This is a second in a series I am posting that I am showing some of the graphics I utilize in my listing presentation. Once again please feel free to cut and paste for your own use. I made this one myself so there is no source I need to credit. If you have any probllems cutting and pasting send me an email to bob_schmalz@wlaregroup.com and I will send you a pdf. I have been posting a lot about the resistance I am getting for listings in the Santa Monica Real Estate market. It has such heavy hitters, established pros, but as we all know this by itself doesnt mean they are the best. I do have a great listing presentation but still people that are looking to list there Santa Monica house lean towards the big names. I try to overcome these objections by working harder for there listings an... 03/27/2011

I'm watching American Idol this year.  It's really great to see Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony judging and helping the singers out.  Seeing him this week on the Idol reminded me of a Salsa class I took at my gym Spectrum Club.  One of the songs we danced to was the Marc Anthony song I have posted below.  It can be stressful calling the banks non-stop then waiting for crucial decisions to be made.  Explaining and supporting our Sellers & Buyers about this short sale proces.  It's a lot of exta work, worth it in the end. But, still A LOT of work.  I like to find creative ways to release the stress from my day.  Salsa is definately one of them check it out:  Kristine :) 03/27/2011

  How FICO Credit Scores Work Buying a house, refinancing it, getting a loan, getting a job--they're all dependent on your FICO credit score. It pays to learn how it's calculated. Credit scores seem shrouded in mystery: The agencies that collect the data and create the credit scores jealously guard their systems. Nevertheless, you can manage and even improve your FICO credit score (http://www.myfico.com) -the best-known credit score-by understanding the basics. How are FICO credit scores computed? FICO uses five broad categories to calculate credit scores, and each category is weighted accordingly:  Payment History 35% Amounts owed 30% Length of credit history 15% New credit 10% Types of credit in use (is it a "healthy" mix?) 10%  Why are there three FICO credit scores? There are three ... 03/27/2011

Foreclosures--and how you handle them--may have long-term credit score implications.   The way you approach mortgage delinquency and possible foreclosure can have an effect on your credit score. Prudent handling of the problem can limit, although not eliminate, the damages. Payment history makes up the largest portion--35%--of your FICO score. And the higher your credit score, the harder you will be hit by a foreclosure, or by whatever alternate route you take because becoming delinquent on your debts had not been a regular occurrence. That is, if you've been good until now, one late payment has a disproportionate effect.   SEARCH ALL FORECLOSURES ONLINE NOW The biggest negative hit comes with your first late payment. If you have a credit score of 780, your first late payment could redu... 03/27/2011

The Los Angeles and California Real Estate Market has definitely picked up.  I wanted to share some of the latest California/Los Angeles Real Estate Market statistics with you all for the month of February 2011.  NOW, is a great time to buy and sell your home and the latest real estate numbers back it up. Enjoy reading! Pending home sales rose in February, as did the share of distressed properties sold, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.  CHECK OUT THESE GREAT FORECLOSURE AND SHORT SALE DEALS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE Pending home sales: Pending home sales in California increased in February, according to C.A.R.’s Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)*.  The index was 112.1 in February, rising 20.6 percent from January’s revised index of 93.0, based on contracts signe... 03/23/2011

This will be a short post I just want to throw a question out there. I wrote a few posts back about how I felt clients, especially buyers, are getting worse in how they treat Real Estate Professionals. They do not think a return email is needed , they do not respond unless they can get something out of you and the thankyous are getting fewer and fewer. They ask questions, ask you to do something, ask for information, you take them to a listing ,they ask how much does the seller owe etc.. Then they are gone not to heard from again unless they need something This Is My Theory My 11 year old son, Jacob, is a "combatant" in "World of Warcraft"...parents out there will know what this is. He of course is limited to playing computer games to the weekend for a few hours. This is totally a subje... 03/23/2011

In order to get a listing for a Santa Monica House or a Brentwood condo  you better be well prepared. The market that I am in has a lot of talented Real Estate agents and you better be able to set yourself apart. Potential clients see what is happening in the market; Santa Monica Foreclosures or Brentwood Short Sales have put the fear into these sellers, they know that distressed houses have weighed heavy on pricing homes in theWest LA Real Estate Market Santa Monica Homes are very diversified running from about $1,000,000 to over $25,000,000. In the lower middle class blue collar neighborhoods Santa Monica foreclosures or short sales seems to be running 25% to 35% of the active listings. Your Listing Presentation better be at the top of it's game if you expect to get potential clients... 03/22/2011

