Have you ever heard that Whittier, California is in the San Gabriel Valley?  After all, The Whittier Daily News is also published as the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, which I read as a teenager when I lived in Covina, the center of the San Gabriel Valley.  It is unfortunate that the owners of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune also print the Whittier Daily News as essentially the same newspaper, adding to the misperception that Whittier is part of the San Gabriel Valley. Well, Whittier is NOT in the San Gabriel Valley! I spent my junior high school and high school years in Covina, which is smack-dab in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, so I know that the city where I was born, Whittier, is not in the San Gabriel Valley.  It bothers me that Craigslist does not have an appropriate location ... 11/01/2008

The latest numbers from Real Data Strategies on home sales in Whittier and La Mirada are just amazing.  Home sales have jumped tremendously in the past couple of months.  It looks like buyers have finally concluded that now is the time to buy, before prices start going up again. I can personally attest to the rise in activity, especially for bank owned properties, which, since they are still priced to sell, are getting multiple offers above the asking price.  A total of 96 homes sold in September 2007 for Whittier and La Mirada.  In September 2008, sales shot up to 228!  Folks, they are selling like hotcakes.   I specialize in helping first time buyers get into their first home.  Whether you want to buy now, in six months or in a year, a Buyer Consultation with a professional Realtor® s... 11/01/2008

For more than a year now, I've repeatedly heard Lenders and Realtors discuss going "Back to Basics." But exactly what does that mean? For lenders like myself, going back to basics means really going back to what we each first learned when we started out in the business. The Four C's, Capacity, Character, Capital and Collateral. The four C's are also known as Income, Credit, Assets and Property. They're described below.  Capacity - Homebuyers need to have stable jobs (2 years) and adequate income. It's also important to remember not to overstretch yourself.  Character- Your history in paying bills will be scrutinized. Its important you can explain derogatory and show good trends.  Capital - Down payment is required for most purchases now days. It also gives you an edge over other buyers ... 10/28/2008

I would like to let you know about my new web site dedicated to real estate in Whittier and surrounding communities.  It is called www.WhittierWelcomesYou.com.  It is a great new website for Whittier, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Norwalk and neighboring cities.  Whittier is a jewel of a city that offers some of the best deals in homeownership in Southern California.  Come to www.whittierwelcomesyou.com to learn more. Do you need to sell your home so you can buy your dream home, but are worried that it won't sell?  My company offers a Guaranteed Sale program.  We will buy your home if it doesn't sell in 120 days.  For more information, go to http://www.whittierwelcomesyou.com/GuaranteedSale.html. Whether you want to buy now, in six months or in a year, a Buyer Consultation with... 10/21/2008

The other night one of the agents in my office stated that we are now in a sellers' market for homes under $400,000.  I had been coming to that conclusion slowly, but it really became apparent when he said it. Here are the facts for homes selling in Whittier, CA: Well-priced homes under $400,000 are receiving multiple offers.  I have seen many of them over the last 4-5 months, and they are increasing.  I wrote an offer on one property that had over 33 offers.  My buyers made a full price offer, but lost to someone with $100,000 down and a higher price. Whittier inventories are reducing.  Total properties for sale in the City of Whittier have gone from 888 residences on May 25, 2008 to 757 residences on September 13, 2008.  Less selection means that more people will be bidding for fewer ... 09/13/2008

I attended an estate sale in Palm Park on Sunday, at 11067 Lorene Street.  I was there as the Realtor®, greeting any people who seemed interested in purchasing the home.  Since the focus of the estate sale was to move the items inside the house, and not the house itself, the Realtor® station was in the back yard, out of the limelight. Lorene Street is a very quiet street, with well-kept homes throughout the neighborhood.  It is, indeed, one of the hidden gems of Whittier. This home is still for sale, by the way.  It is a beautiful home, and, with 1,463 square feet of living space, it is larger than the average home in the Palm Park area.  Originally a 3 bedroom home, one of the bedrooms was enlarged and converted into a large den adjoining the living room.  A second fireplace was also a... 08/19/2008

