San Joaquin Homes Community Blog

DRE, state attorney general issue short-sale fraud warning
June 23rd, 2010 5:07 PM
DRE, state attorney general issue short-sale fraud warning
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr., the California DRE, and the State Bar of California recently issued a warning to homeowners about the sudden and steep increase in short-sale fraud statewide.

In the warning, homeowners, home buyers, real estate agents, and lenders were made aware of red flags that may appear when working with or paying a short-sale negotiator, including: A negotiator working without a license; charging up-front fees without prior written permission from the DRE to do so; adding surcharges and hidden fees to place an offer on a home; and misrepresenting current market conditions and only submitting offers on the property from an affiliated straw buyer.

Short sale negotiators and agents may use a variety of titles including: Debt negotiator, debt resolution expert, loss mitigation practitioner, foreclosure rescue negotiator, short sale processor, short sale coordinator, and short sale expeditor.

Homeowners wishing to file complaints related to short-sale fraud can do so by calling the attorney general’s office at (800) 952-5225 or filing a complaint online at www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php. To file a complaint against a lawyer, a legal specialist, or a company purporting to operate as a law firm with the California State Bar, homeowners should call (800) 843-9053 or visit www.calbar.ca.gov.

Posted by Norbert G. Huston on June 23rd, 2010 5:07 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Stop Ants!
June 9th, 2010 5:24 PM
Green Tip of the Week:  Stop ants
Natural deterrents to ants include dry Cream of Wheat, which they cannot digest and is lethal to them, as well as powdered borax mixed with maple syrup (don’t use the latter if you have children or pets). If the aim simply is to deter, but not kill, then sprinkle the substances they don’t like to cross, such as ground black pepper, chalk, or cinnamon, near doors.
See 1001 All-Natural Secrets to Pest-Free Property by Myles H. Bader for more natural solutions.
Posted by Norbert G. Huston on June 9th, 2010 5:24 PMPost a Comment (0)

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"Showing Off"
May 19th, 2010 11:39 AM
Properly staging a home for sale is one of the most essential elements of the selling process.  Not only does it help to set a home apart from comparable homes in the area, it also enables buyers to visualize the home’s potential.  While staging a home can be something as simple as a fresh coat of paint or something pricier like purchasing new furniture for a room, one essential component that all sellers should utilize is removing clutter.  Sellers should work with their REALTOR® to determine the best staging opportunities for a home, including which furniture, household items, and the like should remain in the house, and which ones should be donated or temporarily put into storage.
Posted by Norbert G. Huston on May 19th, 2010 11:39 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Legal Q & A
May 13th, 2010 4:11 PM
Legal Q & A


Question: Is there any reason to retain a credit report on file once a decision has been made on an applicant?

Answer: All application records, including credit reports should be retained for denied applicants for three years. This is the statute of limitations for fair housing claims. Records for accepted tenants should be retained for four years after the end of the tenancy, based on the statute of limitations for actions on a contract. All tenant records, especially those containing confidential information, like credit reports, must be maintained in a secure, i.e., locked, location. When the records are ready to be disposed of, California law requires the destruction of customer (i.e., tenant) records by shredding, erasing, or otherwise modifying the personal information in those records to make them unreadable.

Posted by Norbert G. Huston on May 13th, 2010 4:11 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Fast Facts:
May 8th, 2010 6:38 AM
Fast Facts  
Calif. median home price: March 2010: $301,790 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region March 2010: Santa Barbara So. Coast $890,000(Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region March 2010: High Desert $122,970 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Fourth Quarter 2009: 64 percent (Source: C.A.R.)
Mortgage rates - week ending 4/29/10 30-yr. fixed: 5.06 Fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 4.39% Fees/points: 0.7% 1-yr. adjustable: 4.25% Fees/points: 0.5% (Source: Freddie Mac) 
Posted by Norbert G. Huston on May 8th, 2010 6:38 AMPost a Comment (0)

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