Mobile Featured in NY Times Travel Section

There was a very nice article in the New York Times about our area. The writer wrote about his visit. It was a very nice read during this holiday weekend. Here is link to the article - http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/11/16/style/t/index.html#pageName=16mobilew

Autumn in the desert

Happy Thanksgiving!

This photo was taken last year just after Thanksgiving.  It's of a "bonsai" Ginko (with bougainvillea) that I bought for my partner when we moved here from Alameda (in the Bay Area) five years ago.  The street we lived on in Alameda was lined with beautiful, mature Ginkos.  It's what we anticipated missing most when we moved to the desert. So, when I saw this bonsai at (the old) Palapas Nursery the first month we lived here, I had to have it.  I'm pleased that we've kept him happy all these years.  It's kept in a shady location on the north side of the house.  He's on his third pot!

Cheers!

Russell

Improved look for Street View in Australia

Street View in Google Maps has been quite a hit! In fact, when we launched it in August, covering most of the country, searches on Google by Australians for Street View increased by over 5000%.

Lots of Australian businesses are embedding Street View into their websites, and we're hearing great stories of Australians who are using it to find shops and restaurants, places to live, or just explore the country.

Today, thanks to feedback from our users, we've now made Street View even better and easier to use.


View Larger Map

You can read all about the improvements on the LatLong blog here. Or watch the video below where the famous "Pegman" takes you through the streets of Sydney.



Happy exploring!

Posted by Andrew Foster, Product Manager

My Maps Australia Awards 2008 - Three Days to Go

The 2008 My Maps Australia Awards are soon coming to a close. Over the past month we've been receiving My Maps from across the country highlighting your special knowledge of Australia. Some great examples include:

Photodiary of a Nomad
Big Things of Australia
Brisbane Coffee

Have an idea for a My Map you would like to share with the world? There's still time to enter the 2008 My Maps Australia Awards and receive one of ten "Best My Maps Awards" or the grand prize of a 13" 2.1 GHz Macbook and eternal Australian mapping fame. Entries close this Friday, November 28.

Posted by Jori Pearsall, Product Marketing Manager

New Listings in Palm Springs

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs homes for sale.  Palm Springs condos for sale.

Below are the new listings in south and central Palm Springs.  If you're new to this blog, the links are good for 30 days after posting.  If you're trying to see the listing after the link has expired, contact me and I'll send you a new link.

Central Palm Springs:

1913 Amado, Sunrise Park, 3/2, $399,900.

246 N Sybil Rd., Sunrise Park, 3/2, $495,000.

1447 N Rodeo Rd., Ruth Hardy Park, 4/3, $679,000.

1475 E Via Escuela, 3/2, $230,000.

1375 E San Jacinto Way, Ruth Hardy Park, 4/4, $635,000.

265 N Saturmino Dr., Sunrise Park, 3/3, $729,000.

552 N Indian Canyon Dr., Movie Colo ny, 2/2/5, $795,000.

Condos:

851 E Arenas Rd, Casitas Arenas, 2/2, $325,000.

South Palm Springs:

251 E Palo Verde Ave., Tahquitz River Estates, 3/3, $749,000.

38610 Maracaibo Cir E, Parc Andreas, 4/3.5, $1,295,000.

Condos:

3350 E Bogert Trl., Andreas Hills, 3/2, $450,000.

457 Desert Lakes Dr., Seven Lakes Country Club, 3/3, $279,000.

;; When should Barrie home buyers step up?

Buy low, sell high, the universal principle of investment and if it were as simple to implement as it sounds we would all be reaping the rewards.

The real skill is in best determining where the bottom of any market is before it passes by and it takes a few months of steady value increases to know we have hit it. It also lies in having the confidence to step up.

The logic one needs to apply is really no different than that used by a practical shopper in Wal Mart. When an item you have wanted goes on sale you snap it up, you don't shy away from it because the price has dropped. Perhaps if the headlines you've been seeing for the last six months read "Sweater market in trouble" then shopping for sweaters at any price tends to become an unnerving experience. That is exactly what happens in Real Estate and the media hyperbole typically overwhelms the opportunities lying within.

You can wait until the eventual upswing confirms the bottom has come and gone but by then the sense of urgency is returning to the real estate market and the squeamish have become frenzied buyers once again taking to the streets to stake their claims. Vendors quickly become aware that the negotiating control they lacked when prices were stagnant or heading south has now shifted back over to them.

