A wonderful afternoon was had by all - or at least all of us who sat in on the Chris Botti concert at Thornton Winery in Temecula yesterday afternoon. It was one of those Chamber of Commerce kind of days. The temperature hovered around 80 but even those sitting in the sun didn't seem to mind as Cris Botti brought the music to the Southern California Wine Country.  This show marks the 10 time Botti has serenaded us in the vines and, as a mark of his popularity here, he sold out two shows yesterday. We got a stage-side table for the afternoon show, enjoyed a primo bottle of Thornton's Cabernet - Merlot blend, a grilled shrimp sandwich and just grooved. His band, anchored by long-time drummer Billy Kilson and 2 time Grammy Winner pianist Billy Childs, was as tight and as loose as they need... 06/01/2009

A desperate call from a homeowner who had gone completely through the Foreclosure process, but was still in his home prompted me to write this post.   "Cash For Keys" in simple terms is this:   Cash payment of one thousand to three thousand dollars is given to the occupant for leaving the home in good condition.  (See the Example below). After a home has been foreclosed the owner/Bank may negotiate "Cash For Keys", with either a Homeowner or a Tenant occupying a foreclosed home. Terms are negotiable and the terms are different for each bank offering "Cash For Keys".  Here are some tips if you find yourself in the situation of occupying a foreclosed home and wish to take advantage of a "Cash For Keys" agreement.  This is not meant to be legal advice.  For legal questions about your speci... 06/01/2009

With the institutional lenders having pulled their land and construction financing off the shelf, sales of vacant land lots and acreage have plummeted and here in Temecula and Murrieta Valleys (SW Riverside County, CA), the market I work, they have all but nearly halted. Since the market highs of 2005, land values have dropped severely, some areas upward of 50% or more, and the numbers of closed sales have dropped even further. But if your situation requires that you liquidate your asset, then offering a financing option may help facilitate a sale. There is not doubt, Cash Buyers are King, and there are many investors out there hovering the marketplace right now looking at only the most attractive investments. They will typically only buy extremely discounted, or REO properties. However... 05/21/2009

Dave Keys Web Design | Orange County | Riverside County | Temecula Dave Keys offers a diversified mix of media and technology. Based in Temecula, CA and operating in Orange County and Riverside County, Dave Keys provides a blend of photogography, online media, web technologies and design, with access to additional tech resources for local businesses. Dave will tailor solutions to complex issues, provide the necessary technical skills, and deliver services with proficiency and integrity. Temecula, Orange County and Riverside County Web Design Photography Custom programming Database Technologies Computer Expertise Telephony and Networking   Dave Keys Web Design and Photography | Orange County | Riverside County |Temecula | Murrieta Diverse in my disciplines, I constantly seek not only to... 05/11/2009

in the last 24-48 hours, SEO types have been blogging about a mysterious shift in the Google SERPs. Notably, sites which had been a target of SEO focus and efforts in the past have recently recovered their positions in Google and displaced more recent content that has been the focus of more recent SEO effort. Some of my own websites underwent this change in the last 24 hours. What's really baffling is that when I increase my effort for new target sites, the old one moves up in the SERPs. No one knows if this is temporary or a result of changes in the google algorithms. More to follow. Temecula Web Design Temecula Photography Temecula Bank Owned Homes    immaterial test words gekko maui 05/07/2009

Temecula Photography | Dave Keys Looking for great photography at budget prices?Weddings | Event PhotosJournalistic Style Temecula Web Design | Dave Keys gekko maui 05/06/2009

I woke up yesterday to this and it shocked me!!!    I could hear the burners and then it popped up out of nowhere....I think they were having trouble gaining altitude because they were going up and down like a yo yo....Then it swiftly went over the mountains!  Definately one of the benefits of Southern California Living!     Call us toll free at 866-621-0155, we also specialize in helping "First Time Home buyers" purchase their first home!  We are experienced Real Estate Brokers offering excellent and individualized Customer Service.  If you are looking for Temecula Bank Owned Homes, Murrieta Bank Owned Homes, or if you are thinking of living in the surrounding areas of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Menifee, Winchester, Fallbrook, Southwest Riverside County, or North San Diego County,  ... 05/03/2009

