Beautiful New Homes in Rancho Cucamonga

Welcome to Bridlewood Estates Located In Northern Rancho Cucamonga. This Stunning Home Features 5 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms, 4 Space Tandem Garage and 4,587 Square Feet of Living Space. Additional Features Include a Library, Loft, Master Retreat & Courtyard.

This is the first view of the Formal Dining Room. As you can see it has a wonderful stone backsplash, hardwood floors and exquisite hanging mini-chandaliers.

Here is the second view of the Formal Dining Room. It has Two Double French Doorways leading to the front patio.

This Elegant Kitchen features Commercial Grade Appliances Including Dual Ovens, Granite Countertops with Custom Granite Backsplash, Wine Chiller, and 48" Refridgerator and much more. The Breakfast Bar Contains The Diswasher and Dual Stainless Steel Sink.

Just off the Kitchen is a Cozy Breakfast Nook featuring Custom Tile Flooring, Built-In Cabinets and a Dual Entry French Doors Leading To The Spacious Courtyard.

Just off the Living Room is a Spacious Library that is Perfect For Reading by a Cozy, Stone Accented Fireplace on those Rainy Nights.

The Upstairs Loft Features A Wonderful Place To Visit with Friends or Convert into a Gameroom. Available Options Include A Small Media Center with Cabinets.

The Master Bedroom with Built-In Cabinets, Raised Ceiling and Master Retreat (Not Pictured)with Media Cabinet.

This Master Bathroom Features Dual Vanities with Granite Countertops, Seperate Shower and Jacuzzi Style Tub, and Oversized Walk-In Closet with Built-In Electronic Wall Safe, Upgraded Tile Flooring and Custom Lighting.

Prices Range from $849,000 to $1,100,000, depending on upgrades. 

Other Amenities Include:

• Lot Sizes Up To 18,200 Square Feet
• Miles of Equestrian Trails & Walking Trails
• R.V. & Boat Parking (Not Available on All Models)
• Magnificent View of the Foothills 
• No Homeowners Association
• Low Property Tax Rates
• And Many More

There Are Only a Few Models Left To Choose From, However Starting Today, If You Purchase in the month of April, You Will Receive a $50,000 Credit to use for Closing Costs, Upgrades, Price Reduction, Interest Rate Buydown or Any Combination.

Join Charles & Kathryn Tharp for the Model Home Launch Saturday, April 5th at 10:00 AM. Registration is Required to attend. If you would like to register to view these models or would like more information, please contact Charles or Kathryn Tharp at 626-374-1278.

So...How Old is Your Photo?

I have seen a lot of members here on the rain updating their photos lately. I was thinking about it and wondering how old are the photos here of all of our members? How often should you update your photo?

I know many of us use the same photos for our business cards, flyers, postcards, etc. but how often do we think of updating them? Now I will be the first to admit that I probably have the oldest photo here on the Rain. The one I am currently using is almost 9 years old. In fact I had it taken in May of 1999, right before my High School Graduation (and please don't remind me that I have a reunion coming up).  

Well with my partners advice, well not so much advice as it was more of a dragging me to the photo studio situation, we decided to get new photos. We decided to do both a casual and business shot. All in all there were about 50 photos taken. Now, I hate taking being in photographs, however I knew I needed to get some new ones, not that much has changed, but the hairline has been receeding for years now (Thanks Mom!).

I was not impressed with the photos that were taken. She got so close to my face that it made me look like I hadn't shaved in days and I had zits all over my face, hence the photos below. Out of the 50 some odd shots, we only liked one of each (hers and mine). Sure there are some goofy shots(see below) but all in all I think she was somewhat inexperienced in the use of a camera.

Anyways, I personally believe that we should update our photos every 3 years or so. We forget that we change hairstyles (yes, going balder counts), change our glasses, gain or lose weight, etc. and need to let people know that. In fact, we have an agent out here (not on the rain) who uses a photo for her advertising. It is over 20 years old! You know when a potential client meets her they are going to notice and ask those questions about age. In fact, I think if we don't keep our photos updated, we may have some initial trust issues with potential clients. So everyone who has a photo that is over 3 years old, get out there and get some new ones taken!

Why Realtors Are Worth Their Weight In Gold...And Their Commission

I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about Realtors/Agents and some who think we are becoming obsolete. Kim Carpenter's blog Will I cut my commission? No!.... Next question., about agents and their commissions was excellent and inspired me to post this.

The public's perception is that we are just a bunch of greedy, overpaid agents who don't give a damn about what our clients concerns are or what is in their best interest. We simply just want to get them into a house and get our checks without actually stopping to consider what might be best for you, the client.

