Two homes closed escrow in Ontario during the week ending Jan. 13 and 74 homes were reported in escrow on Jan. 14, according to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service. The MLS said 35 new Ontario listings were added during the week, for a total inventory of 895 homes on in Ontario Jan. 14, including 607 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 288 condominiums, town homes and single-family homes in associations. During the week, six Ontario listings expired. Some listings are put right back on the market, but other sellers are waiting until later in the year.  If you are looking at homes along the 210 Freeway from San Dimas to Fontana, or in Ontario, Montclair or Chino, I would be happy to assist you. 01/14/2008

The biggest obstacle many renters face when trying to buy a home is the down payment. Saving money can be a challenge when wages remain steady and the costs of living - including escalating prices at the gas pump - keep climbing."Equity-sharing down payment programs can help financially stretched renters purchase an affordable home and have helped many buyers who otherwise would not be able to purchase a home," said Realtor Ila Josephs, who will host a "Making ‘Impossible' Home Ownership Possible" seminar at the Ontario City Library on Saturday, January 26, from 10:30  a.m. to 12:30 p.m. "The programs are financed by public and private funds and often are referred to as ‘first-time buyer' programs," Josephs said. "That's somewhat confusing. Anyone who has not owned a home in the past th... 01/10/2008

No matter what the market, people will continue to desire to live in Ontario, as it remains one of the most attractive cities within San Bernardino County. Comparatively speaking, the Ontario housing market continues to post brisk sales. In of December 2007, 31 single family homes and a total of 14 condos/townhomes sold, down by 1 from last month.  Total sales are down 60.2% for the same period last year and down 28.4% from last month's salesin the Inland Valley MLS, keep in mind that some of this is seasonal trends coming into play.My overall view of the market is still slipping, Click Here to view a comprehensive article about the conditions of the Inland Empire market.Closed Sales For December 2007: Down by 10 from last month27 Single Family Homes7 Condos/TownhomesPending Sales For D... 01/07/2008

Six homes closed escrow in Ontario during the week ending Jan. 6 and 68 homes were reported in escrow on Jan. 6, according to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service. The MLS said 38 new Ontario listings were added during the week, for a total inventory of 879 homes on Jan. 6, including 593 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 286 condominiums, town homes and single-family homes in associations. During the week, 65 Ontario listings expired. Some re-listed, but other sellers are waiting until later in the year.  If you are looking at homes along the 210 Freeway from San Dimas to Fontana, or in Ontario, Montclair or Chino, I would be happy to assist you. Contact me or visit my website, http://www.ilajosephs.com/. 01/07/2008

Looking for a home under $250,000? There were 30 single-family homes listed under $250,000 in Ontario on Dec. 31, according to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service. Six homes closed escrow in Ontario during the week ending Dec. 30 and 70 homes were reported in escrow on Dec. 30, according to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service. The MLS said 17 new Ontario listings were added during the week, and there was a total inventory of 880 homes on Dec. 30, including 595 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 285 condominiums, town homes and single-family homes in associations. During the week, 56 Ontario listings expired. Some re-listed, but other sellers are waiting until next year.  Serious buyers took advantage of vacation time and holiday visits this week t... 12/31/2007

There are two ways to lower your property taxes in Ontario which are legal and FREE. 1) If you qualify, appeal your property tax assessment 2) Claimed your Homeowner’s Tax Exemption   APPEAL YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT Home values in Ontario have decreased over the last year, you may be able to lower your property taxes?This will only apply if you purchased your home or have been re-assessed in the last couple of years?   If the above information applies to you, you may be able to do something that will cost you nothing.  This simple process can save you hundreds of dollars in future property taxes.    Lower you Property Tax Bill NOW ! Each county operates differently but the simple answer is that all you need to do is ask for your property to be re-assessed.Some counties are proactive and are ... 12/31/2007

  Christmas, 2007   Tent city in suburbs is cost of home crisis  By Dana Ford   ONTARIO, California (Reuters) - Between railroad tracks and beneath the roar of departing planes sits "tent city," a terminus for homeless people. It is not, as might be expected, in a blighted city center, but in the once-booming suburbia of Southern California. The noisy, dusty camp sprang up in July with 20 residents and now numbers 200 people, including several children, growing as this region east of Los Angeles has been hit by the U.S. housing crisis. ................. "I don't think there are enough police to go after criminals holed up in those houses, squatting or doing drug deals or whatever," Wiseman said. "And it's not just a problem of a neighborhood filled with people squatting in the vacant ho... 12/25/2007