It seemed appropriate this morning that I was driving through the Temecula Valley Wine Country to hear a presentation on the vineyards. It was a glorious morning, the vines have sprouted about a foot of verdant green foliage, there was a gentle ground mist wending its way through the hills and above the mist, two hot air balloons hovered silently. One of those morning calling out for a good camera - which I didn't have. Now imagine the vineyards, the mist, the balloons didn't exist in Temecula. It almost happened. Was it really only ten years ago that Wine Spectator Magazine headlined an article 'The End for California Wines'? In the late 90's, a new pest, the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (GWSS), caused severe damage to grapevines in California, including wiping out as much as 40% of some... 05/01/2009

This is one of those issues where the more information you get the confuseder you become.  I hope you joined us on 4/21 for a presentation by Granite Construction on the Liberty Quarry project. After a brief overview of the project, they addressed some issues they have with the City of Temecula's annexation request for the land where the quarry would be. Having toured Granite Construction's Indio quarry site and the parcel in the hills south of Temecula, we thought it only fair to get the city's views - since we have a long history of good relations with our cities. The result was two-fold. Today AOR Directors toured the Santa Margarita Watershed with Temecula's Mayor Maryann Edwards, and Dr. Matt Rahn, Director of the SDSU Field Studies Program that manages the watershed project. The p... 04/23/2009

Temecula Photography   I was only  20 feet away... Maui January 2006 from a rocking boat.   These whales kept us busy in what the tour guides call a mugging. Whales surround the boat. Some to hide (from male whales) and other to chase and show off.    Photography By Dave Keys | davekeys.com   Photography in Temecula and OC by Dave Keys   More links: Temecula Homes Temecula Web Design Temecula Web Designer 04/21/2009

Laura and I attend the Center For Spiritual Living in Temecula. Yesterday, 17 year old Jake Matthews shared a video with us about the Malawi School Project and told us he will be traveling there this summer to help build schools. The group made their first visit to Malawi in 2007 with the intention of building four schools. They built 10. We need more young men like Jake. I hope this video inspires you as much as it inspired me. Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador  (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home. Subscribe in a reader 04/20/2009

Temecula Photography Temecula Web Design Dave Keys Photography Nearly always, the best photography opportunities come at exactly the right moment, meaning you have to find the right moment and quickly make the very best of a fleeting chance. Back in 2005 I took some pictures of a Maui sunset with a “pro-sumer” camera. It had by far less punch than any pro-sumer model by market standards. This sunset was perfect. It was nearly timeless offering all the opportunity anyone could want. Any career photographer will tell of enduring challenges, weather, heat and cold just to get to the right place at the right time for the perfect shot. This time, it was easy. Maui Sunset 2005 04/19/2009

Temecula has so much to offer.  Excellent Schools, Golf Courses, Over 50 Wineries, Custom Homes in communities with horse trails, Acreage for the horse enthusiast, Newly updated Mall, Historic Old Town, Bed and Breakfast Establishments, two Libraries.....           Temecula Real Estate - offers Great Housing Developments: Crown Hill, Morgan Hill, Temecula Creek, Chelsea Estates....And of course the Hot Air Balloons that can be seen every morning:    I took this picture after dropping off my son at school.   The bus was empty so either the driver knew the balloonist or just wanted to take a break and chat.  This is the parking lot of Wilson Creek Winery.  If you look closely you can see another balloon off in the distance and of course the vineyard.     I have lived and worked as a Real ... 04/19/2009

