HOW TO FIND A GOOD RIVERSIDE CA REALTOR TO SELL YOUR RIVERSIDE CA HOUSE   When you decide to sell your Riverside CA home you don't take the process lightly. Of course you don't, because your house is your home that you and your family have shared together. And, because for most of us our house is our most valuable asset. In this tough market you need to make sure the sale produces a top-dollar selling price for your investment AND for the purchase of your next home. So, How do you really find a good Riverside CA REALTOR to sell your home? Here's a quick list of ways to search for a real estate agent and things to consider:   1. Google search (or use any other web search engine) the city or area your home is located in. Search for REALTORS and real estate agents in that area. For example... 02/09/2011

The Fine Art of Negotiating with a Builder  or tips to help you secure the New Home of your dreams. Yes it is true, you are entitled to enter into negotiations with builders. Many buyers are surprised to learn this fact believing that prices are written in stone or they mistakenly submit low offers which are quickly rejected. However insiders (or former new home consultants) are aware of certain facts which are useful during the negotiation process. Community quotas provide buyers with a great opportunity simply because they exist. Have you considered that each sales consultant or community must achieve monthly goals in order to be productive (or to keep a job.) Therefore timing is an aspect you should consider when submitting an offer. Month end negotiations are often more successful d... 02/09/2011

It's true, every listing has a great "house story". I recently read an article in the February issue of Realtor Magazine which described this intriging concept and I have now made it a part of every presentation. As Realtors we realize, or should realize, the importance of a good description in the Multiple Listing Service. Well I have committed myself to writing the best descriptions with beautiful photographs. Taking that one step further I've donned my detective hat and will uncover the house story. Why and How, you may ask? Well just picture this: Warm Inviting Family Home Tuscan beauty nestled in the hills Unique Gated Ranch Wonderfully descriptive ads which should intrigue the reader and lead them onto further exploration. Now the first step has been successful and you have captur... 02/08/2011

  Reverse Mortgage Quiz - Have fun with this new quiz! 1) What is the minimum age allowed for a reverse mortgage? borrower? a) 55 b) 60 c) 62 d) 65 2) What does HECM stand for? a) Home Equity Conversion Mortgage b) Housing for Elder Community Mortgage c) Housing Equality Cooperative Mortgage d) Help for Elders Community Mortgage3) True/False - Reverse Mortgage proceeds are considered taxable income. 4) Loan to Value ratios on Reverse Mortgages are based upon these three factors: a) Home Value,  FHA Lending Limit, Age of oldest borrower. b) Home Value or FHA Lending Limit (whichever is least), current expected interest rate, and the age of youngest borrower. c) Home Value or FHA Lending Limit (whichever is less), Average age of borrowers, current expected interest rate. d) Home Value, cu... 02/08/2011

Yes it's true....New Construction Builders are offering some great deals in Riverside, Ca.  Discerning buyers are able to take advantage of some great promotions currently being offered. Due to a surplus of move-in ready or quick move-in homes many builders have continued their year end promotions, and better yet in an effort to move that inventory, are offering early Spring deals. The deals are packaged differently by each builder. Upgrade promotions, or the bells and whistles, will tempt the prospective buyer with granite counters and tumbled travertine tub/shower surrounds. Some are offering luxury kitchens including granite counters, stainless steel appliances and double-ovens along with the standard included features.  Window treatments (usually a forgotten expense) and backyard la... 02/01/2011

Located 57 miles east of Los Angeles, Riverside is named for its location next to the Santa Ana River. Known as the City of Arts and Innovation, Riverside, California is the largest city in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. It is the largest city in the Inland Empire,  61st most populous city in the country, and the 12th most populous city in California. In addition to being home to the University of California-Riverside, the city's attractions include the California Museum of Photography, the Fox Performing Arts Center, and the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree (one of the two original navel orange trees in California). Though Riverside is famous for its contribution to the citrus industry, there is a lot more than oranges to Riverside The History  ... 01/29/2011

Folks in Riverside may have seen this Fox News segment on Reverse Mortgages. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com   It's worth listening to... Apparently, Fox got it wrong the first go around - good for them to correct their report. Here is a link to the organization that they refer to at the end of the segment.  The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. If you want reliable information about reverse mortgages, NRMLA is a great place to start!     01/28/2011

