Paradise Awaits You In This French Valley Pool Home

Paradise Awaits You In This

Beautiful French Valley Pool Home

    

    This home has over 2900 square foot with a GREAT open floor plan!  It has 5 bedroom, 3 baths, plus a loft!  Also a three car garage with built in cabinets and a custom spot for your refrigerator.

  

   The upgrades in this home include crown molding, 18 inch tile flooring as well as upgraded baseboard throughout.  The granite counters, and chiefs sink in the large island make this kitchen a must have!  Other upgrades include ceiling fans and window blinds throughout, an alarm system and wiring for your very own surround sound.

    As if that's not enough step out back and enjoy your very own island oasis with a BBQ island stocked with a stereo and lighting, refrigerator, hot and cold water in the sink, a large BBQ grill with electric and natural gas.  All under your very own shady palapa!   Next to this you can sit back and enjoy a wood burning fire pit while overlooking your beautiful pool and spa.

  

   The pool is top of the line with pebble tech, salt water system, and a large shamu step in the entry; and while your not using it you can cover it up with the solar blanket that keeps the water nice and cool!  Best of all you can control your whole pool from the indoor/outdoor pool controls.

   Really this home has just to much to even list it all, it is absolutely a must see!  You wont have to do a thing, just move right in and make it your own!!!

Standard Sale priced at $319,900

                                 

      

Great News For Short Sales!

Fantastic News today in the world of Short Sales!


  Bank of america has changed the way of the future in short sales.  Previously if you had an approved short sale but the buyers walked at the end you would have to start all over.  But at last the day has come, a new buyer does not mean starting all over.  The bank will finally allow a simple name change and everything can continue on as usual.  The best news ever!  See below for the details that were sent to me.  And if you or anyone you know is currently in default with a bank of america home, rest assure that if a short sale is the route your going it is now going to be that much easier!

Click image below to view larger ( for more info)

Congratulations To Our Lucky Winner!!

Congratulations to our lucky winner for the month of March! 

Monthly contest are so much fun, but whats even more fun is getting to know our lucky winners!

Here is Michele the winner of our March contest.  She won a $50 Visa gift card.  Wahoo!!!!  Yay!!

We asked Michele some fun questions....

1. Do you have kids?  If so how many    I have 2 girls that keep me busy with school and projects
2. Whats your favorite color?   Pink
3. What do you love to do in your free time?  I love doing crafts, decorating, scrapbooking, and shopping.
4. Are you reading any books right now?  I just read 'Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.'   It was really good. And I’m trying to read The girl with the dragon tattoo, but it hasn’t sucked me in yet.
5. Tell us five things you are thankful for ( using only one word to describe each)   Family, friends, sunshine, laughter, Sundays.
6. What you will spend your winning gift card on? Probably a decorating project, I always have one of those going.
7. Anything else you would like to share with us?  Yes I would like to say that I was so super excited to win a gift card! I never win any contests! What a nice surprise to wake up to find a Facebook tag that said “congratulations!” Can’t wait to see your next giveaway!)

   Thanks for sharing yourself and your family with us Michele, we hope you have fun spending your $50 dollar gift card and thanks so much for taking part in our contest!

See below for some pictures she shared with us of her beautiful family!

  And here we are celebrating as I gave her her gift card :)

Yes I wanted to say.....I was so super excited to win a gift card! I never win any contests! What a nice surprise to wake up to find a Facebook tag that said “congratulations!” Can’t wait to see your next giveaway!

Giveaways!

Time for a new giveaway.   Go to WIN TODAY for a chance to win a gift certificate to Barley and Hops in old temecula!  check it out!!!

and while you are there like us because we do contest and giveaways monthly :)

Planning! Part 1 of 2

    Well its no secret then we plan things in life, like dates, weddings, babies ( ok not always the babies part...ha ha ha)  We plan to go to dinner with friends, dentist and doctors appointments.  But the funny thing is we dont often plan our life.  We might plan the things we want or hope to accomplish but not always how to get there.
    So this year I decided to plan my year, I wanted to plan and set goals for myself and our family.  We started by doing dream boards.  I think it is important to set goals or things to reach for - that way when I have to go to work and I dont feel like it, or when I have to step out of my confort zone I can look at my dream board and see all the things that I want to accomplish and feel a little more motivated to go do what needs to be done.
   Whats a dream board you might ask?  Well for us it is a place where we can look and see all the things we want to accomplish or the things we would like to have someday.  Oh and my Motto is no dream is to big!
  So what we did is took a poster board and cut it in half making two dream boards out of one poster board.  Then we got magazines and cut out pictures of things that might represent stuff that we want, want to do, want to have, or things we want to accomplish.  For mine I put little things like finish my photography project that I have started called Project 365.  For more info visit http://365project.org/
I also put things like eat heathly, running, and increasing the popularity of this blog and our business facebook page ( jwlistings.com facebook page ) all the way on up to my big dreams like own a vacation home in Big Bear.  The more dreams you put on your board the better.  That way as you do them or get them you can see your progress....helps you stay motivated and on the right track.  And for all of you stay at home mommies, maybe this board will help you on the days where you feel like pulling your hair out ( ha ha ha) to remember the things that make you most happy and the things you want out of life.
  We also had the kids do them to, I think it is so important to have your goals and dreams in front of you know matter how old you are.  It can help you grow and stay focused on the right path of life!

