One of the four boards of Realtors that we are members of is the Antelope Valley Board of Realtors.  This includes Palmdale, Lancaster, Little Rock, Ana Verde and all of the other cities from Northern Los Angeles County and Kern County.  If you are curious which cities are serviced by the Board of Realtors in the Antelope Valley, just check out www.avrealestate.com and you will be able to have that question answered.  You can also drop us a line to find out as well.

The top block has to do with a Market Snapshot, you can enter in a target property or other information related to a subject property then in about 30 minutes it will use the source data and compile the information then send you an e-mail.  Remember, this pulls the data directly from the source, the Board of Realtors that services those specific areas.  So, even though I love Zillow, I am sure this is cleaner data being that is more direct and has its origin from the source.

The block below the first one has to do with community information and comparisons of that data by Zip Code.  Here you can input a Zip code or compare two to see what a community has to offer, places of worship, community shopping, schools and much more.  This data streams as soon as it loads.  Gotta love the instant gratification.  As Always Be Safe - CONNOR with HONOR 

http://www.homeinsight.com/Widget/default.asp?ZFOD2GYVRIIH 
For the Market Snapshot

http://www.topmarketer.net/CSR/CSReport.aspx?G7TVMS0HSFUF 
For the Community Reports by Zip Code

We are attempting to get the engine done that will be updated that will have the Foreclosures and Distressed properties for all of the cities in the Antelope Valley.   We are targeting the core cities that belong to the AV Board of Real Realtors.  You will see residual listings if agents are either listing properties that are outside of the reach of their Board of Realtors or if they hold multiple memberships.  Paris and I hold memberships to 4 boards of Realtors.  So to be able to access all of their databases is what has allowed us to be able to provide you with this information at the press of a button or a few key strokes.

Due to the number of Foreclosures in Lancaster and Palmdale it was necessary to clip and quarantine them from the flock of cities in Los Angeles County.  So they are stand alone searches.  Kern County distressed properties are listed as are San Bernardino County foreclosures and distressed.  If you want more information give us a call and we will re-con any one of the properties listed on these Portals.

Here are the Foreclosure and or Distressed property listings that are from the Antelope Valley Board of Realtors:
1.  Palmdale had 490 distressed properties as of the time of this entry.
2.  Lancaster had 475 distressed and or foreclosure properties at the time of this entry.
3.  San Bernardino County had 4 (they have another database that is used primarily).
4.  Kern County was showing 73 Foreclosures and or Distressed properties.
5.  Other Los Angeles County was showing 87 properties that fit the criteria I ran - A side note, Other Los Angeles county could also include cities that are within the Southland Regional Association of Realtors - That Foreclosure and Distressed search is on the Paris911.com Blog as well.  

For Ventura County Foreclosures and other Distressed Properties check out this link:  Paris911.com Foreclosures and Distressed.

I wish to explain just for good measure that is a Realtor is only a member of the Antelope Valley Board of Realtors and picks up a listing in let us say "Acton", that Realtor can enter the property just into the AV Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  Then the only agents that will have access to that listing are going to be the ones from the AV Board of Realtors.  So hence, you might see a listing on the Other Los Angeles County that is not on the SRAR MLS(Southland Regional Association of Realtors - Multiple Listing Service).

If you have never purchased a home before there are several things in which you must be made aware:  whether Santa Clarita Real Estate or other areas in which Paris911 Serves:

1.  It is not "normal" to pay your agent a commission in order to have them help you find a home and write the offer.
As a rule of thumb our commission, when representing buyers, is paid by the Seller.  That is the price of admission to having owned real estate and wanting to sell it.  As a seller you will bear the responsibility of paying both Agents commissions.  The one that you have chosen to represent you and market, subsequently bringing the other agent and buyer to your home and successfully closing escrow.  You also pay the Other agent that brings the buyer.  In most markets this fee is 6%, which is allotted 3% per agent or side of the transaction.  A seller will also pay their own fees as they relate to title and escrow.  Usually one (1%) percent of the sales price for each fee - These are set fees and have little wiggle room.  So rough numbers has a seller paying 8% total to sell a home without considerations and discounts.

2.  Your fee’s as a buyer or closing costs are going to be about three things:  
      A.  Your part of Title fees (Usually 1 % of the purchase price or there abouts)
      B.  Your part of Escrow fees (Usually 1 % of the purchase price (this is an estimate))
      C.  Your Lender’s fees (the origination fee for your loan - Appraisal - Document preparation - The list goes on and on depending on the Lender and their Hunger)

3.  You can pay your closing costs in a few different ways:
      A.  Cash
      B.  Check
      C.  Borrowing the money from a relative or friend
      D.  Having the closing costs incorporated into the loan.
      E.  Have the Seller Pay the closing costs.

