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California Governor Gave a Huge Tax Break to Californians by Signing Bill into Law

2010-04-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

NO MORE STATE TAX ON FORGIVEN DEBT

Distressed homeowners no longer have to pay California state income tax on debt forgiven in a short sale, foreclosure, or loan modification. Enacted into law yesterday, Senate Bill 401 generally aligns California's tax treatment of mortgage debt relief income with federal law. For debt forgiven on a loan secured by a "qualified principal residence," borrowers will now be exempt from both federal and state income tax consequences. The existing federal exemption is for indebtedness up to $2 million, whereas the new California exemption is for indebtedness up to $800,000 and forgiven debt up to $500,000.

"Qualified principal residence" indebtedness is defined as debt incurred in acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving a principal residence. It includes both first and second trust deeds. It also includes a refinance loan to the extent the funds were used to payoff a previous loan that would have qualified.

The tax breaks apply to debts discharged from 2009 through 2012. Californians who have already filed their 2009 tax returns may claim the exemption by filing a Form 540X amendment.

Taxpayers who do not qualify for the above exemptions (e.g., second home or rental property) may nevertheless be exempt under other provisions. Most notably, taxpayers who are bankrupt are exempt from debt relief income tax. Also, taxpayers who are insolvent are exempt from debt relief income tax to the extent their current liabilities exceed current assets.

For more information about mortgage forgiveness tax consequences, go to California Franchise Tax Board's Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Extended webpage and the Internal Revenue Service's Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation webpage. The full text of Senate Bill 401 is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

Odes to the Home Equity Loans: Homeowners are Asking What They Should Do

2009-11-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

The rush to help homeowners pull out the equity out of their homes is long gone. Bank lenders are becoming more and more conservative.

The market for such credit lines, which practically shut down as home prices tumbled, remains tight as a drum despite signs of life in the rest of the home loan market. And offers that let you pay only the prime rate or just above that benchmark are long gone.

According to various reports including the following from LAtimes, one can start seeing the impact on families all over the country:

"The days of lenders falling all over themselves to help you empty the equity out of your home aren't coming back any time soon," said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at loan data tracker HSH Associates.

Even for homeowners with plenty of home equity still available, "access to it is harder to come by," Gumbinger said. "You need to be a much higher-quality borrower now. And if you can get it, the terms are going to be a lot less attractive."

Before the housing boom, home equity credit lines were a cheap way for homeowners to renovate their property, pay college tuition or buy a car. During the boom, they also were often used to make a down payment on a home or to finance a vacation or other indulgences.

"Not Totally Safe but Secure Job with LAPD": LAPD Recruiters Want a Few Good Men and Women to Protect and Serve! Are you One?

2009-01-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

"Not Totally Safe but Secure Job with LAPD": LAPD Recruiters Want a Few Good Men and Women to Protect and Serve! Are you One?

There has been a surge of applications for Los Angeles police officer jobs from September, October, November and December. Recruiters are taking advantage of the sour economy to offer good jobs to all willing to protect the surrounding communities. The message is simple these days, "Being a police officer might not be completely safe, but it is relatively secure..."

These times of economic uncertainty are causing many people apply for the police officer jobs. On the pages of the Daily News and various career websites, the LAPD is always looking for a few good men and women to protect and serve the LA communities. "Never have to face a layoff again! Start your new career today!"

At at a time when various police stations all over the nation are cutting down in order to balance their budget because of lower property taxes revenue and high defaults, LAPD comes out to offer layoff-proof jobs. The question is whether the hundreds and thousands of applicants can cut and survive long enough to wear the LAPD uniform. The statistics are grim, "only one in 10 or 11 applicants ends up in uniform."

It seems that there is a current push to hire as many people as possible in order to meet the 10,000-officer force by the Fall as requested by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Staffing standards require that the department increase its officer ranks.

Officer I jobs promise starting salaries of $56,522 to $75,878 depending on education and experience.

Hurry up, people, put in your application now!

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Bank of America Offers Mortgage Relief

2008-10-08T01:54:00.001-07:00

Facing a lawsuit over the deceptive mortgage practices, Bank of America Corp. is agreeing to pay more than $8 billion to modify hundreds of thousands of loans to keep people from losing their homes. This announcement from the N.C.-based Bank of America will give relief to a lot of homeowners.

Hope For Homeowners Program Designed to Provide Aid to Distressed Borrowers

2008-10-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

The government starts the mortgage loan swap which lets troubled homeowners stay in their homes. Lenders, rather than borrowers, will decide whether to participate in the program, which requires them to take a loss on the initial loan. The $300 billion, three-year program is designed to help borrowers who owe more on their loans than their homes are worth. To qualify, borrowers must be spending more than 31% of their income on mortgage payments. Loans made this year are excluded, except for those completed on Jan. 1. Borrowers must have made six months of payments on their loans

Here is the gist of the act:

The “HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008" creates a new program within FHA to back FHA-insured mortgages to distressed borrowers. The new mortgages offered by FHA-approved lenders will refinance abusive loans at a significant discount for homeowners facing difficulty meeting their mortgage payments.

The program is built on five principles:
Long-term Affordability. The program is built on the idea, expressed by Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, that creating new equity for troubled homeowners is likely to be a more effective way to avoid foreclosures. New loans will be based on a family’s ability to repay the loan, ensuring affordability and sustainable homeownership.
No investor or lender bailout. Investors and/or lenders will have to take significant losses in order to benefit from the proceeds of the loans refinanced with government insurance. However, these losses would be less than the losses associated with foreclosure.
No windfall for borrowers. Borrowers will share their new equity and future appreciation equally with FHA. Borrowers will pay for the FHA insurance.
Voluntary Participation. This will be a voluntary program. No servicers will be compelled to participate.
Restore confidence, liquidity, and transparency. Credit markets are fearful and frozen in part because banks and other financial institutions do not know what their subprime mortgages and related securities are worth. The uncertainty is forcing lenders to hoard capital and stop the lending necessary for economic growth. This program will create certainty and get markets flowing again.

Program Administration. The new program will be overseen by a Board made up of the Secretary of HUD, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Board will have the authority to develop standards within the framework of the legislation.

Eligible Borrowers. Only owner-occupants will be eligible for the new FHA-insured mortgage. No investors or investor properties will qualify. The Board will establish other eligibility criteria, including criteria designed to determine whether borrowers can afford their existing loans.

New Loan Amount. The size of the new FHA-insured loan will be determined by:
The lesser of the amount the borrower can afford to repay, as determined by the current affordability requirements of FHA, taking into account the amount of income available to the family after basic expenses are paid (residual income); or,
The amount of the existing loan minus a discount established through an auction process established by the Board. The auction process will allow for bulk refinances, at a discount, of eligible loans. The federal government will not take possession of the mortgages.
The Board will have flexibility to change the affordability standards to suit circumstances.
In either case, FHA will not insure more than 90% of the current value of the home. Loans must be 30-year, fixed rate loans.

Equity Sharing. In order to avoid a windfall to the borrower created by the new 90% loan-to-value FHA-insured mortgage, the borrower must share the newly-created equity and future appreciation equally with FHA. This obligation will continue until the borrower sells the home or refinances the FHA-insured mortgage. Moreover, the homeowner’s access to the newly created equity will be phased-in over 5 years.

Existing Subordinate Liens. Before participating in this program, all subordinate liens must be extinguished. This will have to be done through negotiation with the first lien holder.

Qualified Safe Harbor. The legislation provides servicers with an incentive to participate in the program by offering a safe harbor against legal liability.

Funding. The Act provides for $20 billion in credit subsidy, which is expected to insure new, affordable loans that refinance approximately $400 billion in troubled mortgages.

Program Sunset. The program sunsets at the end of 2012. Any remaining funds, and future collections resulting from appreciation of FHA-insured mortgages made under this program, will be returned to the government.

New Foreclosure Prevention Affordable Housing Goal for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition to the FHA option, the legislation requires the Secretary of HUD, together with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of OFHEO, to establish a new Foreclosure Prevention goal for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two enterprises would be required to purchase eligible loans at a discount, and write down those mortgages to help the families keep their homes. Mortgages would have to be written down according to the same criteria as loans eligible for FHA insurance under this legislation – based on ability to pay, taking residual income into account. OFHEO would be given the authority to require the enterprises to raise additional capital commensurate with the additional risk this new goal may pose.

Financial Difficulties Lead Father to Kill Wife, Mother-in-law and Three Children in California Gated Community

2008-10-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Financial Crisis Caused Murder-suicide in Paradise

Former PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sony Pictures employee went a killing rampage after being unemployed for several months. The unemployed accounting industry worker became despondent and withdrawn. Living in an upscale, large home in a California gated community, the father could not take it any longer. Watching the credit crunch or contraction and the tight economic market and the changing of Wall Street business model, he realized that his chances of getting a job were almost nil. He could not count on his master's of business administration in finance to get him a job. Ill-advised, he decided to take matters in his own hand. He unleashed all his demons on his unsuspecting family.

Police investigating the case in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Porter Ranch found a handgun which was purchased on Sept. 16, 2008. They recovered where the father's body was located. The man used it to kill his 39-year old wife, 70-year-old mother-in-law, and his sons aged 19, 12, and 7. It is worth nothing that the family did not own the home.

The father created hell for his wife and his children as he went from room to room to commit these killings. In his suicide letters, he attests to some financial difficulties, takes responsibility for the taking of his family members and himself as a result of these financial hardships. The financial dealings and situation of his household overwhelmed him.

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Housing Crisis Fueled by Inflated Home Appraisal: Who are Perpetrators and Victims? The Wild West of The Housing Boom Years, Devastation and Impact.

2008-08-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Housing Crisis Fueled by Inflated Home Appraisal: Who are the Perpetrators and Victims?
The Wild West of The Housing Boom Years, Devastation and Impact.

