Valorie Stover, SFR Realtor, for Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Vicinity

There are now six waterfront properties available in Mission Viejo, CA. The sizes run from, right around 4,000 sq.ft. to 6,850 sq.ft., with 3 to 5 car garages, some include a pool and spa. All of them a standard sales ranging from $2.3 to $3 million. This is the best kept secret in Orange County! One of the finest lakes with crystal clear water maintained at the highest quality and white sandy beaches! Available right out your back door, fishing, swimming, sailing, boating and kayaking to be enjoyed whenever it hits your fancy.

Community Holiday Boat Parade is coming up, concerts during the summer, outdoor movies at the park, view the firework show right from your backyard and go from your dock right to the shops or restaurants that are also located on the lake.

All this in the safest and most beautifully maintained City of Mission Viejo!

I have a client trying to buy a house using the program MAP, (Mortgage Assistance Program). It offers up-to $40,000 towards downpayment and closing costs but you have to buy in the towns and cities that they say. This is the problem for my buyers, not because they don't like the city but in South Orange County where they want to live, it only gives us 3 cities and some unincorperated area. Of the 3 cities only 1 will have housing low enough for them to qualify for. There are cities that would be better, in that they have lower priced housing but MAP doesn't include the cities that have cheaper housing.

Now looking at the unincorperated area, it gives 3 locations and only one of them would have housing low enough.Tthe problem with this area is there are higher taxes and higher Associations fees so the price of the house has to be lowered.

One year ago I could of found them ten detached house to look at and this year there was one condo in the worst area to raise a family.

Prices are UP! I look at this every day and there aren't great deals anymore.

Orange County's median home price last month saw its first yearly increase since August 2007 to $429,000, a 1% increase from a year ago. August Median home prices are still down approximately a third what they were at the peak of the market in June 2007 but did inch up a little over $1,000. Closed sales in Orange County for the month of September reached 2,828, an increase of more than 1% from August and a whopping 6% increase from a year earlier, according to San Diego-based MDA DataQuick.

Can we keep it going? I don't think it will though the winter but next summer is going to be good for real estate.

Just did a check on how the market in my area is doing. I work out of Mission Viejo, CA Population is over 95,000

Total Active on the market

9/21/09- - 239 detached houses. 10/18/09- - 238 detached houses.

Short Sale Active

9/21/09- -82 out of 239 10/18/09- - 76 out of 238

REO Active

9/21/09-11 out of 239 10/18/09/- - 8 out of 238

In Default Active properties

9/21/09- - 2 out of 239 10/18/09- - 2 out of 238

In Probate this month are 4 properties

That leaves 149 out of 238 as equity sellers for 10/18/09

October is looking better than September did. The changes that have happened in Mission Viejo are for the better. We are showing an idecrease in distressed properties on the market with 84 out of 238. Equity sellers last month were 144 out of 239 and this month we have almost thw same, with 146 out of 238. Short sales sellers and REOs are taking a larger percentage of the active market. October is one of the slower buying months and inventory has remained the same.

As we go into the fall the market Mission Viejo will change some! It always does!!. Equity sellers were at 68% of the market August and are now down to 62%. Are we seeing the "shadow inventory" starting to come on the market or is the buying season just slowing down? My pick is the slow market!

We are down from a peak of 74.1% equity sellers in July!

We have 101 properties in backup and 67 that are pending.

Let me know how things are going in your market.

Hometown Halloween is a public celebration in Misssion Viejo for all ages of our community to come enjoy.

It will be held on Saturday 24th at the City's Norman P, Murray Community and senior Center, 24932 Veteran's Way, from 4 to 8 P.M. and will be a colorful fun-filled event.

Wear your scariest, most creative costume and plan on pratisipating in games, crafts, pony and hay rides. Mission Viejo Halloween Celebration includes mouth watering treats and the Wacky whitchin Kitchen- a pint sized haunted house.

Children that are dressed in their favorite costume, Superman, Princess, Bob the Builder, Tinkerbell, Ghosts, Pirate and any others that they think of will enjoy walking the red carpet during the costume parade. The free parade is from 4:30 to 7:P.M.. Don't forget your camera!