All posts by jd

Real estate broker, civil engineer and general contractor.

Contests, Costumes, and A Cupcake Walk at the Nevada County Fair 2011

 

By Wendy Oaks

The Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation is hosting a costume contest at its Halloween event on Saturday, October 29, from 2 – 5 pm at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. The costume parade and contest will take place at 3 pm at the Main Exhibit Building, with prizes awarded following the contest.

There will also be games and treats for kids, face painting, and even a cupcake walk! A silent auction will be happening throughout the event. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served and “Running for Cover” will provide toe-tapping live entertainment for all to enjoy. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Model Railroad will be open for tours, and, weather permitting, Empire Carriage Company will provide carriage rides around the Fairgrounds.

Also at the event, Nevada Union students will also host several interactive booths, including face painting and a fun tractor booth. Chickens, cattle, lambs, goats, pigs, and horses will be on display in the mock farm setting; and the farm scarecrow will welcome children to a California agriculture experience. Don’t forget about the Pumpkin Chuckin’ event, which is a competition between Nevada Union and Bear River high school FFA students that involves catapulting pumpkins across the Fairgrounds grass area.

It’s all happening, rain or shine, on Saturday, October 29 from 2 – 5 pm at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. The cost is only $5 per person and includes food, treats, games and entertainment!  Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at the Fairgrounds.

The Halloween Fun the Fairgrounds event is sponsored by Cirino’s at Main Street/Cirino’s Bar and Grill.  Visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for information or call
(530) 273-6217.

Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217
wsoaks@gmail.com

Website: www.NevadaCountyFair.com
Facebook: Nevada County Fairgrounds

Nevada County Fair August 8 – 12, 2012
Draft Horse Classic September 22 – 25, 2011
Halloween at the Fairgrounds October 29, 2011
Country Christmas Faire November 25 – 27, 2011

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

 

 

Costume Contest At Graveyard Ghoul-A At Nevada County Fairgrounds 2011

By Wendy Oaks

Join us for a ghoulishly good time at the Graveyard Ghoul-a at the Nevada County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 29, from 8 pm to midnight. As part of the fun, there will be numerous costume contests, including one for the most original costume, one for the scariest/goriest costume, and one for the most humorous costume. Contestants will have a chance to win cash, as well as tickets to the annual Nevada County Fair and the Draft Horse Classic.

The event will feature dancing, and DJ Melo-D will be busy playing modern house music, hip hop, funky disco and new dance hits. He’ll also be taking requests at the event, so be prepared to dance to your favorite song! 

A bar will be available for beer and booooze, delicious food will be available, and fantastic door prizes will be given away, including gift certificates to Ben Franklin, The Bookseller, and Culture Shock Yogurt.

Tickets to the Graveyard Ghoul-a are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Parking is free. For your convenience, camping will be available.  Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for information or call (530) 273-6217.

 

Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217
wsoaks@gmail.com

Website: www.NevadaCountyFair.com
Facebook: Nevada County Fairgrounds

Nevada County Fair                          August 8 – 12, 2012
Draft Horse Classic                            September 22 – 25, 2011
Halloween at the Fairgrounds      October 29, 2011
Country Christmas Faire                  November 25 – 27, 2011

 

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

 

Looking To Buy A Home? Triggers For Rejection Of Your Loan


Last year, more than two million people were turned down for homes, according to federal data, often because the applicants didn’t meet certain lender requirements or because their applications were incomplete or otherwise problematic.  With lenders’ underwriting criteria becoming more rigorous in recent years, it’s important buyers know the most common triggers for mortgage-loan rejection.

  • Insufficient income: Lenders want to be sure borrowers can afford to make the mortgage payments.  Lenders typically look for at least a two-year track record of income, which could hurt those who have changed jobs recently.
  • Cloudy financial picture: Generally, total debt payments, including the mortgage, cannot exceed 45 to 50 percent of a borrower’s adjusted gross monthly income.  Overtime and bonuses are included only if the borrower has worked for the same employer at least two years, and has a history of receiving them.
  • Poor credit: Lenders typically reject applicants with FICO scores below 620.
  • Low appraisal: One of the predominant reasons buyers are turned down for home loans is because the appraisal on the property is too low.  A buyer may think he or she is purchasing a house worth $800,000, but if the appraisal comes in less than that, the lender will not loan the borrower the money.
  • Property problems: Sometimes issues turn up within a house, like a major repair or safety issue that needs to be addressed, before an application can be approved.
  • Information mix-ups: Approximately 12 percent of new mortgage applications were denied because of unverifiable information or incomplete credit applications, according to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