Many industry insiders just knew that it was just a matter of time. What goes up will have to come crashing down. Indeed, soaring home prices were just setting the stage for this country's greatest housing meltdown. Many onlookers could see that the high home sales were just a game. They were not fair deal. It was clear that the real estate industry was starting to crumble from the inside. Rogue appraisers, real estate agents and bad real estate brokers were running the show. They were making money left and right on the ignorance of unsuspecting homeowners, buyers and sellers. The bankers, mortgage companies and real estate investors appeared ready to make money along the way. Very few people raised their little fingers. Business was good. Since 2005, many potential buyers have been kept out of the market. They were priced out by speculators who flew in and flew out of hot deals and markets all over California. Those who were not too greedy amassed a fortune. Then, they moved this money to other shores or diversified.

Many appraisers were being pressured by all sides to inflate home values. They sometimes quoted prices only aimed at supporting loans that are more than the buyers can truly afford. According to former acting director at the Federal agency charged with monitoring the appraisal industry, Marc Weinberg, the system was completely broken. Since the height of the housing boom (which was fake or based solely on borrowed money), many violations could have constituted the red flags. According to a recent AP investigation, there were complaints that were lodged at the agency, but the lack of agents prevented it from investigating. Since the complaints were uninvestigated for many years, many of the appraisers who were accused of inflating prices continued to commit fraud in the industry.

What are the causes of the current housing crisis? Many will say greed, easy money-making tricks with no regards to the future

Here is a list of some of the perpetrators and victims: They were lenders who allowed people with spotty credit to buy homes with little or no money down, mortgage brokers who focused on selling loans without regard to the borrowers' ability to repay and investment bankers who bought and sold risky mortgage-backed securities. Failure to be able to monitor the real estate appraisals also contributed to the problems we are seeing now. Foreclosures are rampant and continue to destroy communities.

How does the process work? Once an appraiser receives an order from a real estate agent, lender, or mortgage broker to inspect a property, he or she is supposed to use some measurable tools of the trade. He will use the physical inspection of the home and comparable sales in the area to develop an estimated value for the property. What happens when the values of the other properties are not real? The figure the appraisers get will be used by banks to set the home's value as collateral for the mortgage loan. That is why it makes sense for the appraisers to come up with a value free of any outside pressure. In many cases, the appraisers were influenced by owners, buyers and sellers and the rest of the players to produce a number. They know that they are supposed to generate a value free of any outside pressure. Such was not the case in many of the cases investigated by AP. Some appraisers did complain to federal and state agencies about the fraudulent inflation of property values. Oftentimes, appraisers would put each other down in front of the buyers.

Are The New Provisions of Housing-Mortgage Relief Bill For You?

2008-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

How many Americans will benefit from the housing-mortgage relief bill signed by President Bush? Well, according to many analysts, not too many people will be able to stay in their house and see their bills paid even when loan servicers and mortgage debt investors did everything they could. Let alone that these people are not required to do anything if they do not want to.

Find out whether you can get something done for your particular case.

The housing bill that Congress passed Saturday and sent to President Bush would:

_Give the Federal Housing Administration $300 billion in new lending authority and relax standards to provide affordable, fixed-rate mortgages to an estimated 400,000 debt-ridden homeowners. Any losses would be covered by an affordable housing fund financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that finance mortgages.

_Allow the Treasury Department temporary authority to lend money to Fannie and Freddie or buy their stock to avert a collapse of one or both of the mortgage giants. The authority would expire on Dec. 31, 2009.

_Create a new regulator and tighten controls on Fannie and Freddie, including power for the regulator to approve pay packages for company executives. Create a new affordable housing fund drawn from their profits. Permanently raise the limit on the loans they may buy to $625,000 in the highest-cost areas. Allow them to buy loans 15 percent higher than the median home price in certain cities.

Provide $3.9 billion in grants to the hardest-hit communities for buying and fixing up foreclosed property.

_Modernize the FHA and allow it to back loans for riskier borrowers. Permanently increase the size of loans the agency may insure _ currently set to revert to $362,790 by the end of the year _ to $625,000 in the highest-cost areas. The agency could insure loans 15 percent higher than the median home price in certain cities.

_Forbid the FHA from insuring mortgages in which the borrower's down payment is paid by the seller, beginning on Oct. 1, 2008. Place a one-year moratorium forbidding the agency from charging premiums based on the riskiness of the homeowner, until Oct. 1, 2009.

_Provide $15 billion in housing tax breaks, including for low-income housing. Give a credit of up to $7,500 for first-time home buyers who purchase residences between April 9, 2008, and July 1, 2009. Allow people who don't itemize their taxes to claim a $500-$1,000 deduction on their 2008 property taxes.

_Give states an additional $11 billion in tax-free municipal bond authority for low-interest loans to first-time home buyers, construction of low-income rental housing and refinancing subprime mortgages.

_Offer protection from investor lawsuits for mortgage holders that modify loans to borrowers who are in default or about to default.

_Provide $180 million for pre-foreclosure counseling and legal services for distressed borrowers.

Top-rated Foreclosure Attorneys List: Avoid Bankruptcy and Homelessness

2008-07-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

There is a spike in foreclosure cases. Bankruptcy and foreclosure lawyers are being inundated with new cases. Web sites offering information on foreclosure are also seeing a spike of traffic.

Find a list of Foreclosure and Business Attorneys

Here is what is being reported by many of these sites:

"When the government can't help, a good lawyer sometimes can. The attorneys seeing the largest spikes in business are those who help homeowners handle foreclosures or assist banks and property owners in collecting unpaid mortgages. Eric Appleton, a foreclosure attorney in Tampa who is among the most highly rated in his field on Avvo.com, had more foreclosure cases in a single day recently than he had seen in a whole month last year. "People are most definitely going online to find lawyers to defend themselves against foreclosures," says Appleton, who often represents condominium associations. "It's not uncommon for us to get 10 to 15 mortgage foreclosure [cases] in a single day."

Attorney: David Leen
Law Firm: David Leen & Associates, Seattle, Wa.
Education: University of Oregon School of Law, 1971
Expertise: Represents individuals in foreclosure, predatory lending, fraud, and real estate cases

Attorney: Eric Appleton
Law Firm: Bush Ross, Tampa
Education: University of Florida J.D., 1998
Expertise: Represents Florida property owners and community associations in disputes with lenders and home owners

Attorney: Robert S. Bernstein
Law Firm: Bernstein Law Firm, Pittsburgh
Education: Duquesne University J.D., 1981
Expertise: Bankruptcy law, creditors' rights law

Attorney: David Leibowitz
Law Firm: LakeLaw Bankruptcy Center, Chicago
Education: Loyola University School of Law, 1974
Expertise: Consumer bankruptcy, mortgage defense

Attorney: Steven H. Mezer
Law Firm: Bush Ross, Tampa
Education: Stetson University College of Law, 1977
Expertise: Real estate litigation, foreclosures, collection of assessments, and deed-restriction enforcement

Attorney: Joseph Moldovan
Law Firm: Morrison Cohen, New York City
Education: Brooklyn Law School, 1982
Expertise: Bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights

Attorney: Paul Riffel
Law Firm: Paul Riffel, Tampa
Education: Stetson University College of Law, 1982
Expertise: Bankruptcy court, family law, real estate

Attorney: Stephen W. Sather
Law Firm: Barron, Newburger, Sinsley & Wier, Houston and Austin
Education: University of Texas School of Law, 1986
Expertise: Bankruptcy law

Find a list of Foreclosure and Business Attorneys

Attorney: Jonathan Stein
Law Firm: Jonathan G. Stein, Elk Grove, Calif.
Education: McGeorge School of Law, 2002
Expertise: Consumer debt

Attorney: Mervin Waage
Law Firm: Waage & Waage, Denton, Tex.
Education: Southern Methodist University
Expertise: Bankruptcy, debt

Donald Trump and Pete Sampras Show The Market for Celebrity Homes is Hot

2008-07-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

If you did not hear the news about the record amount Donald Trump made on a home bought on the cheap side when he recently sold it to a Russian billionaire for $25 million? Now read this about Pete Sampras, the famed and retired Tennis player.

Tennis star Pete Sampras has sold his Beverly Hills home after dropping the price from $25 million to $23 million, which is what the MLS says the place fetched.

Sampras recently expanded and remodeled the English manor, adding lots of detailed finishes throughout. The estate, walled and gated, sits on more than an acre of landscaped grounds that include -- surprise! surprise! -- a north-south tennis court. Did the Great One ever play on it?

The 10,376-square-foot, two-story house has five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. There is a detached guesthouse and a separate gym. The main house includes a home theater and an office-library; the master bedroom suite has his-and-hers bathrooms.

Sylvester Stallone Bought Thousands Oaks Lakefront Property for $7.2 Million

2008-07-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Stallone is adding to his group of homes. He is not new to the area. He already had a property in Hidden Valley. Celebrity homes cost a lot. Just like Donald Trump, they stand to make a lot of money when selling them.

Sylvester bought a property with 500 feet of lake frontage that was listed at about $5.5 million and the adjacent lot, giving him another 150 square feet of frontage, that was listed at about $1.7 million

Celebrity Property: Who Would Like to Live in a Paparazzi's Home?

2008-07-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Boris Nizon, president and founder of Fame Pictures, a Santa Monica-based photo agency that chases celebrities around and then sells their pictures to fan magazines and websites, has listed his Beverly Hills home for sale at $3,495,000.

It seems that it pays well to be a paparazzi. Look at the description of his home.

The house, built in 2006, has five bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in 4,300 square feet. There is a grand foyer with a floating staircase and crystal chandelier. The gourmet kitchen has Viking appliances and granite countertops and a breakfast area that leads out to a patio and a tropical pool with rock formation waterfall and spa. There is a balcony off the master suite

Legendary DJ, music producer, re-mixer and record mogul Paul Oakenfold Ready to Sell Hollywood Hills Home for $10 Million

2008-04-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

The market for exclusive and pricey homes is not down yet. Go to the Hills and find out for yourself. Celebrity homes are hot properties. Everybody wants to buy them. That is if you are among the few multimillionaires who can afford them.

Paul is ready to sell his four-bedroom home which includes a private spa and bleachers that have views of the Hollywood Bowl stage. French provincial in style, the three-story, 4,500-square-foot house was built in 1949 but was updated a few years ago. It also has a recording studio. The home has offices, a kitchen with a loft; six bathrooms, a master-bedroom suite with a fireplace; a grassy lawn, a pool, a spa and those bleachers, from which to view the Bowl. The home has sightlines from almost directly above the Hollywood Bowl to the L.A. Basin. If you are up there, you can watch anything that is on stage.

