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Chino Hills California Real Estate and Community News Blog
More Vellano Development to Come
Stonefield Development plans to build custom homes in Vellano soon. The company will hold an open house at the Vellano clubhouse on Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 11:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m presenting the custom home gallery. The company has also been approved by Chino Hills to build 28 homes in Carbon Canyon at Fairway Drive and Carbon Canyon Road This has resulted in controversy among Carbon Canyon homeowners in the area because of the manufactured slopes Stonefield plans to create to make the pads level with the road. Caltrans is demanding Carbon Canyon Road be widened which will cost the company around $1.2 million. For more information about Stonefield Development, click here.

Posted Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:43 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Southland Home Sales, Median Price up Over Last Year
January 19, 2010 - From DataQuick News

La Jolla, CA---Southern California home sales in December remained above year-ago levels for the 18th consecutive month, bolstered by gains in many mid- to high-end communities. The median sale price rose year-over-year for the first time since summer 2007, reflecting a more normal distribution of sales across all price categories, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 22,328 new and resale homes sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was up 16.4 percent from November’s 19,181, and up 12.1 percent from 19,926 in December 2008, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego.

Sales almost always rise from November to December. Last month’s gain was a bit higher than the average increase of 13 percent since 1988, when DataQuick’s statistics begin.

The December sales tally was the highest for that month since 24,209 homes sold in December 2006, but it was still 11.2 percent below the average for a December – 25,143 sales – over the past 22 years.

The sales pattern has changed a lot over the past year, with many mid-to high-end communities now contributing more transactions...read more

 

 

 

Posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010 5:11 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Free Home Buyer's Fair in March!

 

Don't miss the free Home Buyer's Fair in March....

DATE: Sat., March 13 and Sun., March 14, 2010

TIME: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sun.

LOCATION: The Los Angeles Convention Center
Concourse Hall
1201 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 741-1151

FOCUS: First-time home buyers

OBJECTIVE: To address and alleviate fears about the current real estate market through educational “how-to” seminars on the home buying process.

COST: Free to attendees

  EDUCATION: Approximately 25 sessions in English and Spanish to be repeated over the two-day event; topics to include (subject to change):
       · Monitor and fix your credit
       · Short sales
       · Lending
       · How to qualify for a loan
       · How to avoid fraud
       · How to choose/work with a REALTOR®
       · Do’s and don’ts of the buying process
       · How to buy your first home
       · FHA loans

The Southern California Home Buyer's Fair will also feature dozens of booths, where attendees can obtain information from industry experts about a vast range of programs pertaining to homeownership and the home-buying process.  Both seminars and the exhibit are free to attend.

For more information visit: http://www.homebuyersfair.com

Posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010 4:56 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

DataQuick Reports Sales and Median Prices Up

Per DataQuick....November 17, 2009 La Jolla, CA---Southern California home sales rose in October as prices showed more signs of firming. The median sale price fell by the smallest amount in two years, the result of a shrinking inventory of homes for sale and government and industry efforts to stoke demand and curtail foreclosures, a real estate information service reported. Two counties – Orange and San Diego – posted modest year-over-year increases in their overall median sale price last month. It was the second consecutive gain for Orange County and the first in more than three years for San Diego. Both counties also posted small annual gains the past two months in their median price paid for resale single-family detached houses. Last month 22,132 new and resale houses and condos closed escrow in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties. That was up 2.8 percent from 21,539 in September and also up 2.8 percent from 21,532 a year earlier, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego.  Read More...

Posted Saturday, November 28, 2009 7:39 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

Chino Hills Ranks Safest City by FBI Again!

Chino Hills ranks number 13 for the second year in a row on the FBI's list of safest cities. At number 13, Chino Hills is 70.03% below the national crime average in the United States.The FBI report ranks 393 cities in the United States in six different crime areas which are murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and car theft. Compared to last year, US violent crimes were down 1.9% and property crimes were down.08%. 

CQ Press's City Crime Rankings 2009–2010 analyzed the 2008 FBI crime statistics for metropolitan areas and cities with 75,000 or more population in the United States. To be included in the rankings, at least 75 percent of all enforcement agencies in a metro area must report 12 months of crime data to the FBI for 2008. Cities and metro areas that did not report statistics were excluded.

Posted Saturday, November 28, 2009 6:45 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Chino Valley Unified Students Excel on API Scores!
Our students again have made significant gains on their standards for academic excellence tests! Contratulations to Rhodes Elementary which leads the County of San Bernardino as the highest performing school! Six elementary schools scored above 900 and fourteen scored above 800! Let's hear it for our students! Read the full news release article...click here.

Posted Wednesday, November 04, 2009 11:04 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Southland Home Sales Decrease While Median Price Increases

21,502 new and resale homes sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties in August, down 10.8 percent from 24,104 in July, and up 11.0 percent from 19,366 in August 2008, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego....read more

 

 

Posted Saturday, October 10, 2009 10:33 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Loan Modification Fraud

I just received a letter marked Confidential in the mail from a Law Group. The letter has no company letterhead or logo and the company name was in small print at the bottom of the letter. The letter indicated my first mortgage originally funded by "my bank" can be restructured and based on public records and information obtained through Fannie Mae that I am in a severely declining market in terms of my home's value. It boldly states: "We have reviewed your property information and have determined that you are eligible to modify the current terms of your existing mortgage, which could allow you to REDUCE your monthly payment by 30% to 60%. No Equity is required, No minimum credit scores, Late payments are not a problem. No appraisal is needed and this is a guaranteed fixed rate loan".  It then gives the following example of a successful previous client modification.

Current Mortgage Balance $450,000 - Modified Mortgage Balance $260,100

Current Property Value $289,000 

Current Monthly Payment $2,965 - Modified Monthly Payment $1,408.

At the end of the letter it states: WE CAN HELP SAVE YOUR HOME - Expires 30 days from receite of this notice.  Yes...the word receipt is incorrectly spelled in the letter!

 

THE ONLY COMPANY THAT CAN MODIFY YOUR LOAN IS YOUR LENDER!  

BE CAREFUL AND WISE...LOAN MODIFICATION FRAUD IS RAMPANT IN CALIFORNIA! 

 

INFORMATION FOR HOMEOWNERS FACING FORECLOSURE...

If you are having trouble paying your mortgage or facing a rate adjustment, get help now! Contact your lender or a credit manager. Call 1.888.995.HOPE for a HUD approved counselor or visit Hopenow.com.  Below are some helpful links for counseling information.

NeighborWorks America: http://www.nw.org/network/home.asp
Homeownership Preservation Foundation: http://www.995hope.org/
MyMoneyManagement: www.MyMoneyManagement.net

 

 

 

 

Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2009 2:21 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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DataQuick - Home Sales Rise Again

 August 18, 2009

La Jolla, CA---Southern California homes sold last month at the fastest clip for a July in three years and the fastest pace for any month since December 2006. The median price paid rose slightly from June – marking the third consecutive month-to-month gain – as sales in pricier coastal areas continued to rise and sales of lower-cost foreclosures waned, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 24,104 new and resale houses and condos closed escrow in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties last month. That was up 3.6 percent from 23,262 in June and up 18.6 percent from 20,329 a year ago, according to San Diego-based MDA DataQuick.

July’s sales total was 8.7 percent lower than the average number sold in July – 26,410 – since 1988, when DataQuick’s statistics begin. July home sales have ranged from a low of 16,225 in July 1995 to a peak of 38,996 in 2003.

Sales have increased year-over-year for 13 consecutive months. They’ve been driven higher by increased affordability, low mortgage rates, plentiful government-insured FHA financing for first-time buyers, robust investor demand and, more recently, improved access to the “jumbo” financing used to buy more expensive homes.

