Big Bear Real Estate

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San Bernardino County Real Estate Sales Information April 2008
In April Big Bear's Moonridge area was the highest price per square foot sold in all of San Bernardino County and Big Bear Lake is in the second slot. Big Bear's beautiful lake and pleasant weather continue to draw visitors consistently through the summer months. If you know anyone that is looking to buy or sell Real Estate in the Big Bear area, please give me a call. read more...

Moonridge has some great deals on second homes.
As you know if you've read my blog in the past. I love the Moonridge area of Big Bear. I have personally lived in the Moonridge area since 1990. The views are often of the ski slopes and some of the properties even have a lake view. I like the topography that makes you feel like you are truly in the mountains. There seems to be just the right amount of pine trees in Moonridge. The sound of the wind in the trees is something that many of my clients have commented on while we are out looking at properties. Most of the roads in the Moonridge area are quickly cleared after a storm even though we get a good amount of snowfall in Moonridge. Homes in the Moonridge area make great vacation rentals and this will often allow buyers to spend a little more on their second home. I have seen a few vacation rentals that come close to breaking even, but the majority will cover 25% - 35% of their overhead. What you will want to do if your thinking about vacation rental is get a quote from one of the companies that handles rentals. This will give you an idea of what type of income you might expect from the home that you are interested in. Winters seems to be the prime time for rentals in Moonridge. That's not to say your Moonridge home will not rent during the summer, spring or fall seasons. Usually owners can just call and set aside the time periods that they want to use the cabin. This allows the use by the owner to be flexible. The Big Bear Real Estate market is the best in years for those of you that are buyers. If your waiting read more...

Where should I buy a home in the mountains?
I here this question often from buyers in the Southern California area that are thinking about a primary residence or a second home in the mountains. They aren't sure if they should shop for a home in the Big Bear area, the Lake Arrowhead area, Idyllwild, Wrightwood, or Mammoth area. It really depends on what you want. I am not an expert on any of the areas outside of Big Bear, and I don't feel that I can be a source of information on those other locations. If you want to buy a second home in one of the locations other than Big Bear, I would refer you to an agent that specializes in that particular location. Big Bear is the area that I specialize in and I stick to what I know. As an 18 year resident of Big Bear, I feel good about knowing the area well. I am passionate about Real Estate and the town that I live in. Real Estate is local and I recommend you always work with a Realtor that has local knowledge. There are many different areas within the Big Bear Valley. Starting in the West end and moving East we have: Big Bear Lake (West, Central, and East), Fawnskin, Moonridge, Fox Farm, Bear Loop, Whispering Forest, Big Bear City, Peter Pan, North Shore East, Poet's Corner, Forest Springs, Maple Hill, Valley View Estates, Sugarloaf, Shay Meadows, Shy Valley Ranch, Meadowbrook Estates, Baldwin Lake, Erwin Lake, and Lake Williams Some of the things that Big Bear offers are not available at the other locations. We have 2 world class ski resorts, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. We have a public use lake that has fishing, boating, water-skiing and wake-boarding, para-sailing, and an observatory. Big Bear Village is a quaint shopping area. We have two large grocery stores, numerous pharmacies, restaurants, a hospital, library, and churches of most denominations. Big Bear is a small town with small town values. People in Big Bear help each other and I have found read more...

Where should I buy a home in Big Bear Lake?
If you are someone that is looking to invest money in 2008, why not a home in Big Bear? The current market has some of the best deals for buyers that we've seen in years and while lakefront homes are somewhat insulated from market fluctuation, not all sellers are. Prices have rolled back and interest rates are at all time lows. Big Bear has so much to offer. Bear Mountain Ski Resort and Snow Summit Ski Resort offer visitors skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Big Bear Lake is a public use lake with fishing, boating, water skiing and wake-boarding. Jet skis are welcome on Big Bear lake and there are 2 public ramps that offer launching for free. Boat / Vessel fees were $15 a day or only $75 for the yearly pass last year. Water temperatures rise to 70%+ in the mid summer months. There are many resturants in Big Bear and cabin rentals are an affordable way to have a true mountain get a way experience. Shopping in Big Bear is hassle free with two large grocery stores and for unique shopping the Village in Big Bear Lake is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Big Bear Lake West is the area that you'll see first when entering the valley on the South Shore. Homes in this area are between $250,000 and go up to 1.5 million or more for a deluxe lakefront in a deep water location. One of the advantages of owning a lakefront home in Big Bear is dock rights. Dock rights meant that you have the right to maintain a dock on the lake for your boat. Some of the best lakefront home locations are on Cove Drive, Waterview, Cienega, and Willow Landing. Many of the streets that are not lakefront in this area offer wonderful lake views. Bolder Bay is one of the most scenic areas in Big Bear and there is a public park located the lake. read more...

