Imagine if you were the only Realtor in town. Do you think you would be at an advantage. Of course you would. There would be nobody else to turn to for professional Real Estate services. Well, the fact of the matter is that you will most likely never be the only Realtor in town or even the only Realtor in the office you work in now. Somebody reading this is saying, why would I bring such a ludicrous image up in the first place. Well first of all I just wanted to get your attention and secondly I wanted you to investigate the possibility of branding yourself in such a way that people think of you before they think of anybody else. I connect with a few Realtors from time to time who think that the Realtors who have money to market themselves are just so far ahead of them that it's a waste... 04/18/2009

I got hired to do a 1 page Grant Deed notarization with 1 signature.  Sounds easy and it should have been but, it turned into a 45 minute signing.No problem with the company that hired me but the signing went "south" the minute I got in the door.The woman said her husband was suppose to be on the Deed but, only her name was listed.  I told her to call the loan officer and find out if she was the only one listed.She called and we waited until the loan officer returned the call and he said she was the only one to sign.She is unhappy but signs.I leave and I am about 2 miles away and the borrower calls me and says the loan officer called again and the husband does have to sign.I go back and the husband is in the shower and doesn't come out for 20 minutes to sign the Deed!I did a signing for... 04/11/2009

Here is the latest look at Riverside California residential real estate. These tables show real estate sales for single family homes in Riverside in March 2009. You can see from these tables that houses are selling in Riverside and people who qualify are able to get loans.The number of active listings and pending listings is as April 6, 2009. The average list price of sold homes means the average price of the homes at the time they went into escrow (but not necessarily what they actually sold for). You can compare that to the the average sold price. 92501 March 2009 1st Qtr 2009Average Number of houses for sale 101 113 Number of houses in escrow 52 55 Number of sold houses 28 23 Average list price of sold houses $164,946 $167,141 Average sold price of houses $162,182 $159,893 92503 Marc... 04/06/2009

Victoria Grove - Riverside CA - Homes for Sale This is for those who are interested in what is happening currently with the housing market in Victoria Grove in Riverside CA.  This information is as of February 20, 2010.  Active Listings There are 13 houses currently for sale on the multiple listing service right now in Victoria Grove.  Of the houses currently for sale, four are short sales, two are bank-owned (foreclosure) and seven are standard sales.   Houses in Escrow There are currently 15 houses in escrow in Victoria Grove.  Of those, one is bank-owned, ten are short sales, and there are four standard sales.    Closed Homes The number of homes that have sold in the 60 days is 10.  Of those, three were bank-owned, and there was one short sale and six were standard sales.   There co... 03/31/2009

  Lake Hills Reserve - Real Estate Market I thought I'd share information on the current real estate market in the desirable neighborhood in the hills above Riverside called Lake Hills Reserve.  These statistics are as of 3/27/2009.  (If you are looking for more updated information about real estate in Lake Hills Reserve click here to read my post written 8/4/10.) Active listings  There are 20 homes for sale on the multiple listing service in Lake Hills Reserve. Of those 20 homes,  nine homes are brand new homes, two are regular sales, two are bank-owned homes, and six are short sales. These homes range in price from $335,000 for a 3045 sq ft home to $673,752 for a 5411 sq ft home.  Listings in escrow  There are 15 homes in escrow.  Of those 15 homes, six are new homes,  seven are bank-... 03/28/2009

Every Saturday, from 8am-1pm in downtown Riverside, our local farmer's market sets up shop between Mission Avenue and the Riverside Convention Center.  You will find some of the best organic produce, breads, cheeses, flowers, plants, herbs and even fresh fish for sale.  The colors, flavors and smells will absolutely blow your mind.  And it's all brought in by local farmers.  My family and I decided to check it out because we hadn't been in a while.  We picked up some fresh strawberries, avocados, strawberry-banana bread, organic pomegranate juice (it's good for you and we even got to sample the different kinds before we bought), oranges (being from Riverside, these are ALWAYS good) and some fabulous garlic, rosemary and thyme infused Ambrosia extra virgin olive oil.  All this was under ... 03/24/2009

