Riverside California Homes Days on the Market Here's a good chart to examine if you're thinking of buying or selling real estate in Riverside California. The chart below maps the days on the market properties in Riverside last, from January 2009 to the present month of July 2011. As you can see homes lasted longer on the market in 2009, but then dipped in mid 2009 to mid 2010. in the early months of 2011 the Riverside market spiked back up again, but is now optimistically sloping down for the second half of the year. If you would like more information on the Riverside real estate marketplace feel free to email us at GarrigusRealEstate@yahoo.com, or just click here Riverside CA 07/17/2011

Riverside CA Real Estate House Sales and Home Listings - Short Sales, Foreclosures and Standard Sales - June 2011 Market Report News This is a market activity report of closed house sales and active home listings in the city of Riverside California, for June 2011. According to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), there were 394 closed Riverside home sales from June 1st to June 30th, 2011. 152 were Riverside Foreclosures 99 were Riverside Short Sales / Short Pay 138 were Riverside Standard Sales 5 were Riverside Probate or "Other" Sales And according to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), there are 361 Riverside active listings from June 1st to June 30th, 2011. 63 are Riverside Foreclosures 166 are Riverside Short Sales / Short Pay 121 are Riverside Standard Listings 11 are Riverside Prob... 07/17/2011

New REO's Hitting the Riverside Market   Week 7/9/11 - 7/16/11 101 New Listings (40 Standard Sales--- 35 REO's ---25 Short Sale) 51 Homes Closed The Riverside real estate market is heating up with the summer time temps. We have an active market reflecting an interesting mix of standard sales, short sales and bank owned (REO) properties. Standard Sales - Homeowners with equity have entered the market however they face strong competition from REO's and short sale transactions. The important trick for homeowners is to be priced competitively. The worst thing that can happen is to have a standard sale languishing on the market. Short Sales - the number of short sales initiated are dwindling when compared to the number listed at the beginning of 2011. This maybe due to a lack of urgency from... 07/16/2011

Tips on Winning in a Multiple Offer Situation How much was the other offer? If you have been on the side of the buyer who did not win the home in a multiple offer situation this is a question you may have heard or asked. It's difficult not to second guess yourself at this point but when armed with the correct information you will eventually write the winning offer. Unfortunately today we received the news that our offer was not the winning offer. The sellers selected a cash offer above list price. (You really can't blame the seller for wanting to go with a 90% sure thing.) But I know how badly the buyers wanted this home. We have been searching diligently for the last four weeks. We narrowed down the choices, prioritized their wants & needs, found the right neighborhood and crafted a pr... 07/16/2011

Short Sale Fable & the Relationships We Build Today marks the end of a nine month journey - A short sale transaction. The buyer is moving into a new home and the sellers have moved out from beneath the burden of a mortgage they could no longer carry. It's a bittersweet victory and a tale of perserverance. A modern day fable with a happy ending! Slow and steady moved the tortoise in the old tale about a fast moving hare and his slower opponent. Well that is how this short sale progressed. Two steps forward and one step back (although sometimes it felt like the opposite.) Or remember the Little Engine puffing away "I think I can, I think I can? My chant "we'll close this thing..we'll close this thing." It's an interesting phenomena - the intimacy of the relationship you develop with a cli... 07/01/2011

Victoria Grove Real Estate - Riverside CA     Here is an update on what is happening currently with  Victoria Grove Riverside CA real estate.  This information is as of June 29, 2011. Victoria Grove is a beautiful gated community in the Southwest part of Riverside California - near Lake Mathews.  It is about about three miles south of the 91 freeway on La Sierra Ave.  It is a nice community with wonderful residents and great  community amenities. Active Listings There are 26 houses currently for sale (active listings on the multiple listing service) right now in Victoria Grove in Riverside California.  Of the houses currently for sale, 15 are short sales, six are bank-owned (foreclosure) and seven are standard sales. The least expensive house currently for sale is listed at $274,900 and... 06/29/2011

Riverside Free Concerts in the Park Local Flavor I love the city of Riverside and my job as local Realtor. Through my research I have been prompted to get out and enjoy the myriad of free activities offered in our town. Riverside residents are invited to attend a series of free concerts in the Historic California Citrus State Park every Friday evening. Relax and enjoy the sounds of big bands, jazz or country music. The series of concerts are presented on Fridays from 6:30 - 8:30. July Scheduled Appearances: June 24th - King Jazz Combo July 1st - Riverside Swing Band July 8th - Andy rau Bluegrass July 15th - Dakato Country July 27th - Riverside Concert Band (Big Band) The California Citrus State Park is a designated historical landmark which strives to recreate a  time of booming agricul... 06/23/2011

