Hank is there an HOA (Home Owner's Association) in Spring Valley? I am often asked this question as I am a Long Time Spring Valley Resident and as a Real Estate Broker...people expect that I know the answer. Spring Valley is a rural sub-division in Lake County, California. We are situated between I-5 and Hwy 101 in the Coast Range set of mountains and home to the LARGEST natural lake in California...Clear Lake. Okay, back to the question: Does Spring Valley have a HOA (Home Owner's Association)? The answer: NO!!!! There is no Home Owner's Association in Spring Valley Lake subdivision. There are CC&R's and there is an $18.00 per year fee to maintain the Campground and the 200 acre Greenbelt/Park. When our sub-division was created a Home Owner's Association was not created in the CC&R's..... 01/25/2011

Clearlake Oaks is a hot bed for the FHA 203k Loan Program and yet still underutilized in that area. When I drive through the town we see lots of very small homes right on the main drag... I'm talking homes that can't be 400 SF which is TOO SMALL to get FHA financing UNLESS you increase the size. That means the home could be perfect in every other way and you merely add on to it to get it to the minimum 650 SF FHA needs to make the loan.  I live in Charlotte NC and we have lots of little bungalows that would otherwise be forgotten if we don't add on to them getting them up to the required minimum living area. I was in Kannapolis the other day and there were about twenty of them right on Dale Earnhardt Jr. Blvd. all in a row. Half of them had "for sale" signs up. My CA clients reading thi... 12/13/2010

Clearlake Oaks Market Report...Home Prices The chart below shows the Median Home Prices and the Median For Sale Prices in the Greater Clearlake Oaks area. Listing Prices continue their downward trend as many people come to grips with the reality of home values. You will also note that the Median Sold Prices continue to be quite volatile...many "fixer properties" have sold recently and they are reflected in the Median Sold Prices. The date reflected in the chart shows the overall market. However, every sale is unique...if you would like to know what your specific home is worth, give me a call at 707.520.4265 07/21/2010

Clearlake Oaks...Spring Valley...28 Years and Counting...by Hank Montgomery Realtor/General Contractor   28 years ago today my wife Jocelyn and I became Spring Valley Residents! We had come to Spring Valley to begin our first ‘Owner-Builder' project and we began our project like most Owner-Builders...under capitalized and way under experienced! Fortunately for us Spring Valley, was and is a great place for an Owner-Builder to build a home.   People adopted us...gave us encouragement when we needed it...gave us advice-which we always needed...gave us what we needed-when we needed it. The stories are many and heart warming and over these past 28 years there have been many that have followed in our footsteps. There is nothing so ageless or as satisfying as providing shelter for yourself an... 04/11/2010

Clearlake Oaks Homes...Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes...Spring Valley Homes by Hank Montgomery, Realtor/General Contractor   Clearlake Oaks is a small community along the shores of Clear Lake...California's largest natural lake. Clearlake Oaks is actually three smaller communities; Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes...Spring Valley Homes...and Clearlake Oaks.     In the interests of full disclosure...I love Clearlake Oaks! I also live in Clearlake Oaks, specifically the little community of Spring Valley. I have lived here for 28 years and I love it!   Each of the three communities is different and charming in their own way. What they have in common is Eastlake Elementary School. This is a neighborhood school built in the 1950's and recently remodeled and upgraded. They also built a new Li... 04/06/2010

Clearlake Oaks...Spring Valley is a small community and a part of the larger community of Clearlake Oaks. Spring Valley is a rural sub-division with lots averaging over ½ acres. Spring Valley is known in Lake County for having some of the most affordable developed acreage in the county. This rural sub-division features paved roads, water system, power, phone lines and unlimited recreational opportunities.   Increasingly, one of the more significant features of Clearlake Oaks...Spring Valley Homes is its affordability. The dramatic decline in Real Estate values has made the Spring Valley area a true Real Estate bargain.  Sold prices have been relatively stable over the past year or so. Yet, these prices are anywhere from 50% to 33% of what they often sold for just 3 or 4 years ago. In Cl... 04/04/2010

