Vicki's Blog

Sierra Bella and Sierra Heights - A Great Newer Community in Riverside

Sierra Heights - Sierra Bella - Real Estate Activity

 

Sierra Heights and Sierra Bella are located in the southwestern part of Riverside not too far off La Sierra - on McAlister Parkway.  The builders are Lennar Homes and Standard Pacific Homes.  

This is a beautiful newer community and in a really great part of Riverside.  I think my favorite thing about this community is that the two builders have paid off the mello roos so the homeowners will not be paying for these for the next 25-30 years like  with so many newer communities in the Inland Empire.  

To learn more about Sierra Heights click here.

To learn more about Sierra Bella click here.  

Most of the real estate activity that is going on in this community is new homes.  Both builders are still building and selling new homes.  The activity shown below is from the multiple listing service.  It does not include all of the new home sales that are going on with these builders.  

Active listings

There are currently (as of July 31, 2010) three active listings on the MLS.  They are all standard sales.  They range from the lowest at $426,990 for a 3134 sq foot home with a lot size of 18,000 sq ft to $465,000 for a 2828 sq ft home with a lot size of 24, 829.  

Pending listings (in escrow)

There are three pending listings currently.  They range from $425,640  list price for a 2965 sq ft home with an 18,000 sq ft lot to $459,990 for a 3610 sq ft home with a lot of 18,000 sq ft.

Sold within the Last 100 Days

Three homes on the MLS have sold.  They range from $428,990 for a 3134 sq ft, 18,000 lot size home to $476,500 for a 3610 sq ft home with a lot size of 18,000.  

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Posted at 06:41PM Jul 31, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

My Top 10 Favorite New Listings in Riverside

 My top 10 favorite new listings in Riverside over $250,000

Click here to see the links to see details of each of these listings.
(These are not our listings.)  

Posted at 08:50AM Jul 31, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

My list of top 10 favorite new listings in Riverside

 My top 10 favorite new listings in Riverside $250,000 and under

Click here to see the links to each of these listings. (These are not my listings.)  

Posted at 08:22AM Jul 31, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

A Fun Few Days on the Ocean

 Trip to Santa Cruz Island

Last week my husband and I had the pleasure of going on a trip to Santa Cruz Island with some wonderful friends and on a beautiful boat.   

We spent the first night at the marina in Oxnard and headed to the Channel Islands the next morning.  We went past Anacapa Island and saw the beautiful arch (shown in the photo below) to our destination, Santa Cruz Island which is California's largest island.  

Santa Cruz is over 96 square miles in size. The area where we anchored had lots of sea caves. It was really beautiful. There was a marine layer that day and the next so we didn't get to see a lot of sunshine.  There were a number of kayakers exploring the sea caves.  There is a boat that brings kayakers over from the mainland several times a day.

We went into Painted Cave which is one of the largest and deepest sea caves in the world.  We explored the cave with the dingy that we pulled behind the boat, affectionately called "the super dingy."  It was really awesome.  Deep inside the cave is totally black so you need a good strong hand-held light.  In the back of the cave was a large bull sea lion guarding his large group of female sea lions.  The cave was an amazing site.   

Our thanks to the Stringers and the Jensens.

Posted at 11:15AM Jul 28, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in General  |  Comments[0]

Sycamore Creek - in south Corona

Sycamore Creek, Corona CA 

 Located in the south part of Corona, California, Sycamore Creek is a beautiful community which has a lot to offer its residents.  This community sits at the base of the Santa Ana Mountains in the south part of Corona. When completed, the community is planned to have 1,530 single-family homes and approximately 170 attached homes. Sycamore Creek has a commitment to preserve the area's  natural open space. Approximately one-third of Sycamore Creek’s 717 acres is set aside for open space and habitat conservation, greenbelt trails and parkland.  The 71-acre Sycamore Creek Nature Preserve provides a connection to the neighboring Cleveland National Forest. 

 

 

The many community amenities include a site dedicated to the Riverside County for a 25-acre regional sports park (not built yet), a new K-6 elementary school, two neighborhood parks, one small park, a regional trail system, a nature preserve, an exclusive-use, state-of-the-art swim club with multiple pools and community center, a regional fire station, and two commercial properties. Sycamore Creek is located within the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

The First phase of 540 homes has sold out. This phase is made up of six  neighborhoods with four different home builders. New homes are currently available (as of this writing in July 2010) in:  Santiago - a gated neighborhood with homes from 2600 to 4100 sq feet and Whisper Ridge with homes from 2000 to 3050 sq ft.

