Time for the Howl'oween Parade

Alexis was wondering if you have ever seen the Howl'oween Parade in Belmont Shore? She told me how much fun it can be and that many of her friends were going to dress up for the occasion...

The reason is according to Alexis... is that most of their owners dress up in late October and so they felt they should too.... although she hopes she does not look as bad as her owner...

On Sunday the 26th of October this incredible parade of pets will once again take place. The parade starts at 2:30 along the sidewalks of the shore.

In a year when people are concerned about their state of affairs this wonderful event will lift your spirits. Many of us love our pets... they can become more than family... many people would give up their lives before allowing something to happen to fluffy.

I will be taking time out of my active real estate career to see the animals celebrate Halloween. To enter your favorite pet check out Haute Dog... Have fun Jeff

Are Sales Looking UP?

This September was one of my busiest Septembers of my career. It seemed like I was running like a mad man all month. My time was spent helping buyers find the home of their dreams. I love working with buyers... it is more of a challenge than working with a seller. Buyers require more attention and it is fun to teach new buyers the ropes. My rule is to work with anyone who is qualified to buy regardless of the price range they are in. Long Beach had a good September as far as sales were concerned. We are seeing the average home sale around $402,284 and being on the market for around 72 days. We saw 420 new listings last month most of which are somewhere in the foreclosure to bank owned process. Currently there are 1535 homes (Homes means any type of residential houses and does not include duplex and apartments buildings)on the market Below are the statistics I used from the SoCal - MLS

City	New	LP	Sold	SP	DOM
LONG	420	$439,414	210	$402,284	72
SIGH	11	$423,181	11	$312,950	104
	431	$431,297	221	$357,617	88

The good news is homes are selling and there is still inventory. The decision that needs to be made is "is this a good time for you to buy" Remember invest in your self and use a good buyers agent to walk you through the process. What a lot of people do not understand is we are paid by the seller and our job is to lookout for you and your needs.

I have a special Foreclosure areas on my website... check them out.... Have a great week... Jeff

Butterflies, Desert, Fault, Dates & Relaxing

Interesting title? Last week I wrote about the Long Beach Marathon and my annual tradition of heading out of town. One of the great things about selling Real Estate is you have personal freedom and for the most part set your own schedule. This is good and bad... I try once a month to take a weekend off if possible. Last week I had the excuse... here is what I learned.

As humans we need to relate to nature at least I need to. Why? It helps keep in the forefront of my mind what is important in the scheme of life and for me that means: Family, Friends, Health and time to enjoy the wonders of the world.

Many times my friends will hear me tease about being just a boy from "Idaho" but that country boy is still deep within my soul. When it comes time to relax I love turn the cell phone off (it does have an off button) and take a nice walk. I love to visit the zoo and last weekend I visited one of my favorites The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert. I know many people who visit the desert and have know idea this treasure is there to be discovered. This past weekend they had a special Butterfly exhibit and it was so incredible I just needed to share a picture with you.

The balance of the weekend was spent at La Quinta Resort in La Quinta. La Quinta is one of the newest cities in California and the surrounding mountains are breathtaking.

To further quest for my need to be in nature we went on a Hummer Tour provided through Elite Land Tours from Palm Springs. We selected the It's Our Fault tour. This tour takes you out on the San Andres Fault and our guide Mark has so much information to share and his wealth of knowledge was astonishing. The scenery was beautiful and there was a surprise around every turn. Here is a clip of me and Javier on the fault, I hope you enjoy it. Fault You Tube Video

Part of our tour took us to a date plant where we sampled many different kinds of dates.

Back at the hotel there was plenty of time to soak, relax, nap and eat... oh, and a cocktail or two as well.

We have so much to offer living in Long Beach and I encourage you to go and see what is there for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Have a great weekend, Jeff

Marathon Weekend

It is that time of year again when our lovely city is taken over by the Long Beach Marathon. I remember the first year that I discovered this event. Not being quite the running type I was out with friends and we were heading to brunch... My idea of a peaceful Sunday afternoon. After heading down Broadway it seemed like a normal weekend... but; let's just say that came to a screeching halt.

Two hours later we were able to park and find a place to eat. So on Marathon weekend... I am out of here and being a long weekend for some people it is a good excuse to get away.

If you are looking for something to do here is an idea: Check out the Butterfly exhibit at The Living Desert in Palm Desert. What is the living desert? One of my favorite places so follow the link and check it out. The Living Desert

One of the things I always tell people new to Long Beach is there is so much to do here. We are so close to some many attractions I can always find something to do.

October.. Already

I fondly remember as a child growing up in Northern Idaho the month of October . The leaves would change color, the air got fresher (colder) and the excitement of the fall/winter holidays were about to begin. Sometimes we think of fall as getting older... but for me it means the end of a season. The housing market in Long Beach is year round, but for me over the past few years it runs hot late April through the end of October and this year has been no exception.

When I setup my business up it was with service in mind. I work to handle each client on a case by case basis... working only with no more than three buyers at a time along with a few sellers. My business has focused on buyers... why? Many agents do not like to work with buyers because they are too much work. I DO NOT believe in this kind of thinking. It is exciting for me to find the right home for my clients and not all clients are created equal.

Over the next few weeks as fall approaches I will again review my business practice to prepare for next year. This not mean I am done for the year as I am not... I am here to work for each of you in the ways you need my services.

So, all that being said... Go out and enjoy your weekend. Long Beach has a lot to offer... Jeff