Jim's blog

Why do people who work in government have no common sense?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:05:20 -0600

In my own personal and humble opinion, the reason why it's expensive to live in California, why real estate is so expensive, is because there are so many third parties involved in everything, and they are not always doing their best thinking.

California is fighting a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, and the City of San Diego itself is coping with a $2 billion deficit in its pension fund and a $200 million annual budget deficit now.

One of the San Diego Mayor's solutions is to do away with 186 fire pits on its city beaches. These fire pits have been there for fifty or sixty years, keeping evening and night-time beachgoers warm, not to mention the hot dogs and marshmallows cooking and roasting.

Maintenance on the fire pits runs about $120,000 annually. Let's face it, what other beaches in the world have fire pits? Yes, it's probably something we can do without when the going gets tough, maybe even when the going is not tough.

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) -- one of those ubiquitous third parties -- apparently has something else to say. CCC is a state agency responsible for protecting the California coast and its recreational opportunities for the public. It has decided that a "coastal development permit" will be needed from the state in order to remove the fire pits.

Public opinion ranges from "We had our wedding at a fire pit" to "It's a gathering spot for my family" to "It's part of the personality of the city" to "Fire rings are very important, but if you were to weigh that against police and fire services, most people would agree that we need police and fire services more."

Dealing with the CCC can become "drawn-out, bureaucratic affairs," which might be one of the great understatements of the last 100 years. The City says that even if a state permit is required, it should be easy to get. Not if the State has cut the staff there in Sacramento because of its budget deficit!

Why do people who work in government have no common sense? "Just do it!"

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Reverse Mortgage, Trick or Treat?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:48:42 -0600

Some recent questions from Clients about reverse mortgages has me reading (and blogging) about them in order to learn more.

Nancy Deichman over in Ocala, Florida, found a great solution to a problem by thinking outside of the box and using a reverse mortgage.

I always disable comments on posts I reblog, so click here to go directly to Nancy's blog in a new window and comment there.

Via Nancy Deichman, CDPE (Re/Max Premier Realty, Inc.):

I attended a seminar last week that I thought was a total waste of time. It was a class on how to work with buyers on short sales, and there was nothing new.

However, one of the sponsors was a large bank touting how to make sales with seniors using reverse mortgages to buy a home. I still didn't think it was a big deal. The very next day, I had one of my sellers want to see a home that was on the market, and we didn't have a contract on his home yet. He was also reluctant to lower his price, so at first I was thinking this was a total waste of time. You know the drill.

Before I showed the home, I had both husband and wife in for a consultation to try and find a solution to get him to lower the price and get his home sold so he could buy. He knew what price home he wanted to buy and was convinced he had to get that money out of the sale of his home, which I knew wasn't going to happen,

I got them on the phone with the reverse mortgage lender and by asking their ages, he determined that they could buy a home for $180,000 with only $89,000 cash. They would never have to make a payment. So instead of needing $180,000 net from the sale of their home, they now only needed $89,000. He could now reduce his price on the home he was selling, get it sold and buy the home he wanted for less than half the price. Talk about changing the playing field!

This couple lived pretty far out of town and really needed to get close in so the wife could get the medical treatment she needed. The new home would also be much easier to maintain. My waste of time seminar wasn't a waste of time anymore. I learned something completely by accident that helped me make 2 sales for a lovely couple who really needed my help.

I have been in this crazy business for almost 25 years and I am still learing new ways to get things done. These reverse mortages can solve a lot of problems and help you make sales you thought were impossible. I am not a loan officer, but I am sold on this product for some.

Does anyone else have any stories, good or bad, about reverse mortgages? It sure worked well for my clients.

Are you working your brain?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:10:46 -0600

This morning I was working I was showing properties with a Client and had a bout of senility, totally forgetting where we were heading.

I had even made all the necessary turns to get me right back to....

....THE OFFICE!

As we were pulling into the parking lot, Madam Client said, "I thought we were going to go see this other condo." Ooops.

