6 Tax Deductions You Should Know About Before Filing Your Taxes   Mortgage Interest Deduction: This will be your highest tax break as a homeowner. When you first purchase a home, the majority of your monthly payment goes towards interest. Therefore, you can deduct all of the interest from your mortgage from your taxes. Refer to the Form 1098 that was sent from your lender which indicates how much money was paid in mortgage interest that year. Mortgage Insurance Premiums: Mortgages with a loan-to-value higher than 80% must also pay PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). You may be able to deduct the amount that you paid towards this insurance. Energy Star: If you have installed energy-efficient windows, doors or skylights before the end of the year, you may eligible for a tax break. They must... 03/13/2015

Today is National OREO Day and What is Your Favorite Kind   Did  you know that March 6 every year is National Oreo Day? Now this is my kind of day and I am sure many of you will agree.  Oreos come in many sizes, flavors, and even ice cream. Do you like cream filling, chocolate, double stuffed, peanut butter (new), bite size, ice cream sandwiches, and snack packs. I think they are all good but I might like to try the peanut butter soon.  How do you like your Oreos? Besides having an assortment of flavors, there is another big question to ask? Do you eat them whole, tear off one side eating the one with the frosting last. How about dunking it in milk?  Here is some interesting facts: In 1898, several baking companies merged to form the National Biscuit Company (NaBisCo), the maker of Oreo... 03/06/2015

February 2015 / Yucaipa CA - Housing Market Snapshot - Real Estate Short Sales, Foreclosures & Standard Sales - Below is a quick summary of Yucaipa, California real estate short sales, foreclosures and REOs and standard sales for the month of February 2015, according to the largest MLS in the country, the CRMLS. This Yucaipa, California report consists of Yucaipa sales, Yucaipa active listings and Yucaipa pending sales, and also includes Yucaipa short sales, Yucaipa foreclosures and REOs, Yucaipa standard sales and other Yucaipa sales and listings like Yucaipa probate sales and Yucaipa home auctions. Please keep in mind some status can overlap. For instance, a Yucaipa home sale or listing can be classified as a short sale and an auction sale, etc.. Because of this the grand total of Yuc... 03/02/2015

Will the Real Estate Agent Say Cheese   I saw this movie recently "Evan Almighty" and the real estate agent "Eve Adams" portrayed by Molly Shannon was hilarious. The family moves to the Suburbs and they arrive to find this huge home and the agent meets them at the door of their Hummer when they pull up. Of course she is trying to get a photo of her with the family and popping her head up through the 5 of them standing there. She says "Say Escrow" instead of the typical phrase "cheese". It was such a funny moment and she wanted a good advertising photo and I thought of course we do this too.  Then I saw a TV movie "Starting Over" and the new residents show up late at night to their new home and of course the key will not work and after a couple of minutes, he says "I better call the real... 02/28/2015

Southern California Ducklings Almost Here   Though it is still winter in many parts of the country, in Southern California the ducks are getting ready for new spring families of ducklings. Our lakes and ponds are cold but not frozen over. Ducks and Geese are making nests and soon their families will be floating in the lakes and ponds. The Canada Geese are struting around and looking for a good place to make a nest near the water.     Here is a cute picture of momma duck taking her ducklings into the pond in Calimesa last summer. Here is a duck nest in the Inland Empire and soon their will be many ducklings swimming in the pond. It is early for prenesting and nesting especially due to the extremely cold weather we have had. Many of the ducks that live here do not migrate south since the ... 02/26/2015

January 2015 / Yucaipa CA - Housing Market Snapshot - Real Estate Short Sales, Foreclosures & Standard Sales - Below is a quick summary of Yucaipa, California real estate short sales, foreclosures and REOs and standard sales for the month of January 2015, according to the largest MLS in the country, the CRMLS. This Yucaipa, California report consists of Yucaipa sales, Yucaipa active listings and Yucaipa pending sales, and also includes Yucaipa short sales, Yucaipa foreclosures and REOs, Yucaipa standard sales and other Yucaipa sales and listings like Yucaipa probate sales and Yucaipa home auctions. Please keep in mind some status can overlap. For instance, a Yucaipa home sale or listing can be classified as a short sale and an auction sale, etc.. Because of this the grand total of Yucai... 02/25/2015

