Greetings -  During 12.10-12.13, 2007 in Reno, Nevada, there were 33 new Notice of Default filings and 20 new Notice of Sale filings with Washoe County.  With this amount of activity, it is understandable why the banks are bogged down and, in many cases, unresponsive to offers and other activity.View this list of Reno Notice of Default properties on my site.  If you are in the market for a property that is bank owned, you should check out the related links for other useful information and services.Cheers,Mitch 12/27/2007

Staging is an integral part of my marketing plan when listing a home.  Most of my clients agree with my enthusiasm of staging and are willing to pay.  Once a while, clients ask me, "Who's paying for this service?" Picture below was provided by my talented friend Laurie Nissen-Miller of The Interior Zone, http://www.theinteriorzone.com/, (775)846-2360. Check out my other blogs for more photos of Reno, NV.Below is  "Before and After" photos.  Staging makes the home more memorable and adds warmth.   Have you paid for staging service before? What was the outcome?  Catherine T. Sinocruz, e-Pro, ABR, GRI, CRS  Broker-Salesperson"Fluent in English & Tagalog"www.CatherineNevadaHomes.com ~ Homes for Saleinfo@CatherineNevadaHomes.com ~ Stay in TouchPrudential Nevada Realty1675 Robb Dr.Reno, NV  8... 12/21/2007

The NAR reports that the average REALTOR®'s income amounts to only $23,000 per year.  How do Reno-Sparks REALTORS®' incomes compare?  Let's do the numbers (I'll use October's data because that's the month where I have the most complete data available).According to recent Washoe County Assessor's data , October's sales consisted of 386 resales county-wide.  That's 772 transaction sides (one Buyer's agent and one Listing agent).  There were also 235 new home sales recorded for the same period. However, we can't assume that all of these new home sales involved an agent.  In fact, I'm guessing one-half would be a generous estimate.  So, for this example, let's add another 118 buy-side transactions.  That's gives us 890 transaction sides for the month of October.  As we saw in yesterday's po... 12/19/2007

Here are some quick statistics for the Reno/Sparks area in comparison to the rest of the country. Statistics included; Cost of Living Index, Climate, Per Capita Avg. Personal Income, Average Home Prices, Avg. growth & projected population, etc.Quick Statistics for Reno and Surrounding AreaShould you have any questions or need further information,please don't hesitate to contact me,(775) 220-1630Or visit my website at www.SellingNorthernNV.com Joshua TalaykaChase InternationalOffice: 775 850 5900Toll Free: 877 922 5900Cell: 775 220 1630Fax: 775 850 5901985 Damonte Ranch Pkwy, Ste. 110Reno, Nevada (NV) 89521 12/18/2007

Reno Real estate market where art Thou?It could be extremely frustrating to get an objective opinion on How the Reno Real Estate Market is really doing. You have the people in the real estate industry on our seemingly blind faith that everything would be ok. And that it's time to buy right now: 'there are great deals out there' I wish it was that simple. I think it's better if you the consumers decide for yourself what's good for you. Besides, you're the one who knows your financial standing like no one else does. Now what I can do is present to you the facts as they are, they are not my opinion but the Market's. And honestly, that's the only thing the matters right now. In this post I made a graph on the number of homes for sale in the whole Reno area. You'll see the supply and demand ... 12/14/2007

A seller left me a nasty message on my voice mail message last night.  He was angry that I moved things around his house.  He said that he thought we were only doing a walk through.  He also said some "colorful" words.The seller was given five-day notice of our scheduled inspections. We had two inspectors (Certified Home and HVAC) in the home yesterday.  We opened up the blinds to inspect the windows.  We also neatly moved a stack of papers from the kitchen table to the kitchen countertop because my buyer and I needed to go over some paperwork.  By the way, seller's agent was not present during the inspections.  The inspections lasted about 3 hours.  I turned off all the lights, left my business card, and secured the home.  Yes, I forgot to move back the stack of papers and to close all... 12/14/2007

The number of homes listed for sale fell in November. A 7.6% decrease from the preceding month. And though the decrease can be attributed to seasonality factors (i.e. many home Sellers take their properties off the market during the holidays), year-over-year, the number of homes listed on the MLS in November 2007 was down 13.9% from November 2006.  See the complete report here. 12/14/2007