So I hereby dedicate this post to all of you. This post is about what a true Realtor/Real Estate Agents job actually entails. In fact, as you will see, there are 7 jobs that we do, not just 1.  

Financial Adviser - When we first meet with a potential client, the first thing we have to do is determine whether we think you are qualified to purchase a home. Sometimes this is as easy as asking what your income is, if you have a down payment and closing costs, how your credit rating is, etc. However, with first time homebuyers, this means that sometimes we as agents have to sit down with our clients and work out a budget or a savings plan, teach them how to handle the stress and enjoyment of owning a home, including all of the wonderful tax benefits that come with it.

We also have to walk them through each step of the loan process. Everything from finding a great loan officer, applying for a mortgage, submitting the paperwork, waiting on the lenders approval, ordering the appraisal, meeting the lenders requirements, signing loan documents and funding. We work hand in hand with your loan officer to make sure everything is taken care of.

Counselor - This comes in when working with either first-time buyers or sellers, or those who just worry about every little detail when it comes to buying or selling a home. We have to find out exactly what your concerns are, what your goals are and the timeline you want to accomplish them in and then find a way to make it all work. We have to be there to answer questions, squash any concerns you may have and sometimes to calm you down at 3:00 in the morning from what you sometimes may think is the worst mistake of your life (I have had to do this before).

Now, I'm not saying that we mind doing this, because in fact we enjoy it. We know after everything is said and done we will hopefully hear those two words that make it all worthwhile: "Thank You". Those two words mean the world to us. It tells us that we did our job and did it well. It fills us with a sense of pride and accomplishment but most of all, we made you happy.

Negotiator - We as agents have to represent you in the best way possible, and that means that when the chips fall, we have to have a strong backbone to come in to the negotiating table and do our best to get you what you need and want. We also have to learn to compromise at the same time, which can be difficult at times. We not only have to negotiate with the other agent but we also have to negotiate with you. As you can imagine this requires us to be strong yet flexible as well. Think of it as walking a tightrope with no safety net about 100 feet in the air. If we fail to reach an agreement, then we have fallen off the tightrope and are heading for a nice block a cold-hard concrete.

Some of us have read several books on the art of negotiating. Some even go to expert classes to learn some new ideas, all of which can be very helpful to you. The point is, we have spent a lot of time and money into honing our skills for your benefit.

Transaction Coordinator - This is probably the hardest job of them all. We have to communicate with a lot of people everyday to make sure everything is progressing as it should. We have to communicate with the other agent, escrow officer, loan officer, title officer, appraiser, home inspector, termite inspector, and most importantly, YOU. We are also responsible for making sure every form is completely filled out, signed and turned in ontime. Sometimes this can add up to an entire day just making phone calls and faxing everything over to the respected parties.

Truthfully, this job is really paper-pushing. We have to make copies, fax things over, make phone calls and sometimes mail things overnight to make sure that we all close ontime for your benefit. We also have to solve problems along the way, either with escrow or the lender and some of which you may never know about simply because we don't want to put you under anymore stress.

Chauffeur - When showing a buyer homes, the average realtor will take you out three times, each time showing you an average of 4 homes a time. That is twelve to fifteen homes that you will see before writing an offer. Please, don't get me wrong, we love taking people out to see homes. But sometimes we never get to write an offer for you or you decide not to buy. With gas prices over $3.25 per gallon and rising, the cost of oil changes, tires and general maintenance on a car, this can definately hurt us over a long period of time.

Estimator - If you decide that you want to put in an offer on a home, we first have to determine what we think is fair market value. To determine this we have to look at how many homes are on the market, how long they have been on the market, conditions of other homes in the area, recent sales, backup and pending offers, etc. This can take us anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the area and the data. For sellers, we have to factor everything above and also marketing costs. 

This can sometimes be the easiest job or the hardest, it really just depends on the area.

Marketing Director - In this market, we can no longer stick a sign in your yard and put it on the MLS to get your home sold. We have to do a lot of marketing. Each agent does it a little differently, whether it is running an ad in the local paper, putting it on a public TV station like PBS, or placing it in a Homes for Sale book. We also have to design postcards, listing flyers, mailers, etc. in order to try and get your home sold. This money comes out of our own pockets since we don't get paid until after your home sells and closes escrow. This can costs us anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

For buyers, we also have to come up with several ways to get you to call us. This means we have to brainstorm and try different ideas until one works. This can also costs thousands of dollars without working for us.

