The Friday Report - March 27, 2009

Please note that Jerry Baker's listing at 966 Swiss Trails Road in Duarte will not be held for Open House. Said listing is curently in escrow.

• 2612 Glenrose Avenue, Altadena - Sunday 1- 5 pm
• 966 Swiss Trails Road, Duarte - Sunday 1 - 4 pm
• 2002 Bella Vista, Arcadia - Sunday 1 - 4 pm
• 658 South Wabash, Glendora - Sunday 12 - 3 pm
• 601 Sycamore Drive, San Gabriel - Sunday 1 - 4 pm

CENTURY 21 CEO Describes the Housing Market.

CENTURY 21 President/CEO Tom Kunz spoke today on CNBC regarding the uptick in sales that we have been experiencing over the last few months.

See the Video

We were thrilled to see our CEO sporting the Gold Jacket and positively describing the market at this time. It gives us all an incentive to speak with the cyou about the realities and opportunities available out there.

To learn more about current incentives available:

1. $8,000 Credit for first time purchasers.
2. $10,000 State of California credit for new construction purchases.

Call us today at 626.358.1858 / Monrovia or 626.963.7621 / Glendora or visit us on-line at http://www.c21ab.net/

New Homes Need Inspections Too

As California recently announced, current incentives to spur sales of New Construction have prompted great interest in purchasing such properties.

So let's say you just signed a contract to purchase a brand new home from a reputable builder. But even though it comes with a homeowner’s warranty, has never been lived in, and will be inspected throughout the construction process by local government officials, experts suggest that you hire an independent home inspector to check it out.

Even new homes come with defects, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). And it takes a professional to spot them. Many items can't be inspected once a house is completed. That’s why ASHI recommends that buyers consider having a series of phased inspections conducted at key points in the construction process: prior to the foundation pour, prior to insulation and drywall installation, and prior to the final walkthrough. These types of phased inspections may be added to the contract during negotiations.

Catching problems early will save homebuyers time—and money—later on.

But why have your own inspections? Aren’t buyers protected by the inspections done by local government officials?

While it’s true that local governments have oversight over the homebuilding process, building officials can and do miss things. In addition, a newly constructed home could have a problem that doesn’t rise to the level of a code violation yet could have serious consequences for a new homeowner. Remember, the building code contains a set of minimum standards to which a builder is required to adhere.

To find a certified home inspector, use the “Find an Inspector” tool on the ASHI Web site, at www.ASHI.org. Or simply ask your real estate professional for a recommendation. He or she can provide you with the names of several licensed inspectors in your area.

To learn more about recent California New Construction incentives call our REALTORS at CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes at 626.358.1858 / Monrovia and 626.963.7621 / Glendora or visit us on-line: www.c21ab.net

The CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Friday Report - March 20, 2009

Visit Us On-Line at www.c21ab.net or call us at 626.358.1858 / Monrovia or 626.963.7621 / Glendora

CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Welcomes Arby Artoonian

Arby Artoonian was invited to join the team at CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes (www.c21ab.net) in the Spring of 2009 and since then has been on a fast track to success.

Drawing from ample experience in handling customer service challenges, Arby is a multi-lingual business professional who consistently seeks new ways to analyze real estate opportunities for his clients.

Using up-to-date technologies, he prides himself as the consummate communicator who will keep you abreast of developments during the transaction and guide you towards taking the steps towards fruitful results.

It was his hard-working and professional attitude that earned him an invitation into the CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes family. Arby proved himself to be an amiable team player who understood the importance of providing real estate services that went far beyond the expectation of clients.

His history as a pro-active negotiator was a glaring positive attribute which the company seeks in its REALTOR ranks. To learn more about Arby Artoonian, we invite you to visit www.c21ab.net today or contact him at 818.216.0054

CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Posts Considerable Sales Numbers

After a review of the company's production this week, Broker Tom Adams announced a 200% increase in sides (one half of a sale) closed over the same first quarter period last year. The numbers for the company's Monrovia office (for the same measured period )were 160%.

The announcement came on the heels of the company's receipt of the CENTURY 21 Technology Company Award and presentation as a Hall of Fame office earlier this month at CENTURY 21's International Convention in San Antonio, TX.

The uptick in closes sides and revenue seem to follow a moderate thawing in the real estate market that the company has been quick to embrace. The company's considerable listing portfolio of Bank Owned Homes, Short Sales, Commercial Units and well priced conventional listings have spurred the increase in production.

