Laguna Real Estate Insanity

This blog was created for me to be able to discuss the real Laguna Beach. I saw the way that the outside world looked at Laguna was jaded. The way the majority of people think of the "Laguna Lifestyle" has been too heavily influenced by the faked reality that has made it's way onto the bube tube.


Unfortunately for this blog, I have proceeded to become so busy with life as a Realtor that I have been neglectful. I'm quite amazed that anyone even came to the site since it has been months since the last time I spent time here. It's ironic, really, since all you seem to see and hear in the news is how the sky is falling in the real estate world. In reality, the market is ripe for those who understand. Investors and first time buyers are scrambling to get their place in the real estate line before it sells out. The market has seen homes priced over a million dollars selling within a week with 10 or more offers!!! The news will talk about the low end or all the homes being lost, but they seem to forget that someone has to be buying! I also entered into a partnership with another Realtor in Laguna. That partnership has created a whole new world of possibility, but also new work and responsibilities...so more time working and less time for blogging.

So here I am again. Do I feel guilty for ignoring this site? I do feel a bit...but since deep down I think that this is just my way of letting my psyche express itself, it is only for me (my digital diary that everyone could read)...but no one other than me really reads this anyway! :-) So I am sitting at home thinking and thus I wandered to here. I've gone for a run this evening and the evening is beautiful, so I started ruminating.

I guess the next question for us, is where and what do we do from here? Do we let the "Depression/Recession" drag us down or do we focus on the positive that we can create from this? We have a chance to change everything...new technology, new values, new needs, new goals! Do we really need the fancy cars and big SUV's? Do we really need all the TV's in every room in the house? Do we really need to work so hard that we forget what's really important...living? Do we continue on this work until we die route or do we remember that friends and family are more important? Do we decide that every race, religion, country...basically every person...can exist in cooperation and peace? CAN WE JUST GO BACK TO BEING KIDS WHO JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!?!

I used to work in auto sales...I liked helping people get the car of their dreams, but I also had to play a game since I was employed by someone who wants to make a much money as possible on that same person's dream! Now, being a Realtor allows me to assist people acquire the property of their dreams, but I am not in the position of having the owner looking over my shoulder! I know that I still work too hard. I don't get to spend the time with friends and family that I would if I was a multimillionaire, but I do love this work!

So I for one want the Depression/Recession to help us reevaluate our needs and wants and goals. No we don't need all the fancy cars and big SUV's and TV's! Let's get off the bed/couch/chair/whatever and start living again. Take a walk, watch a sunset, play a sport, ride a bike, go for a hike, visit a friend, anything as long as we get off our butts! Oh that would also mean turning off the computer!

I may not have been on here in a while, but I have been living. I plan on doing the same in the future, so I don't expect to have consistent postings. If you have a problem with that, give me a call 949.254.6494! (Those who know me will know that is my real cell number) If you don't believe it, feel free to call me or crank call me (as long as it is truly funny crank call)!

But better yet...if you have a problem with me not posting regularly, come down to Laguna and take a long walk on the beach and then when you see me wandering through Laguna in my little grey Subaru, stop me and say hi!!! Thanks and see you in the real world, Cole.

Open House in Laguna this Weekend

Hello out there in cyberland. I have an open house here in Laguna this weekend. Please click on the link below to get the information.

I will have all of my material detailing the current listings and listings that have closed out in the last 3 months. If you want to find out information on every listing in Laguna, this is your chance!

Thanks again and if you see me wandering through Laguna in my little grey Subaru, please hi!!! Cole

Laguna Real Estate Market Update

Hello all and welcome to a philosophical journey through the real estate market...no not really. I just don't have any idea how to make an opening sentence "feel" right for this.

Anywho...the real estates market here in Laguna has seen some resent increased activity. Throughout this year we were averaging about 15 home sales closing per month, but June and July were 21 and 20, respectively. August has started quickly, closing over a half dozen in the first week. On top of that the number of homes going into escrow has also increase...so what is the cause. From heavily researching, following pricing trends, speaking with buyers & sellers and following the advertising, the main reasons that I have found are that sellers have adjusted their pricing structures to be in alignment with the market and that buyers are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am constantly speaking with real estate investors, who are very actively searching for more places to plant their money. They don't ask me if the market has turned, they tell me they want to buy before the general populous joins the rush. I don't know about where the bottom of this market was/is/will be, but I know that people who purchased 8 or more years ago almost certainly have equity. It is the false equity that built up from 2003 to 2006/07 that is becoming just that...false. So we have traveled back in time to 2003/04 pricing, which is where we should have been in 2005. The real estates market has long revolved around a 10 year cycle of 7-8 year of growth and 2-3 years of lag and because of the government and lenders trying to make that 7 to 8 period go on forever, we have had to go through this last couple years of "fun".

