Amy Steele Crestline and Lake Arrowhead homes for sale, Crestline SteeleofaLifetime,Crestline REALTOR

Crestline and Lake Arrowhead Halloween Events 2009

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:04:19 -0500

I want to apologize in advance for the formatting. I tried a new program out that apparantly didn't work very well!!!! halloween2009

Halloween Parties and Local Crestline
and Lake Arrowhead Community Events!

Welcome to your source for all the local events in Crestline and Lake Arrowhead this Halloween! We have a lot going on this year, so you will have many opportunities for you and your family to get some spooky culture and a ton of candy!

Inland Dance Academy Presents Halloween Spooktacular 2009!
        This event is at the Crestline Village Theater in downtown Crestline Village, 23955 Lake Drive October 29th and October 30th at 7:30 pm. This event promises to be a fantastic performance featuring the dancers from the Inland Dance Academy and the Lake Arrowhead Repertory Theatre company. In this first time collaborative performance, many show pieces with be presented, including performances from dancers that have been featured on "So you think you can dance?" There will be presentations from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney's The Haunted Mansion, Ghostbusters, The Corpse Bride and many others portrayed with acting and dancing. The highlight of this event will be a special rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," always a favorite of mine, and I used to know the whole dance also!
        The Academy promises other surprises during the show and are recommending you to wear your Halloween best! If you attend both shows, you will receive a 50% discount on your second night's ticket. Each show will have it's own flavor so don't miss either one!
                        Tickets are $12.00 for the first performance, $6.00 for the second. $10.00 each for groups of 12 or more. Tickets can be purchased at the Inland Dance Academy at 23382 Crestforest Dr in Crestline, or 2584 E Highland Ave in Highland. You may also call 909-338-4898 or 909-862-1390 for more information, and make sure to visit their MySpace page!

Lake Arrowhead Ballet Company Halloween Party!

        The Lake Arrowhead Classical Ballet company is hosting a halloween party on October 30th from 4:00 pm until 7:00pm at the beautiful San Moritz Lodge in Crestline. The lodge is located next to Lake Gregory on San Moritz dr. There will be a live band called "No Outlet" playing for the festivities, which include costume contests, dance contest, silent auction and a gift table. There will also be a special performance of Michael Jackson's "Thrilller."
                            Tickets for this event are $12.50 for adults, children under 12 are $8.00(must be accompanied by an adult) or for a family of four,$40.00. Please call 909-336-9206 for more information!

Three Dog Bakery in Lake Arrowhead Village Canine Costume Contest!

        This is for all of you canine lovers and your special dogs to come on out and strut their stuff! This event is on Friday October 30th and benefits local animals in need. The four legged fun begins at 5:30 pm and lasts until 7:00 pm. There will be prizes for Best Costume and best trick-treats for humans. You will get a 15% discount at the Three Dog Bakery and a goody bag for each dog entered! You must be paid in advance for this event by October 28th so hurry! If you are staying at the Pine Rose Cabins and your dog wins a prize they will reimburse you for your entry fee.
                        Tickets are $10.00 for each dog in advance, and must be purchased before October 28th!

Howl 'O Ween at the Wildhaven Ranch!

            This Halloween promises to be very different if you spend it at the Wildhaven Ranch! Come out October 31st from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm and see coyotes howling, meet wild eagles and baby black bears. Make sure you have your picture taken with a scary owl!!! They will be having contests and prizes for Best Carved Wildlife and Nature pumpkins and best Native Wildlife and Nature costume. There will be games and candy, and a visit to the "Skulls and Skins" exhibit.
                        Tickets to this event are only $5.00 per person and children 9 and under are free. Call 909-337-7389 for more information or go to www.wildhaven.org.

Lake Arrowhead Village Halloween Party

        The Lake Arrowhead Village is hosting a family event from 5pm until 8:30pm on October 31st. DJ "Count Milan" will be spinning spooktacular tunes at the coffin and the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance will perform "Thriller." There will be a costume parade with best costume contest for children and adults and apple bobbing! Ghoulish drinks and creepy food will be by Robecks and Papaguyos restaurant.

Mountain Trick or Treating in Lake Arrowhead, Crestline and Blue Jay

This Halloween there are several opportunities for trick or treating here. In Lake Arrowhead and Blue Jay villages, merchants will be passing out candy from 2pm until 5pm. In Crestline Village, the trick or treating begins around 4pm and goes until the candy is gone! Many merchants set up carnival style games and this year promises to be a fun family event! Make sure you come out and visit and dress your Halloween best!

Thanks for visiting my blog, and keep reading for more fun events that happen here in Crestline and Lake Arrowhead!
Take care!

AMY STEELE, REALTOR(r)
(951) 378-4570
www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com
DRE Lic# 01492418

Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:54:32 -0500

Thomas Jefferson was a smart man. He was deeply involved in the beginnings of our government here in the United States, and his words back then have everything to do with today...history repeats itself if you don't remember and heed what you learned about the past.

Via Missy Caulk-Ann Arbor- Realtor(R)- Ann Arbor Real Estate (Keller Williams-Ann Arbor):

Don't tell me it can't be done.....

Time for a little history lesson.

John Kennedy once said to an assembled group of scholars in the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work, and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which, if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson

In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks-- and corporations that will grow up around the banks--will deprive the people of all property, until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Doesn't this sound eerily familar to what is happening in America today?

Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the United States. He and John Adams were most responsible for the writing of our Declaration of Independence. They were very good friends when they were working together on the Declaration of Independence but later became mortal enemies when one became a Republican and one a Federalist.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson

I will not be guilty of being silent. Will you?

Don't tell me it can't be done...we can return to our Liberty and Self Government.

Local's Night Dinner at the UCLA conference center in Lake Arrowhead

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:23:36 -0500

Attention all Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Blue Jay, Running Springs and other mountain communities! Go to the Local's Night Dinner at the UCLA conference center in Lake Arrowhead this coming Thursday October 22. It promises to be an extraordinary event at the beautiful center at 850 Willow Creek Rd off of Highway 173.

The UCLA conference center boasts a beautiful lake view, mountain lodge atmosphere on acres of beautiful landscaping in the woods. Spend a gorgeous fall evening with your friends, neighbors and mountain community members enjoying a four course dinner served in the main lodge. There is a no host bar available(which means pay for your own) with socializing hour beginning at 5pm. Dinner starts at 6:30pm.

There is an after dinner program with county supervisor Neil Derry, who will give a state of the county address. Following this will be "Sings Sinatra", music and if you're in the mood, dancing.

For more information about this upcoming event or to get your tickets, call 909-337-8200.

AMY STEELE, REALTOR(r)
(951) 378-4570
www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com
DRE Lic# 01492418

Is The FDIC Killing Short Sales?

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:14:21 -0500

I just wanted to get this post spread out further into the country. This helps exlplain why banks aren't willing to work with people, quickly or efficiently. Consumers, you need to contact your elected officials.

Via Bob Hertzog (Summit Home Consultants):

Is The FDIC Killing Short Sales?

As some of you already know, I blogged recently about being interviewed recently by our local NBC news affiliate. To read the blog, click here. Basically, IndyMac Bank (now OneWest Bank), is holding one of my clients hostage, demanding a $75k promissory note, or they will proceed to foreclosure. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why they were doing this. The BPO came in at the contract price of $275k, with a net to IndyMac of $241k. What advantage could there possibly be for them to proceed to foreclosure?

