Does anyone remember how day-to-day real estate business was conducted before computers and Internet? Now, the latest growing trend and buzz is all about real estate social media. There are two camps when the topic of social media comes up. Some agents are on-board with real estate social media and use it effectively, some do not. The other camp has agents who are against real estate social media it its entirety. Where do I stand? I’m mixed on my opinion. However, I do know that just being involved in social media is not enough. Just like communication is noise when when it is not used effectively, real estate social media is not effective when the agent is not jumping into the deep end. I think this is why many agents my not get results from their social media efforts? Well, we do know... 06/12/2010

Marketing can be expensive!  So what gives the Real Estate Agent the best bang for the buck and for your time? #1 Business Cards - A must!  This one is obvious but it is not so simple as you may think.  What is on your business card?  Have you seen some of those really catchy business cards on the counters of those vacant listings when showing property to your clients?  I have, but 90% of the business cards I see are nothing special.  Where do business cards go after you pass them out?  I don't know the statistic, but my best guess is that most of them go into the trash bin or get lost etc...  It is a numbers game, but how can we mitigate this?  What do you do that gives you the edge over your competition?  Learning how to design your own business card would be a good start.  Learning P... 06/10/2010

Wings Over Gillespie Air Show The Commemorative Air Force will be hosting the 15th Annual Wings Over Gillespie Air Show this weekend in El Cajon/Santee. The Commemorative Air Force holds the largest airworthy collection of old military aircraft in the world. The Commemorative Air Force proudly owns over 150 flyable combat aircraft. There will be many planes available for viewing as well as plenty to tour. The Commemorative Air Force acquires, maintains and operate vintage military aircraft, ground vehicles along with related artifacts for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Commemorative Air Force is a living, flying history lesson! They really do provide a tribute to America's great military aviation heritage. They will proudly be displaying some example... 06/05/2010

Homes For Sale Santee ~ The Lakes Located on the east side of Santee just off Magnolia is a quaint development of homes known as The Lakes. With a beautiful park like setting, these 2-4 bedroom townhomes range from 1015 square feet to 1350 square feet. With garage parking, fireplace, balconies, in unit laundry you won't want for anything in these spacious homes. A sparkling pool, clubhouse and BBQ area is perfect for the warm summer afternoons that Santee is known for! Just minutes from the Santee Sportsplex USA set to open 2010. The Santee Sportsplex is part of the Town Center Community Park and will provide state-of-the-art amenities including 3 tournament softball/baseball fields, synthetic turf outfields and electronic scoreboards. A couple of indoor soccer fields, batting cages and... 06/01/2010

Santee Street Fair Are you looking for somethng to do this Memorial Day Weekend? Start the weekend off right on Saturday May 29, 2010 from 10:00 am to 7 pm at the Santee Street Fair. From rock climbing walls, bounce house, rides, tons of yummy food, to a beer and wine garden there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy! Over 300 vendors and plenty of live entertainment will keep you movin' at the Santee Street Fair. There will be two different stages featuring all types of music. MAIN STAGE: KSON Radio's Lakeside Idol Winner of 2006 Lindsay Spurlock starts the festivities      10:00 am San Diego'sfavorite Doo Wop Show The Corvettes                                                  12:30 pm How about some Classic Rock with a Detroit Edge Outta Sync                               ... 05/26/2010

Homes For Sale Santee CA ~ Prospect Hills Located just south of Mission Gorge in Santee, CA there is a beautiful development of homes nestled among the hills known as Prospect Hills. These beautiful homes range in size from 1700 square feet to 2700 square feet. Each home is beautifully set on a large lot with views to die for. Built in 1999, these highly desirable homes in west Santee come with 4 to 6 bedrooms and 2 to 4 bathrooms. Each with 3 car garages there is plenty of room for the quads, dune buggies and boats! Enjoy the Santee evening lights from both the front and backyards of all of these homes. Set perfectly on the hill so that each home can take advantage of the breathtaking views. Mature landscaping and pride of ownership is present throughout the neighborhood.     Chet F. H... 05/12/2010

Homes For Sale Santee CA ~ Mission View Mission View is a new home development located on the West end of Santee. 31 homes nestled among the hills provide spectacular views while offering beautiful Tuscan and Spanish architectural design. Each of the homes have been have designer selected exterior color schemes with concrete tile roofs. Mission View offers three different floor plans offer up to 6 bedrooms with square footage from 2630 to 3355. Optional studies, bonus rooms and lofts. 3 bathrooms in each along with a 3 bay garage. Bullnose corners, woodburning fireplace, and gourmet kitchen with Whirlpool Stainless Steel appliances will provide the perfect setting for family gatherings or entertaining. Backyards are fenced with a gas stub and waterproof electrical outlet for your backya... 04/13/2010

