On our trip to Northern California as we were coming down hwy 1 & 101 through Monterey we saw the strangest thing, deer feeding around the shoreline.  I have traveled up and down the west coast for many, many years and I have never seen deer around the ocean, it was quite a site to see. They were almost tame, and when I walked by them to take some photographs they just looked up at me and continued to eat.  Monterey Bay in California is a very beautiful part of the west coast and if you have never been there, it's a must see. Quite expensive to live there and what area isn't on the California ocean, but to travel through no problem.  There is a wharl with fine dining and a aquarium for individuals interested in viewing more sea life.  For more information and photographs of California... 12/01/2008

Alvarado St. is the "Main Street" in Monterey. Downtown Avarado St. is a revitalization that worked. This is a thriving shopping and dining area. The street is well lit at night and locals and visitors stroll down the street, stopping for dinner, coffee or a movie.   Watch the banners on display above the street for special upcoming events. Or come by Tuesday evening and go to the Farmer's Market and buy your fresh fruit and produce.  More info on Monterey or Monterey Real Estate 11/11/2008

Dennis the Menance Park - Great for Kids (of all ages)! Where else do kids get their own locomotive to play on? The park was designed by the Creator of Dennis the Menace. It is on a little peninsula surrounded by a small lake. This is a must see for kids of all ages. The view is great, the playground equipment unique. Located at 777 Pearl, Monterey, CA. 93940 Behind the Youth Center. It is open daily 10 AM to dusk. There is a snackbar nearby as well as restrooms. There is a maze, a climbing wall, a giant slide, and much more!  Looking to move to Monterey?   Monterey Rentals or on Monterey Homes for Sale 11/03/2008

The city of Monterey has been following the rest of the Monterey Peninsula trends with sales increasing slightly over the past several months and average and median prices falling.  The increase in inventory means there are great properties to choose from and buyers are starting to take advantage. We are seeing a larger percentage of distressed sales in Monterey than in the recent past which is the driving factor on these numbers.  Most impacted by the current market is the northern portion of the city where we are seeing more foreclosures and short sales.  If you compare Monterey's numbers with the county numbers, you will see that is is in no way impacted at the same rate as Salinas and the more rural parts of the county.  The Monterey Peninsula remains a great place to invest and to... 10/24/2008

This online meeting is available on-demand!  Call Bob at (800) 456-6873 today to schedule! 09/22/2008

   I woke up this morning at 2:00 AM with the most excruciating pain I have ever had, and thought my appendix must have gone bad.  I tried to gut it out, but ended up going to the emergency room at 2:30.  I told the admitting nurse my diagnosis, and waited for what seemed like a week (it was a half hour).     The Doctor came in and said, I think you have kidney stones.  I had a cat scan, and some good drugs for the pain - and then a little more drugs.  The doctor confirmed he was the better diagnostician, since it wasn't my appendix - a 4MM kidney stone.  As I sat there and waited to go home, I heard the person next to me being told that he has congestive heart failure and would have to be admitted: I felt pretty selfish.     A little while later the pain was gone, and I got a chance to... 08/19/2008

        As the New Monterey market sales cycle accelerates into the summer season, average sales prices have increased from $483,000 in the first quarter to $625,000 in the second.   The New Monterey marketplace second quarter 2008:             -In the second quarter 4 homes sold compared with 3 home sales the first quarter.             -7 homes are currently in escrow compared with 3 in the first quarter.             -18 homes are currently for sale compared with 12 in the first quarter.   The following homes have sold in 2008:              Address                     Sales Price             1400 Hoffman           $760,000             799 Lyndon St.          $675,000             640 Alice St.              $667,000             837 Terry St.             $580,000             610 Taylor St... 07/30/2008

Join Bob Graham & Eric Setash in Monterey, CA July 24 - 26 at The Embassy Suites Hotel. Seminar begins at 6:00pm. Walk-Ins Welcomed, Appointments Appreciated! Eric Setash is the leading lender in Northern Virginia from First America Mortgage. He can offer you support on how to financially be ready for a home. ATTENTION MILITARY FAMILIES RELOCATING TO:Northern VirginiaMarylandWashington, DCCome talk to Bob Graham who is familiar with every facet of moving! Get information on schools, recreation, housing, transportation, and financing! If you need information or have any questions, call 800.456.6873View our website and contact us: http://www.bobgrahamvarelo.com 07/07/2008

In the past it was common for neighbors to introduce themselves to new arrivals and maybe bring them a pie or order a pizza when they saw the moving trucks roll in. Nowadays in a lot of neighborhoods-even very nice, upscale neighborhoods-this is a rare occurrence. You can blame it on whatever you like, the hectic pace of modern life, the images of crime on the evening news, or the simple fact that people don't stay in one place as long as they used to. Whatever you choose to blame it on, it's a fact; you're not as likely to see the welcome wagon today as you were thirty years ago. But there are still ways to get to know your new neighbors and share a sense of community with them and many of your clients may benefit from a little advice on the topic. Here are a couple of pieces of advice... 06/27/2008

    New Monterey is a neighborhood that sits on the hill above Cannery Row.   .This is a community that generally lives her year round. Many of the homes in this neighborhood have ocean views. A great family area with all of its parks, schools and within walking distance to everything from restaurants, stores to the bike path along the coast.     There are four parks Oak Newton & Archer that are great for young children. Cypress & Hilltop that also have tennis courts to enjoy.     There is a great neighborhood elementary school; Bayview serving grades k-6         I almost forgot to tell you that you will enjoy the sounds of the barking sea lions and foghorns! 06/24/2008

