Mortgage Rates: The Deal of the Century?
As you’re looking at homes on line and dreaming about your new home, don’t forget about the most important component in the home buying equation. Your mortgage. One of the first steps to the home buying process is to figure out how much you can afford. What will you qualify for? What factors will affect your bottom line? How do rates and economic conditions affect your bottom line and final payment? All of these factors play an important role in your home buying dreams. However, making this dream come true is still more affordable than ever. We are still experiencing historically low interest rates.
Recently, Freddie Mac published a blog post titled Mortgage Rates: Still the Deal of the Century. They explained that, if you are planning to purchase a home, now may be the time:
“If you are in the market to buy a home, today’s average mortgage rates are something to celebrate compared to almost any year since 1971.”
And they let their readers know that there is no guarantee that rates will remain this low:
“Over the past few years, we’ve enjoyed a long run of historically low mortgage rates. While no one expects them to change dramatically overnight, they are expected to head up. Most experts agree that mortgage rates will drift up in the coming months to end the year approaching 4.50%… Buying a home is a big investment – perhaps the biggest one you’ll make in your life. So, it’s important to be sure you are ready to make that purchase. If you are ready, today’s rates are not to be missed.”
The article went on to calculate what the principal and interest payment would be based on a $200,000 fully amortizing mortgage at different times in history. 
Here is a look at rates over the decades:
Here is a look at rates over the last four years and what Freddie Mac projects for next year:
Bottom Line
If you are thinking of buying your first home or looking to move up to your dream home, now may be the time to do it. We’re seeing more homes coming on the market as we head into the summer season. If you’ve been considering a move, whether it is your first home, a move up to a larger place, or slowing down and downsizing, give the Ransom-McKenzie Team a call to help you find your dream home.
RAM’s Riverside Art Make: The 52 Project
The Ransom-McKenzie Team is proud to be a sponsor of Riverside Art Museum’s “52 Project”. If you know us, you know that we are “Artists in Disguise as Realtors”. While the Realtor thing does take a lot of our time, we always enjoy making time for the arts.
As sponsors, we will be actively participating in the “52 Project” which is the brainchild of our good friend, Sue Mitchell. Sue’s journey as an artist through her extraordinary “52” Exhibit which took place at RAM October – December 2013, has inspired us to participate in the “52 Project”. The goal is to bring artists and artist “wanna’ bes” from across the city and beyond together in a “52 week, self directed journaling adventure”. The beauty of this project is that anyone with creative aspirations in any the creative arts can join in the fun. This means YOU! Don’t be scared to try it out, everyone will be working together to support one another and help to get the creative juices flowing. We believe that art is an important part of our existence, don’t let it go by the wayside.
“The 52 Project”, a part of RAM’s Riverside Art Make, is about getting a group of creative people together to find inspiration and motivation from one another while working on a 52-week, self-directed art journaling project. The goal is to help you develop the habit of capturing your ideas and being more artful on a regular basis.
The first meeting of the minds is Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 so you have plenty of time to sign up. We’re encouraging our friends to join us and have fun! As sponsors The Ransom-McKenzie Team is privileged to have the opportunity to invite some of our friends to join us as our guests. Let us know if you might be interested in this opportunity and joining us in the journaling adventures. Send us an e-mail and let us know you’re in!
How Does “The 52 Project” Work?
Option 1:
A 52-week, self-directed art journaling adventure. The journal you keep can be any style, size, and be kept daily, weekly, or monthly. What we ask is that you make this journal an “EVERYTHING BOOK” capturing all of your creative ideas as if it were a scrapbook, sketchbook, daily planner, diary, and journal.
Option 2:
For those of you that feel a creative idea developing along the way, e.g., a short story, dance piece, one-act play, art exhibit, etc., we will help you learn (at the October meeting) how to write an exhibit/project proposal to submit to the museum. The museum will jury the proposals and select a variety of projects for 4-day exhibitions/performances to be held during the Summer of 2016. (You do not need to decide if you want to participate in Option 2 until the October meeting. It has no additional cost.)
Enrollment in the “52 Project” is open to museum members and non members alike. There will be four general “meetings” or workshops where participants will gather to review ideas, offer support, present proposals, and generally discuss how your journaling adventure is going. The dates for these meetings are:
- Sunday, May 3, 2015, 1:00 p.m.: KICK-OFF MEETING | Q&A | View “52” Documentary | Journaling demos.
- Sunday, October 4, 2015, 1:00 p.m.: MID-YEAR MEETING | Journaling and proposal writing workshops.
- Sunday, March 5, 2016: NO MEETING | PROPOSALS DUE by 4:00 p.m. if you opted for Option 2.
- Sunday, May 1, 2016, 1:00 p.m.: FINAL MEETING | Share art journals | Announce projects selected.
For more information on this project and other RAM Riverside Art Make events taking place, visit the RAM website. You can sign up for the “52 Project” online.
