Thursday, October 19, 2006

Homeowners Start Having Headache with Looming Foreclosures

According to various reports, the number of Californians who are significantly behind on their mortgage payments and at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure more than doubled in the three months ended Sept. 30, providing the latest evidence of trouble in the housing market, figures released Wednesday show.

Lenders sent out 26,705 default notices — the first step toward a foreclosure — during the July-to-September period, up from 12,606 during the same quarter in 2005, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

Sellers can not sell their homes fast enough to avoid defaulting. Those who have equity in their homes are doing anything possible to sell their homes. They are making all kinds of offers. Indeed, this is a good time for buyers to get into the market. Buyers who got into homes they could not really afford are in for the rude awakening. It is time to smell the coffee. A lot of them had adjustable mortgage. Soon, they will be hit with the reality.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Finding Homes, Apartments, Condos & abode by States, Cities & Countries

VigilandoMedia OpenHouse WebView allows you to find the homes of your choice. It is the hottest real estate blog in the blogosphere or technorati. You can keep track of the prices of existing and new homes. You can also follow the changes in the building and housing markets.



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Teen Magazines Are Doing Well Online

It appears that the old business model does not work. Publishers of hot teen magazines are taking their publications online. They finally realize that teens hang out online. So they are trying to be where the kids are. That is why Elle Girl, Teen Vogue, Cosmogirl, Teen People and Seventeen decide to quit their paper publications for the immediate gratification of online publishing. YM magazine was purchased by Conde Nast Publications. It was closed in the first portions of 2005. Each of these magazines has its websites.

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Friday, September 29, 2006

Terrell Owens Not Mental After All: How Could They Have It So Wrong?

Terrell Owens Not Mental After All: How Could They Have It So Wrong?

TO did not want to commit suicide. He had too much to live for. His publicist may have gotten the interpretation wrong. The first responders may have too. A guy does not take pills to commit suicide. "That is a woman's stuff," said the local barber. If TO wanted to commit suicide, he would do something else. He would have first scored a touchdown, done some dancing on the sideline and committed suicide right there. The public would have to witness it. He would still grab the spotlight. Terrell would not like to die alone on pills. He would prefer to go with a loud bang. He could throw himself offstage. Or he could arrange for somebody to give him a killer hit on the field. He would get comatose and never regain his senses. I was not surprised when the early reports said that he had an overdose of painkillers or of the medications he was taking for his hand surgery. TO is too smart to know that this event would bring the wrong publicity to him, teammates and family. For sure, Owens would refute the early story of his hospitalization. How could he afford to go on, put on a show if all the opposing players knew he was a nut case?

Dallas Police are now classifying Terrell Owens' case as an "accidental overdose." Folks, it was not an attempted suicide. The investigation is over. Once Owens regained his sense and footing, he realized the damage that was done. He launched himself to the defensive. The game is offense and defense. He categorically rejected the initial versions of his hospitalization. We wonder whether he is on speaking terms with the female who was with him and witnessed him popping those mixed up pills. If it was his publicist, she may not have a job any longer. What was the publicist doing there with him? Keep in mind that the name of the female witness was not initially released. So the Dallas Police were left with a story they had to defend. They had to defend their first responders' initial report. They had to stand up by their news conference. It is clear that information and facts change. With money, fame, power and spin, they do change indeed! Did anybody know that TO was a nut case? Did anybody counsel him on getting psychiatric help? Bill Walsh is the guy who said that he talked to the Pro about seeking some counseling, but he refused. So, what is the lesson? If an NFL player has mental issues, he should keep them private. Otherwise, other players and the media would dog him with cases of mental health imbalance for ever. TO would do something to help others if he sought mental health counseling if he truly need such services. In the meantime, who will know that he had problems.

What is his explanation? TO said he was not depressed. He mistakenly mixed the painkillers for a broken hand with supplements he ordinarily takes. He does take supplements! This mixture caused him to be groggy and incoherent. His female witness was concerned and called 911.

From the Farms to the U.S. Cities, Copper Thieves are Leaving Residents without Lights

From the Farms to the U.S. Cities, Copper Thieves are Leaving Residents without Lights

Miles of copper wire are stolen by greedy thieves who only care about their vices and addiction. They only want to make quick money by selling their loot to scrap metal business owners. They do not care about t he safety of the citizens living in the areas. They are nabbing the copper that brings lights to streetlamps or provides electricity to the farms of the central San Joaquin Valley. Copper thieves are a new hazard that valley inhabitants have to deal with. They can be combatted only if everybody is on the lookout for them. Anybody who sees somthing suspicious should call 911 or report it to the local authorities. With the availability of digital cameras and cell phone cameras, a few pictures may be snapped too. These vandals need to be put away. They would be happy to see our cities landscapes drying out. For without electricity, the landscapes can not be watered.

