"I Don't Like Beaumont, in California- Its too Windy!" or Beaumont's Bad Rap as the Windy City

As an agent focused on the Beaumont, California area, and as a Beaumont resident- I hear this negative comment from time to time from clients, friends and family members semi-familiar with the area. Yes we can have some gusts now and again. Yes its more breezy here in Beaumont compared to say, Redlands. Yes we had a wind storm in 2007. And yes when I first moved here to Beaumontthe first thing my next door neighbor said was "I hope you like the wind!"

But consider this. Yes Beaumont is typically cooler than the lower inland valley areas, like Redlands and Mentone, and to a lesser extent Yucaipa and Calimesa. Yes Beaumont has almost no smog, even when San Bernardino and Riversideis choking on it. Yes the weather is mostly so calm you couldn't get a kite off the ground. And yes if you're the right kind of homeowner that enjoys living at th the base of the San Gorgornio Mountains, with the smell of mountain pine trees, and the clear blue skies above you, golf courseseverywhere, and the occasional breezy day, then Beaumont is for you. I know its for me!

Seriously, though. The wind is a small factor here in Beaumont, California. And yes, I think Beaumont has gotten a bad rap for being the Inland Empire's Windy City. Consider how close Yucaipa and Calimesa are to Beaumont- literally 5 to 10 miles down the 10 Freeway! I drive into Redlands every day and the weather/wind factor is usually the same, Maybe five to ten days out of the year its windy in Beaumont, and not in the rest of the Inland areas. The only constant difference is the smog- Yuck!

To be fair, every day in the late afternoon, a light leaf-movin' breeze grazes through Beaumont, CA. It makes for a very comfortable afternoon in the backyard, especially in the summer months.

And now here comes my pitch: And considering you can get a new, contemporary home for $73 a square foot, with more rooms and more living space, and in home-value supporting neighborhood conformity, compared to say Redlands, with standard square footage costs around $150, mostly older pre-1960 homes, and nonconforming neighborhoods, the breeze now and again feels good on my full wallet.

Notice the Blue Skies and White Clouds Behind this Amazing
Home in the Sundance Community, in Beaumont, California!

Todd & Devona Garrigus / REALTOR
Certified Foreclosure Agent & Short Sale Specialists
Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters Associates
951-490-3698 Direct for Todd
951-490-3683 Direct for Devona
GarrigusRealEstate@yahoo.com
Check out our website for useful information and helpful tools!---> www.GarrigusRealEstate.com
DRE License #'s - 01844441, 01844442

Great Golf Courses Nestled in and Near the City of Beaumont, California

One thing about the city of Beaumont, in California, and to a larger extent The Pass which includes Yucaipa, Calimesa, Beaumont and Banning, is the great golf courses we have. In all we have seven beautiful golf courses within approximately 16 miles of drive on the 10 Freeway! I guess you could say we love teeing up here in Beaumont!

Here's a quick overview of each course:

The Yucaipa Valley Golf Course, located in Yucaipa, California, is an 18 hole Championship-length, Par 72 course located against the dramatic backdrop of the San Bernardino Mountains, has pristine greens, features 6,803 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 72.8 and it has a slope rating of 128 on Rye grass. The course was designed by David A. Rainville and Pete Dye and opened in 2000.

I've golfed here a few times and loved the serenity of the course, which is surprising with half the course running along side the main thoroughfare, Yucaipa Boulevard. The other half is bordered by the new and coveted Yucaipa community, Chapman Heights.

The Calimesa Country Club, located in Calimesa, is just one city over from the Yucaipa Valley Golf Course. The course is not as serious in terms of challenges, but the 18-hole championship design course is open to the public and the Calimesa Country Club holds plenty of events like weddings and local tournaments and have great rates. This a fun place to golf, and not just for the course, but for the people and easy atmosphere. This is the golf course for swinging at a few balls and having a few drinks with friends at the club house.

Go east down the 10 Freeway a few more miles to the East Valley Golf Club, "Home of the Southern California PGA" in Beaumont, California is home to the 18-hole "Champions Course"featuring 7,377 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 76.5 and it has a slope rating of 141 on Rye grass. The course was designed by Schmidt-Curley Design, Inc., and opened in 2000. Gary Gentile manages the course as the General Manager.

The East Valley Golf Club is also home to the "Legends Course"and some have said they've had some maintenance issues, but its always looked well-cut to me, but a little wet.

Both courses are sporadically bordered by the new communities of Fairway Canyon and Tournament Hills, in Beaumont.

The Oak Valley Golf Club, is right off the Oak Valley Parkway exit, in Beaumont, Californiaand is next to the San Gorgornio and San Jacinto mountains. Oak Valley has natural and beautiful rolling terrain. The golf course hosts a variety of events like local clubs and hosting the PGA Tour Stage to Qualifying Tournament. This par 72 Landmark Signature Design is filled with challenges to test players of all skill levels. Tees stretch from 5350 to 7003 yards, with well-manicured bunkers, native grass areas and water highlights its natural beauty. I am a bit biased to the Oak Valley Golf Club because I live on the 13th fairway! This is an amazing course that is well-maintained, except for the rough right behind my house (hint, hint grounds keeper!) By the way, if you play this course, please don't slice on the 13th hole- the tile on my roof has already taken a beating!

