Mark Wisterman's Paradise & Lake Oroville Real Estate Blog

After two consecutive days of “the sky is falling” reporting about the real estate market, I thought you all might appreciate some time meeting with our resident Lake Oroville Real Estate psychiatrist to help deal with this “tragic” news. 

Free Real Estate Market, meet Dr. I Told You So

Dr. I Told You So: What seems to be the problem today, Free Market

Free Market: I’m  just exhausted, Doc.

I Told You So: Really? Tell me why.

Free Market: Well, every time I try to do my job, something, or someone, interferes with me.

I Told You So: Didn’t we have this conversation about 10 years ago?

Free Market: Yes, when a bunch of meddlers forced me to loan money to people who would never have been approved for a loan, had they let me do my job. 

I Told You So:  So, how has it gone since then?

Free Market: Well, I hit my head real hard when I fell of the cliff. Since then they have been trying to put me on disability, thinking that I am no longer capable of doing my job.

I Told You So: Let me get this right, they attempted to disable you, Free Market.

Free Market: Yes.

I Told You So: Didn’t I tell you that there is no way to disable you? That the only way to stop you is to take you over?

Free Market: Yes, but how come nobody else seems to understand this?

I Told You So: Who is nobody? Read the rest of this entry »

The game hunting world is all abuzz this morning as word spreads that Lake Oroville resident Pat Butler set a world record by bagging the largest Tule Elk while bow hunting on Grizzly Island  yesterday. 

According to reports from the hunting grounds, Butler, an owner of  the ever popular Wagon Wheel Market, here in the Lake Oroville real estate market,  took the 8 x 8 elk during the afternoon hunt. By late afternoon representatives from the Department of Fish and Game certifed it as the largest elk ever taken by hunting with bow and arrow, granting Pat world record status for his efforts.

I think there is elk jerky in my future!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Pat.

Having spent a part of my working life, in the Lake Oroville real estate market, as a financial consultant with a major Wall Street brokerage company I was always entertained by, not only the jargon of the industry,  but also by some of the odd, or some might say superstitious, ways that pundits use to predict the next direction that the market or the economy might move.

For example, the Super Bowl Indicator theorizes that the year in which a team from the AFC wins the Super Bowl the stock market will fall, but if an NFC team wins the market will rally. Amazingly, this “predictor” has been right 80% of the time over the years. Another of these anecdotal predictors is the Hem Line Effect. This theory says that as hem lines move up so does the market and when hem lines get longer the market drops.

So, what does this have to do with anything related to the real estate market in Lake Oroville, Paradise and Chico, you say?

As to those theories, nothing. But I think we unintentionally swerved into the first real estate industry anecdotal predictor of the real estate market, in our office. I call it the Redenbacher Effect.

I discovered this theory while Steffan, one of the associates in my office was popping his $1.00 bag of popcorn ( that he bought at the Dollar Store, because that is where REALTORS® shop these days) in our microwave oven. You might imagine the quality level of $1.00 popcorn is not quite the same as the good stuff you get at the movies for about $5.00 a bag.  The fact that Steffan eats at least a bag a day of this stuff has leads me to believe that he is quite the popcorn connoisseur.

I will never forget the profoundness of the words that eminated from his lips as the Redenbacher Effect was born:

 ”I sure will be glad when the market gets good again so I can afford to buy something better than this $1.00 popcorn c*@p.”

With the suddenness of a light bulb being switched on to interrupt the darkness of an empty room, it hit me that we may finally have an accurate way to forecast the pending direction of  not only the Lake Oroville real estate market, but the real estate markets of all 4 corners of the world!

The Redenbacher Effect is defined as this: Read the rest of this entry »

August 1, 2010 marked the 35th anniversary of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that shook the Lake Oroville real estate market that summer day in 1975.  A quake, that most scientists that study these things say, was induced by the construction of Oroville Dam and filling of Lake Oroville.

The quake, which caused an estimate $2 million in damages, mostly greeted homeowners who had masonry fireplaces with collapsed or cracked chimneys. 

In light of the recent observation of this historic annniversary I want to share an article with you which discusses whether earthquake insurance is worth the cost of paying for it.

Happy anniversary and happy reading.

Click here for article

Wow, it has been a very long time since we last got together on what was the leading real estate blog site in the entire northern end of California.

What’s that you ask? Where have I been?

If you must know, I have been in the same place I have been since the beginning of this blog. In my Lake Oroville Real estateoffice; attending to the needs of my clients; brushing up on the lastest real trends, expanding my knowledge through a couple of certification programs that allow me to be of even more help to those struggling with their home mortgages; and spending a little more quality time with family and friends.

What I haven’t been doing, as I am sure you have noticed, is blogging. It seems that I have a ton of ideas of which to write about, but I have just simply been unable to sit down and do it. I feel like I have had “blogger’s block.”  If you have never heard of this debilitating ailment before it is because I just made it up and am sure that I am the first to suffer from it. I am sure though that the cost to treat this disease will be covered under the new national health care plan!!!!

A few of my Facebook friends and I were joking around during the peak of my blogging activity one day and the word “blogarrhea” was used to describe my prolific blog postings. Now however, it seems that I have been suffering from “blogstipation.”  

No longer though. Today I am taking control of this disease and will no longer let it deny you the opportunity to once again read the most relevant real estate news and advice of the day. It is true, I have a lot of work to do to catch up. But I am undaunted by the tasks that lie ahead.  Beginning today I am back, and I thank you for your loyalty to me and this blogsite.

