Tsunami Hawaii and Real Estate!

From The Associated Press -

EWA BEACH, HAWAII — A TSUNAMI TRIGGERED BY THE CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE RACED ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN ON SATURDAY, THREATENING HAWAII AS IT RUSHED TOWARD THE U.S. WEST COAST AND HUNDREDS OF ISLANDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PLANET TO THE TOP.

SIRENS BLARED IN HAWAII TO ALERT RESIDENTS TO THE POTENTIAL WAVES. AS THE WAVES EXPECTED ARRIVAL DREW NEAR, ROADS INTO TOURIST-HEAVY WAIKIKI WERE CLOSED OFF. POLICE PATROLLED MAIN ROADS, TELLING TOURISTS TO GET OFF THE STREETS.

The above is hot off the AP wire and is a significant tsunami. Also an 8.8 magnitude earthquake is 100 times as powerful as the Haiti quake.  Here in California, we are known for earthquakes but we have not had an over 8 magnitude quake in a long time.  While earthquakes and tsunamis make the news because of their romantic folklore, both of these are rare occurrences.  The 2004 tsunami in Phuket and the surrounding areas, made big news and cause much damage and many deaths.

Although people complain that California has earthquakes, the truth is that every corner of the globe has something that can threaten our well being.  What we need to remember is the positive things our corner of the globe offers.  Sure, the Maldive Islands offer some of the best scuba and snorkling in the world, but do they offer the same learning and school opportunities as Irvine?  Can you ski year around in the Himalayas and only 5 months in California.

Each place has its positives and negatives, but perhaps no other place on Earth has the variety of Irvine.  In the winter, you can surf in the morning in Pacific Ocean and go skiing an hour and half later in Big Bear.  The schools are some of the finest in the world and the grocery stores are always loaded with the finest California grown vegetables.

The Irvine Ranch, which stretches from Newport Beach to Anaheim Hills, is still a working ranch with commercial strawberry farmers still selling their wares at local stores.  If you are interested in finding a home in this area, please go to www.MichaelDunn.com and click on “Search MLS” for all the latest regular sales, REO, foreclosures and short sales.  The best neighborhood on the Irvine Ranch is www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com and you can get a complete list of all the floor plans here.

Well, off to go for a run in this 70 degree weather we are having.  Hope you enjoy your surroundings wherever you are.

 Happy Investing.

Mike

Posted: February 27th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

The Bachelor and Real Estate!

I am sure you have heard of the TV show called “The Bachelor”.  Basically, the premise consists of a single man who ahs to choose from 10 or 15 ladies and at the end of the show, he narrows the list down to one. 

A few years ago, my next door neighbor applied to be on the show and she made it.  She travelled to Rome and said it was a great experience.  I always thought the show was a little hokey but with an age old storyline.   It captures our imagination because everyone wants to be in love!  I think it has been really tough to kiss 12 beautiful women and “pretend” to like them all; but it sure would be fun to try!

Another age old storyline, is having a roof over our heads to give us shelter from storms and to build a family.  In ancient times, a house was mostly for physical protection, but today it is for financial protection.  In today’s market it is especially important to hedge ourselves against possible future downturns.

One of the best areas to do this is on The Irvine Ranch and especially www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com and www.ThePelicanEstates.com !  I also have invested in other parts of this great nation such as Austin, Texas, Charlotte - North Carolina and South Carolina. 

While Southern California is a great investment, the prices here are much higher per square foot than most places in the world, but there are still great opportunities because when the market bounces back, it usually rise much higher faster here.  Sure you can buy more square footage in Detroit or Akron, but the market will not rise as fast.   My house in Austin, Texas is 2,400 square feet and worth around $220,000 with $1,400 a month in rent coming in.  It is good to know that in case of an emergency, I could go there and live very inexpensively.

After all, the basics like food, are relatively the same wherever you go.  The secret is to plan for the future and in California, the prices go up higher than other places primarily because of the temperate weather and access to skiing, the ocean and a wide variety of employment opportunities.

So if you are in the market, see the sites above and start on your road to riches.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: February 26th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Irvine Police Department and Real Estate!

The number 6 Google search for today February 25, 2010 was “Irvine Police-Department”  WOW! In my 12 years in real estate, I have never seen the Irvine Police Department that high on the Google searches.