 State Highway Named for Slain Deputy Near Big Bear While coming from my new listing in Big Bear on Sunday, I took this picture on Highway 38. Sheriff's Detective Jeremiah MacKay of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, was a brave officer who lost his life in an ambush by fugitive Christopher Dorner in 2013. The five mile stretch between Angelus Oaks and Jenks Lakes Road has been renamed in his memory. MacKay was assigned to the Yucaipa Station and remembered by many.  R.I.P. Deputy Mackay— at Jenks Lake, Highway 38, CA.   Thanks for Reading my Real Estate Blog........ Kristin Hamilton- CalBRE #01492138 Keller Williams Realty–Women's Council of Realtors® 2015 President East Valley. I am a full time agent and deal in all types of real estate transactions. Trusts, Probate, Short Sales... 02/05/2015

Historic Yucaipa Roundabout Bridge and Statue In Yucaipa, where the downtown is actually Uptown, the city solved the congestion and made a roundabout which was completed in May 2012 and added 50 more parking spaces. The yearly festival celebrates completion of an Uptown Streetscape project that narrows Yucaipa Boulevard from four lanes to two and includes two traffic-slowing roundabouts complete with several Yucaipa-themed sculptures. One statue created by Aaron Eby, depicts a farmer resting after a day of fruit picking seated on an orange crate with a tree behind him with leaves dripping rainwater. This entire area of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties were practically covered in orange groves so fruit picking  and shipping was a major occupation. When the sculpture was proposed, th... 01/31/2015

It's an Excellent Time to Buy or Sell Homes in Yucaipa CA Yucaipa CA Homes   Please let me introduce myself. My name is Kristin Hamilton; I am an experienced, local Realtor from Keller Williams Realty in Redlands. I am also involved in many community programs to better this area. I sit on the board of several organizations and I work 24X7 for my real estate clients. Call me at 909-557-6966 to list your home!     I have prepared a 4th Quarter Market Report of Real Estate Homes in Yucaipa, CA. The chart reflects  61 Active Listings, 23 Pending Listings, 18 Sold Listings and 4 Expired Listings. This is a very good time to list your home in the city of Yucaipa, CA.          Call Kristin Hamilton, Keller Williams 909-557-6966 to List your Home!   Inland Empire Homeowners, please call me for ... 01/24/2015

Throwback Thursday- Fun Times in Lake Arrowhead Lake Arrowhead Lake is Beautiful I came across these pictures this week of my dearest friend Sonia and I. We had taken our kids up to Lake Arrowhead for breakfast, shopping at the outlet stores and a hike around part of the lake. These pictures are about 15 years old.   It was such a fun day but cold and crisp and the wind was blowing so my hair is crazy. Fun Days to remember. We are all still friends  and Sonia and I still live nearby though the kids have all moved but see each other several times a year. Photos are such a good way to keep the memories alive. My daughter looks so much different now!    California is a dream come true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic m... 01/22/2015

Building Snowmen in Southern California Recently we had a cold spell come through California and left snow in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. I live and work in the Inland Empire and we had lots of snow.  It started late one night with blowing snow but thought it would be gone the next morning. Wrong! Snow everywhere I went, kids were out making snowmen in their yards. Snow lasted on the ground for over 24 hours due to the cold weather.  This is how it looked in my neighborhood the morning after the snow.           Here are some cute snowmen around town.  Thanks for Reading my Real Estate Blog......... So if you are looking for an area that has warm weather year round, and want to go to the mountains, desert or beaches, then the Inland Empire is the place to ... 01/07/2015

Do You Have a Best New Years Eve Memory? Tonight, as I was lighting my fireplace, I had a memory of our New Years 26 years ago. We were living in our first new home and it had a fireplace up on a high hearth with a wooden mantel. Now this was back when blue was very popular so I had gone to several antique stores and bought these blue and white oriental places in many different patterns. We had gone to the Rose Bowl Swap Meet and I was nauseous the entire drive to Pasadena, while we were there for several hours and then all the way home. When I got home that afternoon, I placed all the plates on our high mantel in plate stands. They looked terrific but I still felt sick to my stomach.  Several days later, I realized I was pregnant with my 2nd baby and that was causing the nausea. As it ... 12/31/2014

December 26 is National Candy Cane Day     Here are some interesting facts about the history of the candy cane. We celebrate the holidays and buy over 1.7- 2 billion candy canes every December to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. The candy cane is over 300 years old and comes from Europe.   The original candy canes were white and straight. Red and white candy canes were created around 1927 and also added in the peppermint flavoring. Candy canes were used as decorations for Christmas trees. This tradition was brought from Europe. Candy canes are crushed and added into other foods such as milk shakes, candy bars, and cookies.  The traditional flavor is peppermint but they are made in other flavors too. Go to Candy Cane Facts to read more history of the candy cane.   Thanks for Reading my ... 12/26/2014

