Another Short Sale CLOSED; Indio, California - 10/30/11 09:04 AM
Another Short Sale Closed; Indio, California  This Short Sale was a mad dash to acceptance and then Close.  Listed at the end of August, just 2 weeks before the Sale Date, after the Sellers were denied a Loan Modification.  Talk about some quick footwork!  Got the Sale Date delayed, priced it right, found a Buyer that loved it, and we are officially recorded.  Entire process took under 90 days..it IS possible!
Interestingly enough, Chase has been one of my most difficult Lenders.  They tend to come in high on their BPO's, and that skews the Negotiators' opinion of Value.  This time, … (4 comments)

Where in the world is Vista Santa Rosa, California? Hint..Palm Springs Valley. - 10/29/11 10:01 AM
Where in the world is Vista Santa Rosa, California?  When Canadians come to the Palm Springs Valley, and they come in droves to escape their cold winters, I would venture to say that not a single one of them knows where Vista Santa Rosa is.  I would go even further and say that many Palm Springs Valley residents don't know where it is either!  How can that be?
Vista Santa Rosa is an unincorporated approx. 20 mile stretch of rural land in the Eastern Coachella Valley.  Date Farms, agricultural fields, horse training facilities, polo pony breeding farms and wide open land..that's … (0 comments)

Palm Springs Valley; more than just sunshine and golf! - 10/28/11 10:21 AM
Palm Springs Valley, Calif.; more than just sunshine and golf!  But, hey, isn't that enough???  For MANY visitors, seasonal residents and even those of us that live here year round, it sure sounds like enough..but there is so much more.
The Palm Springs Valley covers a lot of ground, so when you land in your city of choice, be it Palm Springs proper, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, La Quinta or further Easterly, you owe it to yourself to take a drive.  The Eastern Palm Springs Valley, (also referred to as The Coachella Valley) is a different world than the … (3 comments)

Americans are staying put..except to buy in Palm Springs, California! - 10/27/11 10:06 AM
Americans are staying put..not moving to follow their housing dreams, or job dreams or life dreams..at least not nearly as many of us.  This is an interesting read, http://tinyurl.com/3t932qn and made me think of my own area of Palm Springs, Calif.  
This morning in our local newspaper, the Desert Sun, was an article stating that our local home sales continue to outpace last years by about 6%!  We are a resort destination, and also have some beautiful retirement communities that are extremely reasonable right now.  I think that is why we keep coming out ahead in Sales.  It's hard to beat … (0 comments)

Is there REALLY a Short Sale Expert???? - 10/25/11 07:28 PM
Is there REALLY a Short Sale Expert???  The word "expert" connotes perfection in my mind.  I find it hard to believe that ANY Realtor is a Short Sale expert.  Short Sale and Expert are two words that just do not go together.  Here are some expressions that I think would sum up good Short Sale Agents so much better...
 
Experienced Short Sale Agent Short Sale Agent with years of experience Short Sale Agent; References Available Not an Expert Short Sale Agent...just experienced Kind of tongue in cheek, but it just doesn't make sense to me that in a world as … (4 comments)

What costs a Premium in the Palm Springs, Calif. area? - 10/22/11 09:54 PM
What costa a Premium in the Palm Springs Valley in California?  I read a blog here on AR from an Agent in Hawaii.  She was talking about how important View is for people buying there and it got me thinking..what "things" do Buyers really react to in my area?
I live in a resort area.  The Palm Springs Valley, which encompasses alot of area and many different cities is known for it's sublime weather first, Golf Courses second, and extreme views is right at the top.  We are a desert, but you sure wouldn't know it looking around.  Palm Trees sway, … (0 comments)

Can I Short Sale my house with a Tenant in it? - 10/21/11 09:46 AM
Can I Short Sale my house with a Tenant in it?  OK..now we've added a whole new can of worms to the oh so much fun, (and smooth) Short Sale program. There is now another party to the Sale.  The Seller, The Buyer, the Tenant and that's BEFORE the Lenders get their myriad of hands into the deal.  
The Seller:  I know you want to continue to collect your rent checks because you are so upside down and that would feel better to you.  However, full disclosure with your Tenant is the way to go.  Let them know in writing … (4 comments)

