Long Beach CA Real Estate Blog

Long Beach 1st Time Home Buyers Want to Know

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:39:35 -0600

I just received an email from a long time friend who lives up on the West side of Los Angeles. She just read an article on the LA Times website that frightened her. The article discusses the luxury market, mostly in the Beverly Hills area, the cities decreased tax income and the downward impact on several luxury neighborhoods and many luxury businesses in the Southern California area.

My friend and her husband currently live in a rental and had searched for a home back when the market was sizzling hot. At that time the only homes they might be able to afford would have cost too much to put into livable condition. They were basically priced out of the market. My friend wants to know if now is a good time to buy a house or if they should continue to wait. She expresses concern that homes in the San Fernando Valley are receiving multiple offers. Reading the news has frightened and confused her.

Lets look at this for a minute. Here is a couple who has been expressing a desire to purchase a home for many years. They searched when they really could not afford to buy one, downgraded their search to Fixer Uppers that they also couldn't buy comfortably and then gave up, resigning themselves to living in rent indefinitely without the benefits and rewards of home ownership. This couple represents the same feelings and emotions of many buyers in today's market.

This couple can afford to buy a home now, a nice one. They can get a great interest rate right now and terrific loan terms. Another client of ours, a first time home buyer, was just quoted 4.6% with 1.25 points on a 30 year fixed home loan through a very reputable direct lender; that client has a modest income a good credit score, currently lives in rent and is now in escrow on a fantastic Long Beach Condo - with a view! She will be enjoying the benefits of home ownership finally!

FHA loans can be had with just 3.5% down payment. Conventional loans have been available with just 5% down, this is starting to change now with many lenders beginning to demand 10% down payments, I wouldn't be surprised to see that number go up to 20% by the end of the year. Loan standards are tightening and will continue to do so. As these lenders raise the bar and make loans available to only the most qualified many less qualified buyers will once again be locked out of buying a home, they just won't be able to qualify.

Long Beach Home Buyer Tips

Laurie Manny Professional Group

244 Redondo Avenue
Belmont Heights
Long Beach, California 90803

(562) 212-5420

2008 Year In Review

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:22:09 -0600

Christmas Marketing 101 Lesson

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 06:21:48 -0600

The Wizards of Washington

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:28:29 -0500

Long Beach Own Your Own (OYO) Owners are Organizing for Condo Conversion

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:14:21 -0500

Breaking Long Beach Real Estate News:

Long Beach Own Your Own (OYO) Owners Are Organizing for Condo Conversion. Back in May the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog published an article on OYO's. So many buyers were inquiring about this form of ownership it made sense to publish an article, explaining this form of ownership, to be found on the Internet. Well it has been found, by several thousand Long Beach and potential Long Beach residents who have indeed read it, including many frustrated Long Beach OYO owners. Several days ago I was contacted by the lovely Deb Dobias, a Long Beach OYO owner who is a major contributing force in the quest to organize OYO owners to push state and local officials to loosen the reigns and convert the last of the existing Long Beach OYO's to condos. Deb went on to explain what these owners have been up against and the efforts they have put forth. We invited her to write an article here and are very pleased that she accepted our offer.

It is our sincere hope that the District Weekly, Curbed LA, the Grunion and Downtown Gazettes, the Press Telegram, the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register will also pick up this article or will contact Deb and assist in this noble effort with an article of their own to help these troubled OYO owners. It is our further hope that both California state and local officials will get out of the box and make this happen.

Please understand that many of these owners are in deep trouble. They cannot sell their Own Your Own (OYO) homes because there is little or no financing available. Due to the problems plaguing this form of ownership many owners have rented their units out and have moved on. In doing so they have decreased the level of owner occupied units in the remaining OYOs which has eliminated any chance for a Long Beach buyer to obtain financing to purchase.

Read the entire article at the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

What if the Internet Went Away?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:04:36 -0500

2012: The Year The Internet Ends

This video should inspire an interesting conversation. What do you think?

We have been and are building our businesses around the internet. What if the internet, as we know it was either taken away or became too expensive for us to access large enough distribution of our product? What would we do? Is this really possible? Is there a plan B?

Is it conceivable that only the largest and wealthiest companies could be left standing?
Can you imagine having access to only about 200 sites?
Can you conceive the cost of having to pay for any additional sites accessed that were not part of the package?
We are becoming completely dependant on the internet for our marketing, what would happen to our businesses if it became cost prohibitive?

What do you think?

Hey EPERKS - Time To Get Real!

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:18:00 -0500

All around the blogosphere there is talk about EPerks and the Vlad Zablotskyy freedom of speech issues. Bloodhound has taken the issue very seriously and has set up a legal defense fund for Vlad. Mary McKnight over at RSSpieces is very generously offering free blogs to anybody taking up the cause and writing to support both Vlad and our right to free speech.

