WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU NOT BUYING A HOME NOW????

If there was ever a real estate's perfect storm in California, this is it! Here is the simple "down and dirty":
Be in contract by April 30th, 2010
Close escrow between May 1st and June 30th, 2010
You can get overlapping checks from the Federal government and from the State of California

What do you get?
Up to $6500 from our Federal government for existing home owner...a check...that's it.
Up to $8000 from our Federal government for new home buyer...a check...that's it.
Up to $10,000 from the State of California over 3 years...a credit towards your taxes...that's it.

The caveat?
For the $8,000 Federal check, you must be a first time home buyer
For the $6500 Federal check, you can be an existing home buyer
For the $10,000, you must have lived in your present home 5 out of the last 8 years.

Now, as with all good things, don't take this on face value...check with your CPA to be certain that you qualify before you commit.

So, as I said, why in the world are you not buying a home NOW?????

LAND PARK'S EASTER EGG HUNT..A GREAT SUCCESS!

What a great morning! Little ones started arriving at around 9AM this morning to participate in the Great Easter Egg Hunt. There was so much to do, the "hunt" couldn't start until 10AM! There was a constant line for face painting, stars seeming to be the popular choice. Cute little bunnies made their appearance in the form of balloons animals. Carnival games kept children of all ages busy. Mr. Cooper contributed to the atmosphere with his guitar and more innovative children's songs than can be imagined. And, finally, what Easter Egg Hunt would be complete without the Easter Bonnet contest? There were Freeport Bakery cookie platters for the prettiest, most colorful, funniest and most creative hats. Even the Easter Bunny made an early appearance!
Huge kudos should be given to Boy Scout Troop 136, Den 9 for assembling and stuffing 9,000 eggs...yes, nine thousand eggs! Children separated themselves into 3 different hunting areas...0-3 years, 4-9 years and 10 years and older. At 10AM (or a little after, since the event coordinators watch chose to stop at 9:40), the mayhem began and within 5 minutes, 9,000 eggs had found a home!
Thanks should be expressed to the City of Sacramento and Land Park Community Association for sponsoring this event. Other sponsors were McDonalds (who supplied coffee and orange juice), Freeport Bakery, Kellie and Paula Swayne with Windermere Dunnigan Realtors, Crocker Electric, the Sacramento Zoo, Mister Cooper Music and Boy Scout Troop 136, Den 9.

OUT OF TOWN CLIENTS...A SPECIAL CHALLENGE

It is not unusual for me to be helping clients that live out of town. Specializing in older neighborhoods does that. Original or long-time home owners move on to bigger and better things. The family needs the help and expertise of a local Realtor, since they can't be there. So, as I said, I quite often help out of town clients. However, I seem to have an unusually large number of this type of client right now.
For example, right now I am in escrow with a cute little house in Elmhurst near the University of California at Davis Med Center. The young couple that are purchasing it are moving from New York to be residents at the Med Center. The wife's parents who are from Hillsborough (about 2 hours away) are the "scouts" for the buyers. So, I am constantly sending documents and videos to New York and Hillsborough and meeting the parents at the house on their way to Tahoe.
Another listing's owner lives in Martinez, but travels constantly. I am always playing "Where's Waldo" with her.
I am also in escrow with another couple who do live here, but had to travel to Palm Desert for family reasons. Wouldn't you know...their loan documents came in 2 hours after they left, so we are getting an accomodation signing in Palm Desert and recording here.
Another listing is vacant, the owners already having moved to Davis (about 20 minutes away). It is still on the market, so no logistics to deal with yet...but I know it is coming!
Don't misunderstand...I actually like these kinds of challenges. I enjoy the ability to offer to take the load off of their shoulders and be their advocate here in Sacramento. I can almost see the weight lift off of their shoulders when I tell them I can take care of cleaning, a little updating, meeting the needed professionals, etc. I just have never had every single client be long-distance before!

JOIN US AT LAND PARK'S GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT!

If you happen to be strolling through William Land Park tomorrow morning, you might discover hoards of children participating in the Great Easter Egg Hunt , sponsored by the Land Park Community Association and the City of Sacramento.
Their faces will be painted, their heads adorned with all manner of Easter bonnets and they will be searching for thousands of eggs! There will be wonderful music, games and photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny!
Here's the best part...YOU CAN JOIN US for this FREE EVENT! It starts at 10AM SHARP (the eggs are found quickly, so don't be late) between 12th and 13th Avenue near Riverside Boulevard. See you there!

THE END OF THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD...

Last year I wrote a post about theYellow Brick Road at Fairytale Town in Land Park. The road greeted visitors in a joyful celebration of the community.
It is being "paved" in 3 stages, the final deadline for participants approaching. I was fortunate to be a part of the second phase. I chose to let the world know how much my granddaughters, Cailyn and Bailey mean to me!
The number of names I recognize on other bricks is remarkable - truly a neighborhood project!
So, if you have someone you would like to celebrate, it isn't too late...act quickly! Here is the link to Fairytale Town's Yellow Brick Road.