Ok, so where are we now on that curve? Have we hit the bottom yet?

In Ontario and much of Canada over the better part of the last year demands for housing have softened. The biggest factor is the down shift in consumer confidence brought on by what we are seeing in the United States, and to a lesser degree here at home. It is a self fulfilling prophesy. The news tonight interviewed a couple in the mall and asked if they will be spending as much this Christmas. The answer was a resounding "no, the economy is too unstable." Meanwhile they stated their employment situation is unchanged. They and everyone are paying far less for gas and heating fuel than a year ago. Chances are they are in better financial shape all around than last November but the mood has changed.

Responsible spending within our means is taking hold, what will we do? Less spending and less borrowing to spend means fewer goods need to be produced by companies that expanded to accommodate a boom without any thought to it ending at some point. Now companies are downsizing to adjust and unemployment numbers are on the rise. The local widget plant is laying off 200 workers and when we see it on the six o’clock news our consumer confidence drops a little bit more and so on….

At some point when we begin to sense things are stabilizing the media hype shifts to everything is rosy mode. Stories on new and expanding businesses, profit gain and closing bell increases on the stock market get people excited and they start to spend their money and up their visa limits once again. New housing starts increase and we all do our happy dance spending and buying for a few more years. Donald Trump and Warren Buffett probably read Marshal McLuhan's works.

In the US it isn't quite that simple. More than just confidence has shaken their financial foundation. Their experiment with high risk lending has put them into a situation that will take a couple years at least to correct. Hopefully measures will be put in place to assure it can’t happen again, measures like we have here in Canada already that regulate lending practices.

Right now in the Barrie area, home sales are down; the number of active listings continues to accumulate with the inventory of resale home listings at record highs. Residential real estate prices on properties under the $250,000 mark have held their value and for the most part, continued to climb during the past year, all be it at a slower rate than in each of the previous eight years.

The under $250,000 range has been the most active for sales over the past year in the Barrie area. This is the price range most first time home buyers default to where carrying costs remain within range of what they were comfortable with paying in rent. In each of the next few higher $50,000 ranges the percentage of total sales drops lower and the gap between initial asking price and the percentage of initial list price received on sales drops as well the higher you go. A combination of factors is challenging sales in the above $300,000 range, The first and most obvious is higher carrying costs and tighter qualifying requirements. A wave of fiscal and environmental conscience has started to effect the housing industry the same way it has impacted on the auto industry. The Hummer is out, the Prius is in.

During the housing boom we just came through you saw a return to low interest rates that allowed many the opportunity to buy their first home. Builders responded in kind with record numbers of new home starts in most years. Many of these people bought townhouses or lower end homes being what they could afford, then within a year or two these buyers realized their home had appreciated by $25,000 to $50,000 and they now qualified for more and had equity to trade up into a bigger and better home with little perceived impact on their monthly budget. (One more entry level home for the market and the next first time buyer and one more buyer for the higher end market homes being churned out as fast as the land could be cleared.) That cycle has slowed and most who bought their first home in the past couple years are sitting tight and many who bough a higher end home in the last few years are looking to sell and find something more affordable. Those higher end homes are taking longer and longer to sell and are accumulating to record levels in and around Barrie and other Ontario communities.

Homes over $300,000 could drop more in price before we see a levelling off and a climb once again. This could take another year or so. Home buyers whose price range is under $300,000 are less likely to see average prices drop much if at all any time soon. What buyers have in their favour right now is a slower market where the urgency of the seller often translates into substantial dollars saved off the list price through negotiation. (This is where your Realtor proves their worth.)

A home listed for $250,000 today could possibly be had for $235,000 to $240,000, maybe less after some back and forth bargaining. Once the market is in full recovery mode the seller is more likely to guard the list price, confident that demand will bring other buyers willing to pay more.

View Full Album

Questions to ask yourself;

Are homes in the price range I am interested in more like to go up or down over the next year? How much more? Am I going to save anything by waiting a year? Are interest rates more likely to go up or down if I wait a year? Will negotiating strength work for or against me a year from now?

The fact is interest rates are low and pressure will likely take them even lower in the coming months. Negotiating strength still lies with the buyers due to the abundance of active listings and a hesitant buying public most of which to their own disadvantage will not step into the market until it heats up again. It is a good time if you are buying your first home. First time buyers are benefiting well from our current market conditions.