I received a phone call this morning from a sales representative at EPerks. They are looking for an agent in my area to refer to for a 19% referral fee. After explaining to them that I would never do business with them, they wanted to know why. I simply stated "VLAD". The woman on the phone immediately turned into a heinous bitch and screeched that they would not do business with me either and hung up on me. It sounds like the people over at EPerks are quite familiar with the name VLAD.

So, EPERKS I have a question for you. Why was it that you called me? DUH!

I guess that is how they have earned the nickname EJERKS!

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Long Beach California Relocation Information Resource-Long Beach Real Estate

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:45:28 -0500

Relocating to Long Beach California?

If you are relocating to Long Beach California you will need lots of information. You will be curious to know about Long Beach communities, neighborhoods and resources. We have tried to include as many area resources as possible here to make your transition a smooth one.

Long Beach California has become a destination resort area. This sleepy seaside city, known as Iowa by the sea, has blossomed into a fabulous beach resort area. Luxury high rise condos are sprouting all along the coastline, in Downtown Long Beach and Alamitos Beach. These elegant and prestigious coastal properties provide sweeping ocean views down the beautiful California coastline, views of Catalina Island - 25 miles off of our coastline and delicious, clean ocean breezes wafting in daily. The sound of gently lapping waves can be heard from your 17th floor Hi Rise condo on the sand.

Here are some local resources to help make your transition a pleasant one:

Local Area and Neighborhood Information:

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Happy St. Paddys Day - Just for FUN

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:06:55 -0500

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

The Rise and Fall of an Empire-Rheingold Brewing Company-Marketing 101

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:59:12 -0500

If you haven't read Monika McGillcuddy's recent post Real Estate's Paradigm Shift you should. It is a great account of the massive changes currently taking place in our industry and how they are perceived. The resistance in the real estate industry to blogging and Social Networking is still strong. Those who have embraced it are having success and understand that a future without viable venues to market ourselves is bleak. Never has it been more important to reach out to the consumer and make a direct connect.

Web 2.0 is marketing. We are marketing ourselves, our ideas, our business in an attempt to both educate the consumer and to survive. Marketing is by no means a new idea; it has played an active role in promoting companies, products, ideas and people for ages. Anybody who doesn't recognize this is just foolish.

I left this comment on Monika's post:

The one constant in our world is change. Everything is changing all of the time. Sometimes change starts with a barely perceptible shift in the way things are done, barely noticed by many. While only a small percentage of us have embraced the internet and know this is the wave to ride, the direction to take our business in, there are already changes happening here in our new world. I often wonder how many of our ranks recognize the changes happening right here in our 2.0 world. I also wonder how many will embrace these changes.

Sometimes I step back and watch our industry purge itself. That is what is happening you know. The resistance to change combined with the fear of the unknown is crippling many of the ranks in the real estate industry. It's not just at the agent level. We, the 2.0 world, have changed so many facets of our industry that large vendors are showing signs of eminent collapse as we demand better services that actually work for us and refuse to continue with their outdated and useless products. We have discovered our "voice" and combined our voice is quite loud.

Brian Brady and I had a conversation a while back; we discussed the gap that entering the 2.0 world has bridged. Before blogging and social networking agents across the nation rarely connected, heads of major corporations were untouchable icons and large companies were our drug dealers without which we thought we couldn't survive. None of this is true any longer. Anybody who is out of reach is out of touch and dooming themselves to inevitable failure. We live in an interactive world in which everybody is expected to participate.

What is different? We have engaged and connected directly with the consumer eradicating the need for many of the middlemen in business's previously used to fleece us of our hard earned income. Liberating Huh?!?

My grandmother was one of 13 children of Irish and German immigrants, many of her brothers worked at the Rheingold Brewery Brooklyn plant for their entire working life. They purchased homes and cars, paid them off, had families, put their children through college, loved their jobs, were committed to the company they worked for, and were happy. When the company began to falter they were blown away. Fortunately most of them were able to retire comfortably.

My grandmother is the last surviving member of her immediate family; she is in her late 90's now. I would love to share this story with her as it would bring back a flood of wonderful memories that would make her smile. Unfortunately my grandmother has no memories any longer; she now lives in her own little world and doesn't know who any of us are.

This is an interesting account of the history of the rise and fall of The Rheingold Brewing Company, and an era. It is a testament to what a really good marketing campaign can achieve. It is also a testament to what bad business decisions and a lack of future vision can do to destroy the empire forever. I hope you enjoy and learn from the read:

Nothing is forever...

Tapping Into The Rheingold Story Has A Distinctive Brooklyn Taste

originally published on February 14, 2008 - Part 1

The Miss Rheingold Contest Showed Beauty Of A Marketing Brainstorm
originally published on February 28, 2008 - Part 2

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Lead Generation

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:53:54 -0600

Before blogging many of us non-techie type Realtors purchased template websites. 800 or 900 pages of unoriginal, real estate related drivel that was duplicated onto every site they sold. They spoke with us about SEO and our eyes rolled up into our heads until we purchased premium SEO packages from them with promises of top search engine placement and lead generation; which of course rarely occurred.

