Chris Atkins's (catkins05) Blog

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Real Estate Agent - Coldwell Banker
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Today the US House of Representatives meets to debate (once again) the credit crisis that has brought the housing industry and many credit institutions to their knees. The senate, for its part, passed a revised version of the bill on Wednesday October 1st and it is expected (by me) that the house...
10/02/2008
By Chris AtkinsToday with the drop in home values and the increase of foreclosures on the market, sellers need to keep in mind that their competition may not be the home listed for sale across the street, but rather the comparable home in foreclosure 5 miles away that is priced $150,000 less than...
03/25/2008
Unfortunately you cannot get a home loan for a government lease property for the simple reason that a Government Lease cabin is Personal Property and not Real Property. When you purchase one you do not receive a deed as is the case with real property, you are given a bill of sale. There was a bri...
03/03/2008
You are not allowed to use one of these cabins as a full time residence and the Forest Service requires that you show proof of a primary residence elsewhere.I think this is a really great rule for these properties as the whole reason they appeal to people the way they do is because of the sense o...
03/03/2008
You may do any interior improvements that you desire. However, any exterior improvements must be approved by the Forest Service and must keep with the historical and natural environment. Generally speaking a rebuild can be done bit by bit and as long as it doesn't look like a rebuild(?) Another s...
03/03/2008
Nope, it isn't....A National Forest Cabin (Government Lease) is considered Personal Property and you would pay a property tax to the County of San Bernardino of approximately 1 1/2 % of the sale price.
03/03/2008
When you buy a Government Lease Cabin, you own the cabin outright. However, the cabin sits on US Forest Land and this land is leased (or permitted) back to you for somewhere around $800-$900 per year. The price of the lease can go up but there is a 10% yearly cap.
03/03/2008
Some of the cabins have phone service but none have cable TV. You may install a small satellite dish for TV and Internet service. You can contact the Forest Service and request permission to have a phone installed if you wish. However, they may deny your request.
03/03/2008
It depends on the road (road?) conditions and the type of vehicle you drive. The roads are not maintained by the city or plowed in the winter like city streets so access can be difficult during and after a major snowfall. Think 4 Wheel Drive!
03/03/2008
As of right now, all the leases in San Bernardino are set to renew at the end 2008 for another 20 years. Past that, I cannot say for sure what will happen to the program. However, I have not heard anything to suggest they will shut down or discontinue the program. From what I have read and heard,...
03/03/2008
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Chris Atkins

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