Additional Information:

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Spider man 3 Star, Tobey Maguire, Bought Brentwood Home for $9.7 Million

2008-04-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Tobey Maguire can laugh all the way to the bank. He has laughing any way. He is now a happy man after buying a new home in Brentwood, CA for $9.7 million for his family. He is not new to making real estate deals. According to West Side Real Estate agents, the actor previously bought a home site for $10 million. In 2002, he also bought a Hollywood Hills home for $3.7 million that he sold in 2007 for $11 million. He is deep into the real estate market. He is investing his money in great homes of value. His star power is also selling these homes like hot potatoes.

Maguire married the daughter of Ron Meyer, Jennifer. Ron Meyer is the president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios.

Tobey Maguire appeared in the following movies just in case you want to watch him: "The Cider House Rules" (1999), "Seabiscuit" (2003), "The Good German" (2006) and the "Spider-Man" series.

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10,000-square-foot French Regency-style Compound on a 1.5-acre Ocean Bluff in Malibu SOLD!

2008-04-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

Who said that the housing market was down? Well, the residential market is not that bad for the rich, the super rich. It is a good time for them to buy. After all, some of these mansions and compounds appear to be appreciating. They do not lose their value. A case in point is this 10,000-square-foot French Regency-style Compound on a 1.5-acre. James and Eleanor Randall bought it for $14 million.

The house, built in 2002, has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, two guesthouses, coastline views, a glass mosaic pool, a tennis court, a 1,500-square-foot master bedroom, heated mosaic floors and a private staircase to the beach.

The power couple bought the home as their Summer home. Mr. Randall is in the aerospace rivet industry. According to the Randall Foundation (www.randallfoundation.com), here is what we know about the couple:
"In 1971 Mr. James H Randall purchased Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc. from American Electric, Inc. In 1974 James H Randall/Allfast purchased the solid rivet manufacturing division from Olympic Fastening Systems. Also in 1974, Allfast began making blind rivets. In 1987 James Randall acquired the blind rivet division of Voi-Shan Fastening Systems. In 1989, Mr. Randall acquired the blind rivet and tooling divisions from Olympic Fastening Systems. In 1999, James H Randall purchased Briles Rivet. In 2002, he acquired Aerospace Rivet Manufacturers. In 2007, an additional 60,000 square feet were added to the facility to expand shipping and receiving, packaging and warehousing for VMI and min/max inventories. By adding footage to the facility it’s made more room for capital equipment and new products which are planned for introduction in 2008. With 19 patents and 21 trademarks, James H Randall and Allfast Fastening Systems are the leading provider of solid and blind rivets and tooling for the aerospace industry."

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Pregnant Nicole Kidman and Husband Keith Urban Bought $7 Million Home in Brentwood, CA

2008-04-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Nicole Kidman and star husband, country music singer Keith Urban bought Brentwood Home.

Pregnancy has a way of making people go back to the comfortable, the known world or the more secure one, at least. That is what is happening to Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise's ex. Now she has always known that Brentwood is the place to be. After splitting from Tom Cruise, Nicole moved out of Brentwood. She traveled a bit to Australia and other places, dated a few guys including the legendary rocker, musician, Lenny Kravitz. Then, she met current the famous musician, singer who would become her husband, Keith Urban. Together, the two decided to move back to Brentwood. Nicole knows Brentwood very well. She knows it is a safe place for her new baby.

Nicole Kidman lived in the hills for years before splitting with Tom Cruise in 2001. The power couple is ready to settle into their $7-million, contemporary-style home. The 5,600-square-foot Brentwood house, built in 1964, has five bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, walls of glass, city views, rolling lawns, koi ponds and the privacy of living at the end of a cul-de-sac. Kidman sold the last home she had in the neighborhood about four years ago for $10.5 million, area realty agents said.

Nicole will soon star in a new movie where she will play the role of Valerie Plame. She is not new to motherhood. Kidman, 40, has two other children, whom she adopted with Cruise. She owns a house in Sydney, Australia, where she was raised. Urban, 40 was born in New Zealand. How in the world did he grow up with country music? Well, he is a top country singer now.

Get more info right here:

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CreditCrunch Back-to-Basics Lending: Lenders Say No Mas to Mortgages with Zero-down Payment

2007-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

CreditCrunch Back-to-Basics Lending: Lenders Say No Mas to Mortgages with Zero-down Payment

First-time buyers are in it for a rude awakening. They will be required to put down up to 3 % down on their mortgage deal. The percentage may be different if it has to do with a jumbo loan of more than $417,000. It is the time to go back to the basics of lending championed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the mid-1980s. Lenders are taking measures to eliminate zero down-payments these days. It is a clear sign of the credit crunch this country is going through. Lenders are not willing to take risks any longer. Most buyers or consumers will have to have a credit score of 700 to even consider negotiating. Remember that the score of 850 is considered optimal. If borrowers are in the 300 credit score, they do not even need to show up these days. Lenders will examine the borrowers' credit history which usually has some inaccuracies. Borrowers should be ready to fix, dispute and correcting any errors found in the reports issued by the credit bureaus. Only after doing all of that, will borrowers have a chance to see their scores boosted and secure better loans. For some time to come, jumbo loans or mortgages of more than $417,000 will be out of the question for many borrowers.

As long as the credit squeeze continues, lenders will continue to minimize their loss. Due to foreclosures and the depreciation in home values, many homeowners who used to pay their bills are finding themselves in a tight impasse. They figure it is easier to just walk out of their loans.

http://www.geocities.com/openhouselead/boomrealtyhomes.html

What You Can Do to Avoid Foreclosures: Foreclosures Prevention Tools and Other Ways to Get out of Financial Funk

2007-09-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Questions on Foreclosures Answered Here:

What You Can Do to Avoid Foreclosures: Foreclosures Prevention Tools and Other Ways to Get out of Financial Funk

President Bush recently announced that the Federal Housing Administration will begin a program to allow homeowners who have good credit but can not afford their mortgages to refinance to FHA-insured mortgages. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to avoid foreclosure on your property. Any homeowners should start taking matters in their own hands. Way before foreclosure is lurking around, they need to start consulting with their lawyers or credit counselors. The easiest thing they can do is to contact their mortgage lender. Who else knows better than the mortgage borrowers themselves? They need to call the loan servicer before they start falling behind. It will be pretty hard to catch up once payments are late.

Here are a few ways to avoid foreclosure: Refinancing may be considered if you have enough equity in the home. Even if you do not have equity, try it any way. The process may be more difficult though. You can persuade the lender to modify the terms of the loan. You can sell the house of file for bankruptcy protection as in filing Chapter 13. There is no easy way out. No easy option for sure. Homeowners who are facing foreclosure should never ignore letter from lenders. They must try to update their phone records in case the lenders want to contact them. Borrowers or homeowners should remember that the banks or lenders or investors do not want to own your own. They do not want to declare foreclosure on your property because of all the costs and time involved. All you have to do is to make a good gesture. They need to know that you are not going to run away and that they can keep your words.

Homeowners can look for some resources such as the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which has aligned itself iwth Citigroup and Bank of Ameirca to pledge $1 billion for people at risk of losing their homes. They can contact the department of housing and Urban development, Freddie Mac's guide to avoiding foreclosures, NeighborWorks America's Center for Foreclosure Solutions and the Federal Trade Commission's fact sheet "Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here's what to do."

Lenders can also make arrangements for a forbearance or repayment plan. A forbearance is a suspension or reduction of monthly payments until the borrower regains financial footing. With a repayment plan, the missed payments are spread out over time. The borrower has to pay them in addition to the regular mortgage. Borrowers can also look at "short sale" which is an arrangement in which the lender allows the sale of the property for less than is owed. This process may take some time too. Not too many lenders are willing to do this. Patience will pay off in the end. Cash-strapped borrowers may think about a "deed in lieu of foreclosure." That means that the lender is given ownership rights without the shame of a foreclosure.

The Salvaterras Bought New Home in Hancock Park

2007-09-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Fast Food Nation Producer and Nickelodeon Executive, Chris Salvaterra, Sold Home in L.A.'s Venice section

Chris Salvaterra and his wife, writer, Marjorie, sold their refurbished, contemporary Venice-based home to director Robert Schwentke and his wife Jen Howard. They sold the home for which has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and sits on 2,600 square feet for $1.6 million.

The Salvaterras bought a new dig in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles.

Style Maven Cojo Got New Dig in the Hills

2007-09-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cojo or Steven Cojocaru, style maven and fashion critic by excellence, has been ready for a change of cribs. He wants to go the Hollywood Hills to rub shoulders with his peers. He is buying a contemporary house with city views and a pool for about $4 million.

The home has five bedrooms and four bathrooms in what amounts to 4,000 square feet. The Midcentury Modern has been remodeled. Cojo used to appear on NBC's "Today" show for about four years. He was serving as People Magazine's West Coast style editor. He then became a correspondent on "Entertainment Tonight" in 2003 and the "ET" spinoof series "The Insider" in 2004. What is Cojo doing these days? Well, you may find him picking the latest decorations for his new crib.

Get more housing reviews at Shopnowshopping Affordable Homes

Actress Catherine Bell Bought New Home

2007-09-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Actress Catherine Bell and her husband, actor Adam Beeson put their home in nearby Calabasas on the market for $3.25 million. The two have owned the one-story, nearly 6,000-square-foot villa for about two years. The couple is anticipating their move to South Carolina where the Lifetime series is filmed. Actress Catherine Bell co-starred for nine seasons on "JAG." She is now a star on "Army Wives." Bell, 39 and Beeson, 38, bought the Calabasas home when it was being built. The home is located in a gated community. It sits on about one acre, has a screening room, five bedrooms, six bathrooms and superb mountain views. Who else is selling and buying new homes?