We placed IDX home search (more money) on our websites and had a choice. Either put up a form for the consumer to fill out to capture the leads, or just open it up, let them search freely and hope that they were so grateful that they would contact us – yeah right!

So where was the lead capture? How did we justify the expense of these websites against the lack of return on investment (ROI) from them?

We were in the throes of a hot sellers market; leads were coming in from signs, ads, marketing and advertising, word of mouth; who cared about the stupid websites? Who had time to even think about them? We were too busy selling real estate! But we continued to pay for the useless sites because we knew we needed an online presence to prove to potential sellers that we had the ability to promote their listings online. The truth be told, it was mostly crap. The websites delivered a few hundred hits a day, probably mostly from other Realtors, and generated very little business, even for the better sites. Todays blog sites are delivering thousands of hits daily. More hits = more leads; more leads = more closed sales; it'a a no brainer folks.

Fast forward to the end of the Sellers Market and the dissipating incoming leads, we began to pay attention to our online presence and how we could improve it to generate leads. Many of us discovered blogging and learned that blogging was a fantastic enhancement to a weak online presence. For many it became their only online presence. We learned all we could about blogging and started to write our little hearts out. For some a few leads dribbled in for others – still nothing. Ever wonder why?

Do any of you remember taking classes on putting together marketing pieces for your real estate business? Do you remember hearing the instructors stressing the placement of “calls to action” on every single piece? Did you forget how important that was? Do you know that without calls to action that you are pretty much wasting your time? Do you know what a call to action is? You do realize that real estate blogging is a form of marketing, don’t you?

Some months ago I added a footer onto all of my posts. Many blogging purists were horrified and called it spam. I call it a brilliant business move! Have you seen those pretty blue buttons at the bottom of my consumer posts? They are hard to miss. They lead directly into my lead generation system, which of course has a lead capture and an automated drip system attached to it. After considerable research into the many different lead generating systems available to us I realized that none of them had the potential to deliver the way 1 Park Place did. I was right! I am able to track where my traffic comes from on the back of my Long Beach Real Estate Blog. I have a pretty good hyper-local blog site so the bulk of my traffic is search engine driven, but who wants all their eggs in one basket? AR and Localism provide a fair amount of traffic that comes in straight off of those little blue buttons, as do many other sites which I have a presence on. Do you have a footer on your posts? Is it leading into a home search with a lead capture attached to it? Is it working for you?

Recently I found myself drowning in leads I could not follow up on, I needed help fast. I now have 2 buyers’ agents working those leads. Yes you heard that right, my little Long Beach Real Estate blog is now providing more leads than 3 agents can keep up with. Still wondering where the leads from that website went, I sure didn’t see them.

Many real estate agents turned to purchasing leads. Has anybody ever wondered where these companies get the leads? I have given this a lot of thought. Consumers weren’t comfortable signing the forms on Realtors IDX websites; are you telling me that they are going to fill out forms on big sites that are going to sell their leads to the highest bidder in any given zip code? Do you think a buyer or seller is OK with a company assigning their business to any old real estate agent who is willing to pay? These companies say that they get a lot of traffic and that people sign in. They say they run PPC (pay per click) ads to promote traffic to their sites so they can corral the traffic and sell you the leads. Where else are they getting those leads from? Do you ever wonder? Don’t you think a buyer or seller would prefer to deal directly with a local Realtor that they know and trust? Consumers tell me they have been reading me for months when they contact me, the trust factor has been built. These companies that sell leads just can’t compete with that, why give it up to them?

Do you understand how the search engines work? Say you join a bunch of social networks and everybody is contributing real estate related articles, Q & A’s, information on forums, etc… all with keywords leading back to their local areas in the hopes of pulling in leads. The power the networks have gives them the ability to pull you up in your local area very quickly. But the networks are so powerful that your contributions can easily propel the social networks to drown out your own online presence; you gave it to them by contributing your local keywords to their system. How many social networks do you belong to? The invitations come into my email at the rate of dozens a week. I don’t even look at them anymore. It is overwhelming. Imagine if all of them were at the top of the search engines in your market. How would you get there? You would be pushed down by your own social networking efforts which empowered them to fly right by you and render you irrelevant.

I am not saying that all social networking is bad, if I believed that I would not have a presence on Active Rain. What I am saying is that you need a plan. You need to pick your positioning carefully and you need to manage it. In order to manage it properly you need to learn how it ticks.

Why would I purchase leads in my city via zip codes? Most of the agents who follow up on those leads are not successful. Most of them couldn’t capture a client. My blog is so prominent in my area that lead is probably going to find my site anyway. Why would I contribute to their service? That client contacting me directly is much more powerful. It has never been more critical for real estate agents to develop an online lead generation resource.

