Sweet Magnolias...Happy Mother's Day     I love Magnolia trees and think they are so pretty.                     The plant facsinates me when the fruit pops up from the center of the bloom.                       The white blooms are so big and beautiful and the aroma reminds me of a gardenia plant.             Happy Mother’s Day!   California is a dream come true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic mountains and desert communities. If you are looking for a home in southern California, please contact me. I am a local California Realtor, live in the Inland Empire community and aware of the local market. I am here to help you find a home or to sell the home you currently own. California has great opportunities to view N... 05/11/2013

  Social Media has a new role-The Public's Eyes & Ears for News Events   A week ago, a highly respected marathon in Boston, Mass. turned into one of the most catastrophic events in US history. People were confused, lost, injured, separated from others, and social media proved to be a big help.     Google, Facebook and Twitter immediately took over when spectators and marathon runners began grabbing their cell phones to make calls, to take video footage, shot pictures to send to social media sites and to go to the internet and find out any news.       The Google website had a special site available up almost immediately for people who were lost and for people who checked in to say they were OK. This must have been a great relief to friends and loved ones who were panicked.   Smartphones-... 04/23/2013

Are you using e-Signatures- DocuSign or ZipLogix?   The wet signature has been the standard for over 500 years. That is until now—the era of technology—when electronic signatures promise easier, speedier, safer transactions for REALTORS® and consumers.   Congress tried to help this along by passing the ESIGN Act of 2000. Its purpose was to support and promote electronic commerce through the use of electronic records and signatures by ensuring the validity and legality of contracts entered into electronically, while preserving consumer protection laws.   Since then, electronic signatures have become much more widely accepted by most financial and lending institutions. E-vendor DocuSign reports 65,000 new users per day (not just in real estate) and expects that number to be one per second... 04/15/2013

  Speechless Sundays: Spring in Southern California                                                                                                                                       This tiny little bird was not much longer than an apple tree leaf. I zoomed in quite a bit but he is still small.   Kristin Hamilton DRE #014092138 Keller Williams Realty – I am a full time agent and deal in all types of real estate transactions. Trusts, Probate, Short Sales, Standard Listing, Single Family Homes,  Apartments 1-4 units, Duplexes and Condos. I am also an experienced REO agent. I sell real estate in the Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. I am a trained and experienced Short Sale agent. If you are looking for a professional and experienced agent, I am just a click ... 04/14/2013

  There’s a New Guy in Town   I heard the sounds of a new bird in the yard this morning with an unusual bird call. Saw this guy hanging around with the Red Finches and hogging the bird feeders. This male bird is called a Red-Winged Blackbird. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel.       Male Red-winged Blackbirds do everything they can to get noticed, sitting on high perches and belting out their ‘conk-la-ree’ song all day long.     Here is a typical Red Finch, so thin and pale. They look like they had a tough winter so I am filling the feeders several times a day.   Kristin Hamilton DRE #014092138 Keller Williams Realty – I am a full time agent and deal in all types of real estate transactions. Trusts, ... 04/11/2013

Sometimes You Have to Stop and Smell the Flowers or Take a Sun Bath     Being a Realtor, Lender, Title or Escrow Officer, Home Stager, Home Inspector, Insurance Agent or any other busy professional can be very stressful at times and we have to think of #1-ourselves.   Stress can do damage to our bodies and sometimes it is not repairable. Diseases caused by stress; Strokes, Heart Attacks, Migraines, Ulcers, High Blood Pressure, Over-Eating, Cancer, Depression, and just lowers your immune system to fight off germs.   We try to take care of everyone else but we must think about ourselves too or we won’t be around. Clients, Employees, Friend and of course Family is so important but take a little time for yourself. If you take good care of yourself, you might not have to take medicine to re... 04/10/2013

Pelican & the Fisherman Tale-Waiting Patiently         I was down at the beach last weekend and watched a fisherman cleaning off his catch of the day.             This pelican waited patiently for the scraps and any leftover bait.             Well, all I can say is that patience paid off and the pelican finally got some treats and a big fish too.             But then as I was standing there shooting pictures, the pelican jumped down and grabbed the fish and gulped it down.       This was about a 1 minute ordeal. Take a look at his neck as he is swallowing this fish. I wish I had had a video camera as the sounds were amazing. I do not usually get the chance to get so close to pelicans but hunger overtook fear so he waited patiently for his rewards. And this was a very exciting moment for... 04/04/2013