Get more housing reviews at Auction Homes, Affordable Homes at Openhouselead

Paris Hilton has a new address in Hollywood Hills

2007-09-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

First it was sister Nikki. Then it was Paris who bought a home after getting out of jail. Now the Simple Life superstar and Vegas highlighter bought a new home in the Hills. She may not have liked her home too much. She listed it for $ 4.2 million and purchased a new home in more private area. "After she returned to her home in the busy Sunset Strip area of the Hollywood Hills, she listed it for $4.25 million and purchased a home on a street less traveled for $5.9 million. The asking price was $6.25 million. Hilton bought in the Beverly Hills Post Office area and, as she desired, in a gated community."

Hilton's new home was built in 1991 and has five bedrooms and six bathrooms plus separate guest quarters and an office in 7,400 square feet.

Get more celebrity home reviews at Openhouselead Cribs

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance's Home is For Sale: Get to Know The Home

2007-08-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to buy this home for $6 million? It is worth every penny. Find out why the couple is selling. They have twins through a surrogate. So they have more needs.

The compound they are selling has a 5,000-square-foot main house, built in 1940, with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It has such features as a hair salon, a gourmet kitchen, an elegant foyer, a master-bedroom suite and parklike grounds. The couple added a detached 2,500-square-foot building that has an office, gym and guest quarters.

Who is Angela Bassett?

Bassett, whose breakthrough role was playing Tina Turner, starred opposite Laurence Fishburne in the movie "Akeelah and the Bee" (2006). She also appeared opposite Whoopi Goldberg in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (1998).

Get more housing news at California's Open House Boom

Find all the Great Homes of Distinction with Reduced Prices in California at Great Homes of Distinction at Reduced Prices

Homebuilders Offer Mortgage only to Push It Down The Throats of Unsuspecting Buyers who Can Not Afford It

2007-08-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

The reckoning time has arrived. Homebuilders have created a monster that wants to swallow their business. It has also created a major headache for many ordinary folks.

Many observers are now saying that it was written the boom would come to an end. It was just a matter of time. In addition to banks and conventional lenders, homebuilders entered the prosperous field of mortgage to make money. The result are half-completed, half-empty houses and subdivisions all over California and the Central Valley.

In addition to spitting out subdivisions, many of which now stand half-empty, builders jumped into the mortgage business to a degree they never had. Wall Street provided the same encouragement it offered other lenders. Even as the housing supply began to exceed demand last year, builders kept sales brisk by pushing adjustable-rate, interest-only, and other risky loans. In some cases they attracted clientele who couldn't afford conventional mortgages. In others, builders allegedly violated federal lending standards to get customers to sign on the dotted line. KB Home (KBH ) paid a record $3.2 million settlement in July, 2005, to resolve allegations by the Housing & Urban Development Dept. that the builder's mortgage unit overstated borrowers' income, among other practices, to obtain loan approvals. KB, which denied wrongdoing, sold its loan business before settling.

Additional Resources:

California, Central Valley's Hot Home Bargains

No Health benefits, No Severance Package, Nothing: American Home Mortgage Investment Corporation Closed Its Door

2007-08-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

The rumors turned to founded news. They also turned to fears for many of American Home Mortgage employees who received their last check on this fateful day. No benefits, no severance package. Nothing. Yet, they have mortgage to pay too. There is no way they could see this coming. Workers were cleaning their cubes and offices. Many observers attributed the company’s undoing to the weakening of the real estate market and of the secondary mortgage market, the commerce in financial instruments built from bundled mortgage obligations, which was American Home Mortgage’s specialty.

Now many homeowners who have their mortgage through this company have to find a new one. American Home Mortgage bailed out or checked out.

Find more housing news at Openhouselead.

Central Valley Malls Overrun by Teens, Tweens Are Taking Measures: River Park Blinks First, Stared Down by Teens

2007-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

River Park officials have been putting the fire on teens, tweens and those under 18 years of age for wanting to hang out at the new shopping center in Fresno. Kids who are found without parents will be asked to leave the premises. Such was the goal. Then under 18s started organizing themselves and asking for signatures. Now River Park Officials balk down. They want to postpone their clamming down and hope to end the Summer season. The message was clear to the teens who could not be there after 6 pm. It appears that River Park shopping center did not want them there anymore. There were many who said that the teens were not spending money at the shops. They only shop at Jamba Juice. By congregating there, they chase away families who could spend more.

The teens said they are hanging out at skateboard which is next to the pizza shop. After all, they claim to have made the new shopping center hip. Now they are thinking about going to Sierra Vista mall which has a new theater, Manchester Mall which has lots of parking and Fashion Fair which has another skateboard. They may even go to Fulton Mall. That is farfetched.

All over the US, mall operators have to decide about how to deal with teens who outnumber adults, specially unsupervised teens who roam all over their premises. River Park is reconsidering or giving their ideas more time. Maybe it was just a warning.

California Teens shop for prom dresses, quincenera gowns and cocktail dresses at www.promdressesrock.com

Tours of Great Architecture and Elegant Homes in Fresno's Old Fig Garden

2007-05-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

An old Fig Garden home tour allowed me to know more about some great homes that I have seen in the area bounded by Shields, Shaw, Blackstone and Fruit avenues. I have come to find out through the presentation by Archivist and history professor Kevn Enns-Rempel and long-time real estate agent Paula Conner, that this is one of Fresno's most unique communities. On this home tour, there were five houses in Old Fig that were constructed between 1920 and 1948. The homes included the 711 E. Ashlan Ave. built for Sen. Morris B. Harris; a 1937 house on Wilson Avenue constructed by Gareth Gillis of Sterling Laundry; a 1933 colonial Revival on Van Ness Boulevard that has original windows and an H floor plan. It was built for businessman Leon Levy and his wife, Elizabeth Levy.

Archivist and history professor Kevin Enns-Rempel's presentation and the homes tour made me realize that the story of Old Fig Garden is very important to Fresno City's development. It is also the story of a visionary, a giant, a very important man named J.C. Forkner. He was a one-time lawyer from Kansas who turned to real estate development. Fresno will see many other people who try to follow in his footsteps. He knew what he was doing. He had the experience to back it up. He started developing property in Kansas where he began settling people on foreclosed farms after the panic of 1893. Then, he moved to Los Angeles in 1900 and continued to make land deals in the Central Valley, specially Bakersfield. He started pouring over information in the Fresno Historical Society. He became convinced that Fresno would become the largest city in the San Joaquing Valley. So he started buying 12,000 acres of hardpan and hog wallow north of downtown where he spent $8 million developing home sites. He impacted development in Fresno on a major scale. He had built 135 miles of lateral ditches and twenty-five miles of canals to carry water to his property that later became Old Fig Garden.

J.C. Forkner did something else. He bought 46 Fordson tractors to level the land. Henry Ford was so impressed by this purchase that he decided to drive to Fresno in his Model T to check out the work. Forkner's workers used 660,000 pounds of dynamite to blast holes through the hardpan so that 600,000 fig trees could be planted. Eventually, he had the world's largest fig orchard. His field workers also planted 60,000 deodar cedars, oleander and eucalyptus along the nime-mile stretch of Van Ness Boulevard and all the way to the San Joaquin River. Mr. Forkner found some resistance and criticism from the Fresno Chamber of Commerce which condemned the project as worthless. He was accused of being a "swindler." All he did was to convince buyers to buy 10 to 40 acres of land to build homes and grow figs for profit. That was a good offer. Fig Garden took decades to build. All the homes had different styles. Here are a few styles you may run into: Period revival, bungalows, adobe and ranch can be found in Old Fig Garden. Many of the homes have libraries, sitting rooms, basements, leaded windows and other features common in those days.

In his presentation, Mr. Enns-Rempel highlighted the role of the sprawling single-story ranch-style house. It played a significant role in the development of the neighborhood. The ranch-style house was oriented toward the backyard instead of the front. This style took shape in the '30s and quickly became the style of choice of developers in post World War II.

Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, Sold Big Bear Lake Home. Any Buyers?

2007-05-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Oscar De La Hoya has just sold his Big Bear Lake property for $2.1 million. Tito Ortiz, a mixed martial arts champ, the Huntington Beach bad boy, bought it. People En Espanol named Tito Ortiz one of the 50 Most Beautiful Hispanic celebrities. Oscar De La Hoya listed the home for $2.5 million. It sits on an acre. It was his retreat. The champion was not using the home much because he lives and trains in Puerto Rico. Oscar designed the one-bedroom, 3,900-square-foot main house and three-bedroom, 3,200-square-foot guest quarters in Big Bear. He bought the land in the 1990s. He did something else. He converted his four-car garage in Big Bear into a gym that was also equipped with a steam room.

The gated property has a putting green and stream with a footbridge. The main house has an indoor spa and waterfall.

Flippers, Speculators Cause Housing Slump in Las Vegas, Florida and Elsewhere

2007-05-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Frenzied flipping and speculation leave many housing markets and builders with a large inventory of homes to get rid of. For a long time, the housing market was on steroids. It was high time that the correction got started. Long gone are the days when people were spending nights in parking lots with TV, snacks and drinks in the company of thousands of people doing the same thing. They wanted to have their place in line towards the purchase of a home which they intended to get rid of immediately. No, it was not the release of a hot movie or a video game. Flippers took over the markets in Las Vegas and Florida. They waited in line for hours. They wanted to purchase and cash out of it soon. When the home prices took a dip, many investors were left with homes they could not afford. Many of them abandoned their downpayments or deposits. Those who had already completed the deal end up filing for foreclosures. Financial disaster was the name of the game. New home builders had to adjust in order to not add to the glut of homes on the market.

Emmy Winner, Brad Garrett's Home on the Market

2007-05-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Emmy Winner Brad Garrett has put his ome in nearby Hidden Hills on the market for $9.5 million. He has lived there since 2004. The compound is a sprawling 10,300-square-foot French Country which he has built himself. It has a theater, a large playroom, a playhouse, a six-car garage, two yards, a pool, and park and greenbelt views. The home has plank-hardwood, stone floors, leaded-glass windows, a slate roof and high ceilings. Garrett does voice over for animated features such as Casper and a Bug's Life.

Is Greed to Blame for the Real Estate Slump? Check Yourself and Neighbor's Motives

2007-05-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now, the real estate market has not been able to climb out of the slump it has been in. Many people are saying that greed was the source of the slump. They are talking about real estate agent greed, builder greed, mortgage industry greed, seller greed and buyer greed. So greed in every part of the real estate market has brought the slowdown.