Maybe I just need to exercise my brain more, so I looked up some ways to keep my brain active and focused:

Don't be predictable. That certainly applies. I've driven that route so often that I could probably do it with my eyes closed. Perhaps I should vary my route and let my eyes and brain enjoy some different scenery.
Learn some foreign words. At my age, I'm probably not going to learn a new language, but some relevant foreign words could be interesting. "Uno mas margarita, por favor!"
Have an "opposite day." This doesn't mean to be negative if you're always be positive, or running red lights instead of stopping at them. But if you usually put your right shoe and sock on first, switch to your left shoe and sock. Brush your teeth with your left hand if you're right handed. This one could be interesting.
Learn a new word each day, even if you don't have the opportunity to use it. Just the act of reading something you're not familiar with can stimulate your brain.
Play! My marketing guru plays a game of chess each day against his computer. He always loses -- well, he has three draws -- but that doesn't prevent him from stimulating his brain with a complicated game that I don't understand. I do like sudoku, though, and sometimes do crossword puzzles. Maybe some more of that. I also found this cool site to stimulate your brain.

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Do you know how to kill a house plant?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:55:38 -0600

Since I'm lucky to have a gardening expert as my business partner, my marketing guru, and actually married to me, I like to give plants as end-of-year gifts and closing gifts.

Of course, that's only after I make sure no one is allergic to soil on plants. It's rare, but it does happen.

Notwithstanding the title of this post, I'm going to be positive and tell you how to take care of houseplants rather than how to kill them.

Seven ways to keep your houseplant alive and happy:

Go easy on the water. Overwatering is the number one cause of houseplant deaths. Houseplants were grown in nurseries and were very well taken care of in terms of light, moisture, and fertilizer. They might even have had a bond with their gardener, so just like any living organism that has to move, there will be an adjustment period involved. If you stick your finger into the soil and find it damp, don't water. Water only when it's dry.
Provide humidity. This can be easily done by placing the pot on top of a shallow tray filled with pebbles and water. Make sure the bottom of the pot does not sit in water. In our house we like to use different colored pebbles to provide contrast or complement the plant or pot. You can also mist your plants, but that can get messy mist drops all over the furniture. If you are going on vacation for a week or so, place a sandwich bag over the plant to provide a humidity tent.
Provide natural light. There are some houseplants that can survive on low light, but in general plants need light for photosynthesis, and while artificial light can help, natural light is best. Place your plants where they can get some natural light each day; morning light is best. Rotate the plant occasionally so that all sides get some natural light, keeping the plant growing evenly and not leaning towards the light.
Go easy on the fertilizer. You have a small pot and an indoor environment, so houseplants don't as much fertilizer as their outdoor cousins. Too much fertilizer can result in fertilizer burn. Buy special houseplant fertilizer; if the fertilizer doesn't have directions specifically for houseplants, use a half dose for indoor plants.
Keep an eye out for pests. Having an indoor plant doesn't mean that it will be free of pests, so if you see little bugs or webs on your plant, take action.
Keep your houseplants away from drafts, cold or hot, such as from the heating and cooling system. Forced air from vent registers can kill a plant very quickly.
Check your plant's roots annually. I like the clear plastic pots where you can actually watch the water soak into the soil and watch the roots grow. It's like being back in grade school with an ant farm! Have fun! If the roots are all intertwined and you wonder where the soil has gone, it's time to either repot into a bigger pot or trim the roots back. If you trim the roots, it's likely that you'll lose some leaves, but don't worry. It's just like getting a haircut, so as long as you continue to take care of your plant, it will recover.

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Sell and downsize or get a reverse mortgage?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:02:03 -0600

I have received a couple of questions recently from people wanting to know which was better, selling a home and downsizing to something like a condominium, or simply getting a reverse mortgage and staying in the home where they have been for a couple of decades.

This is one of those questions where my only answer, not being a mortgage broker, a financial planner, a CPA, or a tax attorney, is, "I don't know."

However, I can offer some guidance, and I'm hoping that some comments from more knowledgeable ActiveRainers can add some good information.