As I said in a previous post. Stop reading the paper and watching CNN and spend some of that time looking at the nice thick catalogue of homes for sale.

Mobile is 9th most Promising Real Estate Market

Copied and Pasted from Realtor.com

Top 10 Most Promising Housing Markets Housing Predictor, which provides housing forecasts in 250 markets, has identified 10 markets where the regional economies are healthy and have strong potential for increasing prosperity.These housing markets have bucked the national trend in 2008 and avoided the subprime crisis, the consultancy says.Whatever the future holds for the housing market as a whole, Housing Predictor forecasts that these cities will continue to see steady, dependable growth.Top cities and the percentage sales prices have increased so far in 2008.

Biloxi, Miss.....................4.9 percent
Salem, Ore.....................4.7 percent
Bismarck, N.D.................4.6 percent
Spokane, Wash...............4.4 percent
Yakima, Wash.................4.1 percent
Austin, Texas..................4.0 percent
Grand Junction, Colo........4.0 percent
Fargo, N.D......................4.0 percent
Mobile, Ala.....................3.9 percent
Albuquerque, N.M............3.5 percent

Source: Housing Predictor (11/15/08). Here is link to the story - http://www.housingpredictor.com/top2008.html

Market Analysis - Bellwood, llinois 60104

The Village of Bellwood is located 13 miles west of downtown Chicago in suburban Cook County.

Bellwood's municipal neighbors include Melrose Park to the north, Maywood to the east , Westchester to the south, and Hillside-Berkeley to the west. Transportation links include the major east-west arterial streets of Butterfield Road and St. Charles Road. The major north-south arterial is Mannheim Road (Route 12-45).

The village is located at the juncture of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). Bellwood is easily accessible from all directions and commuting to Chicago is easy with service from the METRA commuter rail line and PACE bus service. O'Hare Airport is 13 miles from the village.

Most properties sell with FHA/VA or conventional financing. Recent curbs in sub-prime lending has lowered prices and lengthened marketing times. Defaults and foreclosure activity increased dramatically as ARM interest rates reset higher. This excess supply of home inventory places significant downward pressure on prices. Further, declining home prices have made re-financing more difficult.

According to the Northern Illinois MLS the median sales price in Bellwood in the twelve months ending November 21, 2008 for detached homes was $142,500.00 with 163 days on the market, with 79 sales.

Median prices have decreased -25.00% , sales volume has decreased -45.52% and marketing times have increased +45.54% over the previous twelve months.

In the twelve months ending November 21, 2007 the median for a detached home was $190,000.00 with 145 days on the market, with 112 sales.

As of November 24, 2008 there are 174 active listings of detached homes in Bellwood. At the current level of absorption of 6.58 sales per month this represents a 26.44 month supply of inventory. This is an oversupply. Housing prices are expected to continue declining until this inventory of surplus homes (excess supply) is reduced to more typical levels.

Victoria Place Condomium - Priced to Sell





The seller of unit 1704 has lowered the asking price for this great 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car garage condo located in Foley, AL. The new price is $124,000. This is the best price of all condos in the complex.

Victoria Place is located within walking distance of the Tanger Outlet Mall which was formerly known as the Riviera Center. The complex features 2 and 3 bedroom condominiums. All condos are 1 level and most have attached 1 car garages. This would be the ultimated in Low Maintenance Living. The low monthly maintenance fee of $90.00 covers lawn and shrubbery maintenance, exterior building maintenance, building insurance, and common garbage disposal. The units are energy efficient. You can not beat the location as it is close proximity to many golf courses and about a 15 - 20 minute drive to the beaches.

Here is link to view the details of this listing - Unit 1704 Listing Information.

The unit is vacant and ready for its new owner. Call us to set up your private tour.

:: Barrie Ontario: My Home Town ::

Written for CBC Radio`s Vinyl Cafe program & featured in Reader's Digest Our Canada magazine march 2009

View Full Album

Barrie is my home town. It’s the town I nervously wandered away from early in the eighties right after high school in pursuit of knowledge and abundant riches laying in wait elsewhere in the world and it is the town I returned to once again some eighteen years later.

I never knew at the time exactly what it was that drew me back to Barrie but in the eight years since returning I have been slowly figuring it out. I quickly learned as most do who come back to their home town years later, that the place I left existed for the most part now, only in my memories and if I had matured during my absence, so then had Barrie.

