Is this a good time to sell my house?

If I had a buck for each time I was asked that question,  I'd be lookin' at an early retirement.  It's a simple question, but the answer never is.

The best answer I can initially provide isn't actually an answer at all.  I need to start by asking another seemingly simple question: "Why do you want to sell?"

Strategically asking guiding questions in order to arrive at the sellers' motivating factors is the first best thing I can do for my clients.

Follow this real-life example taken from a recent interaction at an open house:

• Me - So you're looking to sell your home.  Is it your primary residence?
• Client - Yes it is.
• Me - If you list you home for sale right now, is your intention to find another home locally, or are you moving out of the area? 
• Client - We would like to buy another home in a nearby community.
• Me - Are you looking for something bigger? Smaller?  Something similar, but in  a different neighborhood?  Ideally, where would you like to be?
• Client - Well, our kids have all moved out, at least for now, so we'd like to downsize a bit and simplify our lives.  We like the south side of Redlands.
• Me -  Hmmm.  South side?  Are you looking toward a vintage/turn of the century style home?  If so, I'm not certain that those homes would actually result in 'simplifying' your life.  Downsizing, yes.  But many of those homes were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and some will require substantial restoration efforts which can be both costly and time consuming.  
• Client - Exactly!  That's what we're hoping to find.  My husband is quite the handyman and we'd love the opportunity to restore one of the old Victorian style homes in that area.  It's really been a dream of ours for what seems like forever!
• Me - OK, now we're getting somewhere.  So if I found you the right place in Redlands; a place you could restore and bring back some its original charm, would you want to live in the home during the restoration process?
• Client - Well...not ideally, I guess. Now that you mention it, it might not be very convenient living there when we're ripping the place apart!
• Me - Do you have the means to purchase and restore this new property without having to sell your primary residence?  If so, living in your current home while you're restoring your new property would ensure both a quicker restoration time-frame as well as a more comfortable one!  If at all possible, I'd suggest holding off on selling your current home (Yes, I advised a prospective client NOT to list their home for sale) until you're about 6 to 8 weeks out from moving into the home you're going to restore!  This strategy leaves you the option to sell your primary residence... a) when you're ready to. b) when you can capitalize on an expanding market. or c) if you find that you need proceeds from the sale of the home in order to continue restoration of your new property. Does holding off on listing your current home sound like a plan that you guys could work with, or would you be more comfortable wrapping up one property before you start on another?  Either option is OK with me.

Note the subtle underlying message that I believe shines a light on my commitment to my clients best interest before mine: a characteristic not typically seen within the real estate industry.  In this example, I actually advised my clients to postpone the sale of their primary residence.  I'm postponing my own income; actually foregoing guaranteed income, with faith that by best serving my clients, I'll earn more in the long run, and sleep better in the process.

Here are a few other questions that I might ask in order to answer the "simple" question, "Is this a good time to buy or sell a house?"

• Will you be replacing your home with another or are you simply selling off an asset?
• Are you looking to up-size or down-size?
• Are you leaving the area?  If so...where are you going?
• Is your home a rental property? If so, have you considered a 1031 tax deferred exchange?
• Do you have positive equity in your property?  If so...how much?
• If you owe more than the value of your home, have you endured a hardship that would qualify you for a short-sale or short-pay transaction?
• Are you going to sell no matter what, or will you only sell if you receive a certain price or certain net proceed/profit?
• If you need to receive a certain price level, are you prepared to put in the time, effort, and/or funds necessary to fetch the very highest price for your home?
• If you're looking to buy an "income property" or "Lease/Rental property," have you been a landlord already?  If not, do you qualify to hold both mortgages without the consideration of possible lease income?

After we have answers to the questions above, we'll need to collect market data sufficient to get a clear and accurate understanding about short term and long term local market trends.

Click on the image for an up-close look at market trends.  You can see that, in Yucaipa, the median home price for a single family home was the same in August of 2010 as it was in August of 2015, If I had a crystal ball I'd have bought in September of 2011 and sold in February of 2014!  Where do you think the market is going now? Will it continue down as it has in the short run, or will it turn back up following the longer term trend over the past 6 years?