Riverside Reverse Mortgage Question?  Why is HUD taking over my reverse mortgage? Over time, the loan balance on a reverse mortgage increases.  This is due to accrued interest and may also be due to line of credit withdrawals, or payments (loan advances) made to the borrower.  A part of the security built into the product for the benefit of the lender is that when the principal balance of the loan reaches 98% of the maximum claim amount.  The lender can assign* the loan servicing to HUD.  This does not change any of the benefits to the borrower.  If they are receiving monthly payments, they continue to receive them.  If the have a line of credit, those funds are still available to them.  It's just that now they are dealing with HUD and not the bank. I received a phone call today from an... 01/27/2011

Do you know someone who hardly allows you to participate in the conversation. Someone who barely lets you get in a word edgewise? Well, I love being a Realtor, a calling I discovered later in life as I'm on a second career. And like many Realtors I know I tend to be very social, outgoing and gregarious. I'm talkative. Listening is not my strong suit - it's not a skill taught in school. Therefore with the hopes of becoming a better Realtor, and person, I decided to work on learning a new skill. I just completed an Effective Listening Course. The following are a few Rules for Listening: Concentrate on the speaker really focus on their words. (Don't worry about framing your response.) Give the speaker positive reinforcement by nodding or uttering small agreeing sounds..mmm, yes Do not inte... 01/27/2011

Foreclosures and short sales in Riverside CA  How many foreclosures and/or short sales are on the market right now in Riverside, California?  Here is a breakdown of the current active listings (for single family homes) in Riverside as of  January 21, 2011.  Total number of listings     1359   Bank-owned (or foreclosure) listings 211 Short sale listings 632 Standard sales 450 Not specified 66   As you can from the numbers above, there are more than three times as many short sales as foreclosures.  There are more standard sales that a year or two ago - due in large part I believe to the number of foreclosures that have been bought by investors, fixed up and then flipped. There are lots of short sales. These still take patience on the part of buyers - but many of them are resulting in succ... 01/21/2011

Number of sold houses in Riverside CA and number of houses for sale - 2010 The graph below shows the total number of houses for sale in Riverside CA that were successfully sold by month throughout 2010. This is for single family homes and no condos are included in these totals. You can see from both of these graphs that houses are available for sale and have been and are continuing to sell in Riverside.  December 2010 was a great month with a pretty big jump in sold houses.        . Find out the number of foreclosures and short sales for sale in Riverside     The graph below gives you an idea of the inventory of available houses or number of houses for sale in Riverside CA during each month of 2010. The number of houses available for buyers went up in the last half of the year.  I know ... 01/21/2011

The City of Riverside in Riverside County California Riverside County Population in July 2009: 297,859. Population change since 2000: +16.7%    Males: 146,737   (49.3%) Females: 151,122   (50.7%)   Median resident age:   29.8 years California median age:   33.3 years Zip codes: 92501, 92502, 92503, 92504, 92505, 92506, 92507, 92508, 92509, 92513, 92514, 92515, 92516, 92517, 92519, 92521, 92522. Riverside Zip Code MapEstimated median household income in 2009: $56,552 (it was $41,646 in 2000) Riverside: $56,552 California: $58,931 Estimated per capita income in 2009: $22,244Riverside city income, earnings, and wages dataEstimated median house or condo value in 2009: $254,100 (it was $136,000 in 2000) Riverside: $254,100 California: $384,200 Mean prices in 2009: All housing units: $293,267... 01/21/2011

Houses for Sale in Riverside CA - December 2010  Here is information about houses for sale in Riverside CA. The number of houses for sale and in escrow shown here are as of January 10, 2011.  These statistics do not include condos.  The number of houses currently on the market has gone up in most of the areas.  One thing that we are seeing that I don't like to see is that almost all zip codes have fewer houses in escrow/back-up than in previous months which may mean that there are fewer buyers right now.  But the great news is that almost all zip codes had increases in the number of closed houses in December.   92501 Dec Nov Oct  # of houses for sale 109 83 91 # of houses in escrow or taking back-up offers 44 65 67 # of sold houses 24 26 12 Average list price  $164,241 $178,641 $187,546... 01/10/2011

The use of a reverse mortgage here in Riverside California to purchase a retirement home is becoming more and more common.  More and more, Realtors are calling and asking me to work up quotes for their clients using the reverse mortgage to finance the purchase.  They are finding that normally "all cash" buyers over 62 years old can get a lot more home for the money and still have the benefits of no monthly mortgage payment. Its fun to work with my Realtor clients as they assist their home buyers in achieving the dream of the perfect retirement home!    Just getting started on a new deal with a fantastic family, helping mom to purchase a gorgeous newer home worth over $500K, putting less than $200K down and still, no mortgage payments.  (Of course the property will be owner occupied, tax... 12/07/2010

