Judy's Blog

Good Tag Line!

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:50:51 -0500

Heard this great tag line today...

It's a buyers market..........................only if you buy.

Jump In!

Statistics for Coachella Valley REO's from Feb/2008 sales

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:41:47 -0500

Some statistics for the Coachella Valley compiled from the local Desert multiple service. Even though the doom and gloom for most of California still resonates through out the local and national media. when you take a look at the numbers for our area it really isn't as bad as all that.

Its a good time to buy and there are alot of good mortgage programs out there, just ask.

REO "Bank Owned" Stats for February- Palm Springs/Cathedral City had 137 total sold, 5 REO or 3.6%. Desert Hot Springs- 42 total sold, 8 REO or 19%. Palm Desert/Rancho Mirage/Indian Wells/LaQuinta had 268 sold, 7 REO or 2.6%.

Riverside County had 1775 sold, 210 REO or 11.8%. Moreno Valley highest@ 22.7%

Good Advice!

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:56:37 -0600

Here are some good basic rules I heard this week... For our Sellers..

#1 No amount of hype, color brochures and large ads will make a buyer pay 20% to 25% over market value for your home.

#2 Buyers are a lot better informed than you think.

#3 The size of your Realtor's company is no influence on the market value of your home -- bigger companies get no bigger prices than smaller companies.

#4 The cost of interior décor adds little to the market value of your property - except to make it more attractive and make it more salable. In some cases, it may detract.

#5 What your neighbor's home sold for six months ago (or longer) is not the only indicator of your property's value.

Local Information from the local CDAR board of Realtors to Share with You.

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:20:34 -0600

This is recent message from my local board of Realtors in the Desert or CDAR. Its good advice for buyers and sellers. The message should be clear now.

The most asked question right now is "where / when is the bottom of the market?" - many buyers now wait on the sidelines to buy at the bottom. Timing the market is dangerous ground. It's more about hindsight than foresight.

When will we announce the bottom of the market? After about 90 -120 days of an upward trend line. In other words, after you missed it. The bottom is not a pinpoint on a graph. It is more like a wide bumpy trough. It appears that is where we are right now. Here is a quick look at the Desert Market right now - Sept. 07 -- compared to a year ago.

Inventory of homes/condos for sale:	Up about 12%
Median Price:	Up 0.6%
Sales:	Down 33.6%
30 Yr. Fixed rate mortgage:	6.38% in 07, 6.40 in 06
Median Days on Market	81 in 07, 76 in 06

Other than a sizeable decrease in sales and a modest bump up in inventory the market has been flat year over year. This may be the "window" buyers have been looking for.

For Buyers:

Best time is now to find the neighborhood, development and house you want
Qualify for the 30 yr fixed. If rates rise your protected, if rates fall you decide when to refinance.
The "window" is open. There is no advance notice when it shuts.
Prices doubled over the last 7 years. No prediction on the next 7, but history says some will always look back to now and say, "wish I had."

For Sellers:

Get out of the market if you're not serious. Not the time to test the water.
Clean up, fix up, go for "curb appeal" and make it show well
Price it right up front - dropping the price every other week is not a winning strategy
Participate with your REALTOR® in the plan and cost of marketing

One final note: As a result of the recent So. Calif. fires there could be some upward pressure on rents and shrinking of inventory as fire victims rebuild and/or relocate.

Article in "Desert Sun" Newspaper with these Interesting Facts

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:56:29 -0500

This was interesting information I read in our local desert newspaper "The Desert Sun" dated 9-25-07. The catch phrase was "What They're Saying About Us"

This isn't your grandpa's Palm Springs anymore- not after more than a billion dollars in renovations and new construction. The streets may be named for past luminaries like Bob Hope & Frank Sinatra (kids might ask who is that?) and the place may be haven to golf playing retiress but..... and here's the interesting part.

There are 115 golf courses(probably more) and more under construction, with 40,000 swimming pools, probably more... but the article stated " there is plenty here for 21st century families whatever their budget or interest. The sun shines most days of the year so how can you go wrong.

Exactly, how can you go wrong? This is paradise country in the winter months plus the home & property values are some of the best in California for vacation and resort area.

Oh " That Spam"

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:50:15 -0500

This isn't about Real Estate but, its useful and in a round-about way will help in our business and our every day life. I credit this informative note from my web host of today... Advanced Access. As always your comments and input are welcomed...