So as you can see the job of a Realtor is a hard one. We have to take on many different roles and wear different hats in order to do our job, all while walking a proverbial tightrope. I will grant you that their are some agents out there who don't care except about their paycheck, however that doesn't mean we are all that way. Most of us love our careers and love to help people like you acheive their goals. So please, the next time you think we are in it for the money, come back and read this post and see what we really have to do in order to fulfill your dreams and goals.

Oh, and for those of you who think we all make hundreds of thousands per year: According to salary.com the average real estate agent made just under $50,000 last year.

P.S. "Remember that if you are working with an agent in this market, you are working with someone who truly cares about you and their job" - Author Unknown

A Love Story

Fed Announces First "Official" Bank Bailout

Most of us knew this sad day would come. The feds announced earlier today that it is going to bailout Bear Sterns with the assistance of JP Morgan Chase (Chase Manhattan).

Bear Sterns announced today that it has secured financing through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with the assistance of Chase Manhattan, which is being used to funnel the cash to Bear Sterns. Chase Manhattan will not be responsible in case of default by Bear Sterns. According to Bear Sterns' CEO Alan Schwartz "our liquidity position in the last 24 hours has significantly deteriorated. We took this important step to restore confidence in us in the marketplace, strengthen our liquidity and allow us to continue normal operations."

The news came with a high price tag for Bear Sterns. After the news, shares of Bear Sterns were down over 40% and finished at a loss of just over 47%. This has definately added a new outlook to investors about the health of the economy and especially the financial sector, especially since Bear Sterns was the second largest investor of mortgages last year.

Worries at the Fed:

The feds are still concerned about the uncertanty of the financial markets and have pledged to continue to provide liquidity as necessary to stablize the financial system. Also, more and more analysts agree that the feds are going to be dropping the interest rates again when it meets next week. The current fed funds rate is at 3%, however most analysts and experts are expecting a drop between 75 and 150 basis points to bring the fed funds rate down between 1.5% and 2.25%.

The Unseen Victims of Foreclosure: The Owners

I know we have all seen the headlines and statistics regarding the foreclosure fallout. Foreclosures have been rising steadily over the last year or so, short sale and REO inventories are at their highest point in over a decade, but what we all fail to see and remember is that those just aren't statistics, these are people who are losing their homes. Not everyone is trying to just unload their homes as a bad investment. Some of these owners have lost their jobs, been in car accidents, or worse.

I have a client, "Berta" who bought a home back in 2004 and had to re-finance it in 2006. Shortly after the re-finance her husband was killed walking home from a job interview not five blocks from his home. He was killed by a 17 year old driver. He left behind his wife of 19+ years, 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Somehow she was lucky enough to pickup a second job and was able to keep her home and still raise her children.

But unlike "Berta", some are not as fortunate. There is a place not far from where I live in Ontario (California, not Canada) that is called Tent City. These are the people who have lost their homes or have become homeless for various reasons and had nowhere to go. They tried asking for help from their city, state and federal government agencies to no avail. There is not enough government housing available. Section 8 housing, which is completely government paid housing, has about a 5 YEAR waiting list.

They sleep outside in sleeping bags or in tents if they are lucky enough to have them. Some are lucky enough to have a job and contribute to the well being of their family, with some going as far as providing food for other families as well. Everyone in Tent City tries to help each other as much as possible.

Luckily, the City of Ontario has welcomed them with open arms, providing them the space (about 3 to 4 city blocks) and also went as far as providing water and bathrooms for the residents. Police don't harass them. In just a few short months "Tent City" has grown from a few dozen to over 400 people and the city is starting to worry about the health and safety of these residents.

So my question is this: Why is it that we as a country can afford to bail out the banks and investment firms, who still have billion of dollars, but can't find any funding to help these people and the thousands more who have lost it all, get back on their feet? Why can't we stop spending money on useless projects both inside and outside of this country and invest it into our own people? Wy can't politicians understand this basic concept? In fact, I would love to debate them on this issue.

Remember, these are not bad people, they are simply people who have had bad luck recently. I don't think it is too much to ask to help them get back on their feet, help them find a place to live, find a job and become successful again. I don't believe in kicking people when they are down. We need to take a pro-active response, not a reactive response. Therfore, I am dedicating Saturday, March 22nd, as "Pick'em Up Day".

I am going to go through my closets and gather up all of my clothes I don't wear anymore and donate them to these people. I am also going to start my own fund from now on and donate 10% of my commission checks to the City of Ontario, to help get these people back on their feet. I will also volunteer my help in anyway that I can. Maybe if I step-up to the challenge, others will join me, including the politicians. If we put enough pressure on them, maybe we can get something done that is useful, rather than shoving billion of dollars into the abyss.

Some Funny Videos For Your Amusement!