Escrow, Your "Neutral Third Party," Beware!In California, an escrow is a usual course of events for the sale of a home. Escrow is created when a written agreement between parties instructs a “neutral third party” to hold funds and only proceed when all the agreed conditions have been performed. It is the escrow instructions that advise the escrow officer how to complete the transaction. This means that an escrow officer is only to act upon written instruction. This is what brings me to the warning to beware of escrow selection. Seems that there are escrow companies that sometimes forget that they can not just listen to instructions from an agent on the other end of the phone and run with them. It is important that the Escrow company that you choose to work on te closing of your real est... 11/16/2010

Caution Mr. Seller, you just interviewed an agent and think that you really liked them. But before you hire them for the job, consider this. You like the Realtor you interviewed, but do other Realtors? Do other professionals within the industry, such as Escrow Agents, Attorneys, Pest Control, Home Inspectors, Appraisers, Lenders?   You may ask yourself why this even matters. As a home seller, most of the time you are simply thinking about who you believe would be able to sell your home the quickest and for the most money. While this is obviously a good place to begin your search, it should go deeper. Selling a home is truly a group collaboration. It becomes a collaboration because so many people must play an integral part it moving the transaction along successfully.For instance, when t... 11/14/2010

Seems that falling prey to short sale fraud is easier than it used to be. The allure by someone that they can help you actually save your home at little cost to you is great bait, however.I recently received a phone call from past clients. They stated that they needed me to list their home. Naturally, I thought this was great. But first I asked them about their reasons for the sale. This is when the homeowner told me, “Well we don’t want you to put a sign, we just need an MLS number.” Of course, I’m the inquisitive type, so again like a two year old, I had to ask why.In the end, I was almost sorry that I had asked. They had been convinced by someone that they could save their by having this company negotiate their short sale. The trick now was that an auction date had been set and they ... 11/01/2010

For out of the area buyers, they are often confused about the difference between Chino and Chino Hills. Here's a quick comparison chart of the 2 cities. Total Crime Risk Average Household Income Population Density (Person / sq mi) Chino 1.05 $82,529 3,577 Chino Hills 0.55 $120,195 1,830 As you can see from the chart, Chino has higher crime risk, less average household income and higher population density. The following is a comparison chart for the neighboring cities. Phillips Ranch is an un-incoporated area of Pomona and it has no published info. It is bordering Diamond Bar and Chino Hills with very similar statistics. Total Crime Risk Average Household Income Population Density (Person / sq MI) Chino 1.05 $82,529 3,577 Chino Hills 0.55 $120,195 1,830 Diamond Bar 0.49 $102,631 3,892 Ha... 10/23/2010

Sales remains very strong in Phillips Ranch, Chino Hills and Chino while it slows down in Diamond Bar and Walnut for the month of September. Here is the latest price changes for August 2010 according to Dataquick: Walnut -7.3% Diamond Bar +9.1% Phillips Ranch +21.1% Chino Hills +13.1% Chino -1.6% Below are the charts of number of homes sold in the past 3 years in the neighboring cities. 10/11/2010

With a housing market that is already saturated in distress, the most recent news of foreclosure fraud was sure to bring other nasty fallout. If you didn’t see this coming, then maybe you just weren’t looking. The moment I heard about the foreclosure fraud being investigated with GMAC, I knew that Bank of America, the nation’s largest mortgage lender would halt foreclosures. They have now expanded the foreclosure moratorium to include all 50 states. Why? It’s spelled L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.  Is it a good precautionary move by Bank of America? Absolutely! Hopefully, this will pave the way to heal many of the harms already done to homeowners who fall into this category. No one should lose their home, particularly when it involves fraud. The issue is that if anyone thought our housing market w... 10/08/2010

The Tooth Fairy Lost Her Job Yesterday. The Unemployment Rate Isn’t Looking Any Better!Yesterday I was cleaning out some items and piled some things on my bed. As my son stood there near me, he glanced over and exclaimed, “Hey, that’s my tooth! Why didn’t the tooth fairy take it? I stood there for a minute paralyzed.  I then touched him on the shoulder and explained that the tooth fairy did in fact leave his money but just left the tooth as a souvenir. At this point my eight year old, smart-as-a-whip son, ever so cautiously turned his head a little to the side, looked me straight in the eye and said, “There is NO tooth fairy, is there?!”Now I am standing there thinking, “OMG! I am blowing this!” Before I could answer, my seven year old daughter now listening intently runs over and shout... 09/24/2010

