Search for Rancho Santa Margarita Foreclosures and Orange County Foreclosures for free!  That's right...free! 

There are many Foreclosure Information Companies out there that charge interested parties a free to see information that can be accessed by the general public at no cost.  Don't throw your money away!  Local Orange County, CA foreclosures, bank owned homes and short sales are available.

A large number of real estate agents now have the ability to allow visitors to search their website specifically for foreclosures or short sales.  Some sites require registration and others do not.  Most sites with registrations allow a visitor to search multiple times and easily track properties of interest.  Don't be scared away by the registration requirement.  These sites usually have the most up to date information provided by the local MLS.

When you register for a free mls search, you will be granted the ability to save multiple searches.  For instance you will be able to save separate searches for 4 bedroom foreclosures in Rancho Santa Margarita or 4 bedroom foreclosures in Orange County.  You will also be able to set up alerts so that you will be notified when new foreclosures come on the market.

Click here to learn more about FREE MLS or Set up a Free Search for Rancho Santa Margarita Foreclosures or Orange County Foreclosures.

Most Rancho Santa Margarita residents, especially those who golf,  know Tijeras Creek Golf Club is dubbed The Best Golf Value in the OC.  But did you know that Tijeras Creek Golf Club has an amazing bargain Sunday Brunch for only $15.95?  Better still, kids 6-12 eat for $9.95 and kids under 6 eat for free.

The brunch menu inclues:

• Omelet Station
• Roast Ham Carving Station
• Smoked Applewood Bacon
• Breakfast Sausages
• Tijeras Creek Breakfast Potatoes
• Scrambled Eggs
• Fresh Breakfast Pastries
• Assorted Desserts

Sunday Brunch hours: 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Tijeras Creek Golf Club is located at 29092 Tijeras Creek in Rancho Santa Margarita. 

I looked up from my computer and it was 8:15 p.m.  Where the Tweet did the time go?

I've been messing around with Twitter the past week, trying to find ways to streamline my Tweets.  I've made some progress with the number of people I'm following as well as the number of people that are following me.

My Twitter Grader rating is up to 95%, a substantial increase from a few days ago.  TweetDeck has been working out nicely for me. But now I have a serious problem.  I am following 729 people.  Only 400 people are following me back.  Maybe this is a big deal, maybe it's not.  I don't know enough about Twitter yet to be able to form any meaningful conclusions.

Here's what I do know. I've made contact with 400 people - the people who either followed me directly or followed me back.  That's huge to me.  It's probably small potatoes to many of you, but I still find it amazing.

In trying to follow my 700+ new Twitter friends today I realized that I needed some clear cut guidelines.  I simply can't read fast enough to follow every one, every day.  I don't think I could do it even if I wasn't spending time blogging, doing CMAs, or showing homes.

I came across an interesting site TweetWasters that tracks the amount of time spent on Twitter.  It uses a basic formula to figure out by the number of Tweets you do, how much time you're likely to have spent on Twitter. I don't know if it takes into consideration the amount you may be reading.  I usually read 10-15 Tweets for every Tweet I do...until I find something I want to jump in on.

My rating on TweetWasters? "My Grandmother uses Twitter more than you do!" Well, if I can connect with 400 people and spend less time than Granny does on Twitter...I must be doing something right.

Flickr Photo by Caucus

Yesterday's winter storm dropped a gorgeous light blank of snow on Saddleback Mountain. 

Rancho Santa Margarita and Trabuco Canyon sit on the western base of the Santa Ana Mountain Foothills.  In my 40+ years I've never seen it snow in either RSM or Trabuco Canyon, but I always look forward to seeing snow on Saddleback and I'm always out there trying to get the perfect picture to capture the moment.

It doesn't snow very often on Saddleback Mountain and the snow certainly doesn't stick around for any great length of time.  To get a decent photo of snow on Saddleback Mountain you need to be ready to move fast and hope that several factors come together.

• It needs to be cold...very cold (not a frequent thing in Orange County)
• The storm needs to be packed with a lot of precipitation
• There is a greater percentage of success if there is a heavy snow at night
  
• The storm needs to blow through quickly so skies are clear enough to see the peaks in the morning
  
• Morning shots require shooting into the sun.  An occassional cloud or two off to the side can help with lighting

So, the perfect photo didn't quite happen today.  The gorgeous light blanket of snow on Saddleback was just a little too...well...light.  So...it's back to the drawing board.  Cold rain is in the forecast.  Could we be lucky enough to have snow two days in a row?

