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- 5. February 2012: More Help for Military Members Facing Foreclosure
- 3. February 2012: More Refinance Help and/or Hope
- 1. February 2012: Loan Modifications: Whom to Believe
- 25. January 2012: Home Sales and/or Purchases now Harder with FHA Loans
- 21. January 2012: State Finds Untapped Money Source!
- 18. January 2012: Expanding into the Spanish Communities
- 5. January 2012: FHA anti-Flipping Rule Exclusion Extended
- 2. January 2012: Happy New Year!
- 30. December 2011: Mortgage Modification and Foreclosure Prevention Counseling
- 27. December 2011: Merry Christmas
Archive for the Uncategorized Category
State Finds Untapped Money Source!
21. January 2012 by Michael McFarlane.
Proposed changes in the Governor’s Budget call for “consolidating” some agencies. One of those would be the DRE (Department of Real Estate). It is all dressed up as a way to save money by eliminating duplicate expenses, thereby reducing the need for tax dollars.
We see it as a state level reiteration of the Social Security fiasco. By “combining” agencies they are combining money pools. Read that as taking money; money that is used strictly to regulate real estate practices and protect the general public. While we don’t enjoy regulation any more than the next guy, there is an absolute need for protection from the unscrupulous.
Could this protection be accomplished or even improved by joining forces with other agencies? Possibly; everything can be improved. But that is not the object here. This is a budget maneuver. This is being touted as a cost savings.
How can you save when the cost is already $0? You read the right; it’s not a typo. The DRE is funded not by tax dollars, but by the fees we pay for licenses and services. Part of the fines collected are also added to this pot. Operating costs and enforcement are taken from this pot.
This is where the comparison to Social Security comes in. The DRE has a positive account balance. This is required to operate without using credit, as we do. By “combining” DRE with tax supported agencies, our money gets added to their pool: you know, that pool that is not only dry but deeply in debt!
End result: Increased cost to tax payers AND less protection! This is such a disgrace that the California Association of Realtors® is once again stepping in to support the DRE in their defense of the measure. Once again government is asking you to pay more and accept less for it! Time to say “NO”!
$ To read the notice from CAR click HERE.
For ALL your real estate related needs and/or questions call ((530 315-2808) or visit us8 on line at EncoreRES.com or any of the links below.
Please note: all visits to our sites are secure AND confidential. We do NOT track your activity!
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Home Rescue Group Free Home Market Analysis
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Happy New Year!
2. January 2012 by Michael McFarlane.
However you celebrate it, have a happy and safe New Year, and as 2012 improves, so does my wish for your prosperity!
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Merry Christmas
25. December 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
To all our friends, family, and clients.
Please view your card at ððððð
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Happy Thanksgiving
26. November 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
We hope that each and every one of you has a great Thanksgiving! Although this has been a year filled with great hardships for many, including us, there are MANY THINGS TO BE GREATFUL FOR!
Please join us in remembering those things today, a showing our appreciation when ever possible.
And THANK YOU for being a part of our circle. Our clients, friends and family are what our business is all about, so thank you again.
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Your Opinion Please
20. November 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
We’d like to know what you think about the current trend of using social networks like facebook® and twitter® to assist you in real estate matters. Some argue that it is a waste of time while others insist that social networking is MANDATORY for any business that wants to survive today. We hear arguments from both camps. At Encore Real Estate Services™ (aka EncoreRES™) we want to know how you find the information you actually use. What are your resources? YOU are what our business is all about so YOUR preferences are what are important to us.
Do you use facebook®? If so, is it a source of information for you or do you only use it for keeping up with your friends? How often do you use it?
Do you use twitter®? And if so, again, what do you use it for? How frequently do you tweet?
Are you a member of a professional social site like LinkedIn®? Do you lean more toward recommendations made by your peers on these sites?
Our business is helping YOU. We are looking for the best way to do that. Responding to this article will help. It will also get you entered into a drawing for a $125.00 surprise gift. Of course we also want to hear about other things that we may be able to help you with. News about something in your neighborhood? Let us know, we’ll post such items here too.
For ALL your real estate related needs and/or questions call (530 315-2808) or visit us on line at EncoreRES.com or any of the links below. Please note: all visits to our sites are secure AND confidential. We do NOT track your activity!
