jane's Blog

Homebuying 101 - 2010 style!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:32:39 -0600

Thinking of buying? Wanting the $8,000 Tax Credit to work for you? There are a lot of good reasons to buy a home right now, interest rates are at their lowest in years, prices are beginning to rise (in San Diego specifically) but not by a significant amount, you will get a fixed-rate mortgage which you really have qualified for! And it's a great long-term investment.

So what are the downsides?

First you must realise that you are not alone, many people are now seriously looking to buy their first home. We also have a substantial lack of inventory - that is homes for sale, and the majority are either bank-owned, investor-owned or short sales.

With a bank-owned home, there is usually no negotiating on price, repairs, termite clearance or closing costs. That can mean you maybe out additional dollars fixing up a house, and you may have to weigh that into how much you want to spend out of pocket, and if you can afford any extras. A bank-owned home is usually priced below the rest of the competition making it even more competitive with first-time buyers and investors who are looking for a good deal to 'flip'.

With an investor-owned home, it may have, and more times than not, have been 're-habbed' with new carpet, appliances, landscaping, even a termite clearance and if lucky a new roof. These homes may have originally been bought on the Courthouse steps with the sole purpose to resell and make a profit. These homes are also very competitive with first-time buyers as you seldom need to make or request repairs, it's already been done. You may also be able to request help with closing costs!

A short sale home is where the current owner is behind with their mortgage payments, and are negotiating with their lender to sell their home for it's current value, have the lender take a loss on the mortgage amount and the seller walk away. This process can take up to 4 - 6 months depending on the listing agent and their background experience in negotiating the short sale process. There may be a refusal for any repairs, closing costs, termite, etc as you are not dealing with the actual seller but their mortgage company or bank, who is already losing a lot of money by letting the home sell for less that what it was purchased at.

In all these cases, there is competition, and as a first-time homebuyer you must expect a lot of patience as you probably will be among several buyers submitting offers all hoping to be chosen.

To submit more than one offer on a property is totally usual in today's market, if you get lucky you may get an acceptance the first time, the 3rd, 5th, 10th or more. It all depends on several things:

If you have sufficient savings to cover your closing costs on top of your initial deposit and any additional funds for possibly repairs/termite clearance.

If you have a lender who can guarantee to close escrow within 30 days (everyone likes that a lot!)

If you can possibly qualify for a conventional loan (at least 10% or more down) versus an FHA loan (3.5% down)

If you are not signed up for a rental lease that still has over 2 months to expire - do you want to pay rent and a mortgage for a month while they overlap?

And if you have an agent who knows the market area in which you are buying, can communicate on a regular basis with other agents who may be holding your offers, and does not encourage you to over-bid even if you are competing with other buyers - you don't want to pay for an appraisal only to find out the home will not qualify for your offer amount.

There's an awful lot of variables, but if you know what you can expect, it will make it a little easier to understand that if your offer is rejected, it's not personal, you just keep trying.

There's a whole lot of first-time buyers who are closing their transactions, who are looking forward to their $8,000 tax rebate, and who represent the recent statistics that home sales are increasing monthly. It's always good to be educated on what to expect up front rather than get frustrated and upset if no-one had told you at the beginning.

GOOD LUCK! Here's to owning your very first home!

How to buy a bank owned home via Youtube - does this resonate with you?

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:03:04 -0500

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM7oWKgCVo4

Do you Docusign?

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:50:24 -0500

Do you use Docusign? Have you responded to their call to address the FHA to accept Docusign, or any electronic signature on our transaction documents.

Please do so if you have not already, electronic signatures save time, money, and are Green - you do not need to print multiple copies of offers, counters, addendums, etc., for each party involved. Electronic signatures are so convenient for clients who actually work! There's no driving all around to gather signatures, waiting until they are off work, at home, on a lunch break, just a quick email to them which returns to you as soon as all parties have completed their signatures (which usually take less than 5 minutes to do online).

Unite fellow Realtors, and if you don't use electronic signatures yet, give it a try, you'll be amazed at how convenient it is! And if you are wondering, yes, you still go through the contract with your buyers and sellers, there is no shortage of customer service, just convenience all around!