Are you under water on your current home mortgage and unsure of what to do next? A Short Sale could be your answer! You are not alone, hundreds of thousands of people are facing the exact same feats as you.  Are you considering letting your home go to foreclosure?   You DO have options, here are some of the options available to you that we highly recommend: 1.  First-Talk to a local real estate agent Short Sale Specialist "Make sure you find One that specializes in Short Sales" They can be a huge asset to you and the future of your home.  We recommend Heather Paul, #1 Short Sale Real Estate Agent serving all areas of Los Angeles County.  Heather Paul, Realtor of Coldwell Banker specializes in helping homeowners avoid foreclosure and successfully sell their home as a short sale, having e... 03/21/2011

The Treasury Department announced Monday that it will begin selling its remaining $142 billion in holdings of mortgage-backed securities purchased during the financial crisis.   Treasury officials said the first sales of up to $10 billion in the securities, primarily issued by troubled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, would start this month. Assistant Treasury Secretary Mary Miller said the sales represented a continuation of efforts by the government to wind down the emergency programs put in place in 2008 and 2009 to help restore market stability. Treasury estimated it could bring in an additional $15 billion to $20 billion over what it paid for the $142 billion in mortgage-backed securities it currently holds. However, that amount would still leave the government with ... 03/21/2011

Homebuilders are holding discount sales or reducing prices to fight the headwinds of tightened lending standards and weak demand from buyers, some builders said. Brookfield Homes, which has developments in Carlsbad and San Marcos, is giving away upgrades worth tens of thousands of dollars and discounting some homes. Pardee Homes has red uced prices on a Lake Elsinore development, even as it promotes small houses for families looking to economize. “It’s marketing departments trying to get creative, said Robert Martinez, director of research at MarketPointe Realty Advisors in San Diego. “People tend to get warmer and fuzzier if they see the word ‘sale.’ Maybe they think they’re getting a deal.” At one house at Brookfield’s Rockrose at Foothills development in Carlsbad, the company gave a... 03/21/2011

Live or work in the Santa Monica area? Shop at any Santa Monica Whole Foods store next Wednesday and 5% of sales from that day will directly support SMMoA's exhibitions, education, and outreach programs.  Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.Participating locations include:23rd Street & WilshireMontana Avenue 5th Street & Wilshire  FIND A SANTA MONICA REAL ESTATE AGENT Santa Monica Property Listings $390,000 - 2424 Oak Street, Unit 2 $749,900 - 116 1/2 Pacific Street $1,199,000 - 1043 11th Street, Unit 1 $849,000 - 2622 31st Street $11,995,000 - 336 Adelaide Drive $3,675,000 - 943 Centinela Avenue $749,500 - 834 Bay Street, Unit 5 $1,900,000 - 425 26th Street $1,320,000 - 122 Ocean Park Boulevard, Unit 410 $3,250,000 - 270 Palisades Beach Road, Unit 203 $285,000 - 2325 Kansas Av... 03/21/2011

GRAPHS THAT SAY IT ALL I wanted to share a couple of tools I use in my listing presentation to show my sellers how critical pricing is. The first graph shows the power of drawing potential buyers into your home based on the asking price. At market value 60% of the potential buyers who are in the market looking will see your home. At 10% above market value it drops in 1/2 to 30%   The next graph is plain and simple it shows that most of the people that will ever see your house will see it in the first three weeks it is on the market. Activity falls drastically thereafter with most of your offers coming in weeks 3 to 5. As much as it sounds so cliche a picture does say a 1000 words. I can talk all day long on the power of correctly pricing a property but when you show these two graphs to ... 03/20/2011

Happy Birthday!! to me and any other March babies. :) I really had a great day today. It has been raining all day. Not the typical So Cal showers, that start in the morning and stop in the afternoon. It's raining consistently in buckets sometimes. I went to a great little popular Italian restaurant. We usually have to wait to eat and end up sitting in the tiny hall way by the bathrooms. Not today! The rain kept most people inside. I had an excellent birthday meal and birthday desert was Tiramisu. Yummm! Have a beautiful day! :) Kristine 03/20/2011

  Whether you’ll be cheering from the street or your living room, our Spectator Guide tells you the best places to watch the race, street closure information and times, and the locations of viewing parties along the route. SPECTATOR GUIDE Street Closure Information   CLICK HERE  for the LA Dept of Transportation map with Marathon route. Includes street re-opening times. LA Marathon Route Map  Getting Around LA on Race Day Commuterama will be providing real time Road Closure information and how to get around the road closures for the Honda LA Marathon on race day.  Spectators, residents and businesses will be able to view the Course Map with related road closure and reopening info to better help navigate through the city. Check the map below for details. View Larger Map Getting to the Ra... 03/19/2011

