WESTERN DAYS!

Here's one of the lucky winners from our Western Days booth. Or wait, I think WE were the lucky ones. Isn't he the handsomest thing? Western Days was the combination of hokey and homespun and family fun and community involvement we all know and love ~ and it was a perfect weekend for Smith and Layne!

We gave away GORGEOUS American flags, tee shirts and mugs, some wonderful paintball passes, and about a gazillion little green fans.........like the one Nancy has in THIS gem of a photo. (a big Thanks to our terrific and hardworking friends at First American Title and Equity Title)

Seriously, who WOUDN'T need a fan sidled up to THAT hunk of woman(?) . . . . . man . . . . . . . . . whatever.

All in good fun, the "Posse" traveled around the event with guns blaring and lipstick at the ready. After last year, when he and a buddy were "caught" by the kissing bandits, Nancy's son and his friends were nowhere to be found this go-round. Amelia uses the excuse of being the team "shutterbug" to avoid compromising photos like this one.......

If you missed it, mark your calendar for next year. It's good clean fun.

We'll see you around town.

We knew it all along.......

Glimmers of optimism shine through mixed housing news

Home foreclosures 'manageable,' repayments possible, experts say

By Roger Showley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 25, 2007

Problem mortgages will probably plague some recent home buyers for the rest of the year, but the outlook for new buyers appears relatively promising, with sellers likely to drop prices into 2008, according to experts at yesterday's Sullivan Group Real Estate Advisors quarterly conference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DataQuick Information Systems expects to report today that the six-county Southern California region saw defaults rise nearly 159 percent last month to more than 9,200, compared with 3,562 in April 2006, and that foreclosures skyrocketed from 311 to more than 2,800 over the same period. San Diego's defaults rose from 554 to 1,346, and foreclosures increased from 85 to 525, April to April.

But San Diego was painted as an area less vulnerable to any further major downturns, contingent on the health of the general economy. Reasons include relatively few unsold, newly built homes and new projects; steady if not improving job growth; and an earlier end to the housing boom than other markets where sales and prices are now in decline.

The most recent sales figures for San Diego showed a 13.5 percent year-over-year drop in April, compared with more than 30 percent year-over-year declines reported by DataQuick last fall.

Read the whole thing......

Latest planning group meeting minutes

It's a good thing to keep an eye on what's new, what's being planned, and maybe we can figure out what needs to be done.

http://www.valleycenter.com/VCCPGagenda.pdf

Valley Center Vision has had several meetings in the last few weeks. A list of needed community projects has been developed and project teams have been identified. VCV is actively fundraising measures to raise money for the VCPRD and is also trying to raise money for community projects that fall outside the scope of the VCPRD charter.

The PG has numerous active efforts at this time. We have developments in the SV, NV, and Cole Grade Road. We will also be developing community plans later this year as part of the GP2020 planning process. These efforts will all have powerful influence on future development. For these reasons, we need to encourage friends, neighbors, and other residents to step up and get involved with these SC. We need volunteers who have administrative skills, design skills, and communications skills. We should encourage friends and acquaintances to consider how to get involved.

Land Use & Project Review
a. TPM 21035—Sage Meadow TPM (Laventure): one parcel into two lots; Owner: David and Sherry Green; site: 13510 Sage Meadow Lane.
b. TM5451 Paradise Mountain (Armstrong); Major Subdivision (250 acres-31 lots); Paradise Mtn. Road; Owner Paradise Mtn. Ranch; App: Paradise Mtn Estates.
c. P03-104, 14324 Calle de Vista (Wallace); off Valley Center Rd, discretionary project application for Cingular Wireless cell site, owner David Robertson, Agent Plancom Inc.
d. TPM21004rpl2 (Schwartz); McNally Rd west of Oak Glen, 78.3 acres into four 4 acre parcels plus 66 acre remainder, owner: Fallbrook Development Co., engineer: landmark Consulting, replacement map.
e. ZAP07-006 (Huntington), McNally Rd east of Nicole’s Vista Minor use permit for “L” zoning (Animal designator) for commercial specialty animal raising.
f. TPM21002RPL1 – 29610 Mac Tan Road (Coulombe) 5 acres into 2 lots; Owner: Kevin & Sharon Tam, VCCPG approved 8/14/06, update on DPLU progress.