Do You Have Cord Management Issues? My office has had cords hanging over the top, on the floor, a track with 4 items plugged in and of course I am always tripping over it and worried someone else will too. This definitely is a hazard with the lamp, computer, iPad and cell phone all needing to be plugged in to recharge items daily. Propped the desk upside down; we used plastic saw horses.     So with just a few items to purchase at the home improvement store, I was able to get someone to fix my cord issues within an hour. Plus the supplies  to do this project only cost me about $30. Plastic 3/4" Cord Cover for floors (variety of colors). Furniture Desk Hole Plug- 2 Piece Set. 4 Screws to install the surge protector under the desk. 2.5" Hole Saw Bit with Mandrel (a new one will cut like b... 12/16/2014

4 Fun Things to Do at Christmas in California   Snowboarding and enjoying the mountain communities. Surfing, sailing, paddle boarding, swimming or just hanging out at the beach. Go to the desert to enjoy the warmth, nature opportunities and great shopping experiences. Golfing on any of the 1,140 golf courses in California is great for a vacation or retirement.                                     Camping in the desert or mountains of California.   Thanks for Reading my Real Estate Blog...... California is a dream-come-true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic mountains and desert communities. If you are looking for a home in Southern California, please contact me. I am a local California Realtor, live in the Inland Empir... 12/14/2014

I Burned the Thanksgiving Dinner so Not Cooking Christmas Day Erma Bombeck would be Happy to Read This♥ I pride myself on being a good cook but my husband likes to cook so I rarely cook any more. But on Thanksgiving morning, I made my mother's 'Southern Cornbread' and it came out perfect. So far so good.   Made the homemade dressing and put the hens in the oven with timer set at 1.5 hrs per the packaging they were wrapped in. Thought I would check them at 1 hr to see what the temperature was.   While trying to finish up a couple of files, I had put the giblets on the stove to cook and of course forgot and burned them up. Well, I had extra giblets so I put more on the store and used leftover chicken broth. It seemed like a couple of minutes but ended up burning them up again. OMG so now ... 12/04/2014

Today, December 2nd is #Giving Tuesday This is Garth Kent from ABC-Channel 7.   On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving.     Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity. Go to www.givingtuesday.org. So I will tell you what I am doing this week to give back to the community I live in. I am buying 2 gifts (boy/girl toys) and taking them to Mathis Brothers in Ontario on Friday as Garth Kent from ABC Channel 7 will be t... 12/02/2014

Ideas to Decorate Your House on a Dime for Thanksgiving Suggestions: Craft stores and dollar stores have a great selection of decorations. Specialty stores have ideas and table decorations for a beautiful table. Add a few decorations to your current dishes, placements, tablecloths to make it festive. Linens and Dishes can be purchased and used over and over for many years. After Thanksgiving, most stores will greatly discount their decorations for next year. Box up your decorations and LABEL THE BOX so you can find them next year.   Here is a picture of  turkey decorations we made for our plates. Very easy, festive and inexpensive; click on my link to get easy directions.   Make Turkey Table Decorations with Your Kids       And do not forget about the outside decorations especially if y... 11/26/2014

Silent Saturday- Hawk Soaring Through the Skies  Raptors are so fasinating and this Red Tailed Hawk was soaring past me when I took a picture. This photo is unusual as most do not show the red tail so clear.         Thanks for Reading my Blog................ California is a dream-come-true state no matter what your needs or wants are. We have year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, rustic mountains and desert communities. If you are looking for a home in Southern California, please contact me. I am a local California Realtor, live in the Inland Empire community and am aware of the local market. I am here to help you find a home or to sell the home you currently own. California has great opportunities to view Nature and Bird Watching. Whatever your needs are, you will find it here in... 11/22/2014

Yucaipa CA Home Prices and Days on the Market - 11/20/14Below is a chart of Yucaipa CA home prices and how many days on the market these Yucaipa homes lasted. These Yucaipa CA Home numbers can help you get a feel of home prices in the city of Yucaipa based on median Yucaipa home prices, and how long they last on the open market.Please keep in mind these are only statistics for homes in Yucaipa and only reflect the median home prices of Yucaipa, California, and do not take into account variables like square footage, lot size, structure age, condition, etc..Yucaipa CA Home Prices and Days on the Market - As Of 11/20/14: Month Days to Sell, Median List Price, Median Jan 2010 31 $212,000 Feb 2010 55 $220,000 Mar 2010 28 $225,500 Apr 2010 54 $224,950 May 2010 37 $239,500 Jun 2010 55 $199,450... 11/20/2014