I love my job! I’m so excited to be helping a vibrant senior homeowner to complete her reverse mortgage. She has lived in her single story home since the early 80’s when she moved here to retire away from the often fogged in California coast.  Her budget was tight but doable as she had taken advantage of deferring her property taxes.  That particular option was taken away from her recently due to the budget problems the state is having.  So, this year, she has to figure out some way to make her house payments and come up with about $200 extra a month to pay those taxes. She thought about asking her kids for help, but they are also struggling in this economy.  She had some other options as well: Sell and rent an apartment. She doesn’t want that. Sell and move in with one of the kids. N... 04/03/2011

 Yep, I'm Pumped and Ready to Go! Tomorrow, April 2 from 12 - 3 pm, I am holding my first Open House in a farm I targeted just two months ago. It is a standard sale and it is my first listing in the Victoria Woods community. Two months ago I was discouraged, thought I had lost my mojo, and asked for suggestions from the AR community. I'm here to tell you what a difference two months can make. Today, using a suggestion garned from an AR member, I walked the neighborhood of my new listing to inform neighbors about the Open House tomorrow and ask permission to set directional arrows along the street. The response was great. People were pleased by this small courtesy. I then visited all the immediate neighbors to invite them to the Open House preview. (wink...wink.) Everyone was very excite... 04/01/2011

"As there are some flowers which you should smell but slightly to extract all that is pleasant in them... so there are some men with whom a slight acquaintance is quite sufficient to draw out all that is  agreeable; a more intimate one would be unsafe and unsatisfactory." Walter Savage Landor 03/26/2011

Real Estate report:  The # of all cash home sales in Riverside and Corona CA I work with a lot of home buyers in Riverside and Corona CA real estate and have been wondering how many of the home sales in Riverside and Corona are bought by all cash buyers.  So I decided to research this issue myself and here are the results of that research.  The home sale totals are for all types of residential sales; single family homes as well as condos.Riverside California Real Estate Month/Yr All Cash Sales Total Sold Homes Percentage All Cash February 2010 93 313 30% April 2010 111 410 27% June 2010 99 395 25% August 2010 100 387 26% October 2010 105 341 31% December 2010 124 432 29% February 2011 84 274 31% Corona California Month/Yr All Cash Sales Total Sold Homes Percentage All Cash February 2010... 03/25/2011

The Best Little Bike Shop in Riverside, CA Now I'm not a rider but my husband has a long standing love affair with his bikes. He collects them, treasures them, rides them and hangs out with Wild Bill. Wild Bill owner of Bill's Motorcycle Shop. Wild Bill is definitely a character with a capital C. He's a blue-eyed charmer with a passion for bikes and all things related. As he shared, "I love every morning when I get up and come to the shop." Wild Bill's clients feel the same as they come from as far away as Las Vegas, San Diego, and Orange County. You see this is a business where the clients become like family. "It's a personalized shop, I know my clients." Wild Bill, nicknamed from his racing days, has loved bikes since he was twelve. He started racing at fourteen, running shops as a yo... 03/24/2011

Riverside CA Real Estate House Sales and Home Listings - Short Sales, Foreclosures and Standard Sales - February 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 February 2011. According to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), there were 286 closed Riverside home sales from February 1st to February 28th, 2011. 122 were Foreclosures 74 were Short Sales / Short Pay 73 were Standard Sales 17 were Probate or "Other" Sales And according to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), there are 293 Riverside active listings from February 1st to February 28th, 2011. 49 are Foreclosures 118 are Short Sales / Short Pay 79 are Standard Listings 47 are Probate or "Other" Sales Number of Sales in Riverside from th... 03/24/2011

I'm working with a number of buyers right now.  The process of looking for houses now is quite frustrating due to the large numbers of short sales.  And, trying to avoid short sales can be quite difficult.  I have been telling my clients that about 50 to 60% of the houses for sale in Riverside CA, Corona, Murrieta and other nearby cities are short sales but I wanted to double check and get more definite statistics.  So I did a search of all the active listings in Riverside (both single family houses and condos).  What I correct about the 50 to 55%? Well on the day that I did my research, I was pretty darn close.  This is what I discovered: On March 19, 2011 there were: 1455 Total Active Listings Percent of Total Listings 716 Short sales 49.2% 217 Bank-owned 14.9% 522 Standard, Other or ... 03/18/2011