Announcements and Items of Interest to the VCCPG
a. Annual Training
b. Valley Center EEMP Grant Implementation Team (Montgomery).
c. Spanish Trails project is active and it may be redesigned. The PG needs to establish a SC to work with the developer on this project for a period of several months. This project involves a large geographic area and it will have a significant impact on VC.

Thinking of offering seller financing?

Great advice from Realty Times' Benny L. Kass

Creative financing has returned to the real estate market. Sellers are beginning to recognize that it is now a "buyer's market," and in order to make a sale must provide attractive benefits to attract and entice buyers into presenting a purchase contract.

Some sellers are offering free plasma television sets; others are providing rental cars with one or two years free rent. And some sellers are considering financial incentives -- one of which is a "take-back" second trust.

When you borrow money to buy a house, in order to insure that the lender will ultimately get paid, the buyer/borrower signs a promissory note and a deed of trust.

The promissory note is a legal document which says: "I, the borrower, promise to pay the lender XX dollars, due and payable in Y number of years. I will pay this money in equal monthly installments of ZZ, at an interest rate of AA percent per year."

If the borrower does not pay, the lender can file suit in the appropriate court and get a judgment against that person. Then, the lender has to determine what assets the borrower has, find out where they are, and then attempt to attach those assets based on the Court ordered judgment.

This can be a cumbersome process. And if the borrower has no money, it will be a futile -- and expensive -- effort. I often tell my clients that "there is no cash register at the back of the courthouse; collecting on a judgment may not be successful."
Accordingly, to further protect the lender's investment, the borrower also signs a deed of trust. This is a legal document whereby the homeowner signs a document which technically
(and in some states legally) transfers the borrower's house to a trustee who has been selected by the lender. This document is recorded among the land records where the property is located, so as to put the entire world on notice that title to the house is subject to that deed of trust.

If the buyer makes the monthly payments and is not otherwise in default, when the loan is paid off in full, the deed of trust is released from land records. However, if the buyer is delinquent, the trustee has the authority to sell the house at an auction foreclosure sale. Every state has different rules and procedures about how foreclosures are to take place, and you should consult your local attorney for more details.

In legal terms, a deed of trust is a grant from the home owner to the trustee, giving him/her the "power" to sell the house. Some states still use mortgages, which in effect provides a lender with the same security as does the trust deed. The basic difference, however, between a deed of trust and a mortgage is that where there is a mortgage, the lender will have to go to court to force a sale. Thus, most lenders prefer to use deeds of trust, since the foreclosure process is easier, less expensive and faster.

You are prepared to offer a potential buyer a second deed of trust in the amount of $35,000. I call this a "second trust" because your buyer will get a first trust from a commercial lender. In simple terms, your trust document will be recorded on the land records after the first trust, and will thus be in second place position.

There are several advantages to this approach: you will assist
the buyer in going to settlement because he/she will not have to come up with all that additional cash; you can set your interest rate lower than the buyer can get on the open market; you can defer (not avoid) a portion of any capital gains tax which you might otherwise have to pay if the property sold for all cash. You should discuss the tax benefits with your financial advisors.
However, there is also one important negative factor to consider. If the first trust goes into default, and that lender forecloses on the property, your second trust will be wiped out. The first trust lender must advise you of the pending foreclosure sale, but because that lender is in first place position, your security in the house is not protected. You can still sue the borrower based on the promissory note that was signed, but as discussed above, that may be a useless effort if the borrower has no money.

The bottom line: taking back a second trust is certainly one way of attracting potential buyers, but there are risks. There is absolutely no guarantee that your $35,000 will be completely protected.

