As we approach Easter I thought it would be beneficial to list the various churches in the Big Bear Valley area.    *Calvary Chapel of Big Bear, Senior Pastor, Mike Fulmer          713 Stocker Road, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 (located just east of the Village on the corner of Stocker/Village Dr) (909)866-9328 Worship Times: 8:30am & 10:30am Adult Workship - Sancturary Children's Church - Room 113 Nursury - Rooms 107 & 109 * As a side note, Pastor Mike married us a little over 1 1/2 years ago and is a great down-to-earth person.  I really enjoy hearing him speak.   St. Columba's Episcopal Church, Father Joe Frazier         42324 North Shore Drive, Big Bear City, CA 92314 (located 1/4 mile east of Stanfield Cutoff) (909)866-7239     Big Bear Valley Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Pastor Alan... 03/19/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog The Big Bear Valley has been known for it's over abundance of bear dating back into the 1800's.  It wasn't until William Holcomb came to Big Bear to hunt for bear in 1860 that, to his surprise,he found GOLD instead.  That find started what turned out to be the largest gold rush in southern California history.  This was long before there was ever a dam or the pristine lake that we all enjoy today.  Many people don't know this but the dam that we all see when we drive to Big Bear was not the only dam. The original dam was completed in 1884.  A few years back, the water level of the lake was over 16 feet below full.  At that time, the top of the old dam was exposed to the air.  Currently, the lake is 4 feet from being full.  At about the ... 03/19/2008

420 Crystal Lake in Big Bear LakeGreat Fox Farm location with this 1,340 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Home. Many upgrades have been added to this property including;New Wood SidingOak Wood Floors ThroughoutNew Kitchen Cabinets Stainless Steel AppliancesSunken Jacuzzi on a Large Redwood DeckStamped Concrete Driveway and Covered Patio,Fully Landscaped in front and in back with high quality artificial grass. All of this in a central Big Bear Lake location for $425,00! 03/17/2008

The map below was downloaded from Google Earth to illustrate where the North Shore East subdivision is in relation to the rest of Big Bear Lake.    Below is a Subdivision Map of North Shore East created by Coldwell Banker, Mountain Gallery Realtors when we represented the developer with the initial public offering.       Planning on Building in Bear Loop?  Here's the Composite Development Plan showing the building pads for each lot in the subdivision.  You will also need to comply with current County building codes with respect to height and setback limitations.    And finally, I am providing a link to the North Shore East / Bear Loop CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions).  Here are my neighborhood statistics over the past 9 years. Vacant Land Sales in Bear Loop- Represented 2... 03/15/2008

Originally posted at The Big Bear Skinny. While there are not many homes sales in the Castle Glen area to report on so far in 2008, the two that have sold are record highs for this Big Bear area. The two closed sales were both sold for $1,900,000. The previous record high was $1,775,000 back in August 2005. Also, there is currently one home for sale in the area with an original listing price of $1,799,000, scheduled to close escrow in mid-April. 383 Starlight CircleListing Price - $2,494,876Selling Price - $1,900,000Sale Date - 3/3/2008Days on Market - 4474 bedroom4.5 bathsSize - 5,300 sqftLot Size - 19,000Year Built - 2007 426 Starlight CircleListing Price - $2,195,000Selling Price - $1,900,000Sale Date - 1/25/2008Days on Market - 1954 bedroom3.5 bathsSize - 4,200 sqftLot Size - 15,000... 03/15/2008

As Spring approaches I thought it would be useful to provide a list of campgrounds, parks and picnic areas in the Big Bear Lake area.  This is a great time of year to relax and enjoy the outdoors!  Big Bear Campgrounds Big Pine Flat- 7 miles northwest of Fawnskin on Forest Road 3N14. Hanna Flat- 2.5 miles northwest of Fawnskin on Forest Road 3N14. Holcomb Valley- 4 miles north on 2N09 to 3N16, east on 3N16 for .75 miles Pineknot- south on Summit Blvd off Big Bear Blvd. just past Switzerland Drive, left .25 miles to campground Serrano- North Shore Drive on Highway 38, about 2 miles east of Fawnskin, 1.5 miles west of Stanfield Cutoff.              Parks and Picnic Areas   Aspen Glen Picnic Area- on Millcreek Road, south of Big Bear Blvd Big Bear City Park- on Greenway.  Picnic area, tabl... 03/09/2008

