Realty World – Tri Shasta

Hey there all of you Shasta County residents. This Satuday come out and support the fundraiser that Shasta Family Justice Center is hosting. I know this post is not in regards to the current real estate market, but this is still good enough to share with everyone and I hope to see you out there.
Shasta Family Justice Center Hosts Sock Hop and Ice Cream Social
 
REDDING, Calif. –  The Shasta Family Justice Center (SFJC) will host a Sock Hop and Ice Cream Social in the Atrium at the Market Street Promenade in Redding on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Tickets cost $5 and kids under 10-years-old are free.  Tickets can be purchased at Leatherby’s Family Creamery in Downtown Redding, Keller Williams on Churn Creek Rd. and online at www.enjoymagazine.net.
    As part of the event, the SFJC and Leatherby’s will be hosting an Ice Cream Making contest.  Participants are required to register at Leatherby’s for $10 per flavor.  They will receive a container and official rules for the event.  Each entry will only require one pint of ice cream and will need to be dropped off at Leatherby’s by March 11, 2011 at 6 p.m.  The winner of the contest will have their ice cream featured as the flavor of the month at Leatherby’s and receive a $75 gift certificate to the restaurant.  There will be prizes for second and third place too.
    The Sock Hop will include dancing to the oldies with Rachel Lane from Redding Radio’s Oldies 105.3, presentations from the cast of Happy Days the Musical, swing dancing lessons, toy building, family portraits by Crown Camera, face painting by the Girl Scouts and balloon animals.  Food vendors will include Mary’s Pizza Shack, Leatheryby’s Family Creamery and Mt. Shasta Spring Water.
    All funds raised by the Sock Hop will stay local and help victims of family violence.  The SFJC has received more than 700 client visits since opening on September 1, 2010.  Both adults and children have been helped because of this important community resource.  Our goal is to help victims get out of abusive situations before they go too far. 
    The Shasta Family Justice Center provides co-located services for victims of family violence under one roof.  By housing a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, we are reducing the number of times a victim has to retell their story and number of places they have to travel to get the help they need.
    Our on-and off-site partners include: – Shasta County Crime Victims Assistance Center, Legal Services of Northern California, Shasta Women’s Refuge, local law enforcement, Shasta County Health & Human Services, Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc., Shasta County Chaplaincy Program, Shasta County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council, and many others.
    “We wanted to host an event the whole family could enjoy,” said SFJC Executive Director Michael Burke.  “This is an event where families can dance, eat and most important laugh together.  We are hoping children and adults will make memories that will last a lifetime.” Burke said. 
 
Various levels of sponsorships are still available.  For more information or to become involved please visit www.shastafjc.org or call (530) 243-8868.

How many times have you asked that question and been given a long winded non-committal answer? I have heard a lot of them.  Although real estate professionals are as in tune with the market as possible, we are not mind readers.  There are a lot of factors that go into that determination and many of those are out of control of the local market.
The best way to answer the question is to say that we have “tentatively” reached the bottom and are just bobbing around down there.  What that means is that we will still see small peaks and valleys, but valuations should be relatively stable.
For those people waiting for the bottom and the best deals now really is the time.  Although there is a lot of stock still to hit the market, the values should remain fairly stable.  My best suggestion to anyone “playing” the real estate market is to do your research and work with a professional.  If it seems to good to be true, it usually is.  Best of luck to all entering this home ownership venture as an investor or home owner.  Home ownership is still the most secure form of equity.

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything new for you, my readers, and I apologize for this. My family and I were blessed with a new baby girl at the end of last month and I have been focusing all of my attention on her. This year I am hoping to do a better job of posting new material at least once a week. My first post for this year though is not going to be Shasta County real estate new or information; in fact, what I am about to post I feel is very important for every female to keep in mind out there in the world. So please read the following information and pass it on to any loved ones you may feel should know this information as well. This was emailed to me by my broker just yesterday and the true source of who wrote it is unknown to me, but I would like to thank them for sharing this.
Written By a Cop, It Could Save Your Life
In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation…This is for you and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know.

Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO THEM. Toss it away from you…Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick our the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy…The driver won’t see you, but everybody will. This has saved lives.
Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.) DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE…If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your air bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage: (A) Be aware: Look around you, look into your car, at the passenger floor, and in the back seat. (B) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their van while the women are attempting to get into their cars. (C) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side…If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAGE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead)
ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zig-zag pattern!
As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Another Safety Point: Someone heard a crying baby on her porch one night, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird…The police told her ‘Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door…’ The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said ‘We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do DO NOT open the door.’ He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped of a baby…He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night.
Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors! The Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America’s Most Wanted when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

  This question arises quite often while consulting with potential home sellers.   The best advice I can give is know what the buyer places value on most.  Spending an exorbitant amount of cash on repairs that really will not sway a potential buyer is not cost effective.    Every situation is different, but  a common example is carpet replacement.  Do you replace a worn carpet? Most of the time I would suggest NO.  A simple remedy is to price carpet and offer a credit in the sale.  This way the potential buyer can select what they want instead of disliking what is installed and moving elsewhere.  Generally, if someone walks into a home with brand new carpet that they “can’t live with” , they will not even consider purchasing the home, but if the carpet “needs replacing” and are offered a credit, they will be more likely to consider the home.  When preparing a home for sale think about this before sinking  lots of money into any drastic cosmetic changes. 
When it comes to mechanical items, the best rule to follow is make sure it operates correctly.  If that is not possible be prepared to offer a credit to the buyer for the repair or replacement of the items.  This makes the home more marketable. 
As a seller, put yourself in a buyer’s shoes and make your decisions from that perspective.  Nine times out of ten your instincts will be correct.

We all have the inclination to do what others are doing in advertising, but is it working?  In our area, newspaper advertising is expensive and generates very few leads, but clients like to see their home featured.  As an agent, I need to make sure my clients understand where their leads are generated.  It is great to tell a client that newspaper is the wrong avenue, but without alternatives the client will not be convinced to change advertising avenues.
As I previously stated, newspaper advertising in this area does not generate many leads, but there are alternatives.  The new advertising avenue that is generating the most leads is the Internet.  Sites such as Trulia, Google, Yahoo and Craig’s list to name a few, but the problem with these sites is the order in which your home comes to the top of the list.  The great thing about the Internet is that the consumers are far more informed than previously.  As an agent, I do not discourage my clients from looking up properties on their own, since they know what they want more than any other person, but I do make sure they understand that much of the information they are gathering may not be accurate.  Educating the consumer is the most important part of my job.  With well informed clients, any transaction is made easier and far less prone to "disaster".  
Just remember,  know your area, and try to get the most out of every advertising avenue available to you.  Thinking outside of the box in this market and business is a great tool for success.