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Does Your Big Bear Home Have The “Cabiny” Feel?

Link to YouTube Video. If not, selling your Big Bear home is going to be a litte tougher. Nearly 80% of the real estate buyers in Big Bear come from out of the area, and they are looking for a second home retreat. That said, the vast majority of these buyers are looking for something completely different than their primary home - a woodsy, cabin retreat.  They want a home with lots of wood or logs, T&G (tongue & groove) wood, high ceilings, heavy beams, & a rustic fireplace. So, if your property … [Read more...]

The Chicken or The Egg in Big Bear Real Estate?

YouTube video link. Most sellers think that as long as their property is on the market, buyers are going to look at it.  They neglect the fact that many buyers make the decision if they want to see the home before they actually go out to it in person. With so much information available online, buyers are quick to dismiss the properties that miss the mark in one way or another. And it is not that they aren't seeing all of the listings. Unless the buyer lives in the Osama Bin Laden compound with no internet access … [Read more...]

What Do Real Estate and Weather Reports Have In Common?

Link to YouTube video. They are most accurate when describing local conditions. I wrote a post several years ago on this same topic but it is still just as important today - especially given all the news about homes prices, sales numbers, and foreclosures that get published every month. The key point is this - just as you wouldn't watch a weather report in San Francisco (insert any other City name here other than Big Bear) and assume it must be the same weather conditions in Big Bear, you shouldn't take advice … [Read more...]

What Does It Mean To Be An Aggressive Agent?

Direct link to YouTube video? That's my take.  What do you think? … [Read more...]

Your Property Photos Should Look Better Than a $50 Pair of Shoes

Link to YouTube video. I know, I know, sounds very simplistic and common sense.  Yet, only 1-2% of real estate agents in Big Bear really understand this.  Most of the property photos out there are garbage. Stats show that 90% or more of buyers are using the internet to find real estate.  I'd argue that for Big Bear that stat is going to be over 90%.  So, if this huge pool of buyers is looking online, and there are over 600 properties for sale in Big Bear, wouldn't it make sense to make your property stand out … [Read more...]

The First Sale is to The Other Agents

Direct link to the YouTube video. Most sellers don't consider this fact. Understandably, they think mostly in terms of the buyer and who it is going to be. But, before you can find the buyer, you must make sure the real estate agents in Big Bear are sold on your property. By that, I mean they know about it and are actively promoting it to all of the prospects they know.  If the agents are sold on it, the process of selling will be a lot smoother for you as a seller. Just imagine multiple agents trying to sell … [Read more...]

Is It Really a Buyer’s Market in Big Bear?

Direct link to the YouTube video. Depends on how you look at it? Sure, there are over 600 homes for sale in Big Bear right now. But, how many are truly saleable? I'd say less than 10%. By saleable, I mean priced correctly, clean and easy to show, and it isn't a short sale with no chance of getting approved. So, we've got less than 70 homes on the real estate market in Big Bear that are actually decent options for buyers to look at. When that happens, the buyers are all competing for the same ones. In that … [Read more...]

What Do Cash Buyers Know That Others Don’t?

Now is the time to buy! Here's a quick video I did on the cash sales in Big Bear along with two conclusions I came to. Direct link to the YouTube video. 1.  People with cash are moving to real estate as a good investment.  They are thinking prices are near the bottom and now is the time to buy. 2.  Just because you are paying cash, do not expect a huge discount off of the sales price.  In Big Bear, you can expect an average of 2% savings for paying with cash as compared to paying with a loan. As discussed in … [Read more...]

2010 Big Bear Real Estate Market Breakdown

Click here to see embedded video. PDF of the presentation. … [Read more...]

When is the Best Time to Buy or Sell in Big Bear?

Click here to see embedded video. There are several ways to answer this question. From a seller's standpoint, the first four months of the year are the slowest for real estate sales in Big Bear.  But, there is also less competition on the market during these months, which means there are less homes for buyers to choose from.  It is always a good thing for sellers whenever you have less competition, even if these are fewer buyers  out there.  So, I'd say the best time to sell in Big Bear is going to be earlier in … [Read more...]