Yeah I know I have this posted on both my blogs,  I am doing this to check out GOOGLE juice.  I want to see how strong localism is here. Simi Valley - Moorpark Market Report for January 1 through May 31, 2008 Single Family Detached Homes   Active Listings                                                     Simi Valley                              Moorpark # Units                                                                          524                                          192 Average List Price                                                    $618,220                                 $855,239 Average Days Listed                                                     91                                            95   Pending Sales in Escrow # Units                                   ... 06/11/2008

I just posted on my Wordpress site www.homebuysblog.com a Video Blog on the problems with the Days on Market number my MLS reports.  We stopped reporting the CDOM or Cumulative Days on Market and long time back and the loss of that data does not paint the real picture on our listings..  Take a look at my video blog, if your MLS has the same thing going on I'd like to hear about it.   http://homebuysblog.com/2008/06/11/why-days-on-market-is-a-number-you-cannot-trust/ 06/11/2008

Hike for Habitat fundraiser in memory of teen. Saturday, May, 31,  2008 there was a "Roller Coaster" hike in rememberance of Tyler Broberg, a Royal High School student who died last August at the age of 16. The hike is the final fundraiser for 1Life2Live, a nonprofit organization formed by friends of Tyler. The purpose of the fund raiser is the Habitat for Humanity house, currently being constructed at Royal and Sequoia avenues in Simi Valley. Volunteers are still needed to help finish the house, Mateu said.  She is a student at Royal High School and spear headed the fund raiser. The foundation was recently poured, and walls have gone up. For more information on 1Life2Live, go to its Web site at http://www.1life2live.org The group expects to dedicate the house on Aug. 1, the first anniv... 06/06/2008

REO's are on the upswing in the Simi Valley/Moorpark area of Ventura County California. I have been listing and selling REO properties for about two years, and some things about them don't get any easier. Never meeting the seller in person. Never meeting the seller's parents, (senior asset management who gives final approval). Coaching the buyer's agent, (constantly having to explain the rules of the game) Having to explain "AS-IS", over and over and..... Countering out all the concessions that buyer's agents write into their offer just out of habit. Having to second guess the market at the time the property gets listed,(after doing the initial BPO and assigning a value to the property, it might be two months before the property gets listed. Predicting the market is critical. Waiting tw... 06/05/2008

WELCOME! Mike Lefton April 2008 MIKE LEFTON TROOP REAL ESTATE 805-407-6453 Copyright © 2008 Realty TimesAll Rights Reserved. What The Economic Stimulus Package Means To You   Since passed by overwhelming Capitol Hill majorities in January, there has been much talk regarding the economic stimulus package. Yes, it will cost $168 billion, but what does it actually do for individuals?       The stimulus package is designed to help the country moderate the worst effects of a slowing economy and perhaps even avoid a recession. The idea is to encourage spending and with more spending to increase economic activity. While the theory looks good on paper, it will likely take months or years to know if it actually works.      From a personal perspective the Mortgage Rates U.S. averages as of March... 06/05/2008

New Page 2     Search Simi Valley Homes   WWW.MIKELEFTON.COM   805-407-6453 Property Amenities - Range/Oven- Sink Disposal- Trash Compactor- Microwave- Dishwasher- Fireplace- Kitchen Island- Vaulted Ceilings - Patio- Grass Lawn- Yard- Swimming Pool- Jacuzzi/Whirlpool- Central A/C- Central Heat - Walk-in closet- Tile floor- Family room- Living room- Dining Room- Granite Countertops- Laundry area - inside WWW.MIKELEFTON.COM  Contact InfoMike Lefton Broker Associate/Realtor Main (805) 426-0597 Cell (805) 407-6453 Dir (805) 426-0597 Email | Website   06/05/2008

New Page 1   Search Simi valley Homes   WWW.MIKELEFTON.COM    805-407-6453 Property Amenities - Range/Oven- Sink Disposal- Microwave- Dishwasher- Fireplace- Patio - Grass Lawn- Central A/C- Central Heat- Walk-in closet- Tile floor - Family room- Dining Room- Laundry area - garage- LOCATION, LOCATION- Almost 1800 Square feet Community Amenities - Guest Parking- Swimming Pool(s) - Clubhouse - Sauna/Spa WWW.MIKELEFTON.COM  Contact InfoMike Lefton Broker Associate/Realtor Main (805) 426-0597 Cell (805) 407-6453 Dir (805) 426-0597 Email | Website   06/05/2008

