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April 2011 - Posts

Saturday, April 30, 2011 7:28 PM

Ayala High School is First CVUSD to Get Distinguished School Award

Ayala High School is celebrating its 20th year in existance and along with it, the honor as one of California's Distinguished Schools. This is the first school in the Chino Valley Unified School District to be recognized as a Distinguished School
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 9:03 PM

Fallout from a poor credit score

NY Times: If you want to see how quickly you can ruin a great credit score, just skip a mortgage payment. Lenders use credit scores to measure how you handle debt. The number you’ll see most often is your FICO score. It runs from 300 to 850. The
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 9:01 PM

Condo vs Single Family Home

Talking Points Some home buyers may opt for a condo over a single-family home for a number of reasons. A condominium can provide a less-expensive entry into the housing market, and is a low-maintenance downsizing option for seniors. However, misconceptions
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 8:58 PM

Pending sales of existing homes in U.S. rose 5.1 percent in March

WA Post: The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes rose more than forecast in March, a sign the industry that triggered the recession may begin to stabilize. The index of pending home resales climbed 5.1 percent after a revised
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 8:56 PM

Real Estate Remains in Distress as US Home Prices Fall Again

NY Times: Housing prices slid back in February to their lowest level of the downturn, fresh proof — as if any were needed — that real estate remains one of the most troubled sectors of the economy. Read the full story...
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 8:50 PM

Buyer's Market? Stressed Sellers Say Not so Fast!

Wall Street Journal : Falling home prices should give aspiring homeowners the upper hand this spring, but in a growing number of locations, it doesn’t feel like a buyer’s market. Blame the nearly five-year slide of home prices. Those declines,
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011 4:25 PM

Open House in Chino Hills on Sunday

April 2011 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chino Hills, San Bernardino County - We invite everyone to visit our open houses at 16245 Alabaster Ct.on Saturday,
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:27 AM

Fed Requests Public Comment on Proposed Rule

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday requested public comment on a proposed rule under Regulation Z that would require creditors to determine a consumer's ability to repay a mortgage before making the loan and would establish minimum mortgage underwriting
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:23 AM

Weekly Fraud Alert: HUD Campaign Promotes Homeowner Scam Awareness

HUD has launched a new campaign in Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles called “Know It. Avoid It. Report It.,” a campaign that aims to direct homeowners facing foreclosure to trusted resources and housing counselors, and to solicit the support
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:16 AM

Selling your Home in Today's Market

Talking Points Nationally, home values have declined 27 percent since the market peaked in 2006. Yet, many sellers are tempted to list their home for sale based on what they paid for it, not on the area’s current real estate market conditions. To
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:12 AM

Are you getting your money's worth with appraisal?

LA Times: Despite Federal Reserve regulations that took effect April 1 requiring lenders to pay appraisers fair fees, many appraisers say they are still offered $200 to $250 by lenders for work billed to consumers at $450 or more. MAKING SENSE OF THE
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:10 AM

Fed Proposes Minimum Standards for Home Loans

The Wall Street Journal: During the housing boom, many lenders and mortgage brokers didn’t operate with the consumers’ best interest in mind. They enabled and sometimes encouraged borrowers to take out loans with interest rates that shot upward
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:07 AM

Banks are Foreclosing While Homeowners Pursure Loan Modifications

LA Times: Lenders say “dual tracking” protects their investment if the homeowner is unable to qualify for new loan terms. But regulators seeking to ban the practice say it lulls some borrowers into thinking they won’t have their homes
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:03 AM

Changes in Mortgage Finance Rules Could Hurt Housing Recovery

LA Times: The government is proposing to limit the best interest rates and terms to buyers who can put 20 percent down, meet stringent debt limits, and have sterling credit. Reporting from Washington— You may have seen reports that the federal government
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Friday, April 22, 2011 6:00 AM

U.S Homes Sales Rise

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: Investors lifted U.S. home sales last month, plunking down cash to grab cheap homes at risk of foreclosure. But purchases made by first-time home buyers fell, a troubling sign for the weak housing market. Read the full story..
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 9:53 AM