To the best of my knowledge, reverse mortgage fees are usually higher than other types of mortgages.
Be very careful if you are considering a reverse mortgage because there are a lot of mortgage scams that target our elderly. Be especially wary if you are asked to invest your reverse mortgage proceeds into any sort of financial product at the same time, especially through the same company.
Consider that a home can have significant and ongoing maintenance tasks and costs associated with it, as well as insurance. If you are not physically capable of doing the maintenance yourself, or hiring trustworthy people to do the maintenance, selling and downsizing into a condominium can be a very good option. You'll have condominium owner's fees which will take care of grounds and exterior building maintenance, leaving you to care only for the inside of your condominium. If you have interior problems, such as plumbing, electricity, or heating/cooling problems, the condominium association often has maintenance personnel on staff or under contract to assist you at a much lower cost than hiring such personnel yourself.
Many condominium complexes have security guards for additional protection, and some, especially if it's a condominium assisted living complex, even have personnel who will help you to and from your car, as well as with packages needing to be carried from your car to your condominium.

The one thing that I think makes the difference between staying put and downsizing is whether or not you can oversee ongoing maintenance. The last thing you want to do is get a reverse mortgage, not be able to take care of your property, and have it deteriorate while you're still living there.

If any readers have any comments to add, they would be greatly appreciated since reverse mortgages are not my forté.

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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SST (Speechless Sunday with Text)

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:05:05 -0600

I used to be able to procrastinate with the best of them, and I'm sure the ability to procrastinate well kept me from going places in my business career that I really wanted to go.

It wasn't until around May 1994 that I learned from a very special someone -- his grandmother, actually -- a phrase that has come in handy in my business career since then, and it is that phrase that I have asked Zoey the Cool Cat to share with you today as we close our 2009 Thanksgiving weekend but hopefully keep that Thanksgiving spirit with us for the rest of the year as we fight for the last parking spots, the last iPod, the last this and the last that:

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Thanksgiving Sunday Open House results

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:59:19 -0600

I know there are many people who don't like doing open houses, and many more who won't even do open houses, but I'm one who both enjoys doing them and does them.

In fact, I like doing them so much that if I don't have a listing of my own that I can hold open, I'll ask someone from my company if I can hold their listing open.

What's interesting is that although so many people say that open houses don't work -- and we might have to get a definition of what "don't work" means -- no one has ever denied me the opportunity to hold their listings open. Doesn't that say something? I think it does, perhaps about the agent's own laziness if nothing else.

During my first few years as a Realtor, May 2005 to mid-2008 specifically, I had open houses every Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes on Thursday or Friday. I didn't do it just willy nilly, though. I did it with the intent of determining what worked and what didn't. I kept track in an Excel spreadsheet of what I was competiting against -- the open house next door or down the street, good weather, bad weather, Chargers or Padres home games or television games, etc.

With records now from four Thanksgiving Sundays, and competing Chargers televised and home games, I had already determined that it would be worthwhile to have an open house today, and it was!

I had 36 visitors, of whom only 8 admitted to being lookers from the neighborhood. I made some great contacts and got some very good comments on my Open House Survivor Kit, neighborhood game, and CD of home maintenance and safety tips. Two people even called me back a few hours later to tell me how much they enjoyed my Open House Survivor Kit.

I think I made an impression on them, and while nothing may come of these in the short term, I'm in it for the long term anyway, and I'd be willing to bet that at least one of these 36 turns into something in the future. I'll be tracking!

If you're a newbie Realtor, or someone who thinks that Open Houses are old fashioned, I just wanted to give you some inspiration. And for naysayers, perhaps it truly is in one's attitude, presentation, and the power of positive thinking.

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Speechless Sunday: A sunny Thanksgiving at the San Diego Zoo

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:20:46 -0600

I got to go to the San Diego Zoo on Thanksgiving Day, and the both the weather and the animals seemed to be cooperating.

The animals never fail to amaze me, especially those which I had not seen before, such as a clouded leopard, the bat-eared fox, and the black jaguar.

It's fun to be able to go on a regular basis and just walk around without having to try to see the whole Zoo in one day in order to "get your money's worth."

