The Coldwell Banker Office in Big Bear Lake is manned by eight dedicated Realtors who are not afraid to work.  A true testament to the work ethic that that has been instilled in us by our broker, Tim Wood was evident two weeks ago when Big Bear was hit with an epic snow storm.  That storm left five feet of snow in just a few days, crippling the town and shutting down most of the businesses in town.  True to form, the Coldwell Banker office was open as usual with a full staff ready to help anyone with Real Estate issues within the Big Bear Valley.

It is that work ethic and dedication to hard work that enabled the eight Realtors at Coldwell Banker to put over 30 properties worth $15,000,000.00 in to escrow in January.

How many times have you called a Real Estate office for information only to hear that the agent was not available?  How many times have you called a Real Estate office and found that they weren’t even open?  I know that this happens because it happens to me time and time again.  The eight of us at Coldwell Banker have our office open from 8:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. 7 days a week.  At Coldwell Banker, we work as a team and support each other.  If you call on any of my listings and I am out of the office at that time, you will be transferred to one of my associates who will be more than happy to answer your questions and show you property.

I am very proud to be one of the eight agents who have made Coldwell Banker so successful.  If you would like to information on any property in Big Bear, no matter who has it listed, I can help!  If you have property in Big Bear and would like to know what it is worth, please contact me for a free, no obligation Market Analysis.  My goal is to provide the very best customer service to all of my clients from the first day we meet, through to the closing of the escrow and beyond.  I am here to serve YOU!

I am very proud to be one of the eight agents who have made Coldwell Banker so successful.  If you would like to information on any property in Big Bear, no matter who has it listed, I can help!  If you have property in Big Bear and would like to know what it is worth, please contact me for a free, no obligation Market Analysis.  My goal is to provide the very best customer service to all of my clients from the first day we meet, through to the closing of the escrow and beyond.  I am here to serve YOU!

This past week, Big Bear has experienced the largest snow storm in the ten years that I’ve lived here.  According to Ben’s Weather the storm dropped 57 inches of snow this past week and the total snow fall for the season is 102 inches.  With all of that snow dropping all within a one week period, you can only imagine how difficult it is to get around town.  Big Bear Blvd, which is a 4 lane highway, has been reduced to two lanes and most secondary roads are barely wide enough for one car.

Now that the chain restrictions gone from R-3 to R-2, we are seeing more and more people trying to make their way to Big Bear to play in the snow.  What people don’t understand is that when 2 out of the 3 roads leading into Big Bear are closed, and the only road open is under chain restrictions, we don’t get deliveries.  The CHP won’t let any large trucks up here, which means we don’t get mail, food deliveries, and gas.  At present, there is only one gasoline station open and they are almost out of gas!  What happens to these people who figure that they will gas up when they get to Big Bear?  I know that everyone wants to come to Big Bear to play in the fresh snow.  But please give us time to dig out and be prepared so that when you do come to Big Bear, you have an enjoyable time.

Most people think that the only way to Big Bear is to come up the 330/18.  That route to Big Bear is about an hour drive but once we get snow like we have had this past week, the trip home from Big Bear could take 3 hours.  What people don’t know is that there are two other ways to get in and out of Big Bear.  You can come to Big Bear by driving up hwy 38 out of Redlands or you can get here by driving up Highway 18 from Lucerne Valley.  These routes are longer in mileage, but your trip will be much less stressful by taking these other routes when the weather is as bad as it has been.

More and more, people come into my office at Coldwell Banker in Big Bear Lake, or the call me and ask me to help them buy a home that is listed for sale as a short sale.  So often, the buyer has the mindset that the best deals to be had are from the short sales.  I've had a remarkable amount of success in listing and selling short sale properties, but the problems arise when I represent the buyers.  The story that I'm about to tell you is unfortunately, true.

Near the end of May of 2009 a property was listed in the Moonridge area of Big Bear as a short sale.  This property had previously been listed at a much higher price and I had a client who was watching the property for price reductions.  As soon as it changed status from a resale property to a short sale, my client asked me to place an offer on it.

The one thing that I stressed to this client is that short sales take a very long time to get an answer on.  I also stress that even if you place a full price offer based off of the short sale asking price, there is no guarantee that the bank will accept the price.  The offer was presented to the listing agent and the waiting began.

Week in and week out, I would call the listing agent asking for updates on the process.  One week, I was told that we had a negotiator and the next week, I would find out that the negotiator never materialized.  This went on for months until finally in November of 2009; the listing agent called the corporate offices of this particular bank and complained about the lack of service on this file.  The bank promised to look into the situation and they asked that the seller's agent check back in 10 days.  We are now into December of 2009, some six months after submitting the offer and the bank has not given us any indication as to what they are thinking.

Finally, at the end of December, the bank finally responded to the offer, only to rescind the counter offer the next day.  The reason for the counter offer being rescinded was because the investor, Fannie Mae refused to grant another extension and they wanted the property sold! 

The good news for my client, after waiting over six months for the opportunity to buy this Big Bear Cabin is that as long as it doesn't sell at the auction, it will in all likelihood return to the Big Bear Real Estate market as a REO listing.  Depending on what the bank wants for the property, the buyer can still get the cabin of her dreams.

What I've just described to you is not an uncommon occurrence when it comes to short sales.  The short sales that I have had success with have all been where I have had the listing and I have had better control of the negotiating with the bank.  My advice to anyone looking for property in Big Bear or anywhere else is to not get involved in a short sale unless you know exactly what you're getting into.