Let me bring your attention to #3-D, "having the closing costs incorporated into the loan".  This is by far the most popular option for most new home buyers.  IN A HOT MARKET.  OTHER WISE KNOWN AS A SELLERS MARKET. Understanding that for every $10,000.00 financed your payment will change in the area of $50.00 to $75.00 a month - You have a decision to make regarding the hard money you have saved in the bank - Which, for that matter, is not very easy to save and having the closing costs incorporated into the loan.

Another option regarding closing costs is, #3 -E, "having the seller pay the closing costs".  This option is what is the most prevalent at this time in this market and date of this post.  This is a Buyers Market without a doubt.  So in this market you make an offer of let us say $300,000.00 and then ask the seller to pay your closing costs which rough numbers would be 3%, or $9,000.00.  You would still Borrow $300,000.00 to purchase the home, the seller would then clear $291,000.00 (300,000(purchase price) - 9,000(your closing costs) = 291,000(Seller’s Net). 

We have to explain and stress the fact that as a buyer your don’t pay our commission, the reason that this chaps my hide and is so stressed upon by Paris and I is because we have had a huge amount of clients in our office that did get conned into paying their agent an additional fee when just buying a home.  Usually their first home and thereby that agent made more than their "own fair share".  

What if you were working with an agent that had a group of 17 other top producing agents that were holding over 70% of the buyers that are in the market for Real Estate - I’m talking in the market and wanting to buy NOW!  Whether as first time buyers, moving up, investors, reallocators or any other possible scenario that you can imagine.  I would think it would be a plus to hitch your trailer to that Agent and the group that he or she is a member of. 

Enter Stage Left - T.R.E.A.T. - Top Real Estate Agents Together.  Website and communal Blog is coming in the future.  Here you will be able to list your home with an agent that is part of this exclusive network of Top Producing Agents from some of the largest Real Estate Companies in the Santa Clarita Valley.  Names like RE/MAX, Realty Executives, Keller Williams, and others. The group has an exclusive buyer program where we are able to bring sellers and "pre-approved" buyers together in very short time periods. 

This will become a business model within the Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate community that will be envied for a long time to come.  Check back often to see how it will develop and the success stories related to hitching yourself to a T.R.E.A.T. Agent on the Network. - CONNOR with HONOR

Hey Gang…  I am waiting until the numbers are tabulated with the 3 respective Boards of Realtors that Paris and I are members of.  We have memberships at the San Fernando Valley Association of Realtors - Santa Clarita Valley is included in that one.  We are members of the Ventura County Board of Realtors - Associate and Full Multiple Listing Members.  Also we have our membership at the Antelope Valley Board of Realtors.  This means that we have the local specific search results and the access to the listings that those boards have on the Multiple Listing Service. 

There are not very many agents that have multiple areas that they represent.  Some say they work in different areas - But very few would spend the money and time to join and learn about all of the different variables that different geographical markets have to offer.  There are huge differences between the market in Thousand Oaks when compared with Palmdale.  Looking in Los Angeles when compared with Stevenson Ranch is also a huge difference in what you can find for your dollar. 

I read, digest, re-read, and learn on a daily basis the numbers, statistics and what the current market conditions are for each of these specific areas and the cities that they are composed them.  It is like eating well balanced meals.  It makes you healthy and complete.  Working on the numbers and writing these blogs that have to do with all of these different market conditions - makes me a much more complete Realtor.

All My Best and I wish to thank those that have allowed me to earn their Trust and eventually their business - I would hope to have the same opportunity with you - Looking for a Realtor - I would like you to interview me!

We have quite a few clients that are working in the Antelope Valley - Both in Palmdale and Lancaster.  One of this nation’s best Law Enforcement Agencies patrols those areas - The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  A lot of the deputies and civilian employees are calling Paris and I in an attempt to purchase homes that are close to their areas of employment. 

We also have other’s that are wanting to take advantage of how far their dollar will stretch when purchasing properties in the Antelope Valley.  You can get newer construction, single family residences that are over 1700 square feet for the low two hundred thousands (200,000’s) - Believe that!  Not to mention how low and affordable the older construction has become.  You have great schools in the Antelope Valley coupled with the freeway access, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, you have quite a community.  There is a lot of light to heavy industrial and quite a bit of "top-secret" stuff that goes on in those unmarked hangers.  I would feel quite safe living there as we have done in the past back in the late 90’s and early 00’s.

I also noticed today that they are building quite a large medical facility at the intersection where Terra Subida - 10th street west - Palmdale Blvd - and Lake Elizabeth intersect.  There is also KB homes they have build to order homes in Ana Verde starting at the $250 mark.  I have a resource with KB homes and most of the other new home builders in theAntelope Valley as well as the Santa Clarita Valley where I can call to obtain fall outs and new price reductions and future plans by the builders that I can pass on to our clients.

Keep an eye for a notification for the Interest Rate Reduction in the very near future.  This would be the one the home buyer or re-financier wants that will help them the most.

Tom did not think it was "that funny".