Open House in Chino Hills on Saturday

Chino Hills, San Bernardino County - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 16245 Alabaster Ct. on April 23 from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM . Property information
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:20 AM

Confidence in Value of Homeownership Persists Through Bust

LA Times: Despite the decline in home prices, 81 percent of U.S. adults believe buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make, according to a national survey by the Pew Research Center. MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY Homeownership topped
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:17 AM

Avoiding Refinancing Costs After Divorce

NY Times: Divorced homeowners wrangling with the task of removing a former spouse’s name from the mortgage after buying out his or her equity stake in the marital house may think that refinancing is the only choice. However, there is another, little-known
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:13 AM

Remodeling Points

Homeowners unable to purchase a new home – either due to stricter loan guidelines or because they are underwater on their current mortgage -- may want to consider remodeling certain areas of their home to make it more suitable to their current lifestyle.
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:09 AM

"Shadow Inventory" of 1.8 Million Homes Could Prolong Housing Slump

LA Times: The glut of troubled homes not yet on the market represents a 9-month supply at the current sales pace. That’s in addition to the 3.49 million previously owned homes already on the market. Read full story...
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:05 AM

Housing Market Unlikely to Face Double Dip

LA Daily News: Finally, some good news for the housing market. Housing prices are not in another free fall. Read the full story...
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:02 AM

Weekly Fraud Alert: Tax Return Preparer Fraud

While most tax return preparers are professionals who provide honest and excellent service to their clients, some make basic errors or engage in fraud and other illegal activities. Dishonest tax return preparers can cause trouble for taxpayers who fall
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 2:58 AM

Foreclosure Sales Increase in march

March foreclosure sales rose 35.1 percent in California, according to the latest ForeclosureRadar report. Notice of Default filings in California rose to their highest level since October 2010, up 17.3 percent month-over-month to 26,615 filing. Notice
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011 2:52 AM

Fannie Mae to Offer 3.5 Percent Buyer Assistance

Fannie Mae recently announced that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath property will receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The initial offer must be submitted on or after April 11, 2011; and the sale must close on or before June
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Friday, April 08, 2011 6:38 PM

Gorgeous Home in Chino Hills!

Stunning View Lot! • 2,529 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story - MLS® $621,900 Chino Hills, San Bernardino County - Exquisite Chino Hills estate in prestigious Soquel Canyon. Located on a cul-d-sac, this meticulously maintained home is loaded with
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Thursday, April 07, 2011 5:27 PM

Mortgage Aid Offered to Those Who Cashed Out Equity

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY Keep Your Home California is a state-run program funded with $2 billion from the U.S. Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund. It is designed to help low- and moderate-income people who are unemployed or owe more than their home is
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Thursday, April 07, 2011 6:45 AM

Bill to Repeal Tax-Reporting Requirement Heads to President's Desk

The Senate passed a bill yesterday to repeal a tax-reporting requirement (known as the 1099 provision) for small businesses, including landlords, in the 2010 health care overhaul law. The bill will now go to the president’s desk where he is expected
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Thursday, April 07, 2011 6:41 AM

Obama Administration Releases March Housing Scorecard

HUD and the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury recently released the March edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard, which notes that the latest housing figures underscore fragility in the housing market and the need to continue efforts to
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Thursday, April 07, 2011 6:36 AM

Weekly Fraud Alert: Mass Joinder Lawsuits

The DRE recently issued a consumer alert warning consumers about marketing companies, unlicensed entities, lawyers, and so-called attorney-backed, attorney-affiliated, and lawyer referral entities that offer and sell false hope and request the payment
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Thursday, April 07, 2011 6:29 AM

Impact of New Homes on U.S. Economy

An estimate by economists at the National Association of Home Builders shows that the one-year local impacts of building 100 single-family homes in a typical metro area include $21.1 million in local income, $2.2 million in taxes and other local government
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Saturday, April 02, 2011 11:53 AM

New Restaurants to Come in Chino Hills

The Shoppes in Chino Hills will have two new restaurants soon. Dillion's Irish Pub & Grill featuring comfort food and draft beers is expected to open this fall and occupy an 8,000 square foot space near the H&M clothing store. Dripp is scheduled
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