I joined The Tim Wood Group at Coldwell Banker Mountain Gallery Realtors in January of 1999. Having lived in Tempe, Arizona my entire life, moving up to the mountains of Southern California was a big leap of faith for me. After graduating from Arizona State University, I gave my broker, Tim Wood, a 2 year committment and have never looked back. I am happily married now with 4 children and couldn’t have picked a better place to raise a family. Big Bear Lake is truly a wonderful place to live, whether it’s full time like us, or part time like the majority of our owners who come from “down the hill” to enjoy the outdoors and get away from it all.
I am:
- A full time agent who studies the market daily.
- Have exceptional knowledge of the area and inventory.
- A good listener with excellent communication skills.
- Certified EPro Internet Professional, a designation endorsed by the National Association of Realtors.
- Coldwell Banker Previews Specialist, a certification dedicated to luxury real estate marketing.
- Member of the Coldwell Banker President’s Elite for production, representing less than 1% of the more than 125,000 sales associates worldwide.
At The Tim Wood Group, our goal is to demonstrate that professionalism truly exists in the real estate industry, and our committment is to prove this with every Big Bear real estate transaction we complete. I look forward to meeting you and helping you with your mountain home search!
Big Bear Lake….A Four Season Resort Destination
(Click here to read a recent article written by Sam Samuels of the NY Times about Big Bear)
Winter:
(photo courtesy of The New York Times)
When I think of Big Bear in the winter I automatically think of snowskiing/snowboarding at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Snow Summit is the place for everyday skiers and riders at all skill levels who are looking for a family environment. They have night skiing on most Friday’s and Saturday’s and holiday evenings from 3pm to 9:30pm. Our daughter has an annual ski pass and she really enjoys boarding at Snow Summit. Bear Mountain is geared more towards the high school and college snowboarders who enjoy extreme sports and the Superpipe. It is recognized as one of the most progressive terrain parks in the Country and is equally popular.
Another winter activity my wife and I enjoy is snowshoeing. We enjoy going over to the Knickerbocker Trail (right in front of the Knickerbocker Bed and Breakfast), or every once in a while we’ll try Cougar Crest Trail. If you like the outdoors and hiking, you should really consider giving this a shot. There are tons of trails throughout the Big Bear Valley to go and explore. Recently, Big Bear hosted the first annual Snowshoe the Bear event. For more details click here.
Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain and Big Bear Snow Play both have excellent snowmaking systems for inner tubing thrill seekers. Each weekend you can drive by these two spots and see hundreds of excited kids enjoying the snow.
Spring:
(photo courtesy of The New York Times)
This is the time of year to get out and explore the trails by foot, mountain bike or horseback.
Trails are abundant in the San Bernardino National Forest, most notable being the Pacific Crest Trail. The trails in the Big Bear region offer expansive views of the forest, wildlife and valley floor. Most trailheads are easily accessible and lead hikers to summits with outstanding panoramic views. A visit to the Big Bear Lake Visitor Center or the Big Bear Discovery Center provides hikers with every resource to plan a full day of hiking and picnicking.
I always enjoy The Farmers Market which reopens every April over at the Convention Center. Every Tuesday throughout the Spring and Summer you can pick your own fruits and vegtables grown from California farms. It’s a great way to pick fresh healthy food at reasonable prices.
For all you hardcore fishermen, The May Trout Classic is always a big hit. Click here to find out more information about this great local fishing event. Or if you just want to relax and take in the beauty of Big Bear Lake you might want to rent a pontoon boat or take a tour on one of Big Bear’s tour boats (The Big Bear Queen paddelwheel boat, the Big Bear Pirate Ship).
Every May, Big Bear is the host to The Jeep Jamboree, a popular event which brings Jeep owners from all across the Country together to explore the trails of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Summer:
(photo courtesy of The New York Times)
This is when activities in Big Bear kick into high gear. Visitors can be found racing across the lake on waverunners or jet skis, kayaking or canoeing along the lake’s coves and inlets, skimming the water on skis or wakeboards, or sailing with a little help from the constant lake breezes.
Meadow Park Swim Beach is open daily and has protected areas for children to enjoy Big Bear Lake. There are areas to play volleyball, tennis and barbecue nearby by.
The Holcomb Valley Trail Run is always a challenging experience for those who want to test their endurance and stamina. I ran the 15 mile run a couple years ago and was very impressed at how well organized the event was. The first pit stop I made along Cougar Crest Trail had homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade….you don’t find that at the Los Angeles Marathon! Truly a great experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys trail running. Other notable trails to hike, bike or run are the Pineknot Trail, Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail, Castle Rock Trail, Sugarloaf National Recreation Trail, Grays Peak Trail and The Woodland Trail. Or if you prefer not exerting too much energy, The Snow Summit Scenic Sky Chair is another great way to enjoy the panoramic views of Big Bear at 8200 feet.
The Moonridge Animal Park is open daily throughout the summer. And adjacent to Moonridge Animal Park, golfers can get their “fix” at Bear Mountain Golf Course, open May through November; this 9 hole regulation course is located at the base of Bear Mountain Ski Resort.
Big Bear Choppers Ride the Mountain, the Soroptomist Home Tour, The Discovery Center Gala, the Big Bear Fireworks show, the Antique Car Club Fun Run, the Renaissance Faire, and the Antique Wooden Boat Show all happen during the Summer time making it a great time of year to enjoy the mountains.
Fall:
The nice thing about living in Big Bear in the fall is seeing the leaves change colors and visually seeing the season change. Back when I lived in Arizona the only season change was when it went from hot to really hot.
