As the first quarter of 2008 draws to a close, many local real estate companies on the Monterey Peninsula have proudly announced their Top Producers for 2007. While negative sound bites continue to make headlines in the national news, dozens of local agents continue to work hard and as their numbers show, they excelled at turning our changing market into a positive opportunity for many of their buyers and sellers.

Tim Allen, Coldwell Banker Del Monte Realty, in recognition of his achievements in sales in Monterey County, was named to the Society of Excellence and ranked as the #2 Coldwell Banker real estate agent Internationally in Sales Volume.

Mike Canning and his team at Sotheby’s International Realty were honored to be named the number one agent for 2007 for the Carmel office, making this the 8th consecutive year of top achievement in production for the Canning Team on the Monterey Peninsula.

Mike Jashinski, DMB Realty Estate Properties, was recognized as the #2 agent in Monterey County for 2007. Working a niche market, Mike sold multi-million dollar homes and lots in the exclusive luxury communities of Monterra and Clint Eastwood’s private enclave, Tehama.

The Keller Williams Realty Carmel team of Bert, Chip and Kathy Aronson were the 2007 recipients of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce Green Ribbon Award of Excellence for Best Realtor.

Jamal Noorzoy, Alain Pinel Realtors Carmel was recognized as the local real estate office’s Top Producer for 2007. He has consistently been named one of Alain Pinel’s top real estate agents in sales since 2001. This year he was also ranked 65th nationally among all Realtors.

Alain Pinel Realtors - Carmel

Jeremy Barrett, Colin Campbell, Mara Kerr, Leilani Randall, Carla White

Coldwell Banker Del Monte - Carmel

International President’s Premier: Mary Bell, The Tom Bruce Team, Lucie Campos, The Heinrich Team, Cheryl Heyermann, William Smith; International President’s Elite: Maureen Mason, The Lynda Nichols Team, Jan Williams; International President’s Circle: Robin Aeschliman, Brochhini & Ryan, Kris Butler, Julie Davis, Rick Kennifer, Casper “Bud” Larson, Mary Stocker, Rhonda Williams, Carol Winningham; International President’s Diamond: Betsy Brown, Dean and Duchesne, Randi Greene, Debbie Heron, Anne Hogan, Lore Lingner, Saundra Meyrose, Jeanne Smither Osio, Pat Parrish, Eric Stauffer; International President’s Sterling: Dana Bambace, Chris Baumgart, Karen Calley, Janey Given, Paul Hollinsgworth, Greg Linder, Judy Lyle, Roger Parkes, Marcia Stuart, Joy Welch, Ephran Younger

Sotheby’s International Realty - Carmel

Agents in the Top 20%: Eddy & Roberta Bennett; Noel and Steve Beutel; Lynn Brown & Tracy Goodsel; Peter Butler and Cindy Katz; Laura & Kent Ciucci; Barbara and David Ehrenpreis; Laura Garcia & Genelle Tringali; Laurie Hall & Sarah Bouchier; Dave Howarth; Jack Johnson; Gayle Lundquist; Lawrence Lyonhardt and Deba Christensen; Earl Meyers and Bonnie Sunwood; Bill and Vicki Mitchell, Shelly Mitchell Lynch; Larry Scholink & Mark Trapin; Barbara Simmons and Madeline Daniels; Jim Somerville, Michele Guastello & Jon Sutherland; Doug Steiny; Pat Ward; Jim Winterbotham & Malone Hodges

To find out more about these Monterey County real estate agents and the local brokerages for which they work, visit their websites by clicking on the links shown above.

"Tranquility," a Chase International <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=link&fn=Key&id=aaccolxgmezqcjguorpqkpgzdgjebbi&link=ahwhpfoxvibmgocwdvqyxuarpmrxbpa> listing in Lake Tahoe, Nev., is one of a handful of homes showcased on a recent airing of NBC\’s Today Show listed at or above the $100 million mark. According to the Today Show segment, more and more homes are coming on the market at these prices, representing the gold standard in real estate. To read more and view the TV segment, click here <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=link&fn=Key&id=aaccolxgmezqcjguorpqkpgzdgjebbi&link=abeuwuhgiyvdiqobcimasdormyywbil>

Most industries are moving forward with the use of technology. Sending and receiving e-mail on mobile devices, accessing the Internet and reaching consumers in the comfort of their own homes is common as industry looks to the future.