Following are pictures of some of the wildlife that was out enjoying the San Diego sunshine just like I was.

First up we have a striped hyena:

Then a yellow-footed rock wallaby, related to kangaroos:

And a southern warthog:

A giant anteater:

Momma mountain lion:

And a capybara, which is the world's largest rodent. In other words, a great big rat!

A bactrian camel -- never seen them lazying on a Sunday afternoon before:

Two beautiful gazelle:

A couple of rhinoceroses:

And, of course, ending, so to speak, with our little meerkat who wishes you a Happy Sunday:

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Are legally binding contracts no longer legally binding?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:04:29 -0600

I haven't been a big fan of sports stars for a couple of decades now, ever since sports stars decided that if some other sports star signed a contract for more money then they were making, then they wouldn't honor their own contract until it was redone to, once again, make them the highest paid player in [enter name of sport].

I could understand it if the sports franchise owner redid the contract because he wanted to, but you never see these sports stars taking salary cuts when they have a bad year, so why the double standard?

Now we have Brent White, a ditzy University of Arizona law school professor, telling American home owners that it's okay to walk away from their legally binding contract, commonly called a mortgage. Fortunately, White's discourse, "Underwater and Not Walking Away: Shame, Fear, and the Social Management of the Housing Crisis," is simply an academic paper and not a New York Times best selling book. Unfortunately, it is out there on the Internet.

Nonetheless, here's some of the sage advice he gives us:

Stiffing your lender could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars that you "have no reasonable prospect of recouping."
The penalties for breaking your contract aren't as bad or long-lasting as you might think.
If you stay current with your other creditors, you can have a good credit rating again within two years.
You can "default strategically" by buying things you'll need in the next couple of years, "including a new car or even a new house," before you stiff your current lender!

Is this what we're teaching our children in colleges and universities in today's world?

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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Get your Clients to make Top 10 and Bottom 10 lists

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:26:01 -0600

We all try our best to get our Clients to open up to us so that we can better help them get where they want to go.

It wasn't until I was in my mid-30s that I learned the value of making a Top 10 list, as well as a Bottom 10 list, and if the Internet is any indication, we all must love Top 10 and Bottom/Worst 10 lists. After all, we have the Top 10 sexiest men alive, the Top 10 most beautiful women, the Top 10 healthiest cities, the Top 10 money-making films..... On and on and on.

I take that interest in Top 10 and Bottom 10 lists and have my prospective Clients make lists to help me help them. If they are selling, I want their Top 10 needs, wants, and goals for selling their house. It's then up to me to help them see the difference between needs, wants, and goals. Sometimes they need to sell quickly because they got a job in North Carolina. Other times they want to sell because they have a baby due in eight months and will need an extra bedroom. Helping them understand the difference between needs, wants, and goals can help them create a better Top 10 and Bottom 10 list that then better helps me help them.

It's the same with buying Clients. Everyone wants a huge home, right? But that's merely a goal. It probably is never a need, even for someone like Bill Gates. President Obama might be the only one who needs a monster house, and even that might be questionable.

Consider having your Clients create Top 10 and Bottom 10 lists of their needs, wants, and goals for selling or buying a home. You just might get some additional information that can help you help them. I have a Word file that I simply print whenever I need it:

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I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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We weren't the only ones enjoying Thanksgiving sunshine yesterday

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:03:38 -0600

I did make it to the San Diego Zoo for three hours yesterday and, as usual, it was well worth the visit.

The weather cooperated, with clear, blue skies and temperatures in the low 80s.

The flamingos and the meerkats are two of my favorite exhibits because it's so much fun just watching them since they are two of the more active exhibits at the Zoo.

Here are my two favorite flamingo pictures from yesterday. The one on the right is of a young flamingo born this past Spring.

Here are my two favorite pictures from yesterday at the meerkat exhibit. They were really enjoying the sunshine as you can see.

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If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

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Wordless (nature) Wednesday: My your nails are lovely!

