Something cool that Xerox is doing

If you go to this web site, http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!

This is a great site.

Please send a card. You can even select from several pre-written messages if you don't know what to write.

It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against t he war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them...

Thanks to Priscilla B. who contributed this article!

Another Listing, An Affordable Condo!

Spacious 1,578 sqft, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths Rancho Bernardo townhome in the award winning Westwood community. Walk to Westwood Club, elementary school, bus stop for middle and high schools, and tons of local shopping. Cul de sac location among many trees and in a very private setting!

Asking price is between $385,000 and 435,876




Click Photo to View Virtual Tour

You can also find out more about this home by entering the search code PRU7Q2C7 in any Yahoo! search window.

New Listing in Westwood Rancho Bernardo

Comfortable 1,401 sf, 3 bedroom, 2 bath single floor home on a quiet, cul-de-sac in the established neighborhood of Westwood! Open the front door and you'll discover that this home is open and bright with room for your largest furniture! The cozy backyard includes a large fig tree and many flowering plants to the delight of any gardener. Need to play some tennis or relax at the pool after dropping the kids off to school? The Westwood Club is close by and not far is the award winning Westwood Elementary School. Oh, and watch out for the friendly bears in the backyard ;)

Asking price is between $500,000 and $549,876




Click Photo to View Virtual Tour

You can also find out more about this home by entering the search code PRU3N9D7 in any Yahoo! search window.

Just Listed in Poway: 4 Bed/2 Bath/1501sf

This single-story model is rarely available and sought after for its great location, roomy kitchen with stainless steel appliances, open floorplan, fireplace, attached 2-car garage, tile roof, ceiling fans, alarm system, and sliding doors to the backyard. The home has recently been remodeled with a new kitchen, all new windows, upgraded bathrooms, carpeting, and modern paint colors. No need to do a thing... just move right in! Enjoy a private BBQ next to the freestanding covered patio or relax on the lush oversized backyard lawn. Tall trees behind the house provides for the perfect level of shade on those sunny San Diego days. The freestanding canopy over the patio stays and is a wonderful place to relax the day away. The property line extends beyond the rear fence and some neighbors have built a deck over the rear slope to further take advantage of the priceless views. Owner states that a wonderful breeze frequently flows up the canyon behind the home to provide natural and refreshing cooling. The sunsets to the West are breathtaking and this home is conveniently located with I-15 and Pomerado Road just minutes away. Avoid the rush hour traffic heading up the 15 and enjoy a central location near major areas of employment. No Homeowner fees and no Mello Roos!!!

Seller entertaining offers between $535,000 and $585,876.




Click Photo to View Virtual Tour

You can also find out more about this home by entering the search code PRU8X3H6 in any Yahoo! search window.

Rancho Bernardo Rotary Fundraiser

The First Annual R.B. Rotary Foundation Golf Tournament will be held Monday, October 30th on the beautiful Fountains Course at the Welk Resort off HWY 15 north of Escondido. Registration starts at 11:30am, golf at 1:00pm. Golfers of any level are encouraged to attend. The $100 registration fee includes 18 holes of golf, cart, box lunch, dinner, and many golf-related prizes. There will also be $10,000 hole-in-one and $5,000 putting contests. They're also raising funds to sponsor a day of golf at this event for Marines from the San Diego area with a $100 donation per Marine.

For more information contact John O’Neill at 858-487-8800 or register online at http://rbrotarygolftourney.golfregistrations.com

New Local Museum Planned

The Rancho Bernardo Historical Society is planning a new museum building on the grounds of the Bernardo Winery located in Rancho Bernardo. Use of the land was donated by the Winery and a $600,000 capital drive is underway for building construction.



A virtual tour featuring the existing temporary museum and plans for the new building can be seen here.

A Pancake Breakfast fundraiser will be held on Veteran’s Day, November 11th at the Winery from 7am to 11am. There will be food, live entertainment, and prize drawings. $5/person. Contact Susan Floyd at 858-248-2030 or 858-487-4599 for tickets info or visit www.RBHistoricalSociety.org to learn how you can help!