"It's That SPAM Again!"

It's happening again. It's always happening, but lately my inboxes have been filled with them as if the spammers in all of us have been awakened. What's that, you don't spam? Never! You may be an indentured spammer but don't know it! Trying to pass along a boycott of gasoline to bring prices down? Or you think that 3 die-hard competitors made an announcement on the news that you can make money forwarding emails? So you pass along these chain letters because it's hard to resist the part of you that wonders if it's true. I think we've all been there. As people in an industry of service, we want to help people...clients...or potential clients. So we forward these emails to our entire address book, because we think, "hey, who wouldn't want to know what they can do to help lower gas prices ", right? What ends up happening is that you just gave yourself your own bad press. You did not investigate the truth of the claim on any of the popular email hoax verification websites, you just forwarded it along. And, if you didn't BCC (blind carbon copy) everyone, then your entire address book is now being forwarded to millions of others who continue to pass the message along. What's the harm, really? Well, aside from clogging email servers with these messages, and increasing the cost of managing email, you increase the risk to your computer, and the computers of others. The risk becomes a little more clear when we realize that the majority of these emails originate from spammers trying to get the message around and back to them enough that they will be able to gather some good email addresses to which they can send their junk email. Each time you hit that forward button, you are helping them win and clogging your own inbox! This is why using the BCC option is important whenever you send any email. Protect your family, friends, colleagues, and clients from more SPAM by simply deleting the email. As a courtesy, you may first want to reply to the person who sent it to you and refer them to an email hoax verification website such as Snopes.com (which is where we found the popular ";gas out " email used in our example today). Other risks include the ability for people to begin attaching viruses to the emails. So, your "virus warning " could become a virus email itself. Think about that scenario... "my real estate agent sent me an email that crashed my entire system... ". You don't want to be that agent! So, how can you be sure an email is a hoax? The first step is to be on the lookout for these characteristics:

The email says, "This is not a chain letter " or "This is not a hoax "
The email says to send it to "everyone you know " or to "as many people as possible "
The email contains technical sounding language to sound more credible
The author of the email identifies him/herself as a leader of a foreign country or part of the leader's family or staff
The author of the email claims that the original email was sent to them by someone who works for the company involved or is a lawyer or doctor or some professional who supposedly "backs " whatever is said in the email

The easiest way to check on a hoax if you are unsure is to visit a site like Snopes.com and search for the subject matter of the email. For example, we found the gas out email by searching for "gas prices " in the Snopes.com search engine. Another great site is Symantec.com where you can see a list of hoaxes collected by email subject line. So, the next time you get an email promising $800 from Microsoft for forwarding an email, think twice and use the delete button instead of the forward button. The people in your address book will be happy you did! You're welcome to forward this email to others for educational purposes...but alas, there will be no special reward for forwarding this to as many people as you can in the next 10 minutes. :)

Got a Gift Card you Can't or Won't use?

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:46:38 -0500

I ran across a article about this subject the other day and looked in the blogs search to see if anyone had brought this subject up before. Couldn't find anything so want to credit the blogger where credit is due and share a great idea for all of us that either give or receive those gifts cards we either don't care about or have no way to use or give away.

Rooftop Realty in Denver wrote:

More and more people are giving gift cards in lieu of presents these days and while many of us appreciate the sentiment behind them we don't always appreciate the giver's taste in stores.

If Aunt Millie insists on giving you a $25 gift certificate for Toys "R" Us every year on your birthday even though you haven't set foot in the place since you were 10, don't just throw the card in a junk drawer along with all the others. You may be able to recoup the value.

There are now a number of Web sites that allow you to auction off unwanted gift cards or trade them in for cards from stores you regularly shop at:

Cardavenue.com. Registration for this site is free and takes less than five minutes. Once you're signed in, browse available gift cards being offered for trade, or post your own for sale or swap. If you're after a card from a particular retailer or restaurant, create a "wish list." You can even combine two or more cards and trade them in for one card of equivalent value. So, for example, if you have a Starbucks' card worth $50 and a Banana Republic card worth $100, you can swap them for one worth $150 at Bloomingdale's.
Swapagift.com. This service allows you to trade or sell gift cards. Those looking to cash in their cards quickly should check out the site's "preferred merchant list." If your gift card comes from one of the retailers on the list, Swapagift will buy it from you for 60% to 70% of its original value. The only caveat: it has to be worth no less than $25 and no more than $500.