Now……..back to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sure you have all heard the old saying that, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I don’t know if it was Yogi Berra who said that or some other great philosopher. But it seemed, until this week, that it was sage advice.

With the unexpected passing of Judy DeLaby this past week, the change may be so impactful that there is no way for it to stay the same. Judy was a very large presence in the Lake Oroville real estate market for more than 35 years.  She was one of what is becoming a vanishing breed in this business. Someone who had unwavering opinions on a range of real estate issues. Opinions she was not bashful about sharing with others when the time was appropriate. Someone who kept herself abreast of changing real estate laws and procedures in order to better serve her clients and educate her agents. Someone who put her clients needs ahead of her commission.

My first experience with Judy was about 16 years ago when I was negotiating with her on a house she had listed on Foothill Blvd.  As an agent in training, I was already nervous enough about one of my very first real estate transactions. And, trust me, she didn’t make it any easier on me. Looking back on it now, at that point in time if someone asked me to describe Judy, I would have said that I thought she was the Dale Earnhardt of real estate. The real estate “Intimidator.”

As fate would have it  Read the rest of this entry »

For a smaller town like Oroville, prosperity hinges greatly on the amount and quality of development that takes place.  Among other things, future development brings with it new jobs, which brings with it an expanded population base, which brings with it more housing needs. In other words, a prospering Lake Oroville contributes to a strong housing market.

Development, though cannot take place in ANY town without a City Council, or Town Council as the case may be, working together for the common good of it’s beloved city. Not only does nothing get done when city officials are bickering, but you won’t find any major companies willing to come to a town when there is discontent at the highest levels of city government.

So when I read, “City Council tensions erupt into open” on the front page of our local newspaper this morning I could only shake my head in bewilderment at how stupid things can get at City Hall sometimes.

The following e-mail was sent from one Council Member to our mayor. Now before you get your panties in a wad, I am taking no sides in whatever dispute these two elected members of our community are having. In fact, to be honest, I am not sure what the dispute is all about.

But I am sure of one thing, the message in the email below is unbecoming of an elected official and, in my view, may be reason to have him removed from office. I’ll have more comments on this after you read the e-mail. Oh, by the way, the text highlighted in red was my doing. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to all of you interested in what is happening in the Paradise, California real estate market. As I have been doing for the Lake Oroville real estate market for the past 8 or nine months, I will be bringing these numbers to you on a weekly basis.  As part of this reporting I will try to point out anything of interest in the report each week in order to try to bring the proper perspective to market conditions.

I always welcome your comments and suggestions on this or any of my blogs posts, so don’t be bashful. Come join in the fun.

I am pleased to announce that I have made the decision to expand the Realty World brand into the town of Paradise, California.

I actually have owned the REALTY WORLD franchise rights to the Paradise real estate market for close to a year now, but have been waiting to actively do business in the town in the pines until market conditions warranted it.  I now feel that this is the time to bring this extraodinary real estate brand back to town.

I feel that this is the right time for two main reasons.  One, I see the market beginning, ever so slightly, to shift away from foreclosures and more towards short sales. And, two, I have heard from a number of people in the area that our brand of progressive and aggressive marketing is sorely needed there. I guess you could say that people seem to looking for a more up to date style of real estate marketing and negotiating.

As a company we do not intend to take the town by storm, we simply intend to very methodically, and consistently increase our presence within the market until we become the preferred real estate negotiators of the fine residents of Paradise.

The first order of business for this blog site will be to begin reporting  weekly Paradise real estate market stats in the same way that I am currently reporting market information for the Lake Oroville real estate market.  So be sure to check back soon for the first of those reports.

I will provide progress reports as this exciting expansion of our brand moves forward so you too can share the excitement we all feel in our Oroville office about our new venture.

Paradise……..HERE WE COME!!!!!!!

It’s been a while since I provided any updates to the issue which arose from the Lake Oroville Area Public Utility District’s  (LOAPUD)efforts to reduce uneccessary flows into the local sewer treatment plant.

If you are new to this blog you may have no idea what I am talking about. To help bring you up to speed I have assembled the links below to the past opinion pieces I have written regarding this subject. 

Don’t Let This Happen To You     Local Sewer District Stops Real Estate Transactions 

  Sewer Districts Say “No Sale”     Let Me Clarify  Full Steam Ahead   

Be Ready To Roll Up Your Sleeves    We Can’t Hearrrr Youuuuu!!

35 Years To Address Imminent Crisis?    Sewer Lateral Update

Here is the latest information that I have. After much prodding from this Lake Oroville Real Estate blog, and in cooperation with the Oroville Association of REALTORS®,  LOAPUD agreed to look at a revised proposal that was drafted by the consultant hired by the REALTORS, who has worked with other government agencies to assist them in accomplishing their goals without putting a stop to a real estate transaction, through onerous Point Of Sale mandates.

The latest proposal contains many of the same solutions I mention in my previous blog posts. What we, as REALTORS® have submitted eliminates the requirement that sewer lateras must be inspected, and repaired if necessary, before a real estate transaction is completed. The proposal also does exactly what LOAPUD needs it to do to keep the State of California off its back. It provides a firm timeframe for when the entire district has been inspected and brought up to standard.

I applaud the sewer district for it’s willingness to listen and be open minded enough to entertain other solutions to this issue. It is good, in this day and age of intrusive government policies and attitudes, to see that the they understand that two heads are better than one and that working TOGETHER is far more in the public’s interest than going it alone

The REALTORS proposal is now in the hands of the LOAPUD management staff and Board of Directors.  I urge you all to contact the district and voice you support for the proposed solution.  Be sure to watch for more news on this as it develops.