There is something to be said about the warm glow of a fireplace. While Southern California is not exactly known for cold temperatures, a cozy fireplace can heat up any night. The great thing about a fireplace is that it not only adds architectural charm to any room, but they are great features for resale of a home also. 

Even if you are not crazy about a real log fire going in the fireplace, try placing a six-votive candle-holder inside the fireplace and light them up for a dazzling display. You can even give scented candles a whirl for an added touch of ambiance. When you are looking for a way to woo your sweetheart just get a few of their favorite treats, their favorite music and a fire going in your fireplace. Now that’s the way to make your sweetheart smile.

Some of the forms of relief that California homeowners can pursue according to the State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General are: “payments to borrowers who were wrongly foreclosed upon; reduction of unpaid principal balances; refinancing for borrowers whose homes are worth less than the money they owe; and the opportunity for short sales and other relocation assistance.”

The following five banks are part of the settlement: Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial. Several of these banks are also known by other trade names, including Countrywide (a trade name for Bank of America); Washington Mutual and EMC Mortgage (Chase); CitiMortgage (Citibank); Wachovia (Wells Fargo); and GMAC (Ally Financial).

If you are a homeowner and believe that you are entitled to relief based on this settlement, you should contact your mortgage servicer. Should you find that a short sale or pre-foreclosure sale may be  the best option for you, then you should contact a reliable real estate professional.

The California Commitment includes: 1) $12 billion of principal reductions and short sale relief for homeowners, 2) when banks receive credit for a dollar the bank only receives the money when the homeowner actually gets the money 3) Underwater borrowers who are current on their payments will be able to refinance their homes 4) there will be restitution for homeowners who have been unfairly  foreclosed upon. This total commitment includes approximately $4 billion.

Additionally, AG Harris retains the right to pursue the banks in the California state courts for prosecution should they not live up to the California Commitment.

Now the big question for many homeowners is, “How Will This Help Me?”

I may not know much about football but I know a bit about important events and even more about buying and selling a home. The Super Bowl, much like buying a home is the culmination of lots of hard work, collective group effort and a collective dream. Everyone involved has their reasons for being there. By the time the Super Bowl arrives or in the case of buying a home this would be the close of escrow, people are high off of nervous anticipation and a host of other emotions. But one thing is for sure, everyone loves a reason to celebrate. When it’s Super Bowl time, even people like me love to catch a glimpse of the half time show and the commercials at the very least. The same is true when someone we know is buying a home. Everyone loves to hear what’s going on in the real estate market, everyone seems to have an opinion and everyone loves talking about who just bought a home. A huge part of the American culture is that we love a reason to celebrate and we love to feel a victory achieved. The Super Bowl and buying a home are two of the best celebrated American victories around.

I simply can’t leave you without a few live examples of this marketing faux pas in action:

HURRY. This is the one.Very Nice Property close to 60 fwy and shopping centers this property WILL GO FAST. it has 3 bedrooms

and 2 Baths,1466 square footage and 7405 Lot Size. How fast did it go? Well, it has been on the market 333 days and counting.

Many legitimate tax shelters are available. These shelters include:

real estate investment

pension plans

401(k) and 403(b) plans

IRAs

setting up your own business

municipal bonds

employer-sponsored health coverage

employer-sponsored life insurance

employer-funded education

Investing in real estate is a common and beneficial tax shelter. Remember, tax avoidance is legal, tax evasion is not. By utilizing legal and legitimate tax shelters, you are avoiding taxes and thus may be able to save money and build wealth.

Encroachments

When purchasing a home, it is important to obtain all disclosures regarding the home, including title reports, hazards reports and special addendums. ]]> http://www.kasihomes.com/what-is-an-encroachment-and-what-happens-when-you-buy-a-home-that-encroaches-on-city-property/feed/ 0 http://www.kasihomes.com/california-laws-for-2012-for-you-to-know/ http://www.kasihomes.com/california-laws-for-2012-for-you-to-know/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:02:47 +0000 Keisha Hosea http://www.kasihomes.com/?p=1605  