Have you ever noticed how many people go to estate sales?  TONS!  That's right, estate sales draw people like honey draws bees. My affiliate, Phil Fabian, owner of Estates by Phil Fabian, will will organize and hold an Estate Sale at the property, bringing in hundreds of people to buy their furniture and goods.  These hundreds of estate sale buyers will also be candidates to actually buy your house.  I will be at the Estate Sale to greet all the potential buyers who come in the door. Benefits an estate sale can provide: Generate significantly greater foot traffic compared to traditional open houses Services include: Work out sale area logistics, which might include inside the house, outside, or both options combined Set up tent outside the house when needed Display the merchandise in an... 07/25/2008

Shortly after the first part of 2008 I switched brokerages to Prudential California Realty Whittier.  The Whittier real estate company where I formerly kept my license had decided to close its office in Whittier.  Since my home town is Whittier, it is where I was born, and it is where I do the majority of my real estate business, I began to search for a good real estate company where I could still provide the best service to my local clients in Whittier, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada and other surrounding areas, as well as the rest of Southern California. I also wanted to be with a company that has a respected national image that people would instantly recognize.  It also had to be a company with a strong presence in Southern California, and specifically in Los Angeles County.  ... 07/03/2008

Here is a quick look at the real estate market in Whittier, California for October 2007. Single Family Residences The level of active homes for sale in Whittier rose to 963 at the end of the month of October.  One hundred six houses were in escrow, and only 47 single family residences sold.  October's inventory of active Single Family Residences of 963 units shows an increase of 420 houses over the active inventory of 573 in October 2006. There were 47 Whittier houses sold in October 2007, in contrast to 89 houses sold in October 2006. The average home in Whittier in October 2006 took 60 days to sell; whereas homes that sold in October 2007 took an average of 69 days to sell. Over the course of the past year, it has become a strong Buyers' Market, where the buyer now has more leverage a... 11/03/2007

Whittier, CA Market Report By Bob Willis, Whittier, CA REALTOR®Whittier, CA Real Estate          Here is a quick look at the real estate market in Whittier, CA.  Single Family Residences The level of active homes for sale in Whittier rose to 960 at the end of the month of August.  Eighty-eight houses were in escrow, and only 73 single family residences sold.  August's inventory of active Single Family Residences of 960 units shows an increase of 401 houses over the active inventory of 559 in August 2006. There were 73 Whittier houses sold in August 2007, in contrast to 127 houses sold in August 2006. The chart below summarizes activity for Single Family Residences during the past year in Whittier.   The average home in Whittier in August 2006 took 49 days to sell; whereas homes that sol... 09/10/2007

Weekly Family Fair in Uptown Whittier is the Place to Go for Fun, Food and Shopping In the summertime, you will often find me on Wednesday evenings in Uptown Whittier, walking up and down Greenleaf Avenue during the Weekly Family Fair.  The street is blocked off and filled with vendors under canopies.  Among them you will find sellers of products such as candles, toys and jewelry, and services such as massage, ear candling and non-profit groups. This is where I eat my dinner on Wednesdays, fresh from the street vendors.  There are BBQ sausages, chicken and pork for hot dishes.  If you prefer, you can also visit the many farmers' tables to sample fresh fruits and vegetables or buy them and take them home.  If you prefer a sit-down meal, try Crepes & Grapes or Datillo's on Greenleaf Avenu... 08/10/2007

Whittier, CA Market Report - July 2007 Whittier, CA Market ReportBy Bob Willis, Whittier, CA REALTOR®Whittier, CA Real Estate          Here is a quick look at the real estate market in Whittier CA.  Single Family Residences The level of active homes for sale in Whittier rose to 858 at the end of the month of July.  An additional 146 houses went into escrow, and only 75 single family residences sold.  July's inventory of active Single Family Residences of 858 units shows an increase of 257 houses over the active inventory of 601 in July 2006. There were 75 Whittier houses sold in July 2007, in contrast to 113 houses sold in July 2006. The chart below summarizes activity for Single Family Residences during the past year in Whittier.   In summary, many more houses are for sale now than one... 08/08/2007

