Five Year Housing Chart for Murrieta, California I've recently provided a copy of this report to our local officials for the City of Murrieta. This information may prove helpful in determining city budget forecasts for the coming year as they evaluate the impact the downturn in our housing market has had on their revenue stream.  Of course property tax revenue is just one source of income for the city but a major one. As the state continues to wrestle with a budget that may or may not include some trade-off between property taxes and vehicle license fees, a city like Murrieta that is approaching residential build-out needs to know where current property values are.  As you look at the attached chart and graphs, you will notice that the number of sales has declined steadily through 2007... 01/12/2009

Anatomy of a sale (in today's market)     What is a sane approach to the buying process in Southern California? First, let's look at what is happening in our real estate market. We have primarily two types of sales taking place bank owned and short sales. Bank ownedor other wise known as REO property is just that the bank now owns the house. These are the new normal transactions in Riverside county California.     As a buyers agent I'm always relived when my client wants to view a bank owned home. Typically these negotiations are handled like they were back in 05'. What is interesting is the fact that there is usually an offer already on the table which is very good for the seller (bank). How do we do we handle the competition? We put forth our best offer and we move on and don't look b... 12/29/2008

Every year for the past 12 years or so, Santa Claus visits the City of Murrieta. But he doesn't just visit the mall or the City Center, Santa climbs aboard a city sleigh and visits EVERY neighborhood in town - nearly 400 stops. When you're driving clients around town they invariably ask - "What's with all the big stars painted on the streets"? Well, that's where Santa stops. One of our first City Councilors Jack van Haaster started the tradition years ago. Jack would get all dressed up and ride around the town, which numbered about 20,000 people then, and hand out candy canes and collect canned goods and toys for the needy. The first couple years he just rode around for a couple nights and was done. But demand grew - both for Santa visits and for food for the pantries - so the Santa ru... 12/24/2008

 With the Holiday Season upon us we all tend to reflect on the things we have to be thankful for in our lives. I am no different than anyone else but I would like to take a moment and thank a few of my clients this year for their trust and loyalty. With out them I would be out of business and all of my clients are special to me.  Ryan & Tammy S. A wonderful newlywed couple who hung in there after making offers on three separate townhome properties in Murrieta. The negotiations and frustrations were well worth the effort and may your home be filled with much peace and joy.  Tara L. A single young professional who purchased her first home at the ripe old age of 26 in Menifee, Ca. and will no doubt become a gifted investor who will reach her goals. Thank you for listening to the advice I g... 12/16/2008

This morning I attended a 'Murrieta State of the Community' address by Mayor Rick Gibbs. Today is Mayor Gibbs last day on the job as he will hand over the gavel to Gary Thomasian at tonights City Council Meeting. Rick has done an outstanding job for us this year, bringing a high level of decorum to the office, a professional reserve and a business-like attitude. His tenure helped heal many of the remaining rifts our city suffered as the result of our council recall from a few years ago. Rick served as my Vice-Chair a few years back when we worked on the General Plan Review Committee. With his election to the council, he has seen to the implementation and/or revision of many of the Land Use Elements of that plan, a focus on the Housing Element and especially the Economic Development Elem... 12/02/2008

 Those of You Here on ActiveRain who Know me Understand I am Technology Challenged so when I began this Blogging stuff I was a little skeptical to say the least. Since the investment was affordable, zero dollars, the only thing I had to lose was some of my time so I jumped in on a hit and miss basis.  Today I am a changed man as I have come to understand the power of the Internet and the definition of Google Juice plus the fact ActiveRain brings both to my fingertips.  The Old House Pictured Here Was built in 1920 and it was one of My Real Estate Owned (REO) Listingsthat I posted onto ActiveRain on the 8th of August. I also posted this listing onto a few other Internet sites, Craigslist, Backpage etc, the same day but what blew me away was the fact how fast Google picked up the listing ... 11/29/2008

If you are from Murrieta and has done work as a Transaction Coordinator, please contact me at (951) 378-5316 or email me your resume at mariewaite@communityonerealty.com.  Need someone who is flexible and very detail oriented.  If you know someone that is looking to do this kind of work and has great working habit, please refer them to me and we can definitely help someone make an extra income.  Office number is (951) 696-4802 and location is 29970 Technology Drive Suite 211, Murrieta, CA 92563. Thank you for your support.   11/25/2008

