The Nevada County Fairgrounds was filled with horse enthusiasts during the last weekend in June as exhibitors competed in the 2009 Mother Lode Horse Show. This annual three-day event gives spectators an opportunity to observe participants work with their horses as they compete in Driving, English, Halter and Western Shows. At the conclusion of each class, competitors are awarded their placing, which is a demonstration of achievement in horsemanship. The results of the Mother Lode Horse Show are available at Nevada County Horse Show Results.
You will need Adobe Reader to view the results. If you do have Adobe Reader you may download it here Adobe Reader
The Mother Lode Horse Show is the official horse show of the Nevada County Fair. This year’s Nevada County Fair starts Wednesday, August 12 and runs through Sunday, August 16. For more information about the Fair, call the Fairgrounds office at (530) 273-6217 or visit their web site at Nevada County Fair
Press release by Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced today that the company is providing information to servicers regarding changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) that permits refinancing of existing Fannie Mae loans with loan-to-value (LTV) ratios up to 125 percent. The loans will be eligible for delivery on or after September 1, 2009.
“This step aims to reach even more borrowers who would benefit from a lower payment,” said Michael J. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Many borrowers in good standing have been shut out from the benefits of refinancing due to significant declines in property values across the country. By broadening the scope of the initiative, more borrowers will experience savings on their monthly mortgage payments and have a better chance of sustaining homeownership over the long term.”
Previously, HARP allowed for refinancing of Fannie Mae loans with LTVs up to 105 percent. With the expansion, loans with LTVs above 105 percent and up to 125 percent will be eligible for refinancing through the company’s Refi Plus™ manual underwriting option. For loans with LTVs above 105 percent, borrowers must refinance through their existing servicer and the new loans must be fully amortizing fixed-rate mortgages with terms greater than 15 years up to 30 years.
In conjunction with the LTV eligibility expansion, Fannie Mae will offer a special .50 percent reduction in the loan-level price adjustment charged for loans with LTVs above 105 percent and loan terms of 20 and 25 years. The reduction is intended to incent borrowers to select shorter terms and build positive equity in their homes sooner than with a typical 30-year mortgage.
HARP is part of the Administration’s Making Home Affordable plan aimed at stabilizing the housing market, helping Americans reduce their mortgage payments to more affordable levels, and preventing avoidable foreclosures. For more information, visit Making Home Affordable.gov
A study of the Massachusetts housing market by researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago concludes that a home owner’s propensity to default increases the further their loan goes under water.
The study found that home owners begin to walk away after declines of 15 percent or more. More than 17 percent of households would default, even if they can afford to pay their mortgage, when the equity shortfall reaches 50 percent of the value of the house.
The researchers found:
• People under the age of 35 and over the age of 65 are less likely to say it is morally wrong to default compared to middle-aged respondents.
• People with a higher education (8 percentage points) and African-Americans (14 percentage points) are less likely to think it is morally wrong to default, whereas respondents with a higher income are more likely to think it is morally wrong.
• Default is considered less morally wrong in the Northeast (6 percentage points) and West (8 1/2 percentage points).
• There was little difference in the moral view of strategic default among Republicans and Democrats, but independents are less likely to say defaulting is immoral.
• Respondents who supported government intervention to help homeowners were 12 percentage points less likely to say strategic default is immoral.
So what do you think, is it OK to walk away if you are still able to make your monthly payments on your mortgage?
I was wondering when the Fed’s were going to crack down on con artists which advertise get rich quick schemes in real estate. The con artists offer to make you rich by using their “proven techniques in real estate”
These con artists also offer help on repairing their credit, landing new jobs, starting lucrative work-at-home businesses and obtaining government money to pay off bills. Surging like the unemployment rate, scams, touted on Web sites and infomercials, have bilked consumers out of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Last Wednesday the FTC, working with local authorities across the country struck back and filed criminal charges against many of the scammers.
“The (FTC) announced a series of civil and criminal charges against alleged con artists who have preyed on economic anxiety to lure consumers into making upfront payments for services that either fall far short of the promises or never materialize.
“To con artists, today’s challenging economy presents an opportunity to exploit consumers’ fears and bilk them out of money,” said David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Vladeck said that more than 100 cases have been filed nationwide this year as part of Operation Short Change, a task force consisting of the FTC, the Justice Department and officials in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The cases included eight filed Wednesday by the FTC.