What are you doing to generate leads in this market?

Speaking of contributing to vendors services, why the heck is Brian Brady writing on the Homegain blog? Why would any real estate professional, or lender contribute to that blog? Brian you and I have had many conversations about lead providers and vendors. We have discussed empowering real estate professionals to generate their own leads and connect directly with consumers, isn't that why you originally set up the Unchained Conference to begin with? That is the basic premise of blogging; isn’t it? Why are you contributing to a platform where they say that blogging is a waste of time? Why are you playing kissy-kissy with these people? Why are you contributing to their cause? It goes against everything you stand for, you hate technology vendors. What the heck are you doing bro? Sumptin ain’t right here, you are being inconsistent with the very principles that you so vehemently promote. You are not listening to me so I am calling you out on this, I hate you being there.

Hard to miss - aren't they?

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Here we go again! DOM - CDOM - LEASED & ACTIVE? What the heck?!?!?!!!!!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:20:55 -0600

It was tiresome enough dealing with agents who would place their unsold Long Beach properties as sold in the MLS in order to re-list them to appear as new listings. The sold status would be picked up by other agents as comps when pricing property for both listings and buyers comparables, wreaking havoc all over the place. Unreliable results - from the MLS, which is supposed to be a reliable source of information. Information placed by licensed Realtors with standards! Information that would not be missed by an appraiser! Information that could totally screw up a deal!

What fun it was to find that the comps you used to price a long beach property weren't really comps at all! It got so bad for a while I was checking title records for each comp to make certain they actually sold. I don't even want to go into how much of my time these idiots wasted. Our MLS sends an occasional minor violation to agents in the system but somehow never gets any of the major items corrected, no matter how many times they are pointed out, it is beyond annoying.

Today brought a whole new twist to this age old game.

While researching a few Long Beach homes for sale for one of my buyers I discovered that one of the listings had also been for lease on the MLS; for $1.00. Yep, I said one dollar. And, it showed that it had been leased, yet was still active on the MLS for sale. Ok, I had a few questions so I called the listing agent before I called to set up the appointment to show it to my buyer.

The listing agent assured me that it had not actually been leased and went on to explain to me that he didn't want to be responsible for screwing up another agents comps by placing it in sold so that he could make the listing appear to be new (how considerate). He went on to explain that he brainstormed this brilliant idea himself. By placing the listing as a lease, then indicating it as leased, he was able to re-list the property without the combined days on market (CDOM) showing. I am sitting listening to this on the phone and looking into the phone like I am speaking to an alien at this point.

WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!!

Here I am representing the very buyer he was trying to hoodwink and he is telling me what he did. So what was the point? I figure that he only told me because I found the lease listing and was asking if the home had indeed been rented out. My buyer would not be interested in purchasing a home with a tenant in it, few buyers would. What the heck ever happened to just doing things the right way? Who does this clown think he is fooling?

Off my buyer and I go to see the home. Cute place, client liked it, so I started poking around. We found a new combo lock hidden on the side of the house, fairly obvious it belonged to the bank; the listing agent didn't disclose this little tidbit on the MLS either, or on the phone.

Cracks going in different directions on the ceilings in every single room. An apparent attempt at covering up the cracks in the kitchen/laundry room ceilings. The cracks sent me outside to do a perimeter check of the foundation and roof. Not a pretty site. A cinder-block foundation with cracks everywhere. Steps broken away from the building with major cracks, chimney with major cracks. Huge paint bubbles all around the exterior of the home, many freshly picked, large fresh paint chips all around the exterior of the home.

A room attached to the detached garage with a partially constructed kitchen and a bath that had been disassembled. Fairly obvious that it was not permitted and was being torn out. Probably the reason for the "as is" statement on the MLS.

Disclose! Disclose! Disclose!

And of course this cute little money pit was priced at full market value, has been on the market for about 6 months total with one minor price reduction and needed some very pricey repairs.

I really resent the bad rep Realtors are subject to, but understand that this is just the type of behavior that creates it.

So, would you report him?

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Divorce and Long Beach Real Estate

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:20:47 -0600

Divorce often necessitates the sale of family homes. Selling your Long Beach Homes does not have to become a damaging event in your lives. Couples coming to terms with the loss of love, past memories, dealing with the present and trying to plan for the future, need to maintain a level head throughout this process; not always an easy task. Well intentioned friends and relatives are offering you advice on your divorce, your children, your careers, the sale of your home, your future; all adding to the overwhelming stress you are already experiencing. It has been my experience that this is best handled when realistic boundaries are set at the beginning of the process.

