Tony Card's Big Bear REO Blog: May 2008

Date:  May 22, 2008. 

Place: Big Bear Lake, CA

Event: Memorial Day Weekend

Weather:  80 degrees, Clear Blue Sky, Picture Perfect Weather

Wow, doesn't that sound nice?  In 2000, I moved to Big Bear Lake, CA over the Memorial Day weekend and that was what kind of weather I was welcomed to.  Blue Sky, warm weather, and the smell of pine in the air.  It's been like that every Memorial Day weekend since then, that is until this morning.

I awoke at 4:00 A.M. as is my usual habit, exercised on my treadmill, relaxed in my hot tub and finally walked outside at about 5:45 A.M.  I noticed something white fall rather close to where I was standing but didn't think anything of it.  It wasn't but a second later that I noticed more of these white flakes falling.  I looked up, scratched my head and kind of questioned myself about what I was seeing.  Is it really snowing the day before the Memorial Day Weekend was supposed to start?  Sure enough, it was!  While none of it is sticking, it is still snowing as I sit here and type this blog.  Folks that have been here for years don't look surprised as this has happened in the past, but not since I've lived in Big Bear.

Let's all hope that it blows out later on today and we get back to the wonderful weather that we've had here in Big Bear the past week or so.

Tony Card Big Bear Real Estate

ACORN opened on January 28th of 2008 and stands for Association of Community Organizations For Reform Now.  This particular organization is in the San Bernardino area and works will a lot of Hispanics and people who just don't know where else to turn.  On Thursdays, ACORN staff members offer appointments to homeowners who are facing foreclosure.  The services they provide are doing a comprehensive financial assessment, laying out their options, and initiating negotiations with finance companies to see if terms can be met that would allow the homeowner not to default on their loan.

ACORN has been able to help one in five of the people who walk through the door.  Once started, one or two couples would wonder in.  Now, six to eight couples show up every Thursday seeking help. 

One such couple with six kids bought a home in 2005 and had a payment of $1400.00 a month.  Did they read the contract?  Did they understand the contract? Did they really have any idea what they were agreeing too?  Probably not, but it doesn't matter.  Their payment jumped from $1400.00 a month to over $3500.00 a month.  This home owner had no idea it would happen and was shocked when he got his new bill with the reset price.  So many people bought their homes with adjustable rate loans and either didn't know they were adjustable rate loans, or didn't understand what the ARM was.

ACORN is just one of many orginzations that are out there to help.  While there are others who help as non profit groups,  other companies will help at a very high price!  If you find that you're payment has jumped up and you didn't know it was coming, call the lender and ask for help.  If you don't get any help from the lender, then seek out one of these organizations, such as ACORN and see what they can do to help you. 

In 1845 Benjamin Davis Wilson rode down from the south ridge through a dense pine forest and came upon a swamp.  The riders were looking for Indians who had been raiding cattle from the Southland Ranchos.  They didn't find any Indians, but they found the area to be alive with Grizzly Bears.  The young riders made a great sport out of teasing the angry bears.  After they killed eleven of the bears, Ben Benito Wilson named the area "Bear Valley".

In January of 1848 gold was discovered to the north of Bear Valley and that discovery was going to change Bear Valley ion ways no one could imagine.  Following the initial rush to the mother load in "49", miners began to spread out and search more distant areas for the yellow metal.

In 1855 enough miners were working at Bear lake that the state geologist came out to investigate.  What he found were several miners in the area recovering about $3.00 a day.  The state geologist noted that a shortage of water was slowing the mining operation.  In 1859, the Joe Caldwell group started mining activities in the valley.  Their placer mine was in a small canyon on the south end of what is now Stanfield Cut Off.  The miners called the area "Starvation Flats" and "Poverty Flats" because they were able to mine between $5.00 and $8.00 a day.

In the bitter winter of 1859, Bill Holcomb and his partner Jack Martin arrived.  These two men had been mining in Northern California for about ten years with little success.  After hearing about the Caoldwell Groups success, they figured it was time to go to "Bear Valley" and try mining for gold once again.  On May 3, 1860 Bill Holcomb and his friend Ben Chouteau headed out to prospect the new valley.  They loaded up some food, extra clothes, pick and shovels and headed out.  That evening, they stumbled upon a huge Grizzly Bear.  Bill Shot the bear but didn't kill it.  The next morning, while tracking the bear, they stumbled upon a quartz site and found gold in it.  They instantly forgot about the bear and started working the site.  The date was May 5, 1860, just ten years since leaving Indiana and heading to California.  The news spread quickly and by July of that year, the area was busy with newcomers as well as the locals working their claims.