Buyers are expecting more for less. Developers are offering incentives like multiple free mortgage payments and significant upgrades for free. No wonder that the seller of an existing home can not compete with that. Many observers are blaming real estate agents who have been encouraging sellers to list their homes at sky-high prices. They convince the sellers that their homes are worth more than they actually are. No wonder that you will see "For sale" signs all over the place. That does not mean that the prices are coming down any time soon.

David Beckam and Posh Spice Victoria's New Home in Beverly Hills

2007-05-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Beverly Hills welcomes Real Madrid midfielder David Beckam and former Posh Spice Victoria to their new home. The powerful couple paid $22 million for a 13,000-square-foot house on slightly more than an acre with city and ocean views.

Beckam will play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. He will join the team this Summer.

Wood Pellets Shortage Hurts California Homeowners: Demand for Pellets Goes Up

2007-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the Deep Freeze, California homeowners can not find wood pellets to feed to their pellet stoves. In an effort to find a few bags, I set out to visit various local stores that usually carry the pellets. i stopped at Home Depot and Orchard Supply. I was unfortunate. I could not find any pellets. On these short journeys, I heard about a pellet-manufacturing plant that got burned. This rumor was dropped because it was only a rumor.

Lack of sawdust supply from home construction causes the severe shortage for those of us who pay big money to have these pellet stoves installed in our homes. In the past few years, wood pellet stoves have provided a reasonable heating solution to many Southern, Northern and Central California homeowners. After the shortage hits, many of us start asking, "What's the point of having done so much of this preparation when we can not get the pellets?"

The Pellet Stove Industry and manufacturers should pay attention to their product supply. It is a question of being left in the cold of the Winter months. Once again, this scarcity shows how many other industries depend on a robust housing industry. If many houses are not being built, a reduction in the production of sawdust will produce shortage. We, pellet-stove owners, want to keep our stoves burning. We want the pellets when we want them. We do not want this short supply to cause the prices to go up.

Miami and Las Vegas May Have Surplus of Condos; Time to Convert Back to Apartments

2007-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

Right here on the Las Vegas Strip, condominiums towers are competing with each other. Near Hilton hotels sits a tower that is being marketed to eventual owners. Right up the Strip, Donald Trump is building his hotels. Timeshares are a huge business here in Las Vegas. Something has been happening to the condo market. Well, sorry to say, the market for condos is no more. Banks have started scaling back loans to condo builders. Some industry insiders are saying that some bankers have even demanded builders to sell and cut back on their projected developments. So these lenders are tightening the purse strings for the condo market. It was too much of a good thing. Who does not remember the rush to convert any apartments into condos just a few months ago? As the investors fly out to greener pastures, there is a reconversion of the condos to apartments.

Celebrity Homes: How Would You Like To Have A Picture-Perfect Martha Stewart Home?

2007-01-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

No, you do not have to buy a home in Hollywood Hills, Malibu and other Orange County's exclusive spots. If you have the money, KB home builder can find you the right Martha Stewart's inspired home. KB Home is trying to capitalize on the celebrity factor to attract buyers. The more traffic is generated by names such as Martha Stewart and others, the better it will be for the company's bottom line. KB Home has teamed up with home maven to give a boost to its brand. Despite the prison terms for securities violation, Martha remains a very important person to have on your company's side. As KB Home is building homes in the West, many potential buyers want their home to look and have everything a Martha Stewart's home could have. That means they are willing to spend a little bit more money on upgrades. That is good news for KB Home.

In these times when home builders are paying card holding journeymen and women to stand on the corners of streets, kB Home seems to find a good way to bring people to its developments.

Former USC Tailback, Current NFL Player Reggie Bush Has Time to Stay in New $5 Million Home

2007-01-21T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Saints played their NFL playoff game against the Chicago Bears which beat Drew Brees and Reggie Bush badly. The former University of California tailback, Heisman trophy winner and current New Orleans player has his home on his mind. He can watch the game in his new trilevel Hollywood Hills home which he bought for nearly $5 million. Keep in mind that Bush was the best prospect in the 2006 NFL draft. The Saints scored hugely by picking him up. Since then, he has not disappointed his team, teammates and team owner.

What's up with the home? It is located high above in the Sunset Strip. It has views of Long Beach, Malibu and Catalina Island. It has four bedrooms and six bathrooms in its 4,800 square feet. It now has a home theater, party deck, playroom with a pool table, library with a steam shower and massage table. The home is serviced by an elevator. 21-year-old Bush is currently making $26 million with New Orleans. No wonder he can afford three of these homes!

Koreans Are Buying Condos in Koreatown: A Breeze of Good News for The Housing Market

2007-01-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

Now that the Korean currency, the Won, is strong enough, the Korean government is giving Koreans a break by lifting a ban on how much they could invest abroad. Korean officials are trying to encourage more Koreans to invest overseas. The bulk of this investment will happen mostly in an area not far from Los Angeles. Condos are flying in Koreatown. Real estate agents and residential builders are getting ready to serve this niche market. The Shin Young Group, a major Korean giant, has started building condos with lots of Korean buyers waiting to buy them up. The Martin Group which is also building in downtown Los Angeles, has already sold some units to Korean buyers. Korean language papers, friends and word-of-mouth have sent the news. Many Koreans have family members here in the US. They have a relative in Koreatown where signs are in Korean. Very few signs are in English. Those who buy homes here are happy to invest in the country thanks to its long term stability and because of the education needs of their children.

In a time when the housing market, specially the residential housing development is suffering, this is truly some good news for the Los Angeles housing market.

To the Heavy-hearted of Malibu Mansions Burn

2007-01-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

Maliburn: Malibu Mansions Burn

(Poem for Suzanne Somers and Husband)

Oh such loss of fine properties and homes

Oh such devastation of years of memory making

Farewell to the life known by Suzanne Somers and husband

May their hearts become light after so much pain

Just like a thief, the fire came in, fueled by the wind gusts

In a matter of minutes, it inflicted so much pain

Residents' hearts became heavy with loss

Passersby and university students watch from their homes

Wondering what is going to happen next

Fine homes worth $16 to $25 million are perished

A part of LA county went up in flames

Oh such horror that befell a rich community

Whose borders are the vastness of the Pacific Ocean

And tall fences and wrought iron that keep intruders and paparazzi out

Huge holes are created on the shores

Investigators are searching for clues and evidence of such an event

Mother Nature is not kind to the ordinary and well-heeled fortunate

Amidst tears of sorrow, it is difficult to turn one's back on the ruins

Too many memories of good times, parties went up in flames

A new lifestyle takes time to be created; insurance companies must pay

Oh Maliburn! Why so much loss had to come to us?

Why could you not protect us from the stings of pain

At the beginning of this new year? What is there to go on?

Life must go on. New homes will replace those the destroyed ones

New memories will be collected even from the shadows of heavy smokes

Thanks to the local firefighters who battled the raging flames

The sun over the Pacific Ocean will rise again

Soon, the remains of smoldering properties will be cleaned up and gone

A new day will break; hope will be reborn; a new home will rise again

==============

Read more poems at Blog2Blook

Any comments? contact nothingbutshopping at gmail.com

The American Dream At Your Reach; Immigrants Help Make It Happen

2007-01-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am on my way to Las Vegas. After stopping at Barstow to use the restroom and check McDonald's buildings mounted on parked old trains. My kids forced me to stop there. They had seen the arched signs from the road. Soon there after, we were on our way to Las Vegas. Going from California to Las Vegas takes you over mountains, desert and dry lake beds. One can describe it as going from paradise through hell to paradise. I was mostly interested in the construction activities in Nevada. I have read so many great reports about Las Vegas real estate. After crossing the line on the border with California, I was amazed to see the extent of the brand new commercial buildings right at the entrance. Obviously, most of them belong to Casino resort entities. On my left and right, stand gorgeous buildings announcing their ware. This was just the beginning. Rio which is located right close to the 15 highway, has just completed some magnificent buildings. We headed to Las Vegas/ Strip. On my way, I realized how huge Lass Vegas is.

The city is in the midst of a building boom. Everywhere you turn, you will see new hotels, homes and offices being built. Donald Trump is building his high-end condos. Next to Hilton on the Strip, is a new set of condos for rental. Search any real estate sites such as rentmarketer.com and others, you will realize how important housing is in this area. I drove by some construction sites. That's when I realized that the American Dream is accessible. All along, I saw there were two group of workers, the foremen, contractor and employee contractors. There were very few non-immigrants. Immigrants have been dreaming of improving their conditions. From those who laid foundation, the framers, plumbers, roofers, electricians, cabinet makers, and landscapes, the workers were immigrants. They are building homes from California to Phoenix and Las Vegas. They also want a piece of the American Dream.

Las Vegas' Booming Housing Construction

2007-01-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Donald Trump is building his resort in Las Vegas. You can see it right from the Strip. The sales department of the Trump company is buzzing with activity. Right next to Hilton which is planning on adding two more towers to the existing ones, sits a highrise which intends to rent out to buyers interested in purchasing a condo. The Stardust hotel and resorts is scheduled for demolition. A $multibillion enterprise will take its place. The Rio is attracting more similar businesses. Everywhere you look, you can find new building construction. The market is hot. As more than 8000 people relocate to Las Vegas, the needs for housing will continue for a long time. In the meantime, the hotels,motels and other establishments that already take roots in the city will continue to offer their services to tourists seeking fun in Sin city.

Visit ShoppingEpinions on Las Vegas Strip

Check Out The McCaffrey Group's Treviso in the Central Valley of California

2006-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

The McCaffrey Group Brings Northern Italian Style or Tuscan Architecture to the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno and Clovis) with Treviso Custom Homes

Hampton Renaissance at Loma Visa and Treviso, Clovis and Fresno, CA

On a mid-Fall afternoon, I and some friends decided to go house hunting. For us, this activity has become a sports. Especially in this buyer's market where developers and sellers want to see potential buyers, my friends and I just felt it was time to see what is on the current market. We headed out to Grantland and Bullard which is a well-established community with huge homes and beautiful front and back landscaping. Just in case you did not know about the local housing community, there are pockets of beautiful homes in the Greater Fresno-Clovis area. And there are expensive homes that range in the $ million range. As with anything, you have to know where they are located to find them. The McCaffrey Group is offering potential home owners the possibility to leave their architectural imprints in this part of Fresno, specially at Grantland and Bullard.

