Newport Beach-Based Brokerage Surterre Properties Says 2012 Is Off To A Hot Start

Newport brokerage: ’12 homebuying starts hot. Surterre Properties recorded $120 million in escrow openings at all its offices in January. That compares to $67 million a year earlier — a 79 percent increase (Surterre was the top real estate firm in key Orange County coastal markets in 2011). Contact Bruce Clark at 949-285-1207 for more information about working with the Clark Group and Surterre Properties.

Clark Group Now A Member Of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing!

We are proud to announce that the Clark Group, one of Orange Counties leading real estate teams, has been accepted for membership in the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Marketing homes successfully, with the goal of maximizing the selling price while minimizing the time on market, requires superior marketing and support, which the Clark Group and Surterre Properties provide. We sell more homes over $1,000,000 in Orange County than any other broker.

For more information on working with the Clark Group, call Bruce Clark at 949-285-1207.

The Clark Group Moves To Surterre Properties!

We are proud to announce that the Clark Group, one of Orange Counties leading real estate teams, has joined the fastest-growing Orange County real estate luxury home broker, Surterre Properties. Surterre possesses the strategic vision, marketing acumen and global reach you’d normally find at a much larger company – including the region’s only in-house advertising agency and the industry’s most aggressive Internet marketing program, making it a perfect fit for the Clark Group, which prides itself on extensive online and offline marketing. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home in Orange County, we look forward to working with you.

NEW: City and Area Market Reports

Free from the Clark Group: Want to know what's going on with the Southern California Real Estate market? We provide free real estate market reports for each city and area, and shows such information as Average Price, Median Price, Number of Listings, Average Asking Price, Average Sold Price - and even shows the property address and other valuable information of sold homes, including Original Asking Price, Final Sales Price, Adjustment Percentage from Original Asking Price, and Days On Market. If you would like to receive your free market report, click here to email us with your request.

The reports are free and can even be sent directy to you each month. Want more detailed information: click here for our propietary Market Direction report, which provides detailed market information, including allowing us to provide ZIP code-specific information.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REAL ESTATE MARKET:

As of April, 2011, over 17.3% of Orange County homeowners are 'underwater' on their home: their loan balance(s) are greater than the value of their home. The Clark Group works with many homeowners on reviewing their options: with so many Orange County homeowners owing more on their home than it is currently valued at, we find that timely, accurate information is most important so that one can make an informed decision. Unfortuneately, for many, their choices become limited by the banks' lack of progress of a loan modification or principal reduction request - and the banks have begun foreclosure proceedings.
(Click here for a chart showing the California Foreclosure Process.)

There are many options available - over a dozen - but not every option may be right for you. We are very experienced at working with Orange County homeowners in distress. If you have missed, or anticipate missing, mortgage payments, we can help. Call us at 949-285-1207: all information will be held in the strictest of confidence.

More Free Orange County Homeowner Solution Workshops Being Planned:

Not able to attend one of our workshops? Call us toll free at 877-968-4675, email us, or sign-up for our mailing list for notification of all upcoming events, to reserve a seat at one of our free homeowner workshops, or to set-up a private consultation. Always seek legal counsel and a tax opinion before attempting to pursue a short sale, or modify a home loan. A real estate agent cannot give you legal or tax advice.

Reasons to Avoid Foreclosure:

• Many current and prospective employers run credit checks: a foreclosure can put a current position in jeopardy. Also, foreclosure is one of the top items that will put a potential new hire in jeopardy.
• Security clearances, government positions, military and law enforcement, banking, financial services: many employers reconsider security clearances and jobs positions should one be foreclosed on.
• You could end up with a much higher tax liability in a foreclosure than could result in a properly negotiated short sale since, in most cases, cancelled debt will be higher.
• Credit: it will be much tougher - and take much longer - to buy a home with a foreclosure on ones record.
• You may end up with a Deficiency Judgment (the bank may pursue you for the amount you owe less what they received at auction).

Articles of Note:

Here are articles and websites dealing with short sales, mortgage fraud, loan modification, and deficiency judgment that we found very informative:

• Deficiency Judgment: Mortgage lenders pursue homeowners even after foreclosure - Feb. 3, 2010 - CNN Money
• Lenders Pursue Mortgage Payoffs Long After Homeowners Default: Bloomberg
• One in five U.S. mortgage borrowers are underwater: Reuters
• FBI: Mortgage Fraud
• StopFraud.gov - Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force
• Banks Face Short-Sale Fraud as Home "Flopping" Rises (Update2): Bloomberg BusinessWeek
• Big Banks Accused of Short Sale Fraud - CNBC
• Dealing with Debt - Money Matters from the Federal Trade Commission

Bruce Clark: Receives Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource Certification (SFR).

FIRST IN LUXURY, FIRST IN EXCELLENCE

Surterre Properties has sold more luxury Orange County homes than any other brokerage in Orange County the past couple of years*

Surterre Properties offers an impressive level of service and insight into the distinctive needs of affluent individuals all over the world who can turn to Surterre Properties with their search for the ultimate luxury property. Surterre Properties is a proud member of LuxuryRealEstate.com, the most-visited luxury home information site on the Internet. The Clark Group and Surterre Properties proudly represent some of the most prestigious properties in Southern California and welcome any questions about working with us at 949-285-1207.

Surterre Properties' proprietary marketing tools redefines the standards for buying and selling luxury real estate, and are coupled with showcasing estates locally and internationally in leading luxury real estate publications and online venues such as LuxuryRealEstate.com. Additional proprietary marketing initiatives include Market Direction, for neighborhood by neighborhood pricing intelligence, HOT BUYS® and successfully targeting the luxury market with Surterre Properties' leading-edge online and offline marketing campaign and vision. Surterre's global reach to luxury home buyers rises as a trusted partner in any real estate venture.