Holcomb and Martin didn't do very well at mining for gold, but Bill Holcomb was a great shot with his rifle.  The meat that he brought in to the camp that bitter winter was most appreciated by his fellow miners.  The two men got discouraged mining for gold and Martin decided to return to Los Angeles to his family.  Holcomb decided to stay and wait for the bears to come out of hibernation.  Late in April, Bill Holcomb decided hunt some bear and stumbled upon beautiful valley.  He went back to camp and told everyone about it.  Holcomb decided to prospect the area and it was soon called Holcomb Valley. That name still stands today.

 In November 8th of 1860, Bill Holcomb married Nancy, the daughter of blacksmith, Jack Stewart and moved in to their new home.  The cabin pictured to the right is said to have been the Holcomb's cabin and it still stands to this day.  They settled into this small cabin with plenty of provisions.  This was a wise choice as it started to snow on November 15th and didn't stop until 15 feet of snow had fallen.  Bill and Nancy were snowed in for four months!  Bill and Nancy had their first daughter about 6 months later and named her Belle.  To celebrate, the town named their Town Belleville in celebration of the Holcomb's new child.

 By the spring of 1861, Bellesville was hustling.  New buildings were going up, the stage coach and found it's way in, bring much needed supplies and people.  With all of the people arriving, you know there had to be a few bad ones.  It wasn't long before crime became a major problem in Bellesville.  The good folks weren't safe day or night with the bullets flying 24 hours a day.  Law and order had to be restored.  With Bill Holcomb as the Justice of the Peace and Jack Wilson as the Constable, order was soon restored.  Order came at a price and those convicted of murder and serious crimes, such as horse theft were taken out to the Old Hangman's Tree and hung.

This is a picture taken in May 2008 of the Old Hangman's Tree.  According to the research that I have  done, somewhere between 40 and 50 men were hung from this tree.  After each "Necktie Party", the limb that was used for the hanging was cut down with the body, never to be used again.  If you would like to see this tree, it is on Forest road 3N05, just off of 3N16.

 This grave is known as the Ross Grave.  Little is known about Ross other than his name and that he was accidental killed while cutting down a tree.  Ross was buried on the spot.  What made this grave site unusual is that during those frantic days of gold fever, someone took the time to carve a picket fence to surround the grave.  The original picket fence is long gone and a replacement fence was built by volunteers in 1995.

 The picture below is what remains of Two Gun Bill's Saloon.  For many years strangers were told that this site was the famous saloon, dance hall, and bordello.  The white lie was repeated so often that even the locals began to believe it.  The truth is that the real Two Gun Bill's Saloon was due west 1.5 miles from this location.  It sat at what is now the intersection of 3N16 and 3N12.  The remains resting here are of a very big cabin that was occupied in the late 1930's.

Bill Van Deusen and his partner had found a large strike and were keeping it quite from their friends at the local saloon in Bellesville.  No one knew exactly where it was.  It was rumored that the strike was near his sturdy cabin.  Bill went missing and the town folk started a search for him.   He was found dead from a gunshot on the floor of his cabin.  Missing was the gold, pack animals, and his partner.  Neither the partner or the rich mine were ever found!

This is just a sliver of information about the history of the Big Bear Lake area.  Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Tony Card Big Bear Real Estate

I listed this property last night and couldn't wait to get the pictures taken and get it posted in all of the on line sites.  This is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath 900 square foot cabin that features a 2 car detached garage, concrete driveway, washer dryer hook ups, and is priced to sell!  At only $199,000.00, you can have this great home.  The roof was replaced about 6 years ago.  The street in front of the cabin is always one of the first streets plowed in Sugarloaf.

Please view the Virtual tour for a look at the interior.  If you have a client for this cabin or wish to discuss it with me, you can reach me at 909 229-5326 or tony@tonycard.com

Originaly posted on The Sugarloaf Blog 

Let's face it, there are For Sale By Owner signs every where you look.  I can't help but wonder why a home owner would try to sell, what is his or her largest investment without professional help.  It just doesn't make sense, does it? 