Getting Ready For Fall

Temperatures are dipping and nights are growing cooler - the perfect time for a home heating system checkup. Savings, efficiency, comfort and maintenance are all important this season. Without yearly cleaning and inspection, a heating system can wear itself out fast. Here are some maintenance tips to keep your system running at peak efficiency and make the seasonal transition more comfortable and costeffective:

• Have ducts cleaned and sealed by a professional every three to five years.
• Clean or replace furnace filters about every two months.
• Use ceiling fans. They are a useful tool to keep the house warm. Heat rises and the ceiling fans push the heat back down.
• Turn down the thermostat. Homeowners can save 8 percent to 10 percent on their annual heating costs by turning the thermostat from 72 F down to 65 F at night.
• Trim or remove grass, weeds and leaves from around the outdoor heating and cooling unit. When airflow, air return and distribution vents are blocked, it puts a strain on the system and lowers efficiency.
• Use caulking or expanding spray foam to seal spaces around pipes and wires that lead from the attic or crawl space into the home.
• Place weather stripping around door frames and at the top and bottom of window sashes. Insulate attic doors and pull-downs.
• Upgrade older heating systems to optimize energy consumption. A Hybrid Heat system allows homeowners to heat their home by joining a heat pump with a gas furnace. This allows homeowners to choose between gas or electricity for their heating fuel, whichever would be more efficient for local weather and energy cost conditions.

8 Financing Tips

Thinking about getting a home? Think about the mortgage first!

1. Don't Stretch Your Loan Qualification Limits to Buy a Home Beyond Your Budget.
Living poor just to own a bigger or better home, makes for larger mortgage payments and risks difficulties in the future.

2. Get a Written Confirmation of Your Locked-In Interest Rate and Interest Rate Terms.

3. Understand All the Conditions of Your Loan.
You or a professional that you trust should thoroughly scrutinize each document.

4. Understand the Unique Terms of Your Loan.
There are many types of interest-only loans out there. Make sure you understand the details of your particular type of loan.

5. Pick the Right Kind of Loan.
Rates are higher on 30 year loans than on comparable 15 year loans. That's because there is a greater risk that rates will go up the longer the lender commits to a fixed rate.

6. If You are Buying Rather Than Refinancing, Consider Getting a Pre-approved Mortgage or Contingent Loan Approval Letter.
The former is a binding commitment for a loan up to a certain amount. It can strengthen your negotiating position with the seller, but it puts pressure on you to close a deal before the loan commitment expires.

7. Save Everything.
Keep copies of everything you send the lender and everything the lender sends you.

8. Take Advantage of the Deduction.
The mortgage interest deduction is one of the few remaining tax deductible interest payments, and it's also the cheapest form of long term financing.

Home Sellers Providing Incentives

The increasing inventory of available homes for sale has forced many sellers to reduce the asking price of their homes.

An alternative approach to reducing price is to pay down the interest rate a potential buyer would pay. This is called a buydown and it is typically cheaper to do than to reduce the price of the house.

A buydown is a type of financing where the buyer or seller pays extra points to reduce the interest rate on a loan. Buydowns make it easier to qualify for a loan because they lower a loan's interest rate. They can also allow you to buy more house for your money.

Sellers benefit from assisting with a buydown by increaseing the buyers ability to qualify for a loan, therefore, allowing the home to be sold quicker.

The Importance of an Appraisal

An appraiser is a professional person who can tell you what your home is worth. The appraiser will come to your house and list the number and size of the rooms and any extras, such as a fireplace, porch, pool, or garage. The appraiser will compare your home and property to other homes that have sold recently with similar features. The appraiser then estimates that your home might sell for approximately the same amount of money as similar homes. This is called an "appraisal." In short, an appraisal is the estimated amount of money your home may sell for.

Home Inspections Are Not Appraisals!

A property appraisal is a document that provides an estimate of a property's market value. Lenders require appraisals on properties prior to loan approval to ensure that the mortgage loan amount is not more than the value of the property. Appraisals are for lenders; home inspections are for buyers.

What's My Property Worth?

It is common to ask the appraiser this question as soon as the appraiser has inspected the property. The truth is at that time the appraiser doesn't yet know. The inspection is the first step of many that the appraiser must complete before a value is determined.

The appraiser measures the house from the outside to determine square footage. The appraiser takes notes concerning the features of your house such as room layout, number of bedrooms, baths, etc. The appraiser also makes a determination of the general condition, appeal and functional layout of your house. All of these items are taken into consideration in the appraisal report.

Inspect Before You Buy

Buying a home is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a home's condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will review the readily accessible exposed portions of the structure of the home, including the roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, basement and foundation, as well as the heating/air conditioning systems, interior plumbing, and electrical systems for potential problems. Home inspections are not intended to point out every small problem or any latent defect in a home. Most minor or cosmetic flaws, for example, should be apparent to the buyer without the aid of a professional.

