Over The Edge for Habitat
For the second year, the Ransom-McKenzie Team has supported Habitat for Humanity Riverside’s Over the Edge fundraiser. Last year, all three team members went Over the Edge and we raised $5,000. This year, we shot for the same goal with just Connie going over the edge.
We once again raised $5,000 to support Habitat’s great efforts in the Inland Empire to provide affordable housing to at-risk families here. This event is a fun opportunity to raise awareness for a dire need in our community while having a good time experiencing the thrill of rappelling off of one of Downtown Riverside’s tallest buildings, Regency Tower on Orange Street. This year’s thrill was even more exciting because Connie, at 82 years old, was the oldest participant to go Over the Edge in Riverside. She made it look incredibly easy too!
Selling real estate in Riverside, The Ransom-McKenzie Team knows what it takes to be able to afford a home. Connie, together with her team members Charlotte and Bob McKenzie, (who are also her daughter and son-in-law), welcome the opportunity to help people find affordable, safe housing in the community. 
Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement clearly states that they “believe that everyone should have a safe, decent and affordable place to call home”. This is why we feel it is so important to not only raise money for Habitat for Humanity but to also raise awareness of the need for affordable housing in our region.
Through the fundraising efforts of the Over the Edge event, Habitat for Humanity Riverside raises funds to help bring their mission to fruition. Prospective homeowners put in sweat equity, and go through extensive life skills training in order to qualify for the Habitat for Humanity’s housing programs. This investment of time and effort gives the new homeowners a feeling of accomplishment as well as pride as they turn the key to open the door of their new home for the first time.
The Ransom-McKenzie Team is proud to be able to be part of this community-building organization. Working together with community partners like Habitat for Humanity helps to make Riverside a great place to live.
The Ransom-McKenzie Over the Edge Team on site. (L to R) Sarah Beresford, Bob McKenzie, Charlotte McKenzie, Roger Ransom, and Connie Ransom
Don’t be Scared, Be Smart
There is no need to be scared when you’re working with the Ransom-McKenzie Team!
Give us a call today or visit our website at RansomMcKenzieTeam.com. We’ll make buying or selling your next home fun, not scary.
Increasing Mortgage Rates Don’t Guarantee Declining Home Prices
Mortgage interest rates have already risen by over a quarter of a percentage point in 2018. Many are projecting that rates could increase to 5% by the end of the year.
What impact will rising rates have on house values?
Many quickly jump to the conclusion that an increase in mortgage rates will have a detrimental impact on real estate prices as fewer buyers will be able to qualify for a loan. This seems logical; if there is less demand for housing then prices will drop.
However, in a good economy, rising mortgage rates increase demand as many prospective purchasers immediately jump off the fence to guarantee they get the lower rate.
Let’s look at home prices the last four times mortgage rates increased dramatically.
In each case, home prices APPRECIATED and did not depreciate. No one is projecting as dramatic an increase in rates as the examples above. Most are projecting an increase of approximately 1% by the end of the year.
The last time mortgage rates increased by 1% over a twelve-month period was January 2013 (3.41%) to January 2014 (4.43%). What happened to house prices during that span? They appreciated by 9.8%.
Just two weeks ago, Rick Palacios Jr., Director of Research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting explained:
“Mortgage rates have risen 1% or more ten times in the last 43 years, with little impact on home sales and prices when the economy was also strong…Historically, rising confidence, solid job growth, and higher wages have more than offset reduced demand for housing resulting from higher mortgage rates.”
Bottom Line
When mortgage rates increase, history has shown that prices appreciate (and do not depreciate) during that same time span. Call The Ransom-McKenzie Team to talk about purchasing your perfect home.
Riverside Food Lab Coming Soon!
Have you seen the twinkling lights on the new marquee at the corner of the Fox Theater’s parking lot? The words “Food Lab” gives a hint about what is happening inside the space at Market and 6th Streets in Downtown Riverside. The marquee’s message states that the Riverside Food Lab (RFL) is preparing to open in the Spring of 2018.
