Rising housing, gas and food prices are driving people out of their cars and back into town...

The Economy is Hitting Home

The Economic Squeeze

Watch this interesting 2 minute video by ABC News, Diane Sawyer.

Rising housing, gas and food prices are driving people out of their cars and back into town...

The mortgage crisis combined with rising housing costs related to the sub prime crisis are really starting to hit home for many Southern California residents who still commute. With the price of gas now topping $4.50 per gallon at most Southern California stations this is becoming a very serious issue. I drive an SUV (which I still love, sigh...). Yesterday I spent $143 to fill the tank; can you say OUCH?!? That equates to over $600 per month in gasoline for me and I rarely leave the Long Beach area! Looks like I am going to have to think about a smaller, more fuel efficient car pretty soon.

By the way, has anybody else noticed that a tank of gasoline isn't going as far as it did? It seems to be burning up a lot faster these days. I asked a friend who works at one of the refineries about it, he mentioned that they are adjusting the ethanol content in the mix which causes the fuel to burn faster. Gee thanks George W!

Buffalo NY Realtor Colleen Kulikowski has not only noticed less miles per gallon, she reports that Mobil Oil is advertising no ethanol in their mix up in her area.  After experimenting she is seeing a better return on her miles per gallon.  Definately something to consider when deciding where to pump that liquid gold!  Hey Mobil, is that nationwide?  Or just up in Buffalo?

Many homeowners have faced or are facing foreclosure due to adjusting mortgages, which few can afford. This combined with the rising cost of gasoline, food (have you checked out the prices in the supemarkets lately - good grief) and just about everything else has just about everybody rethinking just about everything.

Many homeowners are interested in downsizing their homes, are seeking affordable housing and are moving closer to their places of employment; or are seeking ways to work remotely from home.

Long Beach Real Estate is affordable and beach close.  Oh and by the way, we have better weather down here at the beach.  Cooler in the summer, wamer in the winter.

What are you doing to ease the effects of the economy?

Posted on June 22, 2008 19:04:50 by Laurie.Manny

Things to do in Long Beach California - June 2008

Things to do in Long Beach California - June 2008

March 2-October 5...Rancho Los Cerritos Tours

Times: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Free - Every 1st Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

June 1; July 6; Aug 3; Sept 7; Oct 5; Nov 2

Celebrate the seasons with a guided tour of the Rancho's lush grounds. Learn the history of the gardens as you stroll past vibrant flowers in bloom & delight in refreshing citrus fragrances.

Phone:  (562) 570-1755
Admission:  Free
Location:  Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site

June 1-4...PTCUser World Event 2008 at the Long Beach Convention Center. 

June 6 & June 13...Shark Lagoon Nights at the Aquarium of the Pacific

June 6, 7, 8... Sesame Street Live!  When Elmo Grows Up at the Terrace Theater

Read more »

Posted on May 26, 2008 22:31:45 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Real Estate - A Peek Inside the Business of Selling Long Beach Real Estate

Here on our Long Beach Real Estate site I usually write purely real estate related articles targeted at educating and informing buyers and sellers of Long Beach Real Estate. Today I would like to give you a little peek into the business side of things and explain how they can affect the sale or purchase of your Long Beach homes.

In a recently published post I disclosed the 2008 closed sales in Long Beach; 674 of them, through 4/30/08. While the chart shows the sales increasing each month, the sales figures are still very low. (Includes sales of homes, condos, lofts, co-ops, Oyos, 2-4 units and 5+ units as recorded on the MLS)

• Jan 130
• Feb 153
• Mar 179
• Apr 212
• Total: 674

These are difficult times for those of us surviving in the real estate industry. Going into this down market there were about 2900 licensed Realtors on record, there are currently about 1600 licensees active in the Long Beach area. Every market will support a certain amount of agents based on the closed sales of that market. Each agent needs a certain amount of closed sales in order to survive. Lets assume that 8 to 10 closed sales for the year are required for a Realtor to even survive this market; 674 closed sales would produce 8 to 10 sales for the year, for between 200 and 250 Realtors. Those sales are currently spread across 1600 current licensees, which would equate to less than ½ of a sale for each Realtor for the first 4 months of 2008.

In the real estate industry we have an 80/20 saying. It states that 20% of the agents do 80% of the business. 20% of 1600 agents = 320 which would equate to about 2 closed sales for the majority of the 20% still doing business.

So how are 1600 Realtors surviving a market with sales that will currently only support 200 to 250?

• Some have other income, or a spouse or significant other with income.
• Some have taken on Part or Full time jobs, while trying to juggle their real estate.
• Some have anticipated this market and made plans to survive it.
• Some are making enough sales to manage.

What of the 80%? That is 1280 agents, still active, for the last 4 months. How are they surviving with little or no sales? Well, they either have spousal support a trust fund or they have accepted salaried positions. Lets take a look at that. Real estate is a more than full time job; it is a commitment which permeates every hour of every day of our lives. Real estate transactions require a lot of attention on a daily basis. Escrow, title, lenders, inspections, appraisers banks and more need to be attended to, mostly during normal business hours. Buyers need to see properties around their schedules which often means after work or weekend showings. Sellers properties often need tending, flyers run out; keys go missing from a lock box or end up in another box on the same property. A pipe may burst on a listing with an out of town owner; anything can happen. How is an agent who has accepted employment elsewhere, with a set schedule, going to be able to deal with the schedule and responsibilities of a full time Realtor? How does that affect the buyer or seller? Has the agent even disclosed to the buyer or seller that they are not fully available? Do you know if your agent is available to conduct business, full time on your behalf?

Read more »

Posted on May 01, 2008 23:00:00 by Laurie.Manny

Totally Cool Toys

 LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Weekend Fun

Who doesn't like chic new, cutting edge and innovative toys, kitchen gadgets and...just stuff? 

Here are some of the latest and greatest future dust collectors, give as a gift or keep for your very own collection: 

Beaker Blender 

The Butter Wizard

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Posted on August 18, 2007 17:21:32 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Home Kitchen Remodels

Long Beach Homes - Kitchen Remodels

Nothing increases the appeal or salability of a Long Beach Home more than a great kitchen and bath remodel.  With all of the information and choices out there it can get pretty confusing for a consumer. 

Where do you start?

The key is in the design.  If your kitchen is the center of activity in your home then the design needs to accomodate that.  Consumers are seeking more integration, more space and more high-end features in todays kitchen remodels.  They want a kitchen they can be proud of and show off. 

In most older Long Beach Homes kitchens are very closed off, seperate rooms, removed from the activities of the family, Formal Dining rooms sit largely unused.  Many Long Beach Homeowners are opting to tear out the doors and walls between the kitchen and dining room and are incorporating the square footage into a more useful, functional and attractive space, integrating the kitchen with the rest of the home. 

Allowing more natural light to stream in can create the illusion of more space.  Many are adding additional windows, skylights or are just increasing the size of existing windows. 

While some homeowners are still opting for white cabinetry, the current trend is towards the darker woods, cherry and maple are the most popular with some interest in hickory as well.  Oak is so out! 

Consumers are concentrating on the design and style, choosing more streamlined cabinets with less detail, instead placing more emphasis on pulls and hinges. 

Read more »

Posted on July 21, 2007 09:36:44 by Laurie.Manny