When the Irvine Police Department gets this high on the search, something must be going on.  There were two major reasons:

 1. A protest at the University of California at Irvine netted 17 arrests and

2. Irvine police Wednesday morning continued to investigate the case of a man who was struck by a Metrolink train Tuesday morning in Irvine — two weeks after he was struck by another Metrolink train in Laguna Niguel. In the Tuesday incident, the man suffered injuries to his hand and arm, the Irvine Police Department said. He suffered more serious injuries in the Laguna Niguel incident.”That’s a bit peculiar,” Irvine Police Lt. John Hare told The Times, referring to the two accidents within two weeks.

By the way, the Irvine Police Department is one of the most friendly you will meet.  They do an excellent job at protecting its citizens.  Twice, instead of giving me a ticket for not having my seat belt on, I juts received a warning.  This really motivated me to always put my seat belt on.

Thanks to the Irvine Police Department, Irvine is one of the safest cities in the nation and is one of the main reasons its real estate values have stayed relatively high compared to other communities.

• NATIONAL MEDIAN
• 4.7

• MY CHANCES OF BECOMING A VICTIM
• in Irvine
  1 in 1014
• in California
  1 in 178

The above comparison shows you how safe Irvine is.  Remember, the basics are the most important - safety first!  After this everything is easy.  This is another reason to invest in Irvine; no matter how much or little money you have, invest it in Irvine - you cannot go wrong.  Sure there are lesser values inland and you can get twice the size home in another city like Riverside or even southern parts of Orange County, but the values will not rise as much when the market goes up but will tumble farther when the market goes down.

Yes, I can hear the critics, “Irvine is so cookie cutter and stale”.  My brother in-law, who is the most anti-establishment, pro-Democrat, left leaning person I know personally, praised The Irvine Ranch for its intelligent use of land and landscaping.  He lives in Santa Cruz, which is diametrically opposed politically to Irvine but he recognizes and respects the planning that has gone into Irvine.

If he thinks Irvine has done a phenomenal job in planning a city, then that means something!

So if you are looking to invest, go to www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com or www.MichaelDunn.com or for the big houses www.ThePelicanEstates.com .  Or just give me a call at 949-533-2581.

Happy Investing.

Mike

Posted: February 26th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Kathryn Bigelow and Real Estate!

Kathryn Ann Bigelow (born November 27, 1951) is an American film director. Her best-known films are the 1987 horror film Near Dark and the 2009 war film The Hurt Locker. She was the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, which she was awarded for “The Hurt Locker”. For that film she also won the Best Film and Best Director at the 2010 British Academy Film Awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar. She is the first female ever to win a BAFTA Award for Best Direction and fourth ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, after Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties (1976), Jane Campion for The Piano (1993) and Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation (2003).

The above is from Wikipedia and gives you a general background on Kathryn Bigelow. She is one of only 4 women to be nominated for best director.

What does this have to do with real estate?  Well, other than the subject of her movie “The Hurt Locker” where US Marines are testing real estate for explosives, nothing at all.  It is my attempt to use certain keywords to gain attention for my real estate listings in Irvine, Tustin and Newport Beach.

Honesty is the best policy.  So go to www.ThePelicanEstates.com or www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com or www.MichaelDunn.comand expose yourself . . . to the world of real estate investment.

Today’s blog is short but sweet, but we will, pick up again tomorrow. 

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: February 23rd, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Shaun White, Winter Olympics and Real Estate!

Shaun White is an American snowboard athlete who at the “beginning” and less than a year on the planet, had two major surgeries to correct a heart defect.  Now at first glance you see a long haired young man at 5′ 8″ and 154 pounds.  Not very imposing; but like most things in life, things are not what they seem.

Behind the physical lies a one of the most mentally tough and disciplined athletes the world has ever known.   And like the snow he glides over, he has a strong family base that supported his dreams.  Discipline and support are the keys to his success.

From his website bio: “At 23, Shaun shows no sign of letting up on the competition, taking on the world in contests leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, Canada. Shaun wanted to pull out all the stops and introduce new tricks to the snowboard world this year, and with the help of Red Bull, a halfpipe was created with snowboarding’s first-ever on-mountain foam pit. The Red Bull foam pit allowed Shaun to attempt tricks he never thought would be possible. The one-month training session, dubbed “Red Bull Project X” allowed Shaun to push the progression of snowboarding, and he emerged from Project X with an arsenal of new tricks, including the first ever back-to-back double cork variations which he then debuted at the Burton New Zealand Open in August ‘09. ”

Now think about what Red Bull did.  Imagine someone giving you an opportunity, with NO distractions, to work on your goals and practice them to perfection.  Do you think you would become successful?

Well, yours truly, Special Agent Mike Dunn, has done the practicing for you.  I have bought investment properties and rented them. I have bought and sold short sale properties.  I have bought foreclosures, renovated them and sold them. And I have also sold over 200 properties for other real estate owners.  This experience has been much like Red Bulls Project X, but lets call Mike Dunn’s Project X.