Best Buys - Houses for Sale in Riverside CA - March 2009 Well, its that time again for my newest list of some of the "best buys" in Riverside California. Houses that are short sales or whose listings don't have any photos are not considered for this list. These are not my listings and I have not personally viewed these houses. I've created my best buys list from information on the multiple listing service. 4401 Superior St - $154,900 - bank-owned 9070 Altadena Dr. - $158,800 - corporate-owned 4184 Oldenburg St. - $159,900 - bank-owned 1446 LeConte - $169,900 - bank-owned 3240 Harrison St - $173,850 - bank-owned 3836 Rumba St - $198,900 702 Spruce St. - $249,900 - bank-owned 19992 Krameria - $284,000 - bank-owned 18812 Alderbrook Dr. - $284,900 - bank-owned If you would like to see more ... 03/19/2009

If you are in need of help with your taxes, go to the Riverside Public Library (3581 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside) every Wednesday - Saturday til April 15th.  Volunteers from AARP will be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays fro noon to 4pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-3pm. The Community Action Partnership is volunteering its time for free as well for citizens in need of help with their taxes at the Eastside Cybrary (4033 Chicago Ave #C, Riverside) every Saturday from 10am-4pm until April 11th.  For more information on these free services, please call 951-826-5201. Heather Chavez - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around! 03/17/2009

The Orchard - Riverside CA The Orchard is a beautiful and very unique neighborhood in the southwestern part of Riverside California in zip code 92503.  There are about 250 homes in the original development which range in size from about 1800 sq ft to a little over 2500 sq ft.  If you haven't been here before or haven't heard of it, that is not surprising.   The Orchard is located off La Sierra Ave south of Victoria Avenue  and just past the KB Homes (Stone Harbor and Bridgeport).  There are three entrances in to the neighborhood.  The main on is to enter from La Sierra - turn left at Orchard View Lane.  You can also enter The Orchard from McAllister Parkway - either by turning right on Praed St. or right on Orangehaven Ln. The Orchard is a unique neighborhood in Riverside CA because of ... 03/10/2009

Riverside CA - Homes for Sale - Market Report Feb 2009 Here is the latest look at Riverside California residential real estate. These tables show real estate sales for single family homes in Riverside in February 2009.  The number of active listings and pending listings is as March 5, 2009. Pending listings are homes that are currently in escrow. The average list price of sold homes means the average price of the homes at the time they went into escrow and then the average selling price of the homes is also listed.   If you can afford to buy a home in Riverside, it is definitely a good time  with the low prices of homes, the low interest rates and the $8000 credit for first time home buyers (or those who have not owned a home in the last three years).  Check today's interest rates here.... 03/06/2009

 Real Estate is an industry thought by many to be highly lucrative and high-paying.  But have you ever wondered HOW exactly your agent will be paid? You are often approached by agents trying to convince you to list your home with them, or allow them to show you some nice homes to buy.  Read more to find out how your agent will be compensated and from where.   As a prospective homebuyer, it would be in your best interest to understand this compensation process. The standard compensation structure for Real Estate Agents is that he/she will be paid commission, based on the selling price of the property you are interested in.  While commission rates are not standardized, the process in which they are disbursed is consistent.  When a seller signs a listing agreement, that contract is with a... 02/24/2009

I visited the University of California, Riverside Botanic Gardens yesterday. This was my first visit here and I would like to come back in a couple of months when there are leaves on the trees and the roses and other flowers are blooming.     The UCR Botanic Gardens are located in Riverside CA in the foothills of the Box Springs Mountains on the east side of the University of California, Riverside campus.  The gardens contain a large amount of diversity, with more than 3,500 plant species and 200 bird species.  There are rose gardens, a herb garden and cactus garden, a pond and more.     The Botanic Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for certain holidays. There is a suggested donation of $1 for admission and there is a small parking fee. Here is a link to get more inform... 02/21/2009

This is one of these posts that might be on a subject that everyone knows about and I am just clueless. I did a google direction's search and when I clicked on the "B" location on the google map it provided a picture of the house I was doing the loan signing for. I printed the directions and the picture was included.  It was great to see the actual house I needed to find! The picture was a little hazy but just looking at on the Internet helped me to find the house. It's so much easier to find homes when it's light outside (duh) but this information from google/directions really helped me. Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com 02/12/2009