If you do not have a mortgage presently on your house, or if there is a small outstanding balance which you can pay off, you may want to consider taking back a first trust in an amount of no more than 90 percent of the purchase price -- i.e the buyer must give you at least 10 percent down. That is even a more attractive incentive for potential buyers.

POSTAGE!

Just a reminder that the cost a first class stamp is going up to .41 cents ~ and the post office will now be charging by size and shape of the envelope. There is a fee for added weight as always but the cost per ounce will be less than switching to a larger envelope. If you are mailing a large envelope where the contents could be folded and fit in a regular business size envelope, you could save yourself as much as .39cents to mail the same piece.

You can go to usps.com for more information regarding the new pricing scales.

........just our 2 cents' worth.

May is Deck Safety Month!

May is Deck Safety Month, according to the North American Deck and Railing Association who along with the Simpson StrongTie company, first rolled out the red carpet for deck safety in May 2006 to make sure you make sure you or you loved ones don't get, well, decked by your deck.

More than 92 million homes in the United States have a porch, deck, balcony or patio, and experts say that an astonishing 20 million of them are in need of immediate replacement or repair.

The association says between August 2004 and December 2005, the U.S. news media reported 225 injuries and one fatality from deck collapses. Many more deck failures -- with and without injuries -- went unreported.

Simpson, which offers an interactive, online "Critical Deck Connections" and "What You Need To Know To Make Your Deck Strong And Safe", reports that the average life expectancy of a deck is 10 to 15 years and requires frequent inspection.

You or a qualified inspector should give your deck the once over to evaluate its safety and construction and to be certain it is structurally sound and properly maintained.

The association offers a"Manual For The Inspection Of Residential Wood Decks And Balconies" and a "Check Your Deck Consumer Checklist" and says pay special attention to warning signs your deck may be about to give way.

The signs include:

Rotted, split or decaying wood. Typically found where the deck attaches to the home, in support posts and joists under the deck, in deck boards, railings and stairs. Rotted, split or decaying wood weakens the structure and raises the possibility of collapse. Keep in mind, wood naturally cracks with age, but a deck with cracks throughout or large cracks in portions indicates major weakness.

Missing, loose or corroded fasteners and connections. Decks should have a redundant system of nails, screws, connectors, anchors and fasteners supporting the structure. Look for loose and missing parts, rust, a shaky handrail and stairs that sway or sag.

Generally, a state licensed or trade group certified home inspector can give your deck a once over and while on the job can inspect your whole home for other safety concerns, says the association.

However for elaborate deck systems a structural engineer may be warranted. Repairs and maintenance are a job for a professionally licensed, insured and bonded deck builder or other like-licensed contractor experienced in the work.

Feds issue "beige book" with bland forecast

Beige Book: Lackluster Housing Market
"Flat," "soft," "tight," and "weak" were words frequently used to describe residential housing markets in the 12 Federal Reserve banking districts.

Monday, April 30, 2007
By Broderick Perkins, Realty Times

Adding commentary to recent statistical evidence about the nation's housing market, the Federal Reserve's newest district-by-district economic report says the housing market remains waylaid by over-supply, weak home sales, flat prices and few home starts.

While homes in the moderate price range were selling in a few select markets, bleak conditions were widespread through the 12 Federal Reserve bank districts, revealing a national market gaining more uniformity and less local flavor every day, according to the third "Beige Book" report this year.

Rather than crunching numbers, the eight-times-a-year Federal Reserve report gathers anecdotal commentary on a variety of economic indictors, from agriculture, consumer spending and energy, to employment, major industry sectors' performance and wages.

Comments are solicited from representatives of the reserve's dozen district branch banks as well as from economists, market experts and other sources in those districts.

The latest report is based on pre-April 16 commentary which paints the same pale picture drawn in this year's two previous Beige Book reports -- the housing market is in a rut.

"Residential real estate activity continued to weaken in many districts. Many districts saw a decrease in homebuilding," according to the report's summary.