11-18 murrieta bank owned MURRIETA CALIFORNIA  - FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS ARE WINNING! IT'S TIME TO BUY A HOME !  CALIFORNIA OAKS  *  ALTA MURRIETA  *  RANCHO BELLA VISTA  *  MAPLETON  *  OLD TOWN MURRIETA SouthwestCaliforniaHomes.com CAN HELP  ATTENTION:   Murrieta, California homes priced for First Time Home Buyers/Investors starting under $150,000! Bank Owned Bonanza HELPFUL PROGRAMS THAT SouthwestCaliforniaHomes  FOUND FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS in Murrieta. (May not all apply to 1 home)   CITY OF MURRIETA AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANT   $7,500 TAX CREDIT!     FREE HOME WARRANTY!    BROKER REBATE!    FREE HOME INSPECTION!    FREE APPRAISAL!   TEMPORARY INCREASE IN VA LOAN LIMIT!   HIGHER FHA LOAN LIMIT!    CLOSING COSTS PAID! IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE FIRST TIME BUYERS IN MURRIETA HAD... 11/18/2008

 With The Economy in a Downturn Many Homeowners are Unable to Keep up With Rising Mortgage Payments. Some are suffering from a job loss and others have become overwhelmed by rising interest rates that are adjusting on their mortgage loans. The fact is this has become an epidemic across the Country as we hear and see stories everyday about the housing situation.  With The Current Problems Facing these Homeowners We Now are Seeing Scam Companies Promising Help but their Motive is Greed. They will promise to speak with your lender and try to work out a loan Modification to lower the payment for an upfront Fee that may run into thousands of dollars. Loans can be Modified in some cases but some of these companies are not even calling the lenders but in the end they will tell you nothing can ... 11/14/2008

 The Current Real Estate Market Offers many Great Values with lower prices and very favorable interest rates on home loans. The inventory of available homes gives you the home buyer many options to choose from as far as amenities, location, size and those things that are important to your needs.  Many of the Homes on the Market are Still Receiving Multiple Offers as savy buyers are snapping up the best deals as soon as the property is placed on the market, This has caused much frustration for some buyers in the Murrieta California market as they have lost out on homes that they truly had fallen in love with. The good news is buyers can put themselves in a better position to get their offers accepted if they will follow a simple game plan.  Make a List of the Must Haves in the home you d... 11/06/2008

The Murrieta Real Estate market has experienced huge drops in the past couple years. Many areas have seen drops in value of as much as 50% and more. This is partially due to the large amount of foreclosures that have come on the market and are continuing to come on the market. The Murrieta area has been hit harder than many areas due to the large number of homes that were built and sold during the 2001-2006 period when Real Estate values were skyrocketing. Today, many home owners are letting go of these homes because they owe significantly more than what the home is worth and with a tough economy many home owners can no longer afford these homes.Murrieta Bank Owned Homes have been selling very quickly. In October of 2008, Murrieta had 268 closed sales compared to only 66 closed sales in... 11/05/2008

 Today History will be Made in the United States of America irregardless of the candidate you or I personally cast our respective ballot for. At the end of this day Our country will either have the first black President or the first female Vice President in the history of this Great Land and the world is watching. The beauty of it is we are witnessing history in the making.  Much has been written about this Election and Tempers have Flared, even on ActiveRain, but we as Americans are a Blessed People and may we not hold opposing views against one another by burning the bridges of friendship. We The People have always been the backbone of this land and even though we may losing our voice to Professional Politicians we still have the right to vote that many in the world are denied.  We al... 11/04/2008

10-25 mur condos from 79k MURRIETA CALIFORNIA  - FIRST TIME CONDO BUYERS ARE WINNING! IT'S TIME TO BUY A HOME !  CALIFORNIA OAKS  *  ALTA MURRIETA  *  RANCHO BELLA VISTA  *  MAPLETON  *  OLD TOWN MURRIETA SouthwestCaliforniaHomes.com CAN HELP  ATTENTION:   Murrieta, California condos priced for First Time Home Buyers/Investors starting at just $79,900! HELPFUL PROGRAMS THAT SouthwestCaliforniaHomes  FOUND FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS in Murrieta. (May not all apply to 1 home)   CITY OF MURRIETA AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANT   $7,500 TAX CREDIT!     FREE HOME WARRANTY!    BROKER REBATE!    FREE HOME INSPECTION!    FREE APPRAISAL!   TEMPORARY INCREASE IN VA LOAN LIMIT!   HIGHER FHA LOAN LIMIT!    CLOSING COSTS PAID! IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE FIRST TIME BUYERS IN MURRIETA HAD THIS MANY AFFOR... 10/25/2008

