california: Investors still find great deals in Del Norte County, California - 04/17/13 11:37 AM
There are quite a few bank owned properties (REO's) that need a bit of work done. For example, owners started to do upgrades, ran out of money, and lost the home.
Most investors here in Crescent City, Del Norte County California buy low priced properties and fix them up themselves, then turn them into rentals. One particular client of mine only buys multi-unit properties but those don't come on the market much now.
But there are great buys in single family homes under $100,000 and sometimes quite a bit under that. These are properties that need
CASH TO CLOSE.
There's one … (4 comments)

california: Simple steps for First Time Home Buyers in Crescent City, California - 03/03/13 11:16 AM
If you are a first time home buyer in Crescent City, Del Norte County, California, there are three things you should do immediately:
1. Contact a Realtor(R) of your choice. If you don't have someone in mind, ask around, I'm sure your friends can recommend someone. You can also go on the Internet, look for Realtor(S) in your area, check out their websites and blogs and make up your own mind. Call the one you choose. Don't worry, it doesn't cost you anything! The Realtor(R) gets paid by commission out of the seller's proceeds of the home you purchase.BUT I HOPE YOU … (9 comments)

california: "I am thinking of retiring to your area, Crescent City, California." - 02/25/13 07:03 AM
We all dream of the perfect spot for retirement, and it's fun to look at Internet homes for sale during those moments. But it's a far cry to do all this in your head, with only photos of homes and pretty pictures of the scenery.
THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
With my IDX so prominent on several websites, some of the emails that come in are from these dreamers.
AND THIS IS WHAT I TELL THEM.
"You absolutely must come here, look around, see if you like our community and everything that it has to offer."
For some potential retirees, Del Norte County … (12 comments)

california: Holiday Dinners in Crescent City, Del Norte County, California - 12/15/12 05:51 AM
The following are Holiday dinners served in Crescent City, Del Norte County, California:
Advent Soup Suppers:
Grace Lutheran Church hosts free family soup suppers at 6PM on Wednesday nights during Advent,
When: December 5, 12 and 19
Where: Grace Lutheran Church at 188 E. Cooper Street.
Ye Olde Madrigal Dinner:
Will be presented by Del Norte High School Music
Where: Elk Valley Rancheria Community Center
When: December 14 & 15.
Times: Dinner on the 14th & 15th begins at 6PM, matinee on the 15th begins at Noon.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

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california: November Thankful Contest #27 - Sunset color vying with Christmas Tree - 11/27/12 08:48 AM
It was a beautiful day today here in Del Norte County, California. Sunshine, the temperature in the 60s. It is hard to believe that it's less than a month to Christmas.
This year I will only have a LIVE Christmas tree, the one outside on the lawn. A tree to share with my neighbors and the wild animals that are still frequenting this area of the Smith River.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE WILD ANIMALS THAT CO-EXIST HERE IN SMITH RIVER.
By the way, the weather is supposed to change drastically starting tomorrow, with several inches of rain within a few … (3 comments)

california: Low prices attract CASH buyers to Del Norte County, California - 10/19/12 07:00 AM
Yesterday, I blogged about the low prices of VACANT LAND in Del Norte County, California. Today it's about residential properties and their prices.
1. A home built right across the street from the Pacific Ocean on Pebble Beach Drive (fabulous view, no home, just a bluff, on the ocean side) was sold yesterday for $550,000 CASH!!! It originally was on the market at about $1.2M. Built in 2003, 2-story, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a total of 2335 square feet.
NOTE: There are 2 other homes for sale even lower, although older homes, for $399,000. Still, location is everything!
2. A 4-plex … (3 comments)