Homes For Sale Santee Ca ~ Treviso Located at the west end of the city of Santee on Mission Gorge, Treviso is a complex of 186 attached townhomes built in 2006.  Treviso is located just blocks from both the 52 and 125 freeways for easy access. The Trolley Station is minutes away located at Santee Towne Center which is also home to Costco, Home Depot, Target and Vons. In addition to the shopping Santee has to offer, you will also find some fantastic dining with Olive Garden, Chili's and some great non chain eateries like Panda Country Chinese. Your active lifestyle will love the homes at Treviso! Walk to Mission Trails Regional Park which is home to over 40 miles of trails. Treviso also backs to the Carlton Oaks Country Club which is a championship golf course. Santee Lakes is just aroun... 03/31/2010

We have the perfect blinds and shutters for your Santee home. It's so easy to update your home décor, just by giving us a call. We're ready to drop by at your convenience to show you how, together, we can add more value, beauty and comfort to your home. We'll help you do all that within your budget, too. We offer free in-home consultations, so you can shop in the comfort of your home. Click here to see our full line of window treatments. Aluminum Blinds Sheer Shades Roller Shades Faux Blinds Wood Blinds Woven Wood Blinds Draperies Valances Motorization Solar Screens Window Film Window Tint Motorized Blinds 02/24/2010

Santee Notary Public Friday as I drove around town looking for a Notary Public I wondered to myself, does EVERYONE have this much difficulty finding a Notary Public in East County? Well, I got news for you. Not only am I a great REALTOR, but I am also a Notary Public! When the local banks started calling me for their Notary Public needs, I was told that their Notary Public was out on maternity leave, did not pass the test or no longer worked there. So I was happy to oblige! I am regularly out and about town, and could always swing by the bank to help them in their time of need. I really had no idea how difficult it was to find a Notary Public, until I needed one! I have been a Notary Public since 1991. I took the Real Estate Salesperson test and the Notary Public test in the same year a... 02/08/2010

Santee Lakes~What's New? If you are a resident of San Diego County, you have probably either heard or visited Santee Lakes. Located in the heart of East County, in the beautiful City of Santee, Santee Lakes is great not only for a day trip but for camping, fishing and walking the dog! Since 1961, Santee Lakes has been a part of the community providing many fun activities for the surrounding areas. Since then, Santee Lakes has been not only a water treatment facility but a daycation as well as vacation destination! With over 300 full hook up camp sites and voted Best Campground in San Diego County for 2009 Santee Lakes is fun for the whole family. So what is new at Santee Lakes? Last year, Santee Lakes completed their new covered RV storage which incorporated solar panels on each overhea... 02/03/2010

Nothing is worse than getting into a fender bender. Unfortunately, it happens. But don't worry~Santee has one of the finest shops in East County to have your car back on the road in no time! Carter Collision prides themselves in making your car just as good as new in the least amount of time. Located next to the Sheriff's Station on Cuyamaca, Carter Collision is easy to find. Carter Collision hires only I-CAR Certified Collision Specialists which ensures you are getting a trained collision repair mechanic. From mechanical and structural to estimatng, the I-Car Certified Technician can work on getting your car back on the road. As the "preferred" collision repair shop for most major insurance companies, Carter Collision help make your experience as comfortable as possible in an unfortuna... 12/10/2009

MMMMMM! Apple, cinnamon, pine.....the smells of the season are in the air! Love the smell but hate the mess? I have the solution for you! Local crafter Lori Fortune brings to you Lori's Gatherings. Lori makes potpourri, scented oils and room sprays. Lori mixes her own blend of oil, rose hips and dehydrated nuts and fruits to bring you some scents that last the holiday season and beyond! Are you looking for a unique gift for clients or for your friends that have everything? Lori's Gatherings puts together some beautiful gift baskets of the best smelling, longest lasting potpourri I have ever purchased. Not only does Lori's Gatherings offer some fantastic Holiday scents, she also makes year long scents like Welcome Home and Rustic Orange. This potpourri is made with Rose hips which retain... 12/06/2009

