For many of us, This is the time of year when school starts back. With the kids back in school, it is a good time to start evaluating your home needs. While it is fresh on your mind, now is the time to start thinking about what are your needs in a school for the children, if you are moving. Will the school challenge them academically? Will it have the right extra curricular activities that you children are involved in? What about sports? School spirit? Parent involvement? These are all things that you will want to consider if you are planning on making a move in the next year.
Do your homework, investigate the schools, call your REALTOR and ask them to get you the information you are looking for, or to steer you to the right websites. There is more to buying a new home then just the physical characteristics of the home and the price. Research the area, the schools, the neighborhood, the restaurants and stores and all the other things that matter to you in creating a great place to live. Make your REALTOR aware of these things, so that in partnership, you will find the right home in the right area.
Gerard Maher is a REALTOR for the whole San Diego area. However he specializes in Residential homes in the Scripps Ranch, Poway, Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos communities. Give Gerard(G-Man) a call at 619-481-0882 or email him at G@CallGman.com
Real Estate stats for August for the Scripps Ranch area I will be posting in about another 2 days. But my general impression for August is that business has been steady, with prices only marginally changed.
I think the foreclosure and short sales are becoming more common, and buyers are coming out in greater numbers looking for the deals. But, do to the nature of short sales, things going under contract are not closing with short sales in the same ratio as normal escrows. So while sale statistics might not be as robust as we would like, it doesn't mean the interest in buying isn't there. It is there, it is just that there is alot of limbo, where escrows never close. In fact, there are alot of contracts on our mls, that are showing Active, because short sales go under contract, but don't have written approval of the lender. So, our market is bringing out buyers, but the stats aren't always able to show this.
G
I lived in Gulfport, Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina hit. I owned a home about 4 blocks up from the beach. 23 ft above sea level and it was built in 1947, and survived Hurricane Camille in 69 which had winds over 200mph when it broke all wind measuring devices. So my house was pretty solid.
However, more than 50% of my home was damaged during Katrina, and it took me about 18 months to get it repaired. In the mean time, my real estate company, "Gulf Coast Realty had about 2 months of very little activity and then tons of business came pouring in. The coast was devastated for miles south of the rail road tracks (which ran parallel to the beach ) which were about 5-6 blocks north of the Gulf.
Even today, 3 years later, there is still alot of emptiness and barreness. Business is coming back, but it would take another 10 to 15 years to get it back completely....
Now we have Hurricane Gustav potentially heading to the Gulf Coast. This is bad news for so many.
New Orleans being below sea level is really badly off, and everyone should evacuate.
The Mississippi coast, if it hits, will be a mess.
I ask all of you on AR to think about pitching in physically if they get a major hit. There will be a great need with helping to just throw out stuff, and remove junk from homes, so skill level isn't a problem.
Let's hope that Gustav just fades into a minor storm and does no damage, but if it hits hard, then think about going down to the gulf region for a week and helping out. Thanks
g
Hello All!
Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy labor day weekend. Have fun visiting, going to the
beach, or bar-b-q ing or whatever else you may do, just remeber to be safe, and Don't Drink and Drive!
Also, to my friends on the Gulf Coast, stay safe, and evacuate if Gus is coming your way. I got out for Katrina, and hope this one dies down to barely a whisper.
Happy Labor Day,
G
Thought that is what a lot of people think about Blogs! I know I did!
Who are these people that want to blog, don't they have a life? Then I found ActiveRain and SUDDENLY the light began to dawn on me.
and on and on and on..........
I do real estate for a living Full Time in San Diego and Poway area of the Country.
But while real estate is local, some of the same situations in San Diego and Poway are recurring all around the country. The collective wisdom and experience of the community on ActiveRain is a great tool to refine and enlighten an agent.
And ultimately I want to be the Best agent my clients can get. So I keep learning, updating, refining my skills...always. I have done real estate for 10 years, and God willing will be doing it for 30 more years. But personal experience gets more benefit when combined with collective experience. It's like getting the benefit of a thousand experienced agents all wrapped up in me! So it's not just BLAH, BLAH BLOG, it's about being the best and sharpening your took kit!
