Buying

14 articles. Every post cites where its figures came from — if we can't source it, we don't publish it.

Single-story ranch home in pale green stucco with a stone veneer base, a tall palm in the front lawn and a detached white garage, seen from the street on a clear day with cars parked at the curb.

First-Time Home Buyers in Riverside, CA: What to Know

Redfin put Riverside's median sale price at $659,686 in September 2026, with 488 homes sold and a median of 41 days on market. Here's how to read those numbers against county data, how to pick a neighborhood inside the city, and the order of steps to your first purchase.

Jeff Maas · October 21, 2026

Row of two-story stucco homes with tile roofs along a sidewalk, an empty white sign post in each front lawn, young trees, and dry mountains under a clear sky.

Inland Empire Cities for First-Time Buyers, Compared

San Bernardino County generally has lower entry prices, Riverside County holds the higher-cost amenity markets, and the High Desert trades price for distance. A city-by-city comparison for first-time buyers, plus what county and state assistance exists on each side of the line.

Jeff Maas · October 19, 2026

Aerial view over downtown Riverside, California, with the white Spanish Baroque bell tower and red tile roof of a historic church in the foreground, a palm-lined street and low-rise downtown buildings behind it, and the hills beyond.

Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home in Riverside

A Riverside mailing address may not sit inside the City of Riverside, and the commute you tested on a Saturday is not the one you'll drive on a Tuesday. Here are the questions worth asking before you write an offer, and who should answer each one.

Jeff Maas · October 16, 2026

A key on a house-shaped key ring sits in the deadbolt of a dark wooden front door, with a stucco home, palm trees and hills glowing at sunset behind it

How Much Cash Do You Need to Buy a House in Riverside?

Your down payment is only the biggest line. Here's every other cash item a Riverside buyer meets around closing, from appraisal and escrow to transfer tax and prepaid insurance, who sets each one, and why reserves belong in the plan before you write an offer.

Jeff Maas · October 12, 2026

Single-story tan stucco home with a tile roof, an arched entry and two garage doors behind a wide concrete driveway and green lawn, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Earnest Money Deposits in California: What's at Risk

Most buyers send the deposit before anyone explains it to them. Here is where that money actually sits during a Riverside County escrow, the point at which it stops being refundable, and the two Civil Code sections that decide who keeps it when a deal falls apart.

Jeff Maas · October 8, 2026

Single-story white stucco home with a tan tile roof and a three-car garage, the front yard planted with agaves, ornamental grasses and an olive tree beside a freshly washed driveway.

California Contingency Periods: What 17 Days Buys You

The 17 days printed on the purchase agreement are a default, not a law, and they don't run out by themselves. What each clock covers, who's holding it, and what a Notice to Buyer to Perform really means on day eighteen.

Jeff Maas · October 7, 2026

Single-story home with vertical tan wood siding, dark trim and two metal chimney flues on a corner lot with a green lawn and tall pines.

How Riverside County Property Tax Rates Actually Work

Two identical houses on the same Riverside block can carry property tax bills thousands of dollars apart. The 1% base rate under Proposition 13 is the same everywhere in California. What differs is the voter-approved bond debt attached to your tax rate area, the flat district charges that don't scale with value, and an assessed value that only resets when the property changes hands. Here is how the three layers assemble into the number on your bill.

Jeff Maas · October 5, 2026

Single-story commercial office building with stacked-stone pillars, tan stucco, a red clay tile roof and dark-framed glass doors, beside a rain-wet parking lot with trees, palms and hills under an overcast sky

Buying a Short Sale in the Inland Empire

A short sale can be a good buy for a patient buyer. Here's how lender review works in the Inland Empire, why as-is condition and lien approvals matter, and what the approval letter can do to the credits you were counting on.

Jeff Maas · September 28, 2026

Two-story beige stucco home with dark shutters, a tile roof and a covered carport, set behind a sloping green lawn with rose bushes and young trees.

The Riverside County Tax Bill Nobody Warned You About

Your impound account does not pay it. It can show up a year after you close. And on a house the last owner held for thirty years, it is not small.

Jeff Maas · September 16, 2026

Two-story stucco and river-rock home in a newer Corona subdivision, young street trees still staked along the lawn

What Mello-Roos Actually Costs in the Inland Empire

Two identical houses, two streets apart, can carry a four-figure annual difference in tax. Here is how to find out which one you are standing in before you write the offer.

Jeff Maas · September 15, 2026

Escrow Week by Week: What Happens and What Kills It

Thirty days looks like waiting. It is not. Here is what each week is for, who is holding the file, and the four places a deal usually dies.

Jeff Maas · September 14, 2026

Courtyard of a mid-century modern home at twilight, pale blue walls, string lights overhead and warm light from the windows

One Company for Agent, Lender, and Escrow: Worth It?

Separate vendors do not fail because anyone is bad at their job. They fail in the handoffs. Here is what that costs, and when keeping it separate is still the right call.

Jeff Maas · September 10, 2026

Newly built two-story home with a tile roof, stone-faced garage and fresh landscaping between two neighbors of the same vintage

New Construction vs. Resale: An Honest Comparison

The builder's incentive is real money. So is the special tax you will carry for twenty years. Here is how to compare the two without getting talked into either.

Jeff Maas · September 9, 2026

Covered front porch of a stucco and stone house at sunset, with lantern sconces lit beside a wood front door, two cushioned chairs, potted succulents and wide concrete steps, and a river valley and hills glowing orange in the background

What a Riverside Real Estate Agent Does for You

Pricing, offer strategy, inspections, escrow and the city-line transfer tax: here's what a Riverside real estate agent handles for buyers and sellers, and why the first week of guidance shapes the result.

Jeff Maas · September 4, 2026