We like the twelfth district's forecast better, though.........

San Francisco, Twelfth District

In most areas, sales for new and existing homes continued to fall as average time on the market rose. Price appreciation remained in many areas, but at a much slower pace than last year.

Developers, however, were not unloading undeveloped land suggesting they expect market snores to be limited.

This is the one district where numerous contacts noted areas of strong stabilization in the pace of home sales and price appreciation as well as improvements in the level of multifamily constructions.

One banking contact reported that residential mortgage lenders have been discounting assessed home values when making new mortgage loans.

May in the garden

May Is The Time To...

1. Plant irises, canned roses, tropicals and tuberoses.
2. Transplant potted bulbs into the ground.
3. Replace cool-season bedding flowers with summer-season flowers.
4. Plant zinnias and other heat loving flowers.
5. Plant morning glories.
6. Plant warm-season lawns.
7. Continue to plant summer vegetables.
8. Replace parsley if you haven’t already done so.
9. Plant a giant pumpkin for Halloween.
10. Purchase, plant, and transplant succulents, including cacti and euphorbias.
11. Stop pinching fuchsias if you did not do so last month.
12. Thin out fruit on deciduous fruit trees.
13. Pinch dahlias back when the plant has three sets of leaves; tie the plant up as it grows.
14. Continue to pick and deadhead roses.
15. Divide and repot cymbidiums that have outgrown their containers.
16. Cut off bloom spikes from cymbidiums after flowers fade.
17. Prune camellias if you have not already done so.
18. Clean and prune azaleas.
19. Divide and mount staghorn ferns.
20. Prune winter- and spring-flowering vines, shrubs, trees and ground covers after they finish blooming.
21. Continue to tie up and sucker tomatoes.
22. Remove berries (seed pods) from fuchsias after flowers fall.
23. Pinch back petunias when you plant them.
24. Continue to prune and train espaliers.
25. Feed citrus trees, avocado trees.
26. Feed fuchsias, azaleas, tuberous begonias, water lilies.
27. Feed roses, ferns, flower beds, camellias after they bloom.
28. Fertilize lawns.
29. Side-dress vegetable rows with fertilizer.
30. Feed all container-grown succulents with a well-diluted complete liquid fertilizer.
31. Fertilize peppers when flowers first show.
32. As the weather becomes drier water all garden plants regularly.
33. Taper off watering those California native plants that do not accept summer water.
34. Water roses, cymbidiums, and vegetables.
35. Do not water succulents.
36. Control rose pests and diseases.
37. Spray junipers and Italian cypress for juniper moths.
38. Control mildew.
39. Control pests on vegetables.
40. Control weeds among permanent plants by mulching or cultivating.
41. Control weeds among vegetables and flowers by hand-pulling.
42. Keep bamboo from running into your neighbor’s garden.
43. Harvest vegetables regularly.

Thank you to Grangettos for this great information. They're a fantastic local resource for amateur and "professional" gardeners alike.

Valley Center Municipal Water District info.

Rain is a rare beast these days, we thought you'd like some information on the local water district

Here's the main link to the Valley Center Water District

Proposed South Village Area Wastewater Expansion Project

Be Water Wise! Go to our Conservation page for links to online California Friendly gardening classes.

Beat the Peak! Water Conservation Urged During the Hot Summer Months


Office Location and Hours
Board of Directors and Meetings
Fact Sheet History
Departments and Staff Contacts - Employment Opportunities
Water/Wastewater Internship Opportunities
Water Service Customer Service
- 2005 Water Quality Report
Wastewater Service - South Village W.R.F Expansion

Links about Water, the Valley Center community, and Agriculture
Here are a number of links to pages about:

Water in Southern California
Valley Center community activities
Agriculture

Pondering a pool?

Thinking of putting in a pool?

Pool Designs Focus on Family and Functionality

by Phoebe Chongchua

Less is more when it comes to pools, at least when you're referring to depth. Industry experts say a trend in pool construction is leaning to smaller and shallower pools.