A boat floats, because the fluid in which it is floating offsets the downward pull of gravity and pushes it up.The scientific name for this force, which allows even immense objects to float in liquid, is buoyant force, more commonly known as buoyancy.A solid object's density determines whether or not the buoyant force of a liquid can lift it.The density of an object depends upon its weight and its size. Given two solid objects that are different sizes, but weigh the same, the smaller, more compact object is the denser of the two.Fluids also have density. When an object is placed in the fluid, it pushes aside some of the liquid and, if its density is greater than that of the fluid it displaces, it will sink and, if not, it will float.So much for the technical reasons why your boat floats... 03/09/2008

If you were to ask most visitors to Big Bear Lake the reason for their visit, you would in all likelihood hear something along the lines of "Just getting away from it all".  With the two best ski resorts in Southern California and a beautiful lake, Big Bear offers all that and more. What many folks don't realize is, Big Bear Lake is surrounded on all sides by National Forest. No matter which way you choose to go, you will end up surrounded by natural beauty and the serenity of a wooded setting.The southern side of Big Bear is full of trails and back roads that take you to the top of the world. You can bike or drive to the top of the ski resorts and experience fantastic views of San Gorgonio Mountain and the whole Inland Empire spread out before your eyes. While you are there, take the o... 03/08/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog A few nights ago, I had a phone call from a man who is building a 1700 square foot home, sitting on a 9000 foot lot in Big Bear City and asked me if I thought he could sell it for $460,000.00.  In this market, pricing and location are the two major factors that will make a diffrence.  In our conversation, I told him that there has been no home sales in Big Bear City has sold over $369,000.00 in 2008.  I also mentioned that there is a lot of competition in that price range through out the Big Bear Valley.This past Thursday while on our Moonridge caravan, I saw many homes that are sitting very close to the ski slopes that had a good size lot, good square footage, and were priced well below the $460,000.00 that this man wants to get for h... 03/07/2008

General Information:Latitude: 34.241295Longitude: -116.903289Population: 5435Density: 837.8(people per square land mile)Housing Units: 8806Land Area: 6.49 sq. mi. Water Area: 0 sq. mi.            Big Bear Lake Demographics  Social Indicators Educational Achievement: Marital Status:(among people 25 years or older)(among people 15 years or older)Less than 9th grade: 3.8%Never married: 21%9th-12th grade (nongrad): 11%Married: 55.3%High school graduate: 25.5%Separated: 1.3%Some college: 28.2%Widowed: 7.6%Associate degree: 9.2%Divorced: 14.8%Bachelors degree: 15.3%Stability/Newcomer Appeal:Graduate/Professional: 7.1%Same home 5+ years: 45.1%High school or higher: 85.2%Social and economic indicatorsbased on 2000 Census sample data.Bachelors or higher: 22.4%Green = Above U.S. Avg Red = Below U... 03/02/2008

How can I Get Financing For A Government Lease Property?Unfortunately you cannot get a home loan for a government lease property for the simple reason that a Government Lease cabin is Personal Property and not Real Property and you do not own the land. When you purchase a government lease cabin (National Forest Cabin) you do not receive a deed as is the case with real property, you are given a bill of sale. There was a brief period where a lender I know said they could finance them but that option is no longer available as far as I know.Can I live In A Government Lease Cabin Full Time?You are not allowed to use one of these cabins as a full time residence and the Forest Service requires that you show proof of a primary residence elsewhere.Can I Tear Down The Existing Cabin And Build A N... 02/29/2008

Discovery Center Snowshoe Tours- the Discovery Center is offering guided snowshoe tours this winter for visitors and residents to explore scenic areas around Big Bear Lake.  They are doing this every Saturday and Sunday through March 23rd.  Times and groups are limited so call to make your reservation and to check snow conditions.  Rate: Adults: $35, Children (8-16) $25.  Dates: Saturdays 1-4pm, Sundays 9am -12pm If you don't want to do the "group-thing" you can always go over to the Discover Center and grab a trail map.  These maps are very informative and useful when you are out on your own "getting lost" in all that Big Bear has to offer.  My favorite trail is up off of Knickerbocker.  It's close to town, there's usually a good amount of snow, and the views are awesome!  Discovery Ce... 02/28/2008

Originally posted on The Sugarloaf Real Estate Blog Other than some of the coldest temperatures I have ever experienced, the last winter that we have had in the Big Bear Valley didn't generate very much snow.  In fact, I can't remember if we had a real snow storm last winter.  I'd say it was a rather cold but mild winter.  This year is making certainly making up for it.  To date, we have had 58 inches of snow and we are expecting another snow storm tonight! The snow and cold temperatures are great for the Big Bear Valley.  Snow Summit and Bear Mountain Ski Resorts are having a great season due to the cold temperatures and the amount of snow that has fallen.  This weather brings a lot of people to the Big Bear Valley and it isn't long before they start thinking about buying a vacation ge... 02/23/2008