I recently posted a blog about public speaking, one thing I did not mention in that post was that local media have a lot of air time to fill and are always in need of quality guests. Right now with the sub-prime mortgage ‘crisis' a big topic on the news shows there are a lot of opportunities for realtors to appear on local television and radio programs and provide a little perspective to the average homeowner. There are a lot of opportunities out there but some of the most obvious are: Call-In Shows Of course the first thing we think of when we think of being on the radio is being a guest on a call-in show. While there is something kind of glamorous about being the featured guest on a radio or television show, call-in shows can be very difficult to manage if the callers are not well scr... 06/06/2008

I just returned from a wonderful place in San Jose. It is called Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. My husband and I took our 2 year old twins and meet some friends too.What a great place for small children especially. It was beautiful and very clean. Not alot of long lines and the rides where mostly shaded. The zoo was perfect for the kids and easy to access. They especially liked the petting zoo.The price was $6.00 for adults (I think)..very reasonable and we will definitely go again soon. Check out the website. www.happyhollowparkandzoo.org 05/03/2008

 It is a very good idea to build relationships with local businesses as they can be a strong and consistent source of referrals. There are a lot of local businesses that provide services that the average homeowner may not think they need as they prepare their home for sale, but in reality some relatively inexpensive services can help them maximize the sales potential of their homes. Working professionals who are preparing to sell a home-especially in an uncertain market and economic situation like we have right now-may look upon services that your high end clients take for granted as a waste of money, but particularly for the family with two working parents a little outside help can be a godsend as they prepare to sell their home. Some good businesses to form partnerships with are: Lawn... 04/14/2008

Dealing With Difficult People  One of the most difficult things we do in any walk of life is dealing with unpleasant people--especially in this market. We should remember that there are some people who simply can't be pleased no matter how hard we try and at some point you have to simply write off any encounter with them as a loss and move on. But in dealing with the average run-of-the-mill difficult person there are several simple ways you can minimize conflict.   Don't accept combat. When someone enters your office looking for a fight, you'll find that meeting their surly behavior with courtesy defuses the situation more quickly than any logical argument or response in kind. A lot of difficult people derive perverse pleasure from getting a rise out of their victims. The most important... 04/04/2008

Dealing With Difficult People  One of the most difficult things we do in any walk of life is dealing with unpleasant people--especially in this market. We should remember that there are some people who simply can't be pleased no matter how hard we try and at some point you have to simply write off any encounter with them as a loss and move on. But in dealing with the average run-of-the-mill difficult person there are several simple ways you can minimize conflict.   Don't accept combat. When someone enters your office looking for a fight, you'll find that meeting their surly behavior with courtesy defuses the situation more quickly than any logical argument or response in kind. A lot of difficult people derive perverse pleasure from getting a rise out of their victims. The most important... 04/04/2008

It’s important to remember that as a society we seem to become more and more transient every year. The process that began when the Model T ford gave everyone the option of traveling is still going on today. It seems like no one lives his whole life in one place anymore. I bring this up because unlike realtors in the 1950’s we are potentially selling multiple homes to the same buyer if we play our cards right. In the 1950’s a young couple moving out of the “family home” might have realistically expected to buy a home that they would live in until they retired. Somewhere along the line the concept of “starter homes” crept into the vernacular and people soon became comfortable with the idea that they might buy and sell a fixer upper before finding and buying their dream home, but the idea ... 03/31/2008

Are you a buyer?  Lucky you!  I have always bought high and sold low - no! no!  This is the best time to change that strategy and buy when the time is right: -Prices are better now than they have been for years!-Interest rates are incredibly low.  The lowest they have been in many years!-You have less competition than many buyers have ever had.  Rarely would you need to be concerned about a multiple offer situation!.-In addition to all of these advantages, you have more inventory to choose from than ever before!-This is a market where the buyer can be a winner in many different ways! So tell me everything you ever wanted in a house, because the more you tell me, the more chance we have of finding you more of what you want.  Call me (831 277-1073), you're ready.  Let's go get your house! 02/05/2008

This morning I received an email from a lender that is in my Keller Williams office and I am attaching a copy of it here. It is very interesting and positive as far as I am concerned.  Please enjoy reading it and please feel free to comment.The Real State of Real EstatePresented by: Gary Watts - Real Estate Economist, California Previews RetreatMonterey, August 2007Brief History of Real EstateHistorically, housing downturns average 27 months. We are in the 23rd month of the current downturn, soonce we are past this financial over-reaction, things should improve. The national median price of aresale home is 3.4% higher than a year ago and the pending sales index is moving back up. There mayjust be some light beginning to shine at the end of this tunnel!1970 to 1980Prior to my entering re... 10/05/2007

 Entry level homes on the Monterey Peninsula (Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Pacific Grove) has relied somewhat on move up opportunities from the Salinas communities (Salinas, Marina, Soledad, Greenfield, Gonzales, King City, Prunedale, Las Palmas, Oak Hills).  Unfortunately a large percentage of home buyers in Salinas and surrounding areas relied upon sub prime loans and 100% financing opportunities.  Since that market is gone, Salinas is in a very depressed state and those homes are not selling very quickly which in turn is hurting the lower end of the Monterey Peninsula market.  Higher priced homes and communities are still moving at an above average pace. 07/31/2007