A "good" time to sell is a direct function of these trends.  Local market trends are virtually never what you hear on your local news channel.  In fact, not long ago I saw the Northern California market show a 24% decrease in median home prices while another market only 16 miles away increased by nearly 1%.  Your national or local news can't possibly accurately report on each individual market's condition, but your local area Realtor can.

Although the video below has time sensitive market information, the spirit of the underlying question is addressed in a more practical way than relying solely on the numbers.

I hope you took something helpful away from this post.  If you have a question that you'd like to see answered on this blog or in a video, please drop me a line and let me know.  If you're curious...you can bet there are many more who are wondering the same thing!

Thanks in advance for remembering my name when the topic of Real Estate comes up in conversation.  If you're local , just remember Andy@LoisLauer.Com I'm always here to help.  

My business thrives by word of mouth.  If you appreciate the information provided on my blog, please share this post on your favorite social media sites, and with anyone you feel could use my service.

Until next time.

Andy Blasquez  Cell ~ 909.539.3292
BRE#01826135
Please follow and share at YucaipaRealEstateTrends on Facebook
E-mail me on Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com

How much do I have to put down to buy a house?

Trying to get your foot in the door…literally?

If you're tired of paying rent; tired of paying so much in taxes; tired of paying someone else’s house payment…let’s get you a place of your own.  With that goal in mind, the process so often starts with the same question: "How much do I need to put down? What can I do now? I can't save $50,000-$90,000 for a 20% downpayment!"

Well, even if your wallet is empty, you may have enough to put down on a house of your own.  How much do you have to put down if you want to buy a house? That depends on countless factors, but the real answer is...20%, 10%, 5%, 3.5%...or...yes, even nothing down. 

“But aren't these Zero-Down programs a just a gimmick to get me to buy?”  

No.  Absolutely not.  

• There are communities; in fact there are entire towns that that fall under USDA guidelines, with 0% down financing available.  
• FHA loans allow for a seller to credit buyers up to 6% toward closing costs.
• VA loans allow for up to 4% seller's credit, but will loan up to 100% of your new home's value. 

True story.  The first time that I looked into buying a house I learned pretty quickly that I just wasn't going to be able to make it happen...

...until...

...I talked to a Realtor.  The agent that I met with put me in touch with a lender whom I learned that I could trust. I put my faith in the experts; my agent and my lender, and before I knew it...I was moving in!

Looking back, the only thing I regret is that I didn't do it earlier.

Our first home. Oakley, CA 2004

I ended up writing a full price offer, allowing the seller to stay in the house for an extra month...IF...they agreed to cover all of our closing costs; 100% of ‘em.  They agreed, leaving me needing only to come up with $9,975 of down payment money.  Well, I didn't even have that.  I really only had about $1,000 in my bank account.  I asked my parents for a few thousand dollars (yes, I was very fortunate) and they were really happy to help me get into my very first house and start growing roots in my new community.  The entire process took 40 days...from the day I met my Realtor until the day I closed escrow.

I say and write this often, "Don't wonder! JUST ASK!"  Ask an expert.  They're either going to give you good news...or good guidance. Both are in the right direction!

Thanks in advance for remembering my name when the topic of Real Estate comes up in conversation.  If you're local , just remember Andy@LoisLauer.Com I'm always here to help.  

My business thrives by word of mouth.  If you appreciate the information provided on my blog, please share this post on your favorite social media sites, and with anyone you feel could use my service.

Until next time.

Andy Blasquez  Cell ~ 909.539.3292
BRE#01826135
Please follow and share at YucaipaRealEstateTrends on Facebook
E-mail me on Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com

8 Mistakes that will KILL the sale of your home...or worse.

Unless selling your home is just another run-of-the-mill occurrence for you, please take the time to do it right. Your peace of mind, as well as your financial well being are at stake. 

Below are a number of all too common mistakes that home sellers or their agents make. These mistakes may cause your deal to fall out of escrow. They may leave net proceeds (your money) on the table. Worse still, they may lead you right into small claims court.  

Take a moment to read through the points below. If something specific comes to mind and you'd like more information or a deeper understanding about it, please give me a call or drop me a quick e-mail.