Houses for Sale in Riverside CA - November 2010  Here is information about houses for sale in Riverside CA. The number of houses for sale and the houses in escrow shown here are as of December  7, 2010.  These statistics are for single family houses.  The number of houses on the market and the number houses going into escrow has gone down in six out of eight zip codes.  Total sales are mixed - half of the zip codes have seen a decrease in solds and half have increases.  This is the time of year that real estate activity typically slows down a bit.  With the continuing low housing prices and very low interest rates, it is still a good time to buy a home, particularly for those who do not need to sell a home first.   92501 Nov Oct Sep  # of houses for sale 83 91 88 # of houses in escrow o... 12/07/2010

Here comes the seasonal Christmas favorite... Get ready for the Riverside holiday tradition of The Nutcracker.  The California Riverside Ballet presents The Nutcracker, a full length ballet.  Mark your calendars now for one of the performance dates listed below:December 11th   1pm & 7pm December 12th    1pm Location: The Fox Performing Arts Center Prices:  $19 & $29 Purchase tickets through the box office (951)779-9800 or through Ticketmaster. If you'd like more information, you can call (951) 787-7850. Cameron Novak Riverside Short Sale & Riverside Real Estate Agents The Homefinding CenterTM Serving Riverside, California and Surrounding Areas 951-212-7479 © Copyright 2010 by Cameron Novak. Here are some helpful Corona, California website links: Riverside Home Search Corona School info ... 12/05/2010

The Lights Are Twinkling Whether you've been to the Festival Of Lights on Main Street before or not, you'll not want to miss this year, the 18th Annual Riverside Festival Of Lights.  This yearly event is attended by a growing number of visitors seeking wonder each Christmas season.  The downtown festival runs 5 weeks and includes activities including lights and decoration on The Mission Inn Hotel and buildings owned by the city of Riverside, an outdoor ice skating rink, holiday vendors, live entertainment (PG).  Don't forget the terrific shopping and dining in Downtown.  Come join us and have a holiday blast! Cameron Novak Corona Short Sale & Corona Real Estate Agents The Homefinding CenterTM Serving Corona, California and Surrounding Areas 951-212-7479 © Copyright 2010 by Cameron Nova... 12/05/2010

Many people ask me about homes in the Riverside Area.  Neighborhoods in Riverside can range from older less expensive homes to very high end semi custom homes.  But there is something for every price range and taste.   The Orangecrest area, which is just North of Van Buren is one of the most desirable and yet affordable areas in Riverside. There are currently 19 bank owned and standard sale listings in the Orangecrest area. Prices range from $200,000 to the high $300,000's. This home is listed for $309,000 and has approximately 2600 sq. ft. - 5 bedrooms, and 3 baths.  The lot size is over 7400 sq. ft., and like many of the homes this one has a pool and spa.     Schools for the area are Rivera Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Amelia Earhart Middle School and King High School CLICK HERE -... 11/29/2010

RIVERSIDE CALIFORNIA SHORT SALE REAL ESTATE AGENTS - RIVERSIDE CA REALTORs   Are you looking for Riverside California real estate agents or Riverside CA REALTORs? You've come to the right place.   We can help you with your Riverside home search, selling your Riverside CA home, or if your under-water with your house we can assist you with your Riverside short sale.   If you're looking for the right Riverside REALTOR or short sale agent, we are the right Riverside short sale agents for you. Why? Because we are highly trained in California real estate and know how to get the best end-result for you.   But its not what we think- what do YOU think? CALL US AND INTERVIEW US. Ask us all the questions you have. We know you'll be happy with our professionalism and expertise. We are the right Riv... 11/28/2010

Appraiser Adjustment Matrix Area              Riverside                               Date 11/24/2010 Square Footage 0-3 Months 4-6 Months Difference 2800-3000 $332,500 $320,000 $12,500 2600-2800 $301,500 $317,500 $-16,000 difference $31,000 $2500 ////////////////// 2400-2600 $293,000 $315,000 $-22,000 difference $8500 $2500 ////////////////// 2200-2400 $276,500 $287,450 $-10,950 difference $16,500 $27,550 ////////////////// 2000-2200 $246,000 $250,750 $-4750 Difference $30,500 $36,700 ////////////////// 1800-2000 $231,500 $235,500 $-4000 Difference $14,500 $15,250 ////////////////// 1600-1800 $217,000 $215,000 $2000 Difference $14,500 $20,500 ////////////////// 1400-1600 $199,000 $201,000 $-2000 difference $18,000 $14,000 ////////////////// 1200-1400 $172,000 $170,000 $2000 difference ... 11/24/2010