During the Home Inspection

While not necessary, it is recommended that the buyer be present for the inspection. This allows the buyer to observe the inspector, ask questions directly, and obtain a better understanding of the condition of the home, how its systems work, and how to maintain it. The written report may be easier to understand if the buyer was present during the inspection. It is important that safe access and sufficient lighting is provided so that the inspector can inspect the property.

At the conclusion of the home inspection, the buyer should be well informed of the condition of the home. It should be known if there are visible, apparent problems, if repairs need to be made, or whether or not there are any risks of concealed damage, and whether further investigation is recommended and/or required. After the inspection is complete, you will receive a written report of the findings, usually within five to seven days.

Spending Hundreds May Save You Thousands

When you make a written offer on a home, you should insist that the contract state that the offer is contingent on a home inspection conducted by a qualified inspector. You will have to pay for the inspection yourself, but it could keep you from buying a house that will cost you far more in repairs down the road. If you are satisfied with the results of the inspection, then your offer can proceed.

It should be clearly understood that a home inspection is not to be confused with an appraisal, a building code inspection, a guarantee of any kind, and/or an insurance policy on the condition of the property.

Selecting a Home Inspector

As the homebuyer, it is your responsibility to carefully select a qualified inspector and pay for the inspection. The following sources may help you find a home inspector:

• State regulatory authorities.
Some states require licensing of home inspectors.

• Professional organizations.
Professional organizations may require home inspectors to pass tests and meet minimum qualifications before becoming a member.

• The Internet or phone book.
Search under "Building Inspection Service" or "Home Inspection Service."
• Your real estate agent.
Most real estate professionals have a list of home inspectors they recommend.

Other Inspections and Tests to Consider

It is strongly recommended that potential buyers consider having the following inspections and/or tests performed prior to signing the final purchase agreement:
lead paint, pests, wood destroying insects, and air quality, including radon gas. While some home inspectors are qualified to offer these services, these inspections and tests are not part of the basic home inspection and should be contracted through qualified licensed professionals in those fields.

Should You Have Your Ducts Cleaned?

Most people are now aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. Many companies are marketing products and services intended to improve the quality of your indoor air. You have probably seen an advertisement, received a coupon in the mail, or been approached directly by a company offering to clean your air ducts as a means of improving your home's indoor air quality. These services typically but not always range in cost from $450 to $1,000 per heating and cooling system, depending on the services offered, the size of the system to be cleaned, system accessibility, climatic region, and level of contamination.

Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.

If not properly installed, maintained, and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home's living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if they are exposed to them. If you decide to have your heating and cooling system cleaned, it is important to make sure the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so. Failure to clean a component of a contaminated system can result in re-contamination of the entire system, thus negating any potential benefits. Methods of duct cleaning vary, although standards have been established by industry associations concerned with air duct cleaning. Typically, a service provider will use specialized tools to dislodge dirt and other debris in ducts, then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner.

When buying a home, make sure you evaluate whether you need to have the ducts cleaned. In reality, most of my buyers don't have it done unless we have a case where the system is old and obviously dirty.

Interest Rates

Here are the latest rates....

Avoid the Disaster of a Home Water Leak

One of my clients recently went on a business trip for a couple of days. Naturally, he did all the normal things you would do when leaving a home unattended for a period of time. He made sure that all the doors were locked, that the TV, computer, and other electrical items were turned off, and that the mail would be picked up.

He told me that whenever he'd have to leave his home unattended that he would normally turn off the water main. For some reason he did not turn the water main off this time around. Would you?

Several days later he got back home from his trip and saw a puddle of water by the front door. At first he thought the sprinkler system must be leaking but you can imagine the thoughts running through his head as he slowly opened the front door....

As soon as he walked into the house his worst nightmare came to life. His entire lower floor was covered by an inch of standing water. The carpeting, the padding, the baseboards, the wallboards, the kitchen cabinets, his furniture, and anything else he happened to have on the floor all ruined to the tune of some $30,000 in damages. Apparently, a water pipe came loose at the joint and flooded his house for days while he was away.

Was there something he could have done to prevent this from happening? Yes, and there are things you can do too.

You shouldn't have to turn off your water main everytime you leave your home unattended. Opening and closing a water main may actually wear it out over time. Yet, its cheaper to replace it than coming home to a flooded home.