I've had an unusually busy last few days.  On Friday morning I happened to see a Tweet by my friend Morgan Brown that there was an OC Tweetup.  I am fairly new to Twitter and I had no idea whether a Tweetup was an actual or a virtual meeting.  It turns out that it can be both.  Silly me!

I received the Tweet at 9:58. The Tweeup began at 10:00.  There were several OC Tweeple in attendance, so I dashed out of the house and headed for Coffee Bean in Lake Forest.  I was excited to see Loren Nason. Loren was kind enough to help me put together my outside blog Rancho Santa Margarita Homes & Lifestyles during Project Blogger a couple of years ago.

My most significant online competitor in Rancho Santa Margarita, AR Member Linsey Planeta,  was also there.  It was really nice to get to see her in person.

The Tweetup was organized and moderated by Jon Lansner, who writes Lansner on Real Estate - The Real Estate Blog for the Orange County Register.  The idea behind the meetup was to brainstorm on maximizing the benefits of Twitter and social media.  Attendees brought questions about Twitter and Twitter based applications and shared what had worked for them so far.

Here's what I took away from the the #tworco OC Tweeup:

TweetDeck:  There are several options for managing your Tweets.  This one easy.  I didn't have to spend a bunch of time trying to figure it out.  I can organize by groups which makes it much more managable.

BrightKite: A location based social application allows you to see who Tweeting in your area.  You can choose to check in at different locations, or you can remain incognito if so desired.  I think caution should be excercised for safety reasons, but it is an interesting application.

My Drop Card: An application that allows you to send contact information and networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) via SMS.  This application is quick and easy and definitely worth checking out.

The final thing I learned is the ability to create an RSS feed for a Twitter Category / Group. I will now be able to see if anyone Tweets about #tworco...and I will have more than two minutes to be out the door before the meeting starts.

As for the Quid Pro Quo:  It pays to be connected with writers and reporters of Newspapers. I got a Tweet from Jon Lansner of the OC Register this morning asking me if I had a listing he could use in a post.  Yesterday, a beautiful Sunset Photo that I had placed on Flickr was used by The OC Register's Science Dude, Gary Robbins.  I've been told, "I'll scratch your back, if you scratch mine."  I intend to do some scratching.

For real estate agents additional exposure is good on a number of levels.  As bloggers involved in social media, we are in a position that allows us to showcase our neighborhoods and listings in a way that is groundbreaking.  If we have the gJuice flowing our clients will be amazed and impressed by their home's visibility.

I'm excited about Twitter and I'm looking forward to making it part of my marketing strategy for 2009.

How are you using Twitter?  Please feel free to leave a link in the comments if you've written about how you use Twitter.

A winter storm is blowing into Orange County and I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that a light blanket of snow will fall on Saddleback Mountain.  I am somewhat obsessed with snow.  Having grown up in Orange County, CA, I regard snow as a special treat.  I associate it with hot chocolate, a nice crackling fire in a quaint chalet, and several days worth of lift tickets.

It has never snowed at my house and I have to admit that I'm a wee bit jealous when I read other ActiveRainers writing about the first snowfall. 

Ann Hayden of Wildwood, MO wrote about it in Look What We Woke Up to this a.m.

Steve Lloynd of Woodstock, NH wrote about it in White Mountain First Snow Photos, Beautiful New Hampshire Scenes

Teresa Boardman of St. Paul, MN wrote about it in The First Snow

Modjeska Peak (5496 feet) & Santiago Peak (5687 feet) are the two highest peaks in the Santa Ana Mountains. Together they form Saddleback Ridge, earning their name for their obvious resemblance to a Saddle.  Rancho Santa Margarita rest at the western foothills of this mountain range.

Earlier this year I wrote about my quest for a Perfect Snow Photo to use for marketing and my blog.  Snowfall is forecast for 3,500 feet and above tonight.  I feel the cold in my bones...it is 48 degrees.  That may not sound cold to all of you who live in seriously cold climates, but by Southern California standards, it's a huge temperature drop.  I had to pull my Ugg boots out from the depths of my walk-in closet.  Sandals just aren't going to cut it for the next few days.

