On October 18th & 19th, Ladies and Lords can take a journey back in time to the 16th Century, during Folsom's annual Renaissance Faire.  The 2008 faire will have continuous entertainment on four stages, featuring reenactments of sword fighting and battles, comedy acts, story telling and live theater.  Jugglers, magicians, jousters and minstrels will perform as well. Proceeds from the faire will benefit the Folsom Rotary Club, Friends of the Folsom Public Library, the Folsom CAVE Teen Centers at Folsom and Sutter Middle Schools.  Tickets are available for purchase at www.folsomfaire.com.  Ages 0-6 are free, seniors, students and children 6-12 are $7 and adults are $12. 08/31/2008

HOME TOURDate:  October 4 & 5, 2008, 10 am to 4 pmTour City or Community:  FolsomTour Presented by:  Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)Tour Description:   The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has teamed up with RJ Walter Homes, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to build the Sacramento area's first LEED Platinum Home - SMUD's Home of the Future. The "Home of the Future" features advanced energy efficiency measures and solar electric photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal hot water systems.  The goal of the Home of the Future project is to build a true Zero Energy Home, that is a home with no annual electric or natural gas utility bill, and demonstrate the features of the home to the public and local builders.     ... 08/30/2008

If you are a home buyer and you are looking to purchase your 1st, maybe 2nd home and are considering real estate in Folsom, California, you have come to the right place.  Housing could not be much more affordable these days, and interest rates are still low.  Even if you have little money to put down, there is a financing solution available for you! Why buy in a home in Folsom, CA?  There are many reasons, but here are the items that appealed to me and my family most: Great schools - Several nationally recognized schools within the city. Lots of parks - Just about every home in every neighborhood is within walking distance of a local park. Small town feeling - Coming from the Bay Area, I found Folsom to have a slower "pace" without having to sacrifice the "big town" amenities of shoppin... 08/27/2008

40 Tips for a Better Life 1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. 2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to! 3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep. 4. When you wake up in the morning, complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to ... today.' 5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy. 6 Spend time with the one you are in love with while you can. 7. Make time to practice prayer. It provides us with daily fuel for our busy lives. 8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6 . 9. Dream more while you are awake. 10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 11. Drink green t... 08/27/2008

A Credit Score Definition - Fair Issac defines a credit score as a snapshot of an individual's credit at any given time.  The score changes as new information is added to or deleted from the individual's credit file at the repository.  Not every repository has the same information, so credit scores can vary, sometimes significantly, from one repository to another.  FICO scores are based on the information stored in a consumer's credit file at a specific credit repository at the time the report was issued.  There is no good or bad credit score to achieve, the score is an indicator of the risk and lenders offer many different types of loan product geared to different risk levels.  Today, a borrower may receive significantly improved pricing, and reduced documentation if his/her credit sco... 08/24/2008

I was wondering if I could get homestead on my house? How do I go about doing that? Thanks Julie for the question and the definition of homestead is.. Although a homestead is not an encumbrance, it is appropriately discussed at this point. A HOMESTEAD is a special provision of the California law that allows homeowners to protect their homes from forced sale to satisfy their debts,within certain limits. There are two types of homesteads: 1) Head of Household and 2)Federal Homestead Act of 1862..whereby the  government encouraged settlements(gave land free to those who made certain improvements-this is not discussed here).  Homeowners should have some protection against losing his or her home because of debts. A can include condominiums,farms and life estates.  A Homestead cannot include ... 08/22/2008

GET A FRESH LIST OF BANK OWNED REAL ESTATE IN FOLSOM, CA - UPDATED DAILY! As we all know, bank owned homes , foreclosed , REO real estate are the rage with many real estate buyers these days who are seeking rock-bottom prices and exceptional value.  In Sacramento County in July, nearly 70% of all homes sales were bank owned REO's.  This blog post is your gateway to THE OFFICIAL, Folsom California - Bank Owned - REO - Foreclosure Home, MLS Search & List - UPDATED DAILY.  There are great deals to be had in today's real estate market in Folsom CA. Want to know more about Folsom? Click the link above to see the most recent Foreclosure Home, Bank Owned Home, Bank Repo, REO, MLS Search data and Listings for Folsom, CA.  After you have reviewed the list, please email REO@BrokersCorp.com to rec... 08/20/2008

