The World's Largest Fishing Rodeo opened today in Biloxi, MS. Says the Sun Herald, "The event features saltwater categories ranging from amberjack to stingray with six additional categories in the freshwater division. 

Toss in four shootouts and a kids fishing rodeo, and there's something for all.

Fisherman may preregister for free at www.mississippideepseafishingrodeo.com There will be an entry for the cobia,redfish, speckled trout and bass shootouts."

Also happening is a new opening in Gulfport. A Uniques Alternative called, "Vintage Station" is a wine bar on Courthouse Road in Gulfport, MS.

Reports the Sun Herald:

This is a place where people can sit and enjoy their wine and conversation. This is a place to Wind down, not wind up, say Don Halle one of the co-owners.

Jazz or standards plays in the background of the softly lit club, and the space is subtly divided into seating areas designed for conversation, like a living room or a lobby. A traditional bar area is also part of the decor, and one section can be closed off for gatherings or meetings...

"We also have a full-service bar, but our focus is on wine," Joyner(the other co-owner) said. "We have the higher end scotches and a few designer beers, but we're trying to be unique."

The wine list is 4 pages long.

In other events on the coast The Gulfport/Biloxi airport is expanding service. While other airlines are cutting back service in some areas, a fourth daily flight between Dallas/Ft.Worth and the Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport is being added.

Also added within the last 4 months, added flights to St. Petersburg, Fl, and Tampa and Atlanta,GA and  Jacksonville,Fl.

Look for more news and info about the economy and events on the Coast right here.  And if you are thinking of relocating to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in any of its cities such as Gulfport, Bilxoi, Long Beach, Ocean Springs, D'Iberville, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis please call or email Gerard Maher with Gulf Coast Realty. Specializing in residential real estate for the Mississippi Gulf Coast

I did a brief overview of some of the areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast yesterday. Here are some of the interesting facts about Single Family Residential homes with a minimum of 2 Bedrooms/1 Bath that are not Mobile homes as of June 22, 2009:

Pass Christian has 135 Active Listings. In the last 30 days  4 homes sold with this criteria. in the last 90 days 11 homes sold.

Long Beach, MS has 152 Active Listings. In the last 30 days 4 homes sold with this criteria, in the last 90 days 20 homes sold.

Gulfport North has 423 active Listings. In the last 30 days 25 homes sold with this criteria, in the last 90 days 98 homes sold.

Gulfport SW has 76 Active Listings. In the last 30 days 2 homes sold with this criteria, in the last 90 days 18 homes sold.

Gulfport SE has 243 Active Listings. In the last 30 days 7 homes sold with this criteria, in the last 90 days 38 homes sold.

Biloxi   has 182 Active  Listings.  In the last 30 days 5 homes sold with this criteria, in the last 90 days  22 homes sold.

Biloxi N has 109 Active Listings.  In the last 30 days 5 homes sold with this criteria. In the last 90 days 23 homes sold.

D'Iberville has 92 Active Listings. In the last 30 days 9 homes sold with this criteria. In the last 90 days 21 homes sold.

St. Martin has 163 Active Listings. In the last 30 days 13 homes sold with this criteria. In the last 90 days 36 homes sold.

Ocean Springs has 467 Active  Listings. In the last 30 days 20 homes sold with this criteria. In the last 90 days 72 homes sold.

I am printing these stats to show that we are still in a Buyer's market here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Coupled with the $8000 tax credit for first time buyer's and the lower interest rates, there are alot of bargains to be found in today's market here.

If you are interested in finding out more information on Mississippi's Gulf Coast Real Estate, call Gerard or email him at CallGman@yahoo.com

Gerard Maher does residential real estate for the MS Gulf Coast. Specializing in Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, D'Iberville, St. Martin, Pass Christian and Long Beach

Hellow All!

I am writing to say that I am back on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  I started in real estate here in 1998.  Worked for a New Home builder, and also Prudential and Century 21. Then  I started my own company called Gulf Coast Realty in February of 2001. Grew the company over the next few years and then sold it  in June of 2007 to move to San Diego, Ca. 

In San Diego I did real estate for 2 years, but while writing up numerous offers, a great many never made it to closing because of lack of response on short sales by the banks.   

 California is a wonderful place. It has mountains, deserts, the Ocean, and alot of great qualities.  But...there is no subsitute for the network of friends that I have in Mississippi. I am glad to be back, and yes, I have joined my old company, Gulf Coast Realty.

I look forward to helping all my old friends with their real estate needs, and in meeting new friends.

If you are looking for help in real estate give me a call, or email me at CallGman@yahoo.com

Gerard Maher (G-Man) does residential real estate on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Ocean Springs to Bay St Louis, Biloxi and Gulfport, Pass Christian and Long Beach.