Yesterday, I figured it out. You see, IndyMac was taken over by the FDIC and sold to OneWest Bank in March/2009. Guess who the investors are behind OneWest? George Soros, Michael Dell, Steve Mnuchin (former Goldman Sachs executive), and John Paulson (hedge-fund billionaire).

Now, listen to the deal they got from the FDIC....

Basically, they purchased all current residential mortgages at 70% of par value (70% of the outstanding loan amounts). They purchased all current HELOCS at 58% of Par Value!!!

Next, in order to "sweeten the pot", the FDIC stepped in and guaranteed the following: For any residential mortgages where OneWest experiences a loss, the FDIC will step in and cover anywhere from 80%-95% of the loss. The loss is calculated using the ORIGINAL LOAN BALANCE, not the amount that OneWest paid for the loan. Let's use my clients situation as an example:

Loan Amount is $478,000, plus 6 months of missed payments, for a grand total of $485,200

OneWest pays $334,600 for the loan

We have an all cash offer of $241,000, net to OneWest.

So, let's do the math, shall we? The net loss, according to the FDIC formula is the ORIGINAL LOAN AMOUNT minus the amount of the offer. In this case, $485,200-$241,000, or $244,200. Next, the FDIC, according to their Loss Share Agreement, writes a check to OneWest for 80% of the so-called "net loss". So, in this case, OneWest gets a check from Uncle Sam for $195,360 (.80 X $244,200).

Add the $195,360 to the sales price of $241,000, and you get a grand total of $436,360. Remember, OneWest paid $334,600 for the loan. So, OneWest puts $101,760 in their pocket, thanks to the FDIC. Folks, that is over $100k of our hard-earned tax dollars!

So, you ask...Why does this program hurt short sales? Because, our brilliant government offers this SAME PROGRAM FOR FORECLOSURES! The only difference is, the government picks up 80% of the tab on all of the extra costs associated with a foreclosure (BPO's, upkeep, utilities/maintenance, legal fees, etc.)

So, If I'm OneWest, why would I want to waste my time negotiating through a Short Sale, when I can make the same amount of money (if not more) by just letting it go to foreclosure? And we wonder why nobody can get a Loan Modification? Why would OneWest approve a loan modification for this guy, when they can foreclose and make over $100k? And, to add injury to insult, they have held this loan for 6 months! Not a bad ROI, huh?

What infuriates me the most is that in my particular case mentioned above, they have the guts to hold my client hostage for a $75k promissory note, after they are already making more than $100k on the sale!!! This is his primary residence, 1st Position loan, and OneWest has NO RECOURSE! Imagine if they could make $100k, then get a deficiency judgement! Talk about making some big bucks!

Can you say "GREED"?

The scary thing is that over 50 banks have Shared Loss Agreements in place with the FDIC. Some of them include: Bank of America (go figure), CitiMortgage, Wells Fargo, etc.

This entire agreement between the FDIC and OneWest can be found here, on the FDIC website. It's all there, for the world to see! They have it all layed out. All of the formulas, worksheets, etc.

Now, it's up to us to bring it to the attention of our elected officials and the media. Enough is Enough!

UPDATE 9/18/09: I JUST READ AN AWESOME ARTICLE ON THIS, THAT GOES INTO WAY MORE DETAIL THAN MY BLOG ABOVE. TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE! CLICK HERE TO READ IT.

Wait, it gets better...The FDIC just announced that it needs to start borrowing money from the U.S. Treasure in order to replenish it's deposit insurance fund (the same fund being used to pay all of these banks in the Loss Share Agreements). Go Figure! Click Here to read it.

Lake Arrowhead 35th Annual Home Tour This Weekend!

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:41:41 -0500

The Lake Arrowhead 35th Annual Home Tour is this weekend in gorgeous Lake Arrowhead! This tour is such a draw for folks to be able to see inside some truly magnificent homes, and to have a great day here in the mountains. This year is promised to be the best homes on the tour in a long time!

The home tour itself is on Saturday September 19th, however the Friday Night Home Tour VIP event is of course, Friday the 18th from 6-9pm. The theme this year is Old Lake Arrowhead Garden Party. This VIP event sells out every year, but tickets are stilll available! The Arrowhead Garden party will take place at a lakefront estate in prestigious Point Hamiltair.

There will be wine, champagne and appetizers that run with the theme, and you can relax or mingle on the beautiful green lawn of this gorgeous home. The home is open for touring, but will not be on the regular home tour on Saturday so if you want to see this lush estate, make sure you buy your tickets now! The $80 price of this special event includes your entry to the Home Tour the following day, and you get this fabulous party! For VIP tickets to this event, visit http://fridaynight.eventbrite.com/

The Lake Arrowhead Home tour has a limited number of tickets that are sold, and is one of the Lake Arrowhead communites largest fundraisers. All proceeds are put back into the community. The homes on the tour this year promise to be a sight for all. There will be a lakefront home, a Village Cove home that is accessible only by a boat shuttle, a ranch in the Grandview area and a home in Cedar Ridge. One home will be accessible by van shuttle, last shuttle leaves at 4:30pm.

After the home tour is a wine and cheese reception at the Burnt Mill Beach club by the Lake Arrowhead Resort. This reception is open from 12 until 5 pm, so make sure to stop by!

Get your tickets now for only $25. If bought on the day of the event, they will be $30. Please make sure to visit http://arrowheadhometour.eventbrite.com/ .

For any other information about the Lake Arrowhead hoome tour, in addition to a map of the homes and menu for the Garden Party, visit http://www.lakearrowhead.net/directorscorner.html

Take care!!!

Amy

Lake Arrowhead Repertory Theater presents: Light Up the Sky, a play in Crestline

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:29:11 -0500

Lake Arrowhead Repertory Theater presents: "Light Up the Sky," a play in Crestline begins tonight and runs through this weekend the 11th, 12th, and 13th and the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Showtimes are at 7pm, with Sunday Matinees at 2pm.

The theater is located in the Lake Gregory Village Theater at 23955 Lake Drive in Crestline Village. The quonset hut building next to the Hungry Bear restaurant and the Arrowhead Credit Union.

To link to a Google copy of the actual play in reading form, click on the picture to the left.

"Light Up the Sky"is a three act comedy that was first performed on Broadway in 1948. Hart wrote the play to kind of show his take on theater and being a playwright in the 1940s. This is a "play within a play," the story being that a playwright is debuting his play and has to deal with the strong characters playing his characters, and having them not be truly confident of the way the play was written and how it is received on opening night. The story is a metaphor for how people perceive others and are quick to jump ship on the whiff of bad reviews and bad news, and then how they come running back as soon as the news turns and reviews come in raving!

Who are your true friends really? These are the situations where you learn lip-service from solid representation and loyalty.

The website for the Lake Arrowhead Repertory Theater is http://www.LakeArrowheadRep.org Tickets for all shows can be bought online at that website through Brown Paper Tickets, or here in town at the following local Crestline and Lake Arrowhead Village businesses:

Lake Gregory Coffee Company
The Bus Stop
Vino 100
Betty's General Store
The Lake House

Make sure you come out and support the Lake Gregory Village Theater and the Lake Arrowhead Repertory Theater group! We need culture in our town and they are doing a great job of bringing it on!