Riverside Real Estate Trends  Riverside County has seen an increase in the median property value ($214,950) and a decrease in the number of available properties on the market. From April 30th - May 30th the number of properties decreased from 5268 homes to 4317 homes. Prices are stablizing as the number of standard sales in Riverside have increased while the number of bank owned properties continue to decrease. In the city of Riverside: 1346 properties for sale 877 properties under contract 433 properties closed The statistics reflect a decrease in the number of available properties on the market.  The average days on the market for homes in the Victoria & Canyon Crest communities is 103. More than 70% have been on the market more than 90 days. This may represent an opportunity to refre... 06/22/2011

  Hawarden Hills Open House 5801 Royale Place   Luxury**Style**Elegance Custom-built single story 5 bedrooms**4 baths**4097 square feet**41,384 square feet lot Beautifully appointed Three fireplaces, french doors to loggia Custom niches, crown molding, travertine flooring Master suite with french doors to loggia His & Her walk-in closets fireplace master bath with marble surround four body sprays   Please join us Saturday June 18th from 12 - 4 pm Hosting a FSBO Hawarden Hills Open House 5801 Royale Place Riverside, CA 92506   Call for a private showing and/or  price 06/16/2011

Summer Fun in Orangecrest - Riverside CA The neighborhood rings with happy voices of children riding their bikes on the sidewalks, while watchfully parents chat with neighbors or tend to their yards. I can hear the children splashing in their pool next door and the cheers of kids shooting hoops at the other end of the street. This is summer fun in Orangecrest - Riverside CA. In this community of newer tract homes many homeowners have invested in swimming pools as part of their backyard entertaining area. Often newer buyers were able to add a swimming pool to their wish lists as they reaped the rewards of purchasing at a discounted price (pricing in the area is 30% - 40% lower than peak prices.) As hard as homeowners work to maintain a beautiful front yard the same efforts must used in t... 06/13/2011

Yesterday must have been my day for silly phone calls. 1. A client calls me at 4 pm and asks me if I am at my office to pull up his contract to go over it line by line. I told him no I was not at my office but could help him. 2. Another client called me and was all upset because he thought I was showing up on Thurs. Now this is  Saturday afternoon and he is calling because I did not show up on Thursday. Why did he wait 2 days to call? 3. Another agent calls to show an appointment only listing at 2 pm. he called at 3 PM. maybe he works out of a different time zone. 4. Another client called to see what we do here when the sun does shine. It shines over 360 days a year. Today is a new day and new calls. 06/12/2011

Mr & Mrs Seller if your home has been on the market more than 90 days all is not lost!  Don't despair for we can still revitalize your  old stale listing. The dynamics have changed in the real estate game. We are in a "Buyers Market." By now you have probably realized that the old real estate adage is correct. If your home has not received showings, offers or sold, more than likely you have issues with pricing or condition. For a moment imagine your listing is like a candy jar full of M & M's. The candy on top is eaten first leaving behind the old broken, chipped remains. After 90 days (or 30, 60 days) your home has become the left overs - the stale candy. With careful attention you maybe able to reassess and improve your listing. The Multiple Listing Systems has a time-clock which coun... 06/10/2011

Beautiful Home Located in Riverside Gated Community Near Schools and Shopping   Garrigus Real Estate | Coldwell Banker Kivett Teeters | garrigusrealestate@yahoo.com | (951) 490-3683 17303 Woodentree LN, Riverside, CA Beautiful Home Located in Riverside Gated Community Near Schoolsand Shopping. 4BR/2+1BA Single Family House   offered at $270,000 Year Built 2002 Sq Footage 2,649 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 3 Car garage Lot Size 9,147 sqft HOA/Maint $132 per month DESCRIPTION Custom paint throughout, fireplace located in the family room, ceiling fans in all the rooms, walk-in pantry, plantation shutters, master bedroom with master bathroom featuring a large soaking tub and separate shower with a walk-in closet. The upstairs features a large elevated lo... 06/07/2011