The woods and fields that border Barrie’s outer most edges were at one time the equivalent of the Serengeti, at least through the curious eyes of a 12 year old boy. Wooded ravines and overgrown fields where we spent most of our endless summer days as children catching frogs and snakes, flicking grasshoppers into spider webs, upsetting ant hills, building precariously placed tree swings and forts from materials absconded from building sites and on at least one occasion in the woods I recall making ourselves physically sick smoking stale cigars my still best friend Stan swiped from his dad’s top dresser drawer. We tried washing away the acrid taste with a concoction of gin, rye whiskey, and various liqueurs poured in presumably undetected amounts into a mason jar from bottles in my mothers liquor stash.

That stage where I played out my childhood has been replaced over time with manicured lawns, paved driveways and in ground pools amongst seemingly endless rows of subdivision homes. The pond that was sacred to us where we once caught turtles and tadpoles in is now a large rectangular cement lined water reservoir surrounded by seven foot high chain length fence and tucked into the back corner of a subdivision of over three hundred homes.

The dance the mind does between past and present is never more energized as it becomes when driving through the stomping grounds of your long ago youth. I can’t possibly be the only one who while waiting for the traffic light to change at Big Bay Point Road and Yonge Street, has squinted for a brief moment in the direction of the Zehrs mega grocery store while mentally envisioning the old farm house and barn that once stood abandoned and alone at this corner against a backdrop of fields line with 100 year old maple and oak trees evenly separated by field stones piled three or four feet high over decades.

The wooded areas along the old creek bed itself still exist and on a revisit a quarter century after my last walk through those woods I was taken aback to see that the well worn paths that are still clearly etched into my memory were now undistinguishable and over grown in contradiction with the reality that the youth population of the area had more than tripled along with the number of schools in the area since I left.

The intrigue of nature to young boys exists no more apparently and if you spot a kid with a stick in his hands today it is more likely to be attached to a video game console in a family room than a tree in the woods. I can not imagine technology has or ever will be able to create a virtual electronic conquest that could replicate the instantaneous adrenaline rush a boy feels on hearing an encroaching freight train whistle while standing at the halfway point across a two hundred foot long, forty foot high trestle such as the one that was part of our extended route home when pop and chips were not staple items in the family kitchen but were the reward at the end of a mile long walk to the store that often filled entire Saturday afternoons for me and my friends.

What has remained unchanged in Barrie is the sense of community that is unfelt in bigger cities I have lived in. I can’t exactly put a finger on it except to call it a spirit that underlies the conversations overheard in our stores, coffee shops and bank lines. It is an intangible energy that gives ease to connecting and conversing with the people around you who you may not exactly know by face or by name. It is much like the connection one experiences while away on vacation on learning the person next to you is from your home town or province. It’s the sense that things we share are more profound than things separating us at any moment. It is also the feeling that events and changes covered in the pages of the local news paper have in part happened to you. A sense of belonging and significance again not available somehow to the masses living in large metropolises that extend beyond their own horizons but unique to cities and towns who’s edges fall within walking distances.

Politically Barrie can best be compared to a teenage boy clumsily adjusting to its ever growing feet and constant need for bigger shoes and longer pants. Growth spurts that have taken Barrie from the town of 36000 I left in 1982 to what I hesitate to call a metropolitan city of just over 130000 today. Those who step up to the municipal task of representing Barrie tend not to be motivated out of personal gain, and typically meet with the challenges of a rapidly rising population and expanding borders with diligence and consideration for Barrie’s roots and the image it presents to all who live within and visit her.

Barrie is a town where you are as apt to run into a past or present NHL hockey player as you are your own neighbours while out buying your groceries and when you do the back and forth conversation flows freely as once again, the Barrie spirit cares not which end of the gene pool you may flow from.

In Barrie we curse the first snowfall then quickly forgive it the very next day for we are at the heart of some of the best skiing, both downhill and cross country and our outlying regions are weaved together by countless numbers of snowmobile trails that can take you hundreds of miles in almost any direction. When Kempenfelt Bay finally freezes up to an adult body weight supporting thickness some time after Christmas, Barrie gains a new back yard and playground for a couple months. A vast plain of white, peppered with hikers, skiers, snowmobilers and hundreds, perhaps thousands of ice fishing huts hunkered together in mini villages, no two alike in design or colour. Like little forts for grown men hiding themselves away for endless hours and giving rise to the expression “Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll sit in a plywood box in the middle of a lake and drink beer all day”.

