James D., winner of the last contest, sent this photo in from the game last night where he got to enjoy a 4-2 Padres victory while sitting among the usual throng of Cardinal fans – though not as many as he expected!
Click on image for full panorama view:
Once you accept that every house needs at least $25,000 of repairs and improvements, select the house with a premium location and minimal expenses. ProfHoff and her husband Tom took four years to find the right house, so shopping hard for another six months to pay the right price, for the right upgrades, was nothing:
I’ve received emails regarding the previous post about the comment section:
http://bubbleinfo.s020.wptstaging.space/2012/09/27/comments-off/
I appreciate the well-wishes, and have a few thoughts:
I intend to keep this going. I don’t think the format will change much, but hopefully I can upgrade the content. There are some specific reasons that change is necessary:
A. Foreclosures in general have dried up, limiting my video tours. I need to come up with more/better/different video content to supplement the expected trickle of foreclosures.
B. The inventory has dried up. An obvious solution here – get more listings.
Business has been good – we’re on track to at least match our 2010 sales count (2011 was #1 all-time). My goal is to have a 60/40 ratio of sellers to buyers, and year-to-date I’m at 55/45. But I don’t have the confidence that the momentum will automatically continue, and want to spend more time on it.
From what people have said, it’s not that obvious that I produce this website with the intention of attracting clients. While I am flattered that some think I would do this just because I’m a nice guy, it’s not the reason. I hope to demonstrate that I have a qualified skill set that enables my buyers and sellers to not have to settle for just any old results, but to score big. You see me here at all hours of the day, seven days a week giving it everything I got – that’s what it takes.
There have already been objections to me acting like a salesman, but it’s what I am, and why I’m here – to sell houses. I hope to tactfully weave future stories from the street into engaging lessons for all to enjoy while using them to show why I am a good candidate to be your agent. I think I can make some more-obvious attempts without going too far – so hang with me as I search for the balance.
If you stick with me, this is what you’ll see here:
1. Videos and stories about actual happenings in the NSDCC real estate market.
2. More JtR listings, and clarification on my services offered.
3. Occasional filler like you saw today – general stuff.
The market transparency isn’t improving. Other wesbites have slowed or shut down altogether, and it’s primarily because the market is tough, and blogs take time. I want to do my part in keeping the transparency up, and hopefully generate a little business in return. Hang with me!
You may have noticed that the comment section has been turned off.
Since our local market has been fairly stable for the last three years, I think we have survived the worst of the bubble conditions, and it is time to move on.
From the beginning, my intention has been to inform buyers and sellers about the local market conditions, and demonstrate why I would be a good choice to be your realtor. I want to narrow the focus of this website to just those ideals.
Wouldn’t the comment section contribute? The comments are wide-ranging, and deserve full discussion – and there are other websites that provide a better format to explore all the angles. I am going to spend all of my time selling houses, and documenting the experience here so you can see what is happening on the street. The twitter account will track the general real estate topics.
I read each of the comments as they came in, and think that they were invaluable in getting us through the bubble years. I am grateful for your participation and insight – thank you!
(The 84 in spam are 9-days-worth, and most were sent by the bots)
For those who have a critical eye, compare the new and old cameras. Video + still shots at end:
We’re up to 292 responses to last week’s survey, thank you readers!
Here are some of the comments:
I know prices are never going to be as low as I would like because of demand and bank and government collusion but I would appreciate it if Jim could focus more on properties that don’t require someone to make 250K+ a year. As a first time home buyer I would love to see more videos showing some glimmer of hope for being able to afford a home.
I’ll make an effort to include a wider range of price-points. For those looking to spend less than $400,000, the need to compromise is very demanding. Consider these three: buying a fixer, going further out, or living with something smaller, possibly a condo. The chance of you finding a decent house, in a decent area, under $400,000 around North County Coastal is remote, at best.
Could there be further market deterioration in the future? Yes, and it would likely be a result of squishdown from above. Bubbleinfo.com will help you see any potential erosion in the mid-to-upper-end market that could benefit those below.
I remarked in the last radio show that I don’t have much of a feel for the audience, given the anonymous nature of blogging and the internet. I am fine with it being anonymous, I don’t need to know who you are – but I’d like to get more input about what you want from bubbleinfo.com.
The previous survey asked for comments in general – this one has multiple-choice questions.
Can you complete my survey please? There is no obligation (no registration required), and it should only take two minutes:
http://bit.ly/bubbleinfo-survey
Thanks for participating, I appreciate you being here!
College Joe is a long-time contributor to bubbleinfo – and he really does go to college!
Here’s a look at a new listing in his neighborhood:
If you haven’t visited for a couple of days, keep scrolling down to our latest contest – and guess the sales price of the REO in Carmel Valley, which will register you to win Chargers tickets. If you’re wondering where others have sat, here is the photo sent in by the last winner, Daniel (theotherone):
College Joe, the season is almost over!
It’s true, shadash has closed escrow.
He bought the house featured here, and another example of how people have utilized the convenience of our video tours to assist them with purchasing a home.
I am going to ramp up our video production, and put them on a separate website for our buyers. If you are interested, email me at jim@jimklinge.com.
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