Read the full story


 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

Pumpkin Chuckin’ At Halloween Event At The Fairgrounds

By Wendy Oaks

Event part of Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds on October 29 from 2-5 pm

As part of the Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 29, Nevada Union and Bear River High School FFA students will compete in a Pumpkin Chuckin’ competition, as well as host several interactive booths throughout the afternoon event.

The Pumpkin Chuckin’ competition will involve catapulting pumpkins across the Fairgrounds grass area. Each hour from 2 – 5 pm, students will launch pumpkins and compete in accuracy contests, a funniest pumpkin contest, and a watermelon toss. Additionally, the final “chuck” at 5 pm will be a distance competition.

The public is invited to come out and watch the fun contest between the two schools. The crowd will be able to vote on their favorite chucker, with the winner being determined by the crowd vote, the different tosses, and the distance contest. Agriculture students from both schools will also have a booth set up to educate the public about the industry.

Also at the event, Nevada Union students will also host several interactive booths, including face painting and a fun tractor booth. Additionally, chickens, cattle, lambs, goats, pigs, and horses will be on display in the mock farm setting; and the farm scarecrow will welcome children to a California agriculture experience. Interactive activities and prizes will be awarded to participants.

FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. There are more than 500 students involved in FFA in the Nevada Joint Union High School district, with successful programs at Bear River and Nevada Union High Schools.

Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds is a family-friendly event hosted by the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation. The event takes place from 2 – 5 pm on Saturday, October 29 at the Fairgrounds. The cost is $5 and includes a hamburger or hot dog, treats, lots of games, live entertainment and a cupcake walk. Plus, you don’t want to miss the costume contests and a chance to win some great prizes!

Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at the Fairgrounds.  Visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com for information or call (530) 273-6217.

Contact:

Sandy Woods, CEO, Nevada County Fairgrounds (530) 273-6217;
sandy@NevadaCountyFair.com

Luke Browning, Nevada Union High School, Agriculture Mechanics
(530) 273-4431, ext. 2110; lbrowning@njuhsd.com

Tim Reid, Bear River High School, Agriculture Mechanics
(530) 520-1820, ext. 4852 treid@njuhsd.com

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

Muhammad Ali Isn’t Happy With Home, Sues Former Owners

Picture courtesy of BBC
Picture courtesy of BBC

 

Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali isn’t happy with his retirement home in Louisville, Ky., and he’s blaming the former owners.

Ali and his wife, Lonnie Ali, have filed a lawsuit against the former owners of the property, claiming the owners failed to disclose severe problems with the property when they had purchased it. The Alis say the home has had a range of problems since they moved in, everything from roof and chimney leaks to water intrusion and poor insulation, improper ventilation, and mold.

In the lawsuit, the Alis allege the former home owners committed fraud by signing disclosure statements that they knew were false. The former home owners said in a statement that the legal filing is a “complete surprise” and that “there are no serious defects or conditions in the home that cannot be resolved.”

The Alis purchased the home in 2006 for $1.9 million. Ken Jones, the real estate agent who represented the former home owners on the sale, told WHAS-11 News that the home was not listed for sale when the Alis inquired about buying it.

“We insisted on an inspector. They had an inspection done,” Jones said. “There were several items noted.” But Jones says all of the items on the list were corrected before the sale went through.

Source: “Realtor Is Shocked by Ali Lawsuit,” WHAS11.com (Oct. 13, 2011)
Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

Scotts Flat Lake Levels 2011


Click on image to enlarge

 

I’ve watch Scott’s Flat Lake go to being full to the brim to where it’s at now for the winter. The above chart from Nevada Irrigation District shows the water levels during the summer season

 

scotts-flat-lake-dam

Image 1 of 4

Looking at the dam at Scotts Flat Lake

Click on pictures to enlarge, escape to close.

