Bakersfield Life

Moving in

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Mary Christenson
Realtor, WatsonTouchstone ERA Real Estate

 
Adoree Roberson
Owner/manager, Premier Realty
 
Debbie Craig-Banducci, 
Broker/president, RE/MAX Magic
 
Laurie McCarty
Coldwell Banker Preferred
 

What is the hottest neighborhood/area of town that people are looking to move into?
Mary: Southwest and Brimhall/Brighton areas have excellent community amenities and schools and most areas have CC&Rs (homeowner association rules) that enhance lifestyle.
Adoree: One of the best things about Bakersfield is our great neighborhoods. The northwest continues to be the fastest-growing part of town and is expanding to the north and to the west, with plenty of land still available. It’s close to award-winning school districts, parks and excellent shopping, with more in the plans.
Debbie: The affordable ones! Homes are selling everywhere right now and people love a bargain at any price.
Laurie:The northwest and southwest neighborhoods are still the highest in units sold and the most often requested by buyers.

 
What was your best client story?
Mary: That’s a tough one — there are so many! I met my husband, Tom, when he came house hunting. He eventually bought a house next door to my own, then we married and moved into his.
Adoree: I was showing a man a home in the northeast area. I rang the doorbell and a man totally naked answered. We opted not to go in.
Debbie: A HUD home purchased by a first-time homebuyer mom and her children. They tried so hard and had so many challenges with events and never gave up. She owned her own landscaping company, had no other support and was raising three or four kids by herself, never complaining. When she got the keys, it was a really great feeling. You would have thought that Campus Park home was the Taj Majal.
Laurie: After 27 years in the business, it would be hard to pick just one, as there have been so many rewarding times. One of the most recent was helping a seller -- who called me 10 days before the foreclosure date was scheduled to occur -- achieve short sale approval on the home. During those 10 days, we marked the home, got an acceptable offer, postponed the foreclosure and got short sale approval for a closing scheduled to occur in last June.
 
What are you focused on in the current local home market?
Mary: I specialize in the high-end luxury home market — southwest Bakersfield as well as golf course and country club neighborhoods and Kern River areas. That market was very slow for the last two years, due to strict financing requirements and high jumbo loan rates, but that has eased up a little and there is more movement and more confidence in this market now.
Adoree: Our company is focused on keeping up with the daily changes in the market.
Debbie: Education. It is so imperative that the agents and the public have the most accurate information on all of the different programs available on financing, tax credits, HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives), HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program), short sales, REOs (real estate owned property) and things we had never heard of before that are changing so rapidly. We as Realtors must be at the top of our game like never before.
Laurie: The focus is the same regardless if the market conditions: listening to your client, whether buyer or seller, and helping them through the process in a way that best serves their needs and meets their goals.
 
How do you think the Bakersfield home market is different from others?
Mary: We are very affordable for California! Our city is rich in oil and agriculture, and we continuously bring people in to support these industries.
Adoree: Bakersfield is and always has been unique in many ways. The national trends don’t necessarily reflect our market. We don’t have a shortage of land, and we have a strong base of oil and agriculture. Even though our population is over 300,000, when you meet someone for the first time and talk for over five minutes, you’ll find you know someone in common.
Debbie: We have such a wonderful variety of neighborhoods, and we have so many programs and Bakersfield’s residents make it different and special. There are opportunities to buy a home at nearly any price range and style.
Laurie: While we have gone from No. 1 in growth during the boom years to among the top 10 for foreclosures in the nation, we are now experiencing a recovery that most areas are still hoping for. our affordable housing, central location ans quality of life make Bakersfield a very desirable area for homeowners and investors alike.
 
What would you say to someone who is considering buying a home right now?
Mary: Interest rates are still historically low, inventory has diminished and there is more confidence in the market — now is the time to buy!
Adoree: There has never been a better time in history to buy a home. Interest on a 30-year loan is less than 5 percent, and home prices are approximately 50 percent less than they were three years ago. That being said, the process to buy a home is difficult and there are no shortcuts. It’s complicated! You need to get pre-qualified by a lender and you need to have a knowledgeable Realtor. A good team can help you navigate through the home-buying experience.
Debbie: Jump in, the water’s warm. You’ll be glad you did! This is an opportunity that may not come around again for a while with low interest rates and affordability.
Laurie: With the California tax credit of $10,000, continued low interest rates, seller concessions and record low prices, there has never been a better time to be a buyer! In fact, it's not unusual for a buyer to have a lower mortgage payment than they were paying in rent.