Halloween Weekend

October 29, 2010

If you are really looking for Halloween events around the Inland Empire you can google "Halloween in the Inland Empire". This web page has short listings of a variety of special happenings.

For families that want to have their children show off their costumes and safely trick or treat, I know of two commercial locations that are offering this opportunity.

On Sunday, October 31 from 3 - 5 p.m., Downtown Redlands will be the place to be. The Downtown Redlands Business Association Provides its participating merchants with goodies for all the ghosts and goblins that will be "haunting the downtown streets. Also, Halloween stories, both silly and spooky, will be featured at Ed Hales Park compliments of the Frugal Frigate Bookstore. There will also be musical performances presented by the Sixth Street School of Music.

At the Palm Crest shopping Center in Fontana (Corner of Slover and Sierra) there will be a Fun Fest from noon until 4 p.m. There will be a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin decorating contest at 2 p.m., a Costume Contest at 3 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m there will be safe trick or treating.

In San Bernardino, the Perris Hill Park will be holding a Harvest Haunt. There will be daytime western themed activities and two Haunted houses open in the evenings. The even begins today at noon til 11 p.m. Also same times on Saturday and on Sunday from noon til 9 p.m.

The Wild West Fest is free during the day. The haunted houses are $7 for adults and $4 for children. For more information 909-384-5233

Yes, There are Costs When You Buy or Sell

October 28, 2010

Sometimes buyers are shocked when they discover that the money that they have accumulated for their down payment, is not sufficient to purchase a home. There are always costs involved, even if you are fortunate to be able to purchase a home without needing to take out a loan. Some of these costs will be an escrow fee, a proration of the property taxes and recording fees. If the buyer is using financing to purchase the property there will be origination fees, appraisal fees, credit check fees and a lender's title policy. Then there will also be prepaid interest. There may be additional fees, but these are basic to each transaction. They can add up to another 2% to 4% of the purchase price.

For a buyer, it is possible to ask the seller to pay some of these buyer costs. If sellers still net out the amount of money they wanted, they may be willing to credit the buyer with some of these costs.

Sellers generally use a real estate agent to assist them in the sale of their property. The real estate commission will be the base charge, but sellers will also have escrow fees, title insurance fees, recording fees, and prorated taxes. If the seller has a loan, there will also be loan pay off charges and, since interest on loans is paid in arrears, there will be interest added to the loan balance. If a seller has not properly strapped the water heater or installed smoke detectors, the cost of these items will also be a costs that the seller will incur.

I usually figure that these additional charges to the seller will be 2%-3% plus the amount of the loan payoff.

These days, buying or selling a home is a complicated process and the various professionals involved to see that all the legal requirements are met do charge for their services.

Title Insurance in the Sale of Real Estate

October 27, 2010
One of the charges in a real estate sale transaction is title insurance. If a loan is to be used by a buyer purchasing a property, the lender will require that the buyer purchase a mortgage policy insuring the lender until the loan is paid off. Title insurance protects the insured against future losses that might arise from from events that happened in the past. The seller purchases title insurance to insure a buyer from the same type of events.
Title companies maintain records which are searched whenever title insurance is ordered for a particular property. It is the public records that contain information about documents recorded in the public land records.
Basically, the search will discover
(1) that the seller is , in fact, the legal owner of the property;
(2) that the "estate" or degree of ownership being sold is currently and accurately vested in the seller;
(3) the presence of any unsatisfied mortgages, judgements or similar liens which must be "satisfied" (paid off) before "clear title: can be conveyed;
(4) existing restrictions, easements, rights of way or other rights granted to others who are not owners which might limit the right of ownership;
(5) the status of property taxes and other public and private assessments.
The title company will prepare a preliminary title report listing any items discovered.
The buyer and the lender will review this report and either find the information acceptable or unacceptable.
At close of an escrow, the title insurance will be paid and a policy of title insurance will be issued. There is only a one time premium that covers the insured parties as long as they continue to own the house or , in the case of the lender, until the loan is paid off.
It is important that a buyer understand that the title insurance policy only covers those items that can be discovered from a search of the public records.