Red Bull had the vision to see what their investment would bring them.  It was risky because no one had done this before.  Red Bull saw that Shaun White had the “it” factor.  That rare combination of talent, discipline and a yearning desire for constant and never ending improvement.

In me, you have a professional real estate agent who has the yearning desire to learn each day and become better with each investment.  You have a young man who is always looking for improvement and treats each transaction with an eye aimed from the clients perspective.

Like the medal round in snowboarding, you only have one chance to shine and in real estate, once you put that money down, you are committed.  This is why, you have an opportunity to learn from a man who has the personal experience an can prove it through his own portfolio.

While real estate does not get the sexy coverage of The Olympics, the truth is that it offers everyone the chance to earn their own Gold Medal.  And this Gold Medal will see more of a return than the actual gold in the Olympic Gold Medal.  So if you are ready to take that first ride over the edge of the “Real Estate Half Pipe”, I can help you.  Juts send me an e-mail Mike@MichaelDunn.com and you will begin an exciting journey.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: February 21st, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Happiest Cities in America and Real Estate!

The Happiest Cities in America list came out today and four of the top ten are in California.  California is home to the Irvine Ranch and some of the best real estate values in the world.

The “life evaluation” for each city consisted of job opportunities, personal finances, physical health, moods, emotions, and communities.  Criteria for happiness are very subjective, but having sunshine for over 300 days per year goes a long way to keeping smiles on peoples faces. 

Specifically in Orange County California, home of the Irvine Ranch, the weather is incredible with an average temperature of 75 degrees.  As a matter of fact, today is the first annual Timberwolf 5K fun run to raise money for the Northwood High School athletic program.  Northwood High School is one of the highest ranked schools in Orange County and the entire nation.

It’s location at the foothills of the Cleveland National Forest gives it one of the best learning environments around and it also has state of the art learning tools.  Yours truly is running in the race this morning and after a night of rain, the sky looks to be clear and crisp.

The race course meanders thru a new development called Orchard Hills with views of Catalina Island; one of many natural wonders of Southern California.  While happiness comes from within, the Southern California lifestyle really helps to enhance a general feeling of well being and due to its weather, offers a healthy lifestyle.

While the nation as a whole has been hit hard with the real estate downturn, Southern California has stayed relatively stable because of the many diversified opportunities it offers the workforce. 

California and specifically Orange County, has a very “laid back” lifestyle.  While there are large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco with daily bumper to bumper traffic, the attitude is more relaxed.  Less stress usually leads to more happiness.

If you are looking for an area that exemplifies the “happiness’ factor, The Irvine Ranch is one of the best choices you can make.  Specifically, www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com and www.ThePelicanEstates.com are a 10 on the happiness scale.  The down to earth, friendly people along with the convenience of modern living, make these two areas almost recession proof but better yet, are “unhappiness” proof!

Whether you have a large family or are single, these areas offer something for everyone.  So if you have time this morning, comes to Northwood High School and say “hello” and go for a run with me and see why there is a little slice of Heaven in Irvine!

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: February 20th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Austin, Texas, the IRS and Real Estate!

Here is a brief account of what happened in Austin:

(CNN) — The remains of two people have been found in an Austin, Texas, building where a man crashed a small plane, authorities said.

The identities of the two dead people have not been confirmed, the Austin Fire Department said in a statement. Two other people who were injured in the incident were taken to a hospital, and 11 others were treated for minor injuries, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said.

Authorities said Andrew Joseph Stack III, 53, an Austin resident with an apparent grudge against the Internal Revenue Service, set his house on fire Thursday and then crashed a Piper Cherokee PA-28 into the building, which houses an IRS office with nearly 200 employees, federal officials said.

You know I have noticed some desperate acts during this recession and honestly, I must say, things cannot be that bad.  “Its only money” as the saying goes.  No matter how much money one owes, the ending of a life is very tragic.  I can see crashing a plane into an IRS building, but to burn down a perfectly good real estate investment?  That is just very disappointing!

A perfectly standing house is a tremendous economic boon to the owner, no matter how deep in debt.  I own two properties in Austin and the rent I get from them gives me a positive cash flow of $1300 per month.  That coupled with the tax deduction of interest on the mortgage, and I increase my cash flow to a total of $1800 per month.

In many ways, the IRS is our friend due to all the tax deductions we can claim.  Also, think about this: would you rather pay a soldier to protect you or do it yourself?  Until the age of 26, I registered for the raft and was always a little nervous about having to go to war.  I don’t mind sending my taxes in to help feed and make sure one soldier has plenty of ammunition.

