Jan Skrentny

Starting a week before Christmas this last year and continuing steadily through Christmas Day, a series of winter storms rolled into the mountains that brought in over three feet of snow. A storm of this magnitude is called up here a 30 year storm because that’s about how frequently they occur.

When my wife and I first moved to the mountains and built our home, three days after the county inspectors had signed off on the construction, the March Miracle of 1991 occurred. After seven years of dought conditions, 20 plus inches of rain fell, filling lakes and resevoirs, nourishing trees and replenishing underground springs.

In 1991 the mountain communites were shut down for weeks. Power was disrupted for days. Residents were captitive of their mountain homes as work crews struggled to clear main roads and side roads.

By comparison the 2008 storm, almost as great in snow fall, was a testimate to how much better public services have become in the mountains. Power was barely interrupted in the week’s period. Plowing crews kept the main roads open and even the back roads were plowed within the first 24 hours.

The best advice in those situations I can offer to perspective new home owners in the mountains when a storm of such magnitude rolls in is — stay home, light the fire place and enjoy it. There is unparrelled beauty out every window as the world is transformed. With proper clothing and footwear a walk outside will be an event you will long remember.

And if your children and grandchildren can come up to enjoy the sledding and snowman-making… it is beyond comparison. A true delight. 

Their faces light up viewing the transformed surroundings. So does mine. Every time.

There is something significant to say about the change of seasons that so few Southern Californians know anything about.

Yesterday I went on a listing appointment for two homes; one near the the golf course the other in a very desirable area just off the lake called Shelter Cove.

It’s hard to tell owners who have beautiful homes that they have recently remodeled and taken excellent care of that their homes are worth less than they paid for them in 2005.

Fortunately for the Lake Arrowhead area the price decline has not been as great as in the Inland Empire or in Southern California in general. Our inventory is larger than normal but not glutted; our market is not riddled with bank owned properties or short-sales. 

Still, after all the fees are sorted out (commissions, inspections, cost of sale expenses) they will lose money. These two parties were aware of the market and knew that they had to price their houses well so as to not be “chasing the market” (i.e. pricing too high to begin with and only dropping price as the market drops – effectively always chasing the real value of the property).

My best advice to sellers in this market is “don’t sell.” But if you have to (to relocate, for health reasons, job transfer, etc.) tell your agent you want a price your house so that it will sell.

Too often agents will seduce sellers by telling them their houses are worth far more than they really are. The agent gets the listing and in a month asks for a price reduction. The next month or two there is another reduction. And then another. The seller is always chasing the market.The best way to know what your house  is really worth? Ask the agent to show you well priced houses in your price range. Then ask to see them. You compare. How do these houses stand up to yours? In curb appeal, location, size, quality of construction, maintenance. These houses are your competition. Have your agent evaluate these other houses with your house – the pros and cons or each and how it factors into the pricing.

Don’t get trapped in chasing the market, it’s a great waste of time and value.

Surprise, surprise! Most mountain homes are built on land that is not flat!

Therefore, you have upside houses and downside houses.

Seldom flat land houses, that’s for “down the hill” (as it is called up here, actually it should be down the mountain, the homes up here being anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level).

Older homes, which often equates to less expensive homes, almost all have outside steps, that’s just how they built homes in the past, seems silly now, but there they are .

These older upside homes have steps leading from the driveway. The beauty of upside homes is that most have some kind of view – of trees, mountains, lakes and sometimes electrical and telephone lines. Upside houses also tend to be brighter.

With older downside house you usually have a parking deck that is level from the street and steps leading down to the house which is most likely more shady because you’re down in the trees. Downside houses are easier to carry your groceries to – it’s downhill – and quieter, noise rises. Although in most mountain communities there are few significant noise problems.

Within the last 15 years, newer houses (more expensive) were built with level entry into a garage. And like down the hill homes, the garage opens into the main house although some garages might have interior steps leading up to or down to the main floor.

Interior steps are far better than exterior steps – you seldom have to shovel snow or sweep pine needles from interior steps. They do need to be vacumed though.

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT STEPS?

Steps keep you fit. Remember at the gym the Stair-Master? Step aerobics? Steps can be your friends.

They can also save you money.