According to the McCaffrey Group Marketing representatives, Treviso offers expansive custom lots that can go up to one-half acre in size. The pricing is competitive. It can start from the $200,000 and up. If you want cul-de-sac, corner and standard lots, you can get them too. We can truly say that this is one of the major features of the development. My friends were awed by the expanse of the lot. So if you want to have a pool, spa a 4 or 5-car garage, you will be able to fit it. What struck us the most was the entrance. We stopped there for a while to take pictures of the balloon floating above the entrance walls. We also looked at the huge tiles and European lighting. We could tell that lots of attention was paid to the design and selection of trees that adorn the entrance. We drove around the lots. Some of them were bought the first week the development was open. There are still some great lots that wait for your attention. As we made our way to the back, we got out of the vehicle and started talking to a gentleman who retired from the San Jose area. He was more than happy to show us his lot. It is going to be a custom home designed and built by one of the best architects from the Bay Area. This man had great ideas for his lot. That is where he wants to build his dream home. Interested consumers can buy their lots. They will select their own architects, custom-home contractors and landscape designers. After taking some more pictures, we exited Treviso only to look at all the homes that are being built right in front of The McCaffrey Group development. Treviso is part of the Hampton Renaissance development in Fresno. You can also find Hampton Renaissance at Loma Vista in Clovis, CA. The Loma Vista Village features nearby community park, schools, shopping, dining and entertainment. It is located near the Reagan Education Complex. As far as Treviso is concerned, it is located in the Central Unified School district which is building the Koligian stadium and an education complex that will feature Harvest Elementary school, middle school and high school. So your kids will only have to walk a short while to reach their school and playground. Some of my friends enjoyed a lot Loma Vista's design. The Loma Vista's amenities ( urban village style, residential living, business, education complexes, retail stores, dining and entertainment, a sense of high-class, high-end living) attract them a lot.

Avoid Being Scammed; Protect Yourself Now

2006-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

If you stay at home as a single mother, young person and senior, you may have heard lots of ads, infomercials claiming that you can earn thousands of dollars working at home. Many people who are on fixed income jump to what sounds as a good deal.

Con artists make various pitches and hope some of their listeners will fall for their offers. They know where to promote their business ideas. You have seen the promotions pasted on electric poles at major intersections, supermarket bulletin boards, magazines, newspaper classified sections, and on TV. These pitches can also be posted on message boards, chatrooms and other areas with high traffic. People, just know that those who are behind these promotions are after your money.

What are some of the forms most used in work-at-home schemes?

These scams involve medical billing centers, envelope stuffing, assembly or Craft work. These fraudulent promoters want you to mail them money for software and company setups. In many occasions, you will not receive anything in return for your work and initial investment.

Here is what you need to do to find out what you are dealing with. Ask these questions: do you have to send money for parts or software? How are you going to receive your money back if you are not satisfied? Will you receive a salary? or will you work on commission? Who will pay you? If you have to make some products, what quality standards must you meet for the products? Are there costs to you to get started? What do you have to purchase to get started? If you are unsure of the deal, call Better Business Bureau to check on the company or phone number you have. Other resources can also help. The Federal Trade Commission, National Fraud Information Center, U.S. Postal Inspection Service postmaster and inspector can help you out. Report any illegal activity to them.

The McCaffrey Group Brings Northern Italian or Tuscan Architecture to Valley

2006-12-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

The McCaffrey Group Brings Northern Italian Style or Tuscan Architecture to the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno and Clovis) with Treviso Custom Homes

Hampton Renaissance at Loma Visa and Treviso, Clovis and Fresno, CA

Here is your Chance to Be a McMillin Homeowner: McMillinhomes Extends Gift Offer, Perks on Its Homes

2006-12-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

Here is your Chance to Be a McMillin Homeowner: McMillinhomes Extends Gift Offer on Its Homes

This is the time of the times. McMillinhomes has been running a great special in order to attract more home buyers. These offers are good until the end of this year. When you purchase a new McMillin home before December 31, you will be rewarded with a 58" Plasma TV, a Granite Countertop, or a Whirlpool washer/dryer & Kitchenaid Refrigerator. These offers have been running since the slowdown of the housing market. McMillin is not the only company that is devising ways to attract buyers. A year ago, the company's agents and managers did not have to make any offers. Buyers were willing to endure the elements for the chance to deposit their $1000 on a home to be built. The company had to hire extra workers to keep up with the demand. Indeed, the housing market is very cyclical. Now is the down time. For two consecutive week-ends, I decided to get out of the house to see some of the nice designs offered by McMillin. It is building at Colby Park, Rustic Oaks, Oxford Commons, Palomino at Sunnyside Ranch, Appaloosa at Sunnyside Ranch and Cheyenne at Sunnyside Ranch. Now there is a $10,000 incentive on the Appaloosa homesites. It is available for home buyers who finance with McMillin Mortgage.

Between the incentives and gift offers, potential buyers have no reasons not to go check out these homes. The lots want your name on them. We predict that these offers and incentives may continue beyond the end of the year purchase. Hurry up and make your claim. There may not be

McMillinhomes is a group of current Mcmillin, McCaffrey Group, Centex, Bonadelle, KBHome, KBCasa, home owners, fans of great craftmanship, wannabe homeowners and Valley architecture students.

Bonanza, Boom and Bust or Bubble

2006-11-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

Bonanza, Boom and Bubble
(This poem will be published in book format at UrbanBooksDigitalPublishing)

Flushed with cash from the recent California's housing boom,
Two young entrepreneurs set out to maximize their wealth
Maricopa county home prices remain very attractive.
What not to like about the endless sun and lush golf resorts of
Phoenix and Scottsdale? Housing development became their new gold rush
They are the tech-savvy speculators who want to take advantage of low home prices
Most of the western states have become the epicenters of the housing boom
Wherever there once were fields of corn, cotton, alfalfa, orchards, and peach trees,
Neat rows of houses are built so fast to meet the demand

Long lines form on Centex, McMillin, DR Horton and other national builders' lots
For many, the drive to become homeowners is so strong that they are willing to
stand in line for hours or even camp overnight to be the next lottery number selected
for the next lot or the next subdivision. It is a matter of endurance, money, and lots of hope
Put $6000 down and expect to sell the unfinished home for $200, 000. Move onto the next lot!
Four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths Mcmansions and mansionettes do not stay long on the market
A seller's market makes real estate agents, mortgage lenders and everybody else happy
Urbanites soon want to reconnect with the countryside. They want the new ranchettes loaded
With fruit trees, vines, stables and barns spread over the hundreds of acres

The housing boom drives homeowners and speculators crazy. "How long to keep a home?" they ask.
Others sell their homes in high-priced areas such as San Jose, Orange County and relocate
to the cheap and affordable San Joaquin Valley real estate. Others take their money to other states
The housing market is booming in Las Vegas, Atlanta, California, Florida, Texas and many spots in the Northeast
What goes up must come down. No good thing lasts for ever. Seize the moment while it lasts
The boom soon gives rise to discomfort. The bust or bubble is creeping its way into this housing paradise
Before the next sunset or before the closing of the next deal, the for-sale signs appear in many subdivisions
The homeowners who wanted to keep their houses feel compelled to sell out and relocate to a more stable area
The faces and texture of the volatile neighborhood continue to change. The builders continue to predict and hope
A return to the days when they were raking money in. Such is not an easy feast.
The housing bubble sets its grips and refuses to let go of all the encumbered monies and plans.

(This poem will be published in book format at UrbanBooksDigitalPublishing)

Do Not Forget The Low-income Entrepreneurs: Oprah Shows Us The Way It is Done

2006-11-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

Oprah Winfrey issued a challenge to some 300 members of her audience. She issued a video camera and $1000 to each one of them. The catch is that they could not spend this money on their relatives. They had one week to reach out to someone in need. Right of the bat, this is a great marketing coup for the Oprah Winfrey Show and all its sponsors. These audience members could give the money to some charities, organizations and deserving individuals. The stories had to be videotaped. This is a grassroots movement that stems from the idea of doing good. On an advertising level, news organizations will pick up the story quickly. What happens is that Oprah can create a buzz with all that money. And Bank of America and all the Harpo Holdings will benefit from this new idea of doing. Oprah could have used any of the numerous ad agencies in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to come up with some fancy ads that will be on a few media. But, in her marketing and advertising departments' wisdom, they choose to go with individuals who will go back to their cities and hometowns to spread the word. For a buzz, there is no greater and better ingredient than that! All local journalists want to track this story. Is Oprah trying to set an example for others during this holiday season? You bet. It is time to give and be appreciative of others. Let us see who can outdo Oprah's largesse.

Oprah has a new opportunity to create groundswell of marketing buzz with bloggers and low-income entrepreneurs. If I were Oprah, I could give a second life to this marketing tour de force by getting bloggers and micro or mini entrepreneurs involved. By virtue of their solidarity, bloggers would jump to the occasion to show what type of charities they have been supporting. They would blog about every step of the process of giving away their $1000. The blogosphere, podosphere and vlogosphere would be a-buzz about the Oprah Winfrey show. Some of the bloggers, vloggers, podcasters may think about low-income entrepreneurs and the companies that are trying to raise funds to help them break the cycle of poverty by not relying on handouts. The newswire would pick the story. So would Yahoo.com, Google.com, Digg.com, SFGate.com, NYTimes.com, Newsweek.com, boingboing.com, mybloglog.com, techcrunch.com, Times.com, and AOL.com. It would be like a gift that keeps on giving. PBS/Frontline would also call to get the scoop. There is no doubt that Cable news networks such as CNN.com and Fox networks would come calling. They would inquire about why the bloggers decide to give to p2pmicrofinance web firms such as kiva.org, Microcreditcapital.com and others. They would find out that some people are still thinking about the poor in countries such as Haiti, Uganda, Bengladesh and elsewhere. They would find out that has been trying to get people, ordinary individualsto help the poor. By advertising on its Webcalendar Advertising board, Microcreditcapital.com can raise enough money to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit in Haiti and other Latin American countries.