Trouble brewing (as in homes not beer!) in San Diego

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:24:44 -0500

Yes we do have good local beers here in San Diego but there is not a problem with our beers, our problem is with housing prices at the lower end of the scale. Want a cheap beer - no problem, want a cheap home - big problem. It's not good news...

I have written about this in indirect ways before but we are definitely seeing a big issue with first time homebuyers who are desperately trying to get into their first house before the $8,000 tax credit ends November 30th. The issue is the shortage of homes available in the right price range.

For example, looking for a single family home under $200,000 that will qualify for an FHA loan - 3.5% down and all the regulations that go with the loan, it is nearly, actually almost impossible in San Diego. Wanting to do a VA loan with zero down and closing costs paid by the seller, not really an option when you are competing with offers that do not ask for any costs back to the buyer or a cash investor (and there are plenty out there).

Wanting a house that qualifies for any other State or government loan, the same - almost too difficult to achieve.

WHY?

There are too many buyers, too little inventory (homes for sale) and too much competition with multiple offers for all lower priced properties.

Even in the condo market we are seeing the same situation, if it's a deal, a steal, then be prepared to compete with everyone else thinking the same. Even cash offers are often beaten by investors with higher cash offers and nothing, absolutely nothing, priced under $350,000 goes for asking or lower than asking price today.

What are we to do? I'm not sure, the bottom hit a few months ago, it's a seller's market and even with foreclosures about to be released after a moratorium, their low prices increases the bidding wars and invariably they sell for 20 - 30% over list price.

It's not fair, it's frustrating, ask any Realtor who works with first-time homebuyers and ask how many offers they are submitting for each client - I can guarantee it's more than at least 4 or 5, more like 10 - 12 or more.

So the answer, there is none, try and find a seller willing to accept your offer, or keep saving and keep fingers crossed for that one home that you can qualify for.

Back to a good cheap beer, relax, take a deep breath and know your Realtor is really, really trying their best to help YOU!

For the latest on the housing market check this article published this week:

San Diego Daily Transcript

Jane Loveday
Windermere Real Estate Agent
619-519-1615 Cell
http://www.JaneLoveday.com

It's a Feeding Frenzy and I have no fish food....

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:10:30 -0500

Looking back on my past blogs, whether it was on MySpace 2 - 3 years ago, other social network sites and here within the past year, I never anticipated having too many buyers and not enough suitable properties. Well here we are in San Diego, and finally the word has sunk in, 'buy now before it's too late' - a subject I tried to promote throughout last year and thankfully a lot of buyers realised at the beginning of this year. However, now it's August, there's a complete dearth of foreclosures, a ton of short sales and hardly any regular sales suitable for first time homebuyers. Feeding frenzy has begun, but with the majority of homes available being short sales, all with multiple offers over asking, what's a buyer to do? Especially at the lower end of our market. Just within the past 3 months what could be purchased then, is gone now, and frustration is met not only by the buyers, but me too. With the pricing of short sales/foreclosures at unrealistically low prices, I mean, believe me, a home that was foreclosed on this year for $430k and is priced now at $171k simply to attract a tidal wave of interest, sends out the message that lenders are the sharks out there and buyers are the chum. Seller's market here we come, oh no, it is already here, let's hope the next 'wave' or splash of foreclosures will help because my buyers who are trying to buy their first homes are swimming in a whirlpool and not getting to the top anytime soon. Follow me at http://twitter.com/SDRealEstate

Get your $8,000 Tax Credit NOW !

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:59:25 -0500

Did you know you can claim your $8,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit NOW, before you file your 2009 returns! If you have completed your home purchase, all you need to do is file an amendment to your 2008 return, have a copy of your W2, last year's tax return, your final closing statement and IRS Tax Form 5405 found here - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf More information can be found at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html?portlet=7 or you can contact your tax advisor!

If you used some of your $8,000 tax credit toward closing costs, you may still be able to claim the balance, but I would definitely consult a tax professional to ascertain whether you may owe at the end of this year!

