SAN DIMAS REAL ESTATE MARKET WATCH - May 12-18, 2012

SAN DIMAS REAL ESTATE MARKET WATCH - May 12-18, 2012

Market Watch

New Listing (8)
Price Change (4)
Back On Market (10)
Backup Offer (5)
Expired (0)
Pending (8)
Sold (6)

Okay, so this is another exciting week for real estate in SAN DIMAS.  Eight new listings and six sold.  As you can tell, the homes are getting sold and the inventory is shrinking.  So if you are thinking of buying a home, it's time before they all get gobbled up.  There have been quite a few articles recently about low amounts of homes for sale in certain areas.  And even more articles about bidding wars being back.  So if you are thinking of selling your home, well the laws of supply and demand come into play.  Lower supply, larger demand raises those home prices just a bit for you.  

Eight homes went into escrow this week.  That means that in approximately 30-45 days these should become sold houses as well.  Congrats to  those families and good luck in your new home!  Five homes have gone into back up status  in San Dimas which, as I have explained before means that an offer has gone to the bank and they are taking more offers in case the buyer drops out.  Hopefully they will all go into escrow and become sold as well.  Congratulations to all those agents with the sales, escrows and backups!  Go get 'em.

Pricing.  I personally think I have been complaining about pricing for almost a year and a half.  Not that my rants comments have had anything to do with it, but this week in San Dimas there were only four price changes!  Good job agents.

I try to stay on top of the communities I serve and be a local expert for all of them, real estate and otherwise.  So if you are interested in buying or selling a home, or if you simply have real estate questions, please feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to assist you!

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

A Glendora Icon Has Passed - RIP Mark in the Park

A Glendora Icon Has Passed - RIP Mark in the Park

Okay, so growing up in Glendora, CA was such a HUGE blessing.  I can't even tell you what a difference a community makes in people's lives.  In fact it's taken me about a week to write this post and I'm still very emotional about it.

Sometime in my elementary school days, you know, about the time you start to REALLY remember things, I met a guy around town named Mark.  He was everywhere and knew everyone.  He knew your parents, he knew your kids, and I don't believe Mark ever knew a stranger. and if he didn't want to know you, he wanted to.

Some people didn't know how to take Mark exactly.  He would just come up and stand there looking at you and waiting for you to say something.  You see, Mark had suffered some brain damage from oxygen deprivation.  But he was awesome and lovable and almost angelic.

Mark was everywhere, he rode his bike.  He had many bikes over the course of the years and sometimes they were even stolen.  His response, "Oh well, they needed my bike more than me". He was in the local Ralphs while it was still there, then it was Vons and Starbucks.  And the people of Glendora took care of Mark.  They would buy him lunch at Maria's, they would give him free breakfast in their restaurants.  In fact at his funeral, his sister laughed and reminded everyone that he DID have a refridgerator!) And all throughout his service, people kept telling stories and saying he was well taken care of.

But for me, it was Mark who took care of us.  He was there to listen, he was there to talk and he was there to remind you that what you were doing wasn't quite right, even if only by his presence.  He was such an example of unconditional love to everyone he came in contact with.  And I, for one, already miss him dearly.

This was shown on the people who came from far and wide to his funeral.  There were people who had long ago moved out of Glendora who showed up and shared their stories.  And out of the nearly 200 people who attended the Monday evening service, I think almost 1/2 shared a tidbit about how Mark touched their lives.  The priest even commented on how he usually didn't have very many people sharing and it was usually like pulling teeth.

Anyway, coming back to the people of Glendora... I know that Mark flourished because of the people.  Because of their acceptance of someone who was a little bit different.  Because the people of Glendora are accepting and caring and family oriented.  There is no better place to raise your kids or to be a kid than the City of Glendora.

YOU CAN READ ABOUT MARK HERE.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

How Local is Local?

How Local is Local?

Okay, so after I wrote my blog this morning about real estate being local, there was an interesting post on my Twitter Feed from a mortgage company.  It's to THIS LINK - an interactive tool on CNN Money.  This tool let's you look at the real estate forecast in your city.  Really, my city?  How exciting!

However, when I go to click on "my city", the closest city is actually Los Angeles.  What's wrong with this picture!  Well, for starters, Los Angeles metro is about a one and a half hour drive from east Los Angeles County, where I live.  Seriously, you want me to call this local?  

There is no possible way that Los Angeles real estate is the same or even close to La Verne real estate or anywhere along the 210 corridor where I live and serve. For instance, I serve Pasadena through Fontana.  I just sold an older home in Pasadena with three bedrooms and two bathrooms for nearly $550,000.  A home of this size and age in Fontana would be around $250,000.  A huge difference!  And in Fontana, there is quite a bit of newer construction where you can purchase a home for around $350,000 that has four or more bedrooms and more than 2000 square feet.  So when you compare the neighborhoods in Fontana, even those vary greatly.