The city of Ontario has updated their website to contain community events, community calendar, city hall information and a resource for businesses and commerce.  When looking for information on crime statistics, weather and demographics use the City of Ontario's website as your one stop shop for resources.  Link to Ontario City website.For information on purchasing your next home in Ontario or anywhere in the Inland Empire call Empire Realty at 909-579-6611 or visit us on the web at Empire Realty. Empire Realty is your one stop shop for information and Full Service at a Discount. 12/16/2007

Fewer open houses are scheduled during the holidays, but there is still a wide selection of homes in most price ranges. If you are shopping for a new home, I can make the process much easier. If what you are looking for isn't on the market now, my Personal Shopper Service will make sure you see homes online as soon as they appear in the Multiple Listing Service.Four homes closed escrow in Ontario during the week ending Dec. 15 and 73 homes were reported in escrow on Dec. 16, according to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service. The MLS said 37 new listings were added during the week, for a total inventory of 907 homes on Dec. 16, including 611 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 296 condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes in associations. During the week, 41 ... 12/16/2007

Short sales - often called "pre-foreclosure" in listings - continue to drive the market down, but the effect is exaggerated by sellers who advertise a very low price to get attention and leave it to the lender to counter offers with a higher, more realistic price.They are called short sales because the seller actually owes more than he expects to receive from the sale. In order to complete a transaction, the lender must either accept less than what is owed or proceed with foreclosure and essentially "repossess" the house. A lender often agrees to a short sale because writing off a portion of the balance owed would be a better option than taking possession of the house and then having the expense of maintaining it, without receiving any payments, until a buyer can found. By the way, a se... 12/11/2007

No matter what the market, people will continue to desire to live in Ontario, as it remains one of the most attractive cities within San Bernardino County. Comparatively speaking, the Ontario housing market continues to post brisk sales. In of November 2007, 34 single family homes and a total of 12 condos/townhomes sold.  Total sales are down 53.5% for the same period last year and down 14.1% from last month's sales in the Inland Valley MLS, keep in mind that some of this is seasonal trends coming into play.My overall view of the market is still slipping, Click Here to view a comprehensive article about the conditions of the Inland Empire market.Closed Sales For November 2007: Down from last month34 Single Family Homes12 Condos/TownhomesPending Sales For November 2007: Down from last mo... 12/09/2007

"You listen to the news and it seems like everyone is moving out of California or losing their house" to foreclosure, said a friend. "It's really a small percentage of homes that are for sale now," I retorted, and we went for a drive. You know what happened. On some streets in every city, there were a number of houses for sale. But on those same streets, a larger number of homes were NOT for sale. My curiosity was piqued, however, so I went in search of statistics showing just how many households there are in the cities in my service area. On Board, a real estate information company, says there are 51,770 households in the city of Ontario. That includes apartments as well as homes, condominiums and town homes.  (If you're curious too, you can find the number of households On Board repor... 12/02/2007

Thanksgiving and the shopping sprint that followed may have dampened the enthusiasm of some home shoppers, but those determined to change addresses before the end of the year continued to seek out "open house" signs and followed flags into new developments. Most new-construction models were closed for Thanksgiving, but open again on Friday morning. In Rancho Cucamonga, four homes closed escrow and eight homes entered escrow during the week ending Nov. 25, the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service reported. The MLS said 36 new listings were added for a total inventory of 1,176 homes on Nov. 26, including 805 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 371 condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes in associations.  Thousands of home owners whose mortgages were scheduled to... 11/26/2007

Thanksgiving and the shopping sprint that followed may have dampened the enthusiasm of some home shoppers, but those determined to change addresses before the end of the year continued to seek out "open house" signs and followed flags into new developments. Most new-construction models were closed for Thanksgiving, but open again on Friday morning. In Ontario, four homes closed escrow and four homes entered escrow during the week ending Nov. 25, the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service reported. The MLS said 29 new listings were added for a total inventory of 942 homes on Nov. 26, including 635 single-family homes with no monthly fees and 307 condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes in associations. Thousands of home owners whose mortgages were scheduled to reset to hig... 11/26/2007