You Can Get The Home That You Want But You Have To Be Wise In Your Approach   What every agent and home buyer must realize is that when we look at homes, there are three homes. There is the fantasy home for the buyer. This is the home that they REALLY want but cannot afford. Next, there is the home that the home buyer thinks they would be willing to settle on. This is the home that may still be somewhat out of reach but with a few tweaks could lie within reality. Lastly, there is the home that the buyer is truly qualified to buy.One of the very first things that must be dealt with is the fact that most of the time the buyers wants do not match the buyers economic position currently. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact it is just basic human nature. But if we look at home buying as... 09/20/2010

You are behind or in imminent danger of falling behind on your mortgage. You apply or are offered a trial mortgage modification. But is it worth the risk? If you been anywhere other than under a rock, then you have probably heard the stories. They all have different players, but it is the same story repeatedly. The homeowner is sent a trial mortgage modification package, they are asked for documentation of finances and they are set up on monthly trial payments. Seems easy enough. Well it should be, except for the fact that despite how many times the documentation is sent to the lender, the homeowner is told that it was not received. The homeowner makes the trial payments and is the denied the permanent modification because, they make too much money, they make too little money or their d... 09/11/2010

Looking for Fun Fall Activities in Chino Hills, CA? From September 10- October 15, the City of Chino Hills and The Shoppes at Chino Hills presents Fall Flicks at The Shoppes.  This series of FREE movies is fun family entertainment.  The movie begins at dusk ... approximately 7:15pm. It is recommended that attendees bring chairs and blankets for comfortable seating. No outside food permitted. Friday, September 10- The Princess and The Frog Friday, September 17- Furry Vengeance Friday, September 24- Alice in Wonderland Friday, October 1- The Spy Next Door Friday, October 8- Twilight Friday, October 15- The Twilight Saga: New Moon   Keisha Hosea is a local Market Expert and Chino Hills Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. She is the Team Director and CEO of KASI Homes. Keisha Hosea and the... 09/03/2010

What are home sales like in Chino Hills, California? The months of supply of homes for sale in Chino Hills, CA for the month of August 2010 shows a 4.1 month supply of homes to sell. From this time last year, the supply of homes for sale has decreased by 2%.   The supply and demand for homes in Chino Hills shows us that while there were 29% more homes available this August than there were last August, the demand from buyers for homes in Chino Hills fell by 11%. The median sold price for homes in Chino Hills in August 2010 is up 15% since August 2009. Last August the median sales price overall was $385,000. In August 2010, the median sales price has increased to $442,000. So how long does it take to sell a home in Chino Hills? The average days on the market has decreased since August 200... 09/02/2010

Today, I was lucky enough to ditch work a little early for a family field trip of sorts. We went to visit Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Quite some time ago upon his appointment to the position, he extended an invitation to our family to come visit and tour the Federal Court House. Since school is about to start again, we figured what a great way to cap off the summer vacation. Despite his high profile position and busy work load, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte, Jr. could not have been more ingratiating  and truly engaging. As he sat and spoke briefly to each of my children regarding their interests, what I truly appreciated most was the chat that he had with my eldest daughter. She is 16 years old and entering her Junior year of high school. I ask... 08/25/2010

What You Probably Didn't Know When You Previously Refinanced Your Home was that your loan could potentially become a "recourse loan." A recourse loan is a loan in which the lender is allowed to pursue a borrower legally in the case of default. Most homeowners do not realize that they are changing their loans from a "non recourse loan" to a "recourse loan" when they refinance With any luck, California homeowners will get a little help with this soon. California legislature passed SB 1178 last Thursday. This bill will extend anti-deficiency protection to homeowners who have refinanced. All that's needed now is for Governor Scwarzenegger to put his John Hancock on the bill. Keisha Hosea is a local Market Expert and Chino Hills Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. She is the Team Director a... 08/25/2010

I gotta admit it. I'm one of those people who have always carried a bit of a bias against Las Vegas, Nevada. I don't drink, smoke orgamble so once I have seen a show or two, ventured to a buffet, and melted in the heat...I'm usually pretty done on Vegas. Did I mention that my vacation also consisted of several kids in tow? But this time was different. I took in the sites just like a tourist who had neverbeen. Staying at Red Rock was a great experience. The hotel was beautifully decorated and the room accommodations were on par. My children loved the pools at Red Rock. With about 9 or 10 pools, they had their pick. There was a kids zone daycare, bowling alley and the movies. We took advantage of them all. So after touring all the great local hotels such as the Aria, New York New York, Pa... 08/21/2010