This same bay plays host spring, summer and early fall to drifting sail boats and the pleasure crafts of the cottagers who line Lake Simcoe or who travel to the lake from the Trent Severn waterway. They move about in every direction leaving crisscrossing wakes and a horizon splashed with coloured sails carving their way through the warm summer wind. Around the bay’s edges, our clean swimmable beaches are busy with sun seekers and splashing children, the waterside paths and parks, active with bikers and bladders runners and walkers, stoopers and scoopers. From May through October hardly a weekend passes without a festival alongside of Barrie’s shoreline offering up the wafting smells and smoky tastes of great outdoor cooked summer foods, live jazz, rock, blues and country music , open air theatre, fireworks, crafts and antique markets. The geography surrounding Barrie provides for some of the finest golfing this country has to offer on dozens of challenging courses. On hot summer nights the downtown stretch of Dunlop Street in Barrie takes on a Mardi Gras like feel as nocturnal pleasure seekers attired to attract move between the clubs and bars filling the summer air with cologne, perfume and pheromones until the early morning hours.

This is Barrie in a nutshell. For me there was never a greater time or place to grow up than Barrie in the seventies and eighties as a tail end baby-boomer kid. Yes much of what I have stated here about Barrie past and present may well describe other similarly sized cities and experiences across Canada but only one holds the distinction of being at the centre of my own universe.

New Listings in Palm Springs

Central Palm Springs:

Single Family:

312 W Via Sol, Little Tuscany, 4/3, $599,000.

444 W Stevens Rd, Little Tuscany, 3/3, $1,175,000.

Condos:

212 S Louella Rd., Sundial Condos, 2/2, $225,000.

1471 E Amado Rd., Palm Regency, 2/2.5, $285,000.

406 N Hermosa, Greenhouse East, 2/2.75, $449,900

South Palm Springs:

Single Family:

1541 E Madrona Dr., Canyon North, 4/2.75, $690,000.

303 Big Canyon Dr. S., Canyons @Belardo, 4/4, $1,175,000

1500 Hillview Cove, Andreas Hills, 3/4, $1,699,000

Condos:

1510 S Camino Real #213A, Biltmore, 2/2, $98,900.

2700 Golf Club Dr #A1, Esprit, 2/2, $159,900.

2951 Calle Arandas #6, Cathedral Cyn CC, 2/2, $241,775

2217 Los Patos Dr, Villas De Los Flores, 3/3,$255,000.

2028 S Lagarto Way, Palo Fierro Estates, 3/2, $325,000.

226 Toro Cir., Canyon View Estates, 3/2, $429,000.

OPEN HOUSE - Saturday, November 22, 2008

We invite you to come view this great home in Loxley. The public and all brokers/realtors are invited to the OPEN HOUSE that will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The address is 15774 Perone Creek Drive - Perone Creek Estates. See below for directions.

This beautiful home was built with the utmost attention to details. Plan a visit and come see what we are speaking about. The home has granite counter tops, ceramic and wood flooring, trim carpentry features such as crown molding, chair rails, cased windows and door openings. Recessed and decorative lighting can be found through out the home. There are 3 large bedrooms in the split bedroom plan. The home sits on a large .6 acre landscaped lot. There are wooded areas on 2 sides of the home. You have the country feeling, but you are a convenient drive to the new malls in Daphne and Spanish Fort.

Perone Creek Estates is an upscale neighborhood with large estate homes. The community is located off of Highway 55 (Silverhill Highway) between Highway 56 (Thompson Road) and Highway 54 (Hughen Street). The home has a Loxley mailing address but is also very convenient to both Robertsdale and Silverhill. Please call us at 251-215-9282 if you need directions.

Virtual tour, photo slideshow, and additional information can be found by clicking Perone Creek home information.


We hope to see you there!

40 E. 9th Street, Chicago, IL 60605

A Condominium Market Analysis

Burnham Park Plaza is a 25 story condominium building in Chicago's Loop. Built in 1912 as the YMCA Hotel it was converted to condominium and contains 277 units.

According to the Northern Illinois MLS the average sales price in this complex in the twelve months ending November 19, 2008 was $263,294.00 with 66 days on the market, with 17 sales.

Average prices have decreased -21.07% , sales volume has decreased -41.38% and marketing times have decreased -20.48% over the previous twelve months.