For more information about Surterre Properties, including our relocation and referral services, please contact Bruce Clark at 949-285-1207 or via e-mail.

About Surterre Properties

One of Southern California’s leading luxury brokerages, Surterre Properties provides full-spectrum, five-star residential real estate representation for buyers and sellers of premier properties, with a special focus on fine coastal homes in coastal Orange County – stretching from Newport Beach to Dana Point and from Shady Canyon to The Strand. Surterre Properties encompasses more than 285 talented agents throughout Southern California and boasts the region’s only in-house advertising agency, Surterre Studio. Surterre Studio has won more than 20 awards for advertising excellence since the firm’s inception in 2006 – powerfully demonstrating the brokerage’s unparalleled ability to market and sell luxury properties. Surterre Properties also is an eco-brokerage and demonstrates its commitment to the community and the environment by operating its offices in an environmentally friendly manner and by giving to charitable organizations that share its passion for preserving the natural beauty of Southern California’s coastline.

Surterre Properties is partners with Yahoo! Real Estate, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com - the Internet's #1 real estate websites. Surterre is also well known for its generosity to the Southern California community and is a leading eco-friendly broker.

Clark Group of Surterre Properties Closes Escrow on 8 Fair Oaks, Northpark, Irvine. Read the press release about the sale of 8 Fair Oaks by the Clark Group at articlecirculation.com.

CLARK GROUP NEW HOMES ON THE MARKET

CLARK GROUP: ORANGE COUNTY HOMES COMING TO MARKET

Coming soon! The Clark Group is bringing to market many wonderful homes throughout Orange County: sign-up for our mailing list for notification of all upcoming homes in Orange County.

CLARK GROUP HOMES IN ESCROW OR ACCEPTING BACKUP OFFERS

CLARK GROUP SELLS MORE ORANGE COUNTY HOMES!

Sold for 100% of the asking price - and after just 11 days on the market: 8 Fair Oaks, Irvine:  Gorgeous & Large Northpark Home: A plan 3 Huntington model featuring approxmately 4,000 sq. ft. and on an over 7,200 sq. ft. lot. Encompassing 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a huge kitchen, an upstairs bonus room, and the downstairs area offers a bedroom with adjacent full bathroom, and an office/den. This wonderful home is located in the exclusive guard-gated Northpark area of Irvine.

View Map & Get Directions  |   Click for more informaton about 8 Fair Oaks  |   Schools  |  Neighborhood Info.

64 Rockport:  Gorgeous Northpark, Irvine Home: A Mendocino model featuring 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and located in the Northpark area of Irvine: an approved short sale! To inquire about working with the Clark Group, call 949-285-1207.

View Map & Get Directions  |   Click for more  |   Schools  |  Neighborhood Info.

Sold for 100% of the asking price in just 3 days! 12 Boston sits in the best of locations with greenbelt and pool views; a wonderful 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome in the Heritage Park tract of Irvine that feels like a detached home with no shared walls in the living area. Central air conditioning, attached 2-car garage, and much more! Other nice features are low HOA and no Mello-Roos. The Clark Group has been #1 in Heritage Park for the past 5 years: in fact, other than the Clark Group, no other agent / team has represented more than one buyer or seller during that period! Call us at 949-285-1207 for information on what makes us a leading Orange County real estate team.

View Map & Get Directions  |  Schools  |  Virtual Tour

SOLD - and in only 9 days! A wonderful 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome in the Heritage Park tract of Irvine with many wonderful upgrades. Feels like a detached home with no shared walls in the living area. Central air conditioning, attached 2-car garage, elegant hardwood flooring, dual-pane windows and much more! Call us at 949-285-1207 for information on this or any other home for sale in Orange County.

View Map & Get Directions  |  Schools  |   Neighborhood Info.  |  Virtual Tour

Sold! 33 Ericson Aisle, in the Northwood Villas tract in Irvine. Going unsold while listed with another broker for over 6 months, the Clark Group closed escrow at 99% of the asking price in just 41 days!

Wonderful 3-bedroom single-level condo. in the Northwood Villas. Close to shopping, entertainment, and more - and it's not a short sale!

View Map & Get Directions  |  Click for more

Schools  |   Neighborhood Info.  |  Virtual Tour

9171 Browning Dr.:  Wonderful Huntington Beach Home: A single-level home on a 6,000 sq. ft. lot featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and located in the South Huntington Beach area: a short sale closed at $494,000. To inquire as to working with the Clark Group of Surterre Properties, please call 949-285-1207.

View Map & Get Directions  |   Click for more  |   Schools  |   Neighborhood Info.  |  Virtual Tour

SOLD by the Clark Group! 5 Hartford:  Wonderful Irvine Townhome: A dual-master townhouse 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and located in the Heritage Park tract: closed sale price of $328,500. To inquire as to price and availability, please call 949-285-1207.

View Map & Get Directions  |   Click for more  |   Schools  |   Neighborhood Info.

Closed escrow on 81 Tortuga Cay in Aliso Viejo. Representing a buyer, the home was a bank-owned property (REO) on which there were 13 offers - but we got our buyers' offer accepted. Call us whether you are buying or selling to find out how the Clark Group can successfully represent you.

Due to all homes being under contract or sold, we will not be hosting any open houses this weekend. However, all homes listed for sale and lease are in Orange County available for viewing by appointment by calling us at 949-285-1207.