Take care and God bless,

Amy Steele

AMY STEELE, REALTOR
(951) 378-4570
www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com
DRE Lic# 01492418

Crestline Ca Local business, Look Tantastic Salon and Tanning in Crestline Village

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:10:21 -0500

Crestline Ca Local business spotlight on Look Tantastic Salon and Tanning in Crestline Village.

Look Tantastic Salon and Tanning opened its doors in November of 2008. It is a bustling salon that is kept super clean and a really a great experience! The shop was opened in two stages as the salon was the first to get up and running and with some delays for the owners to get the space ready for the tanning beds, the tanning was fully operational in February. The salon is located at 23875 Lake Drive in the Crestline Village, next door to the Stockade restaurant.

Let me tell you how nice it is to go into Look Tantastic and lay down in a tanning bed when it is freezing cold outside and snow covers the ground! And not even just to get a little color on your pale skin after nearly 4 months of covering up with long pants, scarves, beanies, gloves and heavy boots(only when there's snow, which we don't get a whole lot of). The feel of warmth, though it may be fake sunshine, is heavenly! I am not one for tanning a lot but it was a warm day in Crestline for me when Look Tantastic opened!

The owners are James and Heather Keenan, who moved over to Crestline from England last year, and are good and fun loving people. They keep their tanning beds running smooth and are kept very sanitary. They are thorougly cleaned after each use. Each of the two tanning rooms are private and well ventilated. The salon does keep the air conditioning on in the summertime too. Each tanning bed also has a fan that blows directly on you to keep you on the cooler side. The rooms also have certain personal care items to help you freshen up after your session and is comfortable with a chair and rug and small table for your personal belongings.

On the salon side, they offer a full menu of treatments for ladies and gents and children alike. Hair care, nail care, spa pedicures and waxing services are available here. The hair care gals have each at separate times cut my hair and I have always loved the way it is done and how it looks and how I feel when I leave!

The salon does have specials for wedding day hair and nail care, as well as prom specials. There are also some great packages available for a day of pampering! The salon serves yummy beverages to it's clentele while they wait as well as snacks and water.

The salon is also kept very clean and sanitary and is full service. Because we are a small town and this salon is located right in the downtown Crestline area, it is a great place to sit and relax while waiting for your service to begin. You can watch people walk and drive by, and the owners are always on hand to chat with you and make you feel at home. The decor is clean and minimal, with pictures taken of the Crestline area by a local photographer on the walls.

So if you are ever up here in Crestline, or if you currently live here on the mountain and have yet to stop by this great place, make sure you do! Click on the link to the Look Tantastic website for more information on the salon services!

And as always, if you have questions about moving up here to the beautiful mountains to the Crestline and Lake Arrowhead areas, please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com and make sure to visit my websites!

www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com

Take care!

Amy Steele

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ALL PICTURES SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT BY AMY STEELE AND MAY NOT BE USED IN ANY MANNER

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What? The BEHEAMOUTH bank is doing what?

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:33:46 -0500

I thought that my post is appropriately titled as What? The BEHEMOTH bank is doing what? because honestly I can't understand what they're doing and neither can the mortgage broker(who failed to tell me that they were farming the loan out to the BEHEMOTH bank.

Offer was written on May 5th on a bank owned home. The home is in the Lake Arrowhead Woods, and was a fixer for sure, but has so much potential for future resale. The house had a wood shake roof, scuff marks on the walls throughout, water damage on the basement area drywall and ceiling tiles, plumbing leak in a shower, an unpermitted toilet and sink, and some termite and dry rot issues. Termite was in the vicinity of $4100 and the bank agreed to give an additional $5000 to help replace the roof, in addition to the termite. The home is in an area with some really nice homes, many that have fabulous views of Lake Arrowhead. This one has a panaoramic view of the high desert and surrounding ridgelines. Nice parking, and you could walk to the marina and launch your boat if you wanted to.

Buyers are well-qualified and purchasing the home with their parents, who have a W2 job as well as an active partnership in a pretty high tech company that makes a lot of dough. THESE BUYERS COULD BUY THE PROPERTY OUTRIGHT FROM THE BANK. The initial buyer is the son though who will be living in the home and making the payments. In the interest of leverage and OPM, the buyer's wanted to put money down and then get a loan on the rest. The buyer's parents own several rental properties already, which has caused a problem too, but the mortgage broker said that that wouldn't be an issue.

So here we are, almost three months later from the date of when we first wrote the offer on this house, all work has been done, escrow has been extended 3 times because:

THE UNDERWRITER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

They have asked for so many things that the next is a blood sample and full-spectrum DNA analysis to make sure they are in fact human. These are all things that should have been asked for MONTHS ago, such as verification of employment(asked for twice and given twice), all W2s and tax returns and etc. There was a committee loan approval a month and a half ago, whereby they then sent everything to the underwriter and processor to get in order. This then turned into, "oh, we're getting loan docs now." We've been waiting on loan docs now for 2 1/2 weeks. First reason we didn't get them was because the BEHEMOTH bank was having technical glitches and docs couldn't be drawn. Corporate sent an email saying that "the buyer's should understand that technical glitches occur and that the corporate IT department is working on it to the best of their ability and after the glitch is fixed docs should be punched right on through." This was 1 week after saying we were going to doc.

Then the next day, the corporate department(in the void somewhere in the land of all that SUX) claimed that their employee, the branch underwriter, didn't have the authority to make the decision to approve the file and so it needed to be sent to the corporate underwriterfor their signature. OK, that was on last Friday. TODAY, the BEHEMOTH bank sends their "approval" to the branch underwriter to the mortgage broker to the buyer and to me, that there are FURTHER prior to doc conditions. They want more tax returns, something called K-1s(?) they want the selling bank to take off the money given to the termite and the roofer that did the re roofing(already done) and another list of 10 more conditions.

HOW CAN YOU GIVE AN APPROVAL AND THEN STILL HAVE MORE CONDITIONS THIS LATE IN THE GAME THAT SERIOUSLY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR AT THE LAST MINUTE? The mortgage broker said that if they try to deny the loan that my clients should bring a lawsuit against the BEHEMOTH bank, but what good is that going to do?

This just goes to show you that BEHEMOTH bank is in hot financial water if they are being this picky about someone who could have just bought the property for cash, and that they have people that do not know what they are doing because they have asked for about 30 conditions to be met over the course of 2 months, which should have all been taken care of in the first 2 months.

DO NOT USE THIS bEHEMoaUTH BANK FOR ANY OF YOUR DEALS. This is the second time that they have done this to people who are over qualified. I still do not have full approval, and the selling bank is getting tired of extending and waiting and want the buyer to release their depost as non-refundable if they don't close by next Friday. Can you sue a bank this big for financial harm?

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Take care,

Amy

Valley of Enchantment in Crestline Ca, Homes in Valley of Enchantment

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:42:23 -0500

Valley of Enchantment in Crestline Ca and the homes in Valley of Enchantment really show the history of our mountains and how our community first began. There are several ways to get to the Valley of Enchantment, depending on which side of the mountain you are on. If you are already in Crestline then you can come down Knapp's Cutoff to the 138. This drops you onto Water's drive or you can stay on the 138. If you drive down Water's drive, that takes you to "downtown" Valley of Enchantment.