california: The right Signage in the right places equals FREE billboard space - 06/12/12 03:20 AM
Driving
Driving into a town around California you start seeing those big billboards advertising hotels, restaurants and gas stations. What you DON'T see is billboards for real estate brokerages. Why not? Probably because it is very EXPENSIVE advertising. So how do brokerages make up for this lack of advertising?
Find listings at the edge of town on major road arteries and stick highly visible signs on them.
When I became a broker, the first thing I did was look for these type of listings. Now when you drive towards Crescent City in Del Norte County, Northern California along the Redwood Highway, … (5 comments)

california: Short Sale on a second mortgage, what happened - 11/05/11 02:37 AM
The owner has faithfully paid on his first mortgage for years, so it is way down. Only since he took out a second on his home during the market's hayday has he had problems with payments. Here's what one owner did and what happened.
By the time I got this listing, the owner had already stopped payment on the second loan, but kept up on his first mortgage. In fact, it was the SECOND LENDER who told the owner to put his home actively on the market. (Note: partially because they KNEW the owner was not going to follow-through with paperwork they needed, … (2 comments)

california: Perc tests in a subdivision - 10/11/11 11:48 AM
If you are living in an urban setting, you can stop reading right now. But if you live in a smaller community, you have probably come across this.
Here's the scenario:
1. Beautiful lot for sale in a subdivision that has not been fully developed yet.
2. The MLS says "perc on file". OK, you know that you have to build your own septic system.
3. During escrow, as you are looking at all the documents, you realize that the "Sewage Disposal Location & Layout Map" shows EXPLORATORY HOLES but they are not specific to a specific lot.
4. You do … (7 comments)

california: Finding buyers, look at your own stagnant listings - 10/07/11 02:03 AM
How many listings are out there with tenants in them, where the seller has already moved on, but the house has stagnated on the market? Let's get on the stick, agents! Rethink that listing, and make two clients out of one.
Sometimes we, the real estate professional, get a little "stagnant" ourselves if a house won't sell. But just consider, if this house sells there is a tenant that also needs a new home.
Why not work with that tenant to see what he/she can pre-qualify for? With today's low interest rates there is at least a possibility that the tenant can … (6 comments)

california: In a short sale, you are working for everyone to get it done - 10/06/11 10:30 AM
This is my umpteenth short sale blog but probably valuable to those who don't do them or those who are just getting into them. Don't be afraid to start now, way behind other agents who market themselves as the "short sale experts." Short sales won't go away, from what I read in blogs such as Paula Hathaway's on the third wave of foreclosures http://activerain.com/blogsview/2543342/the-third-wave-look-who-s-going-into-foreclosure-now-.
The sellers who are able will try for a short sale before they go into foreclosure. They will fight and you should be there with them. As I am now.
Adding to the information I used in … (4 comments)

california: Drowning in paperwork on a rainy day - 10/03/11 02:38 PM
Thank heavens it was a sloppy day here in Crescent City, California so that I could take a lot of time with my short sale seller to go over endless forms. Several lamps made the office cozy on this murky day, making the client relaxed while being handed form after form to fill in. Coffee was served to keep the client alert.  Finally it was done, and the client was actually reluctant to leave to go out into the drippy morning.
NOTE TO SELF: ALWAYS COZY UP THE OFFICE WHEN A "DEPRESSED" CLIENT VISITS.
Next came scanning of over 40 … (2 comments)

california: Your mindset changes with short sales - 10/01/11 03:31 PM
Today I received a short sale offer on my listing. My first reaction was, "that's wayyy too low." Then I had to remind myself that this is a short sale and, by necessity, several things have changed:
1. The sales price is now not what my seller wants to get out of it, but what the lender wants to accept.
2. The allocations of costs change to what the lender is willing to pay.
3. Who pays for what inspections? Not the seller, he won't agree to any.
4. Disclosures from the seller? There are a ton of those just so the buyer knows what … (73 comments)

california: The week in review - and it was all about short sales - 09/30/11 02:50 PM
Mostly, this has been a week where I have been reading blogs from Active Rainers about short sales and generally getting up to speed about them. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, this was not something I really wanted to get into but it has caught up with me.
My first toe into the short sale waters was with a buyer who wanted a certain property, even if it meant waiting. So far everything has gone well, the listing agent is a peach and saw me through all the paperwork which has now been submitted to the lender.
The second … (3 comments)

