Big Bear Lake is a small city in the majestic Southern California mountains. Other cities line the road up the hill to the Big Bear Valley such as Crestline, Running Springs and Lake Arrowhead.

Around the lake are many different sub-cities. These are named Boulder Bay, Big Bear Lake, Moonridge, Big Bear City, Sugarloaf, Erwin Lake, Lake Williams, Baldwin Lake and Fawnskin.

Boulder Bay is an elite real estate area with its own shoreline. Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski resorts can be found in Big Bear Lake along with most stores and restaurants. Moonridge is nestled in the hillside and riddled with trees and curvy inclines.

Big Bear City is a well-populated area east of the lake that is more trafficked by locals than tourists. Sugarloaf is a quaint area with more affordable homes and cabins; it is also where the high school is located. Erwin Lake is a densely forested community at the east edge of town. Lake Williams and Baldwin Lake are rural areas with very few trees and many horse properties. And Fawnskin is a small town on the north side of the lake. It even has its own old-fashioned main street.

Many tourists don’t realize how much there is to see in the Bear Valley as most activity is centered around the lake and resorts and most vehicle traffic is on the main road. They may be surprised to know that there are many more restaurants around and a thriving local community with its own school district and respected sports teams and special events.

If you veer from the main boulevard you could even get lost touring through the neighborhoods and housing developments for hours. Big Bear Lake is definitely is treasured and clandestine microcosm that has something for everyone and enough activities to fill a vacation.

You may already visit Big Bear Lake to ski and boat throughout the year. But next time you are here, take a closer look. Enjoy everything this beautiful Southern California mountain community has to offer. Enjoy Big Bear Lake.

Submitted by: Erika Jamis is quite experienced in shopping Big Bear CA real estate and Big Bear Lake, CA homes for sale overall.

Big Bear Lake, CA has been a great place to call home since I was a child. I am also a realtor in Big Bea Lake, CA homes for sale. Big Bear homes are very charming in the way they are built. But one of the best things about Big Bear homes is Big Bear Lake, CA itself.

Because Big Bear only has around 9,000 full time residents, it is very quiet up here during the week. If you want to go out to dinner or catch a movie, there is never a wait. I love the ability to go out and not be crowded or rushed. Since we are a second home/vacation home market, you can count on at least 50% of the homes in your area being vacant at any given time. This really lends itself to being able to get away from the noise and crowds of the city. Did I mention the clean air? Big Bear has the best air quality in The Inland Empire.

Take a trip to Big Bear Lake, CA and inhale the fresh, clean air. The air quality is virtually devoid of yuck. And do you now what else that means besides healthy lungs? More stars. So many stars that you won’t know where to look first. We have an amazing night sky unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere else.

Now there are other towns on the hill. But Big Bear is even different from those. Primarily because, we have everything you need in one place. Simple things like grocery shopping might be a be difficult elsewhere. Here, we have Vons and Stater Brothers as well as several independently owned markets.

Big Bear also has close to 100 restaurants to dine at, unlike some other mountain cities. We have six movie screens in two locations, pubs, a dance hall and even Kmart. So if you do want to own a Big Bear vacation home, you don’t have to take a vacation from the essentials, and a few nice extras.

Finally, a Big Bear home is a good place to invest your money. Because we are comprised of mainly second and vacation homes, we have not been hit as hard as other areas by the current recession. As a whole, Big Bear Lake, CA homes have held their value much better than the rest of San Bernardino County. Bank Owned Properties are only making up between 5-10% of our current MLS.

Other places have a tremendous rate of foreclosure on their homes. Big Bear home sales are even improving. More Big Bear Lake, CA homes for sale are actually selling because of their value, 40% more than the previous year. These homes are even receiving ore than one offer which is a great sign of a healthy market.

I hope this helps shed a little more light on Big Bear Lake, CA homes. If you want to know more about Big Bear Lake, CA homes for sale, I will be writing more soon. So keep your eye out.