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:20:15 -0600

The San Diego Zoo is always open on Thanksgiving Day, so I guess everyone knows where we're going first thing in the morning.

This will be my third annual Thanksgiving Day pilgrimage.

If you go first thing in the morning, it's not crowded and you get to watch much of the wildlife eating and stretching.

Around noon, it gets pretty crowded since all the kids are out of school and the Zoo makes a nice outing for the family.

I want to wish everyone a

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

and leave you with a picture from a recent trip to the Zoo.

Anyone have any idea what kind of critter this is?

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

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San Diego County home prices continue their climb

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:06:18 -0600

Ever since President Obama took office on January 20, 2009, the San Diego County median sales price for all homes has been climbing, seeming to indicate that January 2009 was the bottom of the market here.

Perhaps it's due to President Obama's aggressive economic policies, the Federal first-time home buyers tax credit, the Federal home improvement tax credit, the cash for clunkers program, the wars in Afghanistan and Iran, the Federal bailout programs, low mortgage rates, or the fact that there are simply a lot of good real estate bargains out there.

October 2009 increase over October 2008 is the first time in more than three years that the year over year price has risen.

At the peak of the market a long, long time ago, only 7% of San Diego County households making the median income could afford a median-priced home. That percentage has now climbed to 48½%. Maybe the fact that there are lots of bargains and that more people can afford to buy has something to do with it.

Whatever the causes, let's hope that it continues and that it starts spreading to other areas of the country if it hasn't already.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

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Chevrolet's new logo?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:09:11 -0600

My Clients were wondering why I stopped to take a picture of the front of someone else's vehicle, but when one's marketing guru is from Texas, one tends to notice all things Texas.

I did have fun explaining to my Clients that I was taking a picture not only for my marketing guru, but to also post on my blog at ActiveRain.

So here is my contribution to Speechless Sunday with a few words thrown in for good measure:

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If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

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Fire season is upon us

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:45:27 -0600

I know I might be one of the few left who enjoys reading an actual newspaper that one holds in one's hand, but it would be nice if there weren't so many notices of fires.

I've noticed over the years that from Halloween through New Year's Day there are way too many homes fires:

candles
overloaded electric circuits
fireplaces
cigarettes
grease fires
laundry fires

Be careful during the holidays, and make sure you not have working smoke alarms in your home, but make sure you have some baking soda for grease fires and fire extinguishers for other fires.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

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San Diego State University announces its new real estate center

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:48:05 -0600

San Diego State University, just minutes from your Mission Valley condo, has announced the formation of The Corky McMillion Center for Real Estate in the College of Business Administration.

Using a donation from the McMillin family, one of San Diego County's largest homebuilding companies, the new real estate center is seen as complementing the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego, also just minutes from your Mission Valley condo.

While both universities offer undergraduate degrees in real estate, the University of San Diego has a specialized Master of Science in Real Estate. San Diego State University, on the other hand, will focus on undergraduate studies, working closely with real estate faculty and the student-run Real Estate Society.

The Center will kick off in January 2010 with Michael Lea as the Center's Director. Lea formerly taught at Cornell University, the University of California at San Diego, and the Wharteon International Housing Finance Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and also held high-level positions at Countrywide, Freddie Mac, and Imperial Corporation of America.

Lea says that the Center "hopes to enhance the educational experience of SDSU real estate majors by connecting students with local real estate professionals and industry observers, as well as fostering academic research." One one of Lea's short-term goals is to bring increased exposure to SDSU's real estate department by offering a program that combines academic rigor with exposure to real-world professionals."

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
just minutes away from San Diego State University
and the University of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

A Level II Drought Alert is not conducive to showing properties
The Federal tax credit for home improvements expires November 30
What do you do when communications cease?
Will I need a cover for my car?
Wordless Wednesday: "Son of Cloud"
A great nature program from Esurance
We didn't start the fire!
Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

Thank you, Doctor. That's exactly what I needed to know -- Rent or own?

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:05:19 -0600

I have advised a few Clients on the advantages of renting versus the advantages of owning, so I thought this was a good post by Dennis Puckett over in Deland, Florida.