One question that seems to come up often from people who visit the Big Bear area is, "How far down is the lake level?" The typical answer from me has always been more of a range, rather than a specific amount. The Big Bear Municipal Water District, also called BBMWD, has been keeping records of the levels on Big Bear Lake for some time now. Their website has the lake level history going back to 1985. Big Bear MWD takes weekly measurements and posts the results to their website here. As you can see, the levels of Big Bear Lake will fluctuate. It was nearly full in June 2006 and is now close to 5 feet down (up 2 feet though from the first of the year). We are having a great winter so far so it would not surprise me to see the lake level close to full come Spring and Summer. The lake was a... 02/22/2008

The average time it will take for the Big Bear real estate market to absorb the number of homes for sale continues to remain longer than 2 years. What does the absorption rate mean? In simple terms, the absorption rate is the amount of time it will take for a specified set amount of properties to be absorbed based on current real estate market conditions. Taking the 1052 homes currently available on the market for sale in Big Bear, divided by the 29 homes for that sold in January, gives the Big Bear real estate market a staggering 36.27 months absorption rate for home sales. If you are more curious about absorption rates, take a look at this previous article I wrote last month. January through April are typically the four slowest months of the year for Big Bear sales so expect this numb... 02/22/2008

I wish I were bright and articulate enough to answer the questions above without any help. Luckily, I came across this video and slide show during past week. They provide a simple (video) and humorous (slide show) way of understanding what happened with the mortgage subprime meltdown, why it happened, and what may lay ahead in the future for the rest of us. The video is provided courtesy of Mr. Dan Green of The Mortgage Reports. Going back to the basics with stick figures and drawings is an easy way of understanding a difficult concept. Take a look below or the link for the video can be found here. null I received the second slide in an email from a local friend and real estate/economy pessimist here in Big Bear, Mr. Jack Hartley. He said it was, "even simple enough for you real estate ... 02/22/2008

Based on the January home sales report below, I don't know who is hurting more right now, the real estate agents in Big Bear or the home sellers. With only 29 home sales closed in the Big Bear Lake area during January 2008, times are tough for both I would imagine. The news great for buyers as there are some motivated sellers, lots of properties to choose from (approx. 1094 as of Jan .31), lower prices & lower interest rates. January home sales were down 47% in Big Bear compared to the previous month (55) and down 47% from Jan. 2007's number of 55 homes sales. The median price (which is not very accurate which such a small sample) was surprisingly up a modest 5% compared to Dec. 2007 but down 12% compared to the same month last year. This is the first month that I am using the number of... 02/22/2008

You have lots of options when it comes to lodging in Big Bear Lake, California.  Below is a list of a places you can stay.  An asterisk (*) indicates places I would recommend to a friend or family member coming up to visit.Hotels/Motels:*Best Western - Big Bear Chateaux - 42200 Moonridge Road, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315, 800-232-7466The Best Western Big Bear Chateau is centrally located between Bear Mountain and Snow Summit Ski Resorts. This full service hotel includes an award-winning restaurant and lounge. All 80 non-smoking rooms offer fireplaces, pillow top beds, and oversized bathrooms. Many rooms feature Jacuzzi bathtubs. Our extensive amenities include a heated outdoor whirlpool and swimming pool, sauna, fitness room, coffee/tea maker, dataports, hairdryer, air-conditioning, iron an... 02/17/2008

Big Bear Lake is a "Baby Boomer Investor" market. Why?  Because the stock market is volatile and savvy baby boomer investors know that areas like Big Bear are an "island" amongst 38 Million people throughout Southern California.  Big Bear offers an Alpine setting, a lake that is open to the public for swimming, skiing, and fishing.  It also offers two ski resorts, and a wonderful Village with lovely shops, cinemas and eatery´s.  There is nothing like it in Southern California and unlike Mammoth &  Lake Tahoe, you can still build a home here....that is for now!  Keep in mind, we can only grow so much, without encroaching on the National Forest.  Big Bear attracts investors, who are purchasing mountain homes, cabins and lakefront homes.  They rent it out with a vacation rental company, ge... 02/16/2008

Most of these styles are pretty standard throughout the real estate industry, however, there are a few local terms that I thought might be beneficial to share with you.  What was interesting to me was that more than half of the homes in our current MLS were placed in the wrong architectural category.  I'm not throwing my local members under the bus, but I couldn't believe how inaccurate this category ended up being under my search.GAMBREL STYLE:Well known for it's barn style shape roof, there are different variations to this type of construction in our area of Big Bear.  This type of home was popularized in the 1960's and 1970's by several well known local builders.  In the 1960's Hillcrest Construction (where Butcher's Block is) would advertise on their lumber yard these affordable hom... 02/11/2008