Wish list
This is a list I made to help buyers let me know what they really want to find in their home search.
Best to give husband and wife each their own wish list.
As we know buyers often change their mind. They start out with a 250,000 limit and buy a 875,000 home. The wife wants one style and husband another. Or one wants one feature and the other the other. I think and it is only my opinion that the wife usually wins but I try really hard to find a house that has all of their wish list items.
How many Bedrooms?
How many Baths?
Garage?
Special needs, wishes, requirements?
Views, location,or other desires?
Price range?
When you want to move?
Do you want a fixer or a move in condition house?
Do you want an older home or a newer home?
Is there a style you most like?
You can adapt to your area and your clients needs. You can shorten or legthen. You can fill in selections and let them circle.
While parents are doing this if there are kids I give them paper and have them draw house they want.
Have had an extended trip to florida.. Put moms house up for sale, Bought a home that is easier and more fun (swim exercise class) for her to live in, helped brother move here to enjoy her and got her organized. See photo below. Shipping my car back to Lake Arrowhead.
Really excited to be back. Arrive Wednesday. Mom is turning 84 on Tuesday. Going to celebrate her birthday. Looking forward to it.
My daughter is having baby girl in July and daughter in law having baby girl in September. I will get to see both babies be born. They both have 1 and 3 year olds so I get to play and help with them.
My website http://arrowheadcabinsales.com is starting to get lots of people looking. Some months we have 10,000 people looking. The new mls search seems popular with people. Most people prefer we do a specific searh for homes for them. They like certain areas, features and prices. Kind of like a wish list.
The nice thing is when you take a vacation you enjoy home even more. Have you ever been away and you book a 10 day trip instead of a 7. Then the last 3 days seem long. You had a great time and all but now you want your life back.
I love California. I love the mountains. I love my family. I love to sell real estate.
Florida swamp well, humid days well, flat land--really flat land---looking forward to the mountains. 
the blue van is mine says Daisy the real estate lady on the back of it. I pretend the clouds are mountains. But it does not work.
these photos taken by Denise Hornsby Lake Arrowhead--a talented photographer
Photos by Denise Hornsby these photos were taken by Grass Valley Lake which is located by the Lake Arrowhead Country Club. Homes in this area have lake rights. It is a wonderful place to hike, fish and relax. There is a volleyball court here.
keles favorite squirrel photo taken from her deck
Kele Coloma Realtor Re/max Lake Arrowhead took the photo above and photos below
great trees pretty snow 
Our mountain is so beautiful at so many times during the year. All of our seasons are wonderful.
Daisy the real estate lady! http://arrowheadcabinsales.com Re/max Lake Arrowhead
Daisy is writing this page--- I can honestly tell you the best way to pick an agent to sell your home.
KELE & Daisy Do List HOMES AND DO A GREAT JObs!
THESE ARE DAISY'S THOUGHTS--and only my thoughts--kele has a lot of patience with me----
Word of mouth is wonderful. Do you have a friend who sold or bought a home in the mountains recently? Interview a few agents. Ask them how they promote your home? Is it in local papers and magazines? (if it is only promoted this way you are only reaching visitors and locals) Do they have web sites, (for at least 80% of buyers the INTERNET is how they start a home search) do they advertise down the hill (la times etc), do they have a busy office with lots of walk ins or a small one with no traffic,no parking and no foot traffic, do they network with other agents to promote your house, how many mls sites will your home be advertised on, do you like this person, do they return your calls and emails quickly (or are they so busy they need an assistant- do you want a relationship with an assistant or an agent), do you like this person's personality as well as ability?
Ask them why you should chose them. Name recognition only does not sell houses. Promotion and attention does. If they are not located close to your house you should chose an agent who is. They know the area, they know the features and they know how to show homes in that area.Homes listed by down the hill agents in our mountains do not appear on our mls's. We do not know about them. We do not have access to them. Our keys do not work in their lock boxes.
We are not allowed by a gentleman's agreement to put for sale signs up in most mountain areas.
How do they promote your home to other agents, do they do open houses( how many will they commit to ), do they have photos of your home displayed in high traffic areas( for example lake arrowhead village) will they help you stage your home for other agents and clients to see it at its best, how long did it take them to sell other listings and why, can they tell you what your house is worth and why?Can they show you not only the great things about your house but its negatives (examples are street noise, access roads, illogical floor plans, lack maintenance, older kitchens , baths, neighbors who do not care for homes or yards, stairs that are hard to walk up or so numerous to exclude buyers, pet stains and odors, location problems, association fees, ccr's (this can be a plus or minus) and other issues that effect home value.
Ask your agent to put it in writing that you can fire them at any time that you are not happy with the way they are meeting your needs. They are getting lots of money to meet your needs and you should have the right to fire them if they do not do their job.
You should pick someone with ethics, someone you like and someone who you feel can do the job and be open, honest and tell you the things you also can do to help you sell.
If all else fails pick a blond Daisy the real estate lady or Kele with tons of energy/experience and success.
Green Valley Lake is a private lake with day use about $4- . It is a great place to fish ,( we made sure my grandson Bailey caught his first fish here- the water is so clear dad put line over a sun fish and handed pole to Bailey, what an adventure) is stocked, quiet secluded spots to fish, row boats for rent, and a beach way away from the fishing area that allows swimming and sunning. That area has a playground. There is a small store across the street and a cafe. Picnic lunches brought from home are the best. This area is 20 min from lake arrowhead. It has some of the lowest priced real estate. Lots of small cabins, tall trees, some dirt roads. This area could change quickly and might be a good investment to explore. It is close to snow valley for Ski/snow play and toboggan runs. 
winter in green valley lake
photo by Daisy
If you like to be cool in the summer, surrounded by big trees, clean air,clean lakes with lots of fish give this area a try. Email, call or explore my website. Call me to arrange a four lake tour.We will visit our villages, stop for a nice lunch and explore cabins, homes , lots. Most of green valley is at the highest of our village elevations and can be over 7200 feet. More snow here, less people, a little harder to get to , some of the best scenery, only one store.
Lots of Los Angeles people hide out here in the summer. Croud free. Boat rentals, great fishing, small kids beach and playground. Great picnic areas and hiking trails.
a little more info on this area
. If you are considering purchasing a vacation home or just want to get away from the buzz of city life, be sure to call Daisy for more information on real estate available in the area! |
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Daisy the real estate lady! http://arrowheadcabinsales.com Exit Realty on the mountain
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Family is important. My customers chose to begin their search on line. We begin by selecting a price range and size. After the family views home
My photo above is not the usual make up real estate photo you will see in magazines for real estate. That is how I look. Hate make up and my hair does not co-operate most of the time. I have 6 kids and 12 grandkids with 3 more on the way.
I was in retail management for many years, stayed home to raise kids, had 60 foster kids includintg 22 newborn drug babies over many years. Started with an A.A.S. and obtained my B.S. from Univerity of La Verne in Business in 1993.
I began an estate sale business and found the agents selling the homes were making lots more than I was just selling the contents. So I began selling real estate. I can sell anything and I am fun. I am smart and learn fast. I had lived on the mountains a long time but it took a while to learn all the real estate lingo. The mountain is a very special place. It has its own real estate rules and customs. It is important you find out everything about the home you are considering. Each area of the mountain is very unique. After a year of fooling around in real estate I made so much money my tax bill was more than I ever made in my whole life. And what was even funnier I just had a blast.
Where else can you ride around, snoop in houses, stop and have lunch, laugh with some new friends and after a few times doing this make like $6000. Wow!!! I wish I had figured this out sooner.
Well you know that real estate has slowed a bit. But the mountains are unique. We are mostly 2nd and 3rd homes. We often sell the same house every couple of years as peoples lives change. We have many multi-million dollar houses and really some shacks.
I can promise you a morning of learning about our area and learning the type of house you want or don't want.
My game plan is to help someone explore the area. Invite you to visit, let you rest, eat, sleep and take you on a mini tour.Snoop in a few homes and let you tell me what you like, hate, want and don't want. I am high energy . We can look at stuff all day or see a few places. You are the boss. I am just here to help.
I open the doors and help you find the streets, villages, neighborhoods.You pick what makes you happy and what does not. I cannot promise to find the perfect home for you right away.But often I cannot get you out of a house, I see that special smile go between you- the look only you two guys understand- I see an excitement and here a new type of question , and sometimes that means you have found the house!! I cannot promise to make you happy that first day out with your dream home. But I can promise a relaxing mountain adventure and lots of new ideas, thoughts and dreams for all clients ---especially baby boomers.Most of us are still as adventurous as we were before. We have lots more time to enjoy life, we have many more choices then we even had when we were "young" or younger ,we have more time and thank goodness money to explore options, we may sometimes have less energy but we can enjoy moments more, value the Little things we may not have had time to appreciate before and understand what really makes us happy. 
Why in the mountains of lake arrowhead?
Why now at this time of your life? Why wait until you retire to make some decisions? Why are prices still so good here? Why is living still so good here?
Maybe a rental cabin to use as a tax deduction would be something to think about and talk about with your accountant.
Let me share my experiencea client who bought a rental cabin that he now lives in full time. He bought a small cabin with a great view that backs to the forest. It was very 60's.---- He have every type of home up here. From the 20's,30's, 60's,70's,80's to the brand new.
Yes, you can still find fixers with long shag carpet!! ----The cabin was dated. He used it as a rental to offset income.He fixed up the interior, exterior, parking, baths, kitchen, decks, furniture, appliances, heating, insulation and roof. This was done slowly over the years. The kids were almost grown and now they have their own families. Over the years he acquired the furniture and dust collectors he need to make it feel like home. Most homes don't need as extensive renovations.
The homes I love to show baby boomers are small 2-3 bed cabins with 1-2 baths that need paint, new flooring and maybe updating of kitchens. There are still great buys in these homes. But if you want to see a lake front mansion ,a new construction home, or something moderate there is a great selection. It would be my pleasure to email you photos of any type of homes. Remember the price of tall trees, great views and clear air is very low.
How do you rent? He rented out casually to friends and family. He put a lock on a closet and kept his personal things there. Renters paid a discounted but fair rent, brought their own paper goods, bed linens, towels, food, firewood and optional items. He kept basics in the refig like sugar, jelly and some emergency supplies. Renters took their trash with them and left the cabin usually nicer than they found it when they arrived at the rental. Lots of times they left him cute baskets or other cabin gifts. They told friends about the cabin and it got rented even more. He kept track of rentals on a calender for taxes and to avoid duplicate rental dates. There are also professional management businesses that handle everything for you and take a %.
You should discuss with your tax person the items that can be written off. It really helped offset income. I know we were able to write off visits to the cabin to work on improvements. The cabin is now worth triple what he paid. When he decided to move here full time it was almost the way he wanted. Only minor changes were needed to make it perfect for only his use.
Lake Arrowhead and the villages that surround it our probably only 45 min to 1 1/2 hours from your primary residence. Wouldn't it be great to enjoy a mountain retreat weekends, holidays, when you downsize working or when you retire. Think how easy it would be to go back and forth. You still could be close to family that may have settled near primary residence.
But our mountains are a different world. The air is so clean, it is safe here, no traffic lights(not even one), free pharmacy, restaurant, pizza delivery. Very low cost upscale grocery delivery. Nice neighbors, homes not right on top of each other, views to love, a variety of styles from cottage, Victorian, cabin, house to mansion. It takes a day to feel the way you should feel here. When you visit plan on spending a night or two. I can arrange discounted accommodations.
Let me share a story one of my baby boomer clients told me. He drove up with his wife Friday night. They were tired and stressed. Freeway driving, crowded living, lines and jobs. Saturday morning they strolled the village, had a coffee, hit some of the factory outlet and specialty shops and then a late breakfast. By noon we were out exploring villages. Learning what each area was like. Stopping tovisit some of the many reasons to love the mountains. We bopped in to a few homes checked them out. They hated some stuff and loved other things about the homes.
After a special dinner they slept and relaxed. Sunday after brunch we went out and explored more homes and villages. From getting to know them and their reactions to homes we got closer to meeting their needs. I am not a show 5 homes and stop agent. I can go all day and will show you as many as you want to see. What my client told me that made me laugh was he could not believe that the same tv stations were here and in L.A.. He said it felt like a different world. He was not eager to go back down the mountain and hoped he could come up again soon to find his dream cabin. He wanted a little home in the woods that was a fixer , his biggest need was to smell clean pine trees. After they left I emailed homes to them. After a trip or two they were able to find their cabin in the woods. He prefers to read ,relax and does not watch L.A. tv in his cabin. He told me that "this cabin will be the bridge he needs to finish his career in the city."
Monday mornings were easier when he knew he could get in a long weekend at the cabin. He felt more refreshed and energized. She said she had more creative ideas sitting on her deck looking at the trees . She said she enjoyed resting instead of doing another job at home on weekends. She said things still got done but she was not undone! One comment she made I understood was that going to the cabin was a way of getting away from growing up or grown up kids or even grandkids. Now she babysits at the cabin (but only when they don't have so many things to do at the cabin it would not be a good weekend---things to do like read, hike, rest, eat out!!). It is an adventure to visit grandma's house. This will add to your popularity in the family.
Do some of these thoughts and feelings hit home with you? Could this be a choice you could explore? Would an ideal retirement be a city house, a mountain cabin and a desert retreat? Could you have all of it? Could you afford a small cabin under 250,000? Or do you want that special home that meets every need -not a settling house--a house that meets your needs.
Do you want a multi-generational house? Bedrooms on the main floor for parents or us--rec rooms for grandkids, kids, friends, decks for dreaming and entertaining, views to help us let go of all those energy grabbers.
What is my style of real estate? Casual-no phone calls (except to return yours)-jeans and tee shirts.That is my style. I do most communication by email. I can email you photos,(you can block my emails anytime).
I can answer questions do requests (Daisy please check out this house, is there room to store my boat?, my rv, is there room to bake holiday pies and have everyone there, is there a yard with no grass I can pay someone to clean twice a year, is there a view that no one can ever take away, can I be with the people I want to be close to in this house and is there room for us to be alone when we need to be, is there room for that big tv, is there a yard for dog and grandkids, is there total silence, does it smell like pine trees, is there a stream, can I see the lake (there are 4 here), can I walk to the lake, can I walk to a cafe or shop, can I get to ski slopes, snowboard area, cross country ski area, ice skating , movie, bowling, hiking ,concerts, is there a porch or deck for bbq's or doing nothing, can I breathe ,rest or run and walk for miles?) these are some of the many requests I get in the form of emails.
My game planis to help someone explore the area. Invite you to visit, let you rest, eat, sleep and take you on a mini tour.Snoop in a few homes and let you tell me what you like, hate, want and don't want. I am high energy . We can look at stuff all day or see a few places. You are the boss. I am just here to help.
I open the doors and help you find the streets, villages, neighborhoods.You pick what makes you happy and what does not. I cannot promise to find the perfect home for you right away.But often I cannot get you out of a house, I see that special smile go between you- the look only you two guys understand- I see an excitement and here a new type of question , and sometimes that means you have found the house!! I cannot promise to make you happy that first day out with your dream home. But I can promise a relaxing mountain adventure and lots of new ideas, thoughts and dreams for all clients ---especially baby boomers.
Where you are in your life, I am also in the same baby boomer neighborhood. We baby boomers can be so different from each other and at times also alike. There is a special place here I would like for you to experience....life in the middle of a national forest. Daisy
Please contact me directly thru my website http://arrowheadcabinsales.com
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