Victoria Grove -  A Terrific Neighborhood in Riverside CA Victoria Grove is a wonderful neighborhood in the southwestern part of Riverside, California. It is located south on La Sierra Avenue just north of Lake Mathews. Part of this community is between El Sobrante and Blackburn and the other part is on the other side of Blackburn.  My husband and I have many friends who live here.  We have sold a lot of homes here have also helped some wonderful people purchase homes in Victoria Grove.  It has many wonderful amenities for the residents  (which I describe briefly later) and even better are the amazing people who live in this neighborhood. Victoria Grove is in a terrific location - not far from the 91 freeway in Riverside and with easy, quick access to Corona Crossings and Dos Logos in C... 05/05/2010

Victoria Grove- Riverside CA Here is an update on what is happening currently with the housing market in Victoria Grove Riverside CA.  This information is as of August 10, 2010.  Active Listings There are 16 houses currently for sale on the multiple listing service right now in Victoria Grove in Riverside California.  Of the houses currently for sale, nine are short sales, two are bank-owned (foreclosure) and five are standard sales. The least expensive house currently for sale is listed at $284,00 and the highest price Victoria Grove home is listed at $515,000.  Houses in Escrow There are currently 22 houses in escrow in Victoria Grove.  Of those, two are bank-owned, 14 are short sales, and there are six standard sales. List prices range from $300,000 to $599,00.  The number of houses ... 05/03/2010

Riverside Short Sales and Foreclosures There are still lots of foreclosures and short sales in Riverside California.  I don't believe we will see a decrease in the numbers of these distressed properties for some time.  In fact,  I read today that Riverside County led the state in foreclosure activity during the first three months of this year, according to RealtyTrac.  They report that one in 34 households was in some stage of foreclosure in Riverside County during the first quarter of 2010. Read my post about the current real estate market in Riverside.  February 1, 2010 - March 31, 2010  -- Riverside (city not county) Sale of foreclosure homes     Total            = 317Average list price                                    = $192,648Average sold price                                  =... 04/15/2010

Houses for Sale Riverside CA - Report for March 2010 Here is what is happening in residential real estate in Riverside CA houses for sale March 2010 - and showing the last four months.  The number of houses for sale and the number of houses in escrow is as of April 5, 2010. These numbers are for single family houses -no condo sales are included.  Click here for my blog showing how the number of Riverside CA houses for sale  has dropped significantly.  With the continuing low housing prices and low interest rates, it remains a terrific time to buy a house in Riverside  if you can afford it. No one knows how much longer interest rates will remain at such low levels.  And if you can get into contract by the end of  April 2010, you may be eligible for the federal governments home buyer cred... 04/07/2010

I was once asked this question and I really did not know the answer. I ended saying I use both, but something wasn't right. Looking back, I did not really know myself NOR use my best mode. LARK......If you go to bed early and awaken early...........YOU ARE A LARK OWL.......If you go to bed late and awaken late............YOU ARE AN OWL When I finally answered this question honestly, I then discovered a hidden cache of energy that I always had, but never used fully. You find a inner harmony that compliments your personal and professional life. FYI.......I AM A LARK ON STEROIDS Applications.......... In the flow.. is going with the Tide's direction using the energy of the tide to progress. So it is with understanding when you are at your best self. Choosing the battle..........for me, sin... 04/07/2010

A Hike Up Mt. Rubidoux  A couple of days ago my husband and I took a hike up to the top of Mt. Rubidoux which is located near downtown Riverside CA.  He is preparing for another marathon so the hike was easy for him, but going up I realized that I'm definitely not in shape like he is.  Mt. Rubidoux is a hill that has been designated a city park and landmark.  The 360 degree views at the top are spectacular. The Santa Ana River flows at the base of the hill. Mt. Rubidoux Park covers 161 acres and has 3.5 miles of paved roads (cars are not allowed), and numerous dirt hiking trails. Many historic markers and memorials have been placed on the hill, the most prominent are the cross at the summit dedicated to father Junipero Serra and the American flag.Mt. Rubidoux offers excellent hiking/wal... 04/05/2010

A good agent is always focused on their clients needs and wants. It is done with devotion, caringness and dedication. WHO WOULDN'T WANT THIS? We have and continue to rely on professionals for everything important to us already. A smart business person (or even a not so smart business person) should always consult with a professional. Your are doing it now and here are some examples.......you are already using! 1. Dentist 2. Doctor 3. CPA..........NOW ADD TO THIS ......................4. REAL ESTATE AGENT. Everyone on the list ..............is important and each brings necessary value when needed. Now, more than ever, establishing a good relationship with an Real Estate Agent  is recommended. We are in the bottom of a Real Estate cycle. This means there are lots of opportunities to pursu... 04/01/2010

