It's a beautiful day in Elk Grove and as I went for a run this morning in my neighborhood, Camden, I thought I would grab my digital camera. I'm so glad I did...these pictures remind me of why I love to live in Camden!
I love the changing of the seasons in my neighborhood. As I walk or run through the miles of trails and natural areas, it always brings a smile to my face to see the flowers, budding trees and wildlife this time of year as our seasons are starting to change from winter to spring.
Camden Passage is a community of custom, semi-custom and production homes surrounding Camden Lake with miles of walking/running/biking trails, nature areas, greenbelts and several parks.
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The Mode & DurhaM Team in Elk Grove, CA
Camden Neighborhood Association Annual Membership Drive is on!
Camden Neighborhood Association is a non-profit organization serving the Camden Park and Camden Passage neighborhoods.
The Camden Neighborhood Association sponsors several events each year. These typically include the Fall Festival, Easter Egg Hunt, Spring Fling and Annual Garage Sale.
CNA Membership helps to protect our fine neighborhood!
CNA Membership alerts you to important issues that could effect your quality of life! Annual membership is only $40.
And to help fight crime in the neighborhood, you can sign up for the COPS program - the Camden Officer Patrol Service. The cost is still $20 monthly. The Association hires off duty POLICE OFFICERS to protect our prized homes and families. In addition, they provide a "vacation" watch function to subscribers.
For more information, go to info@camdencentral.com.
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For more information on the Elk Grove real estate market, make sure to read: Is it still a buyer's market?
The Mode & DurhaM Team in Elk Grove, CA
I came home the other evening to see paint on the sidewalk and street in front of my home and little red flags placed on the lawns around our neighborhood in Camden. 
Obviously, some sort of construction is going to be done...it took a couple of days for us to find out what however. Yesterday, a construction notice was attached to our door along with a phamplet on water meters.
Lucky us! We are getting water meters next week! We seem to be the first street in the Camden area, but I'm sure everyone will have them soon.
According to the Water Project Update at www.WaterProjectUpdate.com -
January 2009 - The project for installing meters has begun. The first to be installed will be locations that have had significant repairs over the past few years. These were made "meter ready" and can be installed relatively easily.
The next area will be homes located in the Camden area in the Northwestern corner of the district. And here is their Meter Map.
We have always paid a flat rate....but the State of California is requiring that all water connections be fitted with a water meter. There are apparently almost 6,000 homes that need to be upgraded at a cost of $20 million. The plan is to install 600 meters every year for the next 10 years.
According to the pamphlet we will have control of our water usage. We will be paying for the correct amount of water that we use. Our bills will probably be smaller in the winter and higher in the summer.
Also, if you have a pool, fountains or water thirsty landscaping, the bills may be higher than they are now. They suggest going to www.egws.org for water saving tips.
It sounds like once the meter is installed, we will be converted to the metered billing on the next full billing cycle. I have no idea how this will affect our current water bill. Our current bill is running $73.18 per month. It will be interesting to see how much higher or lower our bill goes once the meter is in - especially since we do not have a pool or fountain. For updates or more information on this water project, go to www.WaterProjectUpdate.com or you may call the project coordinator at (916) 869-4464.
Search all Sacramento homes here!
For more information on the Elk Grove real estate market, make sure to read: Is it still a buyer's market?
The Mode & DurhaM Team in Elk Grove, CA
SOLD...The Mode & DurhaM Team of Keller Williams Realty, Elk Grove has sold another bank owned home in Vineyard area of Sacramento...Beautiful bank owned single story in Elk Grove School District...almost new, built in 2005...and ready for you to move into. Formal living and dining rooms, separate family room with fireplace, large kitchen with island and breakfast nook. Great condition and many upgrades! Don't miss this one!
It seems like I am asked daily lately, where did our buyer's market go? Is it still a buyer's market? Or is this market in Elk Grove now a seller's market?
We have seen more SOLD signs! 
We have had more home sales occuring in the past few months and inventory holding steady in the Sacramento region. California Association of Realtors recently reported that sales of single family detached resale homes have skyrocketed to 84.9 percent in December 2008 compared to December 2007.
Inventory is down! This generally means it's a seller's market. In the Elk Grove area, we started 2009 with 985 active listings in Metrolist. This is down by approximately 30% over the beginning of 2008, which we began with 1333 active listings. The market is red hot right now and mutliple offers have become the norm.
But, wait a minute...prices are still declining. Not at the same rate as last year, but they are still declining. This generally indicates a buyer's market.
And a recent Inman News article stated that RealtyTrac senior vice president Rick Sharga told attendees at the Inman News Real Estate Connect conference in New York City this month that an analysis of 500,000 distressed properties in four states in the company's database found only about one in four were listed for sale in a multiple listing 
service, or MLS. This suggests that as many as 75 percent of distressed properties have yet to hit the market, Now, we have to remember that this is nationwide and real estate is very localized. Califonria usually leads the way in real estate cycles. Today RealtyTrac reports 1827 bank owned homes and 977 preforeclosures in Elk Grove, CA while Metrolist shows only 537 REO properties currently on the market or pending. This means we have a lot more inventory to go through in the Elk Grove area & we will still be seeing the wonderful yellow signs around Elk Grove announcing the REO Open Houses.
So back to the question, is this a buyer's market or not?
