550 Teddy Bears Given To Children In Crisis

Part of being a good real estate agent is being a good neighbor. That’s why Windermere Coachella Valley agents spend so much time giving back to the communities that give so much to them. Palm Springs Realtor, Michael Larson is one such agent.

“I’ve been on the board of directors of the Desert Outreach Foundation, a local 501(c)(3) for about four years and am currently the Vice President,” shares Michael.

“Our two primary objectives are to provide scholarships to local students and to provide teddy bears to children in crisis. The Foundation has been around for more than 15 years and we're all volunteers. We’ve given out nearly $200,000 in scholarships over the years to recipients who are locally based students, though they can attend school anywhere,” he adds.
The Desert Regional Medical Center, JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio, Healthy Family Living, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, Betty Ford Center's Children Program, Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children, Palm Desert Police Department, Shelter From The Storm, and Child Protective Services of Riverside County have all received teddy bears for distribution.

To find out more about Michael or the foundation, visit http://www.michaellarson.net/

What Is An Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®)? And Should You Care?

Buyer Representation means, that as a home buyer, you have someone on your side.

The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded to real estate practitioners by the Real Estate BUYER'S AGENT Council (REBAC) of the National Association of REALTORS® who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria.

It is my opinion that buyers and sellers deserve full representation. If you are looking to buy, you should insist on full representation and not settle for limited service from the seller's agent.

Until you sign a Buyer’s Representation Agreement, the agent you meet at the open house, the listing agent, or the agent that is showing you houses is actually working for the seller. The non-listing agent is known as a sub-agent. Both the listing agent and a sub-agent have a duty to disclose any information shared by a potential buyer to the seller.

When the same agent is working for the seller and the buyer, this is called dual agency. A dual agent cannot share information or give full advice to either party because it might diminish the other side’s standing. This limits the service they can provide to both the seller and also to the buyer. When it comes to negotiating, this is especially true.

When you are considering buying a home, it is important to find an agent with whom you can work and one who knows buyers need their own representation. In California, you may get the representation you need without any additional fee, because it is the practice for the seller to pay for the buyers agent services. It just does not make sense not to have someone fully committed to your side through the entire real estate process – and especially during negotiations.

Mikel Springer has both the (ABR) as well as the Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designations. He is a full time Realtor (for more than 7 years) is in the Windermere Rancho Mirage Office and works in the communities from Palm Springs to La Quinta. Contact information: www.MikelSpringer.MyWindermere.com and email address mikels@windermere.com

Photo: Mikel (left) with his clients

Top 10 Ways Staging Can Help You Sell Your Home For More

(Before and after photos above.)

1. Historically homes tend to sell in fewer days on the market when staged.

2. Homes generally sell for higher prices when they sell faster.

3. Professional staging accents the positive aspects of the home.

4. Negative elements can often be minimized or eliminated.

5. Staging leaves the impression that the home has been well-maintained.

6. It depersonalizes the residence, making it more inviting to a larger pool of potential buyers.People want to buy “their new home”, not someone else’s old home.

7. Eliminating clutter opens up the living spaces making them appear larger. A skilled designer knows just the right accessories to use to decorate and compliment for scale and style.

8. Specialized furnishing placement facilitates traffic flow and socializing areas.

9. Professional color analysis and consultation are keyed into current trends. Just as with clothing fashion, colors go out of vogue and need to be updated.

10. A staged property has the advantage over unfurnished homes since most buyers can not effectively visualize furnishings in an empty room. And, in this market, every advantage counts.

If you decide that Staging is the correct option for you, be sure to check around for the company that best suits your needs. Some stagers will only reorganize your own furnishings while others provide full decorating services and advise on everything from minor remodeling projects and paint color changes to even completely furnishing an empty residence.

The costs for Staging can vary from only a few hundred dollars for a simple redecorating plan that rearranges your own furnishings to a cost per square foot charge when staging the home with leased furniture and accessories. You can expect the square foot charges to be approximately $1.50 to $3.00 per foot of area.

Staging may also offer some tax advantages depending on your individual circumstances. The costs may be a tax deduction so check with your financial advisor to see if your property qualifies.

For more information on the benefits of staging you can contact me, John Kleppinger “The Staging Realtor” or www.raymondrobertdesigns.com.

Office Manager Frances Chafe Makes The News

Palm Springs Main Office Manager, Frances Chafe, is making news, again.

In an article by reporter Patti Myers, on the front page of the Desert Sun Sports Section, Sunday, July 19, Francis and her son, Nicholas, were profiled.

Titled “Mom, son bond over bikes - Cathedral City track brings families together,” the article continues “Frances Chafe was a little hesitant signing up her 5-year-old for team sports.

She heard the stories about rough play, too many players sitting on the sidelines and the out-of-control parents.

As a single parent to Nicholas, she said that time will come when he is bigger, stronger and more learned, but for now she's happy that she took one of his favorite sports and turned it into a learning experience.

Both are BMX bike racers and participate in events twice weekly at the BMX track tucked behind East Palm Canyon Drive near the Target in Cathedral City.

