Nathan's Blog

Great Lake Arrowhead Real Estate Photo or Wakeboarding Photo? You Be The Judge!

2008-08-15T02:32:33Z

My friends and I went out wakeboarding on Lake Arrowhead again last week and decided to take a few photos thinking maybe we could incorporate them into our marketing somehow.

This photo was the best photo by far. You will notice a few amazing Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts in the background. The tan house just to the left of me just actually went on the market a couple weeks ago.

Offered at $9.5 Million

As you can see some of the other Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts in the background are just as amazing but its not everyday you get a great wakeboarding photo and a nice photo of Lake Arrowhead Real Estate!

Maybe this should read "Welcome to Lake Arrowhead" in the upper left hand corner of the p.icture! This might make a nice post card to send out as a mailer? Who knows.

Thanks.

Nate Diones

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Resort Property and Dock Sales

Lake Arrowhead Real Estate Docks & Boat Slips Update YTD

2008-08-04T19:50:26Z

With a limited amount of Docks on Lake Arrowhead to go around Lake Arrowhead dock sales have been anything but slow. Lake Arrowhead dock sales never seem to stop.

For every seller there is a buyer for that particular dock. We have had to create a buyers waiting list for certain areas on the lake due to limited availability. When a dock becomes available the potential purchasers are then contacted and offers are written. Most cases escrows are closed within 10-14 days or so.

According to the local mountain MLS and public records here is the summary year to date:

18 Lake Arrowhead Docks available ranging from $55,000 up to $175,000.

26 Lake Arrowhead Dock sales ranging form $45,000 up to $157,500.

For more information on Lake Arrowhead docks for sale or to be included in Dock updates visit:

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com/Docks

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading.

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead Real Estate and Dock Sales

Nate Diones

Lake Arrowhead Real Estate Lakefront Update YTD

2008-08-04T18:56:48Z

Well its been an OK year for the Lake Arrowhead Real Estate market so far. It has been very generous to buyers that are able to qualify for loans or have the availability to pay cash. Prices are lower than last year and interest rates as well.

Lake Arrowhead Real Estate has also been generous to all the hard working agents that make it happen.

According to the local mountains MLS Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts are still moving along just at a slower pace than last year.

Currently year to date there are:

36 available Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts ranging from $899,000 up to $9,500,000.

9 Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts that have already sold ranging from $680,000 up to $5,950,000!

Despite the gloomy economy and stiff lending restrictions Lake Arrowhead Real Estate and Lakefronts are still holding stong!

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead Real Estate and Dock Sales

Nate Diones

Wakeboarding on Lake Arrowhead

2008-07-18T13:36:50Z

So my friend and I woke up this morning and went wakeboarding on Lake Arrowhead this morning @ 7am. It was great. Glassy water, nice big wake and not to mention it was a great way to start our day before heading to the office.

In the background you can see all the homes located on Alpen and Nadelhorn which have panoramic views of Lake Arrowhead and Lake Arrowhead Village.

You can also see some Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts and Docks located on West Shore Road and North Shore Road. Very beautiful homes.

And just for fun we brought his new little puppy (Recon) to enjoy the ride. Recon seems to love boating as much as we do.

Visit www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com for more information on available Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts, Lake Arrowhead Docks, and general Lake Arrowhead info.

Thanks.

Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts

2008-07-15T01:41:28Z

Currently there are 34 Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts for sale and 4 Lake Arrowhead Lakefronts that are currently in escrow.

Paradise is only 90 minutes away from Newport Beach, CA,Los Angeles, CA and only 2 hours from San Diego!

Starting in the low $800,000's all the way up to $10,500,000.

Whether your an avid fisherman, wakeboarder, or water skier A Lake Arrowhead Lakefront will definitely give you the peace of mind of being the first boat on the Lake @ 7am without having to get in your car and drive to the lake.

Lake Arrowhead is host to 14 miles of shoreline which means plenty of water for everyone. What I have noticed lately is a lot of visitors coming up to Lake Arrowhead for the free summer concert series located in Lake Arrowhead Village and end up purchasing an investment with memories whether it be a lakefront or a property with lake rights.

For more Lake Arrowhead information and available Lake Arrowhead lakefronts and Lake Arrowhead docks for sale visit

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Nathan Diones

If your going to Lake Powell this summer don't slow down for this guy....

