Cristal Drake, Realtor Fullerton Real Estate

Congratulations to Yanne of Anaheim! She correctly guessed what was behind Door Number two, it was Studio EMP!  Her name was chosen as the winner of a $25 gift certificate. Congratulations Nicole!  Now for Door Number two...

"Doors of Fullerton" Contest!

We all agree; Fullerton is a great place to live!  Our Downtown Area is the heart and the city is full of history, buildings with architectural detail featuring eclectic stores, restaurants, art and services. So, how well do YOU know Fullerton? 

I will be featuring a series of doors and clues from the business behind the door.  If you guess the correct business, you will be entered for a chance to win a prize from the business behind the door!  Make sense?  Now for the contest!  So, what's behind door number Three?  Here are your clues...

Clue 1: Some say it is a door to just another Starbucks, but in fact it leads to a Hall of other rooms.

Clue 2: What's in a $35 Million dollar name?

Clue 3: They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it took a University to raise this brand new building.

This is a tough one so you get two pictures and an extra hint! 

Here is the hint:  Maybe a degree from Cal State Fullerton would help!

ENTER TO WIN! Send an email to: cristaldrake@gmail.com with your guess and contact info or reply in the comments section of my blog below.  The comments are public so others may piggyback off you and please don't forget your contact info! The winner will be notified by email and will receive a $25.00 gift certificate from the business behind the door.

Contest Rules: You can enter as many times as you wish, but on one affiliated with the place behind the door may enter to win. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct answers. Contest ends June 15, 2009 and answers must be submitted by then to qualify.

Now Casting! Door Number Four!  Do you have or know of a cool business in Fullerton that would like to be featured in "Doors of Fullerton"?  Just let me know!

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Cristal Drake - Realtor (R)...At Your Service for all your Fullerton area real estate needs! RE/MAX North Orange County - 714-423-7525. All information in my blogs is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Copyright 2009 all rights reserved.

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A Walk Wiht Hope! A fundraiser walk at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange CA, on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 for With Hope - The Amber Craig Memorial Foundation.

With Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention through improving mental health support services and education in our schools and throughout our community. With Hope Foundation is committed to supporting our local schools' efforts in suicide prevention through education. We have pledged to make available, at no cost to the schools, speakers and materials to effectively educate our community's youth.

If you would like to show your support with a small donation, it would be much appreciated! Even a little bit helps! If not, that is OK too, just send your positive energy and prayers for those that feel lost!

If you would like to donate, please make any checks out to: With Hope Foundation - Tax id number 74-3151202

You can mail them to me at: Re/Max North Orange County - 1441 N. Brea Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92835

For more information on Amber's Story, The Walk, or With Hope, please visit: www.withhopefoundation.org
Thanks for your support!

Cristal Drake - Re/Max North Orange County - 714-423-7525

"Hello. I am a junior at El Dorado High School. Ms. Craig had visited my church my freshman year, Yorba Linda Friends. During my sophomore year i had always thought bout suicide and because i heard Ambers's story it made me think. I did try once and have gotten the help needed. I would just like to thank everyone working with this foundation to help suicide prevention. I think what you people do really changes lifes. I know it had changed my life and made me think twice. So thank all of you who put all your time and effort into this foundation."

Amber's Story We have lost on this earth a creative, beautiful, strong, loving, and, yet, deeply wounded young lady. Amber Craig took her own life on the morning of May 25, 2005. She was exactly 14 and a half years old. She selfishly took from us the pleasure of knowing and loving her. She devasted a community. Amber was an avid soccer player, a good student, and a loving friend. She was the keeper and co-captain for her JUSA G90-A Club soccer team and keeper for El Dorado High School. As a freshman she played varsity soccer and still had time for her family, her boyfriend and her friends. She was silly. She was bold. She was encouraging. She was determined. She was...Amber. We now know she was also profoundly sad and her one mistake (other than her final act) was that she didn't reach out for the help available. She masked her pain in the midst of all her talents. She hid her pain from a community of people who truly loved her. Amber's inability to share her pain has tragically affected those who loved her deeply. This website is dedicated to Amber and people like Amber; people who wish they could share their darkest thoughts and, for whatever reason, are unable to reach out. Do we know why Amber took her own life? Do we know what she was thinking as she took her own life? No, we don't. We wish we could turn back time and talk to her just once more to give her a shred of hope. We wish we could turn back time and let her know how very loved she was...is. We wish we could turn back time and hear her...see her...feel her. But we can't. All we can do now is pray with hope that we can offer resources to those hurting. Please use them. Please reach out. You are important. You have something to contribute to this world. You are loved.