One of the new cases alleged that five California companies bilked hundreds of thousands of consumers nationally out of about $300 million by offering fraudulent programs related to real estate or online businesses.
The companies — John Beck’s Amazing Profits, John Alexander LLC, Jeff Paul LLC, Mentoring of America and Family Products — and five people who founded or run them were accused of violating federal laws related to telemarketing and consumer fraud.
The FTC accuses the companies of making “false and unsubstantiated claims about potential earnings” customers could make by following their advice in books, DVDs and CDs titled “John Beck’s Free & Clear Real Estate System,” “John Alexander’s Real Estate Riches in 14 Days” and “Jeff Paul’s Shortcuts to Internet Millions,” which sold for $39.95 each.
People who purchased the programs unknowingly were signed up for additional monthly charges of $39.95. Messages left with the companies were not returned Wednesday.”
I did a Google search and John Beck’s site is still up and running, ready to take your money and help him get rich.
The bank has started foreclosure proceedings on Victoria Gotti, daughter of the infamous John Gottie, palatial estate on Long Island — the same used in the TV reality show “Growing Up Gotti” — saying she owes a whopping $650,000 in mortgage payments, according to court papers filed recently.
Gotti’s lender, JP Morgan Chase, claims the daughter of the late Gambino crime family boss John “Dapper Don” Gotti — owes them that staggering amount after she failed to make payments starting in September 2006, court records reveal.
The bank said in court records that the mafia princess owed them $25,000 a month in mortgage payments.
The home, which Gotti once tried to sell at $4.8 million but lowered once she put it on the market this past January for $3.2 million, became known to TV viewers across the country after A&E filmed the reality show, “Growing Up Gotti” there in 2004 and 2005.
From August 2004 until December 2005, she was the star of Growing Up Gotti, an American reality television on the A&E Network. The show, which was short lived, also featured her three sons. The Smoking Gun launched a parody of sorts entitled Blowing Up Gotti, which consisted of family visits to John Gotti while he was in prison that prison officials routinely taped.
A&E faced exceptional criticism for the show. Some viewers complained that A&E was showcasing a family living in luxury that was purchased by blood money made by her father, John Gotti. They felt the network was glorifying organized crime. Many have also complained about the foul language used on the show, as well as the dysfunctional relationship between Victoria Gotti and her sons. Film.com said about the show: “Victoria Gotti has the warmth of an ice pick and her sons the charm of, well, thugs.”
Robert Dietz, tax economist, of the National Association of Home Builders gives detailed answers to questions home buyers might have about the Federal tax credit. (The $10,000 California tax credit for home buyers has been used up)
Some of the questions answered are:
• Who’s eligible to claim the credit?
• How does it help you?
• What kind of homes qualify?
• How is the amount of credit determined?
• What is a partial credit?
• When can you claim the refund?
• How is the 2009 credit different from the 2008 tax credit?
The legally blind billionaire, Steve Wynn has put his 3,500 square foot apartment on the market for a paltry sum of $25,000,000. With 2 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, master bedroom, formal dining room and library, with a re-design that created two luxurious his and her bathrooms.
Located on the seventh floor on Fifth Avenue, they bought it in 2001 for about $7,000,000. They must think that real estate values have increased more than three fold since they bought it. It’s too bad that the Las Vegas based casino king Steve Wynn may soon be divorcing his wife Elaine and has found someone else.
Previous reports reveal that in July of 2005 the Wynn’s sold their 12,162 square foot mansion located on 4.6 acres in the Shadow Creek Golf Course for around $15,500,000 and then bought a private villa at the Wynn Las Vegas. However, there are six private villas at the Wynn Las Vegas not available to the public and recent reports indicate one is undergoing a renovation. Thought on that is that Steve Wynn is having it being remodeled for his new home.
My name is Zachery, I’m a Shetland Sheepdog and I’m also known as a Sheltie. I am small because I’m just the right size for my native country the Shetland Islands. I don’t like to brag, but I’m one of the smartest dogs on earth, well, not quite, but I’m sixth from the top of dog breeds when it comes to intelligence.