Castle Glen is one of the nicest neighborhoods in the Fox Farm area of Big Bear.
The Fox Farm area of Big Bear is located near the center of Big Bear Valley on the South Shore. If you are driving on Big Bear Blvd South on Starvation Flats will get you into the Castle Glen development in the Fox Farm area. Castle Glen is one of Big Bear's favorite neighborhoods. Castle Glen is a quick left up Eagle Ridge and is located on the top of what many locals used to refer to as Rattle Snake Mountain. The area was at one time an Eagle Preserve, and there are areas that are within Castle Glen that are designated as open areas for wildlife. Many eagles have been sighted by home owners in the area. Homes in the Castle Glen area have underground utilities and many homes have Lake or Ski Slope Views. The homes in these areas are currently starting in the low $600,000's and go up to $2,400,000. With 24 homes currently available in this area, buyers have some great properties to choose from. Interest rates are at historic lows and I believe that now is the best time in years to buy. read more...

Hot Buyer information for Big Bear Real Estate!
If your looking for deals in the Big Bear Real Estate Market, there are some great values in the current inventory. With over 1050 residential properties on the market in Big Bear, you don't want to try to figure out what and where you should buy without the help of a licenced Realtor. You can save yourself time and money by contacting a professional early in your search. Look for an agent that works full time and knows the Big Bear Real Estate inventory well. Look for an agent that will give you straight answers and not mislead you. Look for an agent that as helped other people find their dream home in Big Bear. One good way to see who is serious about the business is to call an office at 8am and see who is working. These will be agents that are eager to serve you. Another way to see if an agent is responsive is to send an email request and see how long it take to get a response if any. Once you speak to the agent, ask them to give you information about a property. If your job is to sell Big Bear Real Estate, you should know the inventory. Many agents never go look at property until they have a client. This will cost you time and often you won't ever see the best property, because they haven't seen it either. The best deals will go quick regardless of the market, so you need an agent that can tell you about them as soon as you meet. Give me a call ... I know the inventory of Big Bear Real Estate and we will find the Big Bear Home that fits your needs. ...

There are some great deals on Big Bear Real Estate currently.
Big Bear Real Estate has the best buyers market in years. Buyers in Big Bear will see a good selection of homes for sale in Big Bear Lake, Evergreen Estates, Winter Park, Moonridge, High Timber Ranch, Fox Farm, Eagle Mountain, Castle Glen, Whispering Forest, Bear Loop, Big Bear City, Peter Pan, Poet's Corner, Forest Springs, Shay Meadows, Baldwin Lake, Valley View, Meadowbrook, Sugarloaf, Erwin Lake, and Lake Williams. Most areas have seen a price decline of between 15 and 25 percent from the highs in late 2005 and early 2006. This takes us back to late 2004 and early 2005 pricing. There are currently a number of bank owned REO properties in most of these areas. With interest rates at historic lows and inventories at good levels, now is the time to buy that mountain home that you've always wanted. These days looking into what is available is as easy as turning on your computer and finding a Real Estate site that has the availability of the local Big Bear MLS read more...

7 things I predict will happen in Big Bear Real Estate in 2008
1. I predict that the lake will rise to full capacity in June. This will increase Big Bear lakefront home values and the number of Lakefront homes that will sell in 2008. This is not only a prediction, it is what I hope and pray will occur. I enjoy the lake and there is nothing more beautiful than Big Bear Lake full of water glistening off of the sun. I love to get to the dock at 7am and jump in one of the Master Craft boats that we ski behind and get out on the lake and make a few turns, especially when we have a full lake. 2. I predict that the Big Bear Residential Real Estate inventory will grow to 1350 units or more in July. Inventory in Big Bear usually increases between May and July and this year should not be any different. My only hope is that these are quality listings that are priced correctly. Lets not list property based upon how much someone paid or owes. Lets not price property based on any criteria other than the market conditions and recent comparable properties in the neighborhood. 3. I predict that the number of active Big Bear Real Estate agents will decrease by 20% in 2008 vs 2007. This will be a spring cleaning that is overdue. These agents can and will come back when the Big Bear Real Estate market is strong again. Everyone wants to be an agent when the fish are jumping in the boat. read more...