Over the years many of my clients have become cherished friends. In a divorce situation it is difficult, when you like both parties, to stay neutral, but is absolutely necessary. Over time I have developed what I now refer to as my Switzerland speech. It has proven to be very effective and goes something like this:

"As your Realtor® it is my job to market and sell your Long Beach Home. This is best accomplished if you both agree to view me as Switzerland. While I am not insensitive to what is going on in your lives, it is best if you both exclude me from your conversations regarding the divorce issues that do not apply to the sale. Over the course of this transaction you will both be called upon to make joint decisions, we need to agree that when we speak on the phone, you come to my office or when I come to your home, we keep the conversation limited to the business of selling your home. It would be most unfortunate if either of you thought that I was biased toward the other, I certainly do not want either of you to think that. Can we all agree on this?"

Recently I read an article on couples seeking kinder, gentler divorces. An approach many couples are now embracing called "Collaborative Divorce", which has been endorsed by the American Bar Association as part of a broader quest to find more civilized and efficient ways to end a marriage. Thousands of attorneys are realizing how damaging the adversarial process is to their clients, are embracing this new method of divorce and are seeking training in collaborative law. Other couples are turning to mediation as a viable alternative to messy, expensive and damaging processes.

Mediation and Collaborative divorces are much more economical and confidential. Boston Law Collaborative analyzed 199 of its recent divorce cases and found that mediation, collaborative divorce and litigation all produced high rates of successful settlement. Mediation was by far the least expensive option, with a median cost of $6,600, compared to $19,723 for a collaborative divorce, $26,830 for settlements negotiated by rival lawyers, and $77,746 for full-scale litigation.

If you are interested in reading the full article it can be found here. It is a very good read, I highly recommend it.

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Remodeling Your Homes? Check out Google SketchUp-a Free Tool

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:11:24 -0600

Model Your World

Thinking about remodeling your homes, kitchens or baths, considering a landscaping project, building a deck or any new project can be mind boggling. Just considering how to express your dream to the architect or contractor and knowing that you and they have the same vision can be a stressful experience.

The Google Gods have developed an absolutely great solution. It's a 3D modeling software, it's easy to learn, simple to use and best of all it is free. It's called Google SketchUp 6. Now before you start pulling your hair out, let these 4 autistic children show you how easy it can be.

Isn't that amazing and wonderful?

Google SketchUp also allows you to place your completed models into Google Earth using real-world coordinates and share them with the world using Google 3D Warehouse. You can learn more about Google SketchUp here.

Or you can download the free version here.

Google SketchUp can be found here.

There are tons of tutorial videos on YouTube which can be found here.

I think this is a great tool for both developing and communicating your specifications and hope you do too. Have fun with it, let your imagination go, see where it takes you.

As a Realtor I can think of many uses for this software. Are you working with a buyer who cannot seem to see what you see in a home? With this software you can show them the home they said they wanted within the very home they cannot see it in.

Did you list a fixer-upper? Show the consumer what that home will look like once it is fixed up.

There is no end to the possibilities this software offers.

Now go have some fun with it. Hey, it's free, you have nothing to lose.

Laurie Manny

Long Beach Realtor®

Prudential California Realty

Long Beach California

(562) 212-5420

(714) 376-9550

lmanny@socal.rr.com

Long Beach CA Real Estate

Selling YOUR Long Beach Home - It's TOUGH out there!

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 04:30:14 -0600

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Selling YOUR Long Beach Home?

It's TOUGH out there!

Are YOU ready for this Real Estate Market?

Today's Long Beach Real Estate market is demanding an entirely new approach when selling your Long Beach Homes or Condos. If your home is on the market you already know just how tough it can be to just get showings. You have probably reduced your price at least once and are wondering how low you will have to go to actually make that elusive sale.

PRICING YOUR LONG BEACH HOMES OR CONDOS

The worst mistake a seller can make is to overprice their Long Beach Home. The first two to three weeks on the market are critical when you enter the market. Thinking that you can test the market and lower the price later is never a good idea. The goal should be to price your Long Beach homes to sell quickly while they are generating the most interest - as a new listing. There are many homes and condos in Long Beach on the market, too many of which are not priced to sell. When a buyer sees a property that is overpriced they just pass it by. Buyers are always looking for new listings just coming onto the real estate market, because much of what is already listed is just not all that desirable and often overpriced. Another terrible mistake any seller can make is to believe their home or condo is still worth what homes in their Long Beach Neighborhoods were commanding months ago.

Read: My Long Beach Home Won't Sell - Are YOU Chasing the Market Down?

If your home is overpriced it is time to take a giant leap and get ahead of the curve. Pricing your home under today's market price usually means that by the time it actually closes you will be at market price. Yes, prices seem to be dropping that quickly. Why not? They rose that quickly when it was a hot sellers market. Home sales in Long Beach are traditionally slower through the winter months making selling your Long Beach home or condo that much more difficult during these months. If you do not need to sell your Long Beach home at this time, this is not the time to be on the market. Speculating in this market is futile.