Some of my best friends, beside my owners Christie and Amanda, are the two cats in my house. My owners play silly games with me, taking a red laser light and shining it all over the place. I chase the laser light just to please them, and also because they don’t own any sheep for me to chase. You know, I just love to chase and herd things, so this is the closest I can come to doing that in the house I live in.
I’m getting up in age now, so I sleep a lot and go for short walks. However, in my retirement, I really would like to have for a ranch style dog house in the country. I also want some acreage with a flock of sheep so I can show my stuff and get some exercise. I’m sure Angel can find something for me.
This is just what I’m looking for!
Written by Christie O’Dell. Christie is my daughter and a school teacher. Amanda is my grand-daughter.
Send us a picture of your dog and a little story about your dog and we’ll publish it
Selling a home fast in today’s market is somewhat of a challenge. Here are six ways to expedite a sale.
1. Cut the asking price to 10 percent to 15 percent below what comparable properties in the neighborhood are selling for. Pricing your home at current market price in a declining market is almost a guarantee that your home will not sell.
2. Spruce up the outside. First impressions, like a first date, make or break a sale. Update the landscaping. Power-wash the exterior and paint the door.
3. Spruce up the inside. Store all your nick-knacks. Get rid any clutter, make the inside a model home. Stage the home so people coming to view your home can make their own impression of the home, not your motifs. Examples, updated light fixtures and carpet, current paint colors, slipcovers for dated furniture.
4. Appeal to first-time buyers. Advertise on younger consumers’ favorite Web sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Hire a photographer to shoot the house with a wide-angle lens so the rooms look bigger in online photos. We offer this service to all of our clients free of charge, including taking a video of your home to go onto YouTube and post your home on 32 websites.
5. Price the house in the lower end of the range. A $299,000 house is in the high end of the $250,000 to $300,000 range but a $301,000 home is in the low-end of the $300,000 to $400,000 range.
6. Do what you can to make the deal close quickly. Be ready to move, offer to pay part of the closing costs, and/or throw in a year’s worth of association fees.
What has been your experience in selling a home quickly? Let me know.
Picture courtesy of Camp Far West Lake Campgrounds
Camp Far West Phone Number (530) 633-0803
Camp Far West Reservoir also called Camp Far West Lake, is located at the junction of Placer, Nevada and Yuba counties. Both Beale Air Force Base and the Spenceville Wildlife Area lay directly to the north of the lake. The lake’s location makes it easily accessible by coming from Nevada City, Grass Valley and Western Nevada County along with Sacramento, Roseville or the Yuba City/Marysville area.
Camp Far West’s 185 foot high earth and rock dam was completed in 1963 as part of the Central Valley Water Project impounding water from both the Bear River and Rock Creek. The dam was built for the purpose of flood control and irrigation, but has proven to be a boon for anglers and recreational boaters in the years since.
Camp Far West is situated at an elevation of 280 feet. It is a fairly large lake, impounding 104,500 acre feet of water when at full capacity with a surface area of 2,000 acres and 29 miles of shoreline. The lake got its name from a gold rush era immigrant camp that was located just downstream from the present day dam site. Since it was the last camp on the immigrant trail before the 49ers coming from the east reached the Sacramento Valley, it was dubbed, Camp Far West.
In the spring when the lake is full, the hills are green and the oak trees lining the shoreline are covered with budding leaves, the lake is quite beautiful. In the fall when the water level is drawn down 60 feet or more, the grass is parched and the leaves have fallen, the visual impact isn’t quite as awe inspiring, but the camping and recreation can be just as good as it is early in the year, plus crowds are typically very light during the fall.
Fishes in the lake include largemouth and smallmouth bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, brown trout and striped bass.
Availability: The North Shore is open year-around. The South Shore is open mid-May to September.
Camping and Lodging: Camping facilities and a store are available at the lake. There are 70 campsites on the North Shore and 8 RV hookups. There are 67 campsites on the South Shore and no RV hookups.
Boat Launching: The North Shore and South Shore each has a boat launch ramp and mini marts. The mini marts also include tackle and bait.
Activities: Swimming, boating, water skiing, jet skiing, hiking, biking, fishing and horseback riding
Reservations and Fees: Camp Far West Lake (916) 408-5037 or (530) 633-0803