If you are visiting Folsom and considering moving to the area, you may have noticed that the traffic in and out of Folsom, and through the historic district, can be a little hectic during rush hour.  I have been out showing homes during this time of day and had clients question buying a home here as a result of this concern.  There is a solution on the way, due to open in the late-spring of 2009, Folsom's newest bridge: "Folsom Lake Crossing." Under construction, in an area lying between Folsom Prison and the Folsom Lake Dam, the piers of the new bridge have risen out of a steep canyon and the roadway, being built in a series of horizontal sections, is now underway. Once completed in the late spring of 2009, the four-lane wide bridge, designed to carry up to 40,000 vehicles per day, wil... 08/17/2008

Homeownership has many advantages - both financial and personal. But buying a home is an important decision. Look at the benefits and the differences between homeownership and renting to better understand if owning a home is right for you.Tax Savings.You may earn significant tax savings because you can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes from your federal income tax and many states' income tax if you itemize your deductions.A more stable monthly housing expense.Your monthly housing loan or mortgage expense can remain the same for the life of your mortgage, depending on the type of loan you choose.Equity.You may build equity in your home over the life of your loan, which allows you to plan for future goals like your child's education or your retirement. Check Out My Blog: www.rea... 08/16/2008

F.H.A. LOANS: Life after Nehemiah.. Down Payment Sources that can be used:  Seller assisted down payment programs are going away as of October 1st,2008.  Here are down payment sources that remain for borrower to use with F.H.A Loans..... 1..Savings,Checking,Mutual Funds,Etc. (Seasoned Money). 2..Gift funds-must be family member or close family friend.(documentation is the key!!!). 3..401k-you can borrow against with the loan counting into ratios!! 4..Current Assets-you can sell or borrow against. 5..Family Loan-Either secured or unsecured(remember the Share Equity Program?). 6..Employer Gift or Loan-must be approved by HUD. 7..Community 2nd's of Gifts-see local authorities. 8..CHDAP..Program-FTHB with. Clients have been asking me how am I going to buy a home without Nehemiah this will b... 08/16/2008

I heard from a friend that people who purchase a home between April 1, 2008 and April 1, 2009 will receive an extra $7,500.00 in their income tax returns. Is this true? Yes it is true...Opportunity of a Lifetime for First-Time BuyersFor aspiring home owners who find their goal stubbornly elusive, newly enacted legislation providing a tax credit of as much as $7,500 for first-time home buyers might just be the opportunity of a lifetime. But like so many of the good things in life, time is of the essence for buyers who want to take advantage of this outstanding opportunity. Only homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009 are eligible. Use the links below to learn more about the tax credit. The downside is that it will be re-paid over a 15 year period. First-Time Hom... 08/16/2008

Great First Time Home Buyers Program: *First and Most important thing to do is find a lender and get a Loan application(1003) filled out.*Get Qualified first! This way you know what price of home to search for. You can save a lot of time and headache.*Right Now is a GREAT time to buy a home!  Rates are low and lots of great programs available. One Great Program is. F.H.ABenefits of F.H.A* More flexible credit review* Seller may pay up to 6% toward closing cost and prepaid.* Non-occupying co-borrowers-Borrower does NOT have to meet separate ratio guidelines.* Common since approach toward values in declining market areas.Eligibility Requirements.*Eligibility Requirements.*Full Doc ONLY.*1-4 unit properties and FHA approved condominiums.*U.S citizens, Permanent Resident Aliens and Non-Perm... 08/16/2008

The former Ralph's Supermarket, which vacated the shopping center at the corner of Blue Ravine/Green Valley and E. Natoma last year, will not be a bowling alley after all.  Instead of "Strikes Family Entertainment Center" becoming the new tenant, a "Fresh-n-Easy Neighborhood Market" is slated to open up shop during the summer of 2009.  Folsom's Palladio Lifestyle Center, bordered by Iron Point, Broadstone and E. Bidwell, is currently under construction and still slated to open in October of 2009.  Although the future tenants are still being negotiated, Morton's Steak House, The Cheesecake Factory and Whole Foods are rumored to be possibly joining Barnes & Noble and a 16 screen movie theater. This Saturday, August 16th, will be opening day for FIDO Field in Folsom.  Eight years in the ma... 08/14/2008

