Summer Reading Programs in San Dimas CA

Summer Reading Programs in San Dimas CA

Okay, so when I was a little girl I loved summertime as I'm sure most of you did too.  But I really loved the summer reading programs at the library.  My mom would sometimes drop me off and let me stay for a couple of hours and I would check out books and listen to records (ya, we had records back then) of The Osmonds, The Jacksons and so on.  (And my son says my first boyfriend was a dinosaur.)

The library in San Dimas has wonderful programs planned for the summer.  

1.The kickoff will be June 16th with two magicians, some crazy puppets and various workshops for the kids.  (SIGNUPS ARE REQUIRED for the workshops.)  

2. For the teens:  San Dimas High requires volunteer hours for graduation and the library has places for you to get your hours!  Call them at (909) 599-6738 for further information.

3. Incoming 7th-12 graders can OWN THE NIGHT @ YOUR LIBRARY.  Signups are online or in the library on June 16th and the program runs every Thursday starting the 21st at 3PM.

4. For the Adults: Signup online to read or listen to books and write short reviews.  You will be entered to win a Kindle Fire and there are prizes just for signing up!  There will also be various workshops available such as a cooking class, a popotillo art class and a paper-making workshop just to name a few.  

San Dimas, like it's neighbor La Verne, is on the county library system giving you access to many more books.  You can order a book from a county library and they will let you know when it comes into San Dimas.  How easy is this!

You can read more about it HERE (it takes a little bit to download, but it's worth it) or you can go online at www.copublib.org/srp.

And if you are thinking of moving into the area, definitely pick a local expert and someone you can trust.  I will be more than happy to answer your questions or help you with your real estate needs!

California Home Sales, April 2012

California Home Sales, April 2012

Okay so here's the April information for housing in California.  Now, bear in mind that these are statewide statistics and as we all know, real estate is local, down to the neighborhood, not even as big as the city the home is in. I get this information from DQ News which is used widely in the real estate community, but you can go onto their site at any time and check the city reports regarding housing prices under CA City Charts.

Overall, there was a 2% increase from March in home sales statewide combining both new and used homes.  The good news is that is an 8.6% increase over April of last year.  Things are starting to move again in California. And the median home price was $264,000 which was up 5.2% from March and up 6% from last April.  The homes re starting to regain their value IN CERTAIN PLACES.

Distressed property sales are still making up half of the total sales which is not good.  Personally I'd be happy if we saw less and less of those REO's and short sales and got back to business as it was previously.  I'm not sure when it will happen but hopefully sometime soon. In April 30.3% of the homes sold were foreclosures which was down from both March and last April, but not enough to suit me.  Just sayin'.

You can read more about things such as average mortgage payments by clicking THIS LINK.

If you are thinking of moving to California, my area or others, please don't hesitate to call me for my services or a referral to a Realtor You Can Trust in other parts of the state.  You definitely need a local expert to help you through the process who knows the area and the local real estate market.

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

Claremont Summer Concerts in the Park 2012

Claremont Summer Concerts in the Park 2012

Okay, so Claremont is an amazing city and a beautiful place to live.  There are trees everywhere and it is nestled in the foothills like the other cities I cover.  From beautiful views, to the Claremont Colleges and local public schools with high test scores, it is certainly a place to consider when moving to the area.

Naturally, the City of Claremont also has concerts in the park - just like all the surrounding cities.  This year's concert series starts on July 9th with the Ravler's Band.  And ends with the BEST, the ANSWER which is another classic rock band, but in my opinion the very best one.

Monday's are certainly a different night to hold your concerts, but perfect as this may be a night when you are looking for something to do.  This also allows you to move between other cities concerts and see more of a variety of bands.  The concerts actually start at 7:30PM, but concertgoers at Memorial Park arrive as early as 6PM.  Sounds like s great picnic opportunity to me!  The Claremont Kiwanis Club has a variety of offerings from quesadillas, to burgers and hot dogs, drinks and various desserts.  You can read more about it HERE.

And if you are thinking of moving into the area, definitely pick a local expert and someone you can trust.  I will be more than happy to answer your questions or help you with your real estate needs!

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

Bonita Unified Graduations 2012

Okay, so if you've ever followed my blog before, you know that Bonita Unified School District covers the cities of San Dimas AND La Verne together.  There are a total of three (3) high schools in Bonita; San Dimas High School, Bonita High School and Chapparal High School.

The graduations will begin tonight with the commencement ceremonies of San Dimas High School graduating class of 2012 which begins at 6PM on the San Dimas HSfootball field.  Tomorrow evening will be the graduation of Chapparal High School (GO MICHAEL!) also at 6PM at the Fairplex Avalon Ballroom. And the culmination of the three will be Bonita's graduation on Thursday evening at the Bonita HS football field.

The Bonita Unified School District is a very high scoring school in placement tests as well as the percentage of students who actually graduate each year. So if you are thinking of moving into the area and have children, I can safely say that this is one of the best areas to be in as far as schools and community involvement.

And if you are thinking of moving into the area, definitely pick a local expert and someone you can trust.  I will be more than happy to answer your questions or help you with your real estate needs!

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 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

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

San Dimas Real Estate Market Watch - January 5-11, 2012

San Dimas Real Estate Market Watch - January 5-11, 2012

Market Watch

New Listing (10)
Price Change (13)
Back On Market (3)
Backup Offer (1)
Expired (0)
Pending (6)
Sold (8)

Okay, so once again we are starting a new year.  Happy New Year once again to all of you.  Here is this week's San Dimas Real Estate Market Watch - and we're off and running!

This week there are ten new listings which is a good sign that people are getting more and more confident in the real estate market.  Eight sold and six went into escrow.  That's eight homes that have new owners and six that will hopefully in a few weeks.  So home sales are happening in San Dimas.

There are three that went back on the market and one that has gone into backup status.  Usually the homes that go back on the market are homes where the buyer has backed out for some reason and the seller has to start all over again.  Most recently the reason most buyers back out is because of the time it has been taking for the lenders to approve short sales.  To be fair, the lenders are working on it, but it hasn't helped much to this point.

You know, I try to be positive about the amount of price changes.  If we only had ten new listings and yet there were thirteen price changes, that's a lot.  Again, the banks change their minds on pricing sometimes, but more often than not, the agents need to do a bit more research before they price the home in the first place.  Enough said.

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

**All information is taken from the IMRMLS.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer,
Realtor, Office Manager  
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
(909) 670-2711 Direct
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website