Gerard Maher (G-Man) full time REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Residential helps Buyers, Sellers, Investors in San Diego & Poway
He can be reached by calling 619-481-0882 or go to
G@CallGman.com for email.
Residential real estate for Biloxi,Gulfport,Long Beach, Ocean Springs, Pass Christian,Diamondhead and Bay St. Louis,MS. Specializing in Homes, Condos, Investments, Foreclosures, Short Sales.
Why choose Gerard Maher?
More About Gerard Maher
CALL G-MAN
Gerard Maher (G-man) has been a REALTOR since 1998. Starting on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, he specialized in New Home Sales for a top 100 Builder and then opened his own real estate company called Gulf Coast Realty!
Gerard is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and has
served on the Board of Directors for the Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS (GCAR). In addition, he graduated from the Coast REALTOR Leadership program (CRL) and later served as Chairman. Gerard was an instructor at The Real Estate Training Institute teaching classes to both brokers and agents.
He's an E-Pro agent with the National Association of REALTORS, Gerard believes in giving not just service but WOW Service beyond all expectations
WOW SERVICE
Wow Service, is the ability to supply you with exceptional service. All agents should provide their clients with the ability to market, the ability to negotiate, and the ability to provide competent guidance and assistance in the real estate transaction.
Gerard believes in constantly learning, updating and refining his skills to give you not just any service, but WOW Service that goes beyond your expectations. Service that will make you stop and tell your friends that you feel confident and relaxed with knowledge- that you are in the hands of a very professional, competent agent. Wow Service believes in making your real estate transaction as smooth and easy as possible, so you will be happy to refer Gerard to friends, family and co-workers.
INTERVIEW ME
You're the Boss! So go ahead and interview me for the position of your agent. In fact, I will go one step further. Interview 2 or 3 other agents in the area. I welcome comparing what I can offer, to what they can offer, because I am confident that no one can give you better or more complete service than my WOW Service and Gulf Coast Realty's outstanding support programs for real estate. I am convinced, once you interview me, and compare my knowledge, experience, and programs with any other agent, you will choose me. So future boss, go ahead and do your homework, then give me a call.
NOT READY?
Not ready yet to do anything? I can understand that, so if you're not ready, you can still call me and get a feel for the market. I will respect your time frame, and not put pressure on you. But I can still be a valuable tool, to let you know what is going on in the market, and keep you up to date by email, or phone if you prefer. So give me a call or shoot me an email and I will keep you informed with no obligation or cost. Doesn't that sound easy?
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST CLIENTS
•1) I was a first time home buyer, Gerard took me step by step, went over every detail. It was a very comfortable experience. There was never any pressure, in fact having Gerard was definitely the RIGHT move!- Rick
•2) Gerard found us exactly what we were looking for. He was speedy, professional & determined to find us our non conventional home. Anybody would be please to have him working for them.- Brooke & Robert
•3) You beat the competition and sold our home! Your professionalism, expertise and marketing approach, " 30 Steps to SOLD" is what sold us and we were impressed. Gerard doesn't just collect listings, he services what he lists! Thanks Gerard- Joseph
•4) You were the Best! We will use you and tell everyone they should use you-Cindy
•5) We were not familiar with the area, but Gerard patiently worked with us, made us feel comfortable and never put pressure on us to buy now. It took us close to 9 months, but we are happy with our home. Gerard was a great asset to us- Jenny & Bill
•6) If you want your home sold, and want to know what is going on, then Gerard is the man for you. He kept us updated, told us what was happening not just with our property, but the properties around us that were selling too. He let us make the decisions, but he showed us the way he would go, and we appreciated his candor and vast knowledge and his strategy. We have sold homes in the past, but this young man is on the ball.- Keith & Irma
•7) We really liked working with Gerard. He is Very professional, and put us at ease on something that was stressing us. He gets my vote as a super agent!- Evelyn
•8) We were delighted to have Gerard as our agent. I highly recommend him, and I've already told my neighbors to call him when they are ready- Jean
•9) Our uncle is an agent, and he had our home on the market for 6 months and it never sold, Gerard had sold our next door neighbors house in like 4 weeks, so when we could we switched to Gerard and don't you know...our home sold in 4 weeks with him. Use Gerard if you want your home sold- Ken & Marge
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