So when I tell you that you need a local expert, one who knows the neighborhoods and prices at the very least, I tell you this for your own protection.  You need someone who knows the market to get you the very best deal you can possibly get.  It also helps if that person knows the schools and the community so you can come into it with a good idea of the area.

I try to stay on top of the communities I serve and be a local expert for all of them.  So if you are interested in buying or selling a home, or if you simply have real estate questions, please feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to assist you!

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,

Realtor, Office Manager  

License # 01767321

A Realtor you can Trust!

(626) 824-8927 Cell

LindaKMayer@live.com

Linda's Website

Real Estate Prices - Up or Down?

Real Estate Prices - Up or Down?

Okay, so you all know how I try and stay on top of the real estate news whether it be local or national.  And here is a great example of WHY real estate is local... extremely local.

This article came up on my Twitter feed this morning.  The gentleman in it, Gary Shilling, states that he expects real estate prices to plummet at least 20% more from this point forward.  Interesting, because in this other article I was reading in Bloomberg, it says that housing markets are starting to stabilize.  Can they both be correct?

The short answer is yes they can both be correct.  Some areas are experiencing a shortage of homes for sale, such as Las Vegas.  They have had an influx of buyers who came in and gobbled up quite a bit of the inventory, leaving the late comers to scrounge for what was left.  This means the area would stabilize and prices may have started to even go higher as there is such a demand. 

Other areas such as our local Inland Empire here in SoCal are not in such good shape.  There is still quite an excess of inventory (homes for sale) and therefore in some neighborhoods the prices are still dropping.  And in this particular area, it varies not even city to city, but neighborhood to neighborhood.  Thus proving that real estate is local.

And with this demonstration, it just goes to show you that it is imperative you hire a local expert to be your Realtor.  You need someone who not only knows the area and the pricing trends for a smooth negotiation, but also knows the schools, the events and the community so they can share this wisdom with you.  It truly matters.

I try to stay on top of the communities I serve and be a local expert for all of them.  So if you are interested in buying or selling a home, or if you simply have real estate questions, please feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to assist you!

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

Archaeology and the 210 Corridor

Archaeology and the 210 Corridor

Okay, so   I've never really been much into history or archeology.  My son Erik has always wanted to go on digs and make a living this way, but alas, he's probably going to be what his dad is, an air traffic controller.  However, I DID get really excited about this team from Azusa Pacific University (APU) who is going on a dig in Israel. (My mom got her Master's from APU.)  

Why did I get excited, you ask?  That's easy!  Because they are going to a Biblical part of Israel (Abel Beth Maachah) that nobody has ever dug in before! The reason for going is to find out what happened just before the area was taken over by Assyrian soldiers long, long ago. I'm so excited to see what comes from this, even though you know it will be an ongoing process for a long time.  And what an amazing opportunity for the kids who will get to experience this part of history for themselves! You can read more about the dig HERE.

What does that have to do with my real estate cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Claremont (the 210 corridor)?  Azusa is next door to Glendora, one city away from San Dimas, two cities away from La Verne and three cities away from Claremont.  Many kids I know have gotten their degrees there and become amazing, contributing citizens in the area.

I can't stress enough how amazing this area and the people are.  This is an area where communities are involved, there are amazing school districts, world class colleges for your kids and much, much more.  We are an hour away from the beach, an hour away from the mountains, close to 3 major theme parks and the list goes on and on!

I try to stay on top of my entire area and be a local expert for the region.  So if you are interested in buying or selling in this area, or simply have real estate questions, please feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to assist you.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

San Dimas Folks Simply Get Involved

San Dimas Folks Simply Get Involved

Okay, so I love the title of this blog because it's so true.  San Dimas as a community is very involved in many activities from the Western Days Rodeo to the Veteran's Memorial to the Farmer's Market, there is something to do here for everyone!

But today's blog is about how the individual people in San Dimas really care and get involved.  I was reading a news story, (ya another article from Linda!) and was simply impressed by the dedication of this family.  They are running not one, not two, but FOUR marathons to help raise money for cystic fibrosis research.

Here's how they got involved; Their daughter made friends with another girl at school who happened to have the disease.  As she learned and got older she became involved with the CF Foundation and then her parents took up the challenge and became involved.

So this Sunday, May 6th, the family will run the 3rd of four marathons to raise more money.  If you'd like to read more of the detailed article click HERE.  If you'd like to donate to the CF Foundation click HERE.

On a personal note; my son was actually tested for this disease when he was a baby.  Seeing other children with this and other illnesses where they have to gasp to breathe really makes you stop and think how absolutely lucky most of us are to not have to deal with life threatening illnesses or to see the day to day struggles this brings.  The very least we can do is help.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website