In the twelve months ending November 19, 2007 the average sales price was $333,583.00 with 83 days on the market, with 29 sales.

There are currently 11 active listings in this complex with prices from $174,000.00 to $699,000.00. At the current level of absorption of 1.42 sales per month this represents 7.75 months of available inventory.

The new Jensen's in Smoke Tree Commons

Today is opening day at the new Jensen's.  When I went by to take these photos, the place was mobbed!  It was nice to see excitement!  

I'm especially happy about the opening since I can walk to the store from my house!

Russell Hill  760.902.3121

530 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Il 60611

A Condominium Market Analysis

This 30 story Near North Side condominium building was built in 2003 and contains 187 units.

According to the Northern Illinois MLS the median sales price in this complex in the twelve months ending November 19, 2008 was $610,000.00 with 200 days on the market, with 14 sales.

Median prices have decreased -0.81% , sales volume has increased +27.27% and marketing times have increased +14.94% over the previous twelve months.

In the twelve months ending November 19, 2007 the median sales price was $615,000.00 with 174 days on the market, with 11 sales.

There are currently 14 active listings in this complex with prices from $410,000.00 to $3,400,000.00. At the current level of absorption this represents approximately one year of available inventory.

New listings in Palm Springs

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs homes for sale.  Palm Springs condos for sale.

Here are today's new listings in south and central Palm Springs.

Central Palm Springs:

1173 E Paseo El Mirador, Ruth Hardy Park, $575,000.

South Palm Springs:

64345 Via Risso, Bellamonte, $2,825,000.

Condo:

1655 E Palm Canyon #502, Smoke Tree Racquet Club, $110,000.

Click on the links above to see property details and pictures.  Links are good for only 30 days from post date.  Please contact me if you want access to the link after it's expired.

Russell Hill 760.902.3121  RussellHill.net

Austal wins contract to build Navy Ships




We received good news on our local economy on Thursday. Austal Shipbuilders announced that they will be building 10 high speed military transport ships for the US Navy. The ship is called a Joint High Speed Vessel is part of U.S. Department of Defense’s next generation multi-use platform. Click on the link to Austal to see great pictures of the ship. Austal is an Australian based ship builder with a manufacturing facility located just outside of downtown Mobile.

It is expected that employment positions at the Mobile facility will increase from roughly 1000 to 1500.

Here is link to view AP News Story.

Port Lawrence

Mayor Pougnet has announced that Port Lawrence, the big mixed use development at Palm Canyon/Indian Canyon @ Alejo, will not go forward due to financing issues.  This is a huge disappointment for our downtown and Palm Springs as a whole.  It's especially disturbing given that the Palm Springs City Council approved demolishing all the buildings that were there before.  The buildings housed viable businesses that are no longer there.  What a shame!  We all know that the credit crisis has taken out a lot of big players, but the city should not have allowed demolishing of the existing buildings until the developer's credit was secure  Pictures are here to remind you what we have lost.  Now the mayor suggests that the developer put in a parking lot!!  See the Desert Sun article (opinion) here

Russell Hill    760.902.3121

 

PRICE REDUCTION FOR GREAT HOME LOCATED IN FOLEY

Pride of ownership shows throughout this lovely home in the Riverside@ArborWalk community. This neighborhood is located on the western side of Foley. The neighborhood has limited access (one way in and one way out) and is located in country like setting. It is a convenient drive to all of the restaurants and shopping in Foley. There are numerous golf courses nearby and the beaches are about a 10 - 15 minute drive away. Call us and we will set up a personal tour for you.

:: Why is Bob Dylan standing in my driveway? ::

I suppose when the home you live in is the childhood home of someone who went on to achieve celeb status in the world you expect the occasional gawker stopping out front to ponder or snap a picture.

If you are John Kiernan of Winnipeg Manitoba you have grown used to this as his home is the home musician Neil Young lived in as a teen ager. While his father Scott Young was pounding out sports stories to meet his deadlines with the Globe and Mail and Sports Illustrated upstairs Neil was honing his talents and unique vocal styles in the basement with his high school band The Squires.

On Monday John looked out his front window to see a cab in the drive and his wife talking to a couple guys he did not immediately recognize, one of which looked a bit out of place for Winnipeg in November. Decked in designer leather pants and cowboy boots the one guy did start to look familiar as he approached him, then when it hit him, he realized he was face to face standing in his driveway with non other than Bob Dylan.