I always disable comments on re-blogged posts, so if you like this post, click here to visit Dennis in a new window and tell him so.

Via Dennis Puckett (Adams,Cameron & Co.):

Thank you doctor, that's exactly what I needed. I don't know what I would have done without that hour long wait in the waiting room. I'm sure that as most people do I rummaged through all the magazines to find something of interest. Alas, a magazine made it's way into my hands. Of course the front cover said nothing of interest, so immediately I start fanning the pages. I was drawn to this magazine for a reason. What could it be.

Two-thirds of the way I found the article that had summoned me, Rent vs Owning. With todays market it is very likely that many people are in the position to move into a home of their home. With foreclosures and REO's abound, all one has to do is determine the house best suited for them. Thanks to the implosion in home prices, the ratio of rent to own has returned to the historical average of 17.4.

The average is figured by taking the cost to buy a house and divide it by what you would pay in rent for a year. Since 1986 the US average has been 16.5, which means the price of the house is the same as you would pay to rent it over 16.5 years. The averages began to climb in 2001 and by 2003 with the increase of home prices it reached 24.7 in 2005. At this point the average began to fall bringing us to todays average of 17.4.

To determine rent over owning, you want to find a house with a price so great that using a 15 year average ownership, you beat the average of what rent would run for that same period. Part of the consideration should be the tax deduction for interest. In many instances the tax deduction will bring a close ratio down to a more favorable ratio. To help you find your price-to-rent ratio you can find a rent -vs.-buy calculator on the Ginnie Mae web-site.

Again, thank you doctor. With an hour in the waiting room, I have found more information to share with my clients. I think that as a Realtor, we can never have too much information. So every chance you get, pick up a magazine. It just might have something useful for you and your clients.

A Level II Drought Alert is not conducive to showing properties

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:47:55 -0600

I really appreciate it when Sellers have been informed by their Realtors that I'd like to bring my buying Clients by to look at their lovely home.

Clean kitchen, no dishes in the sink, no dirty clothes anywhere, beds made, showers and sinks clean, etc.

Unfortunately, there is one thing that seems to be occurring more often due to our Level II Drought Alert. When it comes to using the toilet, or "water closet" as plumbers like to call it, the various water districts encourage us to let it mellow if it's yellow and flush it down if it's brown.

I would encourage Sellers to go ahead and not let it mellow if you know that someone is coming by to look at your home or, at the very least, please put the toilet seat down. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sorry I don't have any pictures.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

The Federal tax credit for home improvements expires November 30
What do you do when communications cease?
Will I need a cover for my car?
Wordless Wednesday: "Son of Cloud"
A great nature program from Esurance
We didn't start the fire!
Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

The Federal tax credit for home improvements expires November 30

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:13:44 -0600

I don't know about the rest of the nation, but we are getting inundated here in San Diego with mailings, door flyers, and newspaper advertisements about the Federal tax credit of $1,500 for home improvements that expires November 30.

Apparently the home improvements tax credit did not get extended, so take this opportunity to do some Guerrilla Marketing and let your past Clients, present Clients, Sellers, Buyers, family, friends, and business associates know that they can do qualified home improvements and get a $1,500 Federal tax credit.

I'm not sure exactly what qualified home improvements are, but apparently they include quite a bit because we're getting ads from door and window installers, garage door installers, flooring companies, heating and cooling companies, roofing contractors, and pizza companies.

Well, we always get seven ads each week in the mail from pizza companies, so maybe that's not related to the home improvement tax credits.

Check with your CPA as I'm sure s/he'll have a list of qualified home improvements.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

What do you do when communications cease?
Will I need a cover for my car?
Wordless Wednesday: "Son of Cloud"
A great nature program from Esurance
We didn't start the fire!
Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

Wordless Wednesday: "Son of Cloud"

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:58:38 -0600

As of 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, the San Diego Zoo's newest panda, born on August 5, 2009, has a name!

Say hello to

YUN ZI

Yun Zi means "Son of Cloud," which is logical since Yun Zi's mom was Bai Yun, White Cloud.

