OUCH!  I drove by this the other day while I was showing property to some clients and had to take a quick picture.  Here's a list of Big Bear Insurance Agencies....it wouldn't hurt to go through your existing policy just to make sure you have sufficient coverage.  Farmers Insurance (909)866-8861 587 Bonanza Trail #2, PO Box 1808, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315Farmers Insurance (909)585-5990 192 Wabash Lane, Sugarloaf, CA 92386Stark Quote.com (909)866-7640 40927 Big Bear Blvd Suite E, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315Big Bear Insurance Agency (909)866-3441 40927 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315Drew Insurance Agency (909)866-4885 39326 Cedar Dell, PO Box 320, Fawnskin, CA 92333Pacific Pines Insurance Agency (909)866-5718 41659 Big Bear Blvd #3, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315Russ Humphries & Associates (9... 04/30/2008

 425 Sherwood has just been reduced to $180,000.00 (subject to bank approval)The cabin has a nice size bedroom down stairs, a full bath and washer and dryer hook ups. When you go upstairs, you find a large loft that will sleep 4-6 people and a half bath.  It is centrally located so you are minutes away from the ski slopes as well as the stores, gas, and food.The cabin sits on a 5000 square foot lot, and is completly fenced off.       The living room centers around the copper fireplace that gives you that mountain feel through out the cabin.        Priced well below what the current owner paid for it, this is one of those deals that you just don't want to pass up. Please contact me for more information.  To see the cabin.  You can email me at tony@tonycard.com or call me at (909) 229-532... 04/26/2008

Originally posted in The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog How many of you have dreamed of a rustic cabin in the mountains?  Wouldn't it be nice to get off of work on Friday, pack the family, and drive to Big Bear to spend the weekend in your rustic cabin?  What might make it even nicer is to have a cabin that is just steps away from the national forest where you can hike in the spring and summer. In this buyers market, you can have that and more for only $149,900.00.  This cabin features 2 bedrooms, 1 being a large loft upstairs, 1 bathroom and decent size back yard.  You have decks on both the front and rear of the cabin where you can entertain.  To top it all off, it's only 100 feet from the national forest.  The national forest has many walking trails that you are free to use.  With the pr... 04/25/2008

 Bear Mountain Golf Course is expected to open May 9th, 2008 (depending on weather conditions)! For golf rates click here.  For golf season pass information click here. For a layout of the course click here.I don't know about you but I can't wait to get back out there and hack around!  04/23/2008

 Bike Ride For Ryan When:   Saturday May 24, 2008  Check-In is from 8-10am, with all rides completed by 3pm.  Optional guided rides begin at 10:30am.What:  A "Day of Biking" with the Lighthouse Project's "Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall" Campaign, a community spirit initiative that encourages an active lifestyle by supporting Big Bear running hero Ryan Hall's quest for 2008 Olympic Marathon gold this summer in Bejing, China.  Their goal on this day is to simply get as many people as possible to ride their bikes as many miles as they can in support of Ryan.  Where: The rides stage and begin at the Snow Summit overflow parking lot on Brownie Lane.  Take Moonridge Road off of Big Bear Blvd/Highway 18, turn right on Brownie Lane, and then right into the lot entrance.  Cost:  Nothing!  Th... 04/23/2008

Originaly posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog We hear news, day in and day out about how bad the economy is and how bad Real Estate is.  We hear how many homes are in the foreclosure process and how many homes the banks have ended up owning.  I know, it sounds like this down turn in the Real Estate market is terrible. My take on it is that it depends on whether you are a buyer or seller.I can't speak for most of Southern California, but I do know the the Real Estate market in Big Bear Lake and I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts about our market.If you are wanting to sell your house in this market, you should be in decent shape if you meet the followingYou bought your home in 2004 or beforeWhen you purchased your home, you got a 15 or 30 year FIXED interest rateYou have not adde... 04/23/2008

   OWNER WILL FINANCE!!!That's right, the owner will carry the paper on this cabin.  This gem is located on the east end of the Big Bear Valley with easy access to Highway 38.  The seller bought it about 18 months ago and paid $169,900.00 for it and then spent money building the deck and cleaning up the interior.  The seller has told me he needs me to get it sold quickly.  His loss is your gains he has it priced at $149,000.00The cabin features two bedrooms and one bath.  The fireplace has a river rock finish and features a wood burning insert.  With the insert, you still get to see the fire but it heats the house instead of allowing all of the heat to escape up the chimney.   The owners added a large deck at the front of the property which is great for entertaining.  You don't have to ... 04/23/2008