1. Failure to Disclose

• ALWAYS disclose what you know to be true about your property.  If you don't know...you don't need to disclose. Sometimes things slip our minds. Remember that time when you broke the sprinkler in the backyard and just turned off the timer to get it to stop leaking?  Disclose it! Remember when the bathroom had a leak and you hired that contractor to fix it? Disclose it!  You know that broken hot tub in the backyard that you're not taking with you when you leave? Disclose it!  Curtains, your washer and dryer, the drawer in the kitchen that always falls off track?  Disclose, disclose, disclose.  You never want an issue that you had prior knowledge of  popping up after the close of escrow.  It happens...and it sucks.  Don't let it happen to you.  "But aren't the washer, dryer, and refrigerator actually personal property that aren't transferred with the title?  Yes. Does it hurt to disclose it anyway? Never. When it doubt...disclose!
2. Listing Before Your Property is Ready.
• I'm sorry to say it, but sometimes clients just think too much.  "I'm not sure what we can get for our house. Let's just list it and see what happens. Let's just test the waters! OK?" No. Don't test the waters. Listing your home for sale before it's really ready for sale typically ends badly. If you're home isn't ready to list, you'll either sell too low, or not generate enough interest, leaving your home sitting stale on the market. 
• Make any necessary minor repairs and updates before listing your home for sale. You don't want to start this process twice, so list it right the first time. I recently released a quick Kindle reader (for just a couple of bucks) called "Is Your Home Ready To Sell?" Click here to check it out. It's a quick, simple read, but full of important specifics about what to do and what not to do.
3. Overpricing

• We all want top dollar for your house.  I do, and you do!  But I've been doing this long enough to know, with certainty, that listing your home at an overly optimistic price is a bad strategy. Using inflated comps sure makes for exciting conversation, but listing too high based on those inflated comps virtually always leaves sellers disappointed in the end. 
• There's more than one side to the story. Before I go to a listing appointment I run three sets of comps; yes, THREE!  The truth is that your home's market value probably lies somewhere in the middle.
• 1st, I comp the subject property as the home seller might see
• 2nd, I comp the subject property as home buyers and their Realtors will see
• 3rd, I comp the subject property as an appraiser might see
• Sellers want big bucks. Buyers want the deal of a lifetime. Appraisers do their best to remain objective. However, he/she may not be familiar with the unique features and qualities of your specific neighborhood. Somewhere though, buried in the middle of all of these comps, is gonna be your market value.
4. Cutting the Sales Commission
• This probably sounds self serving. It's not. It's just math. DON'T CUT YOUR AGENTS' COMMISSION. Notice that "Agents'" Is plural.  "But I only have one agent!"  I hope not.  I hope that you have an agent who's advocating specifically for you, and the buyers has a different agent advocating specifically for them.  In a typical real estate transaction the sales commission is 6%. 3% goes to the broker for each side, with a smaller portion going to the agents servicing each client. Cutting the sales commission often cuts the incentive for the buyers' agent.  Remember, your buyers are depending on their agents to advise them.  "Help" their agents advise them to write an offer on YOUR house.  
5. Making Too Many Updates or Upgrades
• Keep it simple.  Yes,  you should make repairs on any glaring issues that detract from your homes appeal.  However, I can't tell you how many times I've worked with sellers who've just remodeled/updated their homes only to hear a prospective buyers at an open house say, "Wow!  I LOVE this house.  All we have to do is replace the flooring and the counter tops, then refinish the cabinets!" (ALL of which you just updated).  We don't know the taste of your buyers.  Keep it simple.  Let them make the changes they want...when it's their house!
6. Agreeing to Make Buyer Requested Repairs
• Don't open the proverbial Can-Of-Worms.  Depending on the condition of your home...and the condition of the current market, you may opt to offer a credit to the seller in order to keep your escrow alive.  Let me outline two fictitious outcomes from the same request for repairs: A root grew into the plumbing and created a leak  under the lawn in the front yard. The buyer submitted a bid with a request for repairs. It's going to $750 to fix the broken pipe and cut the root back from the area.
• A) You agree to a $750 credit toward closing costs so that the buyer can have it repaired after close of escrow, and also offer to purchase your home buyer a 12 month comprehensive home warranty for another $385. You close escrow and move on.