Downtown VOE there is a post office, Johnny's Market and UHAUL rental, church, laundromat, a restaurant called Madeline's, the new professional building and a repair shop. One of the mountains' two elementary schools is located here in Valley of Enchantment. The other is just off of the shores of Lake Gregory. If you stayed on the 138, you run into the other half of this area where there are more homes and cabins, a self storage and eventually you will run into the San Bernardino National Forest. If you stayed on the 138, you will pass by Silverwood Lake, which is a recreational lake that allows boating and camping, and the turnoff for Hesperia and Victorville and the 15 freeway, about halfway up the Cajon Pass. This is the backside to getting to the 15 freeway if you were going to go to the high desert or Las Vegas.

The Valley of Enchantment, indeed the rest of the mountains, have a rich Native American history. They used these mountains as their summer grounds because of the temperature difference. The first white settlers were the Mormons who had a colony down in San Bernardino valley and came up here in 1852 to stay when the Seeley family built the first sawmill here along Seeley Creek in VOE. There are still Seeley decendents here today in our community, which attests to the pull these mountains have and the family atmosphere we try to cultivate! The mills were the only industry here in the mountains for a while, due to the virgin trees and forest here that was cut to provide lumber as far as Los Angeles, which helped build much of the Los Angeles area. Through the Valley of Enchantment and out Sawpit Canyon was a road named Devil's Canyon Road that much of this lumber traveled out of our mountains by. The road was opened in 1879 and began as a toll road.

Many of the homes right around Water's drive in VOE are smaller and are on smaller lots. Many of these lots were made into 2500 sq ft parcels to be used as camps for the sawmill workers and for vacationers. Much the same as Crestline Village, there are older homes from the early 20th century. You can find a great fixer here in Valley of Enchantment. There's a seasonal stream that runs off of Oak Lane and crosses under highway 138, and there are National Forest views from many of the homes here. Valley of Enchantment is surrounded by the National Forest, and you can find a great place not far from being able to hike out of your home.If you take highway 138 to Seeley Camp, there is a trail that meanders down along a stream that will lead you to Heart Rock. This hike is fairly easy and just over a mile in length. There is a parking lot to park in and make sure to bring your camera!

As you take Water's drive towards Cedarpines Park, the lot sizes and homes get bigger in some areas. In Valley of Enchantment, you can get a cabin anywhere from $40,000 on upwards of $400,000. It has a diverse range of homes, people, and is a nice place to call home!

Please let me know if you'd like more information about Valley of Enchantment and the many diverse range of homes that can be found here. Email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com. Please also visit my website, www.HomesForSaleinCrestline.com, www.CrestlineForeclosures.com, www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com.

All historical information from Crestline by Rhea-Francis Tetley.

Take care!

Amy Steele

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ALL PICTURES SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND MAY NOT BE USED IN ANY MANNER

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Mile High Park area of Crestline Ca, Homes in Mile High Park

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:54:51 -0500

The Mile High Park area of Crestline and homes in Mile High Park are unique. You drive up and away from town by taking Zurich to Wylerhorn to Wabern to Weisshorn and then a left onto Pine Ridge Drive. Yes, I know, it seems to be taking you to the middle of nowhere, but that is the appeal of the Mile High Park area. This community is set apart from the rest of Crestline, which seems to lend to it's exclusivity.

This small subdivision of Crestline borders on the San Bernardino National Forest. You can literally walk out your door with a backpack and a tent(and supplies) and keep walking until you find a spot that looks good and go camping! You can do this from other places in Crestline as well, but none better than Mile High Park.

Mile High Park is a small community of just a few homes, but many are large places with large, level lots and garages! I think the most garages here in Crestline can be found here in the Mile High area! Each home is different and unique, and there is a superior pride of ownership. Most of these homes here have fabulous views of the surrounding mountains, the high desert, and lots and lots of trees! You can sit outside on your porch and literally hear nothing but the birds and the wind. There aren't too many cars that come out this way and everyone watches out for their neighbors.

The natural beauty of the mountains of Crestline are what drives most people to buy a home here. We get the full four seasons, but Southern California style so not as badly as the rest of the country. Particularly in Mile High Park, the weather seems a bit warmer on this side of the mountain so snow melts a bit better. With the pride of ownership seen here, homes retain a good value. There are some fantastic gardens and landscaping here in the Mile High area, and several of the homes have been on the Crestline Community Development Alliance's Home Tour and Garden Tour, each held annually here in Crestline and it's surrounding subdivisions.

The homes here in Mile High Park are a little newer than the rest of Crestline, with several that were recently built in the last 10 years. Again, most of the houses have completely level lots and are large enough for RV and boat parking. Living in the mountains if you have these kinds of toys then it's nice to have a lot of parking for them, and you can find that here in this area. There aren't any restrictions on parking here as there are down the hill on city streets. There are also several lots for sale here in Mile High if you are interested in building your dream home. This would be a great place to live!

You will most likely see bears here in Mile High Park, as well as other mountain wildlife. Coyotes, mountain lions, squirrels, racoons, birds...so make sure you respect that this is a wildland forest. As with all homes up here, you need to secure your trash and other belongings, and make sure your pets are adequately provided for with shelter that is secure and can withstand these creatures. A mama bear and two cubs has been fairly active in Crestline for the last couple of weeks, even venturing into the Top Town area of Crestline as well as other streets closer in to town, looking for food and water. A doctor's office receptionist took pictures of a bear that came up onto their deck and gave her a great scare. The bear was on their property for a little bit, being inquisitive and mainly trying to find food.

See what a gorgeous area you could be living in?! For more information about homes here in the Mile High Park area of Crestline, please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com. You can also visit my websites at www.HomesForSaleinCrestline.com and www.CrestlineForeclosures.com.

Take care and enjoy!

Amy

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ALL PICTURES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT BY AMY STEELE AND MAY NOT BE USED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

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Crestline Insider's Guide: Crestline Village and Homes in Crestline Village part 2

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:15:24 -0500

This is part two of Crestline Village: Crestline Village and Homes in Crestline Village.

In my last post about Crestline Village I spoke about some of the features of the houses here. There is so much more that part two is here! Because so many of our homes were built a long time ago, you need to make sure that before you do any remodeling you get a qualified contractor to look at the house, even above your initial home inspection. A lot of these cabins probably haven't had the electrical and plumbing updated in a while, so it's important that you find out exactly what's going on before you start messing with it! Many Village homes and other cabins here in the mountains didn't have proper electricity installed, depending of course on the age and generational history of the home and they used to use oil and gas lanterns for light. Always check and see if the plugs and lighting will work for you in the home you are intending to purchase, or the feasibility of adding in wiring for new lighting. Our breakers kept tripping when we had too many modern conveniences on: microwave and the washer and the computer with a light or two. It may be as simple as installing a slightly larger breaker, or even a new breaker. Again, ask an electrician!

Our Crestline Village home was built in 1925, with an addition in 1936. We haven't begun remodeling anything really serious enough to get a permit. We took down some of the original tongue and groove paneling to create some more open spaces between the two living rooms, and tore down a half wall so it seems like our home is bigger than it is! Our fireplace was built on top of a pile of rocks that goes underneath the house into the basement, and the main fireplace is a beautiful natural stone(that still needs to be seriously cleaned). I don't know what the original builders were thinking when they built this place(I'd love to find out, as well as get some old time photos of my house) but they built the fireplace in the center of the house, and the chimney goes through the middle of the master bedroom. Someone over the years covered the brick with wallpaper and then tongue and groove pine paneling so it looks neat, but in the middle of the room? Seriously? So our room is almost cut into two.