The Riverside Art Museum offers a fun, free program for children and adults called "First Sundays".  Held on, you guessed it, the first Sunday of the month, families can participate in art, music, science and more at the Riverside Art Museum, located at 3425 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside, CA.  The next First Sunday will be held on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, from 1-4pm.  There will be cultural activities for everyone to enjoy and the museum fills both the lawn and the lobby with great works of art.  I'm going to mark my calendar to make sure I don't miss April's First Sunday at the Riverside Art Museum.  Will you be there? Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around! 03/31/2010

Wood Streets- Riverside The Wood Streets neighborhood in Riverside California is the popular name for a group of adjacent residential subdivisions that make up about a square mile in area. Many of the streets have “wood” in their names; Larchwood, Beechwood, Elmwood, Linwood, Oakwood, Rosewood. The area is close to the downtown area of Riverside.  Most houses built in the Wood Streets were built in the late teens through the 1920s. The rest were built in the 1930's, 1940's and a few in the 1950's. The neighborhood has a cross-section of different style homes that are both diverse and good-looking, but are compatible in scale, tone and age. I especially love the arts & crafts (craftsman) style homes in the Wood Streets area.         This region has a strong sense of community and a trad... 03/31/2010

Buying a house in Riverside CA Want to snatch up a house way below asking price in Riverside CA?The chances aren't great.  It continues to be a very competitive market for buyers in Riverside and the nearby communities. There are lots of buyers and not a lot of houses on the market for sale.  The numbers below will show that houses are selling on average at or higher than the asking price.  Even all cash buyers often have to pay over asking price.   Total houses sold (single family homes) in Riverside in the last 30 days =   317 Average list price        =   $212,901 Average price paid     =  $219,613 All cash                           =    82 Average list price        =    $169,446 Average price paid     =    $169,091 Total houses sold  (single family homes) in Riverside 31- 60 days ag... 03/30/2010

Short Sales Riverside CA Short sales in Riverside CA are not going away any time soon. Some buyers have been trying to avoid them, but they make up a big part of the houses for sale right now.  So it is hard for buyers to avoid them. There is some good news - more short sales are actually successfully closing.  We have a short sale with Chase Bank closing in two days.  We have been working on this for eight months. I just did some checking and pulled current statistics from the multiple listing service (as of 3/29/2010): Active Short Sales in Riverside CA 477 listings for short sales for sale (condos and single family homes) $850,000 is the highest price short sale right now 698 pending short sale listings (condos and single family homes) Closed Short Sales in Riverside CA 187 short sal... 03/29/2010

FINDING A REAL ESTATE AGENT IS EASY. BUT A PRO?   WELL THAT'S ANOTHER STORY............. What is a professional? In every profession, there are people who stand out and they are called professionals. Professional defined........ one who has special education, who possesses distinctive qualities, an expert, one who practices their highest being....all these convey an extraordinary person in their field. A professional or a real pro as we call them earned the meaning of the above words. They live them. When you see a anyone practicing traits as described, you are moved to recognize a professional at work whatever field of endeavor they are in. I have seen professional cooks, electricians, plumbers, escrow and title officers, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, retail personnel, military officer... 03/28/2010

When the wise old spider….. who is able to crawl on the floor, walls, or ceiling and who para-sails with his web thread..... was asked for an opinion, the spider stated ….it depends on how you look at it. WHAT THE SPIDER TEACHES....... We do well to remember the spider’s point (s) of view and be sensitive on how many ways something can be looked at. Getting stuck on “one way” can come back on you or at the least, make for a trying day. In discussion about any subject, point of view is always at work. MANY POINTS OF VIEW........ With 6 billion people on the planet, that can be a lot of views! Spider sense helps us with our communications allowing us to see and hear the other persons point or reality. In Real Estate… that little world that we hang out in, we would do well do use spider se... 03/23/2010

F   IDUCIARY from the Latin  Fides or faith…and… Fiducia or trust   Highest ethical relationship of confidence or trust between two or more parties…Highest standard of care…Acting in good conscience on behalf of another…With sole benefit and loyalty… Relationship of trust and confidence…Where personal interest never comes before the duty….Strictest standard of behavior…Absence of conflict of interest…Obligation of undivided loyalty…A conduct that when used, places you "at a level higher than that trodden by the crowd".   WOW……WHAT A POWERFUL WORD AND MEANING   To me, I personally consider it to be a sacred, private connection based on services and unconditional loyalty that one person can give to another. Whenever I consider invoking this with a potential client, I look at them and ask ... 03/22/2010

