Everything I pick up talks about going Green.  I ever read a Realtor magazine yesterday and the whole issue was dedicated to getting agents to help clients be aware of what would make their home green.  There is even a new designation, which is an educational program, realtors can get that says they have studied what makes a house Green.  This is offered by the National Association of Realtors and apparently 4,000 agents across the country have already take the class.  But that's not what I want to share.  About a year ago somebody told us that if we changed every light bulb in our home to the new florescent bulbs we would have a considerable saving on our monthly bill.  My husband being the frugal gentleman that he is couldn't wait to try it.  So we went to Costco and bought enough of the bulbs to do the whole house and have a few spares.  In the very first month our electric bill was significantly less.  We weren't sure if it was a fluke or the real thing.  Well we've been watching it closely for the past year and our bills are down - alot.  Some of that may be that we are more conscious about what the electricity we are using.  We have always been big recyclers, even before the City gave us trash bins we were taking our recyclables to drop off sites, so trying to pear down the energy cost was not a big thing for us.  But I am amazed at how much the savings have been.  Some of the lights in our home are on timers so they come on for specific periods ever day.  We didn't change that with the new bulbs.  My husband estimates we have recovered the cost of all those bulbs, they aren't cheap and gained some additional savings.  If you haven't changed your bulbs yet, do yourself a favor do it now.

$8,400.00 13 Alta Vista Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Beds: 3.0 Rooms: 3 Baths: 3.00 Sq. Ft.: 2837.00 Garage: 2.0 Built: 1982   Dramatic, yet comfortable best describes this beautiful Mirage Cove home. You'll find it everything you and comfortable too! Come play in the playground of the Presidents. This is a new listing that I thought you might be interested in. Visit this listing online to see more photos of the property, Google Earth satellite images, and much more.   If you have any questions about this property or require more information, please feel free to call. Heather M. Burke Main Street Realtors 562-719-2596 www.heathermburke.com     Visit this listing at Here

The market is still difficult for many buyers and sellers.  Sellers don't want to let them homes go for what they paid and many buyers are still having a difficult time qualifying and finding properties they can afford to purchase.  Whether the problem is because of hardship or the economic times, it doesn't matter, as Realtors we owe it to our clients, buyers and sellers, to help them find creative ways to purchase property.  A lease option, often inaccurately referred to as rent to own, is a great option.  It offers Sellers a way to find buyers for their homes, often at full market price and it provides them an income stream to off set the expense of the property, usually a better option than a straight rental contract.  If a buyer plans to stay in an area, can't qualify today for a loan but possibly could in the next 6 to 24 months.  This is an option that is worth presenting to the Seller.  A portion of the rent (usually a higher rate than normal rent about 20% more) is returned to the Buyer at the end of the term towards a down payment or closing costs.  If the buyer decides not to move forward with the transaction, then they forfeit the additional money paid for rent.  The price of the property is decided up front.  Talk to your Relator, whether you are buying or selling, explore this option and see if it would work for you.  Don't forget to talk to a lender and get their input on this option.  It's another way we can make home ownership affordable for more people.  If you want to explore this further let me know I'll give you the detailed information I've found out about this creative way to get Buyers into their own homes.

Today I had the opportunity to attend a luncheon where the speaker was Jeff Davi the Real Estate Commissioner for the State of California.  He made some interesting comments but here are a few I think are worth repeating.  There are 538,000 licensed Real Estate people in CA.  That means 1 in every 54 adults has a license.  Real Estate agents outnumber lawyers in this state 2 to 1 - hmmm I'm not sure what that means but it doesn't sound good to me.  He said he was embarrassed about the budget situation - hey guess what - so are we!  But I think one of the most significant comments he made was that "he thinks the worst is behind us".  He also said that in every market downturn the one thing you can count on is that foreclosures will be on the rise.   In the State of CA 660 people lose their home everyday.  Nationally that figure is 1200.  We account for slightly over 50% of the national number!  He also said that NOD's are leveling off and even decreasing and that will open the doors to a leveling off in our market.  On that note I hope he's right.

I'm in the business and I keep asking myself this question.  The media always has something they are focusing on but this time I do think this is a biggie.  I suspect we'll all pay for the fiasco.

The California Association of Realtors issued a statement today and here is part of their remarks.

"To help your clients understand the role of the GSEs, please take a look at a new video featuring C.A.R. Executive Vice President Joel Singer at http://www.car.org/newsstand/video-js-gse. In “Fannie and Freddie: Why They Matter to You,” Joel explains the often confusing but critical role Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play in the housing market in clear and concise terms. 

We’ll be tracking the story for you as it develops in Wednesday’s “C.A.R. Newsline,” and will have additional information to help you make sense of the story for consumers in this Thursday’s edition of “Market Matters.”

I'll keep you posted and together we'll try to understand the situation.  I'd be curious to know how you feel about Fannie and Freddie.  Does it make you feel more confident about a purchase?