In my last blog I mentioned the nice couple that flew out from Chicago in the attempt to find something comparable, if not affordable, in the Arcadia, California area. I was hoping to provide you more information on my relocation (relo) activity with them, but unfortunately the relocation company that called us from Arizona has yet to return our telephone calls. We find this a bit strange in that we had been very punctual in responding to their requests for update information on the folks that they referred to us. So, as soon as we hear anything, I will be happy to pass it along on this blog. Alright, as long as we're at it, do you know where the expression, "What we have here is a failure to communicate"? That's right, it was the head guard/supervisor who muttered that sentence in the ... 08/18/2007

I was recently given a lead referral by my company to help a nice married couple that was re-locating from their home in the Chicago suburbs. The company that the husband was interviewing with is in Arcadia, so they listed Arcadia as their purchasing prefrence. Their budget was presented to me along with the area square footage and lot size dimensions they desired to purchase in Arcadia. Needless to say, they were a bit taken back by the selling costs of homes in Southern California, not to mention the Arcadia area. As nice as it is, their purchasing Arcadia may not be too realistic, and having known their financial expectations in advance, I had prepared a tour of neighboring cities in Monrovia and Azusa to augment our preliminary searches in Monrovia. (This story continues, and become... 08/06/2007

In a recent blog The Homeowner Raised the Listing Price $200,000 AFTER STAGING!!! I wrote that the homeowner was so excited after we staged his home that he raised the listing price by $200,000.00 from $2.78 million to $2.98 million. Well, the home has sold already and escrow has closed! The homeowner did not get the original $200,000.00 bump he had hoped for after staging, but he did get an additional $80,000.00 he would not have gotten if he hadn't staged the house. We staged the home on June 15, 16, & 17. The one and only open house (Realtors Caravan) was held on June 20 (Wednesday). The first offers (multiple) came in on Friday, June 22. Escrow closed last Thursday, July 12. How's this for statistics: Days on market before an accepted offer - 5! Days on market from MLS listing to cl... 07/15/2007

My name is Mark Cheng with IRN Realty. This is my blog where I will be posting informative, up to date articles and information on buying and selling real estate in general and about the communities I work. Specifically, I will be providing information about Arcadia real estate, San Marino real estate, Temple City real estate, Pasadena Real Estate, South Pasadena Real Estate, and real estate in surrounding areas. My ultimate goal for this blog is to serve as an educational resource for learning about the basics of real estate, as a forum that addresses the pressing issues in real estate, a collection tips and guides for my clients and friends, a way to access monthly market updates for the cities I work in, a place to share client success stories, and a platform to present specific prop... 07/03/2007

I recently blogged about my experiences staging a 7,800 sq. ft. home in Arcadia, CA, The Homeowner Raised the Listing Price $200,000 AFTER STAGING!!! . This was a beautiful house - I was very lucky to have such a great canvas to work with. Here are some Before and After photos:               Living Room Before and After (above)               Office Before and After (above)               Loft Sitting Area Before and After (above) (A vertical picture would have been better, but this was all I had left at this point)               Dining Room Before and After               Den Before and After Moving Mountains Design is a full service Home Staging and Interior Design Corporation located in Pasadena, CA. We specialize in staging vacant homes in Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, La Canada/Flint... 06/22/2007

City Hall West Lawn240 West Huntington Dr., Arcadia(626) 574-5113 www.ci.arcadia.ca.us7:00-8:30 pm Thursdays - FreeJuly 12:      Cody Bryant Country Band-Decades of Classic Country Music.July 19:      Gino Matteo Blues Band-Top West Coast Blues Guitarist.July 26:      Mrs. Murphy's Chowder Irish Band-High Energy Irish/American Show.Aug. 2:       Jane Fuller Jazz Band-Swing and Straight-Ahead Jazz.Aug. 9:       The Flok Collection Band-Favorite 60s Era Folk SongsAug 16:      Swing 4 Sale-Bag Band Swing and VocalistAug 23:      Pecos Brothers Band-Pop & Rock Hits of the 60s to 90s California Philharmonic Orchestra Festival on the GreenL A County Arboretum301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia(626) 300-8200 www.caphil.org7:30 pm every other Sunday   Tickets: $20-$98June 30:      John WilliamsJuly 14... 06/14/2007

Great city of Arcadia at foot of San Gabriel valley mountains, bellow Mount Wilson peak and the famed observatory. Several Parks and natural greenery are abound in Arcadia City , and the best know race track in Southern California, Santa Anita Racetrack Park.Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. The city of Pasadena is to the west, and city of Monrovia is to the East. Arcadia is a U.S. city in Los Angeles County, California that is located about 20 miles Northeast of downtown Los Angeles.It is the site of the Santa Anita Park racetrack and home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,054.Need informa... 02/22/2007

The charge for the use of money is called interest. The rate of interest that is charged will determine the total dollar amount of the payments. When money is borrowed, both the principal and interest must be repaid according to the agreement between the borrower and the selcted lender. (P) Principal : Dollar amount of money borrowed , loan amount(I) Interest : Charge for the use of money(R) Rate: Percentage of interest charged (T) Time: Duration of loanInterest and Loan Examples involve these three variables:Paid = P = $ = PrincipleMade = I = $ = InterestRate = R = % = Interest rate Formulas:(1) When the amount of principle and interest rate, expressed as a percentage are given and you are solving for the amount of interest earned (smaller dollar amount,  $) use:I = P x R x T ( Interes... 12/12/2006

A bridge loan (also called interim or bridge loan) is a temporary loan made on a borrower`s equity in his or her home. It is usually a short term loan that is due in six months or when the borrower`s home sells , whichever occurs sooner. It is used when the borrower has purchased another property, with the present home unsold, and needs the cash to close the sale of the new home. The new loan is secured by a trust deed or mortgage against the borrowers` home. Usually there are no payments, with interest accuring during the term of the loan. So what happens when the borrowers loan sells? The bridge loan plus interest is repaid, thorugh escrow, from the cash proceeds of the sale. The reality is that bridge loans can be risky depending on the current real estate market. In a fast-paced rea... 11/14/2006