CENTURY 21 Lois Lauer Realty - Pumpkin Carving

October 26, 2010

Yesterday, the agents of CENTURY 21 Lois Lauer Realty exhibited their creative talents. Sponsored by Mortgage Bank, Financal 2000, the agents divided into 12 teams and went to work to see which team could create the most inovative pumpkin face. The results were awesome! Take a look at some of the creations.

There is a Loan for a Fixer-up Purchase

October 25, 2010

The California Association of Realtors has a weekly "Market Matters" posting. The information on the site may be shared via e mails, web sites and now on this blog. This information apparently was published in the New York Times and addresses the FHA 203(k) loan program. This program was designed to assist purchasers of homes that need renovation. The home does not need to be unlivable, it may just be outdated. The property must appraise below market value prior to renovation and at market value with the repairs completed.

Like the traditional FHA loan programs, the purchase must be for the buyers primary residence and the down payment can be as low as 3.5%.

Luxury improvement s are not eligible, but a new roof or new heating system may be.

The borrower must use a HUD approved lender, appraiser and a contractor approved by the lender for repairs. One list of approved business can be found at http://www.203kcontractors.com/

Borrowers considering the FHA rehab loan program should be aware that loan rates typically run around a percentage point higher than conventional loans and come in 14 to 30 year terms either fixed or adjustable. Additional paperwork for inspection, appraisal and updating, and the like can increase closing costs by $1000 or more higher than the average.

For additional information about the FHA 203(k) rehabilitation program, go to http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/203kabou.cfm

(I hope that long URL works.)

There is Always Variety In the Inland Empire

October 22, 2010

Variety is the spice of life and as is usual, there are a variety of entertainment opportunities this weekend.

"An Evening with Lucille Ball" will be a one woman show on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Sturges Center for the Fine Arts , 780 N. E Street in San Bernardino. Suzanne LaRusch portrays Lucille Ball in a show written by LaRusch and by Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. La Rusch is a Hollywood based actress-comedienne. The single performance at the Sturges Center is part of a national tour for the show.

Tickets are $19-$45, available through http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or at the theater office. For additional information 909-885-5152 or http://www.sturgescenter.org/

For fans of the teen sensation, Justin Bieber, he will be making a stop on Sunday at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on the second leg of his "My World" tour. The show is at 7 p.m. on Sunday with tickets costing $39.50- $66. Bieber, age 16, has already sold more than 5 million albums worldwide. It is a fantastic opportunity to have this popular show come to the Inland Empire. For more information 909-244-5500 or http://www.cbbankarena.com/

Just as an aside, a portion of each ticket sold on Bieber's tour will be donated to "Pencils of Promise,a nonprofit organization that works to build schools and to help increase educational opportunities for needy children. http://www..pencilsforpromise.org/

Today through Sunday and again on October 29 through 31, Calico Ghost Town located off I-15 on the route to Las Vegas, will be holding a Halloween bash. Maggie's Mine will be transformed with haunting decor and an in and out maze constructed around the Mystery Shack. Most attractions in Calico open at 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Trick or Treat participants must be 14 years or younger. Candy giveaway times ate 6:30 p.m. today and the 29th and 5 p.m. October 23 and 30 and 2:30 p.m. October 24 and 31. Camping is available and can be booked online at http://www.sbcountyparks.com/. Information at 800-862-2542 or http://www.calicotown.org/

This is just a sampling of the many opportunities that Inland Empire residents have for entertainment.

It's Almost Halloween

October 21, 2010

It is almost Halloween when the goblins come out and the ghosts yell "boo". A few decades back, we had a very popular song entitled "The Monster Mash". It was a catch tune and it was fun to sing. This season we have the "Mortgage Mess" and perhaps "The Foreclosure Follies".

I do not mean to make light of the media headlines about the mess that housing financing has become. It is truly scary to learn of the "spider web" of securitized loans. The neat system of recording and knowing who actually held the promissory note has seemingly been replaced by servicers and investors who are finding it difficult to unscramble ownership and to take seriously the government regulations such as HAMP and HAFA.