Good luck, and congratulations on buying your first home this year!

www.janeloveday.com

www.myspace.com/sandiegorealestate

www.facebook.com/jloveday

http://www.linkedin.com/in/janeloveday

A new Strategerie - put the cart BEFORE the horse with offers....

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:52:42 -0500

I have written about this before but now is the time to put pen to paper, the cart before the horse, finish the race before it starts and so on..... It has definitely become a sellers' market here in San Diego - every offer submitted is one of multiple multiples and even within the hour you are too late.

Therefore, my buyers' new strategy is one of make an offer, sight unseen, go see and at least we may be within the first 10 offers received. WHY do this? Because we have to. To wait until you see the homes and write the offers we are more often than not too late. It's truly a crazy market here, and with the banks holding the release of foreclosures for another 90 days, we also ask ourselves why?

Why?

Because prices are going up, up and up, not fast like in 2005 but definitely up. Areas where you could find a home between $250k and $300k last year are now untouchable unless you have at least $350k to put on the table, regardless of lower appraisals. So the banks are being somewhat savvy and waiting until the prices have risen, then the appraisals will match new prices, which will equal a little more return for them.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it, nothing else makes any sense right now especially when you have buyers who are losing out on every single offer they make because higher ones are coming in - and we are NOT under-bidding by any means, for homes priced in the $275k range, we are offering $350k and not getting them......

Thanks for letting me rant just a little!

Heads Up! 60 Offers and Counting .....

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:09:17 -0500

This past week has been somewhat unusual. Here in San Diego we are having a repeat of the multiple offer situation we last saw back in 2005. We submitted an offer on a home, an REO, only to find out we were one of 63 - yes 63 - offers. Nothing unusual about the home, priced in the mid $300,000's, in a suburban neighborhood, no outstanding features, no pool, just a 3 bed, 2 bath 1200 square foot house.

Later in the week I was in the middle of writing an offer on another listing, just 2 days on the market, only to be called by the listing agent that there was already a verbal acceptance, we submitted the offer nonetheless as a back-up.

Over the past week I have shown over 30 properties to 3 different clients, written 6 offers, every single one of which was one of multiple already submitted on the properties.

Is the market picking up? That's a silly question now. It's not even pricing strategy, the condition of these homes, or location. Just simply that buyers know when it is a good time, along with everyone else thinking of owning their own home.

Crazy, busy times!!

Electronic Signatures

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:24:10 -0500

ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES - THE WAY TO GO!

If you are not using electronic signatures for your offers - can we say multiple submitted for short sales on behalf of our buyers, then your fax machine is working overtime and the paperwork is getting more and more distorted as it is received.

Now, obviously with foreclosures/REO's the banks probably need a real life signature which forgives us all back to the old days, but with electronic signature the client can keep the whole file to review with which you can go over with them, if you have not done so before (which I highly recommend by the way).

But, if your client is at work, at home, on vacation, out of state, they no longer need to access a fax machine to get your paperwork back to you, which could mean acceptance or not, especially with REO's or a final short sale acceptance if time is of the essence.

Electronic signatures are not the be all and end all, but they do make life simpler for you, for your client, and for the agent on the other side as the paperwork now comes through clear enough to read, decipher and pass along to their client for any signatures needed - no more smudging of ink, hard to read requests, etc., etc.,

Just a thought!

www.janeloveday.com

Are your working on your buyer's time - hope so!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:21:07 -0500

Are your buyers working full time? Do they work after 5pm? YES!

How many times do you turn your phone off to have dinner, relax with your family? In this day of internet marketing your answer should be NEVER. Most buyers spend their day at work searching for homes (yes they do!). And when they can make phone calles about homes, have questions, when are they going to call you? IN THE EVENING!

It is optimal to work FOR your buyers and sellers, no matter the olde days when it was usual for everyone to finish at 5pm or 6pm, now it is up to us to be available at all times (up to a certain point, I am not going to answer my phone at 1am) but to work until a certain time point that is convenient to our clients is a MUST.