Riverwalk - Riverside CA Riverwalk in Riverside is a beautiful community in the southwestern part of Riverside, California. It is in a convenient location just minutes away from the 91 freeway, near Pierce and Collett. It is also close to shopping, schools and La Sierra University. There are four separate areas within Riverwalk:  Coronado, Tiburon, Monticeto and Palisaides. Three of these areas are gated.  It really is a beautiful development and is beautifully maintained. Sizes of houses (and some attached townhouses) range in size from about 1500 sq ft and go up to more than 4300 sq ft.  There are swimming pools, parks, tennis courts, walking trails, pond, and more.                  Riverwalk is located in the Alvord Schooll District and the schools are: La Sierra High School Villegas... 03/21/2010

Riverside CA Houses for Sale - Market Report  Here is what's happening in the real estate market for Riverside CA Houses for sale.  Its the middle of March 2010 and house sales are strong in Riverside CA. As of today, August 14, 2009 there are 1,119 houses and condos houses listed for sale on the multiple listing service.  Here is a breakdown of sales activity in the different price ranges.   Riverside CA Houses  Active Pending/In Escrow Sold in the Last 45 Days up to $150,000 280 371 149 $150,001-$250,000 410 569 230 $250,001-$350,000 202 195 92 $350,001-$450,000 89 54 27 $450,001-$600,000 70 39  17 $600,001 + 68 13 6 As far as luxury homes for sale in Riverside CA, there are currently 26 active listings priced at $1,000,000 or above.  There are three houses in that price range in escr... 03/20/2010

Lake Hills Reserve - Riverside CA Here is the latest information about the real estate market in Lake Hills Reserve- Riverside California. This information is as of March 19, 2010.  These numbers echo what is going on throughout Riverside with smaller numbers of houses for sale on the market.  Click here to read more about the low inventory of houses for sale in Riverside.   Active listings  There are only eight houses for sale in Lake Hills Reserve on the multiple listing service in. Of those, three are regular sales and five are short sales.  There aren't any bank-owned (REO) homes for sale currently. These homes range in price from $300,000 up to $629,900.  A year ago there were 20 active listings - which is quite a drop.Listings in escrow  There are 6 homes in escrow currently in La... 03/19/2010

Riverside CA Houses for Sale- Where are they? Riverside CA houses for sale - where have they all gone? The number of houses for sale or sometimes referred to as "inventory" is a critical component of any real estate market. I did a blog on this topic several months ago and just updated the information on houses for sale in Riverside CA.  Wow, it is pretty shocking to see how low the inventory has gone from where we were a little over a year ago.   The graph speaks for itself. With the considerable number of buyers house-hunting right now and and low numbers of houses available, no wonder buyers are having such a hard time getting into a new home.  But if you are a buyer or are thinking of buying soon, don't get so discouraged that you decide to throw in the towel. With the low prices of... 03/09/2010

Houses for Sale Riverside CA - Market Report - Feb '10 Here is the real estate market report for Riveside CA houses for sale for the last four months.  The number of houses in escrow has gone up from January and it is mixed regarding the number of sold houses and the number of listings for sale. In all ZIP codes except two the prices went up over last month.   These numbers are for single family houses and don't include condos.  Click here for my blog showing how the number of Riverside CA houses for sale  has dropped significantly.  With the continuing low housing prices and low interest rates, it remains a terrific time to buy a house in Riverside  if you can afford it.   92501  Feb 2010 Jan 2010 Dec 2009 Nov 2009 # of houses for sale 65 74 61 58 # of houses in escrow 64 46 44 61 # of... 03/06/2010

Short Sales and Foreclosures - Riverside CA Here is a breakdown of the single family homes for sale-Riverside CA.  The graph shows the sale totals over the last few months.  You can see how many of the sales were foreclosures-short sales in Riverside CA and the number of traditional sales. The number of Riverside CA foreclosures are dropping as it appears that the number of sales is dropping.  Many buyers who are having trouble getting their offers accepted are hoping for more foreclosures to come on the market. I hear opinions on both sides;  a) that we will see increases in foreclosures and b) that the number of foreclosures will decrease.  I guess we will just have to wait and see what actually happens. I know a lot of  buyers would really like to see more houses on the market, espec... 03/05/2010