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Steve Hirschler, Big Bear Real Estate

Bring your checkbook.

If you are shopping for a mountain home here in Big Bear, bring your checkbook. There are houses that sell in the first 2 weeks on the market, and then there are homes that reach the correct price and suddenly become the best deal. Either way, the ability to recognize these deals comes from inventory knowledge. Buyer's in this market will need an agent that is up to date on the ever changing Big Bear Real Estate inventory. If you are a seller in this market, get ready to play hard ball.

42220 Evergreen, Big Bear Lake,CA listed at $650,000 in escrow. On the market 11 days.

Price your house based on anything other than market conditions and you will fail. You will be one of the other 1100 overpriced listings. Buyers are ruthless and want the very best value. Once identified, these houses receive action.

317 Sites Way, Big Bear City, listed at $219,900 in escrow.

If you plan to come back next weekend and buy that deal you saw today, don't expect it to be here. We have finally got to the point that some sellers are getting it. They are pricing ahead of the turn and they are being rewarded. The competition is often back owned or short sale.

934 Myrtle, Big Bear City listed at $219,900 in escrow.

The last 4 buyers (in the past 30 days) that I have represented all together were only 3.08% off of list price with their purchase price.

They all got great deals.

If your criteria is to feel like a winner because you bought a house 20% below the list price, tell your agent you want to go look at the overpriced listings.

517 Mountain View, Big Bear City listed at $274,900 in escrow.

Steve Hirschler

Associate, The Tim Wood Group

Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery

42153 Big Bear Blvd.

P.O. BOX 6820

Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

steve@bigbeargallery.com

909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889

Fax 909 866-3531

http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com

Big Bear Real Estate 10 YEAR AVERAGE - DEED RECORDINGS THROUGH MARCH 2008

10 YEAR AVERAGE - DEED RECORDINGS

Year

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Monthly

10 Year

2008

% of

Rank

Average

Average

Jan

96

125

125

158

130

194

163

128

139

77

12

134

44

33%

Feb

97

126

158

128

148

169

173

147

112

80

11

134

43

32%

Mar

132

183

174

168

187

197

219

186

118

99

9

166

59

35%

Apr

110

159

169

150

213

227

238

170

131

81

10

165

0%

May

129

151

193

182

269

200

268

171

132

99

8

179

0%

Jun

154

161

198

207

224

199

246

188

148

78

7

180

0%

Jul

188

195

180

187

247

228

275

171

108

95

6

187

0%

Aug

185

191

256

264

292

246

263

198

159

106

1

216

0%

Sep

202

231

248

199

274

281

263

228

121

82

2

213

0%

Oct

216

188

270

224

302

227

236

199

123

77

3

206

0%

Nov

221

227

217

187

241

231

224

192

115

87

4

194

0%

Dec

179

237

194

199

276

216

214

186

111

68

5

188

0%

Total

1909

2174

2382

2253

2803

2615

2782

2164

1517

1029

2163

0%

Yr Rank

8

6

4

5

1

3

2

7

9

10

2006 vs. 2007 68%

This is the latest information for deed recording activity in the Big Bear area. As you can see, the number of recordings is well below the 10year average. Year to date we are 43% below 2007 recordings and 60% below 2006. While we have seen a slight increase in March over January and February 2008 numbers, we still can't say that the market has improved. Traditionally March is busier than January and February, so a slight increase in transactions is to be expected. According to the Big Bear MLS 49 of the 59 deed recordings were residential, and the remaining 10 were vacant land. If you would like to discuss Real Estate in Big Bear, please give me a call.

Regards,

Steve Hirschler

Associate, The Tim Wood Group

Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery

42153 Big Bear Blvd.

P.O. BOX 6820

Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

steve@bigbeargallery.com

909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889

Fax 909 866-3531

http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/

Moonridge has some great deals on second homes.

As you know if you've read my blog in the past. I love the Moonridge area of Big Bear.

I have personally lived in the Moonridge area since 1990. The views are often of the ski slopes and some of the properties even have a lake view. I like the topography that makes you feel like you are truly in the mountains. There seems to be just the right amount of pine trees in Moonridge. The sound of the wind in the trees is something that many of my clients have commented on while we are out looking at properties. Most of the roads in the Moonridge area are quickly cleared after a storm even though we get a good amount of snowfall in Moonridge.

These are some of the other posts that you can go to if you want more information on Moonrdige:

Great Homes are available in the Moonridge Area of Big Bear Lake

Moonridge, Big Bear Lake homes for sale

Big Bear Homes for Sale, Moonridge

Big Bear Homes for Sale, Moonridge LakeView

Moonridge in Big Bear Lake has it all!