The Highland Springs Village Golf Course, in Cherry Valley is a nice 9-hole private course for the Highland Springs Country Club residents. You can golf here as long as you are accompanied by a resident/member of Highland Springs. The 9-hole "Highland Springs Village" course features 1,654 yards and was opened in 1973.

The Sun Lakes Country Club private course, in Banning, California is surrounded by the 55+ Sun Lakes private golf community. The 18-hole "Sun Lakes"course features 7,017 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 74.3 and it has a slope rating of 132. Designed by David A. Rainville, ASGCA, the Sun Lakes golf coursewas opened in 1986. Professional Community Management manages this facility, with Will Haifley as the General Manager. It is an amazing course, but to play here you must be accompanied by a resident/member of the Sun Lake Counrty Club.

Todd & Devona Garrigus / REALTOR
Certified Foreclosure Agent & Short Sale Specialists
Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters Associates
951-490-3698 Direct for Todd
951-490-3683 Direct for Devona
GarrigusRealEstate@yahoo.com
Check out our website for useful information and helpful tools!---> www.GarrigusRealEstate.com
DRE License #'s - 01844441, 01844442

Lack of Foreclosures in the Sundance Community in Beaumont, CA?

Are you a home buyer combing the streets of Beaumont, California looking for foreclosures? Your not finding very many are you? That's because the big boy banks, the ones with the most foreclosed homes have wised up and implemented a self-imposed moratorium a few months ago, after the government imposed moratorium.

Why you ask? To stop the decrease in home prices- to put a floor on the housing slump- to stop the bleeding and cotorise the wound. Face it, the reason why home prices were falling was because people either wouldn't, or couldn't spend what sellers were selling their homes for. Supply created by a lack of demand, and even more supply created by the endless supply of foreclosures.

In our adventures of home selling in Beaumont, one thing we've seen in the last year was everone, and their mother, was attempting to call the bottom. Whether they speculated it had already, was currently, or would bottom much later, we knew no one would really know until the bottom had already passed. And considering California, and specifically the Inland Empire area, led the rise and the fall in housing, we also knew it would lead the charge in the housing bottom.

Now let's get this straight, people are still losing their houses to foreclosure in the newer Beaumont, CA communities like Sundance, Tournament Hills and Fairway Canyon, but the process has changed, and changed BIG TIME.

First, the banks are much more cooperative in attempts to short sale the property. This keeps someone who cares in the house maintaining it, and it saves them money on the foreclosure process. Plus, it buys the bank time to sell their foreclosure inventory in the area BEFORE they put more on the market. Yes, this process is putting life vests on home prices, especially in Beaumont.

The newer, nice communities of Sundance, Tournament Hills, Fairway Canyon, Three Rings Ranch, etc. are they coveted foreclosures. People ARE buying them and multiple bids are commonplace with these foreclosures.

Todd & Devona Garrigus / REALTOR
Certified Foreclosure Agent & Short Sale Specialists
Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters Associates
951-490-3698 Direct for Todd
951-490-3683 Direct for Devona
GarrigusRealEstate@yahoo.com
Check out our website for useful information and helpful tools!---> www.GarrigusRealEstate.com
DRE License #'s - 01844441, 01844442

City of Beaumont's FREE Summer Concert Series

Everything old is new again.

If you live long enough you will see styles come and go.

What's in goes out, then comes back again. It seems that true in real estate as well. Conforming Loan Limits Are Above $700,000 Once Again!

Conforming mortgages are limited by loan size, based on "typical" housing costs around the country. The current conforming limit on a single-unit property is $417,000.

In 2008, as part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Congress authorized conforming loan limits increases in "high-cost" areas around the country. In Los Angeles County, for example, a mortgage could be as large as $729,750 and still be considered "conforming".

Those temporary increases rolled back effective January 1, 2009, to a maximum of $625,500.

However, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed into law this week, conforming loan limits in high-cost areas have been returned to their elevated levels of 2008.

Changes to conforming loan limits impact everyone with a stake in real estate, even if their neighborhoods are not considered "high-cost". This is because conforming mortgages offer the widest selection of home loan products, and often at the lowest rates. The widespread availability of conforming mortgages helps to support home sales nationwide as well as providing ample refinancing options for people that need it.

Lenders have yet to pick up the change, but are expected to shortly. Once they do, more homeowners will be eligible for cheap home financing.

To lookup your neighborhood's conforming loan limits, visit the HUD Web site. Or, if you have specific questions related to your home or an upcoming purchase, contact me directly anytime.