The beginning

Several years ago Leslie gave me her blessing for me to travel to a huge air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I went 3 years in a row because I was intriqued with the possibility of building my own airplane, and this was the place to find out.

Ultimately, I decided to build an “impractical” airplane, meaning one just for fun. Many guys build “practical” aircraft that are great for going fast on cross country trips. Initially, I decided on building a 1930s era biplane and in preparation for welding the frame took one semester of gas welding at Ventura College, then a semester of TIG welding. I was ready to go! But…

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Meet the Don Nelson Team!

Leslie has been involved in some aspect of real estate for many years. Her father was a long time Ventura Realtor, and she’s carrying on the good family name by taking the required course work for her Broker’s license! She enjoys the dynamic aspects of real estate – understanding the changes and nuances of the real estate market and the economy.

Leslie enjoys meeting with clients and listening to the heart beat of their wants and needs. Her clients love how she stays in close communication and makes the transaction smooth and less stressful from beginning to completion.

On a personal note, Leslie grew up in a military home and feels fortunate for the travels and different experiences military life brought. An interesting note – Leslie was a Nelson before she married Don Nelson. Also, Don’s mother married a Nelson!

Away from work, Leslie loves to travel and enjoys her hand at decorating her home, walks along Surfer’s Point at the beach, reading and spending time with friends. She also leads a women’s group at church.

Don’s been a full time Realtor in Ventura for almost 25 years. In 2006 Don became active in helping owners of commercial properties who wanted to get out of the “Terrible T’s” (Tenants, Trash and Toilets!) do IRS 1031 tax deferred exchanges into Tenants-in-Common (TIC) transactions. Because these are securities based transactions, Don was required to become a securities licensed Registered Representative.

With increasing turmoil in the commercial marketplace because of the current financial crisis, Don is working with investors and owner/users to track and acquire bank owned (REO) commercial properties. For owners looking to acquire commercial property for their company, the SBA (Small Business Administration) has excellent financing options available, spurred in part by the current Administration’s push to stimulate the economy.

As an avocation, Don has always enjoyed aviation and for the past few years has been building an airplane patterned after a 1930’s era Tiger Moth biplane at Camarillo airport. You can follow his progress here.  He also enjoys playing league racquetball at a local gym on Wednesday nights (and over the lunch hour when he can!).

Leslie at her desk. Her CA broker license is 01775127.

Don at the conference table. Don's CA broker license is 00865534.

If you’re serious about selling or buying a home or investment property, choose the professionals who are fully committed to helping you achieve your real estate goals – a team that will manage every aspect of your transaction with exacting skill. No one’s better at Bringing It All Together than Don and Leslie Nelson.

Call or email them now to schedule a complimentary consultation!

Read more in today’s Wall Street Journal, Treasury Secretary Paulson talks about revamping credit rules to avoid financial turmoil. His three steps include:

• “Set nationwide licensing standards for mortgage brokers.
• Increase disclosure of conflicts of interest by credit-rating firms.
• Make issuers of mortgage-backed securities reveal if they have shopped for ratings.”

Check out this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal talking about trading up, doubling down, or helping your kids: Three Ways to Play the Battered Housing Market.

Here you will see the comparison statistics for the 4th quarter of homes sold between 2005 to 2007 for Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura.

Here are the February statistics for homes sold in Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura.

Here are the January statistics for homes sold (closed escrow) in Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura.

With so much doom and gloom out there nationally, it’s interesting to see what’s happening locally. A good leading indicator is: How many people actually put their hard earned money on the line and made an offer that was accepted?

Each month, we’ll be watching pending home sales. January shows a decline in 2007 for Camarillo and Ventura, but the February spreadsheet shows very robust gains in Oxnard, strong gains in Ventura, but a decline in Camarillo.

Generally, escrows opened in January are for those folks who’ve maybe been looking over the holidays, thus lower numbers. But after the holidays in January, it appears buyers have been coming into the market. Will the trend continue? We’ll see!