Big Bear Skinny Blog

The Big Bear market info minus the fat

Cleaning Up Your Credit – Big Bear Real Estate

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By on February 8th, 2012
Categories: Big Bear Buyers
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Having a good credit score is more important than ever. It can mean the difference between qualifying for your Big Bear dream home or missing out on a great opportunity. Savvy buyers have been snatching up well priced Big Bear real estate within days of coming on the market. The key to having a strong negotiating position is to be pre-qualified and ready to move when the right property becomes available.

The first step in the process is to get the hard, cold facts. There are several places to obtain your score such as www.annualcreditreport.com, www.freecreditscore.com and www.equifax.com. Once you have your report check it thoroughly for identity theft, errors, and omissions. If you find something contact all three reporting agencies to have your information updated.

When you’ve confirmed that the all your information is correct and up to date it’s time to start the repair process. Make sure no new inquiries pop up by resisting the urge to purchase anything on credit. Even an upgrade to your cable TV or cell phone service can cause an inquiry to show up. Wait until you’ve closed escrow on your new property before you buy new furniture or a new car. The lower interest rate on your new mortgage will be your reward for all that self-control. Above all else, do not make any big purchases during the escrow and loan qualification process.  That can sometimes make the difference between getting the loan and not.

Now it’s time to pay down the balances on your credit cards. High balances greatly reduce your score. Your lender will advise you on how much debt needs to be paid off. The next important thing to remember is never pay late. You may need to set up payment reminders but find a way to pay on time and stick to it.

Timely payments and responsible spending are the way to build credit. There’s no quick fix to credit repair so be wary of credit fixing scams. Just do the hard work and pay down your debt. Before you know it you’ll be well on your way to achieving the American Dream – owning a home in beautiful Big Bear.

More about home finances;

  • Don’t Let A bad credit score Prevent you from Finding a Good … – Don’t Let A bad credit score Prevent you from Finding a Good Personal loan · January 27, 2012. When you are looking for ways to a loan you already know that there are various with details that happen to be considered to determine you may …
  • The Correct Way to Pay Off Personal Debt: The Debt Avalanche – Setting and achieving these short term goals influences the same area of the brain (the mesolimbic system) as the act of paying off the first credit card and are similar enough to provide the same motivational results. Quick wins may help to motivate debt reducers to continue along the path, but the real win comes in knowing you’ve made the smarter choice. If you need help in ….. So that experience taught us that real estate is volatile and that equity isn’t a guarantee. So we decided to …
  • How To Build Good Credit Score With Essential Financial Habits … – Your credit score in some ways is meant to be a snapshot of your overall financial habits – especially your habits surrounding debts and other financial responsibilities. Developing some good financial habits can help your credit score by … With the tighter credit situation and property values going down, it has become more important to keep your house and get the cheapest mortgage on it. Refinancing can help to reduce your interest rate and monthly payments and …

 

Southern California’s Rim of the World

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By on February 5th, 2012
Categories: Big Bear Real Estate News, Big Bear Recreation
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In most of Southern California, “Winter” means clear, brisk days, morning fog and snow capped mountains. Visibility, given the right conditions, can be completely “socked in” or crystal clear and breathtaking. There are particular times, coming to or leaving Big Bear and the San Bernardino Mountains that offer fantastic views. Obviously, you will need to choose your times to drive and take advantage of the conditions.

For a change of pace, don’t allow yourself to get caught in a long line of locals expecting you to go the speed limit. The reason being; using the turnouts for people that want to pass is a good thing. Using the turnouts with views, is a great thing.

Rising up the 330, off the 10 and 210, there are some great vistas to the Southeast. San Jacinto and the mountains stretching to San Diego can be visible. Below you, the grasses are pushing their green up the sides of the hills. Toward evening and particularly sunset, the whole basin transitions to a seemingly endless patchwork of countless lights. All this is visible from the road, usually in quick “bites” as you navigate the mountain curves. A few moments enjoyed while parked can be those moments you need to adjust your altitude and attitude. Pick a view and corresponding turnout. Plan a dawn or sunset drive.

Early Rim of the World Image

When leaving Big Bear, instead of heading back down the mountain at Running Springs, stay on the 18. Try to arrive along the “Rim” around sunset. When you arrive in Running Springs, after the Snow Valley resort, follow the sign you’ve never followed: the one that says, “Lake Arrowhead”.

Winding along the Rim of the World is a highway connecting thousands living in the San Bernardino mountain communities.

When the weather is clear, if you drive the Rim of the World Highway to Lake Arrowhead and Crestline, in a very short time, you get a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountain Range and the whole Inland Empire Valley.

If you follow the mountains, you’ll see the skyscrapers of Los Angeles. Sweeping along the horizon, you realize you are looking at ships on the ocean and the Palos Verde Peninsula. If you can schedule your drive for sunset and watch the countless lights come on, you will leave the mountains appreciating the vast diversity Southern California has to offer.