Cooperating Brokers??? Can't we all just get along? Well I had a great idea, at least I thought it was a good one. We are constantly told to think outside the box. To be creative in our efforts to reach the public. So in conjunction with National Open House day I came up with the brilliant idea of hosting a community Open House event. I contacted all of the listing agents with active listings in the Victoria Woods Community and gave them my sales pitch. Let's create some hoopla, some energy and buzz. Let's hold the homes open from 12 - 4 on Saturday. I would create a map with directions to the various homes. We could have balloons, cookies, flowers everything, and anything, we could think of to generate a buzz. To my surprise my overtures were greeted with skepticism if not outright hos... 06/04/2011

I attended a home inspection with my buyers this weekend.  They are in escrow on their new home after having searched for two years with another agent. The buyers have been a bit restrained in their enthusiasm as the transaction proceeds through opening escrow, ordering the appraisal, reviewing disclosures.  Well, it's not like those tasks are all that exciting, but since they will ultimately lead to the buyers taking possession of their new home, they are milestones that bring the transaction step by step to closing, and I could tell that my clients are being cautious not to get too attached to this home, just in case something were to derail the transaction. "John", the husband, has always been friendly enough, but just a bit impatient.  When viewing homes, he would want to know how m... 05/16/2011

Hello dear buyers, If you have been looking for a new and affordable home in beautiful Riverside...look no more! Brand new homes are being built on La Sierra community, only across the way from Bryant Park. The two new tracks are located in a gated community. The homes are very modern, with very open, friendly & space efficient lay-outs and low maintance back yards. The New community called "Sierra Park" has a community pool, walk ways, play courts and lots of greenery. You can see pictures of all 4 models at www.home-ala-mode.com           The second phase just started and it is called Turnberry at Sierra Park and it has two models ready to view. Call me for a private showing 951-751-5504. These homes are built to order. One model is 1986 sq ft, two-story, a great room,  3 bedrooms wit... 05/15/2011

This Weekend At The Fox Theater In Riverside, California The Corona Symphony Pops Orchestra with Bob James will be performing for one night only at The Fox in Riverside on May 13th at 8pm.  Special guests Kirk Whalum, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason. Riverside County Philharmonic with conductor Tomasz Golka will be performing "Short, Sweet, and to the Point" on Saturday, May 14th at 7:30pm. Enjoy some Riverside culture this weekend! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Cameron Novak Riverside Short Sale Agent & Riverside Real Estate Agent The Homefinding CenterTM Serving Riverside, California and Surrounding Areas 951-212-7479 Photos and content © Copyright 2011 by Cameron Novak. Here are some of my previous articles: Lookin... 05/11/2011

Builder promotions to entice you.... A good way to assess the direction of real estate in the community is to watch New Home Builders. Builder's spend big bucks on marketing proposals, market evaluations and feasibility studies. They also conduct extensive studies on land planning, site preparation, zoning and customer demographics which allows them to identify potential buyers and their needs.  Builders promotions offer clues to the buying trends of current buyers. Today real estate activity is heating up and builders are jumping into the pool by offering sizzling deals, but have you ever considered what are they really offering? You have to love some of the catchy marketing titles: $999 moves your client into a New LivingSmart homes, Pardee Homes. (Financial package offered by the bui... 05/02/2011

I enjoyed Breakfast with the Mayor on Thursday, April 14th as part of a new innovative Riverside program aptly named the Realtor Summit. The summit was held in the historic Fox Theater located in downtown Riverside on Mission Inn Avenue. The Realtor Summit was designed as an outreach program to equip local Realtors with information about our wonderful city; a community I describe as a "land of orange groves, palm trees and families!"After a networking breakfast we were welcomed by Mayor Loveridge and listened to brief comments given by Deputy Chief Vicino along with representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department, Homebuyer Assistance Program, Representatives from the College, University and superintendents of the School Districts. This was an information intensive session. At ... 04/15/2011

Riverside is a great place to live! So I would like to share My Top Five Favorite Things About Riverside, CA: Andulka Park - Part of the Riverside Renaissance project, this is a 36 acre park consisting of hiking/walking trails, native habitat, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. It epitomizes a Southern Californian's love of the outdoors. According to the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department, Riverside has 51 parks, 14 community centers and 7 pools.   Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Tyler Galleria - I am an avid reader and remember with great joy the day this bookstore opened. The hearty aroma of coffee drifts from the Starbucks Cafe, located within the store. Aspiring writers, children and readers can participate in the various workshops held throughout the month. Community ... 04/06/2011