You got an offer on your Big Bear Home, now how do you get this fish in the boat?
First of all, if you got an offer, good for you. That means you were priced well enough to sell the Real Estate agents on showing your Big Bear home. Now you'll need to get your ego out of the way and see if you can get your home sold before it looses any additional value. Most buyers in this market are investors, or they think like one. If your lucky enough to have a buyer that becomes emotionally committed, you are very fortunate. You are handling an endangered species, so be careful. Buyers in this market are illusive and hard to find. It's kind of like fishing for hours, and then you get a bite. The first thing you want to do is pull hard and get them into the boat. You might have caught a few fish before, but these fish have very soft mouths. It's almost like using barbless hooks. Just enough pressure to keep everything moving in the right direction, but don't let them off. Once you get them in the boat, use 2 hands (they are slippery). Ask your agent to give you an up to date market analysis to value your property. Remember, this buyer has looked at your best competition, and the last sale in your neighborhood is more than likely the new ceiling. Remember when the last sale was the new floor? Those days are over for now. Take a good look at the comps and be reasonable. Your agent wants to get you the most that they can for your property, but nobody gets paid unless their is a close of escrow (including the seller). Always give a buyer a counter if you are not going to accept their offer.If your Big Bear home is price well, chances are the buyer is still going to try to buy it for 10% below your list price or more. If the offer you receive is $50,000 off of your list price, you are read more...

Is Anything Selling in Big bear?
I get this question quite often from sellers when I call to discuss their Big Bear Home, so this morning I pulled the information from the MLS to provide an accurate answer. In the past 30 days, we have had 47 residential sales in Big Bear close escrow. We have 70 sales that are pending in Big Bear Valley. So the answer is YES! Houses are selling in Big Bear Below is the breakdown is of the closings in the past 30 days: 1 - WHISPERING FOREST 8 - SUGARLOAF 9 - MOONRIDGE 5 - FOX FARM 1 - FAWNSKIN 3 - ERWIN LAKE 10 - BIG BEAR LAKE 10 - BIG BEAR CITY It looks like the sells are spread out over Big Bear Valley fairly evenly by location. The 2 lowest price sales occurred in Sugarloaf. They were both sold at $140,000. They were both one bedroom one bath cabins.These starter cabins in Sugarloaf are great for people that want to get their feet wet and buy a place to get a way. They are also great for people that are not able to afford a home in the market that they live, but want to enjoy the rewards of ownership. The average price sold was $360,340, and the median price sold was $286,000. The average days on the market was 126 and the price sold averaged 93.48% of the asking price. This doesn't mean you should offer 93.5 % of the asking price of the home that your Big Bear Real Estate agent shows you. What it does mean is that the houses that are priced well enough to generate an offer were negotiated to this price. The overpriced houses in the market didn't get any offers. This is important to understand. Have your Big Bear Real Estate agent.... read more...

Let's Go Mountain Biking in Big Bear
If you have never had the opportunity to get out on a mountain bike in Big Bear, you're in for a new adventure. Riding at 7000+ foot elevation will limit your first few rides to a few miles unless you are lucky enough to live here and be acclimated to the altitude. Mountain biking has great fitness advantages, but the mental stability that it gives me far exceeds the physical advantages. I seem to not be able to think about anything other than completing the climb or watching for the next corner when I get on my bike. Big Bear has some of Southern California's best mountain bike trails and I have been on most. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take plenty of water. Let your family or friends know what route you will be taking. Always wear your helmet and sunscreen. I found a great site that will give you information on many trails and rides here in Big Bear. Just click this link to go there... read more...

Big Bear 20 year Deed Recording Information as of November 2007
Year to date through November we had 961 deed recordings. This number represents a 30% drop from 2006's 1517 recordings. Recordings are still well below any year in the past 20. It looks like we will finish up the year with approximately 1020 deed recordings. If this holds true, we will be around 25% below 1993’s number of 1353. Some of you are buyers that have not yet made a purchase. If you are one of these people, what are you waiting for? Now is the best buyers market in over 20 years. Call me today to set up a time to go look at the many value priced properties on the market. Interest rates are at some of the best levels in history. Inventory is high, and sellers are motivated. ...