Copper thieves add more costs to farmers who have to hire security and/or invest in expensive cameras to protect their assets. Usually, these farms are located far away from any passing roads. The thieves just drive to the nearest well to start stealing. The rash of copper thefts is not only linked to the Central Valley of California, but it is also found in metropolises. Residents can retake their neighborhoods who thieves who want to cash in on the public's property. Usually, the wire is taken from underground electrical installations. All of us can help the authorities.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Buying a Home in Yosemite or Oakhurst

Study Funded by National Park Service Departing Director Finds Significance and Influences on Nearby Communities

Buses laden with tourists from Germany, England, France, Canada, Belgium, Austria and elsewhere are heading up the mountain to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks. Most of them want to spend time and money at places such as Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite National park. They want to be intimate with one of the natural wonders of the world. The study found that the tourists who flocked to these local national wonders also pump money not only into Oakhurst, Three Rivers and Mariposa, but also into far-flung places such as Fresno, Clovis, Visalia and other surrounding business places. This study was commissioned amidst the proposed budget cuts in the millions of dollars this year. For sure, the National Park Service plays an important role in the economic vitality of many communities. Yosemite by itself pumps $371 million to nearby communities. For your information, it is ranked as no. 3 among national parks, monuments and historic parks. The study found that the Great Smoky Mountains National park in Tennessee and North Carolina and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona ranked first and second. It found Yellowstone comes in fourth place. The study gave examples of local businesses whose business depends largely on the park. Reimer's Candies in Three Rivers sells boxes of chocolates displayed in the front window showing a panoramic photograph of the High Sierra. Without Yosemite, this business would not exist for all these 57 years. Over the years, Oakhurst has become a major hub for art galleries. Many tourists buy paintings as souvenirs. Famous painters, artists have made Oakhurst their home in order to be close to their customers. From April to the beginning of the first snow fall, the mountain communities are abuzz with touri

Cooled Housing Market Tips to Sell Your Homes

In a cooled housing market, what can sellers do?

Sellers can do a few things to attract potential buyers. They can promise to give a car or other valuables. Most buyers want the sellers to pay the closing costs. By closing costs, we mean escrow, loan fees and other payments. The seller can also pay for extended home warranties or a lower interest rate on the buyer's new loan. At the same time, the seller may be worried about whether or not the appraisal was right. It must cover the selling price, plus the closing costs. Sellers can offer bonuses to real estate agents who bring traffic to their listings. Thanks to the large equity that is in the homes, sellers can afford to be generous. Sellers must adapt to the reality of the times. There are too many inventories of homes. Potential buyers must have some good incentives to check and select the sellers' homes.


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Central California Active Homebuilders List: Central Valley & Central Coast Homes

If you want to relocate to the San Joaquin Valley, the last California real estate frontier, you want to know who the major residential home builders are. You also want to know where to start looking. Having lived in the Central Valley of California for so many years and after talking to so many happy homeowners, I have a few ideas as to where you can find your dream homes .

Here is a list of major builders in the Valley: Beazer homes, Cambridge homes, Centex homes, Creekbridge homes, D.R. Horton, De Young Properties, Generation Homes, Image Homes, KB Home, The McCaffrey Group, McMillin Homes, Quail Lakes, R.M. Covington Homes, Reynan & Bardis, Wathen-Castanos and Wilson Homes.

If you want customized home designs, you can go with Wilson Home and McMillin Homes. As far as McMillin is concerned, you can find their construction sites at Rustic Oaks, Colby park, Palomino, Appaloosa, Cheyenne and Oxford Commons. Whathen-Castanos is also at the Harlan Ranch which has homes tailored for every taste and lifestyle. The new development is located in Northeast Clovis, CA. Reynen & Bardis Communities is mostly in Visalia and Tulare. Their motto is "Where Tradition Meets Innovation." If you want to escape to the Central Coast, you can rely on Centex Homes as in Centex Paradise. The Central Coast is advertised as an unspoiled destination where the pace is relaxed and the lifestyle is unpretentious. You will be in San Luis Obispo.

GMC Yukon XLT or GMC Denali: How To Lose Money on American Cars

If bying an American truck means that it is going to be depreciated in just a few months, then it is not worth buying any American vehicles at all. That is what I am led to think about after losing more than $20,000 in a GMC Yukon in 2005. We bought our truck for 35 grand and hoped that it would last a long time with the values associated with owning an American-made vehicle. It was in the midst of "bigger was better." There was no reason for us not to buy the truck. It was the synonym of anything and everything good about the American auto industry.

In just one year, the values of trucks fall. Buying GMC trucks and others becomes easy. More and more people do not want to bother with them. After losing so much cash, I thought that should it have been a Toyota or Honda, the resale values would still be there. I watched how some of my friends lost money on their GMC trucks. So, what I did was to bite the bullets. I did not think it was a good idea to sell. I would still have to make the payments to the bank.

Zillow.com is allowing homeowners to Add and Correct Info

Zillow is doing something new. It is allowing homeowners to add info to its massive database. It was somewhat disconcerting to find your own and see all the info that is missing about it. So, Zillow.com which started with great fanfare only to disappoint a few homeowners who have added to their homes now realizes that it is good business to let owners inform the site of the latest additions and updates. Many homeowners have taken it upon themselves to fix, repair and add major improvements to their homes. With this new tool, owners can have a better idea of their home values.

About Fixer Upper Week-end Builders

We are the home building week-end warriors. We build our homes while keeping Lowe's and Home Depot in business. Then we have fun!