The second annual Big Bear Marathon should be exciting this year. They’re changing the route compared to last years inaugural race. It should be more scenic this year and the route will stay in Big Bear Lake as opposed to circling around Big Bear City and going up through Moonridge. If you’re a runner, this might be something to put on your calender. I’ve ran in 4 marathons (San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon, Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon, The Chicago Marathon, and the California International Marathon. I’ve also run in the Holcomb Valley Trail Run, the 2nd Annual 1st Lt Jared M Landaker Memorial Run for Freedom, the OC Half Marathon, and Pat’s Run.
October in Big Bear is all about the Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest (click here to see a YouTube video about Big Bear’s Oktoberfest), the highest altitude celebration in the United States. This event has attracted thousands of visitors to enjoy German food, imported brews, Bavarian bands, traditional dances and competitions, such as, Queen Stein Carrying Contest and the Log Sawing Contest. You’ll find locals and vistors having a good time and doing The Chicken Dance.
Other events held in the Fall include The Big Bear Lake International Film Festival and the October Trout Fest (the biggest fishing tournament in Big Bear).
























































Hi Mike,
Enjoyed reading your blog. Is it possible to own a Big Bear Lake lakefront home, a small one for sure, for less than $500K esp. in today’s market? Am I dreaming or simply being silly to think this way?
By: OLIVER SANTOS on July 10, 2009
at 5:30 pm
Thanks for your question, Oliver. Yes it is possible, however, there will be some limitations. There’s two properties that are going back to the bank that I think will be priced close to $500k over the next month or two (one on Lakeview Drive and one on Lagunita Lane). So there might be some opportunity in that price range…I think it’s important to understand why they’re at $500k as opposed to $1M. The water will be shallow, the house might be small, and the view might not be as expansive. But it’s a way of getting on the lake! An alternative would be to get something with dock rights or something that has lake access as opposed to a lakefront home which is adjacent to the water. I guess it really depends on how much space you need and what’s important to you. I’ll send you a more detailed email with some options in just a little bit to give you some examples of what’s currently on the market and what you can get in that price range. Thanks again for your question.
Mike
By: Mike Wochner on July 10, 2009
at 5:44 pm
Mike, give me your best lakefront property up to a million with dock, for seasonal use. I am an agent in San Diego representing a buyer. We have rented various lake front vacation homes over the years and we are somewhat familiar with the area. Nice blog by the way. cp
By: Chris Padilla on July 13, 2009
at 9:51 pm
Thanks for the email, Chris. I think the best property out there in the million dollar range is 39473 Lake Drive for $1,150,000. It’s listed with Trenna Bailey of Keller Williams. It’s over $1,000,000 but they might be flexible, and I think it blows away everything else in that price range because of the water level. I wrote about this home back on April 27th (click here to view). I think that’s the best value in that price range, otherwise, you end up looking at $1,300,000 to $2,000,000 for the next step up. Good luck…I’d be more than happy to pay you a referral fee if you would like me to help your clients out?
Mike
By: Mike Wochner on July 13, 2009
at 10:12 pm
looking for a lot or land with something on it lake front for $500K or less, anything out there?
thanks,
Dave
By: dave on July 15, 2009
at 8:24 pm
Thanks for your question, Dave. I’ll email you some options in just a few mintues.
By: Mike Wochner on July 15, 2009
at 8:50 pm
HI there,
My husband and I are just starting to talk about perhaps buying a vacation home near big bear or lake arrowhead. We’re new to LA, so I don’t know much about either spot, so I wondered if you could tell me your thoughts on the better area to look?
Also could you send me an up to date listing of big bear and lake arrowhead properties? I’d love to do a waterfront spot, price pending….
By: caren on June 10, 2010
at 9:24 pm
Dear Mike,
My wife and I live in Pennsylvania, 25 miles north of Philadelphia. We plan to move to Phoenix next year as our daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren live in Scottsdale; and our other daughter and her husband live in San Diego. We plan to purchase a primary home in Goodyear, Pebble Creek 55+ community. We are also planning on purchasinga a second home to avoid the summer heat in Phoenix. We have been exploring lakefront real estate and plan to rent a lakefront home this summer on Big Berar Lake.
We would very much like to meet with you during our visit to learn about the lake and waterfront properties. We are currently searching waterfront rental properties on the web. We are looking for (minimum) a 2 bedroom, 2 bath rental for four to seven days including a weekend. The second week of August, including the 13th and 14th would be ideal. We would like to stay around $2000 and not exceed $2500 for the rental. If you have any suggestions/recommendations we would appreciate hearing them, otherwise we will take our chances on the web.
Our budget for a second home on the waterfront is $350,000 to $500,000, which may not be realistic for Big Bear. Since we are primarily interested in living on Big Bear for the summer, we would be very interested in buying a 1/3 to 1/2 ownership with a family who wants to be there in the winter.
We look forward to meeting with you. We have thoroughly read your web site and testimonials and are confident we have selected the right person to work with.
Regards,
Bob and Nancy Tice
By: Robert and Nancy Tice on June 13, 2011
at 4:17 pm
Hi Mike,
I can tell you that it’s such a market. As a seller we want to get the most and as a buyer we want to pay the least, and then in this market.
So yes I wanted more, But I accept the facts. and facts are it is different market and You Did what you said your’re going to do.
We thank you for your hard work.
Thanks,
Al & Connie
By: Al Fahimi on August 27, 2011
at 5:27 am