Be careful what you agree to fix!

• B) You agree to fix the leak prior to close of escrow.  You pay the plumber to fix the pipe.  Two weeks later the plumber makes the repairs. They turn the water off, fix the pipe, then turn the water back on. Now with unobstructed pipes the water pressure increases and reveals another leak further down the pipe.  You spend another $750 to fix the new leak.  Then, two days later you discover that you have no water pressure in the master bathroom. When the water was turned off to fix both pipes the corrosion inside the galvanized pipe accumulated in the smaller pipes leading to the master bath, and the guest bath, and the sink...and the entire house.  Yes...you now have to disclose.
• I am NOT advising you to EVER be unethical.  I never will.  However, just like buying or selling a used car, you need to protect yourself.  If you know something is wrong, disclose it.  If you don't, move on.  Your buyers should be advised to their rights and responsibility to inspect the property.  If your buyer agrees, offer a credit to the buyer and get your home sold. 
7. Using the Wrong Realtor
• There's a laundry list a mile long of red-flags that with regard to this topic. An ineffective real estate agent often works with the following tools:
• Very little (or worse, bad) marketing efforts
• Poor photography and no video
• Poor representation and recognition throughout the community
• Poor communication habits and skills
• Little or no network of willing and able buyers
• Little or no network of cooperating brokers and agents
• Poor negotiation skills
• Lack of local area expertise
• A reputation within the industry as a difficult, unprofessional, and/or unethical agent.
8. Dual Agency
• Dual Agency is when an agent represents both sides of a real estate transaction.  I look at Realtors as a sort of 'coach', as well as an expert in real estate related trends and contracts. Your 'coach' is there to advise you; to help you reach your very best outcome. If I'm coaching you...and I'm coaching them...???...who's ' very best outcome' am I really watching out for? Make sure that your agent is working for you!

Thanks in advance for remembering my name when the topic of Real Estate comes up in conversation.  If you're local , just remember Andy@LoisLauer.Com I'm always here to help.  

My business thrives by word of mouth.  If you appreciate the information provided on my blog, please share this post on your favorite social media sites, and with anyone you feel could use my service.

Until next time.

Andy Blasquez - The Last Realtor You'll Ever Need To Look For

Cell ~ 909.539.3292
BRE#01826135
Please follow and share YucaipaRealEstateTrends on Facebook
AndyBlasquez.Com
Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com

Did My Home's Value Go Up or Down in 2014?

One of the most common questions I'm asked when folks learn that I'm in the Real Estate industry is "So...how's the market?  Is it doin' well?"  In a nutshell...yeah!  It's doin' just fine!

If you're a homeowner in Yucaipa, odds are that your investment is really paying off.  The Real Estate market treated you well in 2014!

There are countless factors that influence a home's value, but if we really simplify things, the average price of a Single Family Residence in Yucaipa, CA increased by over 12% in 2014.

Median Home Prices in Yucaipa, by month, over the past 5 years.

I'm not one to take other's market data as the gospel truth so I pulled the above market data myself directly from CRMLS; California Regional Multiple Listing Service.  MLS records the actual, real-time data that Zillow, RedFin, Realtor.com, and the others can only hope to accurately pull from.  

This process is a bit time consuming, but it's accurate.  There's no guess work. The results for the past 5 years are shown in the table above. Note that 2010-2012 were pretty flat as far as any change in home values.  2013 and 2014, however, showed pretty substantial increases as compared to previous years. 

What about the bigger picture?  The table above illustrates an average of  an 8% annual increase in the sale price of single family homes over the past 5. "But what's the typical growth rate throughout history?"  Or perhaps a better question is "What's an ideal growth rate?  Well the average annual increase in the sale price of single family homes in California over the past 30 years is just under 7%. We're at just over 8%.  In short...well done Yucaipa!  You're doin' what the rest of the country needs to be doin'!  Growing...but growing responsibly and sustainably.

Congrats Yucaipa!  Now let's do it again!