As I stated in an earlier post, California typically does not use judicial foreclosures, so the mortgage mess that is being reported in the news media, is not the issue here. What is the issue everywhere is that folks have ceased to make their loan payments and lenders are trying to unwind the web of parceled out ownership of loans.

My hope is that a solution to the seeming lack of a paper trail can be found and that investors will work with servicers and with defaulting homeowners to complete loan modifications, short sales and, as necessary, foreclosures. That would be the best "treat" this Halloween season.

Fall Check-up (cont)

October 20, 2010

One of the fall check-ups that homeowners could do would be to check the windows and doors for gaps and leakage of air. In older homes, it is possible that the grouting that holds steel windows in place has cracked over time. Re grouting would reseal any air gaps. Of course, the trend today is to replace old single pane windows with the new energy efficient dual pane windows. Not only does this solve the problem of air leakage, but updates the property. There have been many articles published that state that window replacement is one of the most cost effective improvements that a homeowner can do. It may even be possible to still get an energy tax credit for such an improvement.

Another check-up for this time of year is furnace filters. Replacing a dirty furnace filter can improve air flow and reduce your heating costs. This is a really simple task but often one that is forgotten.

Smoke detector batteries are another check-up item. If you replace your smoke detector batteries on a yearly basis, you will probably keep them operating as they should. Again, this is a simple task, but one that is also easy to forget.

So, take this weekend and walk around your property both inside and out.

Fall Home Check-up

October 19, 2010

We're having a bit of drizzly weather here in Southern California's Inland Empire. The dampness and intermittent showers provide a good environment to do some checking around your property.

1. Any signs of leaks opening up in your ceilings? Maybe some of the sealing around pipes in your roof has deteriorated. Or maybe it would be good to have a roofer out to check the roof before any leakage occurs - that can save interior damage. I was surprised last winter to discover that over 22 years, the valleys of our tile roof had become clogged with just accumulated dust. No leaves or debris, just dust which caused them to send water under the tiles. Oops!

2. Gutters not doing the proper drainage job? Water is overflowing or your downspouts continue to drip water even when the showers have ceased. These are signs that the gutters or downspouts have become clogged with leaves, etc.

3. Any ponding water around your foundation or in your yard? It may be that drains have become clogged or it maybe that the drainage in your landscaping needs to be reviewed. It could also be a sign that your sprinkler system has sprung a leak. You might check your water bill to see if there is a noticeable consumption of water.

These are just a few check-ups that a property owner can easily accomplish. Prevention is less costly that the after the fact repairs.

Median Prices - January Thru September 2010

October 18, 2010

For those of you who are interested in tracking median prices during this year, I am posting them from January 2010 thru September 2010. I do always remind you that this data is not the result of economic analysis. It is simply derived from taking the total number of sales per month and dividing by 2. The price of the sold property at that halfway point is the price I select to report as the median for that month. The data comes from the sales reported though the IMRMLS.

Banning/Beaumont...... Jan/169,000......Feb/165,000......Mar/185,000......Apr/165,000

........................................May/185,000.....June/171,000......July/170,000.....Aug/170,000

........................................Sept/170,000

Bloomington..................Jan/135,000......Feb/110,000......Mar/150,000......Apr/150,000

.......................................May/155,000.....June/120,500.....July/129,000......Aug/145,000

.......................................Sept/145,000

Colton............................Jan/97,500.........Feb/125,000......Mar/100,000......Apr/128,000

.......................................May/130,000.....June/150,000....July/105,000......Aug/120,858

.......................................Sept/120,000

Fontana.........................Jan/190,000......Feb/200,000......Mar/200,000......Apr/215,000

.......................................May/200,000....June/213,000.....July/200,000......Aug/210,000

.......................................Sept/200,000

Grand Terrace.............Jan/236,000......Feb/199,900......Mar/249,900.......Apr/200,000

.......................................May/187,000.....June/182,500....July/190,000.......Aug/190,000

.......................................Sept/215,000

Highland.......................Jan/163,500.......Feb/150,000.....Mar/160,000.......Apr/162,000