Child Booster Seat Law The new California Booster Seat Law outlaws parents, guardians, or drivers from transporting on a highway in a motor vehicle any child under 8 years old without securing that child in an appropriate child restraint meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards. The new California law does contain a provision, however, that a child under 8 years of age who is 4’9″ inches in height or taller may use a safety belt rather than a child safety seat or booster seat. Employment Credit Check Law Employers can no longer request credit reports for Californians unless they are working or seeking work in a financial institution, law enforcement or the state Justice Department. The law also exempts anyone who: (1) has access to people’s bank or credit card account information, SSN number and date of birth, (2) has access to an employer’s proprietary information or trade secrets, (3) signs a check, credit card, financial contract, or transfers money for an employer, (4) has access to more than $10,000 cash, or (5) is a manager in ‘certain industries’. California Handgun Open Carry Law Open-carry citizen handgun ban.  Supported by cops who cannot tell whether openly carried weapons are loaded or not.  Violators pay $1,000 plus 6 months in jail (misdemeanor). Gun rights advocates vow to carry rifles and shotguns instead.  Californians can still get permits for concealed weapons, though it is increasingly difficult. California Human Trafficking Law Enforces mandatory disclosure of efforts that companies take to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their entire supply chains.  Being watched as a prototype of future legislation in other states and nations. California Gay Bullying Law (Seth’s Law) Combats bullying of gay and lesbian students in public schools by requiring school districts to have a uniform process for dealing with gay bullying complaints. Mandates that school personnel intervene if they witness gay bullying. LGBT Equality and Equal Access in Higher Education Law State universities and colleges must create and enforce campus policies protecting LGBTs from harassment and appoint employee contact persons to address on-campus LGBT matters. The law includes community colleges statewide. Domestic Partnership Equality Law Corrects inequalities between domestic partnerships and heterosexual marriages, including domestic partner health benefits sharing. Protection of Parent-Child Relationships Law Allows courts to consider the relationship between a child and a non-biological parent when considering child rights cases involving birth parents, adoptive parents, and gay or lesbian guardians. Transgender Non-Discrimination Law Provides public accommodation and protection in education, housing and employment for gender identity and expression. Transgender Vital Statistics Law Makes it easier for transgender Californians to get a court petition to change their gender on official documents. LGBT Equal Benefits Law Requires an employer with a state contract worth more than $100,000 to have non-discrimination policies in place for LGBT workers and their partners. Judicial Applicant and Appointment Demographics Inclusion Law Includes gender identity and sexual orientation of potential judges into the state’s Judicial Applicant Data Report to ensure that state courts are diverse. Gay Divorce Law Provides that if a gay couple got married in California but lives in a state that won’t grant them a divorce, the California court will have jurisdiction to grant them a legal divorce. The case will be filed in the county where the gay couple got married. California Gay History Law Governor Jerry Brown signed the Gay History Law, which mandates that school textbooks and social studies include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender accomplishments. Internet Sales Tax Governor Brown signed into law that out-of-state Internet retailers must collect California sales tax on transactions if the retailer has a presence in the state. California Renters Right to Recycling Law Apartment building landlords will have to start providing recycling services for 7 million California tenants. California Reader Privacy Law Government and third-party snoops can no longer gather information on Internet users’ reading, book shopping or ebook using habits without a legal court order.

There are a few ways:
1. Sometimes a level of trust is established based upon an introduction by a someone else that is mutually trusted. And so begins the journey of a referred client or maybe even the blind date that Aunt Mary set us up on. I guess a referred client is the equivalent of a blind date when you think about it.

2. After meeting a person, trust may be established by the small actions that build into larger ones. You set a time to meet and the person keeps the appointment and shows up on time. Trust is increased. The person tells you that they will commit to a task and then they follow through. Trust is increased again. The smaller things culminate into an increased level of trust until finally a true level of genuine trust is established.

3. The “gut feeling”- we will discuss the “gut feeling” in a moment.

Trust can be broken when someone does not follow through. Sometimes trust is broken even due to a person’s perception that another has been untrue to their word. Perception can cause trust to falter whether it is based in reality or not. When questioning ourselves on whether we trust another person, sometimes we come up with the response that we just have a “gut feeling.” That “gut feeling” is ultimately probably based on a perception of another based on something we have seen, heard or believe.

The root of any relationship is trust. Both business and personal relationships are built upon trust. Without it, there is no real relationship.  When it is time to make your next real estate move, it is important that you can establish a strong level of trust with your real estate agent. As a local resident and Inland Empire real estate agent, building relationships that last is extremely important. We don’t want you to just jump in so we actually take the time to get to know each and every client so that services are tailored to each client’s individual needs. Listen to what other people have to say about us.