July 15, 2006

THE REAL (ESTATE) STORY
By Larry Underhill

“BUYERS DON’T BUY in a Buyer’s Market.” Sounds strange, but think about it. The thing that MAKES it a Buyer’s Market is the scarcity of Buyers! In the recent Seller’s Market, there was a scarcity of homes for sale. Now, we have the opposite problem. If you’re a Buyer, you’re like a purty girl at a dance! You’re in demand.

CONTRARIAN THINKING: I’ve mentioned this quote in the past, but it bears repeating: Tycoon and financier John D. Rockefeller was once asked for the secret to his great wealth. He smiled and replied, “I buy my straw hats in the Fall.” If you’re buying when the whole world is selling, you get the pick of the inventory. It’s a great time to be buying real estate.

I HAVE BUYERS for well-priced homes in most price categories. Of late, a fair number of Statesman’s listings have been sold to Buyers also represented by Statesman Realtors. Maybe it’s because we’ve been blessed with some great (read well-priced) listings! We do our best to help our Sellers stay realistic about pricing. In the current market, that’s what gets homes SOLD.

GRANDMA’S HOUSE in a great Westside neighborhood! 1516 Mariposa Way is an easy walk to schools and shopping. Two bedrooms, two full bathrooms (Master Bedroom and bath), central heat and air, white vinyl-clad dual-pane windows throughout, large covered patio, and newer kitchen range and dishwasher! The owners expanded the Living Room by eliminating the third bedroom, but that’s an easy change if you so desire. At $349,950, this home is a value!

THINK FAST! Know someone who needs a quick sale (a one-week escrow, for example) and is willing to discount their price accordingly? It can be done if all the facts line up. Call for details.

PRICE REDUCED! 1706 Cape Cod Circle is a landmark two-story home at the corner of Cape Cod and Lakeshore Drive. 2313 square feet! Three bedrooms, two and a half baths. New price: $450,000! My Sellers’ new home is nearing completion, and they want to get this home SOLD! Call for details or for a private showing.

CONTRARIAN THINKING, CONT’D: Economic historian Arnold Toynbee observed, “The majority is almost never right.” Thinking outside of so-called conventional wisdom can make you a fortune. I know of real estate investors who have been waiting a long time for the current market conditions to materialize. They know that, historically, real estate is the safest of investments (with an excellent return) if you buy right and hold long enough. They’ll buy the bargains created by this soft market and reap the rewards in years to come. How about you?

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in building a real estate portfolio that can support you in your golden years, give me a call! You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to build a real estate fortune. You just have to get off of your couch and ACT! Easy to do…easy NOT to do. Your choice. Have a great week! See you next Sat.

Statesman Realty
(209) 333 2380

1-800-407-SOLD (7653)
Website: www.larrysellslodi.com

Website: www.larryunderhill.com
Email: Larry@LarryUnderhill.com

July 8, 2006

THE REAL (ESTATE) STORY
By Larry Underhill



I MET Mark and Andrea Edwards back in 1989 when they visited a new-home subdivision I was marketing (Wine Country in Woodbridge). From that time to the present, I’ve had the pleasure of representing them in numerous real estate transactions. Mark has more real estate experience from his personal investment activities than many full-time Realtors!

YOU LEARN a lot about people when you serve them as your Realtor. I learned that Mark and Andrea are people of integrity. They were always a pleasure to work with. Mark’s the kind of guy I’d want to represent ME if I needed a Realtor. That’s why, when Mark decided to make the move from his career as a school administrator into the world of real estate, I was quick to invite him to join the Statesman Realty team.

CHARACTER, COMPETENCE: I believe a person’s character is the foundation that everything else rests upon. Mark’s got the character thing down, as his many friends and former colleagues attest. In the competence department, Mark’s decades of experience in education and management have prepared him well for the disciplines of the real estate profession. He’s a “quick study”, soaking up knowledge and investing heavily in the best training available. Mark’s learning curve will be steep and steady.