Riverside California Short Sale Real Estate Agents - Call Us Now: 1 (888) 9-LIST-IT  Are you like many homeowners in Riverside having trouble paying your mortgage every month? You may be behind in your mortgage payment, or not behind yet. Don't let foreclosure happen to you. Hire the best Riverside Short Sale Agent team to help you with your difficult situation at NO CHARGE TO YOU! We are Riverside short sale agents, and we have extensive experience with short sale negotiations with dozens of the nation's mortgage lenders and banks. Whether you have one, two or more mortgage loans, we are able to offer you options. Our Riverside Short Sale Agent team assists home owners throughout Southern California. If you have questions about short sales, how they work and the myriad of opportunities... 03/18/2011

Houses for Sale in Riverside CA - February 2011 Here is information about houses for sale in Riverside CA. The number of houses for sale and in escrow shown here are as of March 8, 2011.  These statistics do not include condos.  This is a breakdown per Riverside zip code but the overall picture for Riverside CA real estate shows a decrease in the number of sales over the last three months.  The number of houses currently for sale has gone up in four of the eight Riverside CA zip codes and six zip codes have experienced an increase in the number of pendings/backup status houses over December. The number of houses that sold (closed) in February compared to January has increased in half of the zip codes. The sold prices went up from in February (compared to January) in five zip codes.  925... 03/15/2011

Inspired by the quiet of a Spring Renewal! Here in Southern California we are subject to so many days of beautiful weather that often it becomes mundane unless you force yourself (or are forced by circumstances outside your control) to pause and take note. Along with our beautiful weather and earthquakes we our recognized as having some of the worst traffic in the country. (There's always a trade-off!) Yesterday I was caught in a traffic jam, on a side street as all the other drivers tried to avoid the construction delays, when we were forced to a complete halt. Now with the cost of gasoline in mind I turned the engine off along with the radio. And for several minutes I was subjected to the most beautiful silence filled only with the chirrups of early morning birds, a rooster crowing in... 03/09/2011

Free Short Sale Help For Homeowners in Riverside California GarrigusRealestate.com's Top Rated Riverside Short Sale Agent for California is helping Riverside homeowners avoid foreclosure, FREE OF CHARGE. Our Short Sale Team assists hundreds of Southern California homeowners with their complicated situations and we NEVER charge homeowners for our real estate services... Our commissions fee is paid by the bank. Is your house worth less than you owe? Are you having trouble paying your mortgage or are you already behind? Do you have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage or a Negative Amortized Loan? Are you concerned about tax implications? Do you have questions about how short sales work? Many home owners are short selling their upside-downproperties, & so can you! We are Certified Foreclosure & Sho... 03/04/2011

Orangecrest Riverside, CA 92508 - a neighborhood of orange groves, citrus trees and families.  Adjacent to Woodcrest and Mission Grove, this master-planned community was first annexed in 1986 however the major growth of new home construction exploded during the early 2000's. Subdivisions populated the land as New home builders created similar tracts along with maintaining areas of designated green space.  The Orangecrest community consists of approximately 5000 homes, shopping centers and local restaurants. Orangecrest was formerly the site of orange groves, orchards and fruit stands. If you're fortunate on a spring day it is still possible to capture a slight whiff of the sweet smelling orange blossoms.  Gless Ranch, a local landmark and a family owned orchard since 1907, still continu... 03/04/2011

Mission Grove, a new home community in riverside, ca, entices buyers with style and comfort. Standard Pacific Homes offers three floorplans, a great location and is part of a desired school district.  Orange grooves once dominated the Riverside landscape. Citrus tree flourished in our semi-arid environment. Driving around the area you will still observe orange trees lining the streets or acres of orange groves. Due to our history with the fruit many of the streets and communities are named after the symbolic fruit. Mission Grove resides high above the city offering panaromic views of snow covered mountains (during our winter season), flourishing orange grooves and city lights. The subdivision will consist of three floorplans with Prairie, Continental and Mediterranean style elevations. ... 02/25/2011

 A great neighborhood - Victoria Woods in Riverside, Ca , embodies tradition, longevity and stability. This community of homes is often described as post war modern (a funny sounding description) with homes built between 1950 - 1975. Remember the packed to the brim home of the Brady Family? Then you are picturing the right neighborhood. Tradition is alive and well in Victoria Woods. If the thought of an established neighborhood is appealing to you, combing it with just a hint of a retro vibe, then adding to the mixture a highly rated school district; this is a community you should to visit. History weaves a lovely tapestry throughout the community. It whispers through the trees and is a part of the very foundation. Howe street is named after an original landowner who subdivided his form... 02/23/2011