I talked about this as a small part in a larger commentary on my Video Blog  at www.homebuysblog.com and really thought about it more and thought this would be a great topic of it's own for Active Rain.Consider that when people decide to sell their used car they will have no qualms in spending $200 on an auto detailing job.  If the car they are selling has a $10,000.00 asking price, that is 2% of the asking price. Even digging down deeper, these same sellers will remove any personal affects from the car and make it look like it just rolled off the lot.These very same people suddenly have a heart attack when you explain the benefits of having their home staged on the listing appointment.  Consider a very basic staging for $650 on a home with a asking price of $650,000.  Let's see........... 06/05/2008

This is a whole new world to me.  I am one of those babyboomers who has been forced into the world of technology because of my profession.  But to my surprise I really do enjoy it.  The only problem I have is trying to be diligent in keeping up with it.  It has taken me a lot of time to get the nerve to start this "blogging" process.  I read them and enjoy them but up to this point have been fearful in actually writing one.  It's kind of like opening yourself to inspection and revealing some of your weak points.  I really don't think I write the way I would speak to you if we were in a conversation.  I have been a realtor for 20 years and prior to that was a registered nurse for 35 years.  I have 4 grown children ages 39 to 46.  I have 7 grandchildren and have just become a greatgrandmo... 06/04/2008

Mike Lefton Simi Valley Real Estate FEATURED PROPERTY SEARCH & FORECLOSURES Simi Valley Real Estate Click on Links Area Foreclosures Click on Links Simi Valley Rentals Simi Valley Fixer Uppers Simi Valley Foreclosures & REO's Simi Valley Condos Simi Valley Homes (under $500K) Simi Valley Homes ($500K to $1M) Simi Valley Luxury Estates (Over $1M) Big Sky Homes Big Sky Homes Wood Ranch Homes Wood Ranch Homes Los Angeles County Foreclosures Ventura County Foreclosures Simi Valley, CA Troop Real Estate Address: 3200 East Los Angeles Ave. Ste 12 Simi Valley, CA 93065 FEATURED HOMES FOR SALE Location:5007 Corral StSimi Valley, CA 93063Price: $869,000 Click Here for More InformationClick Here for a Virtual TourLocation:8666 Rincon Avenue Sun Valley, CA... 06/01/2008

camcorders Deciding which video camcorder to purchase? First look to see what you already have. If you have kids then there is a good chance you have a camcorder that will be just fine to get started. Your camcorder needs to be digital. Check to see if it is digital tape, flash, DVD or hard drive and that the camera has ports (connections) to hook it up to a computer. There are several types of cameras on the market now and if you do not have a digital video camera you can get a decent Mini DV camera under $300.00. Mini DV - This is a tape style camcorder and my favorite. As long as I have tape I can shoot uninterrupted. Just pop in a new tape and go. The disadvantage is that you have to wind the tape backward and forward to find the scenes you need when editing or reviewing. The main ... 06/01/2008

Okay, so there are several bank-owned homes in Simi Valley.  That doesn't mean they are always the best value for the money as so many people believe.  And, yes, there are several condos for sale in Simi Valley, but again, that doesn't mean they are the greatest value. Wood Ranch real estate and Simi Valley homes see a smaller inventory, and that means the market ever so slightly has shifted. As a matter of fact, the homes that are NON-distressed are most likely to be best in care, upgrades and easy for the buyer to breeze through an escrow. Here's one I know you'll like...call me to see it...at 2235 N Hietter Avenue. CLICK TO VIEW THIS PROPERTY 05/29/2008