Baby pandas are about the size of a stick of butter, but Yun Zi now weighed in at a whopping 13.2 pounds for his naming ceremony.

Following Chinese tradition, cubs are given names after 100 days, and following San Diego Zoo tradition, the public got to suggest names and then vote on those names. Over 6,300 names were suggested, which were then whittled down by San Diego Zoo staff to just five names. The public weighed in with over 17,500 votes cast for the five names:

Yun Zi, 4,954 votes
Xioa Long, "Little Dragon," 4,481 votes
Xiong Wei, "Extraordinary Bear," 3,434 votes
Young Xiang, "Eternally Blessed," 2,522 votes
Fu Sheng, "Blissful San Diego," 2,135 votes

You can visit Yun Zi at the San Diego Zoo's panda cam.

There are only 14 pandas in Zoos outside of China, and the San Diego Zoo has five of them. Here is one of Yun Zi's two aunts yesterday:

Apparently, they are the only known animals that sleep more than Zoey the Cool Cat in those same strange positions and places.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

A great nature program from Esurance
We didn't start the fire!
Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

ActiveRain Convention Channel
ActiveRain Guerrilla Marketing Channel
ActiveRain History Channel
ActiveRain Library Channel
ActiveRain Nature Channel
ActiveRain Symphony Channel
ActiveRain Travel Channel

A great nature program from Esurance

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:11:26 -0600

I try to do business with companies that have a conscience when it comes to things like benefits for Domestic Partners, Civil Unions, and married gay employees, as well as those that care for our environment and the planet that we live on.

Of course, it also helps if the product they sell is great, and has a competitive price associated with it.

Such is the case with Esurance, a company I can highly recommend if you need car insurance.

Several years ago I made the mistake of trying to back down our porte-cochère and wound up backing into the brick planter, doing $1,500 of damage to the rear quarter panel of our car. Our insurance company paied the claim and promptly dropped us. All the insurance companies we applied with denied us coverage, until we found Esurance.

Not only did they accept us, but they were far less expensive than any of the other companies, which led us to compare their coverage to our previous carrier. Coverage appeared to be better, too.

I just received an email from Esurance telling me about their new plant-a-tree program:

"Esurance, in a partnership with HSG, has launched a new program to plant one tree for every windshield claim that results in repair instead of replacement.

"Windshield repair, in which trained technicians utilize special equipment and glass repair resin, is significantly more cost effective than replacement. It's also safe since the glass is never removed and the original factory seal isn't broken.

"If chips or cracks are smaller than a dollar bill, and aren't in the driver's direct line of sight, technicians can now fix them instead of replacing the entire windshield.

"Having a crack repaired is also more environmentally friendly, since it takes about 250,000 BTUs to manufacture a 30-pound windshield. To put that into perspective, the average U.S. home consumes that amount of energy per day!

"If you get a small crack or chip in your windshield, don't wait for it to get bigger (and more dangerous). Filing a windshield claim won't affect your insurance rates, so have it fixed right away and repair instead of replace. It's safe, fast, and good for the environment. Plus, when you do, we'll plant a tree in your honor. Get the whole story here."

Esurance! The coverage is great, the price is great, and their conscience is clear! If you're looking for good automobile coverage, give them a shot at your business.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

We didn't start the fire!
Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!
The ActiveRain Travel Station: Mother and Father Nature, just a lot of wind

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

We didn't start the fire!

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:53:23 -0600

Possibly my all-time favorite rock song is "We Didn't Start the Fire," off of Billy Joel's Storm Front album.

The song has an upbeat, catchy rhythm that encourages one to get up and dance, or at least snap your fingers.

It mentions various historical events from 1949 to 1989, 1949 being the year Billy Joel was born, and 1989 being the year the album was released.

My mom just sent me an email with this cool video using "We Didn't Start the First" music and historical pictures. See how many pictures you recognize, how many events you remember.

