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Despite the increase in foreclosure activity, there are still fewer distressed sales of homes when compared to a year ago.  Most recent statistics show that 51% of the sales were Bank Owned or Short Sales.  This is DOWN 8% from a year ago.  What this means is distressed properties are beginning to comprise a smaller percent of our sales indicating our real estate market prices are slowly stabilizing. With the FED indicating interest rates will continue to be low until 2014, prices at decade level lows, and an extremely low inventory of existing homes (down approximately 50% from two years ago), our market is expected to continue to have strong sales figures.

Bargain hunters continue to scour our markets for great deals.  The Coachella Valley real estate market is bucking the downward trend in sales in a large number of other markets throughout the country. My message to each of you reading this today is: “NOW Is The Time to BUY!!!”

If you have any additional questions, please contact me at www.ScottandJimHomes.com.

“Remember, in Real Estate, Knowledge is Power!”

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LA QUINTA, Calif. -- President William J. Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, will play in a foursome that includes Humana Chairman and CEO Mike McCallister, World Golf Hall of Famer, former World No. 1 and two-time British Open champion Greg Norman, and La Quinta resident and three-time PGA TOUR winner Scott McCarron during Saturday's third round of the Humana Challenge. The group will begin on the first tee at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West at 10:20 a.m. local time (1:20 p.m. ET).

President Clinton was the keynote speaker at Tuesday's national health and well-being conference -- Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation -- hosted by the Clinton Foundation in Indian Wells, Calif. President Clinton played in the tournament's first round in 1995 with Bob Hope, Presidents George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford, and Scott Hoch.

The Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation tees off on Thursday with leading professionals in the field such as four-time major winner Phil Mickelson, World No. 8 Dustin Johnson, World No. 11 Matt Kuchar and 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas. The event's celebrity field is headlined by musicians Smokey Robinson, Alice Cooper and Michael Bolton; actors Morgan Freeman, Don Cheadle, Craig T. Nelson, Billy Crudup and Lucas Black; and basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving.

Humana Challenge tickets, beginning at $25, can be purchased online at www.humanachallenge.com, by calling 1-888-672-4673, by visiting Lumpy's in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage, or by visiting Albertson's grocery stores in the Coachella Valley.

The Humana Challenge is played at La Quinta Country Club and the Palmer and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA WEST, and airs live on Golf Channel (12-3 p.m. PST on Jan. 19-20; 1-4 p.m. PST on Jan. 21-22). Its $5.6 million purse and $1.008 million winner's check are the largest in event history.

During the past 52 years, the event has generated more than $50 million in donations to the Eisenhower Medical Center and charities within the Coachella Valley.

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Most of our clients continue to ask our team – How Is The Market?  The real estate market in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta is currently on fire.  Buyers and investors are out aggressively shopping for deals in our real estate market.  Our market activity feels like 2004/2005 with one exception.  Prices are low and interest rates are low.  While Riverside County sales are down 7.3% from a year ago, the Coachella Valley sales are up 1.9%.  We are bucking the national trend of decreasing sales volume for the past several months.

Let me be more specific.  Our current desert real estate prices are back to 1999 -2001 levels, depending on the neighborhood.  Interest rates are at the lowest levels in recorded history.  A conventional loan is less than 4%.  With historic interest rates and decade low prices, buyers are purchasing properties in large numbers.  Remember, there is typically an inverse relationship between interest rates and real estate prices.  That is NOT what we are experiencing in this current market.  Buyers who purchase today are positioning themselves to create significant real estate wealth for the long term.

My message to each of you reading this is simple.  NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY REAL ESTATE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY.  Remember, Warren Buffet’s approach to investments.  Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

“Remember, in Real Estate, Knowledge is Power”

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BUYERS and INVESTORS:

From my professional perspective, there has never been a better time to buy and invest in the Coachella Valley. Interest rates are now at the lowest level they have ever been in the history of interest rate tracking. This means money is cheap. If you are not all cash, savvy buyers and investors are able to make real estate investment purchases with the cheapest money we have seen in recorded history. In addition to this, current desert real estate prices are down to 1999 – 2001 levels, depending on zip code. These are the lowest prices in a decade. This is not the typical relationship between real estate prices and interest rates. The typical relationship is an inverse relationship. When prices are high, interest rates are low and when interest rates are high, prices are low. That is not the case today. Low prices and low interest rates translate into great money making opportunities, if you invest in real estate today. Real estate investments made in the next two years most likely will translate into large returns on your investment in the following 7-10 years. My message to you is NOW is the time to buy. Let me repeat that to you so you do not miss it. NOW is the time to buy. This is the period that real estate wealth will be created in the next decade.

SELLERS:

Most realtors would tell you now is NOT the time to sell in our current real estate market. This may or may not be true depending on your wealth creating strategy. Let me explain this to you.

My team and clients have been focusing on the following luxury clubs: Bighorn Golf Club (Palm Desert), Toscana Country Club (Indian Wells), The Tradition Golf Club (La Quinta) and The Hideaway Golf Club (La Quinta). Many of our high net worth clients are now selling their luxury estates. The logical question here is: “Scott, why are your clients selling their luxury estates?” The answer is simple. Sellers in the luxury market are selling their estates and upsizing in our current market. Yes, they are upsizing in our “Great Recession”. They are taking their losses on their existing home understanding the short term nature of the housing crises. At the same time they are selling their luxury estate, my sellers are becoming buyers/investors purchasing premium lots and building larger estates or purchasing larger estates. They are focusing their investment strategy on diamond properties that are priced correctly. These clients have the ability to write off their losses on their initial home sell, and understand that more wealth will be created purchasing well priced diamond properties today, in the best desert country and golf clubs, and will ride the appreciation wave up.

WHAT IS MY MESSAGE TO YOU?

In today’s changing and challenging real estate market, you need to be sure to be working with a real estate professional. Gone are the days of working with a part-time realtor who sells one or two properties a year, or working with a family member. That old strategy may save you money in the short term, however, most likely will cost you money in the long term. Your goal should be to create a long term investment strategy with a seasoned professional. I would suggest a full-time professional who has a real estate team, an agent who has personally bought and sold his/her own properties, etc. Also, you need a professional who has a solid foundation and working knowledge of our current real estate market. You should take the time to interview up to 3 real estate professionals and be comfortable that he or she understands your investment goals, and you are comfortable working with that professional. The 80/20 rule is alive and well in the real estate community. Meaning 80% of the business is completed by 20% of the realtors. Be sure you are working with a 20 percenter. You will thank me because you made a wise choice.

For additional information on my team go to: www.ScottandJimHomes.com or feel free to visit my YouTube Channel at ScottandJimHomes. I have over 140 videos that may address many of your real estate questions. If you're considering buying or selling a desert home, NOW is the time to move forward with your plans. I would be happy to talk with you and learn more about your plans.  Call or e-mail Scott+Jim Homes today!

“Remember in Real Estate, Knowledge is Power”

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