......................................May/173,500......June/185,000....July/170,000.......Aug/161,000

......................................Sept/190,000

Loma Linda.................Jan/275,000.......Feb/240,000......Mar/175,000.......Apr/240,000

......................................May/203,200.....June/220,000....July/190,000.......Aug/215,000

......................................Sept/250,000

Mentone......................Jan/200,000......Feb/225,000......Mar/200,000......Apr/190,000

.....................................May/220,000.....June/78,000.......July/195,000.......Aug/112/156

.....................................Sept/159,900

Moreno Valley...........Jan/150,000.......Feb/149,000......Mar/150,000.......Apr/157,000

....................................May/163,000......June/160,000....July/150,000.......Aug/154,900

....................................Sept/159,000

Redlands....................Jan/210,000......Feb/207,000.......Mar/210,000.......Apr/227,000

....................................May/217,000.....June/221,000.....July/199,900........Aug/237,000

....................................Sept/213,000

Rialto..........................Jan/145,000......Feb/144,000.......Mar/155,000.......Apr/155,000

....................................May/164,901.....June/165,000.....July/150,000 Aug/158,000

....................................Sept/170,000

Riverside...................Jan/185,000......Feb/200,000......Mar/190,000.......Apr/190,000

...................................May/215,000.....June/200,000....July/190,000.......Aug/190,000

...................................Sept/200,000

San Bernardino.......Jan/95,000........Feb/92,000..........Mar/90,000.........Apr/110,000

..................................May/107,000.....June/113,000......July/107,000.......Aug/100,000

..................................Sept/100,000

Yucaipa/Calimesa...Jan/160,000......Feb/195,000......Mar/199,000........Apr/179,000

...................................May/209,750.....June/189,500....July/170,000........Aug/212,000

...................................Sept/211,500

There you have it. It seems to me that the data reflects a market that is trading in a fairly limited range. The data shows that the price points in the various communities are neither trending up nor trending down. Just bumping along as the market readjusts to new valuations.

Some Helpful Workshops This Saturday

October 15, 2010

This weekend the Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire, a non-profit for homeowners, will be offering a free foreclosure prevention workshop at their location at 1390 North D Street in San Bernardino. The workshop is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The workshop will be given in partnership with GMAC.

Homeowners at risk of losing their homes can attend the workshop and obtain information regarding loan modifications and regarding the process for foreclosure in California. Homeowners wanting to discuss options for mortgage relief can complete a Neighborhood Housing Services loan modification packet at http://www.nhsiehelps.org/ and bring the packet along with the required documents to the workshop. RSVP at 951-530-1549. This workshop is free and it would be wise to make a reservation.

A second workshop that will be useful to residents of the Inland Empire is being offered by the East Valley YMCA on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. It will also be presented on Monday at 6 to 8 p.m. and on October 23 at 9 to 11 a.m. It will also be offered at the Highland YMCA on October 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Entitled Camp Quake, the goal is to get local families into a survival mode ahead of a major earthquake event. The workshops are open to the public and are timed to coincide with the Great California ShakeOut drill, scheduled for 10:21 a.m. on Thursday, September 21.

Camp Quake activities include creating a shopping list, learning how the community is prepared, starting neighborhood networks, hearing quake legends and swapping quake stories. A realistic video will be shown which will also help to increase folks' awareness of the events that take place during a major earthquake.

The cost is $5 for fill YMCA members, $10 for basic members and $15 for non members. An emergency backpack will be raffled off.

To register call Veronica Bulaich at 909-798-9622, ext.210.

Additional information may be obtained at http://www.califailtline.com/ or at http://www.shakeout.org/

Median Home Prices - September 2010-2003

October 14, 2010

Here are the median prices of homes that closed escrow in the month of September for this year 2010 and back to the year 2003. The information is from the homes reported sold in the IMRMLS. The selection of the median price was not done scientifically. I simply divided the number of sold properties by two and the price of the property that was reported sold that was at that halfway point is the price that I selected to report as the median. Obviously, the price halfway between the lowest and the highest will partly depend on the mix of homes reported sold.