I called a for sale by owner property owner one day and was asking about the property and trying to find out why they were selling  as a for sale by owner.  The response from the property owner was amazing.  The response I got back was, "Why do I need an agent?  All I need is an offer that looks good to me.  Once I have that, we can take it to an escrow company and they'll handle everything!"  WOW! 

If that's all it takes, then what are all of those disclosures that we require our buyers and sellers to fill out?  If that's all there is to it, what was used to set the price?  Is the seller sure that the property is going to appraise? 

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why a buyer or seller should use a Realtor such as The Tim Wood Group when buying or selling a property.

People complain that a Realtoris being paid too much money when all he has to do is put the house in the MLS.  After all, once it's in the MLS, the home will sell itself, right?  WRONG!  The property must be priced right in order for the other agents in the valley to notice it.  In order to price the home correctly, your Realtor must know the inventory.  Not just what is currently listed, but what has sold in your neighborhood.  Knowing what isn't selling in your neighborhood and knowing why the property isn't selling is extremely important. 

Setting the price is just the first step.  Most for sale by owners in Big Bear put a sign in front of the house, waste their money on an advertisement in the local paper, and maybe, and I mean just maybe figure out that they can place the property on Craig's List.  That's a good start, but it really takes much more than that in marketing.  Craig's list is OK, but there are many more great Internet sites that the property needs to be listed besides the Multiple Listing Service.  Your Realtor is going to know the best places to market the property and he is not going to be wasting time and money advertising your home where it won't produce results.

You're Realtor has priced the property correctly, has done some great marketing, and now you have an offer.  As a for sale by owner, how many homes have you sold?  How many purchase contracts have you negotiated?  Some how, I would imagine that your Realtor has negotiated many purchase contracts and this is where his or her experience is going to shine.  He'll know what pitfalls to be looking out for and he'll make sure that your best interests are being covered.

In most cases, the buyer is going to want a home inspection and you can bet there will be a repair request after that.  As a for sale by owner, what are YOU going to do about it?  Do you as the for sale by owner know the two things that are required of the seller to sell a house in California?  How much experience do you have in negotiating the repair request?  Are you going to just say NO and lose the deal?  Are you going to do everything the buyer asks for because you are afraid to lose the deal?  If you had a Realtor representing you, he's going to have the experience to handle this and make sure that you only do what is necessary to keep the deal together and sell the house.

Disclosures are a big thing!  Knowing what disclosures are required and making sure that they are filled out is correctly is very important.  As a for sale by owner, you may not know what forms are required and what forms are going to protect you if you wind up in court over an issue with the house.  You can bet that your Realtor is going to know what forms to use.  He's also going to make sure that they are filled out correctly, protecting you in the event something comes up down the road and you end up before a judge.

As the seller, you may be paying 6% to sell your house in Big Bear.  Did you know that 3% of that money goes to the buyers side of the deal?  Don't you think that the 3% that you are paying your Realtor is well worth what he has done for you?  He's done the research, he knows the market so he knew what price to list your home so that it would sell in a buyers market.  Your Realtor knew where and how to market the home to give your home maximum exposure.  You're Realtor had the experience and knowledge to negotiate the offer once it arrived and got you the best price possible.  Your Realtor negotiated the repair request, made sure the escrow stayed on tract, worked with the lender, and made sure the deal closed on time.  Isn't that worth the 3% that you're going to pay? 

In the years that I've been selling real estate  I speak to a lot of clients who want a place in Big Bear.  They want to drive to their property, walk in and relax.  The last thing they want to do is shovel the snow berm that is frozen solid and blocking the driveway. 

That's when the idea of owning a condo in Big Bear Lake starts looking good.  Sure, you have to pay a HOA fee, but all of the outside issues are normally taken care of.  There are a number ofr complexes here in the Big Bear Valley.  If you want to be up against the ski slopes, there are two great locations to chose from.  If you like the water, there are a couple of great areas to look at as well.