Local real estate agents are no exception.

As many would-be home sellers and buyers look to the Internet before meeting with a Realtor, agents are reaching out to them from multiple angles.

Some local realtors are now adding blogs, or web logs, to their traditional Web sites to reach out to buyers and sellers with a more personal touch.

"Blogging is a great fit for real estate since agents can do it all on their own and give people a feel for the area, you can be a resource for people who want to read info on the town," said Lexi Cerretti, a Realtor with Chase International.

Cerretti said she has been blogging since late April 2007. Her blog, www.buytahoehomes.com/blog, covers everything from local real-estate market trends to Cerretti’s account of the recent snowstorm.

"It’s great for both buyers and sellers," Cerretti said. "Buyers can get a lot more info about a home they are interested in and the area online. Sellers benefit from having informed buyers who know what they want, it’s a win for everyone."

One of Cerretti’s blogging associates at Chase International is Sandy Soli. Soli is relatively new to blogging - she started September 2007 - but she is already excited about the possibilities it presents.

"Some consumers go for personality and this is a good way to showcase that," Soli said. "Of course my blog is mostly filled with local market news, housing statistics from Chase and a list of hot properties, but it is a little more personal than our Web site."

She pointed out that the amount of visits to her twice-weekly blog at tahoehomesblog.wordpress.com also raises her Web site’s traffic and her profile on search engines, driving more buyers and sellers to Soli.

She said one drawback to blogging is generating content week after week and keeping up with the blog.

"You have to commit to it if you’re going to have a blog," Soli said. "You can not just start it and then forget about it, you have a responsibility to your readers to give them new, interesting content. If you do not, people will drop off and go to someone else for information."

Todd Disbrow uses a different approach than Soli and Cerretti on his blog. The Intero Realtor has been blogging for about three months and sees it as more of an outlet to sell the Tahoe lifestyle instead of Tahoe homes.

"I like to show people they can work with me to capture the Tahoe dream," Disbrow said. "My blog is not so much about real estate as it is about getting people to visit here and showing them the cool stuff they can do."

His Web site, http://www.tahoereal.net/tahoe-blog, covers everything from a flank steak marinade recipe from a friend’s mother to a trip to a local dog park and a recap of the Intero Christmas party.

Disbrow also utilizes contributors on his site, a local mortgage planner, a real estate lawyer, photographers and even other Realtors to keep his blog chock full of content.

"Having all those contributors creates a snowball effect for the site," Disbrow said. "My friends read it, their friends read it, and we get a lot of visits."

THE BUZZ

March is the month where real estate activity traditionally springs forward. The National Association of Realtors® forecasts that the housing market will start to move up in the second half of this year. Chief NAR Economist Lawrence Yun reports that sales have held steady at 5 million (plus or minus 100,000) since September of last year.

Still, the old cliché holds true–it’s all about location, location, location. For example, NBC 11 news recently reported on Brentwood, a Northern California East Bay town that has all the makings of a community in real estate free fall. Thousands of new homes have been built over the past few years, creating a situation where there are more homes for sale than there are interested buyers. It is a classic scenario for falling prices. A home bought 2 years ago for $1.1 million in Brentwood was re-listed for $795,000.

In contrast, real estate just 50 miles to the west of Brentwood is a different story. Inventory is low, jobs are plentiful and the result is multiple offers and new price heights. For example, a Sunnyvale home listed in February for $1.1M actually sold at $1.3M, and a Woodside property listed at the same time for $4.7M had 5 offers and sold for $6.6M.

So is real estate springing forward? The real estate service ShowingTime reports that January 2008 showing requests jumped 40% compared to January 2007, a terrific start to the year. In addition, the increase in showings from December 2007 to January 2008 was the biggest month-to-month increase recorded since ShowingTime began tracking this metric in 2001. 

JUST ASK
Q: Are your paying too much in property taxes?

A: Maybe. It is important to see if your property has been wrongly assessed. Property-tax increases largely are based on rising home values, not the increase of taxes by local governments. Some jurisdictions use a home’s actual market value, while others use a percentage of a property’s worth.

As home values increase, so do their assessed values. What happens if values decrease? The National Taxpayers Union estimates that as much as 60% of taxable property in the United States is over-assessed. But only half of homeowners protest their assessments. This means many may be paying more in property taxes than necessary. Your accountant may have more insight into this. It’s worth a little research to make sure you’re not overpaying Uncle Sam.

