Come fly with me… is the lyric from a song that Frank Sinatra used to sing.  Frank did not mean go flying in the literal sense, he did however own several jets, but Frank was talking more in the poetic sense.   If you are into aviation living in Lodi California does have an advantage as there is an airport on the northern edge of Lodi.  The Lodi airport is a hub of activity on the weekends with people flying in to visit the restaurant on the airport or taking flying lessons from the local fixed base operators.   California Sport Aviation is a company that has evolved over the years.  Started in 1992 by its owner Bill Bardin as Ultralights of Sacramento the company has changed with the times to become one of the première sport pilot training centers.     I have had the pleasure of fl... 11/28/2012

      Being stuck in Lodi is not a bad thing.  Lodi California is a pleasant community located in the San Joaquin Valley south of Sacramento California the state capital of California.  Lodi California is not a place you feel stuck in no matter what John Fogerty of the Credence Clear Water Revival thought.    The folk lore on that is John Fogerty had never been to Lodi California when he wrote that song.  He just thought the name sounded good and fit in the lyrics of the song.    I have been stuck in some places and had to stay overnight and left the next morning after spending a week there.  Lodi California very definitely is not one of those places.   Legacy Estates in Lodi California is a subdivision located on the southwestern side of the community.  The properties tend to run in th... 11/19/2012

    “When will the real estate market hit the bottom?”  This is a question that buyers and sellers are asking all the time.  The simple answer was given by someone who was supposed to know all that economic ins and outs, “I dunno your guess is as good as mine”.   Defining what the “bottom” means would seem to be to be a good idea.  Well, it can be the underside of something, the surface of a seat, the surface on which a body of water lies, the part of the ships hull below the water line, the lowest place or part of somewhere, the most remote part, or…    In real estate the bottom might mean that property prices stabilize and that the foreclosure rate goes to near zero.  It could also mean that people are no longer underwater and are able to get control of their lives again.   The bottom... 10/22/2012

    “What is this 3.8% tax all about?”  “Is there really going to be a sales tax on the sale of our property?”  “What is this tax going to do to the already shaky real estate market?” Okay, the first point to clear up is that this is not going to be a sales tax levied on each and every property sold.  Contrary to rumors the new tax, that begins on January 1, 2013, will not affect all home sales.  The truth of the matter is that it will not even affect most sales. Okay who will the tax affect?  The answer is it depends.  It depends on how much profit, a.k.a.  Capital gains came from the sale of the property and the seller’s tax rate bracket.  This tax would be for the people who have an income of $200, 000 as a single person or $250,000 as a married couple.  The tax would also be levied ... 10/01/2012

  The activity in Legacy Estates in Lodi California per the Multiple Listing Service from June 1 to September 24 is as follows.   There are 3 active properties, 1 active short sale, 4 pending properties, 5 pending short sale properties and the best number of all 19 closed sales.  Let there be no doubt there is real estate being bought and sold.    This is great for the economy.  The saying “As real estate so goes the economy” is still very true.  That has been true for a long time and will remain so in the future.  Real estate is what will get the economy back on its feet and moving forward again.    Now all we have to do is to get the pundits and talking heads out of the real estate business so that it can get moving forward again.  The last is just my opinion you understand…my humble... 09/24/2012

  Is there a way to get the outstanding principal reduced on my mortgage?   That depends on whether the homeowner, the property and the loan qualify for a principle reduction.   The California Housing Finance Agency, Mortgage Assistance Corporation has a federally funded program to help homeowners that have suffered a hardship.  What the program, Principal Reduction Program, does is reduce the principal on a qualifying mortgage by as much as $100,000.    This is a great program however remember the homeowner and the property also have to qualify for the program.  To find out more about the Principal Reduction Program go to the Keep Your Home California page on the internet.  The Keep Your Home California people have counselors that can help you with your specific situation either on the... 09/17/2012

    There are homeowners that really need to get out from under their depressing loans however they are either too afraid or too hopeful to do anything.  What do I mean by too afraid or too hopeful?  Afraid – Homeowners are afraid to do a short sale, because they will not get enough for the property.  Well the truth is that the homeowner gets nothing from a short sale anyway.  The lender by stating that they would do a short sale has agreed to take what is offered.  To further protect the homeowner from being taxed for the difference between the selling price and the loan amount there is HR 3648.  So why not just move forward and get the pain of it over with?   Hopeful – There are homeowners that are waiting for the cavalry to come charging in to save the day.  They just know that if th... 09/10/2012