Valentine’s Day CONTEST!

Our Facebook bussiness page is doing our next monthly contest.  If you are not yet friends with us, please click on the link below to add us to get all the information on our monthly drawlings.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/JWListingscom/159515754084492?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts


VALENTINE's Day is coming up and we wanna know how you like to spend it....


Valentine’s Day CONTEST!!! Let us know some of your favorite traditions for Valentine’s Day… POST on our WALL your favorite things to do for Valentine’s Day and be entered for a chance to WIN a $20 STARBUCKS gift card. SHARE this on your wall so your friends can have a chance to play and plus you’ll get another entry into the drawling.

Some Google Useful Search Operators

Search has become a day to day occurrence in almost every aspect of our business and personal lives; think about shopping without the ability to search and review products – nearly impossible right? - Well at least for a growing segment of the population




Most of us use the Google Search Bar to type our search criteria phrases and then review the results – but wait; there is another layer of Search using Operators that can help you dig even deeper – in fact there are hundreds of different ways of using Operators to perform Queries; I will focus on a few good ones that experts use all the time.



1. Search for an Exact Phrase:



I use this almost daily – if I am seeking a specific phrase from a poem, or in article I type the Search Phrase within “Quotation Marks”. Let's say I am looking for the full poem of Walt Whitman but remember one line of the poem, instead of searching for: I celebrate myself, and sing myself – I perform the same search within Quotation Marks, as in:



“I celebrate myself, and sing myself” (Searches for the specific phrase within the quotation)



Putting search phrases within double quotes get you directly to exact results and eliminates permutations you are not seeking. This is quite useful if performing technical searches, quotation searches, academic papers, testing the indexing of content, but best of all to find out if anyone is scrapping your content – copying your content without your permission.







2. Searching for information within a Specific Website:



Say you are searching for information on a specific Nikon Camera, the D80, within Amazon.com; you can do so by going to Amazon or perform the search in Google by adding the operator site:www.amazon.com as in:



Nikon D80 site:www.amazon.com (Searches for all references of Nikon D80 only within the Amazon.com website)



This is quite useful if you are seeking to find out how many pages within a website have been indexed for a specific keyword or phrase.



Searching for references of books within the Library of Congress would look like this:



Essays of Emerson site:www.loc.gov (would yield results of Emerson’s Essays only in loc.gov)







3. Defining Words and Concepts:



This one is a simple easy to use Operator for finding the definition of words, concepts, or ideas from multiple sources without having to go to a specific website.



Define: Keyword (will give you a list of various definitions for the concept Keyword from Multiple Websites all at once)



Try it - you will be amazed how much you will learn





4. Find your website Most Powerful Pages for a Specific Keyword



Type this in the Google Search bar: site:yourdomain.com keyword



Example: Let’s take Craig Summerall and let’s say he wanted to find the post powerful pages related to the keyword “Lexington SC Real Estate” in his website; he would type in the Google Search bar: site:lexingtonscrealestateguide.com Lexington sc Real Estate



This could be quite a useful tool if say you wish to find out if Google has indexed you for a specific concept; if Shelia Bennett was trying to find the pages that contain the concept “St Helena Island Homes” in her website she would type: site:exitbeaufort.com St Helena Island Homes



PS: another way of finding exact phrases within your website is to add quotation marks as in: site:withexit.com “Real Estate Listings” – this will show you all the pages that contain the exact phrase “Real Estate Listings” in the website withexit.com and ordered by the most powerful pages.







There are more Operators you can use within your Searches, I picked these three because I like them and use them quite a bit. Remember my motto about Internet Marketing – it is storytelling; if you do not become responsible for your Market Story don’t expect your Real Estate Presence to flourish.



For more in depth knowledge on Advanced Operators in Google visit: http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators.html - it does get a bit technical but it is a fun to dig deeper into the Google Search.







SOURCE: broker agaent social network.

2011: What’s On the Horizon for Real Estate

Every year I do predictions for the coming year. And in the 11 years I’ve been doing this, my success rate is 98%. You see, numbers don’t lie. Economic indicators are just that – indicators of where we’re headed.