RFL is one of many unique developments from Arteco Partners, a Pomona based, innovative “re-developer” specializing in the “adaptive-reuse of historic structures and in-fill development in mixed-use downtown neighborhoods.” While this building is a newer structure, it is in the heart of the historic downtown.
The Riverside Food Lab concept is a communal food hall with 14 artisanal eateries and bars. Arteco’s President and co-founder Jerry Tessier is excited to bring this idea to Riverside.
“Downtown Riverside, given all the current and planned developments – from the Fox Performing Arts Center to the coming Imperial Hardware Lofts project — is the right venue for this type of niche development. And with the 14 different eateries and bars inside the Riverside Food Lab, you can go with a group of people or you can even just go on a date, and you don’t have to decide what you’re eating before you get there.” – Jerry Tessier
Start your morning with coffee from Augies and end the day with craft beers at Beer Farm. In between there’s ramen, raw juice, creole, BBQ, acai bowls, waffle treats, “Chicano style” Mexican, Lebanese, and wood fired pizzas. These are just the first 11 vendors to join the RFL family.
Besides local food vendors, the RFL plans on local artists creating murals for the walls, and will bring live music and special events to the adjacent patios adding flavor and color to the festivals and events already taking place in our City of Arts and Innovation.
Excitement is growing – stay tuned as more vendors join RFL by ‘liking’ them on Facebook, or visit their website at riversidefoodlab.com.
We love letting our friends and clients know about things going on in and around Riverside. Subscribe to our blog, and visit our webpage at RansomMcKenzieTeam.com to keep in touch!
To Stage or Not To Stage
Our clients often ask us whether staging a home is an important part of getting their home sold quickly. It can be. A well staged home does make a difference.
Staging is not just referring to putting furniture into a vacant home. It also refers to what we ask our sellers to do when preparing their home for sale. One of the most basic, yet effective staging strategies is decluttering the home. This could include everything from cleaning out closets to moving out furniture that makes a room look too small. Other staging game plans could include more extreme measures such as replacing carpet, painting or even replacing kitchen counter tops.
Days on the Market Hits All Time Low
 According to recently released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median amount of time a home spent on the market hit an all-time low of only three weeks in 2017. In Riverside this number is under 20 days in some neighborhoods. Strong buyer demand, a good economy, and a low inventory of new and existing homes for sale created the perfect storm to accelerate the time between listing and signing a contract. The time needed to sell a home has dropped substantially since its highest mark of 11 weeks in 2012. The chart below shows the median weeks on the market from 1987 to today.
Bottom LineIf you are a homeowner who is debating whether or not to list your home for sale, know that national market conditions are primed for a quick turnaround! Give The Ransom-McKenzie Team a call today to get a free property value report. We would love to help you sell your home. |
Holiday Traditions, Time to Share
Happy Holidays!
We love spending time in the kitchen with family and friends. Never is this more special than during the holidays. Our holiday traditions include a number of favorite cookies and sweets that come out only during the holidays. Our Christmas cookies are made every year, just as they have been since Charlotte and her sister Leslie were kids.
Multi-Generational Households May Be The Answer To Price Increases
Multi-Generational homes are coming back in a big way! In the 1950s, about 21%, or 32.2 million Americans shared a roof with their grown children or parents. According to an article by Realtor.com, “Nearly 1 in 5 Americans is now living in a multi generational household – a household with two or more adult generations, or grandparents living with grandchildren – a level that hasn’t been seen in the U.S. since 1950.”
Feeling Stuck in Place?… You Aren’t Alone
Whether you are a renter who is searching for your dream home or a homeowner who feels like your only option is to renovate, you have at least one thing in common: feeling stuck in place.
Median Days on the Market Drops Again!
Throughout this year the median days on the market (DOM) has consistently gotten lower every month. When compared to year over year figures from 2016, there is often a 50% drop in the number of days on the market.