We Didn't Start the Fire

For more information about Billy Joel, the song, and the historical events, see the entry at Wikipedia.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....
I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!
The ActiveRain Travel Station: Mother and Father Nature, just a lot of wind
The ActiveRain Convention Station: The Gaslamp Quarter

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

Speechless Sunday: Keeping up with the Joneses for Christmas....

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:26:43 -0600

My mom knows how much I love Christmas lights, but the January electricity bill always leaves a little to be desired.

She's always sending me emails with helpful information in them, and I thought I'd share this picture of how to keep up with the Joneses and their Christmas lighting while saving money at the same time:

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

I still don't like year over year statistics
Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!
The ActiveRain Travel Station: Mother and Father Nature, just a lot of wind
The ActiveRain Convention Station: The Gaslamp Quarter
The ActiveRain Convention Station: Joe's Crab Shack

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

I still don't like year over year statistics

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:51:21 -0600

Although I understand the reason for using year over year statistics, I don't think they make much sense for us here in San Diego.

In northern areas, I suspect that not too many homes sell during the winter blizzards that leave ten feet of snow on the ground.

Now I'm cold. Maybe a warm piece of Julian cherry apple crumb pie would help -- LOL.

I consider last year's figures to be useless, about as useless as me doing comps that uses sales figures from last year. What purpose does that serve?

Here in San Diego, our home sales have been rising for fifteen consecutive months, and the median price (and that's a different story, too) has been rising or holding steady ever since President Obama took office in January.

The experts here (and I'm not sure I will ever trust experts again, other than myself, of course) say that San Diego real estate hit bottom in either December 2008, January 2009, or March 2009, depending on which expert you listen to. See what I mean about experts? They can't even agree!

Anyway, if you need help determining if now is a good time for you to sell — which means is it a good time for you to sell considering your own specific circumstances — please contact me and I'll get started on analyzing your situation.

If you need help finding just the right property for you and your family, I can help you there, too.

It's both a great time to buy and a great time to sell, as long as you pay attention to your own situation and not what the experts are saying.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department
Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!
The ActiveRain Travel Station: Mother and Father Nature, just a lot of wind
The ActiveRain Convention Station: The Gaslamp Quarter
The ActiveRain Convention Station: Joe's Crab Shack
The ActiveRain Convention Station: Location, location, location, even on airplanes!

My favorite ActiveRain Groups:

Mortgage relief seems to be lagging, according to the Treasury Department

Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:28:08 -0600

According to the Treasury Department, only 650,000 borrowers have signed up for the mortgage relief program that reduces mortgage payments to affordable levels.

Apparently that is only 20% of those home owners who are eligible.

Part of the problem might be that the program begins with a five-month trial, and in order to move from a trial period to permanent relief, owners have to complete paperwork and prove that they can make their new payments on time.

I don't know what paperwork is involved, but the fact that it involves our wonderful banks that are too big to fail, and our government which might be getting too big to fail, might be a clue.

The Treasury Department reports that only about 1,700 permanent modifications have been made.

If you're in a less-than-desirable situation with your mortgage, contact your mortgage lender sooner rather than later. Being proactive usually is much better than having to be reactive or defensive.

**********

If you're looking for a great condominium in Mission Valley,
the heart and soul of San Diego, please give me a call.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

♫♪♪♫♪♫♫♫♪♪♫♪♫

15 recent blog posts:

Playing with light
Munsters or Beverly Hillbillies?
My photography experiment with silhouettes
The ActiveRain Nature Station: We have Fall colors in San Diego!
The ActiveRain Nature Station: And I thought MY cat was spoiled!
Work and play work
Are you sure your house is safe? Find out here.
San Diego weather forecast and when to wave
2012
Yahooooooooooooooo!
The ActiveRain Travel Station: Mother and Father Nature, just a lot of wind
The ActiveRain Convention Station: The Gaslamp Quarter
The ActiveRain Convention Station: Joe's Crab Shack
The ActiveRain Convention Station: Location, location, location, even on airplanes!
The ActiveRain Symphony Station: One of our own (me!) performs Claude Debussy at Pacific Regent in La Jolla

My favorite ActiveRain Groups: