Single Women Home Buyers
Buy & Sell Pasadena Homes, Los Angeles Homes & Pasadena Condos
Changing demographics and cultural norms have lead to a shift in the picture of a home buyer. While the largest group of home buyers (61 percent) still remains married couples, according to the National Association of Realtors, single women are gaining momentum in real estate purchases.
Breaking Records: Currently, single women purchase 22 percent of new homes, compared to only 9 percent by single men. They purchased 1.5 million homes in 2005, which equates to one in five sales.
What they’re buying: Many single women harbor similar desires in homes. But others do go against the average. Here is a list of the common trends in home buying for single women:
· Prefer 2 bedrooms or more
· More likely to choose resales
· Buy in city over suburban areas
· Will not compromise on location or quality of neighborhood
· Prefer condos or townhomes with well run homeowner associations
· Desire security and / or gated access. Want close proximity to stores, shopping and fitness centers.
Recent Article by CNNMoney.com
The nation is changing. So is the average home buyer.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Changing American demographics and social norms are altering the real estate landscape: the average home buyer is very different compared with buyers of generations past.
The biggest group of home buyers by far is still married couples, accounting for 61 percent of all homes bought, according to the National Association of Realtors.
But single women now purchase 22 percent of all homes. Single men accounted for only 9 percent of purchases. 
According to Pat Vredevoogd Combs, the president of the National Association of Realtors, that shows real change. "Thirty-five years ago, when I started out as a realtor, a single woman couldn't even get a mortgage," she says.
Part of the reason why women have become so big a buying bloc is that more women are single than ever before. The New York Times recently concluded, after an analysis of Census Bureau data, that 51 percent of all American adult women now live without a spouse.
And women are more financially independent than ever before. They account for about 57 percent of all college graduates, almost the reverse of the ratio of 40 years ago.
All this has changed not only circumstances for women but attitudes as well.
"Women are more confident and financially savvy than ever before," says Vredevoogd. "Plus, there are good mortgage products out there that work well for them."
She says that women benefit from many of the nontraditional mortgage choices they have today. These include small cash-down loans that enable recent graduates and divorcees, who may not have a big nest egg available, to achieve homeownership sooner.
Client Testimonials:
From start to finish, Alexandria d'Antieaux and Ramiro Rivas of Coldwell Banker were a wonderful team to work with! I recently purchased a 2 bedroom condo in Pasadena that I'm very happy with. No buyer's remorse here!
From the minute I met Alexandria, I could see I was not dealing with just "any" Realtor. She immediately assessed what I was looking for, and really began going to bat for me. When I found the right place, Ramiro was right there to begin the negotiation process. We met for over an hour just to discuss the offer! Ramiro took the time to really explain everything to me, as I was a first time homeowner. He wasn't condescending eith
er. And he knew what he was doing. They also referred me to great loan officers and escrow agents. Speaking of which, when we were in escrow and we hit a snag (the seller didn't disclose something he should have), Ramiro and Alexandria fought for me and made sure it was completely taken care of before I signed anything. Finally, when the final day came, both Ramiro and Alexandria came and took pictures with me outside my new building, and they offered to make postcards of the picture to be sent to all my friends and family. Nice touch!
I'd highly recommend Alexandria and Ramiro to anyone purchasing a home or condo. They are professional, courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. What more could you want in a Realtor??
Monica Ashton, Pasadena Condo
There are good real estate agents, and then there are great real estate agents. You know the good agents because they help you find a reasonably priced house. The great real estate agents know the market and exceed your overall expectations. But there is a rare class above all others, those that go beyond mere greatness....such an agent is truly righteous. Righteousness has a new name, and that name is Ramiro Rivas!
I say this because many agents will show you a house; Ramiro is committed to finding you a home! Ramiro is extremely knowledgeable about the home buying process on every level. He is patient and gracious enough to help you understand each and every step. I left every meeting substantially more enlightened about home buying.
Ramiro helped me secure the deal on my home by making insightful recommendations, providing a comprehensive comparison of recent sales in the area, and moving quickly to place the offer at the right moment. While in escrow, he kept in contact with me, again thoroughly answering all my questions. He skillfully negotiated with the seller to get me the best deal possible, and he did a lot of "behind-the scenes" leg work with the underwriter and escrow company to ensure that the deal closed on time. Thanks to Ramiro, I was able to buy my lovely and spacious two-bedroom condo for over $100,000 LESS than a similar unit in the same building!
So I say, without reservation, that if you're looking for a trustworthy and truly OUTSTANDING agent, look no further than Ramiro Rivas!