These older Crestline Villagehomes usually have narrow internal staircases that were built where they could fit them. I have been in many of these cabins and have to duck going up and down the stairs, and it almost becomes a game of limbo. I believe that people must have been shorter back in the early 20s, because this is a prevalent feature. Many homes in the Village and elsewhere on the mountain also do not have bedroom closets. They used to use armoires, but it is still a bedroom! There are also cabins that have a loft style bedroom also. Lofts=bedroom. Go to any downtown area in the world, and a loft is considered a space that is habitable and sleep-able(!), so don't discount a loft sleeping arrangement unless it truly won't fit your needs. You may be able to wall a loft off or put in a door, depending.

Working on your cabin here in Crestlineis fun and rewarding if you have a passion for shining up old pennies. Our home was all wood and gross old carpet when we bought it, and it was a true old cabin. We have removed the carpet and discovered the original hardwood flooring that is now a feature of our house. All of the walls are wood and the ceiling is wood, and it was kind of blah. Ok, really blah.

For those of you that know me you know that I am a creative, colorful personality(mess) and that had to change for sure! We did, after much debate, decide to paint some of our wood walls to create an updated yet vintage cottage/cabin feel. We've added some funky modern print curtains and rugs and have all antique furniture(found around Crestline Village at the antique shops and even refinished some things found by the side of the road) and it is nearer to being US. That is the most fun about having a home or a cabin, that you can create your own space(pay attention first time home-buyers: $8000 tax break from Uncle Sam goes only until November 30th and you're running out of time).

Ok, again, since this post is already long, I will have to do another part of Crestline Village, A Local's Guide. If you have any questions about purchasing a home here in Crestline, Crestline Village or elsewhere in the Lake Arrowhead area please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com.

You can also visit my websites www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com, www.CrestlineForeclosures.com and www.thelakearrowheadwoods.com .

Take care!

Amy

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ALL PICTURES COPYRIGHTED BY AMY STEELE AND MAY NOT BE USED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER

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Arrowhead Highlands area of Crestline

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:33:12 -0500

The Arrowhead Highlands area of Crestline is on the south east border of Crestline, and runs along Crest Forest Drive closest to highway 18 and Lake Gregory Drive. This historic part of Crestline(well, all of Crestline is historic, really!) used to be the only route to get into the town of Crestline, until the highway 138 Crestline Cutoff was constructed. This route is now Lake Gregory Drive, and there was a stop called Lee's Garage (Crestline by Rhea-Francis Tetley)on the highway for travelers to get food, gas and to use a restroom. It was built next to Sphinx rock, which is still there today and has been in many silent movies that were made here in Crestline and elsewhere on the mountain.

The building is still there, and is known as the Cliffhanger restaurant. The building was in the movie Next with Nicolas Cage and Jessica Biel most recently, and currently is up for sale. On a very clear day you can see the ocean and Catalina island. It is really a spectacular view from this lookout, when you are able to see the valley below, as well as Lake Elsinore and much of the Inland Empire laid out at your feet.

The Arrowhead Highlands was going to be developed as another mini vacationers club with croquet, tennis,a pool, horseshoes, clubhouse and more. However with the Depression, funding for the project didn't materialize and this subdivision became just an area for cabins and homes.

The Arrowhead Higlands are the highest point in Crestline, at an altitude of 5174 feet. This area does get more snow that the town of Crestline, due to it being slightly higher but also because it is located close to the rim of the mountain and the updrafts from down in the valley blow the snow heavy on this side. I will drive around some days after it's snowed and take some really fabulous pictures of the ice that has formed on the Highlands trees and shrubs. The ice can make some beautiful sculptures!

There are many unique homes in the Arrowhead Highlands, and this area is quiet and semi-secluded with gorgeous stands of spruce and cedars. Because this area is higher up on the rim of Crestline, when the fog rolls in it comes through here first. Seeing the trees emerge from the fog, and smelling the wet forest smell is truly a treat. Many homes here have really fabulous views, either of the ridgelines around Crestline, Lake Gregorydown in the town of Crestline, the night lights of the San Bernardino valley, the ocean and Catalina island. To live here in the Arrowhead Highlands is truly it's own unique experience.

To find out about homes that are currently for sale in the Arrowhead Highlands, or elsewhere in Crestline and Lake Arrowhead, please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com.

Take care and God Bless!

Amy

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ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND MAY NOT BE USED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

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Crestline Local's Insider Guide: Crestline Village and Homes in Crestline Village, Part 1

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:30:25 -0500

Crestline Local's Insider Guide to: Crestline Village and homes in Crestline Village are a close community of older homes, many that were built in the early 20th century. Many are cabins that were built for people who came up here to the mountains to live while they worked at the saw mills and other forestry activities, eventually used for vacation homes and now mainly full time living. Crestline Villageis made up of a single street through town with shops and restaurants on either side, along with a post office, grocery store, and hardware store that seem to reflect the smallness of ourit as well as the more laid back lifestyle. There isn't a single stoplight to be found, and most days the only light traffic that occurs is when the local school bus drives through town to drop off the kids from school.

The cabins in Crestline Village are usually smaller as far as square footage goes, with many that have been added onto at some point in the past. It's not surprising to walk through a Village house and wonder what the previous owners were thinking when they built it or added onto it! Due to the nature of these cabins being as old as some of them are, many have not been updated at all as far as current building standards and codes, and some do need work. I have seen cabins in the village that were partially built onto a pile of local rocks that were mortared together to make up the foundation. Many do not have a true foundation of a concrete slab, and are built on a pier and post constructions, with partial masonry or the ever favorite pile of rocks.

Since there was no such thing as central airback in the day, most homes up here do not have air conditioning. Nor do you really need it here in Crestline and elsewhere on the mountain if you have nice windows that you can leave open, with some ceiling fans and maybe a fan in the window to create a lovely cross breeze. In the summertime, our temperatures are mostly 20 degrees cooler than elsewhere in the Inland Empire and Orange county. It is a pleasure to come up where it's always cooler!

As far as heating, these cabins have wood burning stoves or regular brick or rock fireplaces, and many have been updated to include gas furnaces. With winter temperatures dipping into the teens on the coldest winters, you need to make sure your Crestline Cabin has a good heat source, and if it's an older cabin, plenty of insulation and other upgrades like dual pane windows and weatherstripping. It's important to make sure your heat stays in your home! Our cabin didn't have a lick of insulation when we first bought it, and our first winter gas bills were in the high $200 range for a 960 square foot home! The very next summer we insulated the basement and have saved literally hundreds of dollars in only one season!

Speaking of basements, many Crestline Village cabins have a basement or a build up. The difference is that a basement is finished off into a usable space, usually accessible from the interior of the home. A build up is just the space beneath the cabin, and is usually a dirt floor used for storage. MAKE SURE THIS SPACE IS ALWAYS INSULATED. You lose a ton of heat into the underside of your cabin if you do not. Obviously a finished basement that can be used as extra living space will add money to your home.

Crestline Village living is very simple, but we have everything here for the full-timer or part-timer. There is a grocery store called Goodwins that has been serving the community for decades. We have a bowling alley that serves great pizza and buffalo chicken wings and is fun to go to on a Friday, or any evening! The alley just opened up a Subway also, which has been very busy! We have a lot of really neat antique stores that I've got a lot of my furniture from, as well as an excellent used book store. There are various business, CPA, attorney, real estate, tanning salon, deli, and several very good restaurants.

