Cash Buyer for Homes Over $1,000,000 - $5,000,000 in Laguna Beach   This buyer is looking for the difficult property.  The one with some challages.  The properties not ready for prime time and not ready to put on the market for the general public.  This would include but not necessarily be a property where you owe more that the property is wort, or a property that is in foreclosure, or a distressed property that has some issues.  Please give me a call if your property is one that you are looking for a fast sale.  12/23/2013

The median sales price for homes in Laguna Beach from Aug 13 to Nov 13 was $1,510,000 based on 74 sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median sales price increased 19.6%, or $247,500, and the number of sales decreased 26%. Average price per square foot for homes in 92651 was $1,433, an increase of 44% compared to the same period last year. There are currently 283 resale and new homes in Laguna Beach. The average listing price for homes for sale in 92651 was $4,167,098 for the week ending Nov 13, which represents an increase of 0.7%, or $30,367, compared to the prior week.     I am happy to provide more information about current real estate activity in Laguna Beach and answer any questions you may have about current market conditions. Call me at 949-422-1636 or email bria... 11/21/2013

Selling your Laguna Beach home in the winter is a little different than selling in the winter months in the rest of the country. We do get chilly evenings but if the temperature drops below 50 the heavy coats and scarves come out. If events come to pass and you find yourself needing to sell your home in Laguna Beach, CA during the winter months, you're probably aware that it's not the preferred real estate season. Prospects are less likely to be out touring properties, not because of the cold weather but more that the holidays take a huge chunk out of everybody's schedule.Nonetheless, Selling your Laguna Beach home during the winter months is completely doable! In fact, because fewer offers will be competing for the would-be homebuyers, selling your home during the winter months can act... 11/17/2013

Call the Brian Jones Team at 949-422-1636 or click here http://brianjonesproperties.com for more information. How Does Your Laguna Beach Home Compare? Are you thinking about selling but are not sure where to start? FREE Home Value Report is Available to You NOW! View Full Details for Selling at www.BrianJonesProperties.comProvided courtesy of the Brian Jones Team - First Team Estates Call or text 9494221636 for information on Selling Your Home.Search entire Orange County MLS for FREE at www.BrianJonesProperties.com 11/15/2013

Hello? Hello? How Can I Help You? Lower The Price? Sure!!!   There are many different bits of evidence that points to real estate market shifts. As a real estate broker in Laguna Beach, the one I notice the most is the behavior of listing agents. Now there are always listing agents, like myself, who behave the same way regardless of the market....but most change behavior. What am I talking about? Picking up the phone! Believe it or not, sellers, your agent may not be answering or returning calls from buyer's agents or buyers. When they perceive that they are in a seller's market, they tend to get lazy. To be fair, a listing agent actually has MORE work to do during a seller's market. There are a lot of phone calls and offers to sort through. While this seems like a good "problem," when ... 11/11/2013

Investors!! Buy In Laguna Beach For 79% Of Appraised Value Investment opportunities in Laguna Beach, California still exist. Laguna Beach is a seaside town in Southern Orange County which first gained popularity in the 1920s. Renowned as an artist colony, Laguna Beach still embraces this personality. Although summers can be busy, this time of year the locals reclaim the beaches and restaurants for themselves. It's the prettiest time of the year in Laguna Beach! The Investment Opportunity! Classic Laguna Beach Ocean View Cottage available to purchase for $1,050,000. This home was appraised at $1,325,000 and could sell much higher. Purchase this home and terms include a 2 year rental agreement with current owners for $4500/month and the option to purchase the home back at the appraised va... 11/05/2013

  Laguna Beach Pageant of the Monsters 2013   Laguna Beach is such a fun community. From the outside you might think that it's mostly a playground for adults. Certainly the wine and cheese tastings, art shows and charity events would support this belief. But children should not "fear" this Halloween, there is fun to be had in this city. On October 25, 26, 27 and 31st the Pageant of the Monsters will take place on the Festival of Arts from 6-9:30 pm. "Triskaidekaphobia" (fear of the number 13) is the theme this year. A family friendly haunted house will assume residence back stage at the Pageant of the Masters. Created in true "Laguna Beach" style with artistic twists and surprises, this is a wonderful way to celebrate.    Festival of Arts: 650 Laguna Canyon RdLaguna Beach, CA 92651949-... 10/25/2013

