find information about specific topics that will be discussed. Many people are not aware, but the Association of Realtors is a crucial part of many efforts focused on the education and protection of r... 01/18/2008

There was some great news this past week for the Paradise Real Estate Market. The long term 30 year fixed interest rate fell below 6%. The current rate is 5.87%. This is coupled with 25 new listings that hit the market in Paradise, adding to the large inventory level available for Paradise buyers. Great rates with a lot of inventory; now is the perfect time for prospective Paradise home buyers to test out their negotiating power. Also in the Paradise market this week, there were 6 listings that went under contract and another 6 that officially closed. For a full market report or to discuss the market in detail, you can reach me anytime. 01/17/2008