HOME SALES REPORTBeginning Date: 01/01/2007Board Number: AllEnding Date: 11/01/2007City: ONTArea: AllPrice Range: $0 - ALL Single Family Sales - Residential Other StatisticsPrice ClassBedrooms  2 OR Less34 Or More Condo SoldResidential ActiveCondo Active$0 - $99,9990 0 0  0 0 1 $100,000 - $149,9991 0 0  0 1 0 $150,000 - $199,9990 0 0  1 2 2 $200,000 - $249,9990 0 0  4 5 7 $250,000 - $299,9992 1 0  11 18 19 $300,000 - $324,9990 0 0  3 10 9 $325,000 - $349,9990 1 1  1 20 8 $350,000 - $374,9992 2 0  1 27 1 $375,000 - $399,9993 4 1  0 30 5 $400,000 - $424,9990 6 2  0 26 1 $425,000 - $449,9990 5 1  0 29 2 $450,000 - $474,9990 2 5  3 25 1 $475,000 - $499,9990 1 3  0 20 0 $500,000 - $549,9990 1 3  0 16 0 $550,000 - $599,9990 0 3  0 5 0 $600,000 - $649,9990 0 2  0 8 0 $650,000 - $699,9990 0 0  ... 11/24/2007

No matter what the market, people will continue to desire to live in Ontario, as it remains one of the most atractive cities within San Bernardino County. Comparatively speaking, the Ontario housing market continues to post brisk sales. In of October 2007, 34 single family homes and a total of 10 condos/townhomes sold.  Total sales are down 87% for the same period last year in the Inland Valley MLS.Closed Sales For October 2007: Down from last month26 Single Family Homes7 Condos/TownhomesPending Sales For October 2007: Down from last month74 Single Family Homes19 Condos/TownhomesCurrent Actives As of Today's Post: Down Slightly from last month723 Single Family Homes28 Condos/TownhomesForeclosure Activity for October 200791710 - 62 Notice of Defaults (NOD) Up Slightly from last month9171... 11/19/2007

Thirty single-family homes were sold in Ontario during October, according to DQ News, which charts changes in the sales price of single-family homes and condominiums. In Ontario Zip Code 91761, DQ News said 10 single-family homes were sold in October with a median price of $389,000, a 14.3 percent drop from October 2006. Eleven Ontario condos were sold in that area, with a median price of $280,000, a 23.8 percent drop from October. 2006. In Ontario Zip Code 91762, DQ News said 15 single-family homes were sold in October with a median price of $390,000, a 7.7 percent drop from October 2006. Three condos were sold in that area, with a median price of $214,000, an 27.8 percent drop from October. 2006. In Ontario Zip Code 91764, DQ News said 5 single-family homes were sold in October with a... 11/18/2007

As the number of foreclosures rise and home prices drop, first-time buyers can use down-payment grants, low interest rates, and loan programs allowing FICO scores as low as 480 to purchase an Ontario home.According to the Inland Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service, 936 homes were available in Ontario on Nov. 11, including 624 single-family homes with no association fees and 312 condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes with monthly association fees. Seventy-seven homes were reported in escrow.Complete information on available homes, down-payment grants and loan programs can be obtained by calling Ila Josephs at (909) 261-3541. First-time home buyers especially can benefit from new government and private agencies ready to help them purchase an affordable home.Current renters ca... 11/11/2007

September  2007 Comparison to September 2006September Average Price            Average Price TrendSeptember 07 # Sold                        2007                   200665                         $376,642             $408,193         -7.7%San Bernardino County Homes for Sale Monthly Totals:September 07 # Sold                     2007                      20061376                   $335,042                $348,553        -3.9%Closed Residential Resale Transactions As Reported By Dataquick Information Services. I post this information monthly so you can keep up with trends in a few select cities in San Bernardino County. I always post the cities of Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana and Rancho Cucmonga as a comparison with the specific city as well. Brought to you by: Doug Beaver Corona,... 11/06/2007

By definition, Home Equity Loan is A loan secured by a primary residence or second home to the extent of the excess of fair market value over the debt incurred in the purchase. Ok, sounds great, but what does that mean? Well, let's take a quick look at an example. Let's say you own a home with a 1st mortgage balance of $250,000 and your home is appraised in your local market for $500,000. This means that you have 50% LTV (Loan to Value). Meaning you have 50% or $250,000 in Home Equity. Seems simple enough, right? Of course, SO let's find out what to do with the banks money.Yes, that's right, I called it the Banks Money. In most cases if a person needs a home equity line of credit or (HELOC), then they will go to a bank. The bank in turn lends money that has been deposited in thousands o... 11/05/2007