Banning/Beaumont......2010/170,000......2009/167,500......2008/195,000......2007/295,000

........................................2006/330,000......2005/308,000.....2004/225,000.....2003/164,000

Bloomington..................2010/145,000......2009/135,000......2008/190,000......2007/374,000

........................................2006/385,000......2005/350,000.....2004/270,000......2003/185,000

Colton............................2010/120,000.......2009/115,000......2008/169,000......2007/250/326

.......................................2006/345,000......2005/330,000......2004/215,000......2003/169,200

Fontana........................2010/200,000......2009/195,000......2008/255,000......2007/396,000

......................................2006/412,000.......2005/405,000......2004/323,000......2003/235,000

Grand Terrace............2010/215,000.......2009/171,000.......2008/238,000......2007/340,000

......................................2006/381,000.......2005/249,900......2004/289,900.......2003/240,000

Highland......................2010/190,000.......2009/140,000......2008/202,900.......2007/345,000

......................................2006/364,500......2005/346,000.......2004/284,900.......2003/194,950

Loma Linda.................2010/250,000......2009/240,000......2008/310,000.......2007/319/369

......................................2006/429,900......2005/419/447.......2004/322,000.......2003/250,500

Mentone......................2010/159,900......2009/193,000.......2008/210,000.......2007/350,000

......................................2006/250,000.....2005/358,000......2004/210,000.......2003/149,900

Moreno Valley............2010/159,000......2009/140,000......2008/175,000.......2007/320,000

.....................................2006/380,000......2005/341,000......2004/280,000.......2003/199,900

Redlands.....................2010/213,000......2009/225,000......2008/310,000.......2007/359,900

.....................................2006/385,000......2005/395,000......2004/320,000......2003/255,900

Rialto..........................2010/170,000.......2009/125,000......2008/195,000.......2007/316,000

....................................2006/385,000.......2005/360,000.....2004/285,000.......2003/198,000

Riverside...................2010/200,000.......2009/180,000......2008/234,000......2007/360,000

....................................2006/420,000.......2005/409,900......2004/325,000......2003/239,500

San Bernardino.........2010/100,000.......2009/75,500........2008/125,000.......2007/279,999

....................................2006/319,000.......2005/299,000......2004/220,000......2003/149,000

Yucaipa/Calimesa....2010/211,500........2009/210,000......2008/264,000......2007/300,000

....................................2006/382,500.......2005/375,000......2004/312,000.......2003/211,000

There you have it.

Signs of Recovery

October 13, 2010
In spite of all the focus on the foreclosure issues, the real estate market is showing some positive signs. Applications for mortgages to finance the purchase of a home in the past week rose 9.3% from the previous week. This is a positive sign that potential buyers are recognizing that interest rates are near or at their lowest level in decades.
Perhaps because the overall economy remains weak, the demand for homes is not strong. However, since the inventory of unsold homes is relatively low, the weak demand has not seemed to cause a further erosion in prices, at least in the Inland Empire market area. It will be interesting to note if the median price has remained stable during the month of September. I will be posting those numbers in tomorrow's blog and you will be able to check if my perception of a stabilizing market is correct.
For the time being, low interest rates seem to be having an impact on buying decisions. The average rate for a 30 year fixed rate loan was a 4.25% last week. Can you remember the last time rates were in the 4% range? The chart I have only goes back to 1960. On that chart, the 30 year fixed rate loan dipped to 6.5%. Perhaps one of you can cite the years that 30 rate fixed loans were at 4%.

The Foreclosure Mess

October 12, 2010

There has been so much in the news media about foreclosures and the processes that result in borrowers losing their homes. Accusations have been made that lenders or their servicers have improperly processed the paper work that is necessary to be filed in order for a foreclosure sale to take place.

I have had a number of questions about whether sales in our area have been part of the mismanaged foreclosure procedure. basically, as I have been able to ascertain, the problems have occurred in states that use judicial foreclosures rather than trustees sales. California uses Trust deeds with a trustee given the power of sale in the event of the borrower failing to make the payments on the loan.