If you'd like a more comprehensive understanding of what you're unique home's value might be, drop me a quick e-mail or PM me on Facebook. I'll create and send over a personalized comprehensive market analysis on your property. My contact information is at the bottom of this post, and your contact information will never ever be used, but by me personally and directly. 

Until next time,

Andy Blasquez ~ The last Realtor you'll ever need to look for.

Cell ~ 909.539.3292

Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com

Yucaipa Real Estate Trends on Facebook

How To Find The Best Realtor: Questions to ask when interviewing Realtors!

Wait, you mean I'm supposed to interview Realtors?  

Oh trust me, yes you are! Consider it an investment; both in terms of peace of mind, as well as in financial terms. Fringe benefit? It's often an eye-opening and entertaining process!

Keep this Miles Kington quote in the back of your mind as you read on. I'll bring it back up at the end of the post.  "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that a tomato doesn't belong in a fruit salad."  Knowledge, without the wisdom to apply it...is useless. 

When interviewing a Realtor, it's wise to have a list of questions to help you make your decision.  Don't be shy.  Write 'em down and keep 'em by your side.  The fact that you are prepared will make some agents shake in their boots.  Knowing that you're prepared makes this agent (me) confident that we're ready to proceed to the next step in the listing or buying process!

I was recently interviewed by a prospective client who, with the greatest of intentions, decided to grill me with a canned set of questions that he had pulled from About.com.  There are dozens of sites that list questions that your often unsuspecting Realtor ought to be able to address, swiftly and comprehensively.  I'll list several for you to look through at the bottom of this page. 

As you read, keep these points in mind: 

1. The quality an interview is based on the quality of questions asked. Answers, and the questions that prompt them, need to be important, relevant, and easy to understand.  Simply put...they need to matter. Without clear communication and understanding, the interview process is a complete waste of everyones' time, so know what you want to know...and don't end the interview until you've got your answers.
2. The answers you receive from various agents are circumstantial and are based on his or her unique strengths, weaknesses, and professional experiences.  Different responses don't mean that they're wrong.  Sometimes the odd answer is the right one! 
3. Always ask "Why?"  I call that part "the juicy part."  I'm less concerned about what occurred, and more concerned with why. That's the answer we really need to know.
4. Don't get freaked out by all of the 'jargon.' If you don't understand a term, phrase or idea...STOP!  Interrupt and ask for clarification!  Remember, you are the boss!

Q1: What is Your Average List-Price-to-Sales-Price Ratio?

A1: Huh? 

Yep!  That's a good one!  Wait! What does it even mean?  If an agent lists a property for sale at $500,000 and sells it for $510,000, the List-Price to Sales-Price Ratio is 102%. That's awesome...isn't it?  Maybe!  This might sound ridiculous, but one could effectively argue that a property's list price might as well be completely erroneous. A home will sell for what the market will bear.  I can say that if you're asking a true Real Estate professional, your property will sell for exactly what the market will support... under those market conditions...and that seller’s unique circumstance.  They always do, and they always will.   

Example: I recently saw a really desirable property listed for $228,000.  It closed almost instantly at nearly $100,000 over the asking price!!!  Obviously $228,000 was not the market value! So why would a listing agent do that?  I can only speculate that the sellers needed an immediate offer to keep their property from foreclosing. They immediately received several offers, took the best offer, then closed.  OR...I could completely be wrong.
*Notice that I remarked that the seller "took the best offer."  "Best" might have been the one which could close the fastest.  Perhaps this property could have sold for even higher if the seller's circumstances were different.  

NEXT..., and does this actually matter? 

Q2. What is the average number of days that your listings remain active?
A2. 19 days! 46! 107!

What's best?  What's ideal? What should I expect?  If we don't know what the data means, we can't know what the best answer is.  Historically, the actual median Days on Market is around 45 days.  If you sell on the first day, you might have been under priced.  If you're sitting on the market 4 months after your listing date...you may be over-priced.  "All else aside, shouldn't my Realtor sell my home as quickly as he or she can?" We'll never know the answer to that question until we know the factors that are motivating the seller.  