Most buyers are wanting information yesterday, and if it takes you until tomorrow to answer their questions it could be too late, they may have found the agent who will respond in real time - I know I am working in the evenings and even though I may not like it, my clients love the fact I can respond immediately. And being able to text is A MUST - that's another blog!

www.janeloveday.com

So we think it's a buyer's market in San Diego eh?

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:28:36 -0500

When the housing inventory (for sale homes) drops below the 6-month mark here in San Diego it becomes a "sellers" market. We now have under a 5 month supply.

What that means is, if all homes currently for sale are sold, we will have none left after 4 ½ months. Even if banks decide to unload more foreclosed homes, it will not affect this by much at all.

With new regulations on listing a home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) here in San Diego coming into affect at the end of May, we will only have a 2 month supply.

For homes priced under $500,000, there is the situation of multiple offers (my client just won out from 11 other offers) which means property is moving quickly, even with short sales. And talking of which, the new regulations mentioned above now require that short sales are placed into a ‘contingent' status, between for sale and pending, as many of the short sales already have offers submitted to the lenders, with back-up offers being accepted only.

Is the bottom of the market here? What do you think .... If you are waiting for prices to drop further, look no more, they will be dictated by the sellers now, it's a cycle, and we enjoyed the buyers market up until earlier this year, the wheels have turned.

Tomorrow may be too late, yesterday was right and today was a competition.....

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:28:10 -0500

Here in San Diego we are experiencing (what is not usually known either in our local press or the national press) a very, very busy buyers' market with investors who usually peruse the stock market, now buying real estate. So what does that have to do with Property Virgins to coin a phrase from HGTV?!

Well, pretty much everything. With investors not taking stock in the stock market, they are taking leaps and bounds into our real estate market and buying with cash the best buys they can find. It is not unusual to find a property, call on offers in advance (we are a multiple offer market here now) and find you are gazumped (does anyone remember that phrase) by an all cash buyer.

It is inherent in this economy to look for the best investment for your dollar. First time homebuyers are beginning to get on the bandwagon, only to find in a lot of cases that investors are beating them to the post. I frequently call ahead to ascertain if there are any offers on the table, at or above asking - no actualy figures quoted - only to be asked if I am representing an investor (all cash) or a home-buyer. What is going on????

I now tell my buyers NOT to listen to the media, read the press, listen to the news, because in reality we are in the middle of a crazy, frenzied situation.

Tonight I showed 6 properties, of those 3 we had to wait for the key to be returned as it was already being shown and this is within a 1 hour window in the middle of the week - goodness knows what is happening with the rest of the hours in the day. One property was already in escrow - YIKES!

So my take... my point ... we need to educate buyers as to what to expect in REAL LIFE, not in the media, and to be on top of all offers they think they need to make, give their highest and best, and have realistic expectations that the bargain is no longer there.

Tomorrow may be too late, yesterday was right and today was a competition.....

The Power of a Letter ....

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:42:21 -0500

My buyers (young couple) identified a home this past weekend, fell in love with it and decided to write an offer that very day. Two days later we are in competition with at least 4 other offers, all very similar - full asking price, some closing costs - so what should we do to make ours the best?

We could not go up much higher because the question of whether it would appraise was already an issue with the sellers, we didn't have much more for the initial deposit, but we wanted this home.

2am in the morning and I've got a brainwave, not a new idea but a great idea. First thing next morning I had my buyers write a personal letter to the sellers explaining why they had fallen in love with their home and also a bit of brief personal history! I also sent the counter offer back with a letter of my own and another from their lender supporting their ability to afford this home.

Meanwhile 4 other offers were submitted for this same home, and after a tense wait on my buyers part, we got the wonderful news that our offer was accepted. After a while I asked the agent what it was that made us the lucky ones - it was the letter!

Sometimes just the little things can make such a huge difference, and emotions are always at the center of any transaction. Making it just that more personal can really help.

IT'S A FEEDING FRENZY !!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:35:11 -0500

IT'S A FEEDING FRENZY !!

Homebuyers can be likened to pirahnas right now when given so much coice, so much opportunity and the surplus of affordable housing right now. BUT ARE THEY? Not here in San Diego where the availablity of housing is dropping like flies!