I try not to post the same thing on both my blogs, but the localism feature here on AR tends to show up in the long tail google searches sooner. This video blog was shot mostly with my Sony HC-38 mini DV with the stabilizer and a few shot were taken with the FLIP Video Camera. My Sony does much better with sound and the stabilizer just makes walking around and shooting so much easier. I need a better computer. I edit and mix the Videos down on my Dell Inspiron 700m with 2 gigs of memory, but this is just getting to be too slow for files this large. The shorter stuff is a snap, but when I have multiple video and audio tracks and titles........it took 3.5 hours to render this video after I had mixed it. I use Adobe Premiere Elements. This is a video blog of the Simi Valley Cajun Festival ... 05/26/2008

Yes, the market has been scary but I believe we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! The foreclosures and short sales may have reached the worst level and from this point on we may see an improvement in sales activity. Buyers are beginning to realize that this is the time to buy, that there may still be a decline in prices but not as significant as it has been in the last couple of years.  There have been many mulitiple offers on properties and that is an indication that the demand is rising and prices may become stable soon. Now is the time to start preparing for your purchase.  FHA is offering Jumbo loan borrowers an opportunity that will soon disappear.  So start your research and find out what is available to you. Contact your loan representative and learn all you can abou... 05/26/2008

Simi Valley - Moorpark Real Estate homes sections in the newspaper used to be large and full of advertising when houses were selling in days. Homes and Land magazine used to be three times the size it is today............what happened? My video blog installment for today explores what has happened. Please feel free to throw in your two cents below. 05/21/2008

Record heat and record gas prices yesterday made for an interesting combination. While I was not in Simi Valley for this stop, I was on empty and had no choice.  Simi Valley was about 4 cents a gallon cheaper.     The trickle down effect on all the other things we buy will be hard for many families to stomach.  Whether this is justifiable or not it will just force more people to think green an move away from gas to alternative fuel sources.  This is a good thing for the green movement as the buyers of green technology increase the prices should come down. 05/19/2008

Definitely a rise in Simi Valley bank owned homes.  It is truly unfortunate that consumers are in this position.  On the other hand, Wood Ranch homes, the community in Simi Valley bordering Thousand Oaks, has seen fewer "reos."  In general, a Simi Valley home in the Wood Ranch real estate market, will be priced higher and if we see many of those houses for sale in Wood Ranch, that will tell us the higher income earner is also losing their Wood Ranch homes.  Did I say that all so you understand???  Anyway, if you want to see a magnificent property, click on my Featured Homes and check out 291 Trickling Brook Court...truly a home with peace, quietfulness, serenity, and views to see...call me for a personal tour...til next time! 05/16/2008

Zillow emailed the following report for Simi Valley real estate home values.  Whether you love or hate Zillow, I have been monitoring the Sold listings and it is clear that the average Sales Price has dropped this year.  See my following blog post for the lastest numbers:             http://homebuysblog.com/2008/05/10/simi-valley-real-estate-homes-sales-update/ Until the fallout of the lending industry has reached it's cooling point, the buyers will definately have the advantage under the current market conditions.  A great quote from the February 25th, 2008 edition of Time Magazine (Ignore the Headlines! page 54)  "When prices are falling, few people have the discipline to buy stocks, a house, gold, art or any other asset. But those who do pull the trigger excel in the long run." In t... 05/12/2008

I blogged about this on my other blog and wanted to link it here. http://homebuysblog.com/2008/05/11/acoustic-popcorn-cottage-cheese-ceiling-removal/ It comes up all the time with my clients and friends.  It looks terrible in the older homes and everyone would like an easy way to deal with a potentially serious hazardous clean up if the ceiling material contains asbestos.  05/11/2008

New Page 2 Mike Lefton 805-407-6453  SIMI VALLEY HOMES           CLICK ON PICTURES SIMI VALLEY/MOORPARK HOMES Click Call Me Button! You can find great local Simi Valley, California real estate information on Localism.com Mike Lefton,Simi Valley Real Estate,Simi Realtor,Moorpark ,Troop Real Esate Homes is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business. Simi Valley Real Estate|Simi Valley Homes|Simi Valley|Simi Valley Realtor|Mike Lefton  Simi Valley, Moorpark real estate and homes for sale in California - Mike Lefton - Troop Real Estate 05/08/2008