Visit these sites: microcreditcapital.com, oprah.com, cnn.com, digg.com, yahoo.com, google.com, newsweek.com, boingboing.com, times.com, aol.com, techcrunch.com, mybloglog.com

Almond Rustlers Like Cattle Rustlers Should Be Thrown into Jail For Ever

2006-11-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

From Bakersfield to Modesto, California's Valley Farming community has a new threat to worry about. Almond thieves are cutting deep into their profits. They are a new breed of thieves who descend upon the Valley and take away some of the most precious commodities. A lot of them appear to be sophisticated in how they manage to load up and take away lots of crates of almond ready to be shipped overseas. As the prices of almonds increase, so do the efforts by those bad guys to acquire the harvest of our Valley Farmers. These thieves are trying to destroy our lifestyle around here. So far, two of the thieves have been arrested by authorities. Nuts are a $ million business. They are prized by middle eastern countries that import them from various companies in California.

If you suspect shady activities around a shipping yard, farmers' properties, please call the authorities who are investigating some of the most recent thefts. Farmers have to deal with the thefts of their copper which runs wells. They are compelled to install surveillance cameras on far away fields to protect their properties. So with all this rash of thefts, the cost of doing business increases. All of us can help our beloved agriculture. We need to support our farmers. See books about California agriculture right on this site.

Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town Sold for $5.4 Billion to Tishman Speyer/BlackRock Realty

2006-10-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Many insiders are calling this sale a new record for the housing industry. Others see the sale as the end of an era. That explains why many residents were protesting the rumors and news of the sale by MetLife, Inc. Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village Apartments sales form one of the largest real estate deals ever. It beats the most recent record of $1 billion. The properties together make up the largest apartment complex in Manhattan. You are talking about big numbers here. The complex totals more than 11,000 units which are spread over 80 acres.

Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village apartments were built in the late 1940s as housing for returning WWII veterants. Tenants pay below market value for these apartments. To live in Manhattan for these low prices is great. That is why the new owners had to say that the residents of rent-stabilized apartments are completely protected by the existing system. Speyer and co. are not going to raise the monthly rent fees of those residents. It is a dream piece of realty right in New York City.

Get more fashion, home and car reviews at Podshoppingblog Fashion & Car Reviews

National Homes Builder Focuses on Local Markets: New Centex Homes Built to a higher Standard Spring all Over

2006-10-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

National Homes Builder Focuses on Local Markets: New Centex Homes Built to a higher Standard Spring all Over

While the Texas-based company may have a national campaign, it is focusing on its core business in small communities and cities all over the country. Centex Homes knows that great value and quality are the basic ingredients of this $ multimillion company that has been building all kinds of homes here in California, and specially in the last frontier of California, The Central San Joaquin Valley. For many people ready to buy in the Central California, they have the opportunity of using any other builder, but they choose to support Centex because of its community focus and involvement. It makes sense that buying a Centex home remains one of the last investments that one can make these days. The company offers above all quality and great value. There is no better time to buy a new home than right now. There is no better builder to buy it from than Centex. The higher standard of homebuilding is found and expressed in its local focus. CentexFresnoClovis.com has data about its homes located in the greater Fresno area and Clovis. More importantly, you will find links to its other developments located in Hanford, Visalia, Tulare, Delano and Bakersfield. You will be able to find homes from the low $260's in the Lafayette Square, mid $240's in Falcon Ridge, low $240's in Amber Point and low $390's in Ladera Ranch.

Visit GeoHomes: All US Open House Leads, Existing & New Homes Leads

New Homeowners and the Neighborhood Ads They Face

2006-10-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Fate of New Homeowners and The Advertisers, Business Owners Who Welcome Them with Fliers, Literature & Offers of Services

Welcome to your home sweet home! You have gone through so much to become a homeowner. You found your dream house. You are ready to transform it into a home. For your reward, you will be bombarded with ads. From Cape Cod, Florida to California, new homeowners are complaining about all the ads that await them. Even before they move into their new abode, fliers from cement workers, landscapers and blind company owners are hanging all over the place from the front door knobs to the front yard. Whether you are a first-time homeowner or a broker or anybody with experience with home buying, the chance that your information will be out there for the public to see and target you is high. You will get a lot of ads from lenders asking you to do all kinds of things. Some are more trickier than others. They will disguise their mailings to look like something you are familiar with. They will tell you everything you want to hear in order to reel you in. Once you take their bait, you are taken.

How homeowners' info got to the public: Property purchases are recorded in the county Recorder's Office. They are open to the public perusal. There is not much that anybody can do about it. So owners of small businesses get this trove of information about you in their laps. That is why that weeks and days before you move in and months after you have been settled down, you will receive unsolicited direct mailings from them. They imagine that you must have some money to buy a house and do all the other works that need to be done. Their reasoning is that you must have some more money that you can spend on landscaping, cement work, flowers, plants, blinds, paint and pavement. What I hate the most are the drive-bys. Owners of landscaping businesses usually wrap their ads and include a rock to be able to throw them onto your lawn and driveway. If you happen to be on vacation, all this trash is left there. The neighborhood you choose to reside in will welcome with ads announcing the multiple businesses that are waiting for your hard-earned dollars. From the pizza parlors, the local dentist, restaurants, satellite TV provider, real restate companies and agents asking you to sell and use their services to the local church, everybody wants you to know they are around and want your business. This is a phenomenon that occurs anywhere in the United States of America.

