Vacation Planning Tips

A question I seem to get quite a bit these days from my clients is \” What is the difference between short sales and REO\’s?\” I then , usually, go into a whole explanation of the pro\’s and con\’s of each, and end up telling them that REO\’s are superior in every way. I have a couple of dealings over the past couple of months that really bring this point home.

For over a year now, I have had the pleasure of dealing with a wonderful family. They in North Hollywood, and have been searching for their perfect house in this area for quite awhile now. The first few times we looked around, we didn\’t find anything that would have benefited their situation. The family had decided to take about a year, waiting for prices to drop, before they wanted to search again.

So, I took them out a couple of months ago and found a cabin that was perfect for them. The cabin is super clean and situated on a great lot with a ton of beautiful oak trees. Even at the $149,900 price tag, it was a great deal. The one big problem with it was it being a short sale listing. I warned them of the major hassles that usually accompany buying a short sale, but they liked the house enough to risk it.

Over a month into the process, and we still hadn\’t heard a response back. It was around this time that I had come to the conclusion that the selling agent hadn\’t done his part in filing the short sale paperwork. I informed my clients that the only option we had now was to wait until the bank responded. The selling agent contacted me over a month later to inform me that the bank had snatched this property from him, and didn\’t respond to our offer.

It is obvious why I have such a disdain for short sales. I am sure this won\’t be the end of it…

Article submitter M. Strahg has much experience shopping a Big Bear, CA foreclosure plus Big Bear realty overall. Check out more of her articles on the web.

This year Big Bear Lake, CA had an epic snow storm. Most of Southern California experienced flooding that damaged many buildings in the coastal cities. But we were absolutely buried in frosty precipitation. There are different cities in the Bear Valley area like Moonridge, Fawnskin and Sugarloaf and they all took their own measure of beating, but what I was amazed by was the sense of community and brotherhood.

At first I began to question living in Big Bear because of these scenarios but now I feel a sense of confirmation. Rooftops are covered in feet of snow and holding, Chimneys are heating homes where the power is out. But all in all these abodes are boding well. And now my family is snuggled by the fire playing Yahtzee and telling stories by candlelight and strolling through the streets of fantastic snow hills in the early morning.

I didn\’t know if we would be able to get food or stretch our legs or find a cure for cabin fever until we began to shovel our driveway. Then I saw people on my street working together to remove the snow impasses. I walked through a foot of snow to the end of my block and waved to all of my neighbors and they waved back. The offered me help and supplies and I politely declined.

Then I returned to my cabin to face the fever with my family again only to find that we are becoming closer in this time and that we are paying more attention. We have wood and food. We have shelter. And where some might think our home is like a prison, I feel like I am on vacation every day.

I was excited that we were all coming together and learning how it was to be a family again because we were stuck with each other. The days were very repetitious but somehow we used the repetition to do it better each time and become more civil and caring.

Since we live in a resort town by ski spots, like Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, the traffic could be miserable and I could see why a lot of people would stay away in times like that. But we know the back ways and have what we need. So for us living through a snowstorm in Big Bear wasn\’t so bad. Knock on wood.

Submitted by: Karen Richardson knows all about shopping Big Bear, CA foreclosure deals and Big Bear realty overall. Check out her other pieces on other websites.