2008-07-10T15:51:45Z

A good friend and decided to take a trip up to Lake Powell a couple weeks ago. The drive is about 12 hours from where we live in Lake Arrowhead, CA. We knew the Highway Patrol would be out and took the necessary precautions by driving the speed limit a good 3/4 of the time.

So as we were on our last hour of the drive we were headed through some small town in Utah with a population of about 101 and we noticed a Sheriff car park on the side of the road up ahead about a half mile. We looked at our speedometer and it read 65mph and then noticed a sign that stated 45 max.

We immediately slowed down to the speed limit and thought for sure that we were going to get pulled over. As we passed the Sheriff's car we tried to keep our eyes away from him but then I noticed that it was a DUMMY that somebody placed in an old Sheriff car.

Hahahahahahah. We laughed so hard we had to turn around a take a photo. Hope you enjoy.

Lake Powell is a very nice lake but it did not have any lakefront homes comparable to Lake Arrowhead :(

Thanks,

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Resort Lakefront Property and Dock Sales

New Lowest Priced Lake Front on Lake Arrowhead, CA w/Boat Dock & Boat

2008-07-01T01:04:57Z

Lowest Priced Lake Front Available. Partially Remodeled Charmer. Light & Bright Throughout Entire House. Room For The Family & Friends. Nice & Quiet Area Located In The Heart Of Blue Jay Bay. Nice Lake View Over Looking The Bay. Brand New 1/2 Double Dock Included & 23' Bayliner Boat.

Dock & Boat Kitchen

Living Room Master Bath

3 Bedrooms

3 Bathrooms

80% Remodeled and Nearly 2,100 Sq Ft.

This is the lowest Lake Front on the market by nearly $200,000! Owner is motivated and willing to negotiate terms.

Feedback encouraged!

Thanks!

Sometimes you gotta wonder...Why?

2008-06-25T17:28:44Z

OK so this photo just made me laugh.

It was 100 degrees and middle of summer and I just have to wonder WTF was superman doing walking around wearing SKI GOGGLES and a sweat suit in 100 degree heat!

Why...This is just too funny I laughed so hard I nearly fell over. It was the most random superman sigthing I've ever encountered. lol

How to ask for repair credit for an REO tranaction.

2008-06-10T22:25:34Z

This concept or idea may work for some of your REO deals out there.

I recently had a transaction where I represented the buyer (which was a general contractor) with a purchase on a REO property.

As usual the home inspection came up a little dirty and the buyer wanted to ask the seller (Bank) to give a repair credit for some unsafe items.

We did not want the lender to get involved and see the repair credit on a typical (request for repair form or other addendum form) due to the fact that this would throw up a red flag and the lender would most likely make it mandatory that the repiars be completed prior to closing.

So instead of the traditional request we asked for the credit as an adjustment of price on a counter offer even after we had an accepted offer and were 1 week into escrow

As leverage we disclosed 2 different bids from contractors to the sellers agent and seller only. The seller acknowledged the safety issues and agreed to the reduction in price.

My buyer was so happy for the reduction and very thankful once the tranaction closed. Saving my buyer an additional $10,000.

I just thought this may help some fellow AR's.

Good Luck!

Nate Diones

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Pics from Coeur d'Alene Idaho

2008-05-16T10:45:18Z

I just wanted to share these pictures with the ActiveRain Community. I recently took another trip up north to Coeur d'Alene Idaho. I must say that this small town Rocks! Awesome lake and nice people. If you ever have a chance to visit this place don't pass it up!

Thanks.

Nathan Diones

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Get out and recharge your batteries! Take the weekend off!

2008-05-13T23:27:28Z

I recently realized I was just flat out over extending myslef with real estate related work and decided to take a nice 4 day trip to the Colorado River to recharge my batteries!

And let me tell you it worked! I came back into the Monday feeling refreshed and ready to work. I was more motivated than ever and was actually able to put an escrow together by Thuraday.

So my advice for anyone for is feeling overworked right now is to get and have some fun! Enjoy!

Nathan Diones

Hear is good joke for the Day! So True!

2008-05-07T16:21:40Z

Dear Tech Support,
   Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and
   noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in
   the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under
   Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable
   programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed
   undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.
   Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply
   crashes the system. I've tried running
   Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.
   What can I do?

Signed,
Desperate.