Hello, Check out this article about the Teahouse of the August Moon play here in Old Town Temecula Community theater 42051 Main Street, Temecula CA 92590  April 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26.  Visit the site at www.TemeculaValleyPlayers.com - 951-676-6055  $17.00 each ticket. Come and have fun in watching this funny play and hope that you can tell your friends too to come along.  This is great for our community so be there and enjoy the show.  04/17/2009

Temecula Home Buying: If you are renting and thinking of purchasing your first home call me about "Temecula Bank Owned Homes",  and our exclusive "Temecula First Time Home Buyer Seminars".  With home prices as low as they are in this current market of Short Sales and Foreclosures it is a great time for First Time Home Buyers to buy a home. Home buying has great tax advantages and especially with the $8,000.00 new home buyer tax credit just for you, the First Time Home Buyer, you are at a great advantage. Call me toll free at 866-621-0155 and visit my website at www.soreal.biz for up to the minute on Temecula Homes, "Temecula Home buying" and surrounding areas.    ~ If you are thinking about purchasing or selling your home whether you are a "First Time Buyer", or an "Investor", who want... 04/17/2009

Are you facing foreclosure? You have other options for you! One is called a Short Sale. The shortsale is technically known as a "Short Pay" this means that the property in question, is sold for less than what is owed on it. In Temecula several a number of agents such as Terkel Sorensen; Tatyana Mitchiner; Barbara Baker; Larry Falkand many others, are working very hard to sell property through short sales in Temecula, Murrieta and Winchester as well as Lake Elsinore and Wildomar. By selling the homes in Short sale, the lender receives more money for it than they would from a typical bank owned or REO property. How do you qualify? The most important qualifier is that you have a hardship, this hardship prevents you from being able to pay your mortgage. Hardships comes in many forms, some o... 04/17/2009

The Temecula Valley Wine Country is growing. The chateau above is the Churon Winery on Rancho California Road. I've had a couple of  interesting experiences over the past few weeks I thought I'd share with you. The other afternoon we were at Keyways Winery. There was a woman sitting next to us with a unique voice. I asked her if she'd ever done any voiceover work and she told me she had. Not only that, she's an interior designer and an artist. Let me introduce you to Janie Bowers. Janie paints beautiful acrylics. She's holding "Winter Princess" here. She is totally self taught. I think her artwork is exquisite. She also paints wine bottles. I took these shots at Robert Renzoni Winery and watched her put grapes on bottles with colored glue. She's truly one of the most creative people I ... 04/17/2009

New Listings for the week of April 16, 2009, in South Temecula   "Temecula Homes" Homes Near Great Oak High School A California Distinguished School                                                   Price                   Bedrooms             Garage                                $ 165,000                       3                         2                                    $ 209,000                       4                         2     $ 219,000                       4                         2                             $ 219,000                       3                         2      POOL                                                      $ 284,000                       4                         3                              $ 299,000                       4                       ... 04/16/2009

So you got a short sale listing... Great. Now what? I have noticed that a lot of people seem to keep running with the good old listing strategy they always used, and by that I mean roughly nothing. In general, marketing a listing is a good idea, in this market, it is a really good idea. Here is your typical marketing: Take pictures.Write a blurb for the MLS.Maybe post it somewhere... Oh, yeah, put a sign up.And, let's not forget, ad it to your $$$ ad in the listingbook. Sound about right? Ok, why am I not happy here? Because the person who does this is loosing piles of opportunity to: A) Get the property sold. B) Generate additional business. What else can you do?Here is what I do... 1. Learn to take pictures. Don't gimme that thing about a point and shoot being as good as a real camera... 04/16/2009

          ~ If you are thinking about purchasing or selling your home whether you are a "First Time Buyer", or an "Investor", who wants to work with a local area expert, contact us toll free. We proudly serve and sell homes in Southwest Riverside County and North San Diego County California.  If you are looking for a Home in the Temecula Wine Country, or if you are thinking of living in the surrounding areas of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Menifee, Winchester, Fallbrook, Southwest Riverside County, or North San Diego County,  please contact us for a private tour of the area.    04/15/2009