Actually, according to Leslie Appleton-Young, Vice President and Chief Economist for the California Association of Realtors, California real estate bottomed out in October of 2007 for number of units sold.

Housing prices are still settling, but the number of homes sold has been climbing steadily since November of 2007. Contra Costa County has not suffered as much as most of the state and we are ahead of the national average on positive trending.

Does this mean sunny skies and clear sailing?

No, we are still very much in a market that is facing tough challenges. Sellers will continue to grapple with pricing it right. Buyers will still struggle with the constant changes and challenges of financing.

BUT – Contra Costa County is currently experiencing a fairly normal market for sales activity. Months of inventory is in the 5 month range.

A lot of the good news with the number of sales and the months of inventory is being fueled by the high levels of foreclosures and REO’s being purchased by investors and home buyers looking for a good deal.

What to look for in today’s real estate market if you are considering the purchase of an investment property.

• Transitional recovering/growing economy
• Positive net population migration
• New net job growth
• A short-fall of new construction and permits
• Affordable housing to wage ratios

Why do Antioch and Brentwood represent such attractive investment opportunities? It’s more than price. Contact Paul (925) 963–4246 if you would like to know why these two communities are looking so attractive to real estate investors.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Contra Costa Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors in Danville, CA. Bill Brown, President of the California Association of Realtors (CAR) was the guest speaker at an early breakfast held at the Crow Canyon Country Club.

Angela Muetterties, President of Women’s Council of Realtors CCC, officiated the proceedings

When I tried to edit the video footage I had shot, I discovered a software problem that has taken me two weeks to sort out. I guess this post falls under the heading of – Better Late Than Never.

Bill spoke about the challenges in the real estate industry and the continuing impact of the subprime market collapse. Housing affordability was another hot topic.

According to news today, the challenges continue:

California and Florida continued to represent a disproportionate share of the country's new foreclosures. The two states accounted for 30 percent of mortgages starting the foreclosure process, the association said. "In states like California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona, overbuilding of new homes created a surplus that will take some time to work through," Doug Duncan, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

My friend, L. James Johnson, is not your usual car salesman. In fact, he’s the only car salesman I know personally who meditates daily; lives his life in accordance with his appreciation and compassion for others; walks his talk through community involvement; and conducts business from a place of authenticity, integrity and personal regard for others as human beings.

Sounds like a saint now that I read what i just wrote. His clients/customers probably think of him that way, too. I don’t, I’ve known him for about fifteen years and think of him as just one of the guys on the planet.

James is intelligent and well educated. He taught me what an ad homeni is and I actually used the term in a blog post recently! I’ve been talking to James about blogging and how to use the Internet in his business.

I don’t see too many car salesmen trying to reach out and educate the consumer about the whole process of auto sales. His website – BayAreaCarGuy is in the beginning stages. James likes to be hands on, so it is slow going as he learns the technology and skills needed.

I like to let the world know about some of the cool people I know. Today it is James’ day in the spotlight. If you’re in the market for a car, it is worth giving James a call – treat yourself to a special experience.

Here’s a little slide show I put together on James -

San Ramon, Dublin & Pleasanton, CA

Foreclosures on the Rise 

We've been reading more and more about the rise in foreclosures, short sale situations and the trouble more home owners are facing with ARM mortgages coming due. Many Adjustable Rate Motgages that many took out to purchase a home 3 to five yearsago are getting ready to "kick up" the monthly payment of many home owners.

The California Association of Realtors® reoprts:

"The number of foreclosure filings across the nation exceeded 100,000 for the sixth consecutive month in January, with foreclosure activity increasing in all but 17 states, according to RealtyTrac's "January 2007 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report." Texas and California led the country with the most foreclosure filings last month, with 14,728 and 14,430 foreclosures, respectively. In California, foreclosures were up 14.3 percent compared with the previous month and up 54.3 percent from January 2006."

In the last 24 hours, we have held discussions with two of the top mortgage institutions serving the San Ramon and TriValley areas. The loan officers we talked to reported an increase in refi's. They have solutions for home owners facing problems with their re-ARMing.

If you are in such a situation, don't delay - start the refinance process before things reach a critical point. Many people are not aware of all of the options available and wait too long to deal with a difficult situation that then becomes more difficlut.

Contact us for recommendations - no obligation on your part.