  TWO Important Dates Coming Up in April ……Don’t Forget to Pay your TAXES     In April, our State and Federal Tax Returns are due by April 15. Do not forget or you might get a penalty as I am sure none of us want the IRS or State adding penalties onto our tax bills.             In California, Property Taxes are due by April 10. If you forget to pay them, the penalty is 10% which doesn’t sound like much but if you look at the numbers, it is a big chuck. If your tax bill for ½ year is $3,000, you would have to pay $300 in penalties. I prefer to keep my $300 …………………..so mail your property taxes in soon.   DON’T FORGET because Uncle Sam won't!   Kristin Hamilton  DRE #014092138 Keller Williams Realty -I sell real estate in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties commonly called the Inland Emp... 03/27/2013

  Buyers….Save Big with a Shorter Term Loan   Homeownership is the American dream so if You can pay your loan off sooner by paying every four weeks vs. once a month. Also you can opt to have a 10, 15, or 20 year loan instead of the normal 30 year. Check with your lender for details or call me and I can help you find your dream home.      Kristin Hamilton  DRE #014092138 Keller Williams Realty -I sell real estate in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties commonly called the Inland Empire. I am a trained and experienced Short Sale agent. If you are looking for a professional and experienced agent, I am just a click away. Google me at Kristin Hamilton-Real Estate Agent. Homeowners and Buyers both will find my services top notch and successful. Call me to sell your home; both traditional and... 03/26/2013

Rattlesnake Bites...Be Careful as Snakes are Waking Up   Snakes are found throughout the world and snake bites are extremely common. Typically the most common and dangerous in the U.S. are the rattlesnakes which can cause severe tissue problems and sometimes death.   The weather is warming up and rattlesnakes are waking up and creeping around so beware. In San Bernardino Count, the rattlers of San Gorgonio Pass emerge from hibernation; authorities are dealing with frequent medical emergencies when the venomous snakes and people fail to keep away from one another.   The California Poison Control Center records about 800 bites each year statewide, with one to two deaths, according to Dept. of Fish and Game.   Locally, San Bernardino & Riverside County, CA, bite victims are treated with me... 03/06/2013

What’s My Moreno Valley CA Home Worth? – Find the Value of Your Moreno Valley CA House In this current real estate market, understanding the current value of your Moreno Valley home can be a confusing task. Even so-called experts, banks and real estate agents have a tough time determining the market value of Moreno Valley California houses. There are websites like Zillow and Yahoo Real Estate that enable you to input your address and get a formula-derived price of your Moreno Valley home, but these tools are unreliable because the data feeds that enable this can sometimes be inaccurate. These tools also do not take into account the varying differences in homes, like condition, upgrades and other amenities. So what is the best way to determine the price of your Moreno Valley CA home? By ... 02/15/2013

When Life Gives you Lemons….Make Lemon Bars! I met with one of my dearest friends for her birthday Friday. As we were saying good-bye, she handed me a huge bag of lemons from her two lemon trees. So I brought them home and put them in a big bowl with some tangerines. I think fruit sitting in a pretty bowl in the kitchen looks so beautiful and smells so clean and fruity. I love the citrus aroma. But what to do with 30+ lemons as I cannot drink that much water and lemon slices so I need to cook something with the lemons. I could make lemonade but no I am not a real fan of lemonade so instead I am going to make “Lemon Bars”. And while I am cooking, have a nice glass of wine with a lemon slice in it. I feel just like Julia Childs.   Life handed him a lemon as Life sometimes will do. His fri... 01/21/2013

  Quit Hanging Around and Get Busy   It is already the middle of January so hopefully you are busy attending to business and calling clients and leads. If not and you are just hanging around the office, waiting for your phone to ring, then get moving and grow your business.   Advertising- Web and community areas Blog Daily-Join ActiveRain, Word Press and Google+. Farming- 2X Month or more Web Presence – 4+ places Calling Sphere Contacting Past Clients Networking Seminars- get ideas  Volunteer Get Organized Keep a Daily Journal Make Lists/Cross off items Join Organizations- Not just Realtor groups Update Website Profiles U-Tube Videos Cold Calling and Door-Knocking Stay Motivated Think Outside the Box Your hard work will pay off. Hustle this month and next month you will be pleased with ... 01/14/2013