10-25 murrieta sfr under 175 MURRIETA CALIFORNIA  - FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS ARE WINNING! IT'S TIME TO BUY A HOME !  CALIFORNIA OAKS  *  ALTA MURRIETA  *  RANCHO BELLA VISTA  *  MAPLETON  *  OLD TOWN MURRIETA SouthwestCaliforniaHomes.com CAN HELP  ATTENTION:   Murrieta, California homes priced for First Time Home Buyers/Investors under $175,000! HELPFUL PROGRAMS THAT SouthwestCaliforniaHomes  FOUND FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS in Murrieta. (May not all apply to 1 home)   CITY OF MURRIETA AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANT   $7,500 TAX CREDIT!     FREE HOME WARRANTY!    BROKER REBATE!    FREE HOME INSPECTION!    FREE APPRAISAL!   TEMPORARY INCREASE IN VA LOAN LIMIT!   HIGHER FHA LOAN LIMIT!    CLOSING COSTS PAID! IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE FIRST TIME BUYERS IN MURRIETA HAD THIS MANY AFFORDABLE CHO... 10/25/2008

  The Value of a Particular Property has Always Been Interpreted Differently by the parties involved in the sale as each party looks from their own perspective. Always has been this way and always will be but are the values set by each person involved justified with Facts and how can each arrive at such different opinions looking at the same information?  The Home Pictured Below Closed Escrow One Week Ago and as the listing agent for this Real Estate Owned (REO) property I was required to do a Brokers Price Opinion (BPO) as soon as I received the assignment from the bank. This is normal procedure and a second BPO is done by a different real Estate Agent who is unknown to me to try and arrive at Fair Market Value.  When The Listing Was Sent To Me The Price Was Set $30,500 Over my suggest... 10/24/2008

 All of Us Rely on the Media to Keep us Informed " Up To The Minute" on Current Events and the manner we receive this information varies from the Internet, Television and the old fashion Newspaper but the fact remains we all to a certain degree allow others to influence our opinions. What if the information we receive is slanted to fit the Ideals of the Reporter and how much influence does it have on the population as a whole? Does this create a mindset that influences people's attitude? You bet it does but do most people investigate the information to see if it is true? Most of the time the answer is NO!!!!!  It is no Secret the Real Estate Market is Down From Previous Years and the media has reported this even though the years they like to use as a comparison were over inflated as the... 10/19/2008

The Murrieta Real Estate Market is HOT!!Check out these numbers:September of 2007 .......... 80 Closed Real Estate Transactions September of 2008 ..........294 Closed Real Estate Transactions Is the market picking up?! Hmmm... Let me think about that one. 70% of the properties that sold in September were REO's/Bank Owned properties. The best deals or best values are generally the REO/Bank Owned property. ** Bank Owned/REO properties account for about 20% of the current properties on the market!! About 40% of the homes are short sales, which are just sitting on the market. (Only about 5% of them end up selling as a short sale)What does this tell you??? The best deals or homes that are selling are the REO's and the market is no longer dropping like it had been for the last 1-2 years. Now ... 10/09/2008

It is time to fly... Let your imagination take you to things that you have never done... Give yourself a chance to be BOLD and STRONG...  See things happen and learn from it.  Don't think of what others would say...go with your guts and with your big heart to say what you mean and do the things you wanted to do...  You will be proud of yourself for letting your strengths do its job.  Energy will be there...magical force will lead you to unbelievable creation.  Let your mind have fun and go along with it.  Feel good about life and everything will come together for you... It is time to fly.... Let your wings feel the wind and let yourself be in heaven.   10/08/2008

 With All The Uproar About The Financial Markets and the lack of response from our elected Representatives in the nations Capitol as they continue to waste Billions of dollars it is refreshing to hear some elected officials are actually doing a Good job. The Murrieta City Council is one of the groups making sure the work they perform benefits those that elected them not themselves.  In September The Council Acting As The City Redevelopment Agencysold 9.8 acres of land situated between Madison Avenue and Interstate 15 behind, Wal Mart, for $5.2 Million The property is slated for development bringing 2 hotels plus restaurants to the area along with a possible car dealership and 53,000 square feet of Commercial Retail space as part of a 130 acre project called Cascada Del Sol.  What Is Uni... 10/07/2008

Kathy Steimle who works in Showhomes Riverside emailed me this photo of a $1.5 million dollar home in Murrieta, CA they staged this week with a live in Home Manager: Before - this home has been on the market for almost a year and little to no traffic. Murrieta, like much of southern CA, is a foreclosure capital with tons of vacant bank-owned homes clogging up the market. Here is Kathy's after shot of the same room (taken from the other side):   Wow - what a transformation. Showhomes has been selling homes in Southern CA and hopefully, this one will move quickly! What do you think? Thomas Scott Showhomes 10/01/2008