For the second Earth Day in a row, I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like as a Realtor(r) with no car. The rules I set were simple: I could bike, walk, use public transportation or carpool.

No Big deal for a day, right? Wrong! I am a Realtor(r) that means I spend my day all over the place, at showings, meeting contractors, clients, etc... So, for one day, I packed up my stuff and got on my bike, here is the recap: (All times are approximate).

6:45 am - Wake up as usual but am happy I don't have to go exercise as I figure I will get enough pedaling around town. I check the weather report and am thrilled to find out that our 100 degree heatwave is over! High of 77 degrees today...perfect!

7:30 am - start compiling Earth Day gifts. I have one basket on my bike so I have to pack up my Earth Day bags and flower seeds, etc... pretty tightly to fit

8:20 am - Call from my client. She wants to write an offer on a house we saw yesterday! Hooray! Then a bit of dread sets in. What if I need to drive to her to get the signatures? Whew, we can do it via email! Thank goodness for technology!

The rest of the morning is spent trying to get a hold of the agent to go over some specs as well as email follow up etc....

10:00 am - Time to head to the office. I have a lot to bring: Earth Day gifts, my lap top, files, my purse, water jug, etc...wow, and this is scaled down compared to all the stuff I have rattling around in my car! It is a good thing that the office is one block away and all down hill! I really should have gotten a picture of me and all my stuff.

10:30 am - still no call back from the agent...two more calls and an email. Also, do some home searches for buyers and other follow-up. I find myself almost secretly hoping nothing good came up that I will need to show. (This is not good.)

11:00 am - can't wait all day for the agent so I will head out on my bike and jam back if I hear from him...hmmm...jamming back might not be so easy.

Noonish - 1st stop - Fullerton Chamber of Commerce! I love Leah, Erin and Theresa and all seemed genuinely happy to see me! Here's your bag!

Right after it was over to Kneadle formerly Decaro Studios! They are in the same building and are awesome graphic artists, media, website, and SEO gurus. Lisa is one of my favorite buyers and we have been looking high and low. Andrea and Chris are still contemplating their home purchase :o).

12:30 - stopped at another buyer's house. She wasn't home. Left her bag.

12:45 - Studio EMP - Darn, Joel and Jeni weren't in.

12:46 - Carpe Diem and RK Designs. Gave Sabrina her bag. I love her!

1:00 - Cyndi at 40 Lashes! She will make sure you have lush, amazing lashes!

1:20 - Kelli and Judi's homes. They are the girls from Design by 2 Interiors. I was happy they were home working hard. Love these girls.

1:30 - Nevi at the Pint House- time for a yummy lunch of a Portobelo Burger!

Made a few other stops visiting clients on my bike. It was really fun and the weather was great! I had to cut it a bit short because I had some pressing issues to contend with at the office.

2:30 - Back at the office putting out fires and pacing like a mad woman (generally I would jump in the car and go talk face to face)...nope, gotta settle for the phone.

3:30 - agent calls back!

Hurray, write up the offer and get it to the buyer, who is awesome and signs and emails it on back!

4:30 - more fires to put out

5:00 - should be heading out to Cantina Lounge for a mixer but I missed the carpool because of those fires. So I stay in the office late working on a file that should be closing on Friday but have no loan approval!!!!!!!!!

6:45 - pack up and head on home. Unfortunately I don't make it all the way up the hill to my house. I have to walk part of the way. Maybe next year...

So, all in all, it was a good day, nothing newsworthy but I got to see a bunch of friends, clients and local businesses. They are an awesome and cheered me along all the way! I missed the mixer and was bummed about that but had to take care of business. If I had had my car, I could have stopped by for a bit.