Example: A young family decides that Dad is going to take the promotion and move to a new city while Mom keeps the home fires burning and gets the home sold for the highest possible price.  Dad leaves. Mom lists the property at the top of the market and they wait for the right offer to come.  After a few weeks the family decides that being apart isn't as easy as they thought and they decide to sell the house as quickly as possible so they can be together again.  How long a house stays on the market is, for all intents and purposes, is up to the home sellers.  How motivated are they to sell?  Are they waiting for the perfect buyer? Are they trying to avoid foreclosure?  Are they trying to get moved into their new place before the baby gets here? Days on Market is not an indicator as to how effective an agent is, but an indication of how long it took the seller and the open market to meet.

Q3. How Long Have You Been in the Business?
A3. 4 Weeks, 4 Years, 40 Years. What's the right answer?

I wish it was that easy.  In a market like today's, a new agent might not yet be equipped to handle on the spot negotiation, nor will he or she have the strong reputation that gives listing agents and their sellers the security they are looking for to go into contract.  That said, I have met many, many brokers and agents that have been in Real Estate for decades, yet they can't find their respective backsides with both hands!  The question "How long have you been in the business?”   ought to be changed to “Could you please explain what makes you an effective buyer’s agent or listing agent?”  It's not one's ability to close a deal, or to sell quickly that matters. It's your agent's ability to work, effectively and efficiently, representing his or her clients' unique needs, wants, budgets, and timelines. 

Q4: If I wasn't going to use you...who should I use?

A4:__________________(crickets) 

If this questions doesn't elicit an intelligent and sincere response, you've got room for doubt.  If it elicits some canned, smarmy, 'used-car-salesman' response...

...RUN!!!!!!

Looking back at the quote at the top of the post: "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that a tomato doesn't belong in a fruit salad." is really a perspective I want you to hold onto when you're looking for your next Realtor.  Market knowledge isn't what's important.  What you do with it is!  

Below are a few links to sample questions you might choose before you interview at least 3 agents.  It's important to note that each site you find with similar questions will have a self-serving agenda.  Remember to use these questions to suit YOUR agenda...not theirs.  

Interview Questions from Realtor.Com
Interview Questions from the National Association of Realtors

Realtor Interview Questions from About.Com

As always, please feel free to e-mail, call, or text your questions to my contact information below.  I hope this post leaves you with the understanding that real estate isn't a mystery. You don't need a crystal ball.  You only need the truth. You need the facts, strategies, and discipline to follow through. I'll sit with you, side by side, while we discover the facts that pertain to a property you're thinking of selling or are interested in buying.  No gimmicks. No games. Just insight, foresight, experience, strategies...and the truth.

Thank you in advance for remembering my name and this site, when the topic of Real Estate comes up.  I'm happy to help in any way I can.  Also, if you enjoy what you find on my blog, please share this post and "like" and comment on my Yucaipa Real Estate Trends Facebook page.

Until next time,

Andy Blasquez ~ The last Realtor you'll ever need to look for.

Cell ~ 909.539.3292

Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com

An Introduction: No Hair Spray or Polyester, Just the Truth!

Have you ever seen "this guy?"  I know you have!

We've all seen that guy or gal; that "salesman" who is obviously paid based on commission.  Push, lie, mislead, whatever it takes...but close that deal!  My first experience in Real Estate was with with an agent that might as well have been this guy!  It turned me off from buying a home for several years.  Let me say this up front.  This...isn't...me.  No hairspray. No polyester.  Just the truth.

This short bio is designed to give prospective home sellers and buyers some insight into my background, specific skill sets, my experience, and perhaps most importantly...my values.

I chose real estate as a career for four reasons: 1) I love the hard and soft science of business; where psychology and data meet! Real estate is a dynamic and exciting business to be in. 2) My first, and second...and third...experience with Realtors left a bad taste in my mouth.  I saw a lot of room for improvement.  I wanted to bring that improvement. 3) I wanted to work for myself. 4) I wanted to be a part of my boys lives every day, not just on the weekends when I'm 'not working'.  It's been an ideal career thus far and I don't expect that to change anytime soon.