Let's learn our lesson and RESEARCH before making any purchases. I have stated before that if you are trying to buy to flip homes, I wouldn't do it. There are some out there doing it and making money, but I believe that real HOMEOWNERS, the long term, live in the home individuals, are the real winners. They now have a chance to get into homes that were unavailable. Their incomes have increased since 2003 and now they can afford the home priced at 2003 levels! I love giving a new homeowner the keys to that home!!! I wish I could do it every day...I guess that makes me work hard and keep working hard.

Well, I do believe that this did turn out to be a bit of a philosophical journey! Thanks for reading and as always...if you see me wandering through Laguna in my little grey Subaru, please say hello!!! Cole

Laguna Real Estate one of select few

According to statistics recently released, Laguna is one of only FOUR zip codes to show an increase in median home value from the same time last year. The four zip codes were 92651 (Laguna Beach, of course), 92662 (one of Newport Beach's, which was up a whopping 47%), 92657 (Newport Coast) and 92625 (Corona Del Mar). The average for the county was a 20% drop in median prices. As you can see it was localized in this area, but the down side was that the number of home sales dipped 32.5% for all of Orange County and 52% in Laguna! The nice homes are selling right now. Others are chasing the market.

We have larger than normal inventories, which create the choices for the buyers. If the buy can choose between two homes, one of which is updated and remodeled or one that is essentially original (outdated), but both are prices similar or close enough to compare, the buyers are moving on the former. We also have the "distress" properties that are starting to leak into Laguna's market. We had been relatively insulated, but they are starting to drive buyers, with pricing below market! If the market can move them quick enough to have the effect trickle up to the rest of the listed homes, we will have a much swifter recovery from the slow sales. If on the other hand we see the "distress" properties become too great a number, we could be seeing more price reductions. Then, Laguna won't be in the "select few" with median price increases from the year previous.

The moral of the story is that homes are selling (slowly) and the nice homes are selling for statistically more than before, so we can continue to look for the light at the end of the tunnel and surf the wave right up to the shore!

Thanks for reading and if you see me wandering through Laguna in my little grey Subaru, please say hi!!! Cole

Laguna Beach Real Estate

I have been accused of being a bit over analytical. But when it comes to this market of real estate, I keep having people come up to me for my opinion on homes.

I know that many homeowners are gloom and doom. I am one of the people who purchased during the last few years, so I theoretically have lost money...on paper. Since I am not selling or planning to sell my home, I actually haven't lost anything. I know that values have returned from the ether. We need to stop thinking that the real estate world is coming to an end! We haven't returned to values from the 1970's or 80's, we've returned to where we should have stopped in 2003-2004.

Some individuals, realtor's included, began to believe that values would never stop going up, or even slow down the increase. Well that has caused a lot of heartache and in the worst case, loss of home! Average prices have dropped, median prices have dropped, amount of homes for sale have increase, but for those who purchased for the right reason and with the truthful information about themselves are still holding on to their homes. The best place to invest, especially right now, is still real estate...as long as you are looking for LONG TERM investing! Whether we look into the crystal ball and it tells us that the market will go up or down in the immediate future, it doesn't matter for the long term. If you can TRUTHFULLY afford a piece of real estate to invest in for the long term, real estate won't let you down. I read all the doom and gloom in the paper...just as I did in the 1990's...and I know that those who understood bought! Those who didn't waited until the press, news and media told them to buy and then were upset that they had to fight for the property...not only that...they had to pay more for the privilege to fight for the property. I'm not saying to buy or sell because the market is at the bottom...I'm not saying to buy because you can turn an immediate profit...I'm saying to buy (or sell to buy up) to enjoy LONG TERM wealth...to have something of your own for the long haul. I look at flipping very much like day-trading on the stock market...unless you have a large sum of expendable money, you may want to jump out your window right after you threw your computer out the window!!!

Laguna Beach has been slightly insulated by it's proximity to the water, but that didn't last forever and we must be looking toward the future, not the past. The real estate is worth what it is today, not what it was worth in 1970, 1980, 1990 or even last year! I have seen areas where up to 80% of all properties for sale are because of financial troubles, but we only had 22 out of over 360 as of last week. That will change. But if we use our intellect and planning we can reduce the chances in the future.

Thanks for reading and if you see me wandering through Laguna in my little grey Subaru, please say hi!!! Cole