Read the rest of the article over at the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Daylight Savings Time in Southern California

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:24:21 -0500

Laurie Manny

Long Beach Realtor®

Prudential California Realty

Long Beach California

(562) 212-5420

(714) 376-9550

lmanny@socal.rr.com

Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog

CALIFORNIA FIRES - MEMBERS IN JEOPARDY

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:55:50 -0500

Say a little prayer today for our California Members who are being and are in danger of being evacuated from their homes.

Sally Cheeseman just called me and reports that Jeff Turner has already been evacuated, William Johnson is within 1 mile of the fires.

I was just on the phone with Brian Brady, they have 2 evacuated families with them in their home, they are between 2 fires and are being overwhelmed by the smoke. The fires are within 5 miles of their home at the moment.

Brian tells me Robert Murphy is within 2 to 6 miles of the fires right now.

Please report here in the comments as to any other members that are in trouble.

Lets send our best wishes to our friends.

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

To Buy or Not To Buy?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:49:43 -0500

Are you waiting for the bottom of the market?

A couple of years ago, while we were in the throe's of a sizzling sellers market, many would be sellers decided to hold out for the TOP of the real estate market. Yep, you guessed it, many of them are still waiting for it. Today buyers are decrying the same mantra, holding out for the bottom of the market.

How are you going to know what the bottom of the market is?

How are you going to handle the multiple offers on the most desirable properties when all of the buyers jump onto the Real Estate market at the same time?

The Investors are coming.

Investors are sitting on the sidelines watching the market, prices are already at a 15 year low. When the real estate market hits a certain point, and it is coming soon-no matter what the media says, the investors are going to jump in and start gobbling up all of the better homes, townhomes and condos. I know, I represent a few of them, we've done this successfully before and are very good at it. These saavy investors will hit the market with cold hard cash, waive inspections, waive appraisals, out bid you and they will beat you to ALL of the deals and better properties.

Do you think that you will be able to compete with them?

So Mr. & Mrs. Buyer, how are you going to purchase one of the more desirable properties up against this kind of competition? Sometimes I think that it's more about the game than it is about purchasing properties for many buyers. The media sure isn't helping, but then they are not Real Estate Professionals and are NOT dialed in to the local real estate markets.

Nobody knows the local real estate markets better than your local REALTORS®.

International real estate investors are decending on American markets. The real estate market here is very attractive to them right now. They GET IT! They are Coming To America to Buy Homes.

Housing is a good and sound, long term investment.

As a result of the most comprehensive research ever performed by NAR (the National Association of Realtors®) they state in their Coming to America To Buy Homes article:

Forty-seven percent of all international buyers purchased homes exclusively for vacation, while 22 percent were motivated primarily by investment. Nearly a third of foreign buyers cited both vacation and investment as reasons for their purchase. International homeowners spent an average of 4.2 months of the year in their U.S. property in 2006.

A third of all international buyers are from Europe, but buyers from Asia and North America (outside the United States) each represent about one-fourth of the total market. Sixteen percent of all international buyers are from Latin America. By individual country, most buyers come from Mexico (13 percent), the United Kingdom (12 percent) and Canada (11 percent).

Foreign buyers purchase homes across the United States, but 52 percent of sales in 2006 were concentrated in three states – Florida (26 percent), California (16 percent) and Texas (10 percent). The South attracted nearly half – 49 percent – of international buyers last year, while 31 percent purchased homes in the West.

Available Long Beach Homes, under $400,000 today:

18 - one bedroom single family homes.
140 - two bedroom single family homes.
57 - three bedroom single family homes.
5 - four bedroom single family homes.
1 - five bedroom single family home.

A year ago if a Long Beach buyer approached me looking for a single family Long Beach home under $500,000 they were pretty much out of luck. Once in a while one would come onto the real estate market, but would often be in deplorable condition, not all buyers are a good match for a property such as this. After deferred maintenance they really weren't such a great buy most often. Today there are 261 single family, Long Beach homes available under $400,000. Don't you think it is time to purchase the Long Beach home, condo or townhouse you have been waiting for? Or are you going to utilize bad judgment and be the next casualty of the Long Beach real estate market?

Laurie Manny

Long Beach Realtor®

Prudential California Realty

Long Beach California

(562) 212-5420

(714) 376-9550

lmanny@socal.rr.com

Long Beach CA Real Estate

Home Staging Can Sell Long Beach Homes Faster

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:59:31 -0500

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Home Staging Can Sell Long Beach Homes Faster

In today's buyers market, buyers are very value conscious. If you plan on selling your Long Beach home it is critical to distinguish yourself, from the rest of the homes on the market, in order to sell.

CEO of Property Staging Consultants, Jackie Riggins explains the best ways to create the maximum perception of value in this excellent short video.