What I do not like is the government passing extra taxes to cover losses that the government needlessly incurred at our expense.  I think we need to go back to the basics and if we don’t have the money to fund certain programs, don’t have the programs or ask for donations.

Live within your means and remember it does not take that much.  But if you do one thing, invest in real estate.  I am here to tell you that if you are patient and invest wisely, it will one day be a god send to you.

If you want specifics about investing, go to www.MichaelDunn.com or send me an e-mail to Mike@MichaelDunn.com

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: February 19th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Ash Wednesday and Real Estate!

Yes, its the beginning of LENT, the Catholic tradition of sacrifice.  For the next 46 days or so, Catholics will be going without a chosen vice.  Some will go without alcohol, others without reading “The National Enquirer” and still others will only wear the same socks!

“We put ashes on our head as a sign that we’re ready to make some changes in our life,” said Monsignor Larry Droll, during the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. “There’s different ways to change, there’s turning away from bad and turning to good.”

“We put ashes on our head as a sign that we’re ready to make some changes in our life,” said Monsignor Larry Droll, during the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. “There’s different ways to change, there’s turning away from bad and turning to good.”

Here is what THE POPE says:
“The first formula – “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” – echoes Jesus’s words at the beginning of his public ministry (cf. Mk 1:15). It reminds us that conversion is meant to be a deep and lasting abandonment of our sinful ways in order to enter into a living relationship with Christ, who alone offers true freedom, happiness and fulfilment. The second, older formula – “Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return” – recalls the poverty and death which are the legacy of Adam’s sin, while pointing us to the resurrection, the new life and the freedom brought by Christ, the Second Adam”.

Here is what I propose you do for Lent and for the next 40 or so days, “Bucks for Blogs”.  This is my contribution to Lent.  I will donate my own money to a local cause or charity in exchange for you reading my blog and answering a question correctly at the end of each blog for the next 40 days.  You must send me an e-mail to Mike@MichaelDunn.com and reference the blog.

Are you ready?  OK, here we go!

When does the deadline for the $8,000 first time homes buyer credit and the $6,500 home-buyer within 3 year credit expire?  Be sure to leave you name, address and phone number in your email along with the correct answer.  If you answer correctly, you will receive a $10 gift in the mail.

Happy Investing.

Mike

Posted: February 19th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Tiger Woods Press conference and Real Estate!

I really look forward to the day I don’t have type in certain keywords to get traffic to my blog!!!  I would rather not have Tiger Woods in my keyword search.  However, “I have to learn to play the game” as countless “mentors” have told me.

Well, since I mentioned Tiger Woods and we are on the subject, I wanted to go back to Valentines Day this passed Sunday. 

I took a date to visit a small island for Valentines Day and for those who do not know, it is a small island located in the Pacific Ocean with amazing canyons and high vistas with incredible views of the warm Pacific waters.  It has a small harbor with around 30 small shops and restaurants.  Now you may be thinking it could be Tahiti or Kauai or Fiji.  No, it is Catalina Island 26 miles off the coast of Southern California.

The boast took 45 minutes to arrive and once there we had a delicious Mexican breakfast and set out on a 6 mile hike to the top of the island.  Along the way we saw locals walking about and tourists driving golf carts and playing golf.  As we ascended the steep hills to the top, we noticed how quiet it was.  There was no ‘white noise” commonly found in the city.  Only the chirping of birds and humming of an occasional bee flying by.  We even walked over a baby rattle snake.

My friend asked me if we were almost at the top because she was overheating in her designer jeans (she forgot to bring shorts as instructed).  We paused to look back on how far we had come (we ascended 2000 feet in 3 miles).  As we looked back at the mainland, we saw the snow capped San Bernardino Mountains and gasped at the sheer beauty.

Once we reached the top of the hill, we saw the back side of the island and looked toward the western Pacific.  It was a breathtaking sight to look west and see an oil tanker gentle rolling along the surface and to the east the snow capped mountains.  I got a little dizzy because I was in the wide open, above me was only sky, bright and a deep blue.  I thought to myself “what would happen if gravity would stop right now?”.   I took several deep breaths to soak in the moment.

As we descended, we both felt a feeling of tremendous accomplishment;  not the accomplishment of a business deal or running 3 miles in 24 minutes or doing ten sets of 20 dips, but rather a deeper spiritual accomplishment of “seeing and feeling instead of doing”.  Sometimes it takes a lot of hard work to relax.  I know this sounds strange but to those of us workaholics, you know what I mean.

