Today is the last school day before Christmas vacation for Mikie and most kids; do you remember how great that felt?

Last but not least, only 4 shopping days until Christmas.  There is always more to do so the only time I know I am done getting ready for Christmas is when time runs out!

In difficult times successful people become creative rather than relying on what has worked in the past.  In the slower Sacramento area real estate market determining how to price your house if you are a seller is a key ingredient in obtaining the most money in the shortest period of time.  Check out my latest column over at Rocklin & Roseville Today, “Price Your House to Sell,” and see how the use of comparables has changed.  I have also published the article on the Real Estate News page.

I want to acknowledge the fine people at Alliance Title who lost their jobs last week when management decided to close the operation.  We were customers of Alliance and enjoyed working with the staff and especially Christine Moore who always had a smile on her face and went the extra step to make sure our clients and needs were met.  We will miss working with Christine and the team!  I know it has been a difficult year in the real estate industry, especially here in the Sacramento area but, when a company the size of Alliance Title, with the customer base they had developed, just “closes the door” rather than sell the business you have to wonder if there is something more to the story.

By the way, the market reception to our new company, MagnumOne Realty has been so very positive and I want to thank all you who have taken the time to send me emails and notes about starting a new company.  I am delighted to say we are busy and are looking to add one or two experienced agents to the team.  If you are an agent and considering a move to a smaller firm with a strong commitment to agents and customer support, please let me let me know.

Normally this is a very slow time of year for the Sacramento and other real estate markets.  Not many people want to sell or buy homes during the holidays and Realtors get some needed rest and a chance to catch-up with the rest of the world.  Not so, at least so far this year.

Check out my column over at Rocklin & Roseville Today, “Costs up + Attractive Rates = Increased Mortgage Applications” and see what is happening and some of my own observations.  I have also published the article on my News Page at jalone.com.

My reality real estate series, MyForSaleSign is where I blog and photograph a transaction as it happens.  I recently completed my first series when Randi and Tony completed the sale of their Yuba City condo and purchased and moved into a brand new home.   We had fun doing the series, Randi and Tony were great and let us share so much and the reader response was wonderful.  I had lots of comments and even some suggestions from other agents who were following us.  I feel like it was entertaining as well as informative.

Until I find another client who is willing to let me blog and start my podcasting about their real estate transaction I will continue to chronicle our own adventure in Anchorage, Alaska.  We have a rental property up there that we completely remodeled and have now had on the market for what seems like forever.  It is a great starter home or potential rental for an investor.  It has a good location within the city but the neighborhood has its share of issues.  It is one of those streets where you are starting to see signs of improvements but still enough not so nice places that the entire neighborhood does not look as good as it could.

I made a trip to Alaska over this past weekend to review with our Realtor where we are in the process, what changes need to be made and just to make sure the place is still showing well.  I also was able to surprise my sister Lynn on her birthday.  It was a fun weekend and the house clearly needs to be cleaned again but generally looks very nice.  We have held on to it this long and will continue to wait for the right buyer to come along.  It really is cute and virtually brand new now with all the remodeling we did.  If anything we may have over improved the home for the neighborhood.  That is the kind of mistake investors can make when they don’t live in the same area as their investment property.

If you are interested in the MyForSaleSign reality real estate series check out the main site and the blog. 

Happy Birthday Lynn, I loved surprising you!