Princess Imoukhuede, Pasadena Home
It has almost been a year and a half that I had been shopping for a condo/townhouse in California. I flew to LA for Christmas, Easter week and to attend my nephew’s wedding in July with intentions to be with family and to shop for a condominium where I might move within the year. My nephew introduced me to his best man/real estate agent who had been so kind and patiently educated me about LA and the surrounding counties. During my short visits, he drove us to a retirement gated-community in Corona, Anaheim and Long Beach etc., to name a few. My nephew, also an agent, picked us up and drove us to Rancho Cucamonga, a great place but, in my opinion, too far of a drive from where my sister an
d her family live.
Around the end of June, I finally moved to LA. I temporarily stayed with my sister near downtown LA and was desperate for a condo to purchase. Being impatient by nature, I hit the Craigslist. Of course, I had been warned about going to strange places with strangers. But for some reason, I had contacted an agent named RAMIRO RIVAS, COLDWELL BANKER. I supposed he had some listings that attracted me first. I think I left a message with this agent about having just arrived from Washington DC, thinking of retiring in LA, and not having a car to shop around. Ramiro immediately returned my call and scheduled to pick up my sister and me to see three or four units in Monterey Hills. I clearly specified my price range and that I wanted a two-bedroom/two baths unit, where I will feel secure and confident of living mostly by myself, a two-car garage, a balcony, facing east and at least within a 15-30 min. drive to my sister’s place. She is, after all, one of the reasons I decided to move here and leave Virginia/Washington, DC, after having lived there for almost thirty years and worked at The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for 25.
I found Ramiro overall very impressive: clean looking, soft-spoken, gentle person, intelligent, friendly and most of all knowledgeable about the area – Monterey Hills. Still hazy about directions, he explained how easy a drive it is from downtown LA. Eleven minutes on a good day, and how close Monterey Hills is to the Pasadena shops and restaurants. He drove us around to get a feel of the distance to the units he first showed us. After the first tour, I asked if I could see other condo units, perhaps, town homes to get an idea how they look within my price range for comparison. First of all the townhouses, were, in my opinion, too far a drive from my sister’s although they were only about 20-30 minutes. I wasn’t impressed with the townhouses I’ve been shown, mainly because of my price range. I then asked if I could see more inventories in Monterey Hills. One unit I was particularly interested in was a quick sale. Ramiro and I made an offer and were accepted. But because of the nature of the sale, it was going to be a long and grueling wait as the sale had to go to several steps to conclusion. On our fourth field trip, I was confident enough to drive to meet him by myself. I had asked if I could again see one unit he had shown us during the first tour. He also took the liberty of showing me another unit in the same area. Between two units he showed me, one was an immaculately move-in condition, the other a fixer upper, facing northeast. I made an offer on the first condo and got a counter offer of a final price offer. The fixer upper had been reduced dramatically and thus, my deciding factor. It also had more privacy in the balcony area. I could have new appliances of my choice, new paint, moldings, great color paint, etc. Though at first I wasn’t entirely thrilled at the looks of the unit, I saw it had great potential and a great opportunity to exercise my design and decorating skills, my passion in life. Ramiro and I made an offer and got accepted. In 21 August, I got the keys.
I moved in and the renovations began. I had the popcorn ceiling scraped, painted the whole area, molding installed, painted the balcony floor and rails and in the kitchen--replaced all hardware and hinges, new top maple cabinets, deep double sink, steaming hot water, waste disposal, faucet set, recessed ceiling lights, pendant lites for the bar counter, etc. I had installed black galaxy granite counters, painted the remaining drawers and pantry and put fresh paint on the two bathrooms and replaced the huge mirrors with framed mirrors. I replaced every gadget: smoke alarms, door knobs, switches, plugs and plates, etc. Finally I had new hardwood floors installed and completed just last week. The result--just beautiful! Gorgeous! Rich-looking. Great move. Great investment!
It has been almost five months and I’m happily settled in a great condo after all the renovations have been completed. I had a housewarming/thanksgiving dinner, a culmination of my hunt for a place to live/work/retire/start a new life in LA. And Ramiro made it all possible. I think Monterey Hills is a gem of a place, not too many people know about. It’s accessibility to Pasadena shops and restaurant is a great plus! Ramiro, thank you very much!!!
I tip my hat to Ramiro who had introduced me to Monterey Hills where I feel secure with my choice, and for helping me with the process of purchasing a home with such ease and confidence. I highly recommend Ramiro and without hesitation introduce him to my relatives, friends and colleagues in Washington, DC and Virginia who might want to invest and/or live in Monterey Hills, Pasadena, and other surrounding areas in the future.
Lourdes Cuadro, Monterey Hills Condo