  The Ocean View Is Over There   We all have special talents! Mine? Mine is showing ocean view homes on days when it's so foggy that you can't see the ocean. I can almost count on the fact that it will happen. I warn clients when we are in the middle of our June Gloom, but fall and winter are normally such beautiful times of the year in Laguna. So I was surprised this week when I had a relocation client come in for a few days to see ocean view homes. Yep...you guessed it! Cloudy/foggy days! It's in times like this that I appreciate the listing pictures. No listing agent worth their salt is going to neglect a lovely ocean view in the listing pictures. So when I look outside to see that my car has disappeared in the back of the parking lot....I always make sure I have a nice color copy o... 10/22/2013

How To Price Your Home Correctly, To Achieve YOUR Goals!   When I'm meeting with a new seller in a listing appointment, I make it clear that I do not pick the price for the home. This is not my home and not my decision to make. I do offer my professionally prepared research on the market and discuss the seller's goals, so that they have all the information they need to make the right decision for them. I'll explain! When I prepare for a listing appointment comparable analysis is a critical part of that preparation. By looking at the homes which would be considered "competition" for the sellers along with those in escrow and recent sales, we can gain an understanding of their market.  Home Sales Markets vary based on location and neighborhoods. This can be based on affordability, or scho... 10/21/2013

The Runaway Agent!   I think that all professionals can agree that bad-mouthing the competition is wrong. It only makes us look petty and small. But then sometimes it's a challenge not to do just that. I always try to come up with some explanation for odd/poor behavior: must be having personal problems perhaps they are new it's a complicated situation Last night I was at a listing presentation! This was a listing that I "lost" a month ago because this agent was going to do it for a smaller commission (oh haven't we all heard that before). As I sat there with a very apologetic home seller, she told me a story that I couldn't believe! This "agent" insisted that the home have open houses on both Saturday and Sunday each week. Last Sunday the home owner was too busy to leave, so she was wo... 10/19/2013

Real Estate Is A Contact Sport!   The Web is a wonderful tool! It allows us to interact with the world while sitting in our PJs. Buyers and sellers can do this also. Let's face it, we love seeing the email which states that we have a new lead from our website. But the point is to convert that "lead" into a breathing human prospect.  We all know that our sparkling personality and vast real estate knowledge will be of value to these people, but we need that person-to-person contact to demonstrate this. Real estate is a contact sport! Last week I found that I was low on personal meetings. Looking around the office, I saw people hunched over the computer....so I had to get out of there. What I needed was to do some real estate ACTIVITY. Once I got into the car, I pulled out my Tablet (I re... 10/15/2013

How Long Is Your Pre-Approval Good?   Four minutes? Three hours? A week? You tell me! Sure the lender is going to have a 30-60 day time frame on the paper, but the real expiration date has more to do with your behavior. Your ability to get a home loan is dependent on your credit and your income. Those things can change in a minute based on you and what you choose to do. There seems to be a misconception that once you have that pre-approval letter in hand, you are all set. Nothing could be further from the truth. Did you know that the lender will pull your credit and verify employment the very day of funding? Purchasing a home is one of the most important financial decisions most people make in a lifetime. It should be viewed that way, and treated carefully. Little actions on the buyer's... 10/14/2013

How to Showcase California? Now THAT is a Contest!  The picture to the left is one I took from one of my favorite walks in Laguna Beach. This path takes you from Main Beach up about 2 miles along the water and cliffs. There is nothing better for putting things in perspective as watching the waves come over the rocks. California is at it's heart a contradiction. It's trite to talk about it's varied beauty....but let's go ahead and do it anyway! It will be fun! You all know that it's been said that you can drive from the beach to the mountains in a matter of hours. That you can spend the morning surfing the waves and the afternoon surfing the ski slopes. It's true! There is natural beauty everywhere you look and in every possible form. But the natural gifts of California creates what is ... 10/08/2013

 Mystic Hills – Laguna Beach Neighborhood of the Week  Why Do People Live Here? Mystic Hills in Laguna Beach is a unique hillside community tucked into one of the most dramatic landscapes that Laguna Beach has to offer. Sweeping ocean and city views abound from these hillside homes located just a few minutes from Laguna Village. Mystic Hills homes are some of the most sought after real estate in all of Laguna Beach and home prices can range from one to 10 million dollars. Looking for a Home in Mystic Hills? Interested in Homes for sale in Mystic Hills? Click the link to find all currently available homes in Laguna Beach. What’s the Neighborhood Like? The homes you would expect to find for sale in Mystic Hills are generally newer custom homes built in the late 1990’s. Homes range in size... 10/07/2013

