Dave Thurman's Real Estate Blog

Stockton, CA welcomes “Bassmaster Elite Series” season opener! Changing weather, unpredictable tidal flow and finicky fish prove challenging even for the best anglers the sport has to offer.

If days of fishing practice are any indication, the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament, “Duel in the Delta,” should produce some explosive weigh-ins this week at the Weber Point Event Center in downtown Stockton, with the winner reeling in the $100,000 top prize. Read more from Peter Ottesen, Record Staff Writer.

“We’re happy to be showcasing Stockton and the fabulous Delta waterways to millions of people,” sports commission director Don Miller said. “For black bass anglers, the Delta is a world-class destination. This tournament will prove it.” 

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• Duel In the Delta: Pundit Picks

On March 14, 2010 at 11:00 AM, you are invited to an Open House at 108 S Sinclair Avenue in Stockton. If you are looking for a Single-family property in this area, don’t miss this rare opportunity to visit this magnificent property. For a preview of this Single-family property, check out my site at DaveThurman.com. Please do not hesitate to Contact Me if you have any questions or wish to schedule a private showing.

Take a Virtual Tour

I have been searching the Internet, reading the local newspaper and analyzing my own recent listing / sales information trying to find something positive about the real estate market in Stockton, California and other parts of our country; but I think that I have failed!!!

• First-time buyers running out of time to use the $8000 tax credits
• Unemployment is high almost everywhere
• Americans have again lost faith in the government nationally & locally
• San Joaquin County listing inventory has decreased almost 60%
• Closed sales in the county are down 35%
• Median prices are up by over 10%

I refuse to give up…I will work weekends, hold open houses and go door knocking… just like a brand new agent! Please help me find something more positive to blog about next week. Please comment…are you out there?

Rickie Fowler

My favorite PGA rookie, Rickie Fowler is T-3 and only 2 strokes out of the lead on the final day of the “Waste Management Phoenix Open” at Scottsdale Ariz.

With a brand new PGA Tour Card and a hard hitting go-for-the-hole attitude, Rickie is ready to burn up the 2010 Tour. 

Rickie has a proven knack for “firsts”. After all, which other professional golfer has a background not in competitive golf, but rather motocross racing? Fortunately for fans of the new golf generation, Rickie traded in his dirt bike for a golf cart at the age of 14. And he hasn’t looked back since. Read more about Rickie…

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• Confident Snedeker Leads by Shot at Phoenix Open  abcnews.go.com)
• Snedeker holds one-shot lead at Phoenix Open  cbssports.com)
• Young Stars Emerging at Phoenix Open: Jumpstart for a New Generation  bleacherreport.com)

 

More news for the housing market…I found this article today on Recordnet.com 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sales of new homes plunged to a record low in January, underscoring the formidable challenges facing the housing industry as it tries to recover from the worst slump in decades.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that new home sales dropped 11.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 309,000 units, the lowest level on records going back nearly a half century. The big drop was a surprise to economists who had expected sales would rise about 5 percent over December’s pace. Read more if you like bad news…

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• New home sales hit record low in January  seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• New Home Sales Unexpectedly Plummet to Record Low  dailyfinance.com)
• Sales of New Homes Fell 7.6% in December  nytimes.com)
• New Home Sales Surprise Economists With Drop To Record Low In January  huffingtonpost.com)
• Census: New home sales hit record low, erasing 2009 gains  oregonlive.com)
• Bottomless New Home Sales  seekingalpha.com)
• New-Home Sales at a Low in U.S.  nytimes.com)

Most real estate firms think that a statewide MLS (Multiple Listings Service) is a good idea, but the question remains can or will all the local AOR (Association of Realtors) and the profit earning MLS’s be able work together for the benefit of the public and the real estate agents. Several years ago the CVAR (Central Valley Association of Realtors) had a significate dispute with MetroList MLS when the local AOR attempted take back control of their MLS territory in the Stockton / Tracy / Modesto area.

The California Association of Realtors® appears to be in support of the statewide MLS and cal REDD

 In my opinion real estate agents and brokers should support the CAR and take back their MLS for the good of their clients and their own future as a small business professional. Also, brokers need to take back and fix the realtor.com website.

Wow! Look what I found on the CAR (California Association of Realtors) website regarding foreclosures and short sales. Also, check out the info and progress of the statewide MLS (Multiple Listing Service).

California:

Press Enterprise: Inland foreclosure pressure eases; short sales rise
By Leslie Berkman
2/11/2010
In January, combined filings for defaults, trustee sales, and bank repossessions declined more than 24 percent in the Riverside and San Bernardino counties region. It was led by a nearly 50 percent decline in notices of default. Also, from December to January the amount of all foreclosure-related filings declined almost 13 percent.

National:

Los Angeles Times: U.S. aims to stop backing mortgages
By Walter Hamilton and Jim Puzzanghera
2/11/2010
The Federal Reserve plans next month to end a $1.25-trillion mortgage-bond-purchase program that has helped keep mortgage interest rates near a record-low 5 percent. 

Inman: ZipRealty: Fewer sellers slash prices
2/11/2010
Sellers reduced the asking price on 40.4 percent of available homes in January, down from 44.8 percent in December, to an average discount of $21,925, a rate of 6.54 percent lower than the month before, according to ZipRealty. The report covers 27 of 36 U.S. metropolitan areas in which the company operates.

As a proven real estate professional; I have often been asked why did you purchase a Realty World franchise? Especially, when many of the other larger real estate brokerages have been dropping the franchise and going independent. Well, there are many reasons…but here are a few of them.

• A successful and internationally recognized brand name
• A structured business operating system with proven technology, marketing, advertising and training
• The most successful online advertising program available in real estate
• Economies of scale on all types of products and services that are absolutely affordable for even a one-person office

The power of a brand name!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

 

The month of January is over and we have already seen four events on the PGA tour. Last weeks winner at the Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines was Ben Crane by one stroke, but I was pulling for the rookie Rickie Fowler who is almost sure bet to win this year. 

No disrespect to Troy Merritt or Alex Prugh, but Fowler has that certain look about him, that swagger that usually accompanies tremendous talent.

Fowler may even win a PGA TOUR event (or two) before ballots are cast this fall. Playing in just his 11th PGA TOUR career event Sunday, the 21-year-old contended for the second time, settling for a fifth-place finish in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. It was the third top-10 of his brief TOUR career.

Fowler was just a shot behind eventual champion Ben Crane until his youthfulness showed with a short-sided double bogey at the 17th hole. From the middle of the fairway, it took him three shots to get on the green, then he missed a 6-footer.

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• Ben Crane wins at Torrey Pines (guardian.co.uk)
• Mickelson seeks solace in LA treble bid  cnn.com)
• You: Crane wins at Torrey Pines with final round 70  golf.com)
• Crane raises game to win Open  canada.com)

 

Home prices fell in November for the first time in seven months, according to a industry report released Tuesday.

The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index recorded a decline of 0.2% from October. Prices were down 5.3% compared with 12 months ago. Read more from CNN.com…