About Madera County, CA

Did you know you can own real estate in Yosemite National Park? You can in Wawona and a small subdivision called Yosemite West. Yosemite West is technically out of the park boundaries but you have to drive into the park to get to it. My husband and I recently took a drive to Yosemite West to look at a parcel that someone is thinking about selling. Although this mini-adventure into Yosemite was technically work related, it felt more like an afternoon off. The springtime weather was warm enough to have the windows down to enjoy the intoxicating scent of bear clover and pine trees. The Dogwood trees were in full bloom and the influx of tourists has not yet begun. Memorial weekend is when that happens. If you ask me, this was a picture perfect day at the office!

Am I missing something or are a very large percentage of today's buyers a very different breed than in the recent past?

As I see it:

Today's buyers want:

-updated features in homes to include:

~flooring

~light fixtures

~appliances

~cabinet finishes

~plumbing fixtures

~high-end countertops

~and much more

Today's buyers do NOT want:

~sculptured two-toned carpeting

~vinyl flooring

~shiny brass light fixtures or plumbing fixtures

~laminate or tile countertops

~wallpaper

~faux painting wall treatments

~white appliances

~anything golden oak

~and much more!

Today's buyers are budget conscious, time conscious and very style conscious. So, forget about marketing your home to today's buyers unless you have changed out the above items and then staged the house. Even a price reduction won't attract today's buyers if they see 1980s and 1990s choices in style, design and décor. Also, forget offering allowances at closing for new flooring, countertops etc. Buyers don't look that far into the future or visualize what this house could be.

The large majority of today's buyers are not looking for fixer uppers or reno' projects. They are getting more and more picky. They don't want to buy a house "as is". They don't want to spend their limited leisure time repairing or waiting for contractors to update. They want to move in, be comfortable and take pride in their surroundings from the onset.

If you cannot provide the upgrades in a house, then in this market, the potential buyers will move on and find a house where the "dirty" work is already done. They want it all and they want it now.

Dream Interior Redesign & Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service staging and redesign company serving the foothill and mountain communities of Oakhurst, North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Wawona and Mariposa. Visit our website at www.dreamredesigns.com for more information and photos of our work.

Since no one in the opposition to the change (Incorporation) movement is driven by "fear of change" (just ask them), the following is for only those who are outside the world of KORC.

What is Metathesiophobia?

Defined as "a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of changes", each year this surprisingly common phobia causes countless people needless distress.

Known by a number of names - Metathesiophobia and Fear of Change being the most common - the problem often significantly impacts the quality of life.

What is the cause of Metathesiophobia?

Like all fears and phobias, metathesiophobia is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. At some point in your past, there was likely an event linking changes and emotional trauma. Whilst the original catalyst may have been a real-life scare of some kind, the condition can also be triggered by myriad, benign events like movies, TV, or perhaps seeing someone else experience trauma.

But so long as the negative association is powerful enough, the unconscious mind thinks: "Ahh, this whole thing is very dangerous. How do I keep myself from getting in this kind of situation again? I know, I'll attach terrible feelings to changes, that way I'll steer clear in future and so be safe." Just like that metathesiophobia is born. Attaching emotions to situations is one of the primary ways that humans learn. Sometimes we just get the wiring wrong.

The actual phobia manifests itself in different ways. Some sufferers experience it almost all the time, others just in response to direct stimuli. Everyone has their own unique formula for when and how to feel bad.

For more information go to www.OakhurstRealEstate.info/news.html or http://www.townofoakhurst.com/

Children’s Hospital in Madera California is truly one of the gems of California’s Central Valley. The hospital is perched right above the San Joaquin river basin just north of Fresno on hwy 41. I’m not a doctor or a hospital analyst but my layman’s guess is that this is truly one of the best - if not THE BEST - children’s hospital in the state of California. I pulled into the hospital the other day as the sun was setting and got these shots. They start at the entrance and then I went around the hospital clockwise. As I left I took a final picture of the giraffe and you can see the moon rising in the backround.

© Randy "Lazarus" McAtee
Owner/Broker: Lazarus Realty