SURFER DUDE: Mark’s a “work hard, play hard” kinda guy. When he’s not enjoying family time with Andrea (his wife of 25 years) and their three teenaged kids, he likes surfing and windsurfing. Involvement in Calvary Bible Church also ranks high on the priority list. Welcome to the team, Mark!

CONGRATULATIONS to John and Debra Mickelson on the successful SALE of their Lodi home! They’re Texas-bound, which saddens me because they too have been longtime clients whom I’ve had the pleasure of serving many times over the past fifteen years or so. I’m happy for them, though. I want to thank the Lodi Realtor who brought the Buyers to this transaction: Statesman’s own John Manguso! Good job as usual. (John’s moving up rapidly in the rankings. He’s a rookie with great promise!).

NEW LISTING! 1706 South Church Street is a well-appointed starter home. Just look at these amenities: Newer Central Heat and Air! Near-new white vinyl-clad dual-pane windows throughout the home (except the bathroom window)! Large fenced back yard. Two-car garage AND a good-sized laundry Room behind the garage! Cheery kitchen! There’s more. Come see! $304,950.

ANOTHER VALUE: My new listing at 7133 Westland Drive in the Parkwoods area of North Stockton is priced right at $329,950. Three bedrooms, two baths, laminate flooring, upgraded kitchen, covered patio AND two decks (one large, one small)…This place is priced to sell quickly! The price includes an inviting freestanding SPA, too! Living Room and separate Family Room. 1581 square feet on a wide tree-lined street in one of Stockton’s nicest neighborhoods. What’s not to like?

MORE LISTINGS on the way! Now’s the time to take advantage of this soft market and BUY! Have a great week! See you next Sat.

Statesman Realty
(209) 333 2380

1-800-407-SOLD (7653)
Website: www.larrysellslodi.com

Website: www.larryunderhill.com
Email: Larry@LarryUnderhill.com

July 1, 2006

THE REAL (ESTATE) STORY
By Larry Underhill

HOT REAL ESTATE MARKET! Often over 100 degrees, in fact.

Hope your summer is going swimmingly (pun intended). This is a good day to go out and make a splash! And the mention of splashing is all I need to launch into a reminiscence about the enchanting pastel island of Bermuda! I spent some time there in May, suffering for the cause of Real Estate, of course, but I did manage to get a little swim time in. I’ll bore you with a detail here and there through this morning’s ramble.

JUST LISTED! 219 Cedarwood Court was built in 2004. My Sellers have made this one of the prettiest homes you’ll find, especially at the price of $499,950! Just listen to these features: 2242 square feet. Two stories with all four bedrooms and two full baths upstairs, and a half-bath downstairs next to the Laundry Room. Separate Living Room and Family Room! Roomy Kitchen with large walk-in Pantry! Possible RV parking! Nicely landscaped front and back with separate timed sprinkler systems for front and back yards! Loads of storage, too. My Sellers paid FIVE THOUSAND BUCKS extra for this premium cul-de-sac lot! Call me for a private showing! This one’s a value.

SCUBA: I love to snorkel, but I had never SCUBA dived before. After the initial eerie feeling of finding myself 35 feet underwater (Great for your prayer life: It’s just you, the air tank, and God!), it was an unforgettable experience. Our dive boat anchored just off a reef near the south end of Bermuda. Our divemaster told us it was the same reef used in the filming of The Deep (Jacqueline Bisset). Beautiful coral (fan coral swaying in the current, brain coral that looks just like…you guessed it). Colorful fish. No sharks. (The divemaster had given us special instructions about what to do if we sighted sharks: “Form a circle and hold hands. Now put me in the center of the circle…” What a kidder.).

REDUCED! BANGS RANCH BEAUTY: 253 Hartford Drive was a good value before. Now, at $409,950 for over 1500 square feet of semi-custom single-story home, it’s even better! This is the Grandma’s House I spoke of a couple of columns back. Spacious covered patio that runs the entire length of the home! Flowing floor plan with Great Room, fireplace, indoor laundry area, and much more! Call me for details or for a private showing.