Big Bear Real Estate 12/17/2007
As of today we have 1139 residential listings on the market. This is less than we had a month ago in Big Bear. I believe the inventory is going down because people are taking their houses off the market for the Holidays and prime rental season. Other sellers have decided to wait out the market and hope to either rent or hold on until the prices rise again. If you are a seller in this market, I would say that this is not a bad idea if you don't need to sell. Homes that are on the market in Big Bear that are not priced at or below market value will not be likely to sell. Overpricing your Big Bear home will not help our market or the sellers. Many buyers are slow moving and want to be sure to get the very best deal. They see prices continue to drop and wonder why they shouldn't wait for a better deal. I think that trying to guess when the bottom will be is next to impossible. There are many good deals now and sellers are motivated. If you are a buyer and plan to keep your Big Bear home for more than 4 years, you should be able to realize appreciation. This does not include your tax benefits and rental opportunities. One of the biggest benefits to investing in a Big Bear Home is being able to enjoy all that Big Bear has to offer. You don't get this benefit in the stock market! ...

Personal Profile
Steve has strong sales ability that he acquired through years of retail management. He exemplifies integrity, honesty and tenacity. Steve is committed to total customer satisfaction. He is a strong negotiator for his clients and tackles problems with enthusiasm. Steve will exceed your expectations and out work his competition. Born in Paso Robles, CA. A native to California, Steve has lived in numerous communities through out Southern California, including Paso Robles, Atascadero, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Huntington Beach, San Diego and Big Bear Lake. Steve spent 10 years in Santa Maria and graduated from Santa Maria High in 1979. One year after graduation he married his wife, Shelli. Steve and Shelli have 4 beautiful daughters, Christine, Stephanie, Michelle, and Jennifer. All four were raised here in beautiful Big Bear Lake. Shelli and Steve have owned Shelli’s Hallmark Shop here in Big Bear since 1990. Steve's hobbies include mountain biking, water skiing, snow skiing, snow shoeing, and hiking. Steve has participated in charity cycling events including the peak to peak on two occasions (a ride from Big Bear to Mammoth Mountain). In fall of 2004 Steve rode the San Juan Mountains from Telluride, Co. to Moab, Ut. Steve can often be found on a bike on the top of a mountain. Steve says he's excited about the Real Estate market here in Big Bear, and investment opportunities are abundant. Big Bear is Southern California’s four season resort. ...

Buyers are in charge these days in Big Bear Real Estate
It is probably the best year in 20 for buyers in Big Bear. If you have been thinking about a place in Big Bear, now is the time! We have a great inventory of well priced homes with motivated sellers. Most buyers are able to negotiate a great deal on a second home in the mountains. You can now find deals in the following areas... Moonridge, Fox Farm, Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City, Fawnskin, Whispering Forest, Forest Springs, Erwin Lake, Baldwin Lake and Sugarloaf. So grab your check book and meet me at my office. Let's go find that cabin in Big Bear that fits your needs. ...

Should be a great weekend for Snowboarders and Skiers in Big Bear 12/11/07
Both Snow Summit and Bear Mountain Ski resorts will be in full swing this weekend. Clear skies are predicted and daytime temps should be in the 40's. If you own a home in Big Bear, this is one of the reasons that you may have purchased your cabin in Big Bear. Click this link for up to date Big Bear weather. read more...

Lakefront Homes in Big Bear 12/10/2007
Currently we have 25 Lakefront homes in Big Bear on the market. They range in price from $659,900 to $4,775,000. Year to date we have had 18 lakefront sales. Currently their are 3 lakefront homes in Big Bear that are in escrow or contingent sales. Some of the premiere streets for Lakefront homes in Big Bear include Cove, Eagle Drive, Waterview, Lake Drive, Eureka, Lakeview, Willow Landing and Cienega Road. The areas that also have great lakefront locations are Eagle Point and Eagles Knoll. read more...

First Substantial Snowfall in Big Bear, December 9, 2007
We got our first snow fall today. It looks to be around 10 inches of fresh light snow, perfect for snowboarding and skiing. If you are coming up to Big Bear for the holidays be sure to check for road closures on the hi-ways that feed to Big Bear. Click on the link for road closure information and chain requirements. read more...

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Featured Big Bear Listings

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