When automobile entrepreneur Paul Rusnak bought a 100-foot yacht, he made the difficult decision to part with Chateau des Quatres Saisons, his vacation home on the Gold Coast of Point Hamiltair on the shores of Lake Arrowhead.

To accomplish this, he listed the estate with Realtor and Broker Jim Price of Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty in Blue Jay.

The home, Price explained, was built by John Bueler in 1982. The French country estate features five bedrooms, 6-1/2 baths, a media room, family room, game room, greenhouse, sandy beach and double dock.

“John Bueler,” Price said, “is really in an elite group of one. He’s a craftsman, an artisan.”

It was fellow Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty Realtor and Broker Glenn Tinturin who found the buyer for the property. Tinturin had been working with the family since October 2005, trying to find just the right vacation home for the Studio City family, who also had a vacation home in Colorado.

“They wanted something closer,” Tinturin explained, “as it was hard for their family to get to Colorado. They also wanted to be on the water.”

Tinturin kept in close touch with the couple, e-mailing them information on a number of homes. The buyers came up to Lake Arrowhead several times to view properties.

“They kept raising their price,” Tinturin said, “hoping I would find just the right place for them—something with a country flavor, not too formal but large enough for them, their children and grandchildren.”

The family aspect really pleases Price as the previous owner had raised his family up here. “The whole family,” Price said, “the owners, their children and their grandchildren will all be able to use the house, to enjoy it and enjoy Lake Arrowhead and all it has to offer.”

But before the new owners could purchase the house, Tinturin had to overcome a huge obstacle: The husband was ill and unable to make it up to Lake Arrowhead. His wife came up alone and with her adult children, toured the house, and decided it was just right for her and her family.

ELECTRONIC SALE

Here’s where it got interesting for Tinturin as a real estate agent. “I processed the entire transaction electronically from start to finish,” he said. He was able to set the transaction up for electronic signatures by both of the buyers, who did not need any special software to complete the transaction.

“If they can receive e-mail and surf the Internet, they can electronically sign my contracts and other forms, and it’s completely legal. I was able to write the offer, send it to my clients, receive it back from them signed, and send it on to the seller’s agent without the offer ever being on a single piece of paper.”

Tinturin, who has sold real estate in Lake Arrowhead for 13 years, said this is the way the majority of transactions are going. “Even the final recording by the title company was done electronically,” he said. Tinturin is a member of Coldwell Banker’s International President’s Circle and was invited to attend their elite retreat last year in Chicago.

The house sold for $6,275,000, making it the second highest priced home to sell in Lake Arrowhead.

Tinturin notes when the husband was better, he did come up to see the house first hand and was delighted with his wife’s decision. The couple later sold their Colorado vacation home.

Steve Keefe, owner/broker of Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty noted, “The Rusnak transaction is an indicator there is a market at the ultra high end. I am extremely proud of Jim Price and Glenn Tinturin for putting this transaction together. It’s not every day that a $6.2 million deal happens.

“I am encouraged,” Keefe continued, “by the fact that for the first two months of 2007 we as a company are 30 percent higher in transactions over the same period last year. We are seeing increased activity in all price ranges and areas of our market.”

Price confirmed this, noting all the price ranges are moving, including the mid-range homes. “The beauty of Lake Arrowhead,” Price said, “is we can shoulder full-time residents and maintain the resort flavor.”

Price has lived and worked in Lake Arrowhead since 1982, when he moved here to fulfill a dream. Both of his children were born here. He has been selling real estate for over 20 years in Lake Arrowhead, most of those years with Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty. In the last six months, he has sold over $13 million in homes in what he calls a very active market.

“While the number of units sold may be down,” Price said, “the average price is up. The median price for a home is now about $500,000.

“What we’re selling,” Price noted, “is lifestyle over everything else. It’s a unique buy up here, a good value.”

Source:

http://www.crestlinecourier-news.com/articles/2007/03/08/news/features/features2.txt