Examples of home Sales
Los Altos Hills

25400 Becky Lane $2,900,000, 3,282 SF, 5 BR, Smith Trust to D. Tanaka; 1999:$1,770,000

Los Gatos

64 Central Ave. $1,537,000, 2,044 SF, 3 BR, R. Snee to D. Malone; 2003:$650,000

24 Fillmer Ave. $2,260,000, 3,220 SF, 5 BR, S. Ferguson to Anders Trust; 2000:$760,000

16230 Jacaranda Way $1,245,000, 1,412 SF, 3 BR, Ramsay Trust to D. Carr; 1973:$37,500

21126 Locust Drive $740,000, 660 SF, 1 BR, K. & R. Kaikkonen to P. Kelly; 1996:$152,500

41 Peralta Ave. $2,595,000, 2,112 SF, 3 BR, Wooley Trust to S. Ferguson; 2005:$2,420,500

109 Via Santa Maria $1,900,000, 2,490 SF, 4 BR, Dunbar Trust to K. & S. Saul; 1991:$560,000

Menlo Park

70 Amherst Ave. $885,000, 1,824 SF, 5 BR, G. Burley to Karpowich Trust

874 Cambridge Ave. $1,270,000, 1,750 SF, 3 BR, D. Kern to M. Goldsmith; 1993:$390,000

1143 Hollyburne Ave. $500,000, 1,270 SF, 3 BR, F. Vasquez to M. & E. Guillen; 1984:$63,000

2240 Sharon Road $773,000, 1,054 SF, 2 BR, H. Ardalan to S. Diamond; 2002:$575,000

1043 Tehama Ave. $1,358,000, 2,970 SF, 4 BR, J. & J. Perez to M. Sabio; 2004:$1,250,000

Millbrae

254 Barclay Ave. $1,203,000, 1,750 SF, 3 BR, D. Ly to C. Alcantar; 2005:$954,000

746 Clearfield Drive $950,000, 2,180 SF, 3 BR, L. Landi to J. Szeto

1396 El Camino Real #203 $610,000, 1,135 SF, 2 BR, A. Camacho to Q. Liao; 2004:$410,000

416 Millwood Drive $1,120,000, 2,380 SF, 7 BR, Y. He to A. Untalan; 2001:$650,000

612 Santa Barbara Ave. $975,000, 1,950 SF, 3 BR, M. & A. Silvera to L. & I. Mosteiro; 1993:$320,000

Milpitas

831 Cameron Circle $880,000, 2,247 SF, 3 BR, A. & A. Bhandari to M. Ngo

478 Coelho Court $750,000, 1,634 SF, 5 BR, G. Lum to J. Pardenilla

897 Coyote St. $710,000, 1,262 SF, 3 BR, R. & E. Coria to I. & A. Barrera; 1996:$232,000

970 Coyote St. $768,000, 1,773 SF, 4 BR, Cartus Financial to H. Hufana; 1986:$171,000

1371 El Camino Higuera $1,116,500, 3,352 SF, 5 BR, D. Luu to R. & E. Coria

265 Krismer St. $629,000, 1,116 SF, 3 BR, P. Moyers to C. Villanueva

1811 Landess Ave. $458,000, 1,155 SF, 3 BR, A. Pacheco to J. & S. Valenzuela

1267 Lassen Ave. $680,000, 1,228 SF, 3 BR, J. Lucas to F. Angeles; 2005:$605,000

591 Manzano St. $663,000, 1,234 SF, 4 BR, D. Nguyen to L. Rafael

259 Michigan Road $571,000, 1,350 SF, 2 BR, R. & D. Clarin to Q. Bao; 2004:$425,000

1660 Mt. Rainier Ave. $660,000, 1,484 SF, 3 BR, A. Sichlinger to R. Balakrishnan; 2002:$465,000

200 Parc Place Drive $570,000, T. Chan to M. Bankston

107 Serenity Place $596,000, 1,243 SF, 3 BR, P. Makanawala to S. Ohtake; 2002:$436,000

323 South Park Victoria Drive $738,000, 2,001 SF, 4 BR, Corpac Trust to D. Prudente

1837 Strawberry Lane $385,000, 873 SF, 2 BR, K. Lian to H. Nguyen; 2004:$325,000

1366 Terra Alta Drive $695,000, 2,082 SF, 3 BR, S. Sundar to P. Bhutani; 2000:$500,000

1187 Torres Ave. $675,000, 935 SF, 2 BR, Shepard Trust to J. & T. Luna; 1992:$174,000

291 West Capitol Ave. $760,000, 2,104 SF, 4 BR, J. & L. Lucero to M. Ocsona; 1990:$188,000

Morgan Hill

440 Atherton Way $1,612,500, 4,506 SF, 4 BR, Zinn Trust to T. & K. Kahlenberg; 1991:$785,000

612 Buck Hill Court $1,000,000, Deprice Properties to M. Khaira

1591 Calle Serra $791,500, R. Mission to P. & J. Muniz

180 Coriander Ave. $1,072,000, Coyote at Capriano to E. & T. Deleon

458 Creekside Lane $545,000, 1,473 SF, 3 BR, P. Brooks to E. Deharo; 1995:$176,500

1400 Jasmine Way $590,000, 1,160 SF, 3 BR, P. Ault to R. Muya; 2004:$405,000

1375 Kelly Park Circle $638,500, 1,260 SF, 3 BR, L. & J. Marr to C. & M. Bishop

15202 Monticello Way $790,000, 1,956 SF, 4 BR, W. & C. Link to T. Doran; 2003:$600,000

1525 Painted Feather Court $1,680,500, Coyote Estates 2005 to S. Burke

18670 Purissima Way $1,520,000, Alicante 2004 to M. & J. Sawyer

685 Spring Hill Drive $929,000, 3,266 SF, 3 BR, R. & I. Altamirano to G. & T. Delcarlo; 2004:$725,000

15695 Via Castana $284,500, 1,644 SF, 3 BR, S. Duncan to J. Tapia; 1999:$213,500

519 Via Sorrento $820,000, 2,479 SF, 4 BR, C. & S. Carroll to S. & L. Shurley

Mountain View

204 Beatrice St. $675,000, 832 SF, 2 BR, D. Sykora to J. Young; 1999:$380,000

1173 Bonita Ave. $1,055,000, 2,112 SF, Bonita Avenue Limited to M. Jorda

1106 Boranda Ave. $1,060,000, 1,747 SF, 3 BR, Collins Trust to C. Olston; 2003:$917,000

913 Camille Lane $906,000, 2,022 SF, 3 BR, J. Light to J. Vogel; 2003:$633,000

171 Campbell Drive $675,000, 1,288 SF, 3 BR, Y. Chou to Hernandez-Fentanez Trust

476 Carmelita Drive $880,000, 1,710 SF, 3 BR, R. Narayan to S. Nejad; 2001:$565,000

1706 Cherrytree Lane $870,000, 1,280 SF, 3 BR, Moeller Trust to L. & C. Collins

1282 Cuernavaca Circulo $1,045,000, 2,261 SF, 3 BR, M. Zarrabian to J. Cece; 1999:$674,000

99 East Middlefield Road #25 $443,000, 1,083 SF, 2 BR, S. Oleary to E. & A. Nelson; 1992:$176,000

141 Irene Court $675,000, 1,236 SF, 2 BR, Gibbs Trust to K. & T. Reynolds; 2002:$535,000

2539 Mardell Way $875,000, 1,140 SF, 3 BR, P. Wang to D. Pistor; 2005:$670,000

152 Paseo Court $725,000, 1,331 SF, 3 BR, S. & N. Fedel to P. Kim; 2000:$487,000

1983 San Luis Ave. #25 $610,000, 1,171 SF, 2 BR, C. Radkowski to D. & K. Fong; 1992:$220,000

49 Showers Drive #J326 $556,000, 1,206 SF, 2 BR, E. Lin to J. Martin; 2006:$486,000

181 Stockwell Drive $677,500, J. Lu to J. Black; 2006:$630,500

818 Tulane Drive $932,500, 1,538 SF, 3 BR, A. & M. Lian to M. & R. Golden; 2003:$770,000

1040 Williams Way $906,000, 2,187 SF, D. Hardenbrook to M. Dumas; 1997:$397,000

Newark

36012 Burning Tree Drive $695,000, 1,482 SF, 3 BR, K. & L. Beaty to S. Haro

6249 Cotton Ave. $555,000, 950 SF, 3 BR, C. & B. Lemos to A. Diaz; 2006:$450,000

5792 Dichondra Place $650,000, 1,339 SF, 3 BR, X. Zuniga to E. Aguilera; 2002:$395,000

6906 Jarvis Ave. $500,000, 1,131 SF, 3 BR, E. & J. Nava to H. Johnson; 1998:$177,000

6395 Joaquin Murieta Ave. #D $410,000, 1,132 SF, 2 BR, K. & L. Pilcher to M. Mutahaba; 1990:$145,000

35350 Ramsgate Drive $810,000, 2,383 SF, 4 BR, D. Huynh to D. Hernandez; 1994:$335,000

6391 Robertson Ave. $685,000, 1,379 SF, 3 BR, S. Boggs to C. Carranza

35347 Severn Drive $750,000, 1,604 SF, 3 BR, M. & T. Raposa to H. & J. Lara; 1993:$245,000

36341 Shelley Court $700,000, 1,453 SF, 4 BR, A. Cafferata to A. Barakat

6203 Zulmida Ave. $575,000, 942 SF, 3 BR, Soper Trust to N. Silva; 2004:$400,000

Fresno, Clovis, Visalia/Tulare, Madera, Sanger, Reedley/Dinuba Active Home Builders & Developers

2006-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

In the Clovis area, some of the major home builders whose model homes you want to visit are: Wathen-Castanos, Inc./Town & Country at Harlan Ranch, Wilson Homes/Barclay Square & Rivage @Harlan Ranch, The Cambrian Group/Quail Lake, The McCaffery Group/Hampton Renaissance at Loma Vista in Clovis, Centex/Ladera Ranch, Cambridge/Pinnacle at Alta Sierra II, Cambridge/Traditions at Alta Sierra II, Centex Homes/The Villas at Lafayette Square, Wathen-Castanos, Inc./European Collection at Harlan Ranch, S.G. Wathen/Mansionette Estates, S.G. Wathen/Mansionette Palisades, McMillin Homes/Oxford Commons, Gary McDonald Homes/Traditions, Bonadelle Homes/Willow Park III, Brentwood Loma Vista/De Young Properties and Wilson Homes/Camden Place.

In the greater Fresno area, you will find the following builders and developers: Woodside Homes/Sevillano, Spencer JSA/New American Hmes/Classics II at Sunnyside, Generation Homes/The Groves North, D R Horton Garnet Valley, Centex/Amber Point, Woodside Homes/Avalon, Woodside Homes/Saratoga, Bonadelle Homes/Emily Estates, Granville Homes/Tuscan Bluffs at Copper River Ranch, Fresno Park Development/Park Place Estates, Granville Homes/Solera, Generation Homes/The Groves, Lafferty Homes/Ashwood Park, Granville Homes/Terra Bella at Copper River Ranch, Cambridge/Visa Del Rio, DeYoung Properties/Brentwood Ranch, Beazer Homes/Briarwood-Magnolia, McMillin Homes/Sunnyside Ranch, Wathen-Castanos, Inc.,/European Grove, Century Builders/Countryside, McMillin Homes/Rustic Oaks, Cambridge/Blossom Hill, La Hacienda I, Villa Borgata, KB Home/Olive Lane, KB Home/Oakville Grove, Centex/Falcon Ridge, Generation Homes/The Ridge, The MacCaffrey Group/Hampton Renaissance, McMill Homes/Colby Park, Granville Homes/Ventana Hills, Granville Homes/Tuscan Villas at Sunnyside Grove, Cambridge/Fig Garden WHC etc.

Visit GeoHomes: All US Open House Leads, Existing & New Homes Leads

House Hunting Leads: California Housing Developments, Builders by Cities & Regions

2006-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

I spent the whole day looking for homes in the Central San Joaquin Valley. In the Selma/Kingsburg/Fowler, I saw Cambridge/Rosewood Estates II hmes. In the Lemoore area, I saw that Cambridge was building at College Park VI. Jonathan HOmes was ivolved at Country Club Estates. There is also the Cambridge Liberty development. In the Chowchilla area, Beazer Homes is involved at Mirabella and Montevino. You will also find Berry Construction at Home Ranch, K. Hovnanian Homes at Gateway in Madera, R.M. Covington Homes at Capistrano Madera, Oak Creek at Oak Creek. KB Home is working at Orchard Pointe. In Hanford, there are the Cambridge Coventry and Cambridge Pinnacle at Majesty.

Kerman is growing very fast. More and more people are calling this city home. The builders and developers who are building there are: R.M. Covington Homes/Capistrano Kerman, Cambridge/Almond Grove, Jonathan Homes/Bordeaux and R.M. Covington Homes/Bella Palma. In the Visalia/Lindsay/Tulare areas, you will find the following developments: Cambridge/Pinnacle at Oakwest, Cambridge/Laureate, Reynen & Bardis/Autumnwood and the Country Club Collection, Cambridge/Cedar Grove Estate II and Westgate Estates, D R Horton/Galo de Barcelos, D R Horton/Salierno, Reynen & Bardis/Spring Meadow and Creekbridge Homes/Silvercrest Drive.

Find more leads at Shopnowshopping Open House Leads

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Exclusive Home Publication Feeds & Leads

2006-10-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Major Commercial Real Estate Companies

2006-10-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

These companies exist all over California. Others exist in specialized markets. They are Fortune Associates, Fresno Commercial, Colliers Tingey International, Retail California, Commercial Retail Associates.

What Fuels Las Vegas' Housing & Construction Boom

2006-10-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas' strong job market serves as a magnet to pull new residents to the city. The more people flock to Las Vegas' lights, the more homes will be needed to house them. Construction workers can not keep up with the demand for their time and expertise. Local authorities say that job growth is estimated at 5.6% in July compared with 1.3% nationwide. More than 5,000 new residents start calling Las Vegas home for the past decade. Because of the growh, thousands of new homes were built to accommodate the arrivals. Las Vegas has long been known as the Paris or Champs Elysees of the West. Job growth will continue to be the main incentive for people to go to Las Vegas according to studies conducted by some analysts. So more homes have to be built to accommodate all these folks. The city has a large pool of investors. They are not fly by night ones.

Welcome to McMillin Homeowners' Club: Affordable Homes Delivery

2006-10-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Homebuilders highlights the architectures of local, international and regional customized homes. In California, we know a few builders who have distinguished themselves in the presentation and building of great homes that many parents can afford. Among them, we find McMillin homes, McCaffrey homes, Centex and others. This blog is dedicated to the homeowners of McMillin homes who are so proud of their homes.

To find more info on McMillin homes, check the web.