Well, it's official. The groundhog predicts another 6 weeks of winter. This is good news for the skiers in Tahoe, but not so good for those of us who feel the aches and pains when it's cold and wet. We've had our share of rain this year, and it looks like more is on the way.

In our monthly recap of sales for January, volume was down, typical for this time of year, but prices held steady and even increased over last month. The interesting thing was that, for the first time in a long time, selling prices were below listing prices in all 3 categories we track. This is good news for buyers because it indicates that there are not as many multiple offer situations.

As I pointed out in the February market report for January, you would think buyers might get the idea that deals are out there. If a property has been on the market for a while I would suggest making an offer under the asking price and see where it goes. The worst that can happen is the sellers say, "No." The best that can happen is they counter. But instead of jumping in now and getting a deal on that dream property, buyers seem to be sitting out and letting this opportunity pass them by. I guess they would prefer to wait until they have to compete with other buyers!

As a Realtor with over 33 years of experience in San Francisco real estate, I can tell you that NOW is a great time to buy. Our market has never been stronger, and with the Fed continuing to lower rates, loans are just going to get better and better. We might even have the "conforming" loan amount raised to over $729,000 so that we can make use of those lower rate loans. However, the stimulus package that the House approved has been sent to the Senate and they are talking about lowering that amount or even excluding it from the package. CONTACT YOUR SENATOR NOW and tell them you want this feature of the package INCLUDED at the highest rate suggested. If you want to be able to use the lower rate loans that can make your loan hundreds of dollars cheaper, you must take action. Let your voice be heard!!

A lot of areas have been hit by the sub-prime meltdown and foreclosures but not us. In fact, while sales volumes are down for the year (mostly because of low inventory), our average selling price has continued to go up over 8% last year for homes and if you average out the appreciation over the last 10 years it has been over 10% a year! I certainly have not done that well in the stock market!

Need an agent in another area? We have many to whom we can refer with confidence. We've already sent some happy buyers and sellers outside of San Francisco, and have had a few referred to us, so if you or someone you know needs to buy or sell property somewhere else in the country, keep us in mind. In return for the lead, we'll give you a chance to win our Rewards for RE-ferrals contest for a weekend in Tahoe.

Want to vacation in North Lake Tahoe? We have a very nice 2 bedroom, 2 bath condominium available for rent in Tahoe City at Tahoe Marina Lodge, a lake front complex. This unit has panoramic lake and mountain views yet is within walking distance to shops and restaurants. Tahoe is an excellent place to get away from the fast pace of city life and enjoy nature. This is the condominium we use for our Rewards for RE-ferrals.

Want to sit on the beach on the Big Island of Hawaii? We have a fabulous 3 bedroom, 3 and 1/2 bath beach front condo at Waikoloa on the Big Island available for rent with ocean views and steps from the "A" Bay beach. Kolea is a gated community close to all of the amenities of Waikoloa-- swim with the dolphins, golf, swim, snorkel or just enjoy the sun. Send us an e-mail or call for details. This condo is also on the market!

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