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Laurie Manny

Long Beach Realtor®

Prudential California Realty

Long Beach California

(562) 212-5420

(714) 376-9550

lmanny@socal.rr.com

Long Beach CA Real Estate

Downtown Long Beach High Rise Condos - Dream Homes in the Sky

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:58:38 -0500

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Downtown Long Beach High Rise Condos

Dream Homes in the Sky

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

At what point did Robin Leech's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" Television show transition from a consumers dream to a purchase contract?

For the last few years the excitement of purchasing High Rise Downtown Long Beach Condos has been high. Consumers have plunked down hefty deposits to procure these fabulous newly built condos and have sat, sometimes for a couple of years, on long waiting lists in the hopes that they too may acquire one of these beautiful sky high homes with walls of glass, endless ocean views, travertine, marble and concierge services.

So many of these potential buyers excitedly shared their dreams of huge profits. Most planned to sell as soon as possible after the close of escrow. Some of these Downtown Long Beach High Rise projects are completed, others are still under construction or in the planning stages.

Over the last several months I have been contacted by many of the soon to be owners to discuss the future sale of their units. Some were approaching the close of escrow and were preparing to put their condos onto the market immediately after the close of escrow. Imagine their shock when they found out they were about to pay $10's of thousands more than current market value. Add to that the cost of sale and oh brother were they in trouble. Others, less fortunate had already purchased, several had purchased multiple units.

One gentleman explained that he had ordered custom everything (already installed) which had added another over $40k to the already staggering price tag. His unit was about 4 weeks from closing and there was a hefty cancellation penalty. We computed his loss by backing out to be far less than the loss would be if he proceeded with the purchase and sold at a loss. He was not a candidate for a short sale, as he has too many other assets and foreclosure was not an option, his credit is pristine. Rent wouldn't even come close to covering the overhead. His decision? Cancel the purchase, write off the loss and move on. This gentleman was smart enough to consult a Realtor, regarding the future sale, prior to his purchase, which saved him a large loss.

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Long Beach Home Ownership - 1st Time Home Buyers and The American Dream

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 06:26:06 -0500

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Back in the Spring of 2005 a young couple, Maria and Richard, contacted me. They were very excited and were about to purchase their very first home. A young family, they had struggled to save $10,000 in order to make their dream of home ownership come true. Their lender told them they were qualified to $325,000 with 100% financing. They weren't looking for something above their means, just a nice little home in Long Beach with a yard they could work on and infuse love into; a place to raise their family.

Maria and Richard shared a vision of their children playing in the yard, while Mom looked on through the kitchen window and Dad used his skills to improve the home. Still an attainable dream, at that time. We sat down and went through the available homes on the MLS together and discussed possible Long Beach communities they could afford; there weren't many, but this was still possible. Prices were going up rapidly, they had to find a home and make an offer quickly or they would be priced out of homeownership forever. There were only a small handful of homes in Long Beach still in their price range, the pickins were slim.

Read the rest of the story over at Long Beach Real Estate Home>>>>>>>

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Long Beach Home and Condo Buyer Tips

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 22:15:30 -0500

It has been a rough year in the real estate business. Many would be first-time home buyers have had to come to terms with staying in rent for a while. Some have been able to purchase despite the sub-prime problems and the more recent loan situation. Many buyers who have been holding off, waiting for prices to come down, are out shopping now.

An uninformed local agent actually told me yesterday that 100% financing was no longer available and that buyers would need 20% down. I was appalled at such WRONG information being passed out as the truth.

It is still possible to purchase and 100% financing is still available, as Brian Brady will tell you in his most recent Long Beach mortgage rate report. With that in mind lets discuss buying a Long Beach Home or Condo in today's market. The one thing all buyers have in common, in today's market, is everybody wants 'a deal'. OK, do you recognize 'a deal' when you see one? With so much inventory on the market and prices all over the place, it is enough to make a buyers head spin.

Many sellers are sitting on the market with Long Beach homes and condos which were priced fairly when they went on the market, but are now overpriced. Prices have dropped, some sellers have not adjusted their prices accordingly and are busy 'chasing the market down'. However, some have reduced their prices - as painful as it was for them, many drastically. The variations in pricing for like properties pose a perplexing dilemma to today's buyer.

Why, they ask, is there such wide variation in the prices?
How do I know what the market value really is?
How will I recognize a 'deal'?
How do I know if a property is overpriced?
How do I know what a fair offer is?
What can I ask a seller for, within reason?

When a buyer locates a property they want to write an offer on, their Realtor® will provide comparable sales in the local area.

Comparable sales should be:

Like property.
Nearby the property.
Not in an area that is traditionally higher or lower priced than the property in question.
Close in square footage, for the property and the lot, (usually within 100 sq ft in either direction)
Close in condition.
Reasonably close in age, as the subject property.

If the last similar home sold for $370,000 and the property you are considering is priced at $330,000, that is a $40,000 price reduction. If the property is similar enough in square footage, location, condition and age, this is a very good buy. Go ahead and offer listing price, ask for closing costs (up to 3% of sale price) or a year or two of prepaid HOA dues, or a few months mortgage payments-prepaid, etc..., if it is accepted, folks 'that's a deal'!