  LaSalle Hotel Properties is buying the Viceroy Santa Monica hotel for $80.1 million. The real estate investment trust said Thursday that the 162-room hotel is subject to a ground lease with the City of Santa Monica, Calif., which expires on Sept. 25, 2065. The property, which is one block from Santa Monica Beach, will continue to be managed by Viceroy Hotel Group. The hotel opened as the Pacific Shores Hotel in 1967 and re-opened in 2002 as the Viceroy Santa Monica following a renovation. LaSalle anticipates recognizing about $500,000 in expenses related to the transaction during the first quarter. LaSalle owns 35 upscale hotels in nine states and the District of Columbia.   SEARCH FOR OTHER OUTSTANDING SANTA MONICA REAL ESTATE DEALS   $675,000 : 1244 18th Street, Unit A, Santa Monica... 03/19/2011

  8th Annual AltBuild Expo and Conference | Santa Monica, California   May 6th – May 7th, 2011    The largest and most-respected green design and building expo in Southern California for both professionals and public. Over 150 hand-picked exhibitors featuring the world’s best in green building and design materials; energy efficiency techniques and technologies; alternative energy; water conservation and management; environmental plumbing; municipal and state agencies, and non-profit organizations. 40 speakers in all sustainable and alternative building practices. The Expo is free and open to the public and features free bike valet parking; automobile parking is $9.   URL: http://www.altbuildexpo.com Santa Monica California has always been leaders in celebrating Green Living. CLICK HERE ... 03/19/2011

    Mark your calendars for the upcoming Spring Fling Weekend Festival on Saturday March 19 from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday March 20 from 12 noon to 5 PM! 10 Blocks of live music, trunk shows and specials, and tons of fun events celebrating the unique experience of Montana Ave! A special Buy Local kids art competition on Saturday as well as a chance to win a $500 shopping spree on Montana Ave by playing Montana BINGO! And another chance to win one of 3 great gift baskets on Sunday March 20th by entering the Montana Ave Sunday Scavenger Hunt! Sign up for the Scavenger Hunt now on Facebook or on Saturday March 19 at a table in the 1100 block of Montana Ave. Here are some of the fun event happening both days! CLICK HERE FOR OTHER GREAT DEALS IN SANTA MONICA FIND A SANTA MONICA REAL ESTATE AG... 03/19/2011

In readiness for the Los Angeles Marathon which will end in Santa Monica on March 20th,the city is starting festivities early. Santa Monica Buy Local Day will take place throughout the city and aims to encourage people to shop locally and celebrate doing so. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce see it as an investment in the community. Buy Local Day Events Events, starting at 11:00 a.m. at Third Street Promenade include raffles, music, demos, and of course, shopping. Continuing on through the day there will be dance, martial art, and fitness classes, and free gifts and specials from the more than 80 exhibitors. There will also be an area of children. Shortly after 2:30 p.m. at Wilshire and 3rd, there will be a drawing for five $1,000 Santa Monica shopping sprees. Other Santa Monica Buy... 03/17/2011

Big banks put the brakes on foreclosure activity last month as the American foreclosure system faced a major overhaul and homeowners challenged their lenders in court. The decline in foreclosure actions — from default notices to bank repossessions — dropped the most in states where a court order is required to take back a home; such so-called judicial states do not include California. Nationally, foreclosure activity fell 14% from January and 27% from February 2010, according to RealtyTrac. That is the largest year-over-year decline since the Irvine data firm began keeping statistics in 2005.    Evidence of a foreclosure slowdown comes as state attorneys general and federal regulators push the banks to revise the way they service loans, consider troubled borrowers for potential mortgag... 03/16/2011

Cash talks. And it's speaking loudly in California real estate these days, even in the nicest parts of town. All-cash buyers grabbed a record 30.9% share of the Golden State's houses and condos in January as low prices lured investors and others, according to San Diego research firm DataQuick Information Systems.   CLICK HERE TO SEARCH GREAT CALIFORNIA HOME DEALS Cash activity has been brisk for months in foreclosure-ridden areas such as Riverside and San Bernardino. But now, the cash buyer has become a major player in Southern California's most expensive communities, where cash deals account for as much as two-thirds of home sales. The trend is being driven by several factors, analysts say, including the difficulty of getting a "jumbo" loan from lenders still stinging from the mortgag... 03/16/2011