I have never had a bad meal here in Crestline Villageat any of the restaurants. They are all really good! We have a Mexican food place called Cocina de Tony's that has a great outdoor lakeview seating area, several American-style diners: Crestline Cafe, Loose Caboose, and Hungry Bear Restaurant, a Chinese food restaurant called Mandarin Gardens, an Italian restaurant called Francescos, The A Burger which makes great burgers and shakes, a Round Table Pizza, and two fast food places Subway and McDonalds. There are two coffee shops, Paradise Coffe and Lake Gregory Coffee Co. The latter during the summertime has their Al Fresco Fridays where they have good happy hour style food and you can grab a cold beer, glass of wine or coffee beverage. It's nice to sit outside and people watch!

This is only part one. Crestline Village is a small town, but our simple way of life up here has more to offer! Make sure you look for part 2!

And as always if you are looking for more information or would like lists of homes that are available for sale here in Crestline and Crestline Village, please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com or call! Please also visit my websites at www.HomesForSaleinCrestline.com and www.CrestlineForeclosures.com.

Take care and God bless!

Amy

ALL IMAGES SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT BY AMY STEELE AND MAY NOT BE USED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

San Moritz Homes and Lodge in Crestline, CA by Lake Gregory

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:19:46 -0500

San Moritz homes in Crestline, Ca are the homes and area right around the beautiful Lake Gregory. The homes of San Moritz began as the exclusive area of Crestline where you were a member of the beautiful San Moritz Lodge, with the ability to utilize the facility and be considered a San Moritz property owner.

The Club San Moritz was incorporated in 1939 with the purpose of promoting "art, amusements and entertainment; to provide club accomodations; to promote physical and social welfare of members and their families and guests; to bring together, unite and cement friendships and fraternal associations among such persons as may be admitted to membership therein."(Moritz Yodeler, November 1955, from the walls of the San Moritz lodge).

At the time in the early 50s, owning a piece of San Moritz was the "in" thing to do. You were able to brag to your friends about having a vacation cabin in the exclusive San Moritz area of Crestline. Your membership in the club allowed you to use the facilities without charge. They had dancing, volleyball, croquet, fishing, shuffleboard, beach swimming, tennis, boating, ping-pong, horseshoes, bridge, canasta, checkers, chess, chinese checkers, tetherball, movies, picnic grounds, swings and teeter-totters(Moritz Yodeler, November 1955, from the walls of the San Moritz lodge).

The lodge is a county run facility, and for reservations of the lodge for weddings, reunions, and other functions, visit here.

The lodge is simply beautiful, and as you walk into the foyer you feel and smell the history of the mountains. You can hear the ghosts of the music and dancing and laughter of all the parties and shindigs that the San Moritz lodge has hosted. THe picture below shows the predecessor to the lodge and Lake Gregory. The clubhouse was renovated into the San Moritz lodge, and Lake Gregory was made much bigger, and in 1938 was filled in 3 days with the worst winter weather ever on record at that time.

Lake Gregory is a San Bernardino County park, open to the public for fishing, boating(rentals of rowboats only),swimming, barbequeing, hiking, horseshoes and now with it's very own Crestline Dog Park, which opened in June of 2009. The Lake Gregory park is over 150 acres and is open year round. The boat house is only open from the last weekend of April until the third weekend of October. The swim beach generally opens Memorial day weekend and closes Labor Day weekend. For the fees associated with Lake Gregory, visit here.

There are many homes that are available in the San Moritz subdivision. They range in price from under $100,000 upwards of $400,000, depending on the home, the view, the age, and of course the condition of the home. With an active REO market, cabins in this area of Crestline are more attainable to folks looking to purchase a cabin or home for vacation or full time living. To be placed on an email list of all homes available in the San Moritz area, please email me at steeleofalifetime@gmail.com. Make sure you put in your email that you are interested in the San Moritz subdivision, the minimum number of bedrooms and baths you'd like, the max price, and if you're willing to take on a fixer or prefer minimal work or turnkey!

Please visit my websites for Crestline, www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com and www.CrestlineForeclosures.com

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHTED BY AMY STEELE, AND CANNOT BE USED IN ANY MANNER.

Lake Arrowhead Rotary Art and Wine Festival this weekend!

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:18:03 -0500

Come out to the Lake Arrowhead Art and Wine festival this weekend at the Tavern Bay beach club! Enjoy wine,beer and art from our community, along with some great food. The weather has been nice and sunny, and I think that summertime is actually here to stay now! This is a great kickoff to summer, and a great time will be had by all.

Festivities begin Saturday June 20 from 10am until 7pm, and Sunday(Father's Day) June 21 from 11 am until 4pm.

For those of you who would like some special treatment, purchase your VIP tickets and relax in style on the special VIP patio built especially for this event! Those tickets can be purchased here http://lakearrowheadrotary.net/html/art_wine_tickets.htm . VIP for Saturday is $50 now, $60 at the door, and $40 for Sunday at the above link or $50 at the door. VIPs get admission to both days (June 21 & 22)
Admission to VIP Patio on either Saturday or Sunday
Limited Edition VIP Patio Art & Wine Festival Wine Glass
6 Wine Tastings (additional tastings may be purchased)
Appetizers
One Entry into our Opportunity Drawing
Shuttle between Tavern Bay and Lake Arrowhead Village
Free Parking

How's that for living the Lake Arrowhead lifestyle! (http://www.TheLakeArrowheadLifestyle.com)

Hope to see you there! Have a blessed weekend,

Amy

(951) 378-4570
www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com

DRE Lic# 01492418

Wordless Wednesday--Lake Arrowhead Village

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:02:08 -0500

This picture is one that I took the other day in the Lake Arrowhead Village, and then photoshopped it when I was bored one day. I was meeting a friend for breakfast at the OH SO FABULOUS Belgian Waffle Bakery. The day was foggy and misty, but the sun was trying to peek through. The sun eventually came out and cleared up directly over the lake, and you could watch the fog coming up over the ridge of trees. Very cool looking and very Twilight-esqe as my husband and I now call that kind of weather! That boat is the Arrowhead Queen, available for tours of the beautfiul lake!

If you ever make it to Lake Arrowhead, definitely go eat at the Belgian Waffle Bakery. They have other food besides waffles, but man, what they can do with a waffle is awesome! I had the Peach-Melba belgian, which has sliced peaches and is covered with raspberry sauce and whip cream. Drizzle regular syrup over it and order aside of sausage. Breakfast of Champions fo Realtor Amy Steele!!!

Take care and have a blessed day!

Amy

www.HomesForSaleInCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com
www.LakeArrowheadVillas.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com

DRE Lic# 01492418

Banks EXEMPT from RESPA?

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:58:53 -0500

I have been seeing for a while that banks are allowed to force buyers to use the title and escrow companies that the banks have special financial deals with. It's just something that has become commonplace now with this market. They are making buyer's pay for it too, by not allowing closing costs help, or paying for it since they're demanding it, or by choosing a buyer who will pony up and pay.

I also had a listing agent tell me that a buyer that put an offer on a particular house has to use a direct lender, they couldn't use a mortgage broker. So even though the buyer's are super qualified and more than able to afford the home(after cross-qualifying, as required by the bank) the bank can still demand that the buyer use their own lender of choice or force the buyer to use a direct lender despite the cross-qualification? Agan, isn't that coercion? Isn't that illegal?

However, if this was a normal seller, the buyer could file a RESPA complaint that the seller is coercing them to use a title and escrow company that they have not negotiated. Why is it that banks are exempt from RESPA? Is this actually protecting the consumer?