At the time of of this posting I have been a Realtor for 8 years and I can sincerely say that I have enjoyed the journey. As circumstances, laws, market conditions, the economy, etc. continue to change, my experiences and expertise changes as well.  It has to; in order to remain a relevant part of the industry and in order to provide absolutely optimal service to my clients.  I'll never be "done" becoming a better Realtor.  Real estate is not something that is "mastered."  It's has to become a part of you.  It's not a destination. It's a journey; one I enjoy quite a bit.

With my wife, Adrianne, and our sons; our purpose...Michael, and Jeffrey.

I grew up in the beautiful communities of Alamo and Walnut Creek. CA; about 30 minutes east of San Francisco.  I know the area up there like the back of my hand.  Recently, I relocated to Yucaipa. I'm finding the process of "knowing" the area even easier than it was for me up north.  While in the Bay Area, I adopted preconceived ideas about towns, cities, neighborhoods, etc.  Many of those preconceptions were absolutely accurate, but some weren't.  Some caught me completely off guard.  A few areas that I thought I really knew actually needed reinvestigating time and time again.  In Yucaipa, however, I have no preconceived notions.  I've had to take the labor intensive, yet far more analytical (and as a result more practical and accurate), and data driven approach to learning and knowing this area intimately.  So how is that easier than growing up in the area? Simply put, I've had nothing to un-learn.  "Facts are friendly," I often say.  What I've learned, and continue to learn, is based solely on the facts; the truth, and we all want the truth, don't we?

So...why do I write this blog?  

1. I'll get this out of the way early; the truth. One of the main goals of this blog is to secure more clients, but it is also to attract "well informed" clients.  I created this blog because I can't be everywhere all of the time. I hope, as with the blog I created up in the Bay Area, that this blog becomes a valuable resource for you.  If past experience is any indication, this site will be my number two source of clients; second only to referrals by prior clients. Seriously though, if this blog didn't generate income, I wouldn't write it.  Ok...maybe I would, but still ;)
2. Another goal is to give my readers a crystal clear understanding of who I am.  I want you to see me not just as an excellent Realtor; with a set of skills and experiences that repeatedly prove to be effective in the Real Estate arena, but also to see my character and the values I live by.  

My goals are simple but not easy:

• I will provide objective market data
• I will illustrate the trends that the market data is indicating
• I will then translate those often complex facts and figures into simple, yet practical real estate market trends
• I will continue to do everything I can to empower prospective homebuyers and sellers by simplifying and clarifying the home buying and selling process.  I am a resource, and forgive my directness, but frankly I'm a wealth of information and experience. That said, I believe that my clients ought to be at peace with the choices they make, and the only way for that to happen is for them to truly understand where we are in the process (and for them to draw their own conclusions based on the truth; the facts).  Of course I will give suggestions and advice; "What might happen if..." but ultimately my clients need to be at peace with the choices they make. They need to be in the driver's seat!

Illustrations and instances discussed within these blog posts often help to explain the juicy parts of the industry; the "Why?"  "Why did that house sell in 3 days and the same one across the street is still on the market after 90 days?"  There's an answer. There always is.

These posts will typically focus on the topics listed below. However, if there is a Real Estate related question that you'd like me to address on this blog, I'm happy to provide that support.  If you've got a question, odds are, others do as well!

Topics will include:

• Market trends as they appear from both the home buyers side as well as the listing side.
• Dynamics of buying and selling real property.
• The Short Sale Process.
• Unique experiences I've successfully (and a few not so successfully) worked through.
• Changes in Builders' selling strategies.
• The art and science of effectively selling your home.
• Shining a light on common, very costly mistakes, home buyers make.
• Contrasting conditions and trends between differentiated markets.
• and much more.

If this first post leaves you with anything, I hope it leaves you with the understanding that real estate isn't a mystery. You don't need a crystal ball.  You need the truth.  You need facts. Facts are friendly, and I'll give you the facts. In fact, I'll sit with you, side by side, while we discover the facts that pertain to a property you're thinking of selling or are interested in buying.  No gimmicks. No games. Just insight, foresight, experience, strategies...and the truth.

Until next time.

Andy Blasquez ~ The last Realtor you'll ever need to look for.

Cell ~ 909.539.3292
BRE#01826135
Andy.Blasquez@gmail.com