Are you looking for a way to give back this season? 'Tis the time for giving! Santee Santas is a local program which is an all volunteer organization that helps local families with food, toys and monetary assistance this holiday season. It has been a rough year for many people in the community and the Santee Santas will be collecting toys and food, as well as accepting cash donations. Food donations can be taken to any Santee School, and many of the local Santee businesses will have food donation boxes as well. New toy donations will be accepted at either of the Santee Fire Stations. You may also find toy donation boxes at local Santee businesses. Monetary donations can be made by mailing your donation to Santee Santas Foundation P.O. Box 710033 Santee, CA 92072-0033. Santee Santas are ... 12/02/2009

I think I caught you searching SANTEE BANK OWNED HOMES  or SANTEE FORECLOSURES.. Right? SEE THIS FEATURED SANTEE BANK OWNED HOME NOW! WONT LAST! Sign up on www.SendMeBankOwnedHomes.info and make it your last search ever! Location: Santee, CA Subdivision: St Price: $397,600MLS ID #: 090059181 5 beds, 3 baths2216 Sq. Ft.   Residential PropertyBuilt in 1979 REO!!! This property features a spacious layout, vaulted ceilings, large floor plan, move in ready, great backyard for entertaining guests. Enjoy the beautiful views from all areas of the home.This one will not last!!This is a Fannie mae Homepath Property!Purchase this proeprty with as little as 3% down.Thisproperty is approved for Homepath Mortgage Financing.This property is approved for Homepath Rennovaton Mortgage FinancingSearch all... 11/10/2009

If you have purchased a home this year, between January 1, 2009 and until November 30, 2009, (possibly being extented into next year) you are one of the fortunate First Time Home Buyers to take advantage of the Tax Credit offered as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In order to qualify for the tax credit, you must have purchased an owner occupied home within the dates specified above, have been a First Time Home Buyer(defined as not owning a primary residence within the last 3 years) and meet the required income limitations. The amount of the tax credit is equal to 10% of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $8000. So, how can you take advantage of the tax credit today? For one, you may want to consider changing your withholding on your paycheck. This is done w... 10/21/2009

If you are looking for some family fun this weekend, October 9, 10 and 11, I recommend spending a little time checking out the Fall Festival at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Santee, CA. This is a great Fall Festival for everyone-Catholic or not! Tons of fun for all the family with games, crafters, FANTASTIC food and even a BEER GARDEN! We have made this a family tradition for years now and enjoy every year! Maybe we will see you there! The raffle on Sunday always has great items up for bid and football is always rollin in the beer garden! 10/05/2009

It is March, 2008 and I have been referred to the greatest couple looking for a house in Santee, Ca. This couple is a friend of a friend and we hit it off perfectly! A fun, easy going couple with a couple of kids looking for their Dream Home! He is active military so a VA loan is no problem! I refer them to my favorite lender, they have perfect credit scores and I thought, boy, this is going to be a piece of cake; and fun too! Out house hunting we go! And then......within 2 weeks of our hunt, my military home buyer finds out he is being sent to Singapore for 6 months! House hunt on hold. Wife moving to home state of Washington in the interim to save money, pay off credit card debt and hope to qualify for a larger loan amount at the return of her soldier! Great plan! Fast forward to last... 09/20/2009

If you are a resident of the city of Santee, you know the traffic has been an issue for years. Getting from the east side of Santee to the 52 or the 125 can take anywhere from 5 to 35 minutes depending upon the time of day, lights and congestion. The city of Santee and CalTrans have been working on the SR 52 extension connecting the SR 52 to SR 67 it seems like an eternity. When I first moved to Santee, I was looking at buying a home that was disclosed to me the extension of the 52 was going to run very close to this home. I chose not to purchase for this reason, but that was 18 years ago! The extension is STILL not complete! But look around! WooHoo! This project is finally moving! Everywhere we look, there is construction going on. Right now it seems a little irritating, with some deto... 09/03/2009

We all try to prepare our sellers on what it is going to take to sell their home. It may be anything to painting some walls, cleaning out the clutter, staging or planting flowers in the yard. We also let them know there will be interested BUYERS coming to view their homes. These buyers will come with their agents who also want to sell these BUYERS a home. So please Mr. Seller, try and keep the beds made, dishes clean, and the dirty laundry off the floor. Maybe go to the extreme of having fresh flowers on the kitchen table and bathrooms or candles lit when you know the potential BUYER is coming to view your property. Whatever it is that we do to encourage our sellers to make their home the one to buy, we hope they heed our advice, since they have come to us for our experience to help SEL... 08/31/2009