Yes, we have "fall color changes" here in Palm Springs..just not like YOURS! - 10/19/11 09:04 AM
Yes, we have "fall color changes" here in Palm Springs, just not like YOURS!  I can't tell you how many times people will say, "but you don't get to experience the seasonal changes!".  True.  Not if you mean leaves changing and falling, snow falling in the yard, rain and sleet.  But..we are experiencing our desert season change into fall and heading into winter.  
The nights are COLD.  For us Desert Dwellers at least.  About 50 degrees!  I had to put on my sweatshirt this morning!  The days are still about 90 out so swimming, hiking, golfing, riding, tennis..all outside and … (1 comments)

Squatters: Both Short Sale and Equity Sales. One of Each..Shebang! - 10/18/11 09:23 AM
Squatters:  Both Short Sale and Equity Sales.  I've got one of each..Shebang!  
I posted a blog a few days ago that generated lots of comments.."Sometimes it's hard to remain neutral as a Realtor."  Basically, the Tenant in an Equity Sale had an attorney and was fighting to stay in the home she had signed a Lease Option on.  She had not performed per contract, Landlord and Tenant had been to court.  Court had laid down rules for her exit and I was handed the listing.  (I'd hustled it for over a year actually-nice property)
We are now in Escrow on … (3 comments)

Palm Springs Valley NEW HOMES Developments..starting to come back! - 10/17/11 10:31 AM
Palm Springs Valley NEW HOMES Developments..starting to come back!  I started out in real estate in 2001 selling New Homes so I keep an eye on the new home development scene here in the desert.  They were all over in the boom days..2002-2006, then the developers simply stopped..dead!  Developers and Builders in general, notoriously think outside the box, and are dreamers to an extent, so many of them were extremely over-leveraged.  When the housing market crashed, many of their loans were called in, they couldn't pay and the developments stood abandoned and collecting desert dust.
Slowly, the tide is turning and … (0 comments)

So How's the La Quinta Market holding up Kim??? - 10/14/11 08:04 AM
So, how's the La Quinta Market holding up Kim???  La Quinta is a gorgeous city in the Palm Springs Valley of California.  We are very definately a Resort Community and right about now, the "snowbirds", or seasonal dwellers start calling and e-mailing me for market updates.  I love it!
The Reality is that NONE of us can predict the future of our local markets..no matter how closely we watch them, keep ourselves educated, walk the properties listed, list and close the Short Sales.  There still is absolutely NO certainty in the markets in my opinion.  But..if a Buyer or Seller can … (0 comments)

Sometimes it's REALLY hard to remain a Neutral Realtor! - 10/13/11 10:29 PM
Sometimes it's REALLY hard to remain a Neutral Realtor.  How often do we, as Realtors, also assume the role of sounding board, pieces ofa  psychologist, bits of a teacher, parents, guides, on and on...
Then again, there are times, when the situation calls for complete neutrality..and that for me, is even tougher.  I had a recent situation that really made me confront this dichotomy.  
Seller calls me, I list a property that I've been "working" for the past year.  I had hoped for the call, but never truly expected it.  Turns out, the woman I'd been working with had become … (31 comments)

Office Meetings; Why I try REALLY hard to go - 10/12/11 09:36 AM
Office Meetings..just those two words put alot of us to sleep.  Sitting in those hard chairs early in the morning for about 2 hours and for what???  I work out of my home.  I don't use any of our 3 offices except to drop in to pick things up, scan a huge file, meet a client..just not there most of the time.  However, when it comes to our weekly office meetings, I try REALLY hard to go..
Here're some of my resons...
Great Breakfast is usually provided by a Title Co. or someone Free pens and pads or some kind of … (6 comments)

Short Sale in Laguna Niguel; Buyer Just Walked! - 10/11/11 03:13 PM
Short Sale in Laguna Niguel; Buyer Just Walked!  14 Glastonbury Pl, at Bear Brand Ridge in Laguna Niguel, CA.  This gorgeous, meticulously maintained home is a SHORT SALE STEAL at $859,900.  One loan with B of A, Appraisal done last week and we've just been moved to Final Valuations.  
Best thing????  B of A now allows Buyer Substitution.  Just need a new offer quickly.  It needs to come in near List Price as that's FMV less about 10-15%.  This Short Sale will CLOSE!  Just need a solid Buyer and we'll be done by Thanksgiving.