CUC Breakfast Meeting Wednesday, April 25, 2015
Join us Wednesday, April 25th for another informative Citizens University Committee Breakfast at UCR. This month’s topic is “Out of the Lab: Brain & Eye Fitness Games”.
This month’s speaker, Professor Victor Zordan, will be presenting research regarding new methods of improving memory and vision through an app on your smartphone. Professor Zordan will be standing in for Dr. Aaron Seitz, UCR Professor of Psychology and is a member of Dr. Seitz’s team working to develop a series of “Brain Games” aimed at improving overall brain fitness.
Working with the newly founded UCR Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well Being researchers have the mission to research, test, and disseminate game software instrumented with expert knowledge to optimize human brain processes with an aim to make scientifically principled brain games that translate to performance in real-life activities.
Also this month the CUC will be celebrating National Volunteer Month. We will be honoring top UCR organizations that are giving back and volunteering to make our community a better place.
The monthly CUC Breakfast Meetings take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Doors open at 7:15 am and the program starts at 7:30 am. Breakfast costs $18 for members and $22 for non members and includes a deluxe breakfast buffet and free parking. Join us at the UCR Alumni and Visitor’s Center this week! For more information regarding this month’s event, click here. Space is limited so make your reservations today!
Gluck Summer Arts Program
Are your children interested in Theater, Music, Dance, Writing or ….. Super Heroes? This year’s Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts Summer Camp might be something of interest to you. The theme this summer is SuperHumanities: When Art Powers Collide. Sounds like fun, right?
The Gluck Program of the Arts is a FREE summer camp for mature 14-18 year olds. The one week camp takes place on the UCR campus from June 15-19, 2015. The goal of the Gluck Summer Camp of the Arts is to provide mature teenagers with an intensive educational experience in the arts and to expand their understanding of the history, theory and application of the various arts disciplines that emphasize individual growth. Students participate in workshops which are led by an energetic crew of UCR Gluck Fellows.
This year’s program features four workshop sessions which run from 9:00am until 3:30pm. The workshops are as follows:
Monday, June 15th – Thursday, June 18th :
9:00 – 10:00 MorningMixer games and icebreakers for all camp members with a Morning Workshop
10:00-12:00 Morning Workshops (choose Spoken Word Creative Writing OR Physical Dance Theatre S.P.L.A.T.)
12:00-12:30 Lunch break (bring your packed lunch or buy lunch at the HUB)
12:30-1:30 HomeRoom – Art, music and dance activities for all participants on ARTS Lawn near Gluck Office
1:30-3:30 Afternoon Workshops (choose Hip Hop Hooray OR Karaoke Kamp)
The entire program culminates with a performance event on the last day of camp where the students participate in a final performance event. (Friday, June 19th)
Here is a snippet of activities from a past Summer Camp showing just a few of the fun activities that took place during the “HomeRoom” sessions:
This year’s HomeRoom sessions will feature workshops where the students will be creating superhero costumes using a “rags to rad” philosophy. The “costumes” might be used for the final performance event or they just might become the next fad on campus, who knows?
This program offers a fabulous opportunity for mature teens who are interested in the arts to participate in college level workshops with like minded peers. Being on campus at UCR also offers the college experience to the participants encouraging and preparing them for attending college or University. For information on this program, visit the Gluck Summer Camp website. Detailed information about the classes and application forms are available there. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 20th.
The Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at UCR is made possible through the generosity of the Max H. Gluck Foundation
Broadbent Drive, Riverside
Welcome to 151 W. Broadbent Drive in Riverside, California. This beautiful mid-Century Ranch home is located in the University Heights neighborhood adjacent to the University of California Riverside. The homeowners have created a wonderful oasis with water wise landscaping and wonderful interior updates to this 4 bedroom, 2 bath home.
Water-Wise Landscaping Greets you as you enter this Mid-Century beauty.
If you’re looking for a home that has a mid-century feel with some updated features, look no further. This home has beautiful cherry wood manufactured hardwood flooring, updated kitchen counters, and a fresh clean feel throughout.
Stop by our open house on Saturday, April 4th from 1-4pm to see this home in person.
Notice the beautiful floors and large slider window.
The living room has an open feel to it from every angle.
The Dining Room also is bright and open.
The entire space works together very well.
The Kitchen features updated counters and beautiful cabinetry.
The Backyard is a quiet oasis retreat.
Here is a link to the listing if you would like more information on this home: http://mrmlsmatrix.com/matrix/shared/STZZhrvxDpFd/151BroadbentDriveW
Plant Sale at UCR Botanic Gardens
We’re hearing in the news every day about how severe our drought situation is in California. According to the drought monitor posted by the National Drought Mitigation Center our area of California is suffering extreme drought conditions.
Both Riverside Public Utilities and the Western Municipal Water District are encouraging customers to start to conserve water and have imposed water restrictions on residents. Considering that 65-75% of our water use comes form landscape watering, it might be a good time to start thinking about planting some water wise plants, with a drip irrigation system. Both utility companies also are offering great rebate programs for taking out thirsty grass and replacing it with drip irrigation. A win-win for everyone!