DEAR DESPERATE,

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an
   Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.
   Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and
   try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.
   If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically
   run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.   But remember, overuse of
   the above application can cause husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence
   2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad
   program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.
   Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-In-Law 1.0
   (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control o f
   all your system resources.) Also do not attempt to reinstall Boyfriend 5.0
   program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.
   In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it
   does have limited memory and cannot learn new
   applications quickly. You might consider buying
   additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking
   3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck,
Tech Support

Enjoy...

Good time to be getting invovled REO's

2008-04-29T13:16:07Z

With California be the second highest in foreclosures in the nation now is a great opportunity to take advantage and get invovled with assest managment companies and banks.

I've been working BPO's for the last couple months here and I'm just starting to receive listings from the same companies that ordered the BPO's. I know REO's and BPO's are not for everybody but in todays market its really hard to leave any money on the table.

There are so many companies online that you can sign up with to start working BPO's and REO's. All you have to do is google them and you will find dozens of them.

I actually enjoy working REO's right now vs. sellers who are not willing to get realistic with prices and current market conditions.

Good Luck

Easy Leads for Land / Lot Sales. (1 Stone 2 Birds)

2008-03-29T16:54:36Z

I just wanted to share with all of you one of the easiest ways I've ever sold a vacant land parcel.

First- I took the listing.

Second- I contacted my local Chamber of Commerce and asked them to email me all of the email addresses for the General Contractors / local Builders.

Third- I sent a simple email explaining the opportunity to purchase this vacant land parcel before it goes into the MLS at a higher price.

Fourth- I was contacted almost 3 hours later regarding the lot and we started putting together an offer that very same day.

Fifth- I was contacted by another builder from the email and I ended up finding him another parcel that worked for him.

Lastly- Keep this in mind for your future deals I know almost every town or city has a local Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks for reading,

LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Nathan Diones

Out with the old and in with the Internet!

2008-03-28T13:30:52Z

I have seen many new agents with great advertising and self promotion lately. I see those same agents receiving the new business as well. The old way of advertising just doesn't payoff like it used to.

New advertising ways consists of new and creative ideas that will be a thing of the future. Old traditional ways such as print and newspaper ads are a thing of the past. I have seen a huge decline in the local Real Estate classified ads during the last 6 months. I can almost count the ads on both hands.

Most informed nd up to date agents are getting more involved with Internet advertising now. Internet advertising seems to be returning more for your buck vs. the old traditional way of advertising.

Not to mention that well over 80% of buyers are turning to the Internet to look for homes now.

Enjoy,

LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead Posts A 19.7% Gain From Last Year

2008-03-28T13:16:34Z

According to local MLS statistics the median price of homes in Lake Arrowhead is up 19.7% for February 2008 from February 2007.

This included 18 home sales strictly in Lake Arrowhead. The median price of a single family residence in Lake Arrowhead for February was $470,000.

Based on the above facts Lake Arrowhead showed the highest % gains in all of San Bernardino County!

95% of all other cites in San Bernardino County reported losses up to a whopping 67.6%! OUCH.

Long Live Lake Arrowhead!

LiveLakeArrwowhead.com

Nathan Diones

Tips: Working with Buyers

2008-03-26T23:56:56Z

1) Provide great 1 on 1 service.

2) Request that your buyer(s) sign an exclusive agreement

3) Figure out what else they like or what they are into other than finding the right house.

4) Don't hesitate to ask them if they have been pre-qualified already. If not be prepared to refer them to a lender who can do this for them in a timely fashion.

5) Don't leave money on the table. If you absolutely have to reduce your commissions then do so.

6) Show them why its a great time to buy

7) Create a relationship with them.

8) Remind the buyers that a buyers agent is free to use!

9) Give them your full attention when you are with them.

10) Let them know the benefits of using a Buyers agent vs. dealing directly with a seller or listing agent.

Hope these help....

www,LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Nathan Diones

(909) 709-3781

10 Good Short Sale Tips

2008-03-26T23:36:44Z

1) Price the house 5%-10% below market to welcome a quick sale.

2) Have the sellers sign a pre foreclosure disclosure which includes a notice of possible Phantom Tax and receipt of a 1099.

3) Ask about the lender's short sale policies.

4) Locate the loss and mitigation officer assigned to the file or case and get their direct phone, fax and email.