Hi all,

I am Now working with Zip Realty here in San Diego. It is a truly GREAT company.

For the Buyer it offers a really superior web site experience. While most real estate companies have listings from the mls, Zip goes further, having all sorts of info at the buyers fingertips without having to leave the site. Offer Evaluators, letting you know what other properties in the area have sold for compared to listed at in the last 1 month, 2 month, etc.  This helps the buyer get a good feel for the market when they are looking around on the internet. Comps for sold properties, Driving directions from more than One location. Multiple ways to search for properties. Making appointments to see the properties right from the website, Initiating offers from the website. So many features, so much to see, yet all very easy to do, not overwhelming.

Then for sellers, Zip has such a LARGE database of buyers looking on their website. (For a company of only around 4000 agents, they have surpassed in number of people searching for homes the Re/Max website). New listings are alerted to buyers within that area and criteria. In addition, the commission structure is sweet, with the Seller getting Full Service, including virtual tours, open houses, MLS listings, and getting the property sold for a commission structure that is going to make it hard on the competition to top.

For Agents, with the wide amount of new people searching online, there are tons of leads coming in to the agents each month. Agents are given continous training, online university, Most, if not all, of your expenses taken care of by the company, and plenty of work to keep you busy. While Zip has only been around for 10 years, it is on the cutting edge of being a giant on the internet, and... is just now starting to focus more heavily on the listing side.  In its earlier days, the main emphasis was on just buyers, but there is now a balance coming where both the buying and listing side are being emphasised. That's good news for agents, and clients. 

Now everyone will see how good the agents of Zip are. (We set an industry high standard with a 95% approval rating of our agents from closed clients, versus the industry standard of around 75%

So, whether you are interested in Buying, Selling or you are an agent, checkout ZipRealty.com and play on the site a little and see if you don't agree, that there is nothing to compare to what Zip Realty has.

Gerard Maher (G-Man) is A Broker/Associate with Zip Realty in the San Diego area, specializing in Residential Real Estate in Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo and Poway, but serving  all of San Diego county.

Hi ALL,

I have been reading and seeing all sorts of stats and talking heads telling me how real estate is not going to get better in 2009. I am not sure my local experience agrees with that.

First, I have so many more buyers out looking for homes than I have had in the last 18 months.

Second, My company Zip Realty, for San Diego had a Record Breaking month of December in sales.

Third, Inventory levels for homes on the market have dropped in the last year here in San Diego.

and Finally, because the value of homes has declined from 10-40% here in San Diego, more people are finding good buys out there that they can't pass up. In fact, I was contacted by 2 people from Arizona, saying they are originally from San Diego, but moved because they could more easily afford to buy a home in Arizona then San Diego. But, now they are looking back in the San Diego market, because homes are now in their price range.

So, like I constantly say, real estate is local, and you have to see what is happening in not just a market, but sometimes in a neighborhood to really see what is happening. And... Most of our statistics, tell news that is 30-60 days old, and may not be reflecting the CURRENT trend yet. So, if you are thinking of buying or selling, do the homework for your area, for your particular neighborhood. That will give you a better understanding of what the housing trend is for your area. 

And by the way...Everyone have a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year!

Gerard Maher (G-Man) is a REALTOR in the San Diego area, specializing in residential homes in Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, Mira Mesa, Poway and Rancho Bernardo.

Hello All!

I have had quite a busy last 2 months. Closing some deals, losing some escrows and...Changing Companies!  That's right, I am no longer associated with Coldwell Banker Residential here in Scripps Ranch, but I have joined Tobin Associates & Realtors, Inc.

Now Tobin has been in real estate in the San Diego area for about 10 years, and has done real well, being a top producing agent at CB Residential in the San Diego area.  He is knowledgeable, ethical and a fun guy to be around. And his starting his own company hasn't slowed him dow one bit.

In fact, he is servicing all his large book of past clients and getting referalls, while getting new business at the same time.  He is a very thorough agent. And I knew that working with someone like him would have a great effect.  Because when 2 people with high standards work together, they only enhance and raise the bar for both of them.

Now, don't get me wrong, CB residential has some great agents too.  But it is really the quality of the individual agents that make for a good transaction, not the company.  CB while having great agents at the top, also have alot of inexperienced agents. I believe that because of the size of the company, they are a great place for new agents to go, to learn, and develop some good habits. But then, it is really the indivual that makes their own success and not the company. And... it is the indivual that makes the buyers and sellers experience good versus nerve racking.

So, I went to work with Tobin, and will bring my experience, my knowledge, my ethics and my marketing skills to get my clients the best service to be found in the area, and while I am up against pretty good competition in Tobin, it will only bring both of us to a level that will WOW our clients.

So, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the San Diego area, give me(The G-Man) a call at 619-481-0882 or email me at G@CallGman.com

Gerard Maher (G-Man) is a Broker/Associate with Tobin Associates & Realtors, Inc. With 10 years experience in real estate, Gerard brings his expertise to All of San Diego but specializes in Scripps Ranch, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos and Mira Mesa.

For many of us, This is the time of year when school starts back. With the kids back in school, it is a good time to start evaluating your home needs.  While it is fresh on  your mind, now is the time to start thinking about what are your needs in a school for the children, if you are moving. Will the school challenge them academically? Will it have the right extra curricular activities that you children are involved in? What about sports? School spirit? Parent involvement?  These are all things that you will want to consider if you are planning on making a move in the next year.

Do your homework, investigate the schools, call your REALTOR and ask them to get you the information you are looking for, or to steer you to the right websites. There is more to buying a new home then just the physical characteristics of the home and the price. Research the area, the schools, the neighborhood, the restaurants and stores and all the other things that matter to  you in creating a great place to live. Make your REALTOR aware of these things, so that in partnership, you will find the right home in the right area.

Gerard Maher is a REALTOR for the whole San Diego area.  However he specializes in Residential homes in the Scripps Ranch, Poway, Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos communities. Give Gerard(G-Man) a call at 619-481-0882 or email him at G@CallGman.com

Real Estate stats for August for the Scripps Ranch area I will be posting in about another 2 days. But my general impression for August is that business has been steady, with prices only  marginally changed.

I think the foreclosure and short sales are becoming more common, and buyers are coming out in greater numbers looking for the deals. But, do to the nature of short sales, things going under contract are not closing with short sales in the same ratio as normal escrows.  So while sale statistics might not be as robust as we would like, it doesn't mean the interest in buying isn't there. It is there, it is just that there is alot of limbo, where escrows never close. In fact, there are alot of contracts on our mls, that are showing Active, because short sales go under contract, but don't have written approval of the lender. So, our market is bringing out buyers, but the stats aren't always able to show this.

G

I lived in Gulfport, Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina hit.  I owned a home about 4 blocks up from the beach. 23 ft above sea level and it was built in 1947, and survived Hurricane Camille in 69 which had winds over 200mph when it broke all wind measuring devices. So my house was pretty solid.

However, more than 50% of my home was damaged during Katrina, and it took me about 18 months to get it repaired.   In the mean time, my real estate company, "Gulf Coast Realty had about 2 months of very little activity and then tons of business came pouring in.  The coast was devastated for miles south of the rail road tracks (which ran parallel to the beach ) which were about 5-6 blocks north of the Gulf.

Even today, 3 years later, there is still alot of emptiness and barreness. Business is coming back, but it would take another 10 to 15 years to get it back completely....

Now we have Hurricane Gustav potentially heading to the Gulf Coast. This is bad news for so many.

New Orleans being below sea level is really badly off, and everyone should evacuate.

The Mississippi coast, if it hits, will be a mess. 

I ask all of you on AR to think about pitching in physically if they get a major hit. There will be a great need with helping to just throw out stuff, and remove junk from homes, so skill level isn't a problem.

Let's hope that Gustav just fades into a minor storm and does no damage, but if it hits hard, then think about going down to the gulf region for a week and helping out. Thanks

g

Hello All!

Maybe some of you could give me input.

Here's the decision- I currently am doing real estate in San Diego working for a Coldwell Banker office in Scripps Ranch. It is a good office, there are alot of agents ( I think officially like 80plus) about 30 or so that I see on a weekly basis. But, I don't think it is the office that makes you successful, it is the Agent that does it.

I started in real estate with a Prudential Real Estate company, I stayed there for about a year, then went to work for a home builder who used a Century 21 office, so I became a Century 21 agent for about 2 years selling new homes and doing regular real estate deals on the side.  But after that I started my own real estate company. It was independent (Called Gulf Coast Realty) At first it was just me, but over time, it grew. Then after Katrina and my house needing to be rebuilt, I thought I would move to San Diego and do real estate here. So I sold the company, got my house rebuilt, and sold it and moved to San Diego where I was going to work for a GMAC One Source office in San Diego, when they sold it in the middle of my move to Coldwell Banker Residential.  That's who I am with now.

Now here is my thoughts.... A friend of mine who worked at Coldwell Banker, opened his own company.

He is a Very Good agent and our thoughts on being ethical, providing quality service, keep well informed, doing great marketing and great follow up are so much in sync.

He is working as a one man show. And without him soliciiting me, I am thinking about joining him.

He is more than willing to take me on at a generous commission split. I like the challenge of helping something grow. But... in this market time and age, is it a good time to be going from a fairly large company to a very small one?

What do you thinK?

Would appreciate your thoughts,

Gerard (G-man)