The Swim Club and Recreation Center of Sycamore Creek is a wonderful benefit for residents in this community. It offers leisure and sporting activities for both adults and children.  The facility includes:  

• A 6-lane, 25-meter Junior Olympic-size pool
• A toddler’s wading pool
• A leisure pool
• An interactive and whimsical water play zone equipped with spouting fountains and dumping buckets
• Plentiful kid-friendly turf and adult-friendly lounging decks
• Picnic area with tables and barbecue grills
• Multi-use clubhouse with exercise equipment, kitchenette, restrooms and outdoor showers

There is an HOA. The fees as of this writing are $75 per month which is really good for all the wonderful amenities with this community.  There are mello roos taxes in this community. 

Learn more about Sycamore Creek  

Here is a map to help you find Sycamore Creek. It is off the I15.  Take the Indian Truck Trail exit and turn right at the light. 

If you would like to learn more about selling or buying a home in Corona or Riverside, contact us. 951-840-5212 today.

 

 

 

 

Posted at 10:26AM Jul 17, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Corona Home Sales Activity - June 2010

Corona Home Sales Activity - June 2010

Here is a real estate activity report for Corona CA for June 2010.  The number of homes on the market has gone up in all Corona zip codes.  This is good news for buyers currently looking for houses. The listing prices and sold prices are mixed - some zip codes are up and some are down. The number of houses currently for sale and that are in escrow is as of July 13, 2010. 

92879	Jun 2010	May2010	Apr 2010
# of houses for sale	130	113	106
# of houses in escrow	120	132	145
# of sold houses	44	41	59
Average asking price	$258,064	$304,866	$266,429
Average sold price	$258,041	$304,402	$268,337

 

92880	Jun 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010
# of houses for sale	204	182	158
# of houses in escrow	273	289	309
# of sold houses	98	100	92
Average asking price	$360,451	$361,852	$361,852
Average sold price	$364,655	$363,765	$363,765

 

92881	Jun 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010
# of houses for sale	89	87	73
# of houses in escrow	115	113	113
# of sold houses	41	33	45
Average  asking price	$377,158	$430,865*	$374,800
Average sold price	$372,030	$427,509*	$372,884

*  I think these two numbers are high this month because there was a home that sold for $1,200,000. It was listed for $1,350,000.

92882	Jun 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010
# of houses for sale	155	132	138
# of houses in escrow	191	218	218
# of sold houses	76	80	74
Average asking price	$313,949	$307,862	$302,793
Average sold price	$316,319	$309,095	$304,790

 

92883	Jun 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010
# of houses for sale	162	157	147
# of houses in escrow	203	205	226
# of sold houses	66	59	55
Average asking price	$312,899	$349,553	$335,295
Average sold price	$314,384	$345,661	$335,761

(Information is from the MRMLS. It is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

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Posted at 03:20PM Jul 14, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Successful Short Sale Closing

Hooray!! A Successful Bank of America Short Sale Closing in Corona CA

Wow, I'm so excited to report a virtually pain-free short sale with Bank of America has closed. This was a short sale where there was a first and second mortgage - both were with Bank of America. We got approval in just under 60 days.  Everything went very smoothly with this transaction - all the way through closing. (I think it helped that the buyer's offer was all cash and over list price.) Bank of America - I think I may have to take back all those bad things I said about doing a short sale with you a year or two ago! 

Don't wait until your bank forecloses on your home.  Call us to see if you might be a good candidate for a short sale.  Don't wait until it is too late! CALL 951-840-5212. 

Posted at 03:13PM Jul 14, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Riverside California - How Many Houses are For Sale - Trends

The number of houses for sale in Riverside California

I've been keeping track of the inventory of houses for sale in Riverside some time now. One of the trends that I think is important to watch is how many houses are on the market.  As you can see from the chart below, the number of active listings has gone down dramatically since the end of 2008.  But it has been holding fairly steady for almost a year. It is good that the numbers aren't decreasing any more - especially good for home buyers.   

 (Information is from the MRMLS. It is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Let us know if you have any questions about the market or if you are thinking of buying or selling your home.

Posted at 07:13AM Jul 13, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Riverside Real Estate Market Report - 6/2010

Real Estate Report - Riverside CA -  June 2010 

Want to know what is happening with houses for sale in Riverside CA houses for the last four months?  The number of houses for sale and the number of houses in escrow are as of July 3, 2010. These numbers are for single family houses only (no condos/townhouses).  I've been reading that prices of homes have been increasing many parts of the country.  In looking at how we are doing in Riverside, it seems to be mixed.  The prices in three of the Riverside zip codes decreased in the last month while the prices in five increased.