Get lost in Moonridge.... Big Bear Lake

Homes in the Moonridge area make great vacation rentals and this will often allow buyers to spend a little more on their second home. I have seen a few vacation rentals that come close to breaking even, but the majority will cover 25% - 35% of their overhead. What you will want to do if your thinking about vacation rental is get a quote from one of the companies that handles rentals. This will give you an idea of what type of income you might expect from the home that you are interested in.

Winters seems to be the prime time for rentals in Moonridge. That's not to say your Moonridge home will not rent during the summer, spring or fall seasons. Usually owners can just call and set aside the time periods that they want to use the cabin. This allows the use by the owner to be flexible.

The Big Bear Real Estate market is the best in years for those of you that are buyers. If your waiting for the bottom, I think we are very close. REO / Bank Owned properties and short sales are available in all areas of Big Bear, and Moonridge is no exception.

So what are you waiting for? Give me a call to set an appointment and let's find your Moonridge Mountain Home while the ball is in the buyers court.

Steve Hirschler

Associate, The Tim Wood Group

Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery

42153 Big Bear Blvd.

P.O. BOX 6820

Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

steve@bigbeargallery.com

909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889

Fax 909 866-3531

http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/

Big Bear Real Estate 10 year deed recording information

10 YEAR AVERAGE - DEED RECORDINGS

Year

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Monthly

10 Year

2008

% of

Rank

Average

Average

Jan

96

125

125

158

130

194

163

128

139

77

12

134

44

33%

Feb

97

126

158

128

148

169

173

147

112

80

11

134

43

32%

Mar

132

183

174

168

187

197

219

186

118

99

9

166

0%

Apr

110

159

169

150

213

227

238

170

131

81

10

165

0%

May

129

151

193

182

269

200

268

171

132

99

8

179

0%

Jun

154

161

198

207

224

199

246

188

148

78

7

180

0%

Jul

188

195

180

187

247

228

275

171

108

95

6

187

0%

Aug

185

191

256

264

292

246

263

198

159

106

1

216

0%

Sep

202

231

248

199

274

281

263

228

121

82

2

213

0%

Oct

216

188

270

224

302

227

236

199

123

77

3

206

0%

Nov

221

227

217

187

241

231

224

192

115

87

4

194

0%

Dec

179

237

194

199

276

216

214

186

111

68

5

188

0%

Total

1909

2174

2382

2253

2803

2615

2782

2164

1517

1029

2163

0%

Yr Rank

8

6

4

5

1

3

2

7

9

10

2006 vs. 2007 68%

This is the 10 year deed recording information for the Big Bear Area. As you can see our deed recordings have slowed to 1/3 of the 10 year average. This is 55% of 2007's first 2 months. 2007 was 24% below the slowest year in 20 years (1993). This is great news for buyer's.

Buyer's in this market will enjoy some of the best values in years. There are 1072 active residential listings as of today 3/13/2008 in the Big Bear MLS, so we have a good amount of homes for buyers to choose from.

Sellers in this market will need to price their homes at or below market value if they want to sell. Sellers will need to make their home easy to show, and concentrate on improving street appeal.

Steve Hirschler

Associate, The Tim Wood Group

Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery

42153 Big Bear Blvd.

P.O. BOX 6820

Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

steve@bigbeargallery.com

909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889

Fax 909 866-3531

http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/

Big Bear Real Estate Blog

What floats your boat?

A boat floats, because the fluid in which it is floating offsets the downward pull of gravity and pushes it up.

The scientific name for this force, which allows even immense objects to float in liquid, is buoyant force, more commonly known as buoyancy.

A solid object's density determines whether or not the buoyant force of a liquid can lift it.

The density of an object depends upon its weight and its size. Given two solid objects that are different sizes, but weigh the same, the smaller, more compact object is the denser of the two.

Fluids also have density. When an object is placed in the fluid, it pushes aside some of the liquid and, if its density is greater than that of the fluid it displaces, it will sink and, if not, it will float.

So much for the technical reasons why your boat floats....

These are some things that float the boats of Big Bear Lake's visitors.

Canoe paddling on Big Bear Lake.

Fisherman love the abundance of Rainbow trout, Catfish, and Bass in Big Bear Lake.

Waterskier's and Wake-boarders enjoy the flat calm water that Big Bear Lake provides in the early mornings.

Hobi Cat boat

Sailing across the lake on a breezy afternoon.

Some of us just enjoy the beauty of the mountains and ski slopes while sitting on the lake taking in one of the 320 plus days of sunshine on Big Bear Lake.

You could take a ride on a pirate ship,

or an inner tube.

The site seeing is tremendous.

No matter what you're reason is, spending the day on Big Bear Lake is hard to beat.

What activities do you enjoy on the lake?

Steve Hirschler

Associate, The Tim Wood Group

Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery

42153 Big Bear Blvd.

P.O. BOX 6820

Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

steve@bigbeargallery.com

909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889

Fax 909 866-3531

http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/