That sounds weird, doesn't it?  Usually TV is for entertainment... or for filling our minds with crud.  But you can weed through all the junk and find something educational -- and NO, we're not talking about Sesame Street. I'm talking about Home & Garden TV, known as the HGTV channel.  Contrary to popular belief, it's NOT just a fru-fru decorating channel for girls.  Come on, GUYS, you need to know the difference a staged home makes for your sellers, even if you never learn HOW to stage a home. If you're a real estate NEWBIE, I suggest watching 2 hours per day of HGTV and focusing on these topics: Curb appeal Remodeling houses - both do-it-yourself (DIY) and professional Home building inspections Landscaping Buying houses - shopping & comparing features Selling houses - open houses, neg... 05/11/2009

That is the basic premise we discussed on David Patterson, a fellow AR member, radio show last weekend.  His summary says, "This week's Expert Guest on The David Patterson Radio Show was ActiveRain Veteran, Author & CA Broker Regina P. Brown. Her passion is helping families create a legacy through financial education. She offers real estate seminars and private buyer consultations. During this podcast, Regina discussed..." How to Evaluate a Good Neighborhood when Buying a House "It's important to choose the highest quality neighborhood when buying a house. It's not only good for you and your family, but you will realize the highest increase of appreciation. In other words, your property value will rise faster in a better neighborhood." - Regina P. Brown, San Luis Obispo, CA Home buyers... 05/07/2009

So you're driving around town with your Realtor® in tow.  You're looking at your houses on your list.  And seeing some yucky houses that need some fix-it work and wondering, hmmm... which homes should I eliminate?  How much work can I do myself?  Is it worth it to buy a property that needs so much work? YES!  You should definitely consider buying a condo or house that need TLC, if it's only cosmetic work.  However, calculate the costs and make sure you'll have enough cash after close of escrow to complete the repairs. Some items you can NOT change.  Those are the areas you should focus on: Neighborhood Proximity to amenities Street Location Parking View Floor Plan Lot size, shape; placement of house on the lot Back yard size, shape Large Trees Major structural issues  The items that you... 04/26/2009

"My office is located wherever I can get an Internet connection." -- Lenn Harley, www.HomeFinders.com And YES I borrowed this quote for the title of this blog: "We don't need no stinkin' office!" from Broker Bryant Tutas, Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. A few days ago. I started a new blog for Virtual Office Business Professionals and wrote an ActiveRain blog about it,  http://virtualofficebizpro.wordpress.com/.  I created a survey asking "What is the most rewarding aspect of working from home?"  http://virtualofficebizpro.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/survey-says-why-do-you-work-from-your-virtual-office/ And then wrote a blog about it here on ActiveRain: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1033128/What-are-the-REWARDS-of-Working-from-your-Virtual-Office-at-Home Well, we received over 60 excellent comm... 04/15/2009

You know how you get those well-meaning but useless and time-wasting emails from friends (and friends of friends) -- and you usually hit the "delete" key?  Well I got one that I just couldn't delete.  It was so funny, and quite thought-provoking, that I had to pass on to others.  So just in case you haven't seen it yet: Congress just passed an Economic Stimulus bill. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format. Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Program? A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers. Q. Where will the government get this money? A.. From taxpayers. Q. So the government is giving me back my own money? A. Only a smidgen. Q. What is the purpose of this program? A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a hig... 02/25/2009

Think about it.  What IF every home buyer had to pay cash for their house?  No one could afford to buy a house at today's values!  So houses would be worth a lot less.  That's how it used to be in the "olden" times -- before credit, extensive debt, and lifelong mortgages were invented. So then what about the entire mortgage industry?  you ask.  They wouldn't have jobs.  But also, fewer people would need to work! Okay, well think about it.  If no one had a mortgage payment, they wouldn't have to work so hard.  Here in California, many families pay 50% to 80% of their net income to their mortgages.  So, what if the mortgage was eliminated?  The family would have 50% less expenses and wouldn't need to bring in so much income.  Then only 1 parent has to work and the other can stay home and ... 02/15/2009

A total of 120 homes and condos sold in Grover Beach in 2008. 87 of those sold listings were single family homes which averaged 101 days on market, 1512 square feet, and about $429,000 as a selling price. Average asking price for listings that sold was around $447,000 for homes, and $405,000 for condos. 33 condos and PUDs sold last year in the Grover Beach market, and the average selling price was approximately $385,000, with a low of $150,000 for a 2 bedroom condo on Manhattan Ave., and a high of $620,000 for a brand new PUD/townhome with ocean views in North Grover. Homes typically sold for around $293 per square foot and condos for about $257 per square foot. The south San Luis Obispo county cities of Grover Beach, Oceano, & Nipomo had a good deal of foreclosure activity in 2008. Of ... 02/01/2009

There are currently 73 active home and condo listings on the Grover Beach market, with a median asking price of $350,000. Of those 73 listings, 8 are short sales (sometimes referred to as pre-foreclosures) and 5 are REOs (bank owned properties). However, in the past 30 days, there have been only 8 re-sales in Grover Beach and 3 of them were REOs, and 1 was a short sale. So, clearly foreclosures are driving the market in Grover Beach at this time. The median price of those sold listings was $427,500. There was only one condo sold for $196,000; it was a bank owned unit with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. If you would like to search for Grover Beach listings, you can search for free on my site: iLoveGroverBeach.com. Or if you would like a market analysis of your Grover Beach Property, make a requ... 12/28/2008

REVIEW OF HOME SALES & MEDIAN HOME PRICES ON STICK-BUILT SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN FIVE CITIES       (UNDER $1M)       JANUARY-JUNE 2008 VS. JANUARY-JUNE 2007     GROVER BEACH                SALES    AVG.DOM      HIGH   LOW  MEDIAN 2007 56 142 $800,000.00 $230,000.00 $487,500.00 2008 38 110 $740,000.00 $230,000.00 $434,375.00 2008/2007 18 -32     ($53,125.00) % DIFFERENCE -32% -23%       -11%               During January to June of 2008, the median home price on stick-built single-family homes in Grover Beach fell by 11%, from $487,500 to $434,375 when compared to the same six months in 2007.  Lower-priced homes, particularly those at the low end, seems to remain unchanged at $230,000, while higher-priced homes sold lower at $740,000, versus $800,000, when compared to the same period last... 08/23/2008

Bookmark and search for Grover Beach Listings on my website. Market update for Grover Beach California - The news does not look that great for sellers in Grover Beach. In the past 30 days, I have only one reported residential sale in the MLS. That was this 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1248 square foot home on a 5,000 square foot lot which sold for $530,000 on October 31, 2007. What does this means for buyers? Well it is a great time to be a buyer in Grover Beach -- you have plenty of sellers willing to work with you.In Grover Beach news, the Times Press Recorder reports that the Grover Beach City Council has agreed to repair portions of North 12th street from Atlantic to El Camino Real. This area has generated many citizen complaints. A report issued by city engineer, Jim Garing, indicates that t... 11/27/2007