“Nick really loved to ride bikes and since we live in a gated condo complex, it's really hard for him to go off and bike,'' said Chafe, a Palm Springs resident and real estate office manger. “There are no little boys for him to play with. So after a while, my mom (Bonnie) found a track and I took him there. On the first night, he loved it. He's learning about taking care of the equipment with a sense of accomplishment. (The bikers earn trophies on a weekly basis). And at 5, I don't have to worry about getting him to two or three practices a week and games on the weekend.” You can read the rest of the story at MyDesert.com.

A Furry And Lovable Golf-Ball Collecting Machine

An avid golfer, Realtor Jennie Robinson specializes in selling Country Club golf course homes. Her one-and-a-half year-old English Golden Retriever, Riley Rose, specializes in retrieving lost golf balls at The Hideaway, where Jennie and her husband Bob are members.

Jennie is been a top-producing agent and has been a well-known resident of the desert for the past 18-years. You’re probably familiar with her tagline, “Let me swing a deal for you!” Lately, however, Riley Rose, is getting all the press.

This past month, Golf News Magazine wrote an article about this “furry golf-ball collecting machine.” The article begins, “How would you like to find 25 to 30 golf balls a day, virtually all in perfect condition, many of which are Titleist Pro V’s? This unique golf ball collecting “machine” resides in the desert but is not available in any stores, not even in Pete Carlson’s! Golfsmith doesn’t have it either. Feed it and love it is all you have to do.”

According to the article, Riley Rose has a unique ability to smell the balls and track them down even in the deepest grasses. And she loves a challenge. The more the ball is hidden or buried, the more she likes the hunt.

In case you’re wondering, the golf balls are donated to junior golf and according to the magazine “Riley Rose searches for golf balls only during her morning and evening walks and only seeks golf balls that are in the bushes and never retrieves balls on the fairway.”

To contact Jennie or Riley Rose, visit http://www.jennierobinson.com/.

Top photo: Jennie and Bob Robinson and Riley Rose with the golf balls she's collected. Bottom photo: Riley Rose in the tall grasses seaching for golf balls.

Realtor Helps The Children of Trash Dumps In Nicaragua For His Birthday

Windermere Indian Wells Luxury Homes Realtor, Jedidiah Thurner is turning 27 on July 22 and is inviting everyone to celebrate with him. But it’s not your usual birthday party.

“This year for my birthday I'm asking for donations to a good cause: Help The Children of Trash Dumps In Nicaragua,” says Jedidiah.

“I had the privilege of personally taking my first trip (the 4th trip for The Desire of All Nations or D.O.A.N.) with my wife, Amber, to Nicaragua in July 2008. During this trip, our lives were radically changed as we ministered to the poor, fed thousands, provided new resources of support and education, and challenged and changed the mindsets of various leaders, business owners, and individuals which have been limited by poverty, war and natural disasters.

It is with great excitement that we have the opportunity to return to Nicaragua, July 17 through August 1st. We will be joining our family and the D.O.A.N. team as they conclude a three-month mission trip in Nicaragua.

We will be helping build a community kitchen that has the capability to serve food to over 300 street children living in one of the largest trash dumps in this country.

We will also be establishing a safe house for homeless youth. This safe house will serve as a refuge for kids who are at risk of being physically, mentally and emotionally abused due to living on the streets. The safe house will provide the opportunity for youth at risk to receive physical and spiritual healing, food, clothing, and education,” adds Thurner.

Contact Jedidiah at jedidiah@exclusivedeserthomes.com if you’d like to help, contribute or find out more. You can also visit www.thedesireofallnations.com directly.

Top photo: Jedidiah is 3rd person from the right, in a light green shirt. His wife Amber is the person to the right of Jedidiah. Bottom photo: A single Nicaraguan mother with her children.

Short Sale Or Foreclosure? How To Choose

Longtime resident and member of the Indian Wells Country Club, Realtor Anne Alexander is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) who offers the following tips to homeowners considering a Short Sale vs. a Foreclosure.

Most homeowners are not aware that a Short Sale has less serious consequences for the homeowner than a foreclosure.

For example, a homeowner who loses a home to Foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage for a period of 5 years as opposed to a Short Sale which makes them ineligible for only 2 years. Investors are ineligible for 7 years compared to 2 years.

In addition, a Foreclosure will typically lower your credit score anywhere from 250 to over 300 points and will affect your credit score for over 3 years. A Short Sale will typically lower your credit score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made and will affect the homeowner for as little as 12 to 18 months.

Foreclosure remain as a public record on a person's credit history for 10 years or more. A Short Sale is not reported on a credit history. The loan is typically reported "paid in full, settled."

Homeowners (and many Realtors) do not understand Short Sales and are mainly interested in the consequences to their credit and their life.

We advise them to do a Short Sale ... IF THEY QUALIFY. It's not a "get out of my mortgage free card," though. A homeowner must be able to demonstrate a verifiable hardship such as a job loss, death in the family, mortgage rate adjusting to the point they cannot afford it, illness etc. But, there is no point in listing a home as a Short Sale if the bank will not agree to it. The homeowner CANNOT have assets that could be used to pay the mortgage.

Most problems with Short Sales stem from Realtors who are not familiar with them. For example, a smart Realtor will only present ONE offer to the bank – the highest and the best. You must present all the rest of the offers to the Seller but you present only ONE offer to the bank. You also need to present a COMPLETE package to the bank.

For additional information, you can contact Anne at www.thealexanderteam.net or email: thealexanderteam@windermere.com