Tonight I am praying for snow.  Snow that will stick long enough for me to actually get that elusive professional-looking photo that I can proudly use on brochures and my website. 

When buying a Rancho Santa Margarita Foreclosure or bank owned home, does a buyer really need to spend extra money for a home inspection?  What if the home is sold "as is, where-is"?  The answer is YES!

In all cases you should have a licensed professional evaluate the home you will be purchasing.  Whether or not repairs will be requested or made, a local professional, licensed home inspector should be hired for a home inspection.

It doesn't matter whether the transaction is a standard sale, a short sale or an REO / bank-owned sale.  A buyer should know up front if there are any existing conditions in the home they are looking to purchase.  A home inspection provides a home buyer with a list of repairs that should be made immediately, and notes any findings that might cause additional future problems if not cured. 

A home inspection basically provides a buyer with a home maintenance game plan.  With the results of a home inspection in hand, a buyer can negotiate with a seller for repairs or a reduction in price, or choose to walk away from the property if he feels there are too many issues with the house.

A local inspector is familiar with homes in the area.  He will know which builders cut corners and which building materials were typically used at the time a home was built.  He will know what to look for and where. 

Click here to read the full story and for additional information about the home inspection.

Free MLS - Click here to see Rancho Santa Margarita Foreclosures

Read Buying A Home In Rancho Santa Margarita The Easy Way - 14 Step Guide (Part 2)

Read Buying A Home in Rancho Santa Margarita The Easy Way - 14 Step Guide (Part 3)

Click here for a FREE Home Buyer Information Package

Final Score - CIF-SS Pac-6 SemiFinals Football December 6, 2008:  Tesoro Titans Own Orange Lutheran 42-14 Once again the Tesoro Titans Football team proves that they are a force with which to be reckoned.

The Titans started off strong, taking an early lead which by half time was 28-0. Orange Lutheran never stood a chance.

Tesoro faces the #1 Rated Team in the state, Long Beach Poly at the PAC-5 Division Finals at Angel Stadium on Saturday, December 13th, 2008. 

Congratulations to this outstanding local team on their win tonight!

SoCal MLS reports that a total of 50 Rancho Santa Margarita homes were sold in November, 2008.  That's a 62% increase over Novermber of 2007, when then total volume of homes sold as only 31 and a 7.3% decrease from November, 2006, with 60 homes selling.  A total of 85 homes closed escrow in October of 2008.

23 Rancho Santa Margarita Single Family Homes Sold in Nov. 2008:

• Standard Sales - 14
  
• Short Sales - 5
• Bank-owned / REO - 4

27 Rancho Santa Margarita Condos Sold in Nov. 2008:

• Standard Sales - 11
• Short Sales - 9
• Bank-owned / REO - 7

What does all of this mean and how does it effect the value of Rancho Santa Margaita home values?

Standard home sales are still outnumbering bank owned homes and short sales.  The number of closed REO and short sale homes appears to be increasing as more lenders seems to be willing to accept the new lower market values.  Home buyer interest has definitely picked up, especially in the lower to mid-range condos and lower end single family residence brackets.  While opinions differ about whether or not 2009 will bring a stabilization, I'm see competition at the lower levels as buyers position for their chance to own an Orange County Home.

I predict that homes in the $750,000 and over bracket will still face challenges as there are still issues lending concerns for many buyers who need jumbo loan financing.

Tip for Rancho Santa Margarita Homeowners & Buyers:

Statistic show that nearly one in eleven people are eligible for a VA Loan. Credit score requirements are MUCH lower than those required for traditional conventional financing and VA purchasers can borrower 100%. VA Loans are available through most major banks and may be a way for you buy back into the market, or make that trade up you've been talking about.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Should I Remodel My Rancho Santa Margarita Home Before I Sell

Find Your Rancho Santa Margarita Neighborhood

Are you looking for Rancho Santa Margarita bank owned homes?  Would you like to learn more about the process of purchasing a bank owned home?  Please contact me via phone or email for a no-obligation consultation.