EBay. The online auction house doesn't allow users to trade cards, but it is the largest market for selling them off, according to Bankrate.com, a Web site offering consumers free cost-saving advice. To start your search, just go to the home page and select "gift certificate" from the category menu.

About Mountain Center,CA

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:09:01 -0500

Mountain Center is in Riverside County, in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area.

The latitude of Mountain Center is 33.704N. The longitude is -116.725W.

It is in the Pacific Standard time zone. Elevation is 4,518 feet.

Mountain Center,CA 92561, is the official place the postal service uses as its main address for the distribution of mail for several communities that make up this area.

The town it self is located on Highway 74, also known as the Palms to Pines Highway, and Highway 243.

Idyllwild, CA is not far from Mountain Center but the communities that make up Mountain Center will be highlighted in the communities.

Pinyon Crest, Pinyon Pines, Chapman Ranchos, Royal Carrizo to name a few.

Market Report for June

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 12:23:51 -0500

Some information gathered from the local multiple listing service for the month of June,2007.

Indian Wells..Single Family Homes:

134 active(for sale)

15 Contingent/Pending (in escrow)

11 sold

Median Sell Price- $960 K

DOM(Days on Market) 106

LP(listing price)/SP(selling price) 93.9%

Indian Wells..Condos:

50 active (for sale)

7 Contingent/Pending (in escrow)

8 sold

Median Selling Price- $500 K

DOM (Days on Market) 137

LP/SP-93.2%

Judy Genton,Realtor

Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley, www.PalmSpringsHomes.net, 760-485-4980

Mountain Community of Pinyon Crest

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:04:02 -0500

A short drive, 10 to 13 miles up Highway 74 from the ElPaseo shopping community of Palm Desert and you're in the Santa Rosa Mountain community of Pinyon Crest. A rural community of 100 or more homes with a total of approx. 200 lots. The acreage size of the lots begin with 1 acre parcels and go up to over 2.5 acre parcels.

Pinyon Crest was created in the late 1950's and established the Pinyon Crest Homeowners Association. The association manages and maintains the decomposed granite roads, private (wells) water system and administers the architectural design standards along with keeping the CC&R regulations up to date and overseeing the well being of the community. Dues for the community are under 1,000 dollars a year and are paid bi-annually by the property owners. This area of the Santa Rosa Mountains is surrounded by the San Bernadino National Forest and is now part of the National Monument protection of the United States.

Temperatures range from 10-20 degrees cooler than the desert floor, with elevations from 3500 ft to over 4200 ft. making the views of the valley floor, hills and mountains some of the most beautiful vistas around. Serenity and mother nature abound along with a very populated wild life of various species.

There are no fences so the landscape flows from one property to another without looking like a subdivision, which in turn gives you the feel of living in the wild.

The area boost its own celebrity with the mountain retreat compound Frank Sinatra built in the 70's and stories of his famous parties are told by the locals to this day. The property is still enjoyed today by its present owner and sits at the high point of the mountain. The area is also home to another movie star and another foot note about the history of Pinyon Crest is the Cahuilla Indians used this area for their summer camps to escape the heat of the desert in the summer. There are rock formations where the Indian's used the rocks to grind the pine nuts for food. A rich history is part of the area and many of the locals love to share their knowledge with the low landers.

Homes are a mix of old and new but the many new homes built or being built are in the million to million and half price range. The locals say this area will one day, soon. be discovered and they have mixed emotions about that fact. They love the peacefulness yet want the world to know this is their piece of paradise so close to the city limits of Palm Desert.

A sample of the views!

Judy Genton,Realtor www.PalmSpringsHomes.net

760-485-4980

The Home Warranty

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:24:23 -0500

Nine out of 10 existing home sales today include a home warranty, according to the Home Warranty Association of California (HWAC). Basic coverage for a home warranty means the warranty company will repair or replace an existing home's covered mechanical systems and major built-in appliances that break down due to normal wear and tear. The typical warranty contract lasts for one year (but is renewable) and includes the home's heating, plumbing, electrical system, water heater and major appliances.