Subscribe to Listings Updates Free Home Warranty
Search the MLS Discussions & News
Home Rescue Group Free Home Market Analysis
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Veteran’s Day
12. November 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
To view card click HERE.
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New Laws Effecting Real Estate For 2011
6. October 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
The recent end of the 2009-10 legislative session has brought the end of short sale deficiency judgments for first loans, and other new laws affecting REALTORS® and their clients. To view the full text of the following bills, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov.
No Short Sale Deficiencies: Starting January 1, 2011, a seller’s first trust deed lender cannot obtain a deficiency judgment against the seller after a short sale. Read more.
Energy Audit in Home Inspection Report: Beginning January 1, 2011, a home inspection and inspection report may, upon a client’s request, include an audit of the energy efficiency of a home… continued.
Restriction on Adverse Possession Claim: Effective January 1, 2011, a claim for adverse possession requires, among other things, certified records of the county tax collector showing that all state, county, or municipal taxes have been timely paid for the five-year period the property has been occupied and claimed. READ MORE
Enforcement of MLO Requirements: Effective January 1, 2011, anyone acting as a mortgage loan originator (MLO) without an MLO license endorsement will be guilty of a crime punishable by six months imprisonment, plus a $20,000 fine. READ MORE
Post-Foreclosure Protection for Tenants: Commencing January 1, 2011, a notice to terminate a residential tenant who remains after a foreclosure sale must generally include a statutory notice of the tenant’s rights. CLICK FOR MORE
Tenant Protection for Domestic Violence Victims: Starting January 1, 2011, a residential landlord cannot terminate or fail to renew a tenancy based on domestic violence against the tenant or tenant’s household members … READ MORE
Protections Against Real Estate Fraud: Effective January 1, 2011, new laws protecting consumers from real estate fraud include, without limitation … MORE
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Summer IS HERE, with a vengeance
20. July 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
With the heat in the 100s the last few days, we thought maybe some tips on staying cool for less money might be nice. Try this article: Keeping it Cool with Air-Conditioning Tips
Don’t forget the lawn! It is feeling the heat to:. 7 Lawn Care Tips for the Summer Season .
Conserve water while taking care of the lawn and staying cool? 10 Tips to Conserve Water
And if you have any energy left, or need a break: Top Five Tips for Summer Entertaining
And to keep your cool AND conserve energy with real estate transactions, depend on Yuba Sutter Homes and Loans.; home of the FREE home warranty! Where service and value DO work together. And just for YOU!
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What does a Realtor® do for the Community?
15. July 2010 by Michael McFarlane.
In the past you have heard me state that as an organization, Realtors® work for the benefit of the whole community, not just acting as a union to strengthen our own position. In addition to the many charities and community help programs that we contribute to and participate in, we are a strong voice for Home Owner’s Rights, in fact the strongest voice out there for YOUR benefit.
Below is an exerpt from a recent (this morning) message sent to all Realtors®. It does demonstrate some of the recent property rights we have been instrumental in protecting.
July 13, 2010
Dear C.A.R. Member, [California Association of Realtors®]
Good news bears repeating.
President Obama recently signed a bill extending the closing deadline for the federal
home buyer tax credit to Sept. 30, 2010. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® estimates that as many as 17,700 home buyers in California would not have received the tax credit without the extension. Perhaps you know someone who now will benefit from this legislation.
The president also signed HR 5569, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010, funding the program through Sept. 30, 2010—good news for homeowners in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley and other 100-year floodplains. As you know, flood insurance is required for mortgages on properties in a 100-year floodplain. Congress has allowed the program to lapse three times this year, forcing many real estate transactions to be put on hold and, in some instances, cancelled. What happens in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., really does matter to your business.
The passage of these two pieces of legislation—which C.A.R. and NAR advocated for—demonstrates the importance of REALTOR® involvement in government. Legislative wins such as these require a focused and relentless presence at the state and national levels.
C.A.R.’s advocacy in the political arena this year also helped preserve property profiles after title companies stopped providing them in reaction to a letter issued by the Department of Insurance; thrice defeated a 3-percent independent contractor withholding proposal that would have accelerated income tax payments for our members; and defeated point-of-sale retrofits proposed through several pieces of legislation that could have added as much as $20,000 per home prior to closing escrow.
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