Every home I've shown this weekend - to three buyers, has at least one, if not more, offers. What began as a regular search, with a set pricepoint, has now become the feeding frenzy buyers are facing - multiple offrs, many above asking price, frustration, effort, constant internet searching for the home they can afford which is habitable (or not) has become the norm and encouraged a new type of market here.

It's not what you want to pay, but can you go above the next offer, are you willing to up your price point, can you beat out the competition?

This has created a reaction known to us all back in 2005, and which is now happening at a much lower price point here in 2009. I don't know where this will take us, our prices are going up because of this, and low-balling is NOT working anymore - your highest and best is what it is all about.

I hope for the rest of the country you will soon encounter this, and prepare your buyers for what is to come, it's hard, and a lot more work than you have ever done before, but for those that can actually get an acceptance on a home, be it a short sale, foreclosure or, goodness, pray for a regular sale, it is worth it for our clients. We work for them and now we are truly working!

Tweet me at www.twitter.com/sdrealestate

Is the Gold Rush coming back to California?

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:26:10 -0500

Is the Gold Rush heading back to California?

Here in San Diego we were the first area to see the housing market slump dramatically, especially in our South Bay, Oceanside and Escondido markets. And last year was just awful in the real estate industry with the exception of our high end homes along the coastal region.

BUT WAIT, now we are seeing a total turnaround in most areas, although the majority of homes available are foreclosures or short sales, there are multiple offers on many, especially those underpriced for their markets, which is pushing UP their prices above their asking price.

Even those buyers and investors who can afford cash are being beaten to the post with even higher cash offers.

ALL of my buyers have offers on multiple properties (shortsales and foreclosures) and when asked for their ‘highest and best' are often placesd out of reach of the price eventually settled for.

Booming sales have whittled away existing home inventory to just six and a half months - down from 15 months a year ago and California's inventory now compares favorably with the rest of the country which has over 9 months supply.

Is the end near, is the gold rush coming again, from what I see it is!

Great Restaurant in Ocean Beach, San Diego!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:22:19 -0500

Yessir, locally here in San Diego we have our eclectic community of Ocean Beach, and within that community is one of the best places to eat - O'Bistro - located on Voltaire between Cable and Bacon. It is a casual place, dogs are welcome as they are in most places in Ocean Beach, and the patio during rain storms is one of the coziest places to sit, eat, enjoy a full bar menu and listen to the rain falling.

Their menu is simple yet unique - try and Afternoon Delight sandwich, their Seared Ahi Wrap or simply indulge in their magnificent Lobster Bisque.

Can you tell I'm a fan - and I totally recommend to anyone wanting a fun, funky yet amazingly cool dining experience!

http://obistrocafe.com/

Thanks,

Jane

Short Sales and offers - looking like 2004/05 all over again...

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:23:18 -0500

Can anyone please explain? And I doubt anyone can until we have some sort of regulation as to how our offers are presented to lenders on short sales.

With some agents, they are submitting ALL offers then requesting highest and best once approval is received. Others are submitting the first only and holding all others as back-ups in the order they are received. Others, again, are submitting all offers to the seller and having the seller pick which one to send to the bank. And so it goes.....

It is unfair all around to buyers who are trying to buy their first home, who have saved and have great credit only to lose in the game of which offer is accepted or not.

And lenders are no better - submit just one to them, all of them (they don't always like that), and who decides to ask for highest and best from buyers - the seller, lender or the agent trying to make a higher commission?

What say you fellow Realtors, we need some sort of guidance to help what is becoming a 2004 version of multiple offer situations, especially here in San Diego.

Escalating Clauses and Short Sales/Foreclosures

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:13:32 -0600

With the tremendous amount of short sales and foreclosures everywhere, and some agents accepting a multitude of offers, only to counter everyone with "highest and best" I am trying an old concept that will (hopefully) give us a prime position.

It's the 'escalating clause'. If my buyers can qualify and afford higher than their current offer, then I submit a counter back with our highest and best, including an addendum that states we will supercede any other offer by $x amount, up to a ceiling amount, along with a pre-approval for that figure, along with a request for a copy of the offer we are besting. (Albeit with any confidential information blacked out).