Many states use a mortgage document which involve only the lender and the borrower. For the lender to foreclose, generally the lender must file a complaint with the courts and may record a Lis Pendens. The complaint will state what the debt is and why the default should allow the lender to foreclose and to take the property given as security for the loan. If the court finds the debt valid, and in default, the court will issue a judgment for the total amount owed plus the costs of the foreclosure process. After the judgment has been entered, a writ will be issued by the court authorizing a sheriff's sale. Unlike trustee's sales in California, no specific time frames seem to be part of this judicial process. Some of the accusations against lenders is that they rushed through this process and failed to properly inform the borrower of the borrower's rights.

The foreclosure process in California begins with the lender notifying the trustee who holds the power of sale. The trustee then prepares a Notice of Default which is sent to the borrower and sometimes posted on the property. The Notice of Default is recorded in the county where the property is located. The borrower then has 90 days to make the loan current or perhaps work out a loan modification or a short sale. After the 90 day period has passed, the lender may send the borrower a Notice of Trustees sale. This document is also recorded in the county where the property is located. The Notice of Trustees sale must be published 3 times in a local newspaper over a 21 day period. If no modification or short sale has occurred, the lender can then proceed to auction the property at the location named in the published Notice of Trustees Sale. This process takes a minimum of 121 days. It is fully described in the statutes of the state of California.

The Bank of America has decided to put a moratorium on their foreclosures in all 50 states, so California's foreclosures are on hold for the time being. Hopefully during this hiatus, the Bank will re examine the loan modification process as well as the timeliness of the short sale process. Loan modifications could keep borrowers in their homes. Both loan modifications and short sales seemingly reduce the loss that lenders take at the auction on the court house steps. Making these processes efficient would enable the Bank to get through this difficult period of adjustment of property values. (This is just my editorial comment.)

Closed Transactions - September 2010

October 11, 2010


Here are the numbers for the residential sales as reported in the IMRMLS as closed in the month of September 2010-2003.


Banning/Beaumont......2010/123......2009/162......2008/134......2007/43.......2006/87

........................................2005/110......2004/94........2003/76

Bloomington..................2010/19........2009/39........2008/27.........2007/9.........2006/17

........................................2005/29.......2004/24........2003/18

Colton............................2010/49........2009/52........2008/43.........2007/11.......2006/45

.......................................2005/52........2004/54........2003/51

Fontana........................2010/270......2009/331......2008/357.......2007/61.......2006/191

......................................2005/303......2004/269......2003/225

Grand Terrace............2010/6...........2009/10........2008/12.........2007/4.........2006/14

......................................2005/28........2004/12.........2003/10

Highland......................2010/53........2009/72.........2008/59.........2007/13.......2006/50

......................................2005/92........2004/49........2003/60

Loma Linda.................2010/26........2009/18........2008/20.........2007/2.........2006/15

......................................2005/13........2004/8..........2003/16

Mentone......................2010/4..........2009/8..........2008/9...........2007/3.........2006/8

......................................2005/3.........2004/7...........2003/5

Moreno Valley............2010/259.....2009/351.......2008/434......2007/77.......2006/188

.....................................2005/370......2004/244......2003/267

Redlands.....................2010/61........2009/62.........2008/62.........2007/43......2006/56

.....................................2005/83........2004/87.........2003/90

Rialto...........................2010/102......2009/122......2008/142.......2007/36......2006/83

.....................................2005/142......2004/107.......2003/119

Riverside....................2010/365......2009/453.......2008/487......2007/137.....2006.389

.....................................2005/540......2004/404......2003/393 .........2010/197........2009/287......2008/279.......2007/72.....2006/189

San Bernardino..........2010/197.......2009/287......2008/279.......2007/72.......2006/189

.....................................2005/244.......2004/255.....2003/244

Yucaipa/Calimesa.....2010/53.........2009/41........2008/51..........2007/29......2006/54

.....................................2005/69........2004/79........2003/64

There you have it. 2007 was a low point in the number of properties sold. The large pick -up in volume seemed to occur in 2008 as prices had fallen and properties were seen as good value - both as investments and as affordable places to live.