Find Your Second Home in the Mountains

More about Second Home Purchases;

  • Every Market is a Second-Home Market – ANAHEIM (November 12, 2011) – A diverse set of buyers and property types comprise the second-home sector and opportunities for second-home buyers exist in nearly every market, even in nontraditional, non-resort …
  • Polo – Purchasing Income Properties | PoloZONE – For resale here in the desert, the can sell well since our housing market’s buyers can be many second home buyers. They also may be more affordable for many home buyers than a single family home! Another type of income …
  • Is it the Right Time to Buy a Vacation Home? | real estate with judy … – by Phoebe Chongchua. Housing prices are more affordable than ever and that’s not just for a primary home. Today, the second-home luxury market is loaded with deals. Second-homes that once were out of the price range for …

Your Home, Your Abilities

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By on February 4th, 2012
Categories: Big Bear Sellers
Tags: , , , ,     

Buying a home is an emotional decision. Real Estate buyers typically “try the house out.” They open closets, cupboards and almost anything else with a handle. They will switch on lights, turn on faucets and flush toilets.

How do you make your home stand out in today’s real estate market? Small, incremental improvements can make a big impression on prospective buyers.

Home Preparation Tips

• Clean and shine fixtures including door handles, light switches, faucets and anything else that’s shiny. Check ceiling for water stains and be sure to fix any leaks.

• Make your home anonymous. Take down the photos and most of the art. If possible have minimal furniture and remove all clutter. A buyer needs to be able to visualize moving in. A cramped living space doesn’t deliver a cozy message.

• A little bit of fresh paint will rejuvenate the appearance of your home. Choose a color palette with the widest appeal. Have the carpets washed (replace with a neutral color if necessary) and be sure to replace any broken floor tiles.

• Remove clutter and give the prospective buyers room. Let them imagine living in your home. Remove things from the kitchen counter. When someone opens the kitchen cupboards, do they appear spacious or cluttered?

Whether you clean and repair yourself, or bring in a team for a thorough upgrade, the goal is to make others feel like this could be their home. These improvements can decrease the amount of time your house is on the market, and the bottom line.

Search Big Bear Real Estate

More about Selling Real Estate

  • Browse Articles » Understanding The Selling Process With These … – Meanwhile, there are numerous sources available to help real estate sellers, some of it is useless and can easily be described as a waste of space. This article will give you tested advice that will help you get the best deal …
  • I’m Not Just A Number! The Art of Knowing & Understanding a Seller – The more investors I talk with the more I am convinced that the lost art of conversing and getting to understand a seller and their needs has been replaced with handing over complicated forms and giving low-ball offers. It seems in this fast-paced, digitalized, G4 world, we have forgotten how to make friends before making the deal. The first 19 appointments I ever met with sellers and toured their homes took no shorter than 4 hours every time.

Big Bear Lake’s Snow Summit

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By on January 29th, 2012
Categories: Big Bear Recreation, Local
Tags: , , ,     

I finally made it to the slopes. It’s been almost two years since my last snowboard outing. After years of begging my nephew to come up and ride with me he called me over the holidays and informed me he was ready to join me on the slopes. What I didn’t know was my nephew had been preparing for this day for quite a while. He took some lessons last year and without my knowledge had become a competent snowboarder. When he arrived the night before with some of the nicest, most expensive gear I have ever seen, I knew I was in trouble.

It was my nephew Ryan’s birthday and in case you didn’t know, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain offers a free lift ticket to skiers and snowboarders celebrating a birthday. We arrived at Snow Summit early enough to be some of the first riders on the chairlift. It had snowed the night before and the conditions were perfect. The last time I’d been snowboarding, two seasons past, had been a disaster. Icy, hard pack snow may be o.k. for skiing but snowboarding on ice is a challenge.

After four runs at Snow Summit with perfect snow Ryan and I jumped on the shuttle to Bear Mountain. If you haven’t been to Bear Mountain lately you’re in for a bit of a surprise. The mountain has been transformed into a skate park for snowboarders. Every run has jumps, rails, jibs, and boxes from top to bottom. I have to admit, I was out of my element. As much as I love to snowboard, my freestyle days are far behind me and I was happy to cruise the flats and watch the action. My 21 year old nephew was in heaven. He was hitting everything in sight and landing most of his tricks. Oh, to have young knees again.

After a few runs I left the kids at Bear and headed back to Summit to spend the rest of the day carving turns on the wide uncrowded slopes that Summit is famous for. It was a perfect day on the slopes, for both of us. The Big Bear resorts truly offer something for every level of skier and snowboarder. When the day was over my nephew met me in the Bear Bottom Lodge for a beer and couldn’t stop talking about how great his birthday had been. It looks like he’ll be back up several more times this season. I just hope my knees can handle all this fun.

Southern California Real Estate News;

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