This cute cabin sits in the east end of the Big Bear Valley and is easily accessible from Hwy 38.  The cabin sits on a 25' X 100' lot, features two bedrooms, and one bath.  You have a nice deck at the rear of the cabin that is accessible from the bedroom in the rear.The Kitchen and Living room are separated with a bar and bar stools, which gives you that open great room feeling.  You can be cooking in the kitchen and still be a part of the conversation in the living room.  The house features a rock fireplace in the corner of the living room with a raised hearth and mantleThe seller is very motivated and has priced this little  jewel to sell!  Currently, he has priced it at $109,000.00If you or any of your clients would love to get a second home in the Big Bear area, and would like to st... 04/23/2008

BIG BEAR LAKE CENTRAL LOCATION, WALK TO THE NATIONAL FOREST,LAKE AND VILAGE. MEADOW AND LAKE VIEWS OFF OF THE BACK DECK. LARGE LOT THAT BACKS TO A LARGE PARCEL. SIERRASTYLE, VAULTED CEILINGS, WOOD INTERIOR, FURNISHED PER INVENTORY, DETTACHED GARAGE FOR THE TOYS, VACATIONAL RENTAL, WASHER/DRYER HOOKUPS.Steve HirschlerAssociate, The Tim Wood GroupColdwell Banker Mountain Gallery 42153 Big Bear Blvd.P.O. BOX 6820Big Bear Lake, CA 92315steve@bigbeargallery.com909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889Fax 909 866-3531http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/ 04/22/2008

Moonridge Area of Big Bear Lake Market Minute(s). This video talks about what has sold during the month of March 2008 in Moonridge. Look for another Moonridge Minute(s) in early May covering the month of April. If you want more information or would like to discuss the Big Bear Real Estate market, please give me a call.  Regards,Steve HirschlerAssociate, The Tim Wood GroupColdwell Banker Mountain Gallery 42153 Big Bear Blvd.P.O. BOX 6820Big Bear Lake, CA 92315steve@bigbeargallery.com909 866-3481 EXT. 217 CELL 909 725-5889Fax 909 866-3531http://www.stevesellsbigbear.com/P.S. This is my first attempt at a video on the market so any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. 04/14/2008

Sunday, April 13, 2008 will the last day for snow skiing at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain for the 2008 Snow Skiing season.  According to both resorts, the problem isn't the lack of snow.  There is still plenty of snow on the ground, some 12 to 14 inches.  The problem that they face is customers!  There are not enough people coming to either resort to justify being open any longer.  Yesterday, I was showing condos at the base of Snow Summit and was surprised with how few people were at the resort.  Bear Mountain wasn't any different over in Moonridge.  Like Snow Summit, Bear Mountain had very few cars in the parkingg lot.The snow season may be coming to an end but the lake will soon be warming up and the summer fun will begin.  Currently, the lake is a brisk 42 degrees and is less than f... 04/13/2008

Big Bear Lake, CA. Home sales decreased 28.5% in February in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home fell 26.2%. The finger continues to point at the ongoing effects of both the credit/liquidity crunch and tighter underwriting standards that have reduced the pool of qualified buyers who canobtain a loan. The median price range of an existing single family detached home in California during February 2008 was $409,240, a 26.2% decrease from the $554,280 median in February 2007. Closed escrows totaled 343,220 in February, a statewide decrease of 28.5% from February 2007 sales of 480,170. So, how does the Big Bear market compare to the overall California real estate market during the same time period? There were only 34 single-family h... 04/12/2008

Originally Published on the Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog We're all hearing the doom and gloom about the Real Estate Market and how there are so many bank owned or REO properties on the market.  As I farm the community of Sugarloaf, I thought I would check the numbers and see how things are going over there.As of today, there are 137 homes listed for sale in Sugarloaf.  Of those homes, only 6 of them are bank owned (REO) properties.  We subscribe to another service that lists all properties that are in the foreclosure process, including bank owned properties.  I pulled up all of the bank owned properties on that list and checked them against what we have listed in the Big Bear Multiple listing Service.  I found an additional 17 properties that are bank owned but not yet listed in the Sugar... 04/07/2008