This is working rather well, as not many agents are using this tactic. I would be interested to know if anyone else has considered this?

Frustrations with Short Sale Offers and then some...

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:17:33 -0600

Working as a buyer's agent mostly, I have great frustration with offers I submit on short sales - or what seems like every offer these days. WHY? If we are not the first offer received, we are then a 'back-up', even if our subsequent offer is higher than the first with better terms. Agents are not required to write in the MLS that a first offer has been received, even if one has been 'accepted' by the homeowner but the bank is still looking at. At other times agents will present all offers, share what has come in, and in some cases creating a 'bidding war'.

So what gives? Representing buyers, I give them all scenarios, but it just doesn't seem fair that without regulation, we are at the mercy of not only listing agents, but the banks who may not have the time to ask if there are any other offers out there.

We need a straightforward rule to deal with ALL short sale offers, whether it is the first one received that stays in first place, or whether all offers are presented to the bank, or whether the highest and best is offered at the time of acceptance by the lender. Obviously the lenders need an offer to begin the process, but if another comes in higher, better, what then?

Any thoughts out there that you have encountered we need some kind of guidelines, or not?

Housing Market Humming in San Diego

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:56:26 -0600

Don't know about you, but the housing market is humming along briskly right now in my neck of the woods. mostly first-time homebuyers who have diligently saved their money and people who are already successful, further on in life and realising this is it - THE time to buy.

Only today I had a buyer who was qualifying for a mortgage at 4.85% - that's a 20 year LOW - amazing, and yes he bought the point down which he was refinancing back into the loan but even so, with every $100,000 borrowed that's just $530 per month - although that can adjust with PMI and other costs such as HOA dues but even still - a complet bargain!

We are seeing the bottom here in San Diego, yes the prices may go a little lower, but our average home price is back at the 2002 rate, and it really is not going to go much lower.

First Time Homebuyers unite - this is your time, your interest rate, your market and absolutely the prime time to buy!

We are all here to help, are you ready?

Newly learnt lesson about Short Sales and HOA Associations!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:33:03 -0600

OK - have had a short sale, got a great egotiatior, he has extended our deadline several times to accommodate the buyer, only to find after 8 months that the HOA is unwarrantable due to insufficient funds abnd lack of homeowners to occupiers.

So that leaves me with a condo that we cannot sell, and a lesson well learnt- get the HOA checked out FIRST if you have a condo short sale, and KEEP CHECKING IT through the process...

Wishing you all good luck out there,

Jane

San Diego seems to be hopping in 2009!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:47:53 -0600

We are seeing the bottom here in San Diego, yes the prices may go a little lower, but our average home price is back at the 2002 rate, and it really is not going to go much lower.

First Time Homebuyers unite - this is your time, your interest rate, your market and absolutely the prime time to buy!

We are all here to help, are you ready?

Awesome Dining in the Rain !!

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:22:35 -0600

Their menu is simple yet unique - try and Afternoon Delight sandwich, their Seared Ahi Wrap or simply indulge in their magnificent Lobster Bisque.

Can you tell I'm a fan - and I totally recommend to anyone wanting a fun, funky yet amazingly cool dining experience!

http://obistrocafe.com/

Thanks,

Jane

GAS PRICES s HOME PRICES

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:19:38 -0600

The best analogy I can give to buyers and sellers is our recent episode where gas pricing rose daily, going through the roof, literally, and pricing out at over $4.50 a gallon, only to see these prices rapidly decline just as fast down to what we would have considered NORMAL before they began to rise, in fact they dropped lower than before the increases began.

So what's that to do with the housing economy - it's exactly the same in a nutshell - yes, we know gas prices will rise in the future, slowly, it's a given and we also know home prices will rise again, slowly too.

Good to pass along to buyers and sellers, it's a good perspective I think!

GAS PRICES vs HOME PRICES

jane loveday (Windermere Pacific Coast Properties) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:17:34 -0600

Good to pass along to buyers and sellers, it's a good perspective I think!