On November 18, 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, known than as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day starting the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. While Memorial Day, which is held on the 4th Monday of May honors American servicemembers who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans--living or dead--but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war... 11/10/2010

KATNIK BROTHERS, Realtor/Broker see this bank owned home as an opportunity. The property needs work! Karl Katnik | Remax Metro | (714) 353-2609 7722 Knollwood, Orange, CA OPPORTUNITY IN ORANGE HILLS. PROPERTY NEEDS SOME TLC. Presented by Catherine Griffin 3BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $635,000 Year Built 1987 Sq Footage 2,421 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 6,000 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5 Contact info: Karl Katnik Remax Metro (714) 353-2609 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Nov 9, 2010, 8:16am PST 11/09/2010

The Katnik Brothers, Santiago Hills Residents and Real Estate Broker/Agent talk about inventory in the area. Santiago Hills has a 4-5 month inventory of homes currently listed for sale.  This means that at Santiago Hills current pace all homes would be sold in 4-5 months. This is great news for homeowners in Santiago Hills!!! Other nearby areas are much higher, and too much inventory drives prices down! How is this compared to other surrounding cities? North Tustin has a 12 month inventory! Anaheim Hills has a 14 month inventory! Below are the Homes Currently For Sale in Santiago Hills as of 10/9/2010   187 S Shadow Pines Rd  92869  4  3/3  2,376  $679,000  262 S Santa Maria St  92869  4  3/3  3,345  $689,000  8429 E. HILLSDALE  92869  4  3/3  3,050  $763,000  6627 E PINNACLE POINTE  92... 11/09/2010

 Providing short sale assistance to Orange residents: Orange Hills, Santiago Hills, Old Town Orange. We prevent foreclosure! The Katnik Brothers' Short Sale Information This page is intended to represent an overview of the short sale process. For more information, or a free assessment of your current options, please contact us. Should I be considering a short sale? Over the past year we have received numerous calls regarding the short sale process. Each person's situation differs, however with the current state of the economy short sales have become a popular alternative to foreclosure. What is a short sale? A short sale, negotiated settlement, or short pay occurs when a lender agrees to accept less than the amount owed to pay off a home loan. The lender usually agrees to a short sale d... 11/07/2010

  Bank of America has gone on the offense, rejecting claims by a lawyer for several large investors that it should buy back troubled mortgages because the loans were improperly made.  Several investors, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Pimco are pressing Bank of America to buy back a portion of some $47 billion worth of mortgages. Bank of America argued that the effort would have the effect of speeding up the foreclosure process and force it to evict more homeowners.  As the foreclosure crisis has escalated, the investors’ claims have become a major concern on Wall Street.   Bank of America claimed the problems stemmed from the economic downturn rather than any underlying problem with how the mortgages were sold to investors. B of A called the investor claims “utterly... 11/06/2010

 Current Short Sale listings for Sale in Santiago Hills as of November 5th, 2010. The Short Sale process has been streamlined, approvals are coming within a month! Address Zip Code Bed Bathrooms Sq. Ft. Price 227 S Cross Creek Rd D  92869  1  1 738  $215,000  8535 E Baker Hill Rd D  92869  2  2/2  1,000  $300,000  262 S Santa Maria St  92869  4  3/3  3,345  $689,000  215 S Cross Creek Rd M  92869  1  1/1  738  $189,900  142 S Cross Creek Rd B  92869  2  2/2  942  $269,900  7709 E Appaloosa Trl  92869  4  3/2  2,800  $575,000  7830 E TEAL Ln  92869  3  3/2  1,754  $585,000  7310 E Cambria Cir  92869  5  3/2  2,912  $590,000  8223 E Woodwind Ave  92869  3  3/2  2,141  $610,000  7727 E Strawberry Rdg  92869  3  3/1  2,210  $699,000  218 N Sweetwater Ln  92869  4  3/3  2,650  $719,000  197 ... 11/05/2010

Katnik Brothers, Tustin Ranch/North Tustin/Santiago Hills Short Sale Specialists see more data that shows Notice of Default Filings on the rise, again! Homeowners have options in today's economic times. Great Article from the La Times below: Foreclosure activity up across most US metro areas Associated Press 6:44 AM PDT, October 28, 2010 The foreclosure crisis intensified across a majority of large U.S. metropolitan areas this summer, with Chicago and Seattle - cities outside of the states that have shouldered the worst of the housing downturn - seeing a sharp increase in foreclosure warnings.California, Nevada, Florida and Arizona remain the country's foreclosure hotbeds, accounting for 19 of the top 20 metropolitan areas with the highest foreclosure rates between July and September, f... 11/04/2010

Katnik Brothers, Short Sale and Foreclosure specialists bring you one of Santiago Hills bank owned homes currently for sale. I beleive the price will be lowered in the near future, this home has been on the market for 24 days and needs a lot of work! The Katnik Brothers are homeowners in The Santiago Hills- 714.726.2293 Karl Katnik | Remax Metro | (714) 353-2609 7722 Knollwood, Orange, CA OPPORTUNITY IN SANTIAGO HILLS. PROPERTY NEEDS SOME TLC. Presented by Catherine Griffin 3BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $635,000 Year Built 1987 Sq Footage 2,421 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 6,000 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5 Contact info: Karl Katnik Remax Metro (714)... 11/01/2010

Short Sales have played a large part in the Santiago Hills/Orange Hills Market in 2010. There has been a large difference in sales price when comparing distressed sales to standard sales. BELOW IS THE MARKET SALES REPORT AS OF 10/31/2010 Home Sales: 45 Standard Sales- 30 Short Sales- 6 Bank Owned Sales- 9 Condo Sales: 23 Standard Sales- 4 Short Sales- 8 Bank Owned Sales- 11  These are the main differences between a Short Sale and Foreclosure: 1. A Short Sale allows a homeowner to purchase a new home in as little as 2 years, where a foreclosure is 5-7 years. 2. A Foreclosure can lower your credit score from 200-400 points. A Short Sale is 50-130 depending on how many payments are missed. 3. A Foreclosure is public record for 10 or more years. A Short Sale is reported,"paid in full, Settl... 10/31/2010

Katnik Brothers, Short Sale specialists see opportunities in distressed sales. Currently there are 7 bank owned homes for sale in the Santiago Hills of Orange. These bank owned homes range from $183,300 to $1,100,000. Year to date there have been 13 bank owned sales averaging $562,955 for homes and $264,000 for Condo's. Bank Owned sales have accounted for 19% of completed transactions this year. These numbers do not include Short Sales, which also have made up a large part of Santiago Hills sales this year. We see value in these distressed properties because they are often purchased at prices below market value. The Katnik Brothers are Proud Homeowners in Santiago Hills ***Foreclosure Investment Opportunity in Santiago Hills***   Karl Katnik| Remax Metro | (714) 353-2609 8215 E White Oa... 10/31/2010

Dragonfly Shops and Gardens Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Shop for a Cure! The Dragonfly Shops and Gardens will be having a fundraiser to raise money for the cure for breast cancer. This event will be held on October 6,  2010 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm and there will be cocktails, appetizers, and raffles. Shop for a Cure will be an event, where a portion of their sales will be dedicated to raise money for the cure for breast cancer. The Dragonly will be donating a portion of their proceeds to our team which ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last weekend, team “I Love My Lady Lumps“. To date. our team "I Love My Lady Lumps" has raised $8540.00 for the cure for breast cancer. Thank you to all who have donated, and thank you to all who have participated. There is still time to donate, ... 10/03/2010

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac really want you to buy one of their 150,000 foreclosed properties!   To fully get your attention, Fannie and Freddie are offering low down payments and up to 3.5% in closing cost assistance, dropping the requirement for mortgage insurance, and allowing up to $30,000 to be added to the mortgage for renovations. Plus, the real estate agent selling the property gets a $1,500 bonus! All these new incentives start on offers submitted on or after Sept. 23, 2010, and they must close within 60 days of acceptance but not later than December 31, 2010. Typically, these foreclosures offer a significant savings over other similar homes in a neighborhood, and in some cases they undercut the average selling prices on like homes by as much as $100,000! As you might imagine, t... 09/29/2010

Yes, we still have issues to work through before real estate rebounds, but it does not stop it from being a terrific time to buy your first or next home.   1.      You can get a very, very good deal. 2.      There is a good supply of inventory to choose from. 3.      You can lock in a very low interest rate for 30 years. 4.      You will save on your income taxes. 5.      It provides protection from inflation. 6.      You will have forced monthly savings. 7.      Consider what you believe it will be worth in 5, 10 or 20 years ... more It's time to start shopping ... Nancy Moeller, CPA, Broker Associate Nancy Direct: 714 276-7006 License #01727426   09/29/2010

On September  15, Fannie Mae cut its original forecast for annual home sales in light of weak second quarter results. Fannie Mae  is predicting total U.S. sales of new and existing homes in 2010 will drop 7.4% from 2009. Just last month, Fannie Mae was far more optimist, with expectations for a 0.8% rise in its forecast last month. The drastic swing in opinion was due to "grim" housing data, a decline in construction spending and the expiration of federal tax credits, according to Fannie Mae economists. What does this mean for sellers? If your home is currently listed for sale, consider an aggressive price reduction to capture the attention of a limited buyer pool and get ahead of this downhill speeding ball. Seven Gables Real Estate License #01727426 www.TheOCExperts.com www.OCMarketUp... 09/17/2010

Don't Miss the Pumpkin Patch in Irvine Park in Orange, California It's that time again and Irvine Park's Pumpkin Patch is set to open this Saturday 9/18. Located in the hills of East Orange, this pumpkin patch features the Irvine Park Railroad Train all decked out for Fall along with Hay Rides, Tractor Races, a Pumpkin Bouncer, Face Painting, Carnival Games, Picture-taking Stands, Panning for Gold and, of course, a Haunted House.  (Note: Go to http://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/content/pumpkin-patch to check out prices for individual activities.) Open 7 days a week, from 10:00 to 5:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00 to 6:00 pm on weekends, the Pumpkin Patch is a treat for all ages. Tickets are $4.00 each and a book of 15 tickets is $45.00 (a $15.00 savings) For money-saving coupons, visit: http... 09/15/2010

Community Events in Orange, California Did you miss the 3rd of July fireworks extravaganza at El Modena High School? How about the International Street Fair in Old Towne Orange over the Labor Day Weekend? Don't despair - October, November and December all offer their own special events in the charming city of Orange, California. This year's "TREATS IN THE STREETS AUTUMN FESTIVAL" will be held in the Old Towne Plaza Area on  October 28 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Children are welcome to come in costume and enjoy the fun and games, food booths, trick or treating and the costume parade. This Orange City event is always a hit with children of every age. On November 11th, the City of Orange will hold its annual tribute to the men and women who have served our country. This special event takes place... 09/10/2010

We have a client who has been bombarded with junk mail since her Notice of Default was filed. Companies and seemingly reputable attorneys have been sending legal-looking letters suggesting they can reduce her payment by over 50%, write off negative equity and save her home. Here's what's happening in real life ... they are charging up to several thousand dollars in FEES for their efforts, then they are obtaining a "trial loan modification" where the lender is happy to get ANYTHING for a few months, after a few months of collecting these payments, they are mysteriously rejected for a permanent loan modification. The net result ... 1) homeowner paid a big fee to the attorney 2) homeowner paid money they couldn't really afford on their mortgage for a few months and 3) homeowner was rejecte... 09/10/2010

 The number of U.S. homes listed for sale rose in August compared to July, the 8th consecutive monthly rise, according to data released by real estate brokerage ZipRealty. In addition, 47% percent of homes on the market had at least one price reduction and an average of two price reductions. The Orange County market was among those with the largest median price reduction. Together with the looming "shadow inventory" of foreclosure and short sale listings, we can expect the downward pressure on home prices to continue well into 2011. What does this mean to sellers? If you plan on selling in the next few years ... sell NOW and price it RIGHT. After you are in escrow, start looking for a replacement property while interest rates are still incredibly low. While prices will likely continue t... 09/08/2010

August Home Sales in Orange, California August, 2010 home sales in Orange are slightly off of July numbers, but continue to be strong. There were 86 total properties sold in Orange in August and 62 of these were single family residences.  Good news for Sellers in Orange was that despite an increase in the number of homes for sale in Orange over the prior year - 469 homes for sale this year vs 351 in August of 2009 - inventory actually declined from July's high for the year of 494 properties on the market in Orange. More good news is that more than half of the homes that closed in Orange in the month of August, were on the market for less than 90 days and 15 sold in less than 30 days. The average price per square foot of the Orange properties that sold in August was $277. and the average... 09/06/2010

We created this chart to help our clients quickly determine whether they need to worry about a deficiency judgment in California for a foreclosure or short sale. However, be sure to check with your attorney for specifics on your approval letter and personal liability. These are simply "rules of thumb" and not to be taken as legal advice. The key is whether the loan was original purchase money or not.   Non-judicial Foreclosure                  Short Sale * Purchase Money - 1st Lien Owner Occupied, 1 - 4 units No Yes * Purchase Money - 2nd Lien Owner Occupied, 1 - 4 units No Yes * Non purchase Money - 1st Lien Re-finances, Vacation, Investment Property No (for lender who forecloses under "single action" rule) Yes * Non purchase Money - 2nd Lien Vacation, Investment Property Yes Yes * * I... 09/01/2010