If you are a buyer, you have to remember how important it is to work with an agent who is experienced in writing offers on REO or foreclosure listings. Some agents do not have this experience and unfortunately it is the buyer who suffers. For tips on how to get your offer accepted on a REO or bank owned home, make sure to read Has Your REO/Bank Owned Offer been Rejected again? And your agent needs to have a good knowledge of the particular area or neighborhood which you are interested in purchasing, so that they can advise you on price. If you are thinking of buying, NOW is the time to be in the market...interest rates are great, prices are even better, so what are you waiting for?
If you are a seller, it is very important that you stay ahead of your competition. In a declining market, the active listings in the area become very important. Even if the sold comparables are at a certain level, if the competition is lower...you must be competitive with the active listings. To sell, in this market buyers must see value, so you must be the best priced, in the best condition so that buyers will see this value. We have a great tool available to our sellers, so that they can stay current on the market along with us. If you are thinking of selling and are interested in watching the market in your neighborhood, make sure to check out Sellers Stay Current on Your Neighborhood.
There will be more homes sold in 2009 in the Elk Grove area than in 2008! That's exciting for all of us! This market is neither a buyer's market or a seller's market currently...it seems that it's a buyer's market that acts a lot like a seller's market. That's not the real question though...the real question is whether it's a good time to buy or not? And yes, it is a great time to buy NOW.
The Mode & DurhaM Team in Elk Grove, CA
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The team of Lori Mode & Bruce Durham, Is A Full Service Real Estate Team Serving Buyers & Sellers in Sacramento County. Specialties Include Resale, REOs, 1st Time buyers & Investor Buyers and Sellers.
Lori Mode and Bruce Durham of Keller Williams offer unsurpassed service to buyers and sellers of real estate in the greater Sacramento area. Lori and Bruce have a combined 45 years of experience in the real estate industry and their team is both experienced and energetic in helping buyers and sellers with new and resale residential single family and investment properties.
Meet Our Team -
Lori is a native of Sacramento, CA and has lived and worked in the Elk Grove area for over 30 years. Prior to real estate she worked as Branch Manager/Escrow Officer for area title companies for 20 years. She is a life time member of the Sacramento Association of Realtors Master's Club, serves on her Market Center's Agent Leadership Council and is Chairperson of the MC's Technology Committee. Lori is an active community member including serving as a Board Member on both the Elk Grove Piranha's Swim Team and the Elk Grove United Soccer Club and participaing in several other community organizations.
Bruce started in the real estate industry as General Manager for a property management company. This position steered him toward obtaining his real estate license and when the company was sold, on the advise of a friend, moved to Sacramento. Locally, he has worked for Great Western Real Estate in the early 1980's, then Coldwell Banker for over 12 years and currently Bruce is with Keller Williams Realty. Bruce is also a member of Sacramento Association of Realtor's Master's Club and has previously served on Keller Williams Realty's Agent Leadership Council.
Lori and Bruce have been business partners for 13 years in the Sacramento real estate industry.
Susan Easter, Accredited Buyer's Representative
Susan has been a resident of Elk Grove for over 18 years. Prior to choosing a career in real estate at Keller Williams, Susan was in retain management and merchandising for both Macy's and Gap, Inc. Susan obtained her designation as Accredited Buyer's Representative in December 2005 and has been with Keller Williams since the opening of their Elk Grove Market Center.
To search the entire MLS for not only Sacramento County, but also surrounding counties of El Dorado, Placer and Yolo Counties. Please browse through our website for area information, school information, area market statistics, and more! There you can also receive a free online valuation of your home or sign up for free emailed MLS alerts and very timely market condition reports. Make sure to visit often for updated information.
As an Elk Grove real estate team, we focus on residential resale, including homes for first time home buyers, move up buyers and investors. We work with both buyers and sellers on single family homes, condominiums and investment properties including duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.
Buyers and Sellers need lots of information, whether buying or selling a personal home or investing in real estate. A big part of our job as a real estate professional is to make sure they get what they need so intelligent informed decisions can be made. We provide a variety of information through our website at www.AllElkGroveHomes.com, through our Market Analysis, our Free Reports for buyers and sellers, our market updates, and area statistics. We have weathered the ups and downs of the real estate market in the Sacramento area for over 20 years and know how to consult with our clients to get them what they want in the time they want. 
I was referred to Lori and was instantly impressed by her knowledge and experience in the real estate field. Lori was the best Realtor EVER! She was very knowledgable of the neighborhoods I was interested in. She was helpful, friendly, etc. etc. THANK YOU!
Kirsten Bosch, 4248 U Street, Sacramento, CA 95817
Lori and Bruce made the selling of our home on Lakepoint Drive in Elk Grove a painless transition. We were not looking forward to a long and tedious selling process and we were amazed at how quickly and efficiently the home SOLD. Their expertise and marketing techniques were very effective and we are very satisfied that we selected them to represent us! Thanks again for a job well done!
Jim & Cathy Eckman, 6711 Arboga Way, Sacramento, CA 95831
Our Realtors, Lori Mode & Bruce Durham, were extremely helpful in helping us buy our first home. We will be working through them again when buying our second home!
Ryan & Christine Goodwin, 9387 Soaring Oaks Way, Elk Grove, CA 95758
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