"People are looking more for a family-friendly pool, a sports pool -- where they go from three and a half feet to five and a half feet deep," says Josh Lawson, General Manager of San Diego Pools.

This trend is also helping to keep temperatures stable throughout the entire pool. "With a deeper pool that bottom couple of feet is always a lot cooler than the upper feet depending on circulation," says Lawson.

Pool design is very personal and often influenced by the area and regulations -- for instance, in Hawthorne, Australia, a 70-thousand-dollar award-winning pool abuts the ground-level floor of a residential home so that people can sit inside and see others swimming in the pool. The construction of that pool was completed after a major legal battle in Supreme Court ended because of imposed water restrictions in the country. Due to area restrictions on where a pool can be placed on a property, that concept may not be as popular in other parts of the world.

read the whole thing

Interesting perspective.......

Second Guessing Second Homes

Second home sales and prices in the investment sector plunge as speculators bail and leave the market weak, but attractive to those who still have discretionary cash.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007
By Broderick Perkins, Realty Times

It may be a better time to buy a second home than it is to buy a primary residence. The nation's second home market is repelling investors in droves and the blow is so crushing to the second home market, the nation's primary housing market downturn pales by comparison.

Second home sales plummeted last year, falling 18.56 percent to 2.72 million, compared to 3.34 million in 2005, according to the National Association of Realtors' annual "Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey".

Primary home sales fell only 4.1 percent to 4.82 million in 2006 from 5.02 million in 2005.

The second home sales plunge took a chunk of market share along for the fall. Second homes now represent 36 percent of all homes sold in 2006, down from 40 percent in 2005.

read the whole thing

GREAT info for families

The Web's Best Bookmark for Data on the Family

A product of the Heritage Foundation, familyfacts.org is an ideal resource of credible data, research, and talking points for policymakers, journalists, scholars, and the general public. Developed by Heritage’s Domestic Policy Studies department, familyfacts.org catalogs social science findings on the family, society, and religion culled from peer-reviewed journals, books, and government surveys. With over 2500 findings available, this site’s search engine provides easy access to family-related information spanning a variety of topics. You can look for findings by categories or create your own search based on a topic, keyword, or author. Categories include: Children & Teens, Crime & Violence, Education, Family, Health & sexuality, Marriage & Divorce, Parenting, Pregnancy, and Religion & Culture.

To view samples of findings by category, check out the featured examples below.
Findings by Category:

Children & TeensFrequent family dinners were associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, and drug use… (more)

Crime & ViolenceFor girls, but not for boys, parent and child religiosity reduced the likelihood of delinquency… (more)

EducationThe most successful children (as measured by their achievement test scores and teachers' ratings) had mothers who struck a balance between being warm and supportive and setting and enforcing clear limits on their children's behavior… (more)

FamilyCompared with peers who did not cohabit before marriage, spouses who had cohabited were more likely to feel that they might separate, and the longer they had cohabited the greater the likelihood that they would perceive a risk of separation... (more)

Health & SexualityBoys who frequently used marijuana or participated in binge drinking were more than four times more likely to be depressed than peers who did not… (more)

Marriage & DivorceCompared with peers who were raised in a home with married parents, males whose parents never married were significantly less likely to marry and were more likely to cheat and walk out on their romantic partners… (more)

ParentingAdolescents prefer their parents as a source of sex education…(more)

PregnancyNeither socioeconomic standing nor educational attainment was related to the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester…(more)

Religion & CultureCompared with peers who seldom or never attended a house of worship, individuals who attended weekly or more often were 21 percentage points more likely to volunteer for causes that were completely secular (60% vs. 29%)...(more)

You don't have to be a social science expert to find the data you need. If you can use the internet, you can use familyfacts.org.

By the way, a great search engine is http://www.dogpile.com ~ It uses Google and Lycos and Ask and all the other search engines in one big "dogpile". We've found stuff with Dogpile we couldn't find anyplace else.