Well, its that time again for my list of the "best buys" in Riverside California.  It was very discouraging tonight trying to come up with the list.  There are two things that will always keep a house off my "best buys" list - regardless of price.  Those two things are: houses must not be short sales, and the listing must have at least one photo.  I went through almost 150 new listings and most of them were short sales and many did not have any photos.  Because of the huge number of listings with these two problems, my "best buy" list is very short this week.  Here goes:4200 Estrada Dr. -  $120,000 - 1,170 sq ft5308 Scott Ave - $139,000 - 1,141 sq ft10353 Kenyon Ct. - $169,000 - 1,605 sq ft I don't want any home buyers out there to get discouraged about buying a home in Riverside or Cor... 02/11/2009

Here is the latest look at Riverside California residential real estate. These tables show real estate sales for single family homes in Riverside in January 2009. In spite of all the "doom and gloom" that we are constantly bombarded with by the media, houses are selling in Riverside and throughout the Inland Empire and banks are lending. I have to add here that banks are lending; but they are much more restrictive than in recent years (before the housing bubble burst), and they are requiring more documentation.  The number of active listings and pending listings is as February 6, 2009.  Pending listings are homes that are currently in escrow. The average list price of sold homes means the average price of the homes at the time they went into escrow.  It is a buyers market but if you loo... 02/06/2009

Lake Hills Reserve - SilverSage - Stunning, Spectacular Views                          (Please note that Silver Sage is all sold out and are no longer available as new homes from the builder.) High above Riverside and Corona, CA sits a newer development, Lake Hills Reserve which is nearly half a mile above the valley floor.  The builder is Brehm Communities.  There are five communities within Lake Hills Reserve and three of them are still selling homes (SilverSage, High Point, and Rock Ridge). SilverSage is the community that I'm going to discuss in this blog.                 View from the master bedroom of a model home.  Wow!!      The community amenities in Lake Hills Reserve include: a very nice residents' club with a pool, park, covered pavilion and playground and a new elementary s... 01/28/2009

Here is the new list of the best buys and my favorite listings in Riverside CA as of  today, January 19, 2009.  There are no short sales included in this list. These are newer listings - mostly within the last two weeks.    It is definitely still a buyers market in Riverside and we continue to have a good supply of home for sale ranging from the cheapest house, a 736-sq ft bank-owned house on Wells Ave for $49,900 and the most expensive one for $4,900,000 - a 6411-sq feet house on 28+ acres in Woodcrest.14109 Moonridge - $229,900 - bank-owned in the Canyon Ridge area8265 Gardenia Vista - $249,900 - bank-owned in Orangecrest8728 Saranac  - $289,500 - bank-owned in Orangecrest4679 Elmwood - $299,000 - regular sale in the Wood Streets area16453 Vista Grove - $299,900 - bank-owned in The Or... 01/19/2009

Thinking of Selling? If you are thinking of selling your home and purchasing a larger home, it might not be a good time to do that due to the large number of homes currently on the market, particularly foreclosure homes.  It is hard for a seller to compete with these foreclosures because of their low prices.  The buyers out there are looking for bargains.  If you don’t want to sell your home at a bargain price, you should wait to sell. Thinking of Buying? But if you are a first-time buyer, the situation is probably a lot better for you.  Is your job relatively stable?  Do you have enough for a down payment?  For a conventional loan, you will need a minimum of 10% plus closing costs.  But FHA has terrific loans that are really great for first time buyers.  They require a minimum down pay... 01/16/2009

I started keeping track of real estate market activity in Riverside CA four months ago for my blog readers and decided compare these four months side-by-side.  The information is organized by each Riverside zip code.  The most apparent trend that I can see is that the price of homes, both the list price and the sale price, has continued to decline. That hasn't been the case all the time, but it is definitely a trend worth noting.  There isn't a big difference between the sales prices of the homes vs. the list prices at the time of sale and even sometimes the sale prices are higher than the list prices, which often happens with multiple offers - even in our current market.Homes are still selling.  In fact, in working with buyers over the last few months, I have seen many times when there... 01/08/2009

Where can you gain control over your clutter, work on your business strategy, develope interviewing skills and attend a writing workshop, all for free? Riverside, California, of course. Each month the Riverside Public Library System offers new opportunities to learn and grow. Registration is required, but there is no cost. You can learn about designing your business, and your business website, or attend a poetry reading. The facilitators are all knowledgable in their fields, from poets to CEOs, willing to share their expertise. This is the time of year that we make New Year's Resolutions. I think it is time for me to look into one of these courses, What about you? 12/27/2008