For all of those that noticed that my helmet was missing, it was because I couldn't find it. I definitely need it next year because there was sure a lot of traffic. Also, if I missed you, it wasn't on purpose! I would love to send you a canvas grocery bag! Just let me know!

Today I am happy to have my car back! One day a year with no car won't kill me but it could easily put a damper on business. You can plan all you want but a Realtor's life can be so unpredictable!

JUST IN! As I was writing this, the Orange County Register called and is going to put a little blurb about me in next week's paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year, I got up early on Earth Day and embarked on adventure as a Realtor with NO CAR! What a great experience it was...so great, I am going to do it again this year!

This year will be a bit different though. I am so much more busy than I was last year. Getting everywhere I need to be in a day and not depend on my car is going to be tough and I think I have my work cut out for me!

The rules I set for myself? Simple. Go through the entire day as a Realtor...and not use my car. My options are bike, walk, bus or carpool with someone that is going the same place as me and they can't go out of their way to pick me up!

So what's the big deal really? It isn't one really if all I have to do is get to my destination (ie: the office) and stay there all day. But a Realtor's life is much different. It is a day full of meeting people in different places all day long. From showing properties, to checking on homes to meeting sellers; rarely am I in one place for long.

Showing properties may be a bit challenging. I wonder how many people would want to hop on the bus with me or ride on my handlebars?

Tomorrow morning I will load up the basket of my bike with goodies to give away to friends and clients around the Downtown Fullerton area.

If you live or work in that area, and would like me to stop by, please let me know! I would love to stop by on my bike and bring you a little gift!

So look for me on my bike and be sure to say, "hi" and stay tuned for the "Results" story. Here is me on my bike last year and the results of that day! Day In The Life of a Realtor with No Car!

After the tax incentives for first time home buyers was announced, my phone almost instantly started ringing.  Buyers were realizing that it was there time!

As I would eagerly pull up listings to show, I noticed that something was happening.  On average, only about eight to 10 new listings would pop up in the cities I was searching. What was more startling was that in those same cities, 12 plus listings would come off the market (either as a closed sale or into escrow) in the same day. The number of listings started decreasing!

As my buyers would get frustrated with making offers on homes just be outbid by an investor or someone else, we had to get more aggressive. I am happy to say that I have managed to open a few escrows but I still have buyers that are getting worried.

Today, I pulled up the total listings for Fullerton, CA.  There is a total of 318 homes for sale. That is all. I remember looking this time last year and there was well over 500 and even more the year before.

So what is happening? Sellers don't want to sell unless they have to. Unless they are planning on moving up (now is a great time by the way) then who can blame them?

The bank owned properties just aren't coming up like they use to. I read the reports and while there are a number of people in default, the homes just aren't coming on the market. It is good if we can help people stay in their homes!

Newsweek reported "Signs of Life" in the housing market in their recent publication. I have been seeing it for some time and so have my buyers but it is nice to see something other than, "housing doom and gloom" in the media.

If you are a buyer; hang in there! It will happen if you are tenacious and have a good Realtor working on your behalf! Now is more important than ever to work with an educated and professional agent that knows how to get offers accepted.

Sellers, I understand that if you don't have to sell, then you do not want to.  I wouldn't either.  If you are in some sort of distress and not sure what to do. You do have options.  Don't wait until it is too late.  Experienced and educated Realtors know how to help.  Don't pay thousands for a loan modification until you have talked to a Realtor that will consult you for FREE.

This is certainly an interesting time we are in and an exciting time to be in Real Estate.  Weather helping a first time home buyer realize the dream of home ownership or helping a seller relieve an extremely heavy burden, I am lucky. I love my job!

For more information about what is going on in the market or questions on buying or selling, shoot me an email or give me a call. I would love to help!

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Cristal Drake - Realtor (R)...At Your Service for all your Fullerton area real estate needs! RE/MAX North Orange County - 714-423-7525. All information in my blogs is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Copyright 2009 all rights reserved.

Receive my blogs via email! Click here: Subscribe in a reader

Search The MLS Here!