The unit that I have listed, unit 101 at the Escape Complex is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit with just over 1000 sq feet of re modeled living space.  Please take the time to take a look at the Virtual Tour that I have put together for you if you're interested in this unit.  Currently, I have it priced at $259,900.00

Tony Card, Big Bear Real Estate

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog

201 Bernhardt is a 2 bedroom 1 bath home in Big Bear City, priced at $199,000.00  The seller has had the interior painted and replaced the carpet before putting the home on the market.

The home is 920 square feet and sits on a fenced 6800 square foot lot.  If you're looking for summer sports, Big Bear Lake is only 3 ,iles away.  If it's the ski slopes that bring you to Big Bear, you can be at Bear Mountain in just over 5 minutes!  Access to Redlands or for that matter, anywhere down the hill is easy as this home is located just off of Hwy 38.

The 2 car attached garage is a big plus, especially in the winter when the snow is falling.  Imagine the car full of kids, groceries and everything you need for a relaxing weekend, only to arrive in the middle of a large snow storm.  Simply pull into the garage and enter the house from the side door.

If this home isn't what you're looking for, check in with me and tell me what you're looking for.  As a member of the Multiple Listing Service, I can show you any home in the Big Bear Valley.  You can always reach me on my cell phone, 909 229-5326 or by email, tony@tonycard.com

Tony Card Big Bear Real Estate

Originaly posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog 

If you're looking for a larger home that is close to Highway 38 for that quick trip to Redlands, yet priced with in reason, then this home just might be the ticket.

230 Vista Street is one of those unique homes that stands out as more of a home than cabin.  It was originally a 3 bedroom 2 bath home and could very easily be  changed back to that configuration.  The current owner converted the bedroom upstairs into a large office for both him and his wife.  Being a reverse floor plan, this home came with one bedroom upstairs, just off from the living room and the other two bedrooms down stairs.

The home is 1668 square feet and sits on a 7125 square foot lot.  The two car garage is extra deep, has been repainted and has garage door openers with exterior remote keypads.  You have a covered deck between the house and garage where the jacuzzi currently sits.

The property has plenty of room for R.V. parking and it also features full R.V. hook ups.  The street is paved and maintained which means that when the snow falls, you're street is going to be plowed. (a big plus)

 As you will see from the virtual tour, the home has been remodeled.  The kitchen was designed as a user friendly kitchen.  The island was added for extra eating space.  Lighting is very important in the kitchen and you'll find plenty of it.  New ceiling fans with light kits were installed.  New Pendent lighting was installed as well as under cabinet lighting. All new appliances, new granite counter tops, plenty of lighting and a large walk in pantry.

The living room is large and it all centers around the large fireplace..  The staircase was re built with oak stair treads and risers.and features oak cap rails.  The living room was wired for surround sound, freshly painted and a new ceiling fan was added.

The master bedroom now features two closets, fresh paint, decorative lighting fixture mountain motif, and a new ceiling fan with lighting.

I could go on and on about this place but I'll stop here.  If you have an y questions, please email me at tony@tonycard.com or call me at 909 229-5326

The home is priced at $399,900.00 

727 Victoria Lane is another fine property in Sugraloaf that is currently on the market.  This is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath home that has been remodeled recently.  The 1024 square feet of the interior has been remodeled and is very clean!

Don't let the outside fool you.  This baby might not have the best curb appeal but the interior will blow your mind!.  The home features 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, over 1000 square feet, has a 2 car detached garage and sits on over 9000 square feet of land.  All this for $249,000.00 (subject to bank approval)

Please feel free to contact me by email or phone (909) 229-5326 with any questions

Tony Card Big Bear Real Estate

Originally Posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog

728 Sunset lane in Sugarloaf, Ca has just been REDUCED in price from $129,000.00 to $109,000.00.

This sweet little cabin is 608 square feet, features two bedrooms and one bath and sits on a fenced 25 X 100 foot lot.  In just a short block and a half walk, you're at the national forest where there are plenty of walking trails.

As you can see from the virtual tour, the cabin is very rustic and you have plenty of trees all around you.  Enjoy the cold snowy winter with a fire roaring in the fireplace.

The seller says told me to reduce the price from $129,000.00 to $109,000.00 and get it sold!