5) Ask what you can do to expedite the process.

6)Be sure to disclose on the MLS remarks that the property is contingent upon lender approval.

7) Check the title report every 30 days.

8) Request that the lender not send a 1099 to the seller and mark the credit report "paid as agreed."

9)Make sure you have all the required documents for the short sale package submitted to the lender.

10)Remind your clients to be patient not matter if you are on the sellers or buyers side.

I hope this is helpful....

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Nathan Diones

(909) 709-3781

The Power of Networking In Random Places...

2008-03-25T00:13:09Z

I've been wanting to write about the power of networking for a while now. It is such a simple concept and easy to include into our daily lives.

I just want to state that some of my best deals have been from the most random places simply by networking.

A year ago I met a fellow who was attempting to sell a certain parcel online without the use of an Realtor. I questioned him and asked him if I could lend a hand in assiting him with the sale since this parcel was in my area and the seller lived so far away. He agreed. Now he did not give me the exclusive listing on this first parcel. The parcel was not all that attractive and I wasn't about to stretch for the exclusive either.

To be brief I sold the parcel about 8 days later to a buyer who contacted me off of my website. The seller was very pleased to say the least and then opened up to me how he has about 65 other parcels throughout southern Ca that he will eventually want to sell. Well after establishing a great rapport with the seller and finding out what really motivates him now I have sold a few of his other parcels and accquired 17 other listings of his, as well as a joint venture on a commercial retail project.

All this you from just inquiring about a local lot listed by a FSBO in my area.

Stay Positive and Stay Motivated!

Thanks for reading!

Nathan Diones

909-709-3781

REO Companies...2 Hours or 2 Weeks....****

2008-03-23T16:05:59Z

I just wanted to share this with anyone who deals with REO's

I've dealt with a number of Banks and REO companies on both sides of the transaction. From a listing agents standpoint they are OK to work for when you get the right Bank or Asset Management company. They are always hit and miss though unless you are working consistently with one company. Sometimes they can be a headache to deal with due to the fact of constant changing employees, lack of communication, etc..

I've had some that were great to work for and truly an ideal client.

Others companies though not so much. They take there dear sweet time to respond to an offer(s) and 99% of the time they are unreachable on weekends.

For example: I took on a listing from a new client (Bank) and the house went on the market about a month ago and within 2 weeks I had an offer. Although it was a lower offer I was still trying my best to get a counter out of the seller. Well after receiving the offer 2 weeks ago I now have 5 other offers that have been presented to the seller as well. 3 of the 5 offers have legally expired now and I've made that a point to the seller that they are no longer valid offers.

Monday is supposed to be the day where a multiple counter is being issued to all 6 offers but from a legal aspect it only applies to 3 of the remaining offers which are still active.

If this was any other seller I would really be frustrated with them. But since it is a bank and I know from experience by being on the both sides of the transaction you could have a response to an offer in as little as 2 hours or as long as 2 weeks.

Best Regards,

Nathan Diones

Is your (Out of Area) agent doing you justice?

2008-03-23T14:36:35Z

As you may already know I live in Lake Arrowhead, CA. It is a very small lakeside reosrt community in southern California. I must say and agree with the fact that 20% of the agents in our community do 80% of the work. This is true. We have a private MLS up here which is not available to agents outside of our community (unless they go through hoops to join and cough up the money..its expensive).

To benefit my clients I'm a member of 3 different MLS / Boards. Thus doing so gives my clients huge marketing coverage and direct exposure to other agents all over California. So when an agent from Burbank, CA has a client in looking to buy a vacation home in Lake Arrowhead that agent can then search his local MLS and there is my clients listing. All the information he needs right there in front of him. Sounds easy huh?

But lately I've been searching the 2 MLS systems outside my community just for curiousity and have been finding numerous listings in my community that are listed with agents located over 60-120 miles away. These agents are not a part of our local MLS and does there client no justice by taking the listing. AND most of the time during the duration of the listing the agents dont even allocate the time for themselves to drive up to Lake Arrowhead and take at least 1 PHOTO! This is amazing to me! I have seen a lucky 1 or 2 sell by this method and by all means thats great congrats and I would advise you to purchase a lottery ticker after closing. Because that is about 1 in a million chance.

This has really hitting me lately. I would never a listing that is over 100 miles away knowing that I cannot service it properly. This does the seller absolutely no justice whatsoever. I would bet money that most sellers in this scenario have absolutely no clue about this either.