Here are three of my predictions for 2011:



Home Prices

While most national and local economists are forecasting continued declines in the price of homes, I completely disagree. I believe 2011 is the year prices will increase. There are two reasons for this:



1) the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is pumping jobs into the economy. More jobs equate to more home buyers … and more home buyers equate to more demand for housing, leading to an increase in home prices in many areas. Those areas that are highly sensitive to the job market will be affected more—positively when there are more jobs; negatively when there are fewer jobs.



2) The affordability index is at an all-time high, which also lures buyers into the marketplace. Both the ARRA and the affordability index are contributing factors in 2010 that will peak in 2011. Home prices should increase slightly in 2011. Look for national increases of 2-3%, and increases of 4-5% in the State of Washington.

Interest Rates

Mortgage rates will likely rise slightly throughout 2011, exceeding the 5% level before year-end. However, rates should remain below 5% until May. The Federal Reserve will not raise rates until the unemployment rate decreases significantly, and will keep the short-term interest rate near zero through 2011.

Consumer Confidence

Research from a variety of sources shows that consumer confidence was on the rise in the last quarter of 2010. This important index rose to 49.9% in October of 2010, and to 54.1% in November of 2010. Additional reports indicate a 5.5% increase in retail sales in the period from November 5 to December 24, as consumer spending continued to make a comeback. While there is always some increase in consumer confidence after an election, if the index continues to improve at this level it will most certainly help the economy and the real estate market in 2011.

This is the kind of market data that tells the real estate story for 2011.



As I said earlier, to be an expert on the topic of real estate you need to do the research. If you really want to become an authority, then take the time to understand what the numbers mean on a national, regional and local level—and how to articulate that information in your day-to-day business.



I’ve given you 3 predictions in this article; however I actually have 20 additional predictions for 2011! While I would love to share those with you, my full list of annual predictions are reserved for my coaching clients, and my Safari Club and Club Zebra clients.



If you’d like more information on my predictions and what they mean for the 2011 real estate market, feel free to send me an email at denise@thelonesgroup.com.



By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI - The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings over two decades of experience in the real estate industry. With expertise in strategic marketing, business analysis, branding, new home project planning, product development, and agent/broker training, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things “real estate”. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.



source : broker agent social network

The Color of the Year for 2011

Last year, turquoise brightened up home interiors across the country, but now a new color has stepped into the spotlight for 2011.




Pantone recently announced honeysuckle — a reddish pink hue — as this year’s “in” color.



“Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in announcing the color choice. “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. … Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”



How to incorporate it: Liven up an interior space with honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, or tabletop accessories, Pantone suggests. Or, for an even bolder statement, paint an accent wall in honeysuckle for a burst of energy in the kitchen, hallway, or family room, Pantone says.









Source: January 10, 2011 by Melissa Tracey Realtor Magazine

If you haven't liked our Facebook page yet you can do so here




http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/JWListingscom/159515754084492





We will be having fun monthly contests!




Our 1st contest was for anyone who LIKED our page was entered to win a $50 Visa Gift card and anyone who SHARED the link also had a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card.







Our 1st winners this month are:



LORI BACHER for liking it

JESSICA KUJAWA for sharing our page.






THANK YOU for everyone who participated in this contest :)

iPad Sparks Wave of Tablet Imitators

Many tech companies are talking tablets at this week’s annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. After being mostly blind sided by the popularity of Apple’s iPad last year, several tech companies are looking to debut their own versions of this new form of tablet computing.



Analyst Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group says that more than 100 companies will debut versions of a tablet computer. For example, Motorola, Toshiba, Research In Motion, Asus, Acer and Vizio are among the companies expected to unveil tablets during this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.



Apple's chief competitor, Google’s Android, is expected to be used in many of the new tablets.



Samsung released its 7-inch screen Galaxy Tab in November. Other companies’ debuts may still be awhile. For example, tablets from Toshiba and Motorola aren’t expected until the second half of the year.



The new tablets are expected to fill in gaps with features the current iPad doesn’t have. For example, the Tab and Toshiba’s Tablet will feature two cameras for videos and photos, a USB port as well as a slot for SD memory cards for photos, and work with Adobe Flash software.



Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs isn’t worried about the competition and called the new tablets “dead on arrival." He said many of the competing tablets will be too small with 7-inch screens. "Seven-inch tablets are tweeners -- too big to be a phone and too small to compete with the iPad," he said.



Analysts expect Apple to announce it's next version of the iPad soon.



Source: “Is 2011 the Year of the Tablet?; Tech Companies to Play iPad Catch-up at CES,” USA Today (Jan. 4, 2011)