Please give me a call at 909 229-5326 or email me at tony@tonycard.com for more information on this cabin or any other cabin in the Big Bear Valley

Tony Card, Big Bear Real Estate

In January, I posted a blog article telling you about the "Move a Million Miles For Ryan Hall" challenge that the Lighthouse Project is sponsoring.  For those of you that don't know, Ryan Hall was born and raised in Big Bear Lake and he has earned a spot on the US Olympic team as a marathon runner.  The Lighthouse project thought that there would be no better way for the community to show its support for Ryan than for us to move a million miles.  Walking, riding,  jogging, it all counts and the goal is to send Ryan off to China knowing that the community of Big Bear has moved a million miles in support of his efforts.

It's now May 2nd and I wanted to provide you with an update on how things have gone so far.  To date, 1251 people have been involved.  The age groups have been remarkable.  Children under the age of 13 have logged in 889 miles and men and women over the age of 70 have logged in over 1200 miles!  The 1251 people have logged a total of 97,024 miles so far.  We have 113 days remaining before Ryan heads off to China. For us to reach our goal and send Ryan off to China knowing that Big Bear had moved a million miles in support of his efforts, each participant would need to commit to 6 miles a day, every day.

A little about Ryan Hall

• He is an exceptional athlete who will be representing the USA in the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, China.
• He is the fastest American-born marathoner EVER.
• He is the US record-holder in the 20 km and half-marathon.
• At age 25 he already has an impressive list of victories, including: 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon champion; 2007 U.S. Half-Marathon champion; 2006 USA Cross Country champion; 2005 NCAA 5,000m champion; 3-time NCAA Cross Country All-American.
• Reigning Olympic Marathon champion Stefano Baldini has heralded Ryan as "the future" of the Marathon.
• He was born and grew up in Big Bear Lake, CA.

With all of the excitement of one of our local's going to China to represent the United States in the Olympics, Big Bear is also getting ready to host its first marathon.  The marathon is set for Saturday, September 6, 2008 and is going to be limited to 5000 runners. 

For more information on this event or to register, please go to www.active.com

Tony Card Big Bear Real Estate

It's hard to imagine that it's May 1st already.  The first four months have really flown by.  The Real Estate market in Big Bear has been very interesting too.  This is my 5th year in the business and things have really changed from the market that I started in.  

2003 is when I started selling Real Estate in Big Bear. There were so many buyers that you would show the top 3 to 5 properties, close the deal get back to the office as soon as possible to be ready for the next client.   It was not unusual for me to have three or four appointments on a Saturday and the same on Sunday.  I'd walk in at the end of the day, after writing three offers and have two offers submitted on some of my listings.  When asked about real estate, I would tell people that selling real estate in Big Bear was similar to fishing, with one big exception.  Back in the day, all you had to do was launch your boat into the waters of Big Bear Lake and the fish would just jump in. 

Things aren't like that now.  If we use the same fishing analogy, you now have to get the fishing pole out, bait the hook and drop your line into the water. Once that is done, then you had better hope that your bait stands out as being the best bait out there.  You had better be sure that the bait is the most attractive bait and you had better hope that the fish go after your bait!

Now that may sound crazy but it really isn't.  There are a lot of homes for sale in Big Bear.  What is going to make your home stand out so that it sells?  Is it going to be the location?  How does your house look compared to the other homes on your street?  Does it stand out as being clean, with a neat and trim yard?  Or is grandpas broken down Desoto still sitting there in the same place that it was when it threw that rod through the engine block!  How's the interior?  Is the interior clean and inviting?  The last thing that you want as the seller is for someone to walk in to a house that looks or smells dirty.  I've walked into homes that have a heavy scent and the first thing I wonder is what they are trying to cover up.  If I am thinking this, then what are the potential clients thinking?   

OK. The house is clean, the yards look great and the cabin has good curb appeal. How's well is the house priced?  Does your home stand out as being the best value in comparison to similar homes on the market?  In order to get the buyers in to your home in Big Bear, it must stand out as being a great value.  If it's over priced, then it will just sit on the market and you will soon learn that you're the highest bidder on your own home.

Whenever I list a cabin in Big Bear, I stress that the listing and sale of the house is going to be a team effort.  There are things that you as the seller need to do and there are things that I need to do.  As the seller, you need to have a presentable house, both inside and out.  It needs to easily accessible, and most important, it needs to be priced right.  If you, as the seller do these things, then your home is going to stand out with the marketing that we do and together, we will get the home sold.