One thing you may want to do immediately is to check the water pressure coming into your home. So many times I'll encounter a home with very high water pressure. High water pressure could stress the water pipes throughout your home and cause them to burst over time. Your appliances like the dishwasher, clothes washer, water heater, and water softener are all affected by this and any one of them could cause trouble. High water pressure can be caused by a bad water regulator-- that funny cone shaped device next to your main water shutoff. You can easily check the water pressure with an inexpensive pressure meter that you can buy at any hardware store. Normally the water pressure should not exceed 80psi but check with your local codes. If you discover that the water pressure is off, you may be able to adjust the water regulator--- it has a small pressure adjustment screw or knob. But many times it turns out that the regulator needs to be replaced. That will cost you about 30 bucks for parts and maybe another $100 dollars for labor.

For the ultimate peace of mind, you may want to do what I did in my own home. I installed an automatic water shutoff system. Whenever water is detected on the floor throughout my home, a radio signal is sent to a receiver in my garage. The receiver will shut off the main water supply as soon as trouble is detected. The way this works is very simple. A sensor and transmitter is placed in strategic locations throughout the home. Places like the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, and anywhere really. The sensor constantly scans for water. So if the sink overflows and water reaches the sensor, a wireless signal is sent to the receiver. The receiver tells an electric valve to shut off the main water to the house. The system is easily reset for example when you accidently spill a bucket of water on the bathroom floor. But it works 7/24 and I don't have to worry about coming home to a flood.

Various manufacturers make these water sensor systems and some only sound an alarm when water is detected but don't turn the water main off. You can search the internet for the various manufacturers of water and flood sensors. If you're curious about what I have, its called the WaterCop. It cost me under $700 bucks complete and I was able to install the whole thing myself. You'll have to cut into the water main so if you don't know how to solder copper pipe you'll need to hire a plumber for that part of the installation. The individual water sensors located throughout the home are very easy to install.



Bursting water pipes and the resulting water damage doesn't happen very often. When it does, it can be very very expensive. If thats not the worst of it, your insurance company will probably raise your insurance rates and red flag the property. If you intend to sell the home, you'll have to disclose the flood and any resulting mold damage. This may cause potential buyers to avoid your home altogether.

Today's Interest Rates

Coming down ever so slightly!

Opt Out of Unsolicited Financial Offers

Have you recently applied for a loan? Have you noticed a big increase of unsolicited sales calls from other lenders soon after applying for your loan? It wouldn't make sense that your lender would take your loan application and immediately sell your contact information to a competing lender--- and indeed thats not happening here.

The culprits are the three big credit reporting agencies. They are actually taking your lender's FICO score inquiry and turning it into a sales lead. Amazingly, they sell your personal financial information to financial institutions who wind up contacting you. All this happens when your local mortgage company/lender checks your credit to provide you a rate quote.

How do you protect yourself? You can tell the credit reporting agencies that you want to opt-out and not have your name sold. Learn more by going to the website https://www.optoutprescreen.com.

Know Your Credit Scores!

Do you know your credit scores? Most people don't realize how important credit scores have become in today's homebuying process. Your credit scores literally control how much home you can afford if you need any type of financing to make the purchase. If you take two identical people with identical jobs and incomes who both buy the very same homes on the same street for the same price, but one person has a credit score of 720 while the other has a credit score of 620, guess what happens to the payments... they would be very different. The person with the higher credit score would likely have a smaller mortgage payment than the person with the lower credit score. In fact, the payment could be hundreds of dollars less!

In general people would bad credit scores end up paying a lot more for their loans including the interest charges and closing costs. This means they get a lot less house for their money and in many cases they may not even qualify to buy a home.

How does one get a credit score and keep it high? There are companies out there that look at your payment records on credit cards, car loans, and home loans among other things. You may have heard of companies such as Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. These are the big three but there are others. The point is, your past credit history is open for these companies to see. They'll use various techniques to come up with a number known as a credit score. Sometimes you may hear it referred to as a FICO score. FICO is an acronym for the Fair Isaac Company who developed the most popular statistical method for coming up with a credit score.

In any case, The first thing you should do is find out what your credit score is. Go on the web and search for companies that give you access to your own credit scores. Companies such as myfico.com and privacyguard.com are only two of the many that are out there. They usually charge a small fee but its worth it.

To keep your credit score high, you must always pay your credit cards and loans on time. A good lender can help you figure out ways to help you increase your credit score. As a realtor, I've had my homebuyer clients do specific things over the course of a few months to see their credit scores rise by the time they had a new house all picked out. For example, if you have credit cards that are maxed out, this will cause your credit score to fall. Either pay it down or transfer part of the balance to another underutilized credit card so that they both are below 50% of being maxed out. So lets say you got one credit card with a $5000 limit and you're at a $4000 balance. You also have another credit card with a $6000 limit but it has nothing charged to it. If you transfer half of the $4000 on your first credit card to your unused credