Mike Wochner, Big Bear Lake Real Estate Agent

About Your Big Bear Real Estate Agent

I joined The Tim Wood Group at Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery Realtors in January of 1999. Having lived in Tempe, Arizona my entire life, moving up to the mountains of Southern California was a big leap of faith for me. After graduating from Arizona State University, I gave my broker, Tim Wood, a 2 year committment and have never looked back. I am happily married now with 2 children (with another on the way) and couldn't have picked a better place to raise a family. Big Bear Lake is truly a wonderful place to live, whether it's full time like us, or part time like the majority of our owners who come from "down the hill" to enjoy the outdoors and get away from it all.

I am:

• A full time agent who studies the market daily.
• Have exceptional knowledge of the area and inventory.
• A good listener with excellent communication skills.
• Certified EPro Internet Professional, a designation endorsed by the National Association of Realtors.
• Coldwell Banker Previews Specialist, a certification dedicated to luxury real estate marketing.
• Member of the Coldwell Banker President's Elite for production, representing less than 1% of the more than 125,000 sales associates worldwide.

At The Tim Wood Group, our goal is to demonstrate that professionalism truly exists in the real estate industry, and our committment is to prove this with every Big Bear real estate transaction we complete. I look forward to meeting you and helping you with your mountain home search!

Big Bear Lake....A Four Season Resort Destination

(Click here to read a recent article written by Sam Samuels of the NY Times about Big Bear)

Winter:

(photo courtesy of The New York Times)

When I think of Big Bear in the winter I automatically think of snowskiing/snowboarding at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Snow Summit is the place for everyday skiers and riders at all skill levels who are looking for a family environment. They have night skiing on most Friday's and Saturday's and holiday evenings from 3pm to 9:30pm. Our daughter has an annual ski pass and she really enjoys boarding at Snow Summit. Bear Mountain is geared more towards the high school and college snowboarders who enjoy extreme sports and the Superpipe. It is recognized as one of the most progressive terrain parks in the Country and is equally popular.

Another winter activity my wife and I enjoy is snowshoeing. We enjoy going over to the Knickerbocker Trail (right in front of the Knickerbocker Bed and Breakfast), or every once in a while we'll try Cougar Crest Trail. If you like the outdoors and hiking, you should really consider giving this a shot. There are tons of trails throughout the Big Bear Valley to go and explore. Recently, Big Bear hosted the first annual Snowshoe the Bear event. For more details click here.

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain and Big Bear Snow Play both have excellent snowmaking systems for inner tubing thrill seekers. Each weekend you can drive by these two spots and see hundreds of excited kids enjoying the snow.

Spring:

(photo courtesy of The New York Times)

This is the time of year to get out and explore the trails by foot, mountain bike or horseback.

Trails are abundant in the San Bernardino National Forest, most notable being the Pacific Crest Trail. The trails in the Big Bear region offer expansive views of the forest, wildlife and valley floor. Most trailheads are easily accessible and lead hikers to summits with outstanding panoramic views. A visit to the Big Bear Lake Visitor Center or the Big Bear Discovery Center provides hikers with every resource to plan a full day of hiking and picnicking.

I always enjoy The Farmers Market which reopens every April over at the Convention Center. Every Tuesday throughout the Spring and Summer you can pick your own fruits and vegtables grown from California farms. It's a great way to pick fresh healthy food at reasonable prices.

For all you hardcore fishermen, The May Trout Classic is always a big hit. Click here to find out more information about this great local fishing event. Or if you just want to relax and take in the beauty of Big Bear Lake you might want to rent a pontoon boat or take a tour on one of Big Bear's tour boats (The Big Bear Queen paddelwheel boat, the Big Bear Pirate Ship).

Every May, Big Bear is the host to The Jeep Jamboree, a popular event which brings Jeep owners from all across the Country together to explore the trails of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Summer:

(photo courtesy of The New York Times)

This is when activities in Big Bear kick into high gear. Visitors can be found racing across the lake on waverunners or jet skis, kayaking or canoeing along the lake's coves and inlets, skimming the water on skis or wakeboards, or sailing with a little help from the constant lake breezes.

Meadow Park Swim Beach is open daily and has protected areas for children to enjoy Big Bear Lake. There are areas to play volleyball, tennis and barbecue nearby by.

The Holcomb Valley Trail Run is always a challenging experience for those who want to test their endurance and stamina. I ran the 15 mile run a couple years ago and was very impressed at how well organized the event was. The first pit stop I made along Cougar Crest Trail had homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade....you don't find that at the Los Angeles Marathon! Truly a great experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys trail running. Other notable trails to hike, bike or run are the Pineknot Trail, Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail, Castle Rock Trail, Sugarloaf National Recreation Trail, Grays Peak Trail and The Woodland Trail. Or if you prefer not exerting too much energy, The Snow Summit Scenic Sky Chair is another great way to enjoy the panoramic views of Big Bear at 8200 feet.

The Moonridge Animal Park is open daily throughout the summer. And adjacent to Moonridge Animal Park, golfers can get their "fix" at Bear Mountain Golf Course, open May through November; this 9 hole regulation course is located at the base of Bear Mountain Ski Resort.

Big Bear Choppers Ride the Mountain, the Soroptomist Home Tour, The Discovery Center Gala, the Big Bear Fireworks show, the Antique Car Club Fun Run, the Renaissance Faire, and the Antique Wooden Boat Show all happen during the Summer time making it a great time of year to enjoy the mountains.

Fall:

The nice thing about living in Big Bear in the fall is seeing the leaves change colors and visually seeing the season change. Back when I lived in Arizona the only season change was when it went from hot to really hot.

I'm really excited about the first annual Big Bear Marathon which will be held September 8th. Looking at the map, you start in The Village, you run around Big Bear Lake, you go through Fox Farm and up Moonridge over to Bear Mountain (that's miles 18 through 20 which will be the most treacherous), through Eagle Point and finish back in the Village. If you're a runner, this might be something to put on your calender.

October in Big Bear is all about the Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest (click here to see a YouTube video about Big Bear's Oktoberfest), the highest altitude celebration in the United States. This event has attracted thousands of visitors to enjoy German food, imported brews, Bavarian bands, traditional dances and competitions, such as, Queen Stein Carrying Contest and the Log Sawing Contest. You'll find locals and vistors having a good time and doing The Chicken Dance.

Other events held in the Fall include The Big Bear Lake International Film Festival and the October Trout Fest (the biggest fishing tournament in Big Bear).

Areas of Expertise and Testimonials

We specialize in higher end properties including lakefronts, newer subdivisions, and estate sized properties; however, we handle all types of sales in the Big Bear area (Big Bear Lake, Moonridge, Fox Farm, Big Bear City, Fawnskin, Sugarloaf, and Erwin Lake). Most of my sales have been in the Castle Glen, Eagle Mountain, Eagle Point Estates, North Shore East, Meadowbrook Estates, Eagles Knoll, High Timber Ranch and Ironwood Estates areas.

Recent Letters to my broker, Tim Wood.

6.19.2007

Dear Mr. Wood:

Your sales associate, Mike Wochner, recently assisted us in the selling of our home at the above-referenced address. We wanted you to know that we are extremely pleased with the services provided by Mike.

Selling a home and buying a new home, particularly in a different part of the country, can be very challenging and stressful. Mike never failed to do everything he could to make this sale as easy for us as possible. He promptly returned every phone call and email and was always available to assist us in any way possible.

Mike's professionalism and follow-through made us feel very confident that he would see to it that everything got done in a timely fashion. And his pleasant personality and sense of humor made the entire transaction enjoyable.

We have been married 15 years and have bought and sold homes about six times during that period. We would rate Mike as the best agent we have ever dealt with. Thank you for having such a great employee.

Sincerely, Steve and Gail Cawsey

5.31.2007

Tim:

I would like you to know how fortunate it is to have Mike Wochner work with you.

Mike's optimistic personality emulates daily. I had the pleasure to have Mike as my agent. Mike's honesty, knowledge and ability to communicate clearly made the process a great experience. Mike and his assistant, Michelle, are true professionals.

I will recommend Mike and The Tim Wood Group without reserve.

Sincerely, Ron Brostedt

Dear Tim,

It was great seeing and visiting with you earlier this month.

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know what a great experience we are having with Mike Wochner. We began my property search as early as last March I believe. I had initially thought I would have a partner in this venture. Mike spent two separate days touring first my partner and his wife and another day with the four of us. Upon closing on a commercial building down here in late March, I found that I should probably go it alone as I had to make a significant investment to comply with the 1031 requirements and it would be financially beyond what my partner could handle.

During the late spring and early Summer, Mike kept on the ball by emailing numerous listings to me. His telephone follow-up was fast, dependable and he didn't waste my time with listings that didn't fit my needs. He listened attentively, knew my needs and exceeded my expectations. I met with him on Sunday the 11th of August, and told him I had to find something that day and close by the 27th. We are going to close on Monday August 26th.

Tim, as usual, it has been a pleasure working with your organization. the professionalism, dependability and the desire to get the job done right the first time, both with Mike in the sales company, and April in the escrow company, has been the key to completing a perfect transaction. Congratulations on putting together such a great team.

Sincerely,

James H Roache

Other testimonials:

Mike did a great job guiding us through the process of purchasing a second home. We weren't that familiar with Big Bear when we started looking, and Mike spent a lot of time telling us about and showing us many different areas/neighborhoods and types of homes across a range of price points. He is very thorough and thoughtful. He communicates regularly and effectively and we found working with him to be easy and fun. The home we ended up buying needed some TLC, and Mike was especially helpful in connecting us with reputable contractors and other workpeople to get our house into shape. Mike really knows the area and the local market. Best of all, we absolutely love our new home, and are so glad Mike took the time to show us a range of options. We very much enjoyed working with Mike, and recommend him without hesitation.

Katja Guenther, 1434 Rockspray Drive, Big Bear Lake, CA (Bought 11.19.2007)