Clearlake Oaks...Spring Valley is a small community and a part of the larger community of Clearlake Oaks. Spring Valley is actually a rural sub-division neighboring another small area known as Long Valley. These communities have about 1000 people living and enjoying life is this rural area along with Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Wild Turkeys and Tule Elk. Clearlake Oaks...Spring Valley has two significant physical features; the North Fork of Cache Creek and Chalk Mountain.    The North Fork of Cache Creek is a year round creek which is feed by Indian Valley Reservoir...this creek has been known to produce some amazing Brown Trout. Opening day on this creek can be pretty exciting as adventurous fishermen have been known to race up the creek looking to liberate one of those big trout f... 04/02/2010

How much is my Clear Lake Keys Water Front Home worth? How much did the house down the street sell for? Do you know what they are asking for that house across the street? These are the most asked questions in Real Estate...these are the questions that all of us want to know. A market report won't answer those questions you'll need to consult with a local realtor. A market report is more of a community view or a neighborhood report card.   My purpose here is to give you the numbers associated with the Clear Lake Keys Water Front Homes real estate market. The most important thing to note is that homes are selling! There are buyers in the market place and they want to buy homes...but they want a good deal. Homes must be priced competitively and if they are...they will sell. If you need hel... 03/31/2010

Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes...Priced like a foreclosure...by Hank Montgomery Realtor/General Contractor   Several years ago I wrote a blog post titled..."Priced to Sell or Priced to Sit?" The point of the post was that you can price your home to sell in today's market or you can price your home for yesterday's market...and let it sit. All too often we see homes priced to sit and sit they do!   As I was previewing homes the other day I found a couple of Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes...priced like a foreclosure but they weren't. Some people are listening to their realtor or paying attention to the market in their area. One home in particular stood out to me as an exceptional value...this home is priced to sell. $124,900 for a home on the water...2 bedroom...1 ½ bath with a deck over... 03/29/2010

Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes...Foreclosure Bargains are available for immediate purchase. Not a week goes by without someone coming into the office and asking me about waterfront foreclosures...and yes, I have Waterfront Homes in foreclosure. As both a Realtor and a General Contractor...I seem to attract people looking for distressed properties...all those years of building and remodeling are finally paying off! There are currently 5 waterfront foreclosures for sale in Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes and another 4 Short Sale (pre-foreclosure) homes on the market.                   Having a Contractor friend is important when buying distressed properties...there is little to no information available and an experienced/trained set of eyes can help you find that diamond in the rough and... 03/27/2010

Within the small lakefront community of Clearlake Oaks is an even smaller community...Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes. On the shores of Clear Lake, California's largest natural lake, Clearlake Keys is a waterfront community which is comprised of a system of channels, lagoons, creek and lakefront properties.   "The Keys" as Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes is affectionately called is home to a large number bass fishermen and fisherwomen. Clear Lake has become known as the Bass Fishing capital of the West. There are Bass Fishing tournaments virtually every weekend during the season and the Clearlake Keys Waterfront Homes is homeport to many professional and amateur Bass Fishermen.     Of course, there is so much more to the Keys and Clear Lake than just Bass Fishing! Clearlake Keys Waterf... 03/25/2010

I am having so much fun telling contractors about this program. It is amazing to hear some of their stores of how slow they are right now and how fast they can access this program. We need more qualified contractors in the program. If you are a contractor and need work we can show you how to find the right people who can let you start bidding right now. Don't like bidding because you don't get paid to put bids together and get the work. We actually need good reliable contractors and the problem isn't getting the work, it is that the contractors we get need to be honest and tell us when they are getting too much work and back off the bidding process till they catch up. So many just don't want to turn any work away. It doesn't do anyone any good if you can't perform. Therefore we ask that... 02/01/2010