A home warranty doesn't act as a catch-all for home-repair costs. "One of the biggest misconceptions about a home warranty is that it covers everything," says Ray Adams, a board member for HWAC. "But normally, we don't cover ‘consequential damages': if a water heater bursts and the carpet or floor gets damaged, the warranty company is not responsible for that-just the water heater itself. We also don't cover pre-existing conditions, and sprinkler systems outside aren't covered. Our coverage is limited to the perimeter of the house and the garage."

The average premium for a standard home warranty policy is under 350.00 a year. However, some premiums may be higher if the house is very large and has duplicate systems or extra coverage is selected to cover such things as pools and spas. Also, most policies have a $50 to $100 deductible.

Adams says that the number of consumer complaints is few, although they are typically due to homeowners not understanding their policy and coverage. According to HWAC statistics, warranty companies sell about 800,000 home warranties annually through a combination of renewals and new contracts, and approximately 90 percent of all resold homes in the state carry a home warranty. Home warranties in California are more of a competitive-sell-almost everyone here has one. In the rest of the nation, for instance in states like Montana where the percentage of home warranties is about 20 to 30 percent, it's more of a concept-sell. One of the biggest problems warranty companies have is when a buyer closes escrow and is simply told by the seller or broker that the home has a warranty. The new owner usually doesn't receive the warranty contract until five to 10 days after close, due to paperwork and payment processing. If the homeowner has a problem during that first week-HWAC reports 15 to 20 percent of its claims occur in the first 30 days. The owner will usually go out and get the problem fixed, mistakenly assuming that reimbursement is due from the warranty company.

"The Living Desert"

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:05:04 -0500

Indian Wells is home to the "The Living Desert". To quote their motto: One of the most unusual institutions in the United States. There isn't a single word to describe all that The Living Desert is and does. We must string words together, like beads: zoo and endangered species conservation center - botanical gardens - natural history museum - wilderness park - nature preserve - education center. The thread that holds all the beads together is the word "desert."

This is truly a unique experience to visit and is funded by our local taxes. A wonderful place for the young and young at heart to spend the day or if you move to our beautiful area become a volunteer.

I've included their web link... please visit and when in town don't forget to make time for yourself or the whole family to enjoy our wonderful nature "Living Desert".

For more information visit: http://www.livingdesert.org/.

Getting a Home Inspection

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 11:25:01 -0500

After you have written up the purchase agreement and all terms have been accepted and escrow opened, the next step and one of the most important parts of the purchase is to make arrangements to have the property inspected. This is usually part of the sales agreement and in California you have 17 days, unless waved or extended, to make your inspections and do your due diligence.

Most buyers hire a local certified inspector, who inspects the property and gives a report back. This report usually covers such areas as: electrical, plumbing, built-in appliances, safety hazards and a visual of structural integrity.

Most important to remember, this is not a sellers repair list or a deal breaker, unless there are major issues with the property. Most sellers will work with the buyer to correct some, all or none of these request.

Land should also have due diligence, done by the buyer, to address such things as boundaries, easements, soil testing for percolation etc.

It is important to know as much about the property you're buying as possible so there won't be any surprises after escrow has closed.

Ask your Realtor, you're working with, for a list of local qualified inspectors you can call to interview and get cost estimates for their report... As any business they have different pricing and qualifications. The industry is not regulated by law, at least not in California, so make your selection based on factors such as, years of experience, certification or schooling and someone you can work with.

About Indian Wells, CA

Judy Genton,Realtor,e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:37:56 -0500

Only minutes from Palm Springs lies the unparalleled desert sanctuary that is Indian Wells, California. Here stunning mountain vistas and majestic palm trees play backdrop to some of the world's finest resorts and spas, golf, tennis, shopping and several year-round recreational activities.

Considered a premier resort city, Indian Wells is all you'd want in a desert oasis. The city offers a blue-chip quality of life, devotion to the arts, inspiring philanthropy, a cohesive city government, world-class resorts, award-winning golf and sponsorship of major cultural and sporting events.

Located in Riverside County, Indian Wells is one of the fasted growing cities in California and the U.S., Indian Wells boasts a full-time population of 4,865 spread over 15.04 square miles. An additional 5-6,000 part-time residents call the city home during the winter high season months. The average age of residents is 63.4 years. 39.4% of Indian Wells residents hold a college degree and the median family income is $143,766, the highest figure for any city in Riverside County.