92501	June  2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	64	59	59	57
# of houses in escrow	76	69	60	66
# of sold houses	21	17	27	20
Average list price	$178,062	$166,706	$164,630	$170,540
Average sold price	$179,243	$165,771	$163,513	$169,826

 

92503	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	242	224	197	202
# of houses in escrow	250	269	280	278
# of sold houses	82	84	101	93
Average list price	$227,575	$226,796	$226,105	$205,875
Average sold price	$230,204	$228,431	$228,200	$207,476

 

92504	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2009	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	154	165	147	149
# of houses in escrow	160	171	188	163
# of sold houses	54	58	60	59
Average list price	$233,726	$225,497	$198,379	$222,930
Average sold price	$232,375	$230,010	$198,960	$220,782

 

92505	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	90	90	81	66
# of houses in escrow	126	121	116	118
# of sold houses	35	37	38	33
Average list price	$191,637	$213,692	$195,189	$200,697
Average sold price	$189,637	$211,827	$198,960	$202,833

 

92506	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	140	165	147	150
# of houses in escrow	128	106	133	118
#of sold houses	38	56	41	46
Average list price	$346,524	$302,552	$254,075	$278,722
Average sold price	$332,108	$297,475	$256,736	$279,426

 

92507	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	74	80	76	89
# of houses in escrow	83	80	82	66
# of sold houses	31	22	28	33
Average list price	$198,508	$191,535	$200,574	$211,418
Average sold price	$193,442	$185,532	$201,579	$203,558

 

92508	June 2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	100	104	104	88
# of houses in escrow	126	139	137	138
# of sold houses	44	47	43	36
Average list price	$276,032	$311,738	$298,504	$290,881
Average sold price	$277,420	$315,660	$299,363	$296,608

 

92509	June  2010	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010
# of houses for sale	195	145	163	194
# of houses in escrow	184	229	202	220
# of sold houses	66	61	84	43
Average list price	$182,770	$190,197	$169,341	$177,898
Average sold price	$183,047	$187,494	$172,506	$180,217

 (Information is from the MRMLS. It is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Posted at 08:42PM Jul 03, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

4th of July Blues

Its almost the 4th of July and I'm blue

It is a wonderful time of the year, celebrating the birth of this great nation - the United States of America.   Everything is red, white and blue, family and friends, hot dogs and fireworks.  But I'm blue or I guess I should say that I''ve got the blues. I'm feeling a little down today.  My son Erik, who is a cadet in his junior year at West Point (the United States Military Academy), just left yesterday to go back to West Point.  He has been on leave with us for almost three weeks.  It was an amazing visit. My husband and I got used to having him around again and now I REALLY miss him.  He won't return home until Christmas.  Thanks for the great visit Erik. We're so proud of you.  

My thanks and gratitude go out to all those in the military who serve our nation. You all are amazing!

Jason (our oldest son), Erik and my husband Don

Posted at 06:38PM Jul 03, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in General  |  Comments[0]

Riverside County Real Estate Stats

Riverside County Real Estate Statistics

Single Family Homes    
Number of Sales                              Median Price                                
May 2010 - 3297                            $213,000
May 2009 - 3799                            $180,000

April 2010 - 3233                            $200,000
April 2009 - 3919                            $180,000

Condominiums
Number of Sales                               Median Price
May 2010 - 385                               $165,000
May 2009 - 413                               $168,000

April 2010 - 475                               $148,000
April 2009 - 338                               $165,000

The total number of  sales of single family homes declined while the median price went up. That doesn't seem to hold as true for the condos where prices have declined and the number of sales is mixed.  

 

Please note that these stats are for the entire Riverside County - typically I post information not for the entire county - just the city and its nearby unincorporated area. 

Posted at 07:55AM Jun 24, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Corona Real Estate Sales Activity - May 2010

Corona CA Home Sales Activity - May 2010

Here is a report on current home activity with home sales in beautiful Corona, CA for May 2010.  The number of homes available has gone up in four of the five zip codes in Corona - which will be good news for buyers. The prices went up in all excpt one Corona zip code. The number of houses for sale and that are in escrow is as of June 11, 2010. 

92879	May 2010	Apr 2010	Jan 2010
# of houses for sale	113	106	83
# of houses in escrow	132	145	115
# of sold houses	41	59	42
Average asking price	$304,866	$266,429	$263,179
Average sold price	$304,402	$268,337	$268,337

92880	May 2010	Apr 2010	Jan 2010
# of houses for sale	182	158	141
# of houses in escrow	289	309	254
# of sold houses	100	92	59
Average asking price	$358,866	$361,852	$358,453
Average sold price	$360,984	$363,765	$367,552

92881	May 2010	Apr 2010	Jan 2010
# of houses for sale	87	73	68
# of houses in escrow	113	113	100
# of sold houses	33	45	20
Average  asking price	$430,865*	$374,800	$379,412
Average sold price	$427,509*	$372,884	$372,445

*  I think these two numbers are high this month because there was a home that sold for $1,200,000 and it was listed for $1,350,000.