For the past ten years I have dedicated myself to being a student of real estate and believe me, I have seen a lot and learned twice that much.  I have seen toddlers turn into gifted young men and women, seen property values triple and some go down by 30%.  Yet, throughout all those experiences, the sheer joy I felt just “going for a walk”, was amazing.  I was on a high the rest of the day.

On the way back, while my friend was sleeping, I stared at the sky as we skipped over the waves.  While gazing at the sky, I saw several airplanes fly over leaving their plume of frost behind them (aka condensation trail).  I pondered the fact that Mount Everest is as high as those planes were flying and that a relatively few have ever climbed it.  I also pondered how vast the ocean is, nearly two thirds of life on Earth is swimming under the waves.  We, human beings, are a minority!

I saw lovers nestled in each-others arms keeping warm as we whisked at 30 knots across the cool water.  I saw the sun setting as we arrived at the harbor and it was all so beautiful.  My stomach growled after the journey and I felt a new sense of connection with nature and all around me.  When we went to dinner, I noticed the waitresses smile and gleam in her eye more than usual, I looked at peoples faces more deeply,  I became more aware of my friends facial expressions.

Perhaps I had been “away” too long, but it helped me to realize that to live in www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine or www.ThePelicanEstates.com, is a true blessing and one which needs to be cherished, much like we should cherish those around us who profess their love to us every day thru “little” things such as sending a text message or waving as we drive by.

In Southern California and specifically on The Irvine Ranch, we are especially lucky to have easy access to the amazing blessings of nature.  Perhaps this is the reason that real estate in Southern California, is one of the greatest investments on Earth.

So the next time you go visit www.MichaelDunn.com and search for a property, remember to search the aerial shot and see-how close to paradise you are!

Happy Investing.

Mike

Posted: February 18th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Winter Olympics and Real Estate!

The excitement of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada is here and it has something personal for me.

My stepfathers grandson, Jeremy Abbot, who won the US World Championships in figure skating, is competing this year in the Olympics.  Make sure to tune in to the figure skating competition to see an amazing athlete.  (Revised 2/17/2010 - Jeremy competed last night but did not advance to the medal round).

As I watched him and the others perform, I received an education on figure skating.  I realized that in order to “hit” a triple axle or a 3 point jump, you must enter a small window of opportunity.  In other words, if you are not skating at the correct angle, at the correct speed and in the wrong position, you will not have the momentum or angle to make the jump.  Jeremy, for some reason, did not have all of those three elements and did not fare as well as he had at the World Championships.

The Olympics are such an amazing microcosm for life and success.  Think about it - what if you were 10 minutes late showing a property and ten minutes earlier another buyer bought it?  What is you did not enter your listing onto the Internet until Saturday morning instead of Friday night? What if you had one open house sign pointing left instead of right?

Life is full of “little” things that can make the difference between a sale or a price reduction. 

I have always loved the Winter Olympics because of the serene scenes of the mountains and the overall calm of the landscape.  While the Summer Olympics are usually the most popular, the Winter Games bring  a sense of anticipation at the start of the year.

It is around this same time every year, that the real estate market begins to nudge its way upward and people in general begin to act on their New Years resolutions.  Prime time for real estate is March through August and we are just around the corner of a very telling year.

During the last downturn of 1991 thru 1996, we saw the bottom of the market in 1994 when Orange County declared bankruptcy.  If history repeats itself and based on July 2007 as the beginning of the downturn, we may see the bottom in the fourth quarter this year.  That is a big “may” and it is very hard to predict because we are in uncharted economic territory.

One thing is certain, as long as we keep striving to do our best in all aspects of our lives - work, raising families, taking care of our health - we shall come out of this downturn with momentum and in position to catapult ourselves to greatness once again.  The areas where many people are practicing those good work habits are in www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com select areas across The Irvine Ranch.  (Go to www.MichaelDunn.com to search those areas).

The main thing to remember is this, when you go into your local super market or grocery sore, go to the produce section and take a long hard look at the selection.  We, The United States of America, are the richest nation on Earth, and I am not talking money or cars, I am talking FOOD and specifically PRODUCE.  Whether we live in boom times or bust times, our produce selection has always been the greatest the world has ever seen.  I think we all need to keep in mind that the basics of eating good nutritious food, is the most important thing to keep our spirits high and our bodies working efficiently to make this economy back into the envy of the world.

Now, enjoy the Olympics and learn from these dedicated athletes about how good training and a commitment to excellence can turn dreams into reality and some pretty darn good real estate investment decisions!

Happy Investing.

Mike

Posted: February 18th, 2010 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none