Home Improvement Show Comes to Riverside

October 8, 2010

Starting at 2 p.m. this afternoon, the 2010 Riverside home Improvement & Remodeling Show will open at the Riverside Convention Center. For residents of the Inland Empire, this event, sponsored by the Riverside Press Enterprise, will feature exhibits, demonstrations and seminars on all sorts of subjects concerning your house and garden.

If you want to see the latest innovations in appliances, decorating and gardening, this show is for you.

The hours are 2-7 p.m. today, 10am to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a,m, to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The Riverside Convention Center is located at 3443 Orange Street in downtown Riverside.

For information you can call 800-358-7469 or on the Internet http://www.homeshowconsultants.com/

Keeping Your Septic System at Peak Performance

October 7, 2010

Many homes in our market area use septic system for their sewage disposal. Most up-to-date septic systems consist of a large metal tank filled with bacteria and water plus a seepage pit or leach lines. They function very efficiently. The bacteria eat the solids and the fluids seep out via the seepage pit or leach lines.

It is important to maintain your plumbing as leaky faucets can over fill a tank if they are not repaired in a timely manner. With all the environmental concern these days, the installation of low flow toilets, low flow shower heads and other water saving devices, your septic tank function is also improved. Only running a full dishwasher and running your clothes washer only with full loads also is helpful.

Watching what you flush down your toilet is important whether or not you have a septic system for sewage disposal or whether you are on a city sewer system. Supposedly flushing a cup of baking soda down your toilet once a week is good for keeping the bacteria function as they should.

And how often do you have the septic system serviced? It depends. Many septic pumping companies recommend that septic systems be pumped every 3-5 years. Others feel less often is acceptable. Some of the need for pumping is a result of the number of folks living in the home. If just one or two folks live in the home, the tank obviously does not fill with the solids as quickly as it would if there were 4 or more folks lining in the home.

Since we have been living with a septic system for the past 22 years, we have learned that it is not something to be feared. For all we can observe, it functions as unobtrusively as did the public sewer system that we had been accustomed to.

Home Energy Rating

October 6, 2010

A Home Energy Rating System (HERS) booklet has just been released. The HERS establishes standards for rating a home's energy systems such as furnaces, ducting, hot water heaters, etc.

A HERS rating will provide a standard for assessing the energy efficiency of a home. The booklet offers advice on improving your energy efficiency, a rating that may have a future impact on the sale of your home.
Beginning January 1, 2011, a home inspection and the resulting inspection report may include an audit of the energy efficiency of a home if the client makes a request for this audit to be included in the inspection report.

Homeowners may download a copy of this newly released booklet from http://www.energy.ca.gov/

It does seem that a push is on for homeowners and even for renters to make an audit of the energy efficiency of your dwelling. Southern California Edison customers are receiving an audit booklet with there current statements. There survey booklet is entitled "Home Energy and Water Efficiency Survey". Completing the survey and returning it to the Edison company makes you eligible to receive a free Energy Efficiency Kit. This survey seems to be fairly comprehensive. The homeowner uses a pencil to fill in the bubbles completely, returns the survey, Edison then can electronically calculate the energy and water efficiency of the homes in their service territory. Hopefully they will publish the data when the survey has been completed.

Are These the Amenities You Want in Your Home?

October 5, 2010

A survey done by ZipRealty in May, listed the following amenities as preferences of the 1000 house hunters who registered on its site. Would you agree with these choices?

1. Garage or parking space: 86.8%

2. Master suite: 78.9%

3. Ample storage space: 72%

4. Large or walk-in closets: 66.5%

5. Guest Bedroom: 66.4%

6. Outdoor entertainment area: 64.3%

7. Gourmet or updated kitchen: 60.6%

8. Breakfast room or eat-in kitchen: 55.8%

9. Large yard: 43.2%

10. Wood floors: 8%



According to the report from ZipRealty, men and women's top preferences were largely the same with two exceptions. Men put having a view on their lists while women put wood floors on their lists. The men did not include wood floors and the women did not include having a view.