92882	May 2010	Apr 2010	Jan 2010
# of houses for sale	132	138	131
# of houses in escrow	218	218	203
# of sold houses	80	74	45
Average asking price	$307,862	$302,793	$290,338
Average sold price	$309,095	$304,790	$293,356

92883	May 2010	Apr 2010	Jan 2010
# of houses for sale	157	147	111
# of houses in escrow	205	226	203
# of sold houses	59	55	50
Average asking price	$349,553	$335,295	$341,290
Average sold price	$345,661	$335,761	$343,641

From the MRMLS - numbers are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Condos are not included with these numbers. 2417 sq feet was the average size single family homes that sold during May 2010 in Corona and the average days on the market for these same homes was 68.

Start your home search here.

Posted at 12:26PM Jun 11, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Riverside CA Real Estate Report - May 2010

Real Estate Report - Riverside CA -  May 2010 

Here is what was happening in houses for sale in Riverside CA houses for sale May 2010 (including the previous three months).  The number of houses for sale and the number of houses in escrow are as of June 2, 2010. These numbers are for single family houses only.  Click here for my blog showing how the number of Riverside, CA houses for sale  has dropped significantly in the last year or so. 

92501	May  2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	59	59	57	65
# of houses in escrow	69	60	66	65
# of sold houses	17	27	20	10
Average list price	$166,706	$164,630	$170,540	$185,055
Average sold price	$165,771	$163,513	$169,826	$177,555

92503	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	224	197	202	218
# of houses in escrow	269	280	278	257
# of sold houses	84	101	93	75
Average list price	$226,796	$226,105	$205,875	$271,293
Average sold price	$228,431	$228,200	$207,476	$270,048

92504	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2009	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	165	147	149	145
# of houses in escrow	171	188	163	164
# of sold houses	58	60	59	44
Average list price	$225,497	$198,379	$222,930	$239,154
Average sold price	$230,010	$198,960	$220,782	$219,943

92505	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	90	81	66	60
# of houses in escrow	121	116	118	117
# of sold houses	37	38	33	28
Average list price	$213,692	$195,189	$200,697	$192,376
Average sold price	$211,827	$198,960	$202,833	$193,924

92506	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	165	147	150	158
# of houses in escrow	106	133	118	109
#of sold houses	56	41	46	33
Average list price	$302,552	$254,075	$278,722	$283,509
Average sold price	$297,475	$256,736	$279,426	$279,473

92507	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	80	76	89	86
# of houses in escrow	80	82	66	66
# of sold houses	22	28	33	23
Average list price	$191,535	$200,574	$211,418	$179,827
Average sold price	$185,532	$201,579	$203,558	$178,122

92508	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	104	104	88	91
# of houses in escrow	139	137	138	119
# of sold houses	47	43	36	32
Average list price	$311,738	$298,504	$290,881	$280,702
Average sold price	$315,660	$299,363	$296,608	$279,053

92509	May 2010	Apr 2010	Mar 2010	Feb 2010
# of houses for sale	145	163	194	183
# of houses in escrow	229	222	220	213
# of sold houses	61	84	43	43
Average list price	$190,197	$169,341	$177,898	$177,898
Average sold price	$187,494	$172,506	$180,217	$180,217

 Information is from the MRMLS which is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Search for homes for sale here.

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Posted at 05:23PM Jun 02, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Corona CA short sales & foreclosures

Corona short sales - foreclosures

Short sales continue to be a significant part of the residential real estate market in Corona? As of June 2, 2010 there are 745 active listings of houses and condos for sale on the multiple listing service in Corona, California. 391 of those are short sales (almost 53% of the total). Of the 745 total listings, only 82 are foreclosed houses (or about 11%). The number of foreclosed homes on the market continues to shrink. 

In the last 30 days, there have been 108 short sales that sold and 95 foreclosure houses that sold - out of a total of 331 sold houses. Compare this to the same time period a year ago when only 92 short sales sold and 231 foreclosure houses were sold. That is a huge decrease in the number of bank-owned houses.  There are still lots of home buyers out there looking to buy a bank-owned home so this isn't good news for them.

Click here to search for homes for sale.

 

Posted at 12:12PM Jun 02, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

A Quote from An Amazing Man - George Washington

I recently finished reading an amazing book about George Washington.  It is called  "The Real George Washington."  I am not one who has read much in the way of history-type books.  I have generally left that to my son, Erik, who LOVES to read and is constantly reading history books. Though I have to confess that once I started reading this book, I couldn't seem to put it down. I really enjoyed learning about George Washington and the Revolutionary War.  There are some things that really struck me about him in the book:  his humility, his self-lessness, his honesty, his devotion to God and conviction of the intervention of God in establishing this country.  Here is one of my many favorite quotes from the book:  "I hope I shall always  possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man."  How amazing it is that a man who held some very important titles during his lifetime believed that the most important was being an honest man.  What a great example for all of us. 

Posted at 05:34PM Jun 01, 2010 by The Pedersen Team in General  |  Comments[0]