… (2 comments)

How do I find a GREAT Listing Agent for my Short Sale? - 10/09/11 07:00 PM
How do I find a GREAT Listing Agent for my Short Sale?  Pretty much everyone knows that without a great Listing Agent, the odds of CLOSING your Short Sale are not real good.  The List Agent is THE most important part of CLOSING a Short Sale...period!  You do NOT need to use a Negotiation Company.  There are PLENTY of great Short Sale Listing Agents in your own area..do your homework, it'll pay off.
How do you go about finding one that can get the job done?
1.  Interview your potential Agent and find out how many years they've been working Short … (0 comments)

My year long Listing Appointment; it finally paid off! - 10/07/11 09:31 AM
My year long Listing Appointment; it finally paid off!  A year long appointment??  What did I do..sit in their living room for a year?  Set up a tent in their front yard for the past 12 months?  Come on..who does this??  Well, here's my story and I suspect MANY of you AR'ers out there have similar ones to share..
One year ago this month, October of 2010, I saw a FSBO sign at a prime property for one of my polo property buyers.  I contacted the Seller and it turns out she's a Realtor.  We chatted for awhile and I told … (6 comments)

Palm Springs Valley Foreclosure rate DOWN 13% for August! - 10/06/11 09:42 PM
Palm Springs Valley Foreclosure rate DOWN 13% for August.  Wow!  Our Local paper, The Desert Sun, reports that August of 2011 sw mortgage default notices, bank repossessions and foreclosure autcions fall 16.3% compared to the same month a year ago..all the way across the Coachella Valley!
This is fantastic because we were hit almost as hard as Las Vegas and Florida in this housing crisis.  Land here was cheap, and the developers/builders churned the homes out from 2001-2006.  
Bank owned and Short Sales dropped to 54 percent of all sales compared to 62 percent in August 2010.  In the condo … (0 comments)

This Short Sale Buyers Agent is a piece of work! - 10/04/11 09:32 AM
This short sale Buyers Agent is a piece of work!  Took a Short Sale Listing with a REALLY pressing time frame.  Sale Date was about 2 weeks out, Sellers had been turned down for Loan Mod., and were feeling desperate.  Ready to move on, but wanted to end it as quickly as possible.
I got multiple offers at FMV as home is lovely and has somany Seller installed customized upgrades.  The Seller had planned to live there for many years and it showed.  All at his expense of course.  Seller accepted a good offer, Agent seemed versed in Short Sales, and … (10 comments)

Bank of America to CHARGE to use their debit cards???? - 10/02/11 05:56 PM
Bank of America to CHARGE to use their debit cards???  OK..this kills me!  They are so hard up for profit that they are now going to "levy a $5 charge on their customers to use their own B of A debit cards for purchases?!"  (LA Times front page Friday 9/29)  Listing and working Short Sales here in the Palm Springs, California area, I can give them a few BETTER ideas of how to save their dimes, and appease the shareholders..
 
1.  Tell your Shareholders the TRUTH!  How about that one?  What if you told the shareholders what is REALLY going … (3 comments)

Short Sale Approved! Another late Listing-Sale Date was very close.. - 10/01/11 09:46 AM
Short Sale Approved!  Another late Listing-Sale Date was very close..Sellers came to me about 21 days before the Sale Date.  They had been turned down for the HAMP program, had all financials in hand, and asked me to see if I could short sale their home?
A strange turn of events, because this was the second Seller in this situation in 2 days...different Lender, however.  This was a Wells Fargo.  I like Doing Short Sales with Wells Fargo as they seem to be quite organized and ready to come to fair numbers to close the homes.
I listed it at a … (0 comments)

 
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Kimberley Kelly

La Quinta, CA

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HK Lane, Christie's International Affiliate, 760-285-3578

Address: La Quinta & The Palm Springs Valley, California , 760-285-3578, La Quinta, CA, 92253

Office Phone: (760) 285-3578

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