There were four turn-offs for house seekers in the survey. Structural damage, bad odors, an awkward floor plan and a busy street seemed to discourage interest in a particular property.



For potential home sellers, evaluate your home using these preferences and recognize that having them is a plus and not having them is a minus. However, we are still in a price driven real estate market and a really competitive price can overcome the lack of certain amenities.

Active Listings, Pendings, Back-ups and Ratios - October 1, 2010

October 4, 2010


As we end the third quarter of 2010 and begin the fourth quarter, here are the numbers for active listings, those that have accepted contracts and are reported either as a pending sale or a pending sale looking for back-up offers. The ration number is calculated by dividing the total of pendings and back-ups by the total number of active listings. This is totally unscientific, but it does give an indication of the activity in the real estate market in the fourteen Inland Empire communities that I track.


Banning/Beaumont........Listings/601......Pendings/242......Back-up/77.......Ratio/.531


Bloomington....................Listings/83........Pendings/88.........Back-up/10......Ratio/1.181


Colton...............................Listings/137......Pendings/95.........Back-up/34.....Ratio/.842


Fontana............................Listings/789......Pendings/548......Back-up/176....Ratio/.918


Grand Terrace................Listings/38........Pendings/12.........Back-up/6........Ratio/.474


Highland..........................Listings/229......Pendings/105.......Back-up/43.....Ratio/.646


Loma Linda.....................Listings/72........Pendings/33.........Back-up/15......Ratio/.667


Mentone..........................Listings/30........Pendings/13.........Back-up/7........Ratio/.667


Moreno Valley................Listings/759......Pendings/549.......Back-up/213....Ratio/1/004


Redlands..........................Listings/311......Pendings/116.......Back-up/55......Ratio/.550


Rialto................................Listings/348......Pendings/233......Back-up/66......Ratio//859


Riverside.........................Listings/1414.....Pendings/789......Back-up/293....Ratio/.765


San Bernardino...............Listings/800......Pendings/526......Back-up/112....Ratio/.798


Yucaipa/Calimesa..........Listings/295.......Pendings/104......Back-up/58......Ratio/.549


There are the numbers. The ratios are a tad off from July and August, but still better than they were a year ago. You can check the previous months' numbers by going to the blog posts of 7/1, 82/ 9/1.

The Sounds of Music

October 1, 2010

All blue grass, country, folk and rockability fans, the Mill Creek Cattle Company in Mentone is sponsoring an inaugural two day concert extravaganza. Named "Ruffneck Days" it will take place from noon until 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The down home bash features headliners The Lucky Stars, the "Hollywood Kings of Western Swing" on Saturday and Wanda Jackson, the "Rockability Queen" on Sunday. The Mill Creek Cattle Company is located at 1874 Mill Creek Blvd. In Mentone. Tickets are $25 per day; $40 for the entire weekend. http://www.ruffneckdays.com/

Sunday at the Old School House Museum 11911 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen will hold a benefit concert. Mountain Music Day includes an all day concert and open house at the Old School House Museum.Throughout the day there will be musical workshops and Celtic, Early American, blue grass and folk music. Admission is $8, children 12 and younger are free; workshops are $12 for one hour. Workshops include beginning and intermediate mountain dulcimer, 1 p.m,; autoharp, guitar and hammered dulcimer, 3 p.m. For more information you can call 909-987-5701.

On Saturday night, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W Fourth Street in San Bernardino will be hosting a concert by the legendary Three Dog Night band. Seats range in price from $19 to $49. http://www.californiatheatre.net/

Sunday afternoon, the San Bernardino County Museum will host a concert of the Symphonie Jeunesse. This group performs classical and baroque music pieces. They will be performing in the museum's outdoor amphitheatre for 2 to 4 p.m. The groups made up of 25 teen musicians from our Inland region. The concert is part of the Family Fun Day which feature craft activities as well as the musical performance. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $6 for military and seniors, $5 for students of all ages and $4 for children ages 5 to 12. Children 4 and younger are free. http://www.sbcountymuseum.org/