Emerald Bay Homes for Sale Laguna Beach | Search Laguna Beach Homes for Sale Emerald Bay is a private gated community which is located in Laguna Beach.  It is an exclusive community and many of these Emerald Bay homes have beautiful ocean views and spectacular color water. Emerald Bay is located on both sides of Coast Highway, there are beach front homes as well as homes which sit up on the hill with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.  There is a tunnel which goes under Coast Highway. Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach has private tennis courts, beautiful parks and a private swimming pool for the residents. Emerald Bay was originally founded in 1929 and it was named for the color of the water. And the photo below was recently taken and the color of the water is incredible in Emerald Bay. Thi... 09/29/2013

      Laguna Beach Police Loses One Of Their Own     Laguna Beach Police lost a motorcycle officer last night in the line of duty. It appears to be a traffic accident where substance abuse is NOT a factor....just one of those tragic events.  This post is not meant to give the details of the accident, but to illustrate the small town heart that Laguna Beach has. The town is in full mourning this morning. The accident occured shortly before midnight last night and this morning the city woke up to the loss. Little by little word has spread to the locals who are gathering as close as they can to the site to cry and support each other.  The Laguna Beach Police Department has less than 50 officers and has not lost one since 1953. I remember when I worked at my grandparents' candy store, we w... 09/22/2013

Real Estate Trends for Laguna Beach August 2013 The median sales price for homes in Laguna Beach for Jun 13 to Aug 13 was $1,662,500. This represents an increase of 18.8%, or $262,500, compared to the prior quarter and an increase of 32.5% compared to the prior year. Sales prices have appreciated 14.4% over the last 5 years in 92651, Laguna Beach. Search for Laguna Beach Homes for Sale   Average listing price for homes in Laguna Beach was $4,249,565 for the week ending Sep 04, which was unchanged compared to the prior week and was unchanged compared to the week ending Aug 14. Average price per square foot for homes in Laguna Beach was $1,435 in the most recent quarter compared to $1,017 per square foot the prior year an increase of 39.1%.      I am happy to provide more information abou... 09/19/2013

Victoria Beach - Laguna Beach Neighborhood of the Week Victoria Beach is located south of Laguna’s Main Beach and is known for its white sandy beach, beautiful blue-green waters and unique residences (old and new). But the main attraction is the tower that stands tall at the north end of the beach. The 16th century looking Victorian turret or lighthouse type structure, built as a spiral staircase access to the beach from the towering residence above, was built in 1926. The castle tower is a must see for tourists and photographers. Homes for Sale in Victoria Beach   Victoria Beach is one of Laguna’s most private beaches mainly because it is not easy to find and provides VERY limited parking. Even many residents are not familiar with and may not have even been to Victoria Beach. Volleybal... 09/18/2013

The “Dump Truck Brigade” as a Leading Indicator   A fellow agent in my office, Mike Shepard, has come up with his own personal leading economic indicator forOrange County, Ca. He calls it “the dump truck brigade” and in short it goes something like this; in your travels around Orange County, Ca if you find the roads noticeably impaired by a lot of dump trucks on the road (including lowboys, cement trucks and other construction vehicles) this is an indicator that the future will be prosperous. If, on the other hand, there is an absence of vehicle impediments (dump trucks, etc.) then this has invariably meant bad news.   Search for Homes for Sale in Laguna Beach   This is backed-up in a recent report from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) in which all of the indicators of fu... 09/17/2013

Laguna Terrace Park - Neighborhood of the Week in Laguna Beach   This Weeks Featured Neighborhood ~ Laguna Terrace Park You might think that finding a mobile home park in upscale Laguna Beach, especially one within walking distance of the beach, couldn't happen. I’m here to tell you it exists and it’s a hidden gem. Laguna Terrace Park is nicely located above Coast Highway directly across from the luxurious Montage Laguna Beach resort. In fact, to walk to the beach you cut right through the Montage and its well-maintained grounds. Find Homes for Sale in Laguna Beach CA   The manufactured homes in Laguna Terrace Park range in price from only $100,000 to about $400,000 depending on the view and location within the park. Did I say view? We’re talking spectacular ocean views here; some even ... 09/08/2013