The Sterley Team – Pacific Union Real Estate
Jeff Sterley
189 Sir Francis Drake Boulvard, Greenbrae, CA 94904
415-464-3760
sterleymgr@macunion.com

A Website will boost exposure for listings, agents

If you’re not using what is known as a "single-listing flashbook," you’re missing one of the best tools to increase your Web traffic and convert more listing leads into your lead funnel!

Single listing Web sites such as those offered through HomesMagazine.com are powerful lead conversion tools. When you offer sellers a customized Web site that uses the property address as the URL (797idacourt.com), most will sign the listing agreement on the spot.

Initially, these sites were priced at about $100, but today they are $69 each or 10 for $49 each. When you post the URL on your sign, visitors can enter it into their cell phone and see the interior of the property without disturbing you or the sellers. These sites also have the following advantages:

1. A powerful lead conversion tool
Single-listing flashbooks help you convert more listing appointments into high quality leads and sales. After the property closes, keep the URL active and allow the new buyers to email the site to all their friends announcing their move, showing off their new property and at the same time spreading your branding to everyone they know!

2. Increased Traffic/Stickiness
To increase your stickiness (i.e. to motivate Web visitors to stay on the site longer), consider adding aerial maps, or other community information. More importantly, many single-listing flashbooks can now be posted on Google, Craigslist and Yahoo with ease. The Flashbook is branded to you and links directly to your website for viewing additional listings.

3. Convert more expired listings
When you are competing for an expired listing, prepare one of these sites ahead of time. Many agents create a lifestyle show of Tahoe that they can easily update with actual home photos on the listing agreement is signed. Show it to the sellers and ask whether their past broker used this marketing approach. If not, you’ve given the seller a concrete reason why the listing expired.

With all of these advantages, one of the smartest moves you can make for 2008 is to create a single-listing flashbook for every one of your listings. The cost is minimal and the benefits are substantial.

Contact Melissa McHone with any questions or for a FREE demo of our unique product! 775-830-6464 ~ Melissa@HomesMagazine.com

Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2/22/08

DEVELOPERS FINISH FLORIDA PROJECT

Lifestyles Real Estate, have completed their first out-of-state development project, a 160-unit condo conversion in Winter Park, Fla., a suburb of Orlando.

Lifestyles raised money for the project from local investors and repaid them within 24 months, she added. Lifetyles has two development projects in Atlanta and a resort development in Costa Rica.

www.MyLifestylesRealEstate.com

HGTV is coming to North Lake Tahoe and needs to find homeowners and Realtors in the area who would like to be considered for the show.

The home channel’s show “My House is Worth What?" chronicles how homeowners are dealing with the ups and downs of the current real estate market. Those who appear on the television show get a free evaluation of their homes by experts and host Kendra Todd, season three winner of The Apprentice.

Homeowners from Tahoe City, Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Crystal Bay or Incline Village must use their dwellings as their primary residence. To apply go to www.pietown.tv/Shows/mhiww_applicationowners.html.

Realtors who work on the North Shore are also encouraged to apply to assess a property on site, give price evaluations, explain how certain renovations add or decrease value in a home. To apply to to www.pietown.tv/Shows/mhiww_applicationexpert.html.

Deadline to apply for homeowners and Realtors is Feb. 29.

Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce the assimilation of Kent Associates.

For the best advice and assistance available in the residential real estate marketplace, contact one of our agents at our new Ross Valley location or our flagship office in Southern Marin.

Ross Valley Office (415) 461-2500

Southern Marin Office (415) 381-7300

Vision Real Estate

one of the fastest growing companies in Marin

is pleased to announce

the opening

Sweeping views and very private, this is truly a “house of dreams.” Rebuilt and expanded with a highly sought-after open “loft-like” design for entertaining and relaxing within. Excellent Chefs Kitchen of the highest standards, walk-out garden and terraces with views! A double lot with pathways and gardens to discover. Main floor library, 2 guest suites, very large master bedroom with sitting room and a luxurious bathroom. The nighttime views are unforgettable. Only minutes to San Francisco.

David Gowan

Sotheby’s International Realty

415.772.8450

www.davidgowan.com

"I have moved offices–joining Sotheby’s International Real Estate, after 14 years as a top producer at TRI-Coldwell Banker. I know the wider exposure and far-reaching, national and international aspects of Sotheby’s will bring my clients even more success."