Did you know there is a gated community in Canyon Crest? Shhh... it's a well kept secret but nestled behind the gates on Sunset Ranch is sparkling gem of a community, the prestigious Crawford Country.The views of snow capped mountains in the winter, or soaring mountain peaks in the summer let you know you have arrived home. This small enclave of attached single family homes offers security and privacy amidst a serene park-like setting. Meandering walking paths wind through the lushly landscaped streets. Contemporary homes, built in the early 80's, offer Craftsman type elevations with individual mailboxes in front of each residence.  An HOA maintained sparkling community pool invites residents to lounge pool side or enjoy social events at the clubhouse.  Welcoming porches frame the entra... 02/20/2011

I spy something green, blue and twirling.... (No it's not a storm cell although it would be great if this is a new storm a brewing.) I spy New Home Construction Sign Twirlers! Yea, Hip hip hooray! Today I saw two sign twirlers advertising a new home community in Perris and with a nostalgic sigh I observed the relics of days gone by. (And no I am not on a grand, luxurious vacation, I'm referring to Perris, CA.) For those of us living in the Inland Empire this is great news because our landscape was littered with abandoned communities, halted in the middle of construction as Builders went under. But the sight of those kids brought back happy memories. Remember the ubiquitous sign twirlers on nearly every corner? Remember rating their performances based on skill, dance or acrobatic ability... 02/20/2011

Dream Big Real Estate is looking for someone to help us with our short sale processing and negotiation. Great training! (We are 100% successful in the past year -- no client properties lost to foreclosure) Awesome compensation! (We're not greedy. We value people who contribute) Flexible hours! (Within the context of the workday) Growing office with Big-Time Opportunities for you to grow with us! (We've been in the biz for years, but our new company is just getting started) If you are ... Licensed to do real estate in California. Energetic and hungry Have a Great Work Ethic (our standards, not the average Joe Bob's (apologies to anyone named "Joe Bob")) Strong communication skills Easy to talk to and strong on the phone Organized and unflappable AND MOST OF ALL ... Can Think on Your Feet... 02/16/2011

Houses for Sale in Riverside CA - January 2011 Here is information about houses for sale in Riverside CA. The number of houses for sale and in escrow shown here are as of February 15, 2011.  These statistics do not include condos.  The number of houses currently for sale has gone up in five of the eight Riverside CA zip codes and almost all zip codes have experienced an increase in the number of pendings/backup status houses over December. One area that doesn't look good, especially if it continues, is the decrease in all but one zip code in the number of houses that sold (closed) in January versus December and November.     92501 Jan Dec Nov  # of houses for sale 93 109 83 # of houses in escrow or taking back-up offers 58 44 65 # of sold houses 17 24 26 Average list price  $167,871 $16... 02/15/2011

After seeing slight increases in 2010 fueled by the federal tax credit, home prices dropped back again at the end of the year, according to online real estate tracker Zillow. And more homes went underwater as banks put temporary freezes on foreclosures to deal with the robo-signing debacle. Homes in the Riverside Metropolitan area had a home value index of $190,000 In December, down a half-percent from November 2010 and down 1.3 percent from the previous quarter, Zillow reported. The Inland Empire region was unchanged from December 2009. Nationally, values hit $175,200, down 5.9 percent from a year earlier. Since June 2006, the absolute peak of the real estate market, prices have decreased about 53 percent in the Inland Empire and 27 percent nationally, Zillow reported. (Zillow's home v... 02/12/2011

Shhh...well kept secrets from inside the world of new construction! Six tips for presenting homes This maybe controversial but having worked in both new home sales and resale I believe some of the best sales training occurs in the New Home community. (Yes, I can already hear the voices of dissent but bear with me.) Upon first joining a resale office I was greeted with hesitation, because of my new home background my sales skills were in doubt. I was offered excellent training and would be like to share the secrets of a great home presentation. How many people realize a well orchestrated tour can help secure an offer? Consider the psychology behind a successful presentation. Well, here we go: Parking is important. Parking in front of the home visually reduces the size of the lot. Parking... 02/11/2011