July 2008 - Folsom, CA - Residential Real Estate Update ( includes REO's & Short Sales ) As of today's date, according to the Metrolist MLS system, Folsom, CA, currently has 260 single-family homes listed for sale (this excludes duplexes, condos, commercial real estate, etc.).   During the month of July, 2008, there were 79 homes that sold (closed escrow).  At this rate of home sales, it would suggest there is about a 4 month supply of homes available.  It is commonly agreed that when inventory of homes for sale drops below a 5 month supply of homes, it is a "seller's market."   Has Folsom, CA really turned the corner and become a Seller's Market amidst all of the doom-n-gloom being reported by the media in California?  Seller's markets usually signal rising sales prices and have very s... 08/12/2008

An insider's look at Bank Owned Homes and their impact on Sacramento County and Folsom, CA (Part #1 of a series on this topic) Just in case you have not read a newspaper or watched the news on TV during the past 12 months, there is an unsettling trend unfolding as recent real estate sales have become largely dominated by banks unloading homes they took ownership of through foreclosure (REO - Real Estate Owned by the banks).   According to Metrolist MLS, there were 1968 homes that sold in Sacramento County during the month of July of 2008.  The shocking news is that 1374 of those home sales were REO's.  Just fewer than 70% of the single family homes that sold during the past month of July in Sacramento County were REO's.  As a point of reference, in July of 2007, there were 885 home sale... 08/10/2008

In the spring of 2004, while having a cup of coffee with my wife, she prompted a discussion that included the hustle-n-bustle of the Bay Area, it's high cost of living, and her desire to live in a smaller city that was known for family values and that would be conducive to raising our new-born son and (hopefully) growing family. After investigation of the Sacramento area (including Rocklin, Roseville, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova, El Dorado hills and Folsom), we came to the conclusion that Folsom was the next city we would call home. As the old saying goes, "to each their own," we chose Folsom, CA for the following reasons: Great schools - Several nationally recognized schools within the city. Lots of parks - Just about every home in every neighborhood is within walking distanc... 08/07/2008

In the United States, all gas dryers must be vented to the outdoors by law! Proper Dryer Vent Installation includes: The path of the dryer duct: Any lint that escapes the dryer's lint filter should be blown right outdoors. (Any accumulation which occurs in a dryer's ducting is usually a sign of poor air flow, especially at the location(s) it occurs.) In such cases, the vent line should be evaluated to locate and correct any deficiencies it may have. Short Dryer Vents The vent should be as short and as straight and with as few elbows as possible. The more bends and turns, the greater the reduction in air flow there is, and the more areas where lint can accumulate. More bends will also hamper dryer vent cleaning, which should be performed yearly, if not seasonally. Dryer Vent Problems It ... 08/06/2008

The City of Folsom represents a truly unique & very diverse real estate market. The city offers a wide range of community characteristics bundled into one local market. From the historical district in Old Town Folsom and the surrounding charm of the vintage neighborhoods, to the very newest and most luxurious homes in the neighboring foothill communities. Folsom's individual communities maintain a distinct sense of character and appearance with an overall sense of community togetherness in the city itself. From the abundance of local activities, vibrant business community and atmosphere of balanced growth, to being one of the strongest educational perspectives within the state. Management of real estate in the Folsom area requires a knowledge of the bountiful options offered in each dev... 06/25/2008

 I found this article in Realtor magazine on line. Thought I would share.  I have a-lot of agents ask me "how I am closing sooo many deals".  I tell them my "sphere/referrals but most of all INTERNET LEADS".  This article is great because this is exactly what I do. Treat them with respect add them to my sphere, treat them like I have nown them for a # of years.   This is your business this is the way the new generation is searching for homes. If you are a buyer or seller the first thing they do is get on the computer. The only part of this article I do a little different is Practice #2  I will call them. But after a few days, just to see if they are getting the service they need and if they have any questions and I leave it at that!   THEY WILL CALL!   I have actually made some friend a... 05/30/2008

Folsom Ca Current Market Analysis For the month of April,2008.   All homes sold in Folsom.   http://www.johnhayesrealestate.com April 2008 HIgh   $720,000               Median   $435,000           Low   $226,000 April 2007 High    $500,00                Madian$  410,000            Low   $269,000        Active: 0  Pending: 0  Sold: 53  Other: 0  Total: 53    Bedrooms  Bathrooms  Square Feet  List Price  Selling Price  Days on Market  Minimum  2   1.00   781   $234,900   $226,500   1   Average  4   2.72   2,265   $454,512   $443,382   50   Median  4   3.00   2,180   $445,000   $435,000    32   Maximum  5   4.00   3,909   $709,900   $725,000   211   Total Dollar Value           $23,499,230      Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time:... 05/10/2008