Current Market in Nevada County

My Personal Opinion about the current Housing Market in Nevada County:

Although prices in Nevada County have increased in 2013, the increases seem to be no more than 10-15% over 2008-2012.  In comparison to the last several years, we have very few REO's (Bank Owned) and Short Sales available.   I personally feel that anyone waiting for home values in the area to increase substantially before they sell, may be waiting 3-4+ years before they see the home appreciation they would like. Going into this fall (2013) we have very low residential inventory. Having low inventory in the county can be an advantage for anyone wanting to sell.  As always, it is simply the "Supply and Demand" principle that seems to impact the market.

There are always fewer buyers in fall/winter, however, usually those buyers are quite motivated.

Not much land is selling in Nevada County, primarily because the price of existing homes is so low.  You can still purchase a home in Nevada County for $250K and under, however, much depends on the amount of acreage desired and other factors, such as the condition of the home. 

If anyone can find you what you would like within your price range, it would be me.

Choosing a Lender

Based on experience, my advise for obtaining a loan would be "do not go directly to a bank or lending institution".  My own personal experience with clients going directly to a bank/lender was "overwhelmingly" frustrating.  I have heard from other realtors that whatever bank it is, the result is the same (disaster).  My advise would be to find a reputable loan representative, if they direct you to a bank for some reason, at least you have an additional line of communication.  You should not be paying anymore for a loan through a loan representative, and you will have one contact instead of several that do not talk to each other.  Loan representatives should be up-to-date on all available loan types and rates currently available.