I have a lender that has taken this the the California Attorney General's office. He said that they basically laughed at him. How is it that our own attorney general's office doesn't care about the consumer?

Seriously though, what is one mortgage broker or one buyer going to do? They can't hire a lawyer. Banks have lawyers on standby that make hundreds of thousands a year(if not more) and a buyer is going to hire an attorney that makes $300 an hour? There would be no resolution.

So what are your thoughts out there? Why is it that banks are allowed to get away wiith so much in this mess?

NEW HOUSE BILL VOTED ON TO END THE DEPARTMENT OF RE!!!!!!

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:37:20 -0500

From California Association of Realtors Legislative liasion Amy Steele.

ATTN: ALL CALIFORNIA REALTORS

THERE IS A BILL BEING VOTED ON IN OUR LEGISLATURE TO ABOLISH THE DRE. Below is the text of the legislative alert. You all need to immediately email or contact all representatives at the House and Senate levels here in California to voice your extreme opposition to doing away with our livelihood. It seems that this is a way of trying to get banks back into real estate. I would also recommend emailing and flooding the office of the congressman who drafted this bill. The congressman is Pedro Nava, and his website with contact information is http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a35/Legislation/default.aspx

"Bill to Abolish the DRE Voted on in Assembly Committee

AB 33 (Nava), which C.A.R. opposes, was approved yesterday in the Assembly Banking Committee. This bill would abolish the Department of Real Estate, the Department of Corporations, the Department of Financial Institutions, and the Office of Real Estate Appraisers. AB 33 proposes to transfer the powers, duties, purposes, jurisdiction and responsibilities those departments to the Department of Financial Services, which would be a newly created overarching department. C.A.R. opposes AB 33 because the function of a real estate licensee is not to provide financial services, but to list and show houses for sale, sell or manage investment properties and raw land, and manage and oversee residential rental properties. Real estate licensees, regulated by the DRE, should not be blended in with the banks, credit unions, consumer finance lenders, residential mortgage lenders and pawnbrokers because, unlike these other licensees, real estate licensees are individually licensed agents that have a fiduciary agency relationship with their clients."

I urge you to call, fax, email, etc your representatives, as well as this congressman's office to voice your opposition.

Amy Steele

The Rubber Ducky Derby is coming to Crestline!

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:59:38 -0500

It's the Crestline Rubber Ducky Derby!!!!

Adopt a duck and send it on a wild race across Lake Gregory here in Crestline! Fun for the entire family!

It's been so beautiful here in Crestline that a day at the lake would be a wonderful way to spend an Easter weekend!

Sat April 11th, right after the FREE Easter Egg hunt for kids 12 and under. The Easter egg hunt starts at 11am sharp at the South Shore of Lake Gregory.

Adopt your own ducky for $3 a duck, or $10 for a whole family of four ducks. The first ducky across the lake wins up to $500! There are other prizes and cash prizes for winning ducks.

Come on out and meet the Easter Bunny and Gregory the Duck!

You don't have to be present to win, but you'd miss out on the fun!

This event is sponsored by the Boys and Girls club of the mountain communities, and various private donors from the community. Hope you can make it up here for the beautiful weekend!

New Proposed Tax On Commissions.

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:12:52 -0500

If it will happen in Ct, it can happen in Cali. We need to all step up(any professional and citizen) and stop this from happening. We need to contact our elected officials and demand they do the job of protecting US as a citizenry instead of only the people at the top (why millionnaires who ran their companies into the ground are getting bailed out by me doesn't make sense when the small businesses I see everyday go out of business aren't). These millionnaires will never have to worry about money for the rest of their lives, yet the people that work for them will since they're getting laid off. THis bleeding of middle American needs to stop.

Via George Souto (McCue Mortgage) FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages CT.:

I spent Wednesday morning in Hartford for Realtor Day At the Capitol, where we were given details on issues that we should consider supporting, and issues that we need to come out enforce against. I plan on covering a couple of the issues that we need to strongly oppose, and one that should be supported. I will start with the one that probably ticked me off the most House Bill HB 6349, and cover the other two in their own posts.

It was no surprise to learn that Connecticut like a lot of other States is hurting for money right now. It was also no surprise that our State Legislators are trying to come up with creative of ways of coming up with the money to meet their budget, instead of making tough decisions to cut back on spending. As a result the minds of of our State Legislators have been working over time on how to dig deeper into our pockets to make up their budget shortfall.

This year they might even be out doing themselves in their creativity. It seems that taxing our income at both the Federal and State level is not enough, so they have figured out a third way to tax our income directly through a so called tax on "Professional Services". In the Real Estate Industry this would include Realtors Commissions, Appraisals, Insurance, and Home Inspections, and it would work sort of like the State Sales Tax.

Connecticut currently has a 6% sales tax on almost all goods purchased. Sales taxes as most of us know are paid at the point of sale, and are a result of us making a conscious voluntary decision to purchase an item that we desire, if we choose not to purchase we do not pay. Now some genius at the State Capitol may make the argument that this new proposed tax is also a result of us making a voluntary conscious decision, but there would be one major problem with that. This decision would be made out of a need to work, so that we can buy food, and pay our financial obligations. This decision would result in a 6% tax on top of the income taxes that we are already paying. Also this tax unlike the sales tax which is paid by the person receiving the product, would be paid by the person providing the services.

If this tax is enacted, upon the sale of a house Realtors will be taxed a 6% sales tax on their commission on top of the Federal and State Income Taxes that they are already paying. The same would hold true for the Appraiser, Home Inspector, and so on down the line. I don't know about you, but this is triple taxation to me, and highly questionable.

Now this tax is not just restricted to the Real Estate Industry, but to all who will fall under the definition (which is not really known yet) of "Professional Services". Anyone who feels that all those Realtors out there that make a boat load of money anyway should be taxed as much as possible, need to stop and think for a minute, what if the State decides to include what you do in their definition of "Professional Services"? Remember they have not fully define what "Professional Services" is.

This is a BAD tax for a whole host of reasons, and everyone in Connecticut needs to get on the phone with their State Legislators, and tell them what a bad idea this is. House Bill HB 6349 needs to be voted down, but it will not be voted down unless we make those at the State Capitol know that we know what they are doing, and don't like it.

Getting Disclosures from Sellers in Foreclosure

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:08:16 -0500

Good afternoon. It is such a lovely spring day here in Crestline, Ca, with temperatures at about 65 degrees, with a cool mountain breeze. I am finally able to wear short capri pants, which I am pleased to say are fitting much better this spring than last summer. Kudos to me for my commitment to working out every morning before work at 6AM. I am just thankful that I CAN workout again, since I separated my shoulder last summer, I couldn't for months. Watching all of my hard work turning against me.

This post is about hard work too, I suppose. Most listing agents get their clients to fill out the proper mandated disclosures at the time of taking a listing, or at least within the first week of taking the listing, so that the seller's can make sure they've taken the time to remember everything they need to disclose. A listing agent also should read through these disclosures in order to make sure they are properly filled out, all Xs crossed and items explained fully in order to protect themselves as well as their clients during an escrow.

These pages and pages of disclosures are then placed in a file, and forgotten until escrow is opened and a buyer is allowed to read and must sign that they have. These disclosures may be the thing that causes a buyer to want to continue with the purchase, or to cancel the escrow.