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

Canadian Geese Having Breakfast In Loomis, CA

httpv://youtu.be/AI9Ql_6Dl8Y

Here’s my latest video that I just made in Loomis, CA.  I just bought a new Sony DSC Hx100v camera and this is the first video with it. It’s a great camera that not only takes pictures but also takes video in high definition.

The geese comes to my girlfriend’s backyard every morning this time of the year. She has two and one-half acres, most of it in grass, which geese love to eat. Plus there are fruit trees and when the fruit falls off the trees they are right there to clean up.

More on the camera, it has 30x optical zoom, gps, Carl Zeiss lens and much more. If you are interested in the camera and it’s powerful abilities , you can read the review and specs at: Sony Cyber-shot HX100V

 

 

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
Email or call:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

How To find Out What Your Home Is Worth & Refinancing


Declining property values are preventing some homeowners from taking advantage of today’s historically low interest rates and refinancing.

 

  • Many homeowners nationwide have either no equity or are in a negative equity position in their homes.  This leaves them with two options for refinancing, paying extra at the closing or what’s known as a cash-in mortgage.
  • Those considering refinancing will need to determine the current valuation, comparing it with the mortgage balance.  If the balance is at least 15 to 20 percent higher than what is owed, a refinance without a second down payment is possible.
  • To obtain a good valuation, some homeowners hire an appraiser, at a cost of $300 to $600, or more on a large or expensive property.  While this may be informative, most lenders require an official appraisal anyway, and that will have to be conducted by someone on the lender’s approved list.
  • Another, less costly, option a homeowner can use prior to approaching a lender, is to check the comparable sales in the neighborhood and see which homes and for what amounts homes have sold in the last three to six months.
  • Homeowners also can go to the county assessor’s office and look up specific homes that have sold recently in the neighborhood.
  • When looking at comps, homeowners should consider homes with similar amenities and square footage as the property in question.
  • Just before the home is scheduled for its official appraisal, homeowners should spend a few hours touching up and making sure it looks well maintained.  Hiring a cleaning crew, repairing any broken windows, and providing documentation on upgrades also can help the appraiser.

Read the full story

 

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs, call or email:

John J. O’Dell Realtor®
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
9530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com

Two Halloween Events Planned On October 29 At The Nevada County Fairgrounds

Click on poster to enlarge

By Wendy Oaks

Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds: 2 – 5 pm Graveyard Ghoul-a: 8 pm – midnight

Join in the fall festivities and Halloween fun at the Nevada County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 29. This year, there are two events to choose from – “Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds” during the day for children and families, and a “Graveyard Ghoul-a” at night for adults. Rain or shine, in costume or in street clothes, don’t miss out on the fun!

Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds: A Treat for the Kids

Bring your family and friends for some Halloween Fun at the Fairgrounds, from 2- 5 pm on Saturday, October 29. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served, and there will be live musical entertainment. There will be treats for the kids, a silent auction, a cupcake walk, and lots of games. Plus, you don’t want to miss the costume contests and a chance to win some great prizes!

As part of the fun this year, Nevada Union and Bear River high schools will compete in a Pumpkin Chuckin’ contest that takes place during each hour of the event. Watch as students from these two schools catapult pumpkins for the furthest distance.

The cost for the Halloween event at the Fairgrounds is only $5 per person and includes food, treats, games, and entertainment!  Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event. This family-friendly Halloween event is hosted by the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation

Graveyard Ghoul-a: A Treat for Adults

In the evening, for those over 21 years of age, we’ve got some ghoulish goings-on at the Graveyard Ghoul-a, which takes place on Saturday, October 29, from 8 pm to midnight.  Join us for a ghoulishly good time, including dancing, a rockin’ DJ, beer and booooze, food, and a costume contest.  And you don’t want to miss out on some great door prizes. Tickets to the Graveyard Ghoul-a are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Parking is free, and, for your convenience, camping will be available.

For more details or questions, call the Fair Office at (530) 273-6217, or visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com.

Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217
wsoaks@gmail.com

Website: www.NevadaCountyFair.com
Facebook: Nevada County Fairgrounds

Nevada County Fair                  August 8 – 12, 2012
Draft Horse Classic                 September 22 – 25, 2011
Halloween at the Fairgrounds       October 29, 2011
Country Christmas Faire             November 25 – 27, 2011

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs, call or email:

John J. O’Dell Realtor®
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
9530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com