Hi Meg,

I am a big Claremont fan myself and have lived here for the last 7 going on 8 years so I see and share your interest in this community.

Here's my five-cent prediction regarding market values in this city - Historically, property values in Claremont have been somewhat protected from the extreme fluctuations that affect other areas because of the nature of the community. I usually tell folks that one of the things that protects Claremont is the fact that we just don't have a whole lot of empty dirt to develop here, so if you want to live in this city you have to pick from one of the preexisting properties and either take it as it is, or redevelop it to meet your needs.

This is especially true in and around the Village area where the properties are not only very desirable but some are also additionally protected by their status as historical properties or their location within a protected historical district.

Now, don't missunderstand, property values here in Claremont have seen a reduction just like they have everywhere else but the effect of that reduction has not been as drastic as it has been in some areas (an entry level home here runs around $300,000 to $350,000, down from a high of $450,000 to $500,000 a few years back). So, do I personally believe that buying a property here is a good investment? Yes, I do. Do I feel that it will appreciate in value? Ultimately, yes I do. As you know, real estate is cyclical and if your desired property is located in an area people want to be in your odds of seeing a higher return on your investment are greater generally.

As for the Village Walk properties, you might be able to get a good deal, but I think I would advise looking at or for a house here in Claremont as a first priority. With your budget you should be able to find a nice 3+ bedroom home which would make a good potential rental (folks just love the Claremont schools) and would have the added benefit of no monthly association fee.

If you are really only interested in condo purchases than you might want to look at some of the properties in the Brooks on Sycamore (well outside of the Village but still only 1.5 miles or so away from the colleges and a big difference in cost) or the condos on College (these don't come up as often but they are very popular when they do). There are also the properties located near the Claremont Club (these can be very challenging to get but are well worth pursuing because the area is highly desired).

As a general rule, we don't have a great deal of multi-family dwellings here but if you look you can find them and they usually aren't available for long.

And as for houses built post 2000, there just aren't a whole bunch of those because this is really not what the city is about (see my comment above regarding lack of available dirt for development :-)

I would be happy to discuss your wants and needs in greater depth at your convenience. I base my business here in Claremont, know the area and believe that I could be very helpful to you.

The bottom line as far as I see it based upon the information you have shared, is that there could be some good opportunities for you here in Claremont but it may depend on timing, luck and the skill of the folks on your team.

Thanks for stopping by, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Take care and have a great day!

Tisza Major-Posner, Realtor (DRE#01784679) IVPG Realty, (909) 837-8922 Cell, Tisza (at) HomesByTisza.com Email