Things to Do in Big Bear this April (2008)  The Weekly Farmers Market is Back!  Every Tuesday throughout the Spring and Summer until the last Tuesday in October.  Open 8:30am to 1pm.  This is a great place to pick up fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers. State certified Farmers Market and Marketplace.  Located in front of the Big Bear Convention Center at Division and Big Bear Blvd.  http://www.highdesertfarmersmarket.com/      2.  CATS presents: "Classic Tales Declassified"-April 3,4,5,6,9,11,12, and 13.      3.  Moonridge Zoo Animal Feeding Tour- Walk around with one of the zoo keepers as they make their rounds feeding the animals.  Gate Fee:  Age 11 to Adult:  $7.00, Age 3 to 10:  $5.00, Children under 3: Free, Sendiiors 60 Yrs and Over: $5.00 Every Saturday and Sunday.  For more in... 04/05/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog You've had your Big Bear Get A Way on the market for nine months now and the cabin isn't selling.  You placed the cabin on the market, because you have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage and you knew that it was going to reset in 9 months.  Once that happened, there was no way that you could afford to keep the cabin.  Real Estate has always been a good investment, so you ignored the advice of your Realtor and priced the cabin on the high side, figuring to make some money off of your investment.  But here you are, nine months later and the cabin is still sitting on the market.  Your Realtor has suggested price reductions, but you've resisted.  When you noticed that other homes in your neighborhood were selling and your cabin wasn't, you finall... 04/05/2008

Big Bear Lake, CA 1st Quarter Lakefront Market Update for 2008Sold Since 1/1/2008  Currently On The MarketADDRESSCURRENT LIST PRICESTARTING LIST PRICEBEDROOMSBATHROOMSSQUARE FOOTAGEDAYS ON MARKET39663 Lake Drive$799,000$899,000321,440474119 Lagunita Lane$950,000$1,200,000321,320485428 Edgemoor Road$1,198,500$1,198,50032.52,8562439832 Lakeview Dr$1,250,000$1,250,000432,82566125 Lagunita Lane$1,295,000$1,575,00044.52,759323149 Lagunita Lane$1,575,000$2,295,00053.52,80037239597 Lake Dr$1,795,000$2,175,000333,6981136 Round Dr$2,120,000$2,120,000321,712199478 Lakeview Court$2,200,000$2,250,00043.54,20023239569 Lake  Dr$2,290,000$2,900,000465,50021640622 Simonds Dr$3,200,000$3,200,000554,9628384 Meadow Circle North$1,199,000$1,299,000331,902245185 N Eureka$1,295,000$1,295,000432,99715211 Mari... 04/05/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog Last week  An offer come in on one of my listings in Sugarloaf, CA.  It wasn't the best offer, but IT WAS AN OFFER!  In this market, many homes that are listed in Sugarloaf will never see an offer.  Why you ask?  Simply put, the cabins that won't see an offer because they are way over priced.  We as Realtors in Big Bear Lake know that the market is changing and the values of homes are comingdown.  A great example of this was three weeks ago, I quoted a home owner a price of $109,900.00 to sell his Sugarloaf cabin quickly.  In the three weeks that it has taken for him to decide to let me list the cabin, his cabin went from being a cabin that would stand out as being a great value to a cabin that was just a decent deal.  The reason for t... 04/02/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog We have our Multiple Listing Caravan Tours each and every Thursdays.  As this market continues downward, we are seeing more and more short sales being listed.  As we walk through the home and preview them, I hear so many negative comments about "Short Sales" in general.  Remarks like, "I'm tired of losing my buyer over a short sale" to "Short Sales are a complete waste of time".Are you a home owner stuck with a house payment that you can no longer afford to make?  Do you owe more on your property than it is worth?  Have you spoken to the mortgage holder, explained the situation and asked for help?  If I were in that situation the call to my lender would be my first call.  If the lender doesn't have any options for you, then you might f... 03/31/2008

As you know if you've read my blog in the past. I love the Moonridge area of Big Bear. I have personally lived in the Moonridge area since 1990. The views are often of the ski slopes and some of the properties even have a lake view. I like the topography that makes you feel like you are truly in the mountains. There seems to be just the right amount of pine trees in Moonridge. The sound of the wind in the trees is something that many of my clients have commented on while we are out looking at properties. Most of the roads in the Moonridge area are quickly cleared after a storm even though we get a good amount of snowfall in Moonridge. These are some of the other posts that you can go to if you want more information on Moonrdige:Great Homes are available in the Moonridge Area of Big Bear... 03/30/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog This past December I sold a bank owned property to a client of mine for $150,000.00.  This particular client had a very tight budget and he was shocked when he received his property tax bill.  The tax assessor was taxing him based off of what the house sold for before being foreclosed upon.  Needless to say, that was a lot more than what my client planned on paying.  He did his homework and was able to prove to the tax assessor that his home was not worth the $210,000.00 that he was being taxed off of.  His property taxes were adjusted to reflect the real assessed value.That brings up a good question. Are you being over taxed?  If you aren't sure, you should check into it.  Ask yourself the following questions and then if you think tha... 03/26/2008