Read Full Story...http://www.dqnews.com/Articles/2009/News/California/Southern-CA/RRSCA090818.aspx

 

Posted Saturday, August 22, 2009 9:40 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Five Week Suspension

The Chino Valley Unified School District must wait another five weeks before the State Senate will decide on Curt Hagman's bill to waive the $7.5 million penalty for the miscalcuated (shorted) minutes of each day during the last school year. The Senate Appropriations Committee had a partison split 7 Democrats for and 5 Republicans against suspending the bill. Curt Hagman's bill AB35XXX will waive the Chino Valley Unified School District penalties of $7.5 million dollars and reduce the make up days to 10.

Posted Sunday, July 19, 2009 8:37 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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District's Decision Denied!

The State Board of Education denied the Chino Valley Unified School District's (CVUSD) decision to make up an error in school attendance time at Dickson and Rolling Ridge Elementary schools. In an attempt to avoid a $7 million penalty for the error, the District board members extended the school year with summer classes for the two schools to make up the missed time during the regular school year.

Assemblyman Curt Hagman introduced a bill that would waive the penalty and allow the extended summer school to satisfy the shortage of school time created by the District's spreadsheet calculation error. The bill was unanimously passed by the Assembly and awaits the decision from the State Senate which has scheduled to address the bill on July 13. If the bill is passed by the Senate, the final signing of the bill into law by the Governor may be delayed because of the State budget crisis.

Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:14 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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State Board of Education May Deny District's 34 Extra Days Solution

The State Board of Education is holding the $7 million dollar fine over the heads of the Chino Valley School District. Although a bill introduced by Assemblyman Curt Hagman was unanimously passed by the state assembly and now waiting the state senate's approval, the State Board of Education staff has recommended a denial of the District's solution of an extended 34 days of school in lieu of the fine. So far the students at Rolling Ridge and Dickson Elementary Schools have completed 13 of the 34 days. This District's solution began without the required approval of the State Board of Education and thus if denied, the students will stop classes immediately.

The State Board of Education's meeting scheduled for July 8 will include issues regarding the letter sent to parents in May informing them about their children's extra 34 days of school attendance in lieu of the $7 million penalty. The problem was caused by a calculation error in required daily school hours. The letter sent to parents did not indicate the classes were a part of the current school year or that students were required to attend. Parents were told in the letter that their children's final grades will not be affected by their performance in the extended school days which implied they were not regular school days. Another issue is the poor attendance of the extended school days.    

Posted Thursday, July 02, 2009 7:23 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Detained Detention To Be Determined!
Curt Hagman's bill AB35XXX has passed the state assembly and is now waiting the state senate's approval. If passed, the state will reduce the make up days to 10 and waive the Chino Valley Unified School District penalties of $7.5 million dollars for the miscalcuated (shorted) minutes of each day during the last school year. The error resulted in a requirement of 34 additional make up days of school attendance in lieu of the penalty. The problem applies to grades 4-6 at Dickson and Rolling Ridge Elementary Schools. Students started the additional days on the 15th of June and will continue attending school until the bill passes the senate and is signed by the governor.

Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:20 PM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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California Foreclosures at Record Highs - DataQuick Reports

Sales are up in California. See the report at DataQuick.

Southern California median prices are going up. See the report at DataQuick.

Record high foreclosures in CA. See the report at DataQuick.

April Home Sales by County and City. See the report at DataQuck.

Posted Monday, June 22, 2009 8:40 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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Hurray for Hagman!
Curt Hagman, our Assemblyman has come to the rescue! He introduced a bill that was unanimously passed last week to waive the penalties caused by the time error at Rolling Ridge and Dickson elementary schools. The spreadsheet error in attendance minutes required the students to make up the time by attending an additional 34 days this summer which students began on the 15th of June. If approved by the Appropriations Committee and state legislator's vote as early as Monday, the 22nd, students can have their summer off! The bill (AB35XXX) will not only waive the penalties, but the lost minutes will be made up with just 10 days attendance rather than 34 days.  Thank you Curt!  

Posted Sunday, June 21, 2009 5:47 AM by Gail Griffin | 0 Comments

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