"Just Buy My Darned House", screamed the homeseller.  "Why won't anyone make an offer?  I just want someone to buy my house.  I need to sell my house." Are you ready to scream, "Just Buy My Darned House!"?Let's face it folks - It's a Buyers' Market out there.  The days of a quick, easy sale of a house are over.  Are you a Fizzbo (FSBO - For Sale By Owner)?  Pity the Fizzbo!  These days, you need the services of a full-time professional REALTOR®.Has your real estate agent advertised your property on the Internet on a web site, a blog, Craigslist and other sites?  A Realty Times article states that 93% of all buyers look at homes on the Internet before buying.Are you so unsatisfied with your current real estate agent that you are ready to let the listing expire and take the house off the ... 08/04/2007

Good day all. I have never tried using Craigs list before to market a property but I have had some good reports from some people in our office so I figured what the heck. I have not been able to take pictures of the property yet because the owner is painting the exterior and adding some plants to the landscape. She asked if we can hold it off the MLS for a couple of weeks so I agreed (seller is king or Queen in this case) but I did have a sign place already to start generating interest. Like all listings I will be sending out several hundred just listed cards to her area as well as to my farm, SOP. I would like to hear from some of you out there what you do when you get listings to market your property, what has worked and what hasn't. let me know join the fun and lets see what people h... 07/05/2007

Newsweek Magazine ranked local La Serna High School at 1,217 in its 2007 annual list of the top five percent of public schools in the nation.  Jay Mathews of Newsweek developed a unique rating system he calls the "Challenge Index" that uses a combination of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests to rank the schools.  You can read his complete article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18754326/site/newsweek/page/0/.  The rankings can be seen on Newsweek's web site at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18757087/site/newsweek/. The Whittier Daily News also featured an article about these rankings, which shows that other local schools, such as Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Springs also ranked high in the annual report.  More detailed information can be found in the Whi... 06/06/2007

As a real estate agent who believes in renewable energy, I sometimes get questions from people who want to install solar panels on their roof to lower their electricity bill, help prevent blackouts, reduce their footprint on Global Warming and make their homes a little greener.  My first piece of advice is to seek out the professionals who can do an expert installation of a complete solar electricity system.  I highly recommend Harrison Electric, based in Whittier, CA to do any solar electric installation for your home.  A lot of people want to do their own installation.  It certainly sounds simple to just put few panels on the roof.  Actually, a typical installation can start with about 12 panels for a small configuration; but it takes more than just reading a book or two and playing w... 05/07/2007

    And the winner is..........   Miss Teen Whittier gets ready to pass out the First Team Real Estate Winner medallions.  Everyone was a winner!   Leticia, Sara and Dave of First Team Real Estate pass out medals to walkers. Lillian, Sara and Dave greet Maryanne as she powerwalks past the finish line.   Lillian welcomes First Team colleague Laura to the finish line.   The youngest walker.    It's starting to  get crowded here! Kevin and Nancy happily make it to the finish.  This lovely winner made it all the way!   A church group demonstrates teamwork! Two happy finishers.   04/21/2007

First Team Real Estate of Whittier was a Major Sponsor of today's 11th Annual Shelter's Right Hand 5K Fitness Walk.  It was all about helping the victims of abuse by raising funds while having fun doing it.  Sara Corella, Rachel Tavarez and Maryanne Matson at the First Team table early in the day. Spinning the wheel of fortune.  Will she be a winner? She won!  Everyone was a winner at the First Team Real Estate table. Another winner selects her prize. The walkers and runners warm up to exercises led by Curves of Whittier. Rachel Tavarez and Sara Corella were honored for their hard work in fundraising and organizing this event.   04/21/2007

These T-shirts tell the stories of the battered women and children who have been helped by Shelter's Right Hand.  That is what today's 5K walk for the Women and Children's Crisis Shelter is all about.  The Whittier community came out in force to support this cause, and have a lot of fun while doing it!               04/21/2007

Hosted by:Kevin Hottmann First Team Real Estate May 12th @ 10am 15111 E. Whittier Blvd Suite 200 Whittier Ca 90603 Come learn from the experts on what improvements you can do that will pay off when you sell. Have your questions answered by these esteemed professionals in the business.Get Do- It-Yourself Tips on how to spend the least amount and profit the most for your efforts.Scheduled To AppearHeng Chin, Certified Appasier Cornerstone Apprasial WorksVictoria Medina, Kitchen Remodelling Christopher De Loza,General Contractor   04/18/2007