Closing Point To Sellers: Always hire a local professional (thats what we are here for) vs. hiring your friend or relative that lives 2 hours or more away. Your shooting yourself in the foot before you even get ot the door.

Feedback Encouraged,

Nathan Diones

LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead Web Cam on Easter!

2008-03-23T10:42:19Z

Below is a link to a web cam posted in Lake Arrowhead Village. It is such a nice day today I figured I would share it with the entire AR commuinty! its sunny and warm today and the tempreture its supposed to be in the 60's. its a great day to be outside and soak up some sun.

http://www.lakearrowhead.net/webcam.html

Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Nathan Diones 909-709-3781

LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead, CA Activities

2008-03-22T15:55:54Z

Lake Arrowhead is an awesome place to have fun. There are numerous activities for all ages and interests. The lake is an obvious favorite. Fishing for trout, bass, crappie, blue gill, cat fish, and carp is always fun whether you use flies, jigs, lures, or live bait. If its adrenaline that makes your clock tick then you will have a great time water skiing, wake boarding, sailing, kayaking, swimming, and speed boating. If your more of the kick back and relax type, then Lake Arrowhead is a great place for you too. There is nothing like an evening sunset while cruising the beautiful shore and sipping on a cool drink. You can always be sure to catch a nice tan while laying out at one of the many beach clubs that the Arrowhead Lake Association has to offer. Another favorite pass time for mountaineers is the great off road trails.

It doesn’t matter if you are on four wheels or two. You can have a great adventure with tons of forestry to explore. Some of the off road activities include mountain bike riding, dirt bike riding, 4x4 off roading, horseback riding, and hiking. Who knows, you might catch a glimpse of our beautiful wild life such as bears, coyotes, mountain lions, birds, snakes, lizards, and squirrels. If it’s more social activities you’re after, then we have fun for you as well. The Lake Arrowhead Village has been more hopping in the last few years than ever. With many restaurants & bars, and plenty of shopping, the fun never ends. The village has go-carts, water ski lessons, and the most fun, a FREE summer concert series. Not to mention that the village sits right on the lake for a great view from where ever you choose to go.

Lake Arrowhead is a great place for a good time.

Enjoy,

www.LiveLakeArrowhead.com

Lake Arrowhead Fishing Update 3/20/2008

2008-03-21T22:36:02Z

So my friends and I get together yesterday for our weekly fishing retreat down at the back end of North Bay on Lake Arrowhead. Lately the fishing has been really slow and kind of hit and miss no matter what time of day you go. But yesterday was a different story. Poles were in the water about 3:00pm and the bite started around 3:30pm and didn't stop till 5:15pm or so. It was great, we were strictly fishing for trout and set up some poles with power bait and a little garlic. WOW... 5 trout all between 1.75 lbs and 3.00 lbs. It had been about 6 weeks since we had a consistent fishing day.

To sum this up fishing season is just around the corner. The Arrowhead Lake Association always stocks the lake sometime in April (Date not confirmed yet). Bass season is bound to be a big hit this year with all the local anglers. For more information or tips on all the local fishing spots for Lake Arrowhead feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Nathan Diones

Please note that there is no public fishing - only ALA members and their guests are allowed to fish the lake, and boat launching is prohibited by any persons other than members of the Arrowhead Lake Association. Boat rentals are not available at Lake Arrowhead.

Lake Arrowhead Wakeboard & Boating Season Is Almost Here!

2008-03-21T17:39:09Z

Being an avid wakeboarder of Lake Arrowhead I can't wait until the water warms up to appropriate tempretures. My friends and I always start our wakeboard and boating season the first week of April. We have had such an impressive winter and the lake level is well above where it was last year at this time. In fact it is over flowing.

We try to launch our boat at the Marina the night before the "First Day" of the season. This will ensure us that we will be first out on the lake the very next morning. There is nothing like wakeboarding on glassy water. Yes the water is definitely cold but nothing that a wetsuit cant handle.

There is also a local waterski and wakeboard school that will teach you to ski or wakeboard. The school only operates during the summer and offer private lessons as well. They are very good and if anyone wants more information on the Ski School, Lake Activities, or any other questions feel free to contact me or visit my website.

Thanks,

Nathan Diones