$449,000.00 5712 Danny Avenue Cypress, CA 90630 Beds: 3 Rooms: 6 Full Baths: 2 Sq. Ft.: 1570 Garage: 2 Built: 2010   New construction in Cypress, where the schools lead the way in Orange County. Don't miss the opportunity to purchase a brand new home. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

$719,900.00 2871 Mainway Drive Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Beds: 4 Rooms: 9 Full Baths: 1 Sq. Ft.: 2055 Garage: 2 Built: 1959   This home is an exceptional opportunity to move your family to Rossmoor. In a great location this home is very livable as it is, or you could take the time and make it extra special. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

$1,299,900.00 230 15th St. Seal Beach, CA 90740 Beds: 4 Rooms: 8 Full Baths: 2 Sq. Ft.: 3585 Garage: 3 Built: 1992   This amazing home is not to be believed. Only 2 blocks from the ocean with 4 full bedrooms, formal living room and dining room and a family room. And don't forget there is a 3 car garage. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

$614,900.00 3511 Julian Avenue Long Beach, CA 90808 Beds: 3 Rooms: 6 Full Baths: 1 Sq. Ft.: 1417 Garage: 2 Built: 1963   Wonderful El Dorado Park Estates home located on an interior street - quiet and very private. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

Imagine my surprise when I was sitting in a meeting the other day and it was announced that prices in Long Beach from January 2009 to January 2010 has gone up - almost 9%.  We have to keep in mind this is a rise in the median price not an overall increase in value, a little different because median means price in the middle.  That could be that there were less REO's or that short sales actually closed for more than the list price, I know you've all heard and seen that!  But the point is that prices have steadily increased in the past year.  Not by leaps and bounds but by small incremental amounts that create a stable market.  There is a report done by California Association of Realtors called the trough report.  It shows when prices stopped dropping and when they actually started to increase.  The trough in the Long Beach/South Bay area actually occurred almost a year ago.  I hope this helps you understand why it is so hard to purchase a home at the low end today.  We are back into a multiple offer situation and constant overbidding on prices.  So many buyers still think it is last year and finally sellers realize it's not and are pricing more aggressively.  All of this combined makes for an interesting market.  Interesting and frustrating.  If you want to look closer at any of these numbers, give me a call I'm happy to forward the information to you.

$649,900.00 4354 N. Lakewood Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90808 Beds: 4 Rooms: 0 Full Baths: 3 Sq. Ft.: 2318 Garage: 3 Built: 1951   Rarely on the market this Long Beach Triplex is located on North Lakewood Blvd. between Centralia and Harvey Way, is a great investment opportunity. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

I am shocked how difficult it is to find a home for a buyer today.  The inventory is extremely low and we are into multiple offers for properties.  It doesn't matter if they are short sales, REO's or anything else, even a standard sale seems to be getting multiple offers.  An agent in my office told me the other day they listed a California Heights home at a reasonable price, it was a standard sale and less than 24 hours later they had 3 offers.  The lowest was the asking price and the highest was almost 5% over asking price and all cash!  It's a crazy time.  These past 2 years have been a very unpredictable market and have made it so difficult on buyers.  The good news for everybody is that we seem to starting to stabilize.  At least prices have not gone down in a couple of months and that's a positive sign.

If you didn't get the message already, let me confirm that the Federal Tax Credit for Home Buyers has been Extended and Expanded. The tax credit will be extended through April 30, 2010, with a 6-day extension if a binding contract is in place prior to the deadline. First-time home buyers will continue to receive a tax credit of up to $8,000, while existing homeowners will receive a credit of up to $6,500. This is some of the best news we've had in a long time for the Real Estate market.  While the economy appears to be recovering slowly, I do think some of the uptick in the real estate area has been from the first time buyer tax credit.  Now that is has been expanded to include existing homeowners I think that will continue.  I worry what will happen when it ends but my home is that the economy will be feeling a recovery by then and it won't be as shocking as it would have been at the end of December. 

$799,900.00 109 Deer Spring Way Palm Desert, CA 92211 Beds: 3 Rooms: 6 Full Baths: 3 Sq. Ft.: 2764 Garage: 2 Built: 1983   Spectacular home, completely redone and ready for you to bring your furniture and clothes. 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 Burke Main Street Realtors 5622435244 www.findalongbeachhome.com     Visit this listing here

I think we all know that mortgage rates have been low for several years now but are you really aware how low?  I was shocked on the weekend when I wrote an offer on a single family residence, for a single buyer and attached a copy of his qualifying letter to the offer.  I followed up on Monday morning with his lender and told her we had written the offer for a 30 year fixed rate loan with a rate no higher than 5.5.  I have 6% on my home I've lived in for 7 years and I have always thought that was a steal.  I was hopeful she would say you are well within what we can do today, but no she said oh that's way over what we need.  In fact, she was able to lock him in to a 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.785%.  I was shocked.  It had significant affect on his monthly payment.  Let me show you what I mean.  If he was financing $100,000 and the rate was 5.5%, his payment would be $568/mo, principal and interest.  If he finances the same amount at 4.875%, his monthly payment drops to $528/mo, that's $40/month or $500/year!  If you are purchasing a home that is 3 or 4 times that amount your savings will be significantly higher.  I did some research after my conversation with the lender and I found an article by one of the banks that said the rates last week and this week are the lowest they have been since 1971!  I know inventory is low and it's especially difficult at the lower price point, but if you are thinking about purchasing, between these rates, and the government tax credits, you really need to get into high gear and get it done.  There are still some really nice single family homes and condos in the Long Beach area.  Let me know if I can help you with your search.  What a great time to be looking to buy.