What does one do? Of course he invited Bob and his manager in to look through the house. “How long do you have for the tour?” Kiernan asked, meaning the tour of the house. Dylan replied: “We’re touring for another two weeks.”

Dylan had many questions, particularly while viewing Neil’s old bedroom now painted pink for Johns 16 year old daughter. “OK, so this was his view, and this was where he listened to his music.” He quipped and he soaked it in.

No doubt as he made his way through the house, Bob Dylan was aware of his own parallel experiences growing up in the same era in Hibbing Minnesota, outside of Duluth and about 350 miles to the south west, sitting in his room, listening to his music, looking out his window.” “He was introspective and thoughtful,” Kiernan said. “He had an interest in music beyond himself.”"

Keep in touch with voice and video chat

Today we're launching a new feature that lets you have free, high-quality voice and video chats with friends and family anywhere in Australia or overseas. Gmail voice and video chat takes place all without leaving the browser -- no more switching to another window or running another program.

Sometimes there's no substitute for speaking to and seeing someone, and in tighter economic times, an online video or voice chat is a cost-effective option. If a smiley face and a 'lol' aren't getting your message across, with a simple click you can now share your real meaning face-to-face over a video connection.



All that's needed is a webcam and small browser plugin, and you can start video chatting with your friends, family, and colleagues in Gmail. If you don't have a webcam, you can simply chat by voice.

To get started, visit this site.

Posted by Ashley Gorringe, Product Marketing Manager

New Price for Like New 3 Bedroom Condo Close to Shopping and Restaurants

The seller has lowered price for this condo in the Victoria Place community in Foley. This unit is located in great location. It is walking distance of large outlet mall - Tanger Outlet. Golf Courses and Beaches are short drives away. The home is vacant and ready for new owner. The low monthly fees include landscaping and lawn maintenance, structure maintenance, building insurance, and garbage pick up. Please let us know if you would like a personal tour.

Thank you Veterans

On this Veteran's Day, we want to thank all veterans for the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make for us to live in this great country that we live in.

Mobile County and Baldwin County Real Estate Statistics

We have tabulated the monthly statistics gathered from the 2 MLS systems that we belong. There was a drastic reduction in the number of sales. We feel that the uncertainty of the economy is a big reason for the drop in sales. Hopefully with the election out of the way, some of the buyers that are on the fence will decide to buy.

Here is link to see the data - Active Rain Blog

Palm Springs Homes sold

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs homes for sale

To date, there have been 8 single family homes sales in Palm Springs for November, 2008.

I have included links to the properties so that you can see photos and property details, including original list price, etc.

North Palm Springs:

1581 Twin Star Rd, Victoria Park, 3/2, $125,000.

1904 N Hidalgo Way. Victoria Park, 3/2, $218,000.

2632 Windmill Way, Four Seasons, 2/2, $230,000.

2220 N Leonard Rd., Chino Canyon, 3/0, $461,500.

Central Palm Springs:

1149 N Calle Rolph, Ruth Hardy Park, 3/1, $235,000.

227 N Luring Dr., Sunrise Park, 3/2, $650,000.

South Palm Springs:

2117 S Divot Ln., Tahquitz Creek Golf, 3/2, $515,000.

267 W Overlook Rd., Mesa, 3/3, $725,000.

Please post your comments, or contact me with any questions!

Russell Hill  760.902.3121  

Emo and Scene Kids Part II

YES, the major difference between emos and scenesters are their attitude. But I don't believe all 'scene kids' have an original personality, as you say 'dont follow the personality'. Yea, they dont follow the emo personality. But they still have one they mostly all have.. they think highly of themselves.

Another difference is, emos are generally natured to black. Scene kids love colors. Rainbows, neon colors..anything and everything!(Although I see emos starting to like rainbows now..xD)

Another thing is the 'obsessions'. Emos love, mostly Jack Skellington, and such things as that. While Scene kids are more into the look of say, Sanrio characters, like Hello Kitty. And also, Gloomy Bear is a big thing for them.

While emos and scenes are close to each other, I think the difference is more than what it seems. It isnt just the personality, but the style too. The common thing shared among them is probably the hair. But scene hair is most definately BIGGER.xD

You should be able to tell the difference, on the spot, from an emo or a scene kid. Guys are harder to distinguish than girls most of the time. But see a guy with a lot of confidence and he seems like hed have a big mouth on him, wearing bright colors, and big sun glasses..I think its safe to assume hes 'scene'. While a guy wearing mostly black, quiet in the corner, walking slowly..well, thats emo. But even if an emo doesnt follow the personality, you can still tell them apart by the overall style.

