My first step in was (obviously) finding a lot. Fortunately for me, there were still quite a few deals back in 2013, due to the residual effects of the crash of 2008. Even though I have a real estate license, I was not a member of the local board of REALTORS so I enlisted the help of a local agent. Eventually I found a 50′ x 100′ infill lot in a developed neighborhood that was gently sloping, with decent southern exposure. There was a huge oak in the front of the property and several medium sized pine trees. The property was REO, owned by an out of state bank, so I was able to negotiate the price down a bit.
The location was also good from a real estate perspective. Walking distance to the lake, a 5 minute bike ride to the main village, and a 10 minute drive to one of the ski resorts.
Big Bear is a mountain resort that is a 2.5 hour drive from Santa Monica pier, and a 1 hour drive from some parts of the suburbs of the greater Los Angeles area. The lot was located at 6790 feet of elevation in a climate of 6,598 Heating Degree Days and 89 Cooling Degree Days. Big Bear is the home of two ski resorts, and a solar observatory – it boasts 300+ sunny days a year. Average high is 80 in July, average low is 20 in January. It gets about 20 inches of rain and 120 inches of snow per year.