It Was Freezing This Morning!   I live in Southern California and we typically have very mild weather but this morning it was freezing. My thermometer had frozen at 40 degrees on the patio as it was around 29 degrees.  Then I notice my fountain had stopped working….what!       So I ran out to find out why and realized it had frozen. So of course I ran and took some pictures.               Yesterday morning the finches had been diving and taking baths in the fountain but not a finch in site so I guess it is too cold for them too.             This picture at 8:00 a.m. shows the water froze while dripping down from one bowl to the next like an icicles.   Now at 1:00 pm, most of the ice has melted but it is still cold outside.       Frankly I am enjoying this cold weather. It is snowing in ... 01/11/2013

MORENO VALLEY PROPERTY VALUES JUMP IN 2012… HOW ABOUT 2013? Closed sales in Moreno Valley were down by 25% this past December with only 171 closed transactions compared to 228 closed transactions in December 2011, due mostly to a lack of inventory of available homes on the market.  On the other hand, prices have increased in the same 12 month period 7.62% due mostly to the same culprit... lack of inventory.   The Government and the banks are helping to bring values up (dare I say) artificially by holding onto homes that should be on the open market, but the buyers that are currently in the trenches are finding it frustrating that there are fewer homes to look at and that there are more buyers to compete with, thus most homes are being bid up and sold over asking price.... sometimes 10,... 01/06/2013

When Will the Rain Stop?   I have a family of Black Phoebe birds living in my yard and they hang out near the pool looking for insects as they do not eat bird seed.     This morning it was raining and this one black phoebe bird just hung around waiting for the rain to stop.                   Finally it left. Probably in my front yard looking for the worms in the grass.           California is a dream come true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic mountains and desert communities. If you are looking for a home in southern California, please contact me. I am a local California Realtor, live in the Inland Empire community and aware of the local market. I am here to help you find a home or to sell the home you currently own... 12/26/2012

3 Most Important Steps Before Selling Your House 1. De-Clutter a) Furniture- Put any excess furniture in storage. If you have 5 TVs in your   house, get rid of most of them and I bet some of them do not work. Put the TV in the family room. Remove the TV’s out of the Bedrooms and make sure you      do not have extra furniture; Bed, nightstand, small dresser and a lamp is all you need. Gigantic furniture makes the rooms look small too.   b) Closets- You need to remove all the junk and old clothing out of the closets. Box this stuff up and put in storage or give it away.   c) Bedrooms- Make sure your bedrooms are either staged as bedrooms or as an office. Do not have a junk room. You want the buyers to see this as bedroom/office as they are probably looking for a large house with lots of ... 12/23/2012

  Moreno Valley Homes For Sale If you are currently looking to purchase a home for sale in Moreno Valley California, but don't know where to begin, SCA Real Estate is here to help! Our friendly Realtors can provide you with instant access which will allow you to view all Moreno Valley Homes For Sale with the simple click of your mouse!   Moreno Valley MLS Home Search  Often times Real Estate websites can be confusing and misleading, and most have outdated data! Our Moreno Valley Homes website is updated daily, which means you will only be shown Homes for sale in Moreno Valley that are actually available!, vs homes that are pending or already sold.    Work with a top Moreno Valley Realtor When you choose to hire an experienced and knowledgeable Moreno Valley Realtor, it can & will make a... 11/28/2012

Hey............. Where Did the Turkey Go?   I had cleared the table and looked over and Tootie had jumped up in one of the chairs and was looking for the turkey. She looked so sad and just laid her head on the table. After I cleaned up the kitchen, I gave all three dogs some turkey bites. After we cut the pie, she was up there again looking at me like “Where’s the Pie”. I am going to have to keep the chairs tucked in to keep her off the table!       California is a dream come true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic mountains and desert communities. If you are looking for a home in southern California, please contact me. I am a local California Realtor, live in the Inland Empire community and aware of the local market.... 11/23/2012

Must your Buyer do a Walk-Through or Waive it?   A major events of a purchase of a home is the final walk-through or in our state called “Verification of Property”. When I first started real estate, it was an event that always took place but not so much anymore. With properties selling as-is or real estate owned, many agents waive this step. California's “VP” form; there is even a box now you can check if your client wants to waive the walk-through.   What is a Walk-Through?   1.    What is a walk-through? It is a final inspection by the buyer and their agent to verify the property is in the same condition or better than the time they submitted their offer.   2.   Repairs Completed? If there has been a request for repairs by the buyer or appraiser, this is the time to verify the repair... 11/11/2012