If the last similar home sold for $370,000 and the property you are considering is priced at $385,000, go ahead and write what you feel is a fair offer for today's market. Either the seller will counter you, accept your offer or get completely insulted and tell you to go away. However the seller decides to handle your offer, isn't based on you or your offer, it is based on the seller's perception of the market and the value of their property. The sellers decision will either keep negotiations open, or inform you that you have an unreasonable seller and it is time to move on.

My point here is, if you do not write the offer, you will never know if the seller is willing to negotiate.

Go ahead and shop the market, shop a little over what you want to spend, if the properties are overpriced and you find what you like, go ahead and drop that lowball offer. You never know, it may get accepted or countered.

The New York Lottery had a great saying years ago, I don't know if they still use it: "Ya gotta be in it to win it!"

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Long Beach Breakwater Controversy

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:27:56 -0500

LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BREAKWATER STUDY

RESTORE THE SHORE

The Long Beach California Breakwater Is the largest man made breakwater in the world. Made of three gigantic walls of rock, it was completed in 1949 and extends about 2 1/2 miles in front of Long Beach's residential beaches. It's original objective was to thwart submarines and torpedoes during World War II. Sitting in about 50 feet of water the breakwater rises between 10 to 13 feet above the surface.

The breakwater is owned and maintained by the federal government, not by the City of Long Beach. Any changes to the breakwater will require federal support. The Long Beach City Council voted to ask the federal government to order the study back in 2005. The request fell on deaf ears in Washington. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who represents all the coastal area of Long Beach, told city officials he would not ask for the study. Neither of California's senators - Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer - would sponsor the measure either. This is an election year - right?

Many residents feel the breakwater no longer serves it's intended purpose and has ruined the natural waves depriving Long Beach of the cleansing action of the tides. The dirty water and flat surf have reduced beach usage. Some Long Beach residents believe removing part of the existing breakwater would restore the city's appeal to tourists. Some claim there is evidence that it has depressed Long Beach home values as well.

Read the rest of the story at the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Active Rain-Sellsius & Del Mar

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:47:42 -0500

A Day at Del Mar with Active Rain and Sellsius Friends

Lynda and Marlene aka Parrotheads

A couple of cheezeburgers in paradise.

Going fishing Brian?

Hiya Rudy

Hiya Kelly

Hiya Joe

Hey Jeff

Hey Roberta

Jeff, Lynda and Roberta

Dapper Dan - William

Marlene Rudy Kaye William Joe Jeff

Our own Rockettes Rudy Brian & Joe

Kelly Jeff Joe Rudy Vikki

Uncle Brian forced me to come today. I can't wait to go back to Villanova

Road Warriors Abode/Billboard

Brian hamming it up

Lynda Joe Marlene

Can you tell that we had fun?

Maybe next time you will join in on the fun too!

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website

Long Beach Home Bathroom Remodels

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 01:45:11 -0500

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Long Beach Homeowners want more space in their kitchens and bathrooms. Bathroom remodels are reflecting many of the same design trends and choices as kitchens.

Long Beach Homeowners want their bathrooms opened up. They want more space, more light and room for more than one person to be comfortable in the room at the same time. Adding windows and skylights, or enlarging existing windows brings light into the room, cheering it up and creating the illusion of more space. Using lots of glass and glass block helps achieve this goal.

We all know that the choice to live in a beach close, Long Beach Home generally means higher prices and less square footage. How can we create more viable living space when we only have just so much in the way of usable square footage?

Adjoining closets are being eliminated and used to increase bathroom square footage while closets and storage space are reconfigured in other areas of the home. At a loss for space but want to open up your bathroom? Consider opening up the ceiling, utilize that wasted attic space and add cubic square footage. Sometimes this is enough to remove the oppresive feeling and open up the room.

The Master Bath is the homeowners retreat, they want a little luxury here. Homeowners are insisting on most of these items:

Heated floors
Towel Warmers
Multiple shower heads
Mounted Flat Screen TV's
Recessed Lighting
Dual sinks
Soaring ceilings
Decorative Fixtures

Consumers are leaning toward nickel and antique bronze fixtures, chrome is still popular but is waning. Brass is so out!

Eco friendly, green remodeling is playing a role in bathroom remodels with an increase in interest in renewable materials and water conservation. Dual-flush toilets and other technologies have become very popular. In Japan over 70% of all homes now have Toto heated bidet toilet seats. These seats come complete with remote control and have a rather hefty price tag.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE HOME

Thinking about a remodel of your Long Beach Home? You may also find this article helpful:

Long Beach Home Kitchen Remodels

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor (562) 212-5420
Main Street Realtors Belmont Heights 244 Redondo Avenue Long Beach California 90803
Long Beach Real Estate Blog Long Beach Real Estate Website