JET SKI: Our guide was a 23-year-old student named Sara. She was a native Bermudian (or “Onion” as they like to call themselves). Sara was tall, blonde, athletic and gutsy. When she led our little band of middle-aged Realtors out into the open waters of Bermuda Bay and opened ‘er up, it took everything I had to keep up! Merced Realtor Russ Hansen and I were the only ones who could catch her. We flew across the bay, catching air almost every time we slapped a wave. On the other side of the Bay, we motored under The World’s Smallest Drawbridge. It’s located in the tiny hamlet of Somerset, and it connects the Bay with the open sea on the other (Bermuda Triangle) side. Picture a teeny plank bridge. Now picture a sailboat pulling up and someone jumping from the boat, scrambling up the side of the hill, stopping traffic, and lifting a single plank from the bridge! The gap from the missing plank is just wide enough for the sailboat’s mast. Fun to watch! Gotta go…another listing appointment! I’ll tell you about two or three new listings next week. Stay cool (preferably WET!).

Statesman Realty Lodi, CA
(209)333-2380
1-800-407-SOLD(7653)
http://www.larrysellslodi.com/
http://www.larryunderhill.com/
Email: Larry@LarryUnderhill.com

June 24, 2006

THE REAL (ESTATE) STORY
By Larry Underhill

I STAND CORRECTED! In last week’s rant, I quoted California Real Estate Commissioner Jeff Davi as saying that one in every 34 adult Californians is a trial lawyer (as opposed to California real estate licensees, who now number over 501,000, or one in 52 adult Californians). This statement prompted Judge David Warner to call me with a friendly correction. Judge Warner checked the State Bar website and found that there are only 148,000 practicing attorneys in our fair state, which does NOT translate to one in 34 Californians. He did agree that it was a whole lot of lawyers, however. If you count members of the California Bar who are not actively practicing law (judges, for example), the number is still only around 200,000.

Thanks, Judge Warner! I’m happy to report that this is the first time in more than three decades that I’ve received correction from a judge. This’ll do me for another thirty years (I hope).

CONGRATULATIONS to my clients, Tim and Michelle Koenig, on the purchase of their new Acampo ranchette! They’re excited to get back “down the hill” and closer to work and church activities. A Thank You to local attorney Douglas Duncan for a job well done in the representation of the Seller in this transaction. Thank you, Mr. Duncan!

The Koenigs moved fast on this purchase. So fast, in fact, that they closed escrow on their new place before their lovely Mountain Ranch home was sold! Now they’re looking for a quick sale on this 1700-square-foot 3-bedroom 2-bath near-new modular home on ten tree-studded acres in scenic Mountain Ranch (or are they in Mokelumne Hill? There’s some debate about that). With a startling $30,000 price reduction, I like their chances. At the new price of $299,950, what’s not to like? The dirt alone is worth that much. Call me for details, or contact their mountain Realtor, JoAnn Stump, at 888-288-8915. (Website: http://www.mountain-realestate.com/). These Sellers are MOTIVATED!

MOUNTAIN RANCH, CONT’D: Some folks have talked of making the existing (very nice) home a base as they build their Dream Home on the property! Tim tells me there are two existing building sites that could work well. If you go to www.zillow.com and enter 17122 Baker Riley Road, Mountain Ranch, CA 95246, you’ll get a satellite view of this hideaway. You’ll also see Zillow’s estimate of value. The LOW end of their estimated value range is $340K.

“THE INDISPENSABLE first step in getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.” -Ben Stein. (I just liked this quote and thought I’d throw it in).

MORE CONGRATULATIONS! Another home run from Statesman’s own Greg Adams. Another listing SOLD. Another happy Seller. Greg manages to take very good care of his own clients AND manage my listings and escrows. His gift for organization makes it look easy. It ain’t. Several hundred thousand new licensees are just now figuring that out. I wish ‘em well. As Zig Ziglar says, “A Big Shot is just a Little Shot that kept on shootin’!” Have a great week.

Statesman Realty Lodi, CA

(209)333-2380

1-800-407-SOLD(7653)

www.LarrySellsLodi.com

www.larryunderhill.com

Email: Larry@LarryUnderhill.com