When a seller loses their home to foreclosure,these papers are still in existence. They are archived away in each broker's files for saving as required by law for X amount of years until they can be destroyed. I think that after doing this work, and knowing all about the property, that these forms should either be submitted to the bank that is foreclosing, or maybe even given to the new listing agent so that any future buyers will know what, if anything, is wrong with the home. I think that this would be a great way to keep banks accountable, if they have the disclosures from the previous owner, and the buyer would then have more information about the home. Sellers are required to disclose all things previously known to them. The disclosures they had signed when they bought the home from someone else.

Would this be feasible? Is this even an idea that would work? It would take that one thing though: cooperation-and-hard-work. OK, TWO things...

Curious to know what you all think,

Amy Steele

San Moritz Lodge: For the love of photoshop!!!!

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:43:04 -0500

This is the San Moritz lodge in Crestline, by Lake Gregory. I just kept messing with the colors and filters until this is what happened. I really would like to take a class at a local college so that I can learn the program fully instead of just making many happy accidents. Here's the original photo.

And here's what I did to make it look like old summertime photo from the heyday.

I love photographing the lodge. It's a neat piece of the history up here, and nestled in the trees next to the lake, I've taken some great pictures of the lodge and the area. There are some fabulous pines that grow along the lodge grounds that are so tall you can't see the tops if you are standing underneath them.

It's Healthy to Continue to Keep Banks OUT of Real Estate

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:41:19 -0600

I am sure that there are going to be numerous opinions on all sides of this issue, as it has been in and out of the fore since 2003. Per the National Association of Realtors daily news email, it's again coming into the light since CA senator Barbara Boxer and NC senator Richard Burr have introduced legislation to keep banks out of real estate PERMANENTLY.

I am in full agreement with keeping banks out of real estate, and not just from a non-competition aspect. Obviously a huge bank would be a one-stop shop for a consumer, which many might see as a good thing, but I believe it would make it so that Realtors can not compete with them. Can you imagine having an agent that is a bank employee, probably making an hourly wage or a salary? How is that agent going to truly work for their client when they get paid on that kind of basis? They forget about their client when the day is done and the clock stops, much the same as they do now when they leave for the day with millions of people trying to get help from them to avoid losing their homes.

I know there are many many many of you who have been on hold with a bank for over an hour trying to workout a short sale or a loan workout for a client who is in tears and severe emotional distress because they are trying not to lose everything they have. How frustrating is it to deal with these banks NOW in this severe time of crisis? Can you imagine if they became huge conglomerate real estate franchises? <<<<SHIVER OF HORROR>>>>

It's horrible. You very rarely get someone who cares, and since they are an employee of the bank they are going to do what's best for the bank and not the client. I've heard where asset managers have threatened to stop a short sale or any sale because of tiny little glitches in escrows, such as a problem with a stove or missing microwave. Things that are easily fixed in the grand scheme of things, but they don't give a moment's thought to being patient since they don't care about the client, only the bank.

I've had asset managers refuse to accept a strong offer that is TRULY IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST because the manager (from Texas)thinks that if they refuse the offer and foreclose they can get more money,

despite the fact that there were no offers on the property in the 3 months leading up to the trustee's sale
and that the numerous comparables and MY LOCAL AREA EXPERTISE show them that they would not lose as much money( a paltry $40,000) instead of the $80-100K that is costs a bank to foreclose on top of the amount they would lose because once a house goes to foreclosure, they are guaranteed to lose even market value since the stigma of REO is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!
So this one example: listed at $179,000. Offer for $171,000 with one week before the trustees sale. Asset manager refused to accept the offer, house went to auction block, of course it didn't sell, and then bank took it back. Came back on the market for $195,000(I laughed). 7 months later, it is STILL on the market and the bank has it listed for $120,792.

SO TELL ME HOW IS THIS KIND OF BUSINESS/BEHAVOIR GOING TO BE GOOD FOR NOT ONLY OUR ECONOMY BUT THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL?

The bank refused to listen to a local REALTOR that knows the area, that provided comps to back up the offer, and that was trying to save everyone money and heartache. Do you think that the bank cares though, especially now that they are getting bailouts from the government? Oh yeah, money that is of course shifted back to the American taxpayer so we have to pay for this mess twice? So how are they going to care about the consumer if they succeeded in a bid to get into real estate?

MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE YES ON KEEPING BANKS OUT OF REAL ESTATE PERMANENTLY. Charle McMillian, president of NAR has this to say about the legislation:

"Imagine how much worse the crisis in the financial sector and our overall economy would be if banks had been permitted to enter into commercial activities such as real estate," McMillan said. "We hope that Congress will work quickly to close any loopholes and pass laws that maintain the separation of banking and real estate and protect our nation's economy from unnecessary and avoidable risks."

Amen.

Amy Steele

www.HomesforsaleinCrestline.com
www.TheLakeArrowheadWoods.com
www.CrestlineForeclsoures.com

Crestline's Top 7 Foreclosures for sale Under $100,000

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:11:57 -0600

Crestline is an awesome community for full time living, vacation homes, or for investment buying. We are a small community here in the San Bernardino mountains with our own historical Lake Gregory in downtown Crestline village.

Right now we have many homes for sale in Crestline, as well as the surrounding communities, that range from small fixers to nice homes. This particular list today is of the top 7 listings right now that are under $100,000 here in Crestline.

$59,900 1BR/1BA built in 1935, cozy(small), walking distance to Lake Gregory, nice deck for morning coffee.

$75,900 2BR/1BA built in 1925, close to the highway and easy drive down the hill. Nice lot.

$79,900 1BR/1BA built in 1945, walking distance to town and Lake Gregory. Very nice cabin and lot.

$84,900 2BR/2BA built in 1964, walking distance to town and Lake Gregory, good home for full time living,level parking.

$89,000 1BR/1BA built in 1930, walking distance to town, nice fixer that has been partially remodeled but maintains that original cabin charm.

$96,900 2BR/.75BA built in 1924, large lot with seasonal stream, tons of off street parking.

$99,900 2BR/1BA built in 1963, level parking and fenced yard, close to town and walking distance to Lake Gregory.

If you have any questions regarding these homes, or other homes for sale in Crestline, Lake Arrowhead and the surrounding communities, please let me know! These homes will sell quickly!

Amy Steele

(951) 378-4570
steeleofalifetime@gmail.com
www.HomesForSaleinCrestline.com
www.CrestlineForeclosures.com

Crestline Sunset, Autumn Time 2008

Amy Steele (Bibby Realty) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:57:59 -0600

This sunset picture I took from the Rim of the World highway(Highway 18) one evening in November. I was driving down the road from Twin Peaks after having a late lunch with a friend of mine (Misty Bolton of First American Title, great woman and selfless friend). I saw the sunset through the trees from Highway 189, and rushed as quickly as I could to the Rim with my camera at the ready. I made a left onto the highway and pulled off the road and snapped about 15 pictures with one camera...which then died! The batteries lost their juice(rechargable of course, since I used to use a pack of the expensive lithium batteries like every 3 weeks). It was a good thing I had my old digital camera with me, since I still needed to take more!!! I always take as many as I can when I see something I love, just in case I only get one really good one. Misty drove by me in the car as they went down the hill, and honked at me. She told me that I had to get her a picture since, it was really beautiful!

A storm had come through, and we got a little rain only, and so you could see the layer of clouds with the valley of San Bernardino below. The foreground just happened to be dark and made an interesting stratified composition.