In addition, the company in order to continue the momentum, is embracing CENTURY 21's April Open House Month Sweepstakes which will give one lucky winner a handsome cash prize.

For more information about CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes and April's Open House Month Contest, contact us today at 626.358.1858 / Monrovia - 626.303.8733 / Glendora or visit us on-line at www.c21ab.net

The Technology Award

Here it is. The coveted CENTURY 21 Technology Award that will be comming back to our Monrovia office at the conclusion of this wonderful convention.

We are very proud of this award because it is a testament that our brokerage is taking pro-active steps to meet the needs of today's consumer.

Now, getting it back to Monrovia without breaking it will be a feat all to itself. Stay tuned.

CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Receives Technology Award

CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Receives CENTURY 21's Technology Award

CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes was the proud recipient of CENTURY 21's Technology Award at this year's International Convention in San Antonio, TX.

Speaking to a packed house, the company's General Manager Hugo Torres accepted the award on behalf of all CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes agents who consistantly use system tools (21Online, E -Greetings, etc) to generate leads and grow business.

To see the video of the presenation, see our video above:

First Night

Well after nearly 8 hours of travel time, Jacen (Crehan) and I finally arrived and registered for CENTURY 21'S Llc's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The flight was definitely worth it as the night's reception at Sunset Station proved to be a fantastic meet and greet for many old friends from previous convention and conferences.

Tonight, I was able to get together with folks from corporate, International Manager's Academy (IMA), convention's past (Las Vegas, Florida) and from Facebook.

All together, I am glad to finally be in San Antonio (beautiful city) and to start the week's festivities with a bang.

We're Solid Gold indeed.

How to Downsize Your Space in Style

Are you moving into a smaller home? If so, you don’t have to sacrifice luxury and style along with square footage.

Downsizing is a popular option these days, as people move from larger to smaller houses for a variety of reasons. Some are empty nesters, looking for a more manageable home when children fly the coop. Others might be college graduates, moving from their suburban childhood home to their first apartment in the city. No matter what the reason, a smaller space can be just as comfortable and elegant as the larger one left behind.

Many downsizers opt to change their design style when they move. Lauri Ward, a designer and author of “Downsizing Your Home With Style,” says her clients often swap traditional furniture and design for cleaner lines that are more eclectic and sleek.

The biggest design challenge for those who downsize: storage. Many smaller homes lack garages and basements.

What to do? - Ward recommends closed storage—a trunk rather than a coffee table, for example—to do away with what she calls “visual chaos.” She also makes extensive use of built-ins, which save space.

In living areas, avoid cluttering the floor space with tables that have no purpose or with stacks of magazines. Opening up the floors makes the space appear larger—and in any downsized home, every piece needs to earn its keep by having a purpose for being there.

Rooms in a smaller home need to serve double duty. Combine a home office with a guest room, for example. Or purchase a dining room table that can double as a desk for a home office.

“People often think they’re compromising if they go smaller, but good things come in small packages,” Ward says. “You can really have a beautiful home—even more beautiful than your last. It’s more about quality than quantity.”

Falling House Prices Create New Opportunities for Buyers

Buyers should pay close attention to the results of a report released on Feb. 10, 2009.

On that date, Denver-based Integrated Asset Services released its House Price Index for December 2008. Based on the most current information available at the time, the report shows a 13.8 percent decline in house prices for the full year 2008 and an overall decline of 19.1 percent since the market’s peak at the end of 2006. These are national numbers, of course; certain local markets have seen greater or lesser declines.

Of greater interest to potential buyers, however, is the data contained in the IAS report that identifies 10 of the counties hit hardest during the national real estate decline. It is in these markets that some of the greatest buying opportunities lie.

Not surprisingly, most of the hardest hit counties were in states that experienced the largest gains during the housing bubble. California fared the worst, with the top three of the nation’s hardest hit counties: San Joaquin County, down 51 percent from its high; Monterey County, down 49 percent; and Kern County, down 45 percent. In Florida, Lee County fared the worst, with a decline of 44.6 percent. Charlotte County dropped 42.2 percent, and Pasco County declined 39.7 percent.

“We’re seeing house prices returning to pre-bubble levels, and there are no signs of leveling off just yet,” says Dave McCarthy, president and CEO of Integrated Asset Services. “But location is still everything.”

In these hard hit counties, and others, opportunity knocks for savvy buyers. Want to learn more about prices in your neighborhood? Give your local CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes office a call, and we can provide you with prices and other data for areas that you’d like to live in as well as tips on how to make the most of current market conditions.