I'm number one. What is it like to be number one.  You know there is that Lake that sticks into California a bit, Tahoe?  Lake Tahoe,  Yosemite National park has some Lakes.  Southern California has some big lakes, but I'm number 1.  Thousands of years ago nature got all bent out of shape and created me, 1300 feet above sea level in the mountains northeast of San Francisco.  I'm called Clear Lake, the California one.  And how is it everybody doesn't know me, I'm number 1, the largest natural lake in California.  I'm really big, you can skip along the surface of me for mile after mile after mile.  You love speed breezing on me.  You can lazy away quite a few hours on me, rolling back and forth till you get what you wanted calmed out of you, rest.  You can let your eyes take a breather ex... 08/07/2008

Is the money gone for mortgage backed securities?  Does anyone really care?  Probably not, but the government is trying to follow Europe's lead in the method of choice for financing the issuance of residential mortgages to the public, and it looks like that is going forward. Secretary of state Paulson today, released to the press, that 4 big banks, with the U.S. treasury department backing, are pursuing the issuing of covered bonds as a way to finance the issuing of mortgages on residential property in USA.  The big banks are JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citicorp, and Wells Fargo.  What these covered bonds are is a way for these institutions to get the financing, while guaranteeing that these bond instruments used to provide the funds are safe for the investor.  I guess that means ... 07/28/2008

Is the money gone for mortgage backed securities?  Does anyone really care?  Probably not, but the government is trying to follow Europe's lead in the method of choice for financing the issuance of residential mortgages to the public, and it looks like that is going forward. Secretary of state Paulson today, released to the press, that 4 big banks, with the U.S. treasury department backing, are pursuing the issuing of covered bonds as a way to finance the issuing of mortgages on residential property in USA.  The big banks are JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citicorp, and Wells Fargo.  What these covered bonds are is a way for these institutions to get the financing, while guaranteeing that these bond instruments used to provide the funds are safe for the investor.  I guess that means ... 07/28/2008

 This place deserves the name of Spring Valley. This time of year is a beautiful gift out here, especially in our campground. It starts in February with the first greening of the hills and the fields. Buttercups and Shooting Stars announce the beginning of the amazing display. Redbuds, dead-looking bushes all winter, begin to thicken with a purple glow, and bust out into a flashy show of rich fuchsia blooms.In March the water releases from Indian Valley reservoir turn the tranquil creek into something wild and powerful. On the first mild spring evening I open a window, and hear the sound of rushing water from across the sleepy, silent valley. Next thing you know, the Lupines have arrived; graceful, purple blossoms with stars for leaves. They grow so beautifully in the campground's sandy... 05/07/2008

  Nylander Park is almost finished...and what a lovely addition it is to this little "lakeside community". The Nylanders are longtime members of this community. Currently, the third generation are operating the Nylander's RED & WHITE Market, in operation longer than most know. This is a great way to honor a family that has taken such good care of a community for so long.The site for this park was an unsightly vacant lot which collected trash and debris for years. This 'eyesore' was in the middle of town and alongside the highway which carries thousands of would-be visitors. As a tourist oriented lake community, this park will greet travelers with a welcoming face that will allow folks to stop, have a picnic and let the kids play on the new and colorful playground equipment. This park is... 05/06/2008

Clearlake Oaks, CaliforniaApprox. Population 2,402"I Sell Lake County!"Ray PerryGRI, e-PRO, Lake County Expert,  Multimillion Dollar Producer, Most Listings in The CountyCPS Country AirOffice (707) 277-9255 ext 1#Cell (707) 245-8376Fax (707) 277-7840Ray@RayPerry.comhttp://www.rayperry.com/Clearlake Oaks Homes For SaleClick Here to request more information about homes and real estate in Clearlake Oaks Clearlake Oaks Relocation InformationLake County Chamber of Commerce (707) 994-3600Community Location Clearlake Oaks, California is located in Lake County.  The city is the county's easternmost community along Highway 20, a major east-west route between Reno and the Pacific Ocean.Also Visit: Clearlake, Cobb, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lucerne, Lower Lake, Nice & Upper Lake Clearlake Oaks, Calif... 06/26/2007