UCR Plant Sale This Weekend
If you need inspiration as to what you should plant, it is here! The UCR Botanic Gardens is having their spring plant sale this weekend! The sale dates are Saturday, March 28th from 11am – 4pm and Sunday, March 29th from 9am – 3pm. This sale features hundreds of plants to choose from, all laid out in and amongst the beautiful grounds of the gardens. An added bonus is that there are helpful master gardeners and volunteers to help you pick out plants that will save you money because they are native and water wise.
All of the proceeds from the sale go towards the wonderful programs that the UCR Botanic Gardens provides for the community. These events include bird walk breakfasts, children adventure series, and garden tours and classes. The plant sale is a great way to support this lovely green oasis in Riverside.
Open House 6257 Danbrook
Come visit our open house today, Sunday, March 21st at our Canyon Crest listing 6257 Danbrook Drive. We look forward to seeing you at this lovely 4 bedroom 3 bath pool home in heart of Canyon Crest. The home is welcoming and bright and the views are fabulous too! The open house will take place from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. We’ll see you there!
Open Living room with vaulted ceilings
Back Yard & Pool View
Open family room to the kitchen
Floor to Ceiling Windows with great views.
You an view the full listing online here. Happy home shopping!!!
“Something Like a Sabbatical”
The Ransom-McKenzie Team is excited to be sponsoring the screening of Sue Mitchell’s “52” Exhibit Documentary film “Something Like A Sabbatical” at the Riverside Art Museum on Sunday afternoon. The screening event starts at 4:00pm and will also feature a discussion with Sue and the award-winning documentary filmmakers Pamela Breere Briggs and William McDonald. There still may be a few seats left for this exciting event. Click here to make your reservations.
Hopefully we’ll see you there.
Centennial Plaza Becoming a Reality
If you haven’t noticed there are some major changes taking place on the Northwest corner of Magnolia and University Avenues. This is the future location of Riverside Community College District’s Centennial Plaza which will open in 2016 and “will mark the debut of a major arts, cultural and education resource for our region.”
The buildings you are seeing under construction are the Henry W. Coil, Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts and the RCC Culinary Arts Academy & The Office of the Chancellor. These two buildings are currently being raised together with a large parking garage. They will join the existing Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties The sites have actually been under construction for over a year, but everything being done prior to January this year was happening underground. When working with historic locations you never know what you’re going to find once you start digging around. This project was no exception to that rule. According to Chris Carson, RCCD Chief of Staff & Facilities, they found numerous historic artifacts, a gasoline storage tank, and a deep cavern which extended underneath University Avenue. All of this contributed to a few delays, but now completion for the $80 Million plus project is slated for March 2016 in conjunction with RCC’s Centennial year.
The city will also have two additional facilities to add to it’s Arts & Innovation program. The Culinary Arts Academy which will boast professional quality teaching kitchens, a bakery, class-rooms and a public dining room while the School for the Arts will feature state-of-the-art instrumental labs, recording rooms, and classrooms. The upper floors will also house the RCCD district services offices.
The School for the Arts will also feature the Inland Empire’s first mid-size concert hall (450 seats), suitable for individual artists, quartets, ensembles or even full orchestras.” This modular space is “made out of wooden slabs and heavy curtain. These wooden slabs can move around and be removed, as well as the curtain, to provide a desired acoustic effect, and can go from completely wooden, to all curtains, to open air.”
The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties is already open to the public. It is fast becoming a popular event location. Visitors to the center can enjoy the Mine Okubo Collection, Multi-Media archives and a children’s education zone. The building is currently open to the public on Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm. You can also set up an appointment for additional visits.
The project should be fun to watch as these beautiful buildings start to take shape. This portion of the downtown corridor is going to look fabulous when construction is complete.
CUC Breakfast: Alzheimer’s Disease and Your Immune System
It is common Knowledge that as baby boomers age, our population as a whole is getting older fast. Many of us have experienced first hand friends or family who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. As the nation’s population of aging Baby Boomers increases, the rates for neurodegen-erative diseases are skyrocketing.
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today. The medical world is working hard to come up with ways to better understand this disease and how it affects our brains and reduces our quality of life. The Alzheimer’s Association projects that the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. may nearly triple by 2050, raising the nation’s annual cost of care from $203 billion to $1.2 trillion unless new findings pave the way for more effective medical treatments to prevent, slow or stop the disease.
At this month’s Citizens University Committee (CUC) breakfast we’ll have the privilege of hearing from a leading researcher doing exactly that. Dr. Monica Carson, UCR Professor and Chair of the Biomedical Sciences department will be our guest speaker on Wednesday, March 25th. Here is a sneak peek at what Dr. Carson and her team are working on at UCR.
Join us for this month’s event. The CUC breakfasts are always interesting and informative. Click here for an informational flier and information to reserve your spot. Space is limited so we encourage you to make your reservations today.
We look forward to seeing you there!
The Ransom-McKenzie Team 