Due to current market conditions, and the increase in construction costs. Many high rise condominium project in Reno, NV are being placed on hold.High Rise Condominium Projects Now on HoldShould you have any questions or need further information,please don't hesitate to contact me,(775) 220-1630Or visit my website at www.SellingNorthernNV.comJoshua TalaykaChase InternationalOffice: 775 850 5900Toll Free: 877 922 5900Cell: 775 220 1630Fax: 775 850 5901985 Damonte Ranch Pkwy, Ste. 110Reno, Nevada (NV) 89521 12/10/2007

Our job is stressful.  No doubt about it!  Looking back, I have burned couple of bridges in fighting for my clients.  I regret burning those bridges because I now know the importance of camaraderie.My business practice is to build rapport and camaraderie with my colleagues.  Whenever I am in a heated conversation, I calmly say "It is not a good time to discuss this.  Let me call you back when I'm ready."  That puts me in control of my emotions.  I will not allow the other agent to upset me otherwise I have lost control. This also gives me the opportunity to asses the situation and give the other agent space.  This practice has saved me many relationships.In reality, it's not about us.  It's about our clients!  Let's not get our egos get in the way of things.  Picture below was provided ... 12/09/2007

Have you been asked by a client as to where are EPA's Superfund sites in our area?  I was recently asked by a client regarding this subject matter.  My fist reaction was "huh?, Who, What, Where?"  I didn't say it out loud of course.  As I did more research, I found out Superfund is federal government's program to clean up the nation's major hazardous waste sites.  Below is a website that you can direct your clients.  They can type in a zip code to see EPA regulated facilities, nearby landfills, and find out local businesses or governments have a permit to discharge waste water into rivers.   http://www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive.htmConducting an environmental investigation is beyond our normal scope of work; therefore, direct your clients to this website to conduct their environmental... 12/06/2007

Greetings -   Tracking the Reno real estate market?  Wondering if the Reno market is trending further into "Buyer Market" territory or improving (for home sellers)? Reno Last December (2006), there were 2,452 Reno Homes for Sale in the local MLS.  Currently (as of this post date), there are 2,445 Reno Homes for Sale in the local MLS.  This represents a very insignificant decline of 7 homes compared to last year - not even worth putting a percentage on at a 0.3% decline.  This would lead you to believe the Reno real estate market is about "the same" as last year. Months of Inventory A better indicator is the months of inventory in the Reno housing market has changed.  Last December (2006), the Reno Months of Inventory was 9.4 (this means it would take 9.4 months to fully deplete the, the... 12/02/2007

There is always something going on.  Here are some ways to enjoy our Holiday cheers.December 1, 2007UNR v. Louisiana Tech, 1:05 pmMackay Stadium - 348-PACKDecember 1, 2007Nor Cal Singles TournamentNational Bowling StadiumDecember 8,12,16,19, 2007UNR Men's BasketballLawlor Events Center - 348-PACKDecember 1, 2007Reno Philharmonic Spirit of the SeasonGrand Sierra - 789-2000December 7-9, 2007Broadway at Pioneer Center "Evita"www.pioneercenter.comDecember 8, 2007Brian Culbertson's "A Soulful Christmas"John Ascuaga's Nugget Celebrity Showroom800-648-1177December 14-16, 2007Nutcracker Ballet @ Pioneer CenterDecember 21, 2007Van MorrisonGrand Sierra - 789-2000December 22, 2007Filipino Show Featuring Martin NieveraSilver Legacy - 325-7401December 28-31, 2007Nevada Chamber Music Festivalwww.reno... 11/30/2007

HOMES (MANUFACTURED; CONDOS/TOWNHOUSE; SINGLE FAMILY) FOR SALE AND SOLD IN RENO AND SPARKS, NV.                                                Avg. Price                             Median                                  Days On Mkt.For Sale Nov 22, 20073068 Properties-Reno                  $497,576                             $339,600                               123957 Properties-Sparks                 $346,972                              $299,900                              112Pending Sales329 Pending-Reno                      $406,533                              $318,169                              140102 Pending-Sparks                    $309,661                              $274,450                              129Surprise....no reported sales today.....soooooo....Happy than... 11/22/2007

Here is interesting real estate sales information for Reno, from the Truckee River to properties south of Mt. Rose Highway.  This is information about homes and townhomes/condos in all of the Southwest Reno area to Southwest Suburbs for the month of October, 2007 and October 2006.There are 931 homes/townhomes currently for sale on the market in all of Southwest Reno.  The average list price for the 931 homes is  $844,728.  The median price is $645000.  The average days on market is 129.655 home/townhome sales contracts closed from January 1, 2007, through October 31, 2007.  The average sales price for the homes sold was $625,414.  The median price for a home/townhome sold was $485,000.  The average number of days on the market was 140.  There are currently 96 homes/townhomes under contr... 11/21/2007