I Liked The Other Guys Comps Better, But Can The Other Guy REALLY Sell Your Home? This is inspired by a recent conversation with a Real Estate colleague. They went on a listing appointment with one of their friends. They were disappointed that the friend chose a different Realtor to list their home in the end. Yep you guessed it, when asked why they chose the other Realtor, the friend stated, "I Liked The Other Guys Comps Better."  Feeling defeated by this, my colleague lamented over this. This is an example of how the average home owner does not truly understand the housing market unless it is thoroughly explained to them. Any Realtor can come and bring a few comps that might make a seller drool. But have they explained the reality of really getting the home sold for the same selling p... 08/15/2010

School is Almost In--Chino Hills High Registration InformationIt's almost that time again. The new school year is right around the corner. If your student will be attending Chino Hills High, here's what you should know about registration for the 2010-2011 school year. Registration packets are available for pick up from the school office on August 5, 6, 9, or 10 from 9:00- 11:30 or 1:00- 2:30. Packets are to be returned on the following dates:Class of 2014                       Mon., August 16      8:00- noon Class of 2014 & 2013           Tues., August 17     8:00- noonClass of 2013                       Wed., August 18      8:00- noon Class of 2012                       Thurs., August 19    8:00- noonClass of 2012 & 2011           Mon., August 23      8:00- noon Make Up Day For All    ... 08/08/2010

Chino Hills High--Home of the Huskies Chino Hills High school opened September 4, 2001. It is the newest high school for Chino Hills area residents. Growth at the school has been tremendous since its opening. It currently has 2900 students and is the largest high school in the district.  At an  Academic Performance Index Score (API) of 810, Chino Hills High School holds the second highest score of all the comprehensive high schools in the county! Stop by Chino Hills High--Home of the Huskies located at 16150 Pomona Rincon Rd.,  Chino Hills, CA 91709     Phone: 909-606-7540   Fax: 909-548-6041 Keisha Hosea is a local Market Expert and Chino Hills Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. She is the Team Director and CEO of KASI Homes. Keisha Hosea and the KASI Homes team offer help to home bu... 08/07/2010

Top 10 Reasons To Live In Chino Hills, CA 1. Ranked 13th Safest City in the U.S. by CQ Press 2009 2. Ranked #68 for Best Places to Live by Money Magazine 3. 6th Highest Median Income in the Nation 4. Rural atmosphere mixed with Suburban Lifestyle 5. 3,000 acres of publicly owned open space 6. 40 parks 7. 38 miles of trails 8. Only a few minutes from each of the neighboring counties of Riverside, Los Angeles and Riverside 9. Big League of Dreams Sports Park 10. Highest Median Income in San Bernardino County Keisha Hosea is a local Market Expert and Chino Hills Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. She is the Team Director and CEO of KASI Homes. Keisha Hosea and the KASI Homes team offer help to home buyers and home sellers in the Inland Empire. With a Master of Arts Degree in Marriage, Fa... 08/06/2010

Rolling Ridge at Le Parc Condominiums Chino Hills offers several great condominium complexes. Nestled close to the 57 and 60 freeways the Le Parc condominium complex is located in a suburban, well desired, community that sits adjacent to several area parks, schools and shopping within San Bernardino County. Due to its central location, commuting to any of the adjacent Counties of Orange, Riverside or Los Angeles is a breeze. It is within walking distance of several shops such as Best Buy, Lowe's and Costco. A quick trip down the street and you'll be in the midst of the newest upscale shopping center at The Shoppes. A quiet, serene community with a great community pool to cool off on warm summer days. Le Parc is a premier condominium community for first time buyers and those looking to d... 07/30/2010

Chino Hills Condominium/Townhome Sales June 2010 From June 2009 to June 2010 the supply of homes for sale is up 5%. However, the months of supply of homes for sale remains low for condominium/townhomes in Chino Hills with only a 4.8 month supply. Buyers looking for condos and townhomes should be ready to make an offer upon locating a suitable home because there are not many to choose from. The supply and demand for condominiums/townhomes shows us that the supply is up 23% since this time last year, the demand for condominiums/townhomes for sale is down 40% since last June.  However, the demand has remained fairly stable over the past six months. Since last June, the average days on the market has decreased by 21%. Condos/Townhomes remained on the market an average of 86 days this June a... 07/30/2010