california: Timing is everything - think of the possibilities - 09/23/11 03:03 PM
When you have a strong lead on the phone are you prepared?  Do you think of possibilities instead of negatives? I have converted several prospects into clients by thinking several steps ahead. Here's an example:
A gentleman called me based on a "for sale" yard sign. He was actually looking for a rental. I don't do rentals, but in the conversation he let drop some information that I knew was real estate gold here in Crescent City. Even though I normally don't do it, I proceeded to call people with upscale homes asking if they were interested in leasing out their home. And … (9 comments)

california: How do today's appraisers appraise? - 09/21/11 10:12 AM
Just got another call from an appraiser, this one from out of the area, asking if I knew of any comps for a certain type of property. This is a higher end property, so not many (any?) have sold here for awhile.
That started me to think: don't appraisers have their own pipelines of information? Why call me? As a real estate broker, I regularly research properties that my buyers are interested in, or sellers who want to list with me. Why, if I can, can't or don't these appraisers have their sources? I could have found out that information he was asking for … (3 comments)

california: Are you working this Labor Day Weekend? - 09/03/11 05:40 AM
Yes. And here are some examples how I am working yet staying put:
1. While I was walking my dogs in my favorite forest behind my house, a call came in from someone wanting to get through a security gate to look at one of my vacant land listings. They had come to Smith River for the day. No problem. I look on the listing information on my iPhone4, and give it to them. When I got back to my home office, I emailed them the listing information they requested. If they like what they see, they will come back and we can … (7 comments)

california: How much DOWN does the owner want? - 07/30/11 11:39 AM
I had a very impromptu home showing today. Went to one of my listings, an out-of-town owner, to check on some work that is being done. Outside was a lady looking around. Because I was going in anyway, I asked if she wanted to see the house, which she quickly agreed to.
This is an oceanfront house and everyone loves it, everyone. Needless to say she also fell in love with it. Because this is not the "average" priced house here in Crescent City ($1.49 Million), I didn't push her at all. I was using her as a sounding board because it … (7 comments)

california: Crescent City CA Home on 331 feet of Pacific Ocean now only $1,490,000 - 07/02/11 12:37 PM
Always wanted to live directly on the ocean? Here is a unique oceanfront home on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with spectacular views from three sides. There are 1710 s.f. in this 2-story home.
Yes, 331 feet of oceanfront is part of the .55 acre property on Pebble Beach Drive in Crescent City, California.
Photo 1: From its vantage point on the bluff, watch whales migrate, ospreys fish, and sea otters teach their young to swim.
Photo 2: Spectacular sunsets are the norm, although this was probably one of the better ones. 
Photo 3: Can't you see yourself relaxing here?
Now priced at $1,490,000.
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california: Jewelry Store for Sale or Lease on Ocean Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea - 06/22/11 05:06 AM
Ocean Avenue address, the main street in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Located in courtyard behind Cottage of Sweets & Porta Bella Restaurant, the Court of the Golden Bough. Busy street in this much photographed spot in Carmel.
There are only 32 jewelry licenses in Carmel-by-the-Sea, this location has one of them.
Jewelry store can be sub-leased on month-to-month or possibly long-term basis.
Or Jewelry business is available for sale. Call broker for specifics.
Inventory not included.
More photos and information on http://www.93921.com
For lease and other information, contact Hella Rothwell, California Real Estate Broker #01772851 at:
Tel. 831-626-4000.



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Hella Mitschke Rothwell, Hawaii & California Real Estate Broker ((831) 626-4000)

Hella Mitschke Rothwell

Hawaii & California Real Estate Broker

Honolulu, HI

More about me…

(831) 626-4000

Address: 1128 Ala Napunani St. #1809, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96818

Mobile: 831-626-4000



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