Majority of my clients become friends of mine.  They allow me to be part of their life and play a role in making a big decision in their life.  As I write my thank you card to Mr.  & Mrs. Buyers tonight on their successful escrow, I cannot help myself but feel a little sad.  But why do I go through this emotion every time? Part of me is very happy for them as we have found them a place to call "home".  Other part is sad because I know I will miss them.I will miss Mr. Buyer's sense of humor.  I will Mrs. Buyer's kind spirit. Most of all... their son.  He sees beauty in little things.  We were viewing a house one evening.  Their son pulled a dandelion from the front lawn and presented it to his mom as if it was a flower, and said "I Love You, Mom!"  Aaawwwhhh! He is such a sweet boy.  He ... 11/17/2007

Good Evening - I am posting this blog entry for any of you out there who may have an interest in following the Reno housing market trends.  I publish a comprehensive report, The Greater Reno-Tahoe Real Estate Report, on my site and pull market changes off and publish them in my blog. You can view a sample of The Greater Reno-Tahoe Real Estate Reporton my site and sign up to receive monthly updates - it is all free and all really valuable information. As you will see, the Reno median home price is decreasing and is now at around the same level of the Reno median home price in late 2004 - early 2005.  We are, of course, seeing a rise in short sale and foreclosure activity but nothing like the Las Vegas market to the south. While you are at it, feel free to search for Reno on the site - al... 11/13/2007

We all have heard of DoNotCall.gov to register our phone number to eliminate telemarketers from calling us.  Is there such thing as DoNotSpam.com or something similar?  A website that we can all register our email address or maybe report notorious spammers would be very useful.  My ISP has a spam blocker, so as my Microsoft Outlook, and my server with GoDaddy also filters spam.  There are some notorious spammers that need to be reprimanded.  I have opted-out many times and still getting spams.  I also delete emails if I don't recognize the senders.  Spam mail is a big time waster.Picture below was provided by my talented friend Ken Terry (775) 772-7031. Check out my other blogs for more photos of Reno, NV.  Snow Capped Mountain in Reno, NV   What measures have you taken to minimize your... 11/09/2007

October numbers are in.  We saw an unexpected bump up in the median sold price for October over September; $289K over $285K, respectively.  Is this it?  Have we finally hit the bottom of the housing market?  No, I believe it's a blip that will disappear, probably by the time I post November numbers next month.  The fact is, the number of sales (units) continue to decrease, while inventory continues to rise, increasing the DOM (days on market) and placing downward pressure on for sale prices.  As an example the median price of those houses currently under contract (e.g. homes expected to close in the next month or two) is $283,950.  See all the numbers here. 11/09/2007

You may want to read my previous blog "How Many More Homes? Part 1" so this one would make more sense.My client and I opened escrow couple days after one week of negotiations.  She broke my previous record of 37 homes.  She saw 40 homes prior to getting in escrow.  The difference with her is that she has no internet access and don't believe in mobile phones.  Ms. Buyer and I have been working diligently since July 2007.  Talk about loyalty and dedication.  We were determined to find her a home!This woman is very admirable.  She migrated to United States 10 years ago and has been working two jobs for 5 years now.  She has two minimum wage jobs.  She managed to save money for 20% down payment. She said that she always wanted to become a homeowner.  She is a middle-aged woman who is buying... 11/08/2007

Before we get started with more reasons why we love this place, let's review some figures for Washoe County from Bureau of Census. 2006 Population: 396,4282004 Median Household Income $50,164In Reno, there are NO corporate income taxes, personal income taxes, estate and/or gift taxes, unitary taxes, franchise taxes, inventory taxes and franchise taxes on income.Here are few of the big companies who are taking advantage of our business friendly climate:MicrosoftAmazon.comBarnes and NobleIntuitCiscoWal-MartNordstromJCPenneyAT&TOracle Pictures below were provided by my talented friend Ken Terry (775) 772-7031. Check out my other blogs for more photos of Reno, NV.Okay, for the fun stuff...Hot Air Balloon Race (Rancho San Rafael Park)The early morning hour acts much like a good cup of coffee... 11/04/2007