By: Stephie

Just Sold!

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs condos for sale.

I just sold 1013 St Bimini in Sunrise Villas.  Sold for $233,000. 2/2.  

I spotted this condo the very first day it came on the market, called my clients, they came out the next day and made an offer.  These good deals are snapped up fast!  Call me if you're looking for Palm Springs real estate.  Click the link above to see property details and photos.

Russell Hill  760.902.3121  RussellHill.net

Design Interior Traditional Living Room

One of the most popular and timeless styles is traditional interior design. When we think of traditional living room design we often associate it with large houses, manors, hotels and palaces. This type of decorating is typically more formal in nature since the furnishings and wall finishes are influenced by historical sources.


If we see the architectural and also furniture designs from 18th and 19th century Europe, we can say that the living room was dominated with traditional style. English styles such as Hepplewhite, Queen Anne, and Chippendale are also commonly designed in traditional living rooms.


Traditional living room design calls for soft lighting to give the room a dramatic feel. The Color palettes in a traditional living room include combination such as burgundy and gold, hunter green and burgundy, and other richly toned hues. Emphasize your living room's color scheme by using repeated colors and patterns on drapes and upholsteries. Make sure your design is elegant and not redundant.


Design Interior Traditional Living Room will take focus on the wall painting. Wall finishes include decorative paint treatments such as faux finishes and murals in addition to the moderate use of beautiful wallpaper. Choose colors that will help accentuate the design, keep the colors in tune to keep the ambiance in tact.


In the traditional living room mostly we can see the furniture wood such as tables, chairs, bookshelves and cabinets. Especially in English country style, They created their sofas and chairs and overstuffed and comfortable, with coverings of velvet or leather.


So, when you decide to make a traditional living room you should avoid clashing textures, colors and loud designs. The furniture itself is part of the traditional living room design style.

STANDARD & POORS Case-Shiller Report

Home Prices Continue to Decrease 

Prices of existing single-family homes show continued declines across the United States according to the August 2008 S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

The report shows record annual declines in both the 10-City and 20-City Composite Home Price Indices of 17.7 percent and 16.6 percent. Nine regions are reporting annual declines.

Miami is reporting a loss of 28.1 percent and Tampa is  reporting a 18.1 percent loss. The three California markets are down more than 25 percent from values reported a year ago.  Las Vegas is reporting an annual return of -30.6 percent and Phoenix is reporting an annual return of -30.7 percent. San Francisco’s return of -3.5 percent was the largest monthly decline.

“The downturn in residential real estate prices continued, with very few bright spots in the data. David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s, noted. “The 10-City Composite and the 20-City Composite reported record 12-month declines. Furthermore, for the fifth straight month, every region reported negative annual returns. This started when Charlotte, North Carolina, was the last region to turn negative back in April 2008. Both the 10-City and 20-City Composites have been in year-over-year decline for 20 consecutive months. Of the 20 regions, 13 of them had their annual returns worsen from last month’s report.”

Standard & Poor’s October 2008 Residential Real Estate Indicators

South and Central Palm Springs Oct. '08 sales results

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs homes for sale.

Below are sales results for south and central Palm Springs single family homes.

South Palm Springs:

10/08

median sales price $601,000, $241.03sf, 13 sales

10/07

median sales price $637,500., $290.69sf, 10 sales

10/06

median sales price $810,000. $329.78sf, 15 sales

Central Palm Springs:

10/08

median sales price $423,590., $251.15sf, 10 sales

10/07

median sales price $500,000. $310.97sf, 7 sales

10/06

median sales price $712,000., $370.37sf, 21 sales

Russell Hill  760.902.3121  RussellHill.net

 

New Listing - Luxury Home in Country Setting at Great Price

October 2008 sales results

Palm Springs real estate.  Palm Springs homes for sale.

Below are the results for single family home sales in Palm Springs for Oct '08.  I've also included 10/07 and 10/06.  

10/08:

$327,500 median sales price, $205.90SF, 50 sales

10/07:

$475,000 median sales price, $264.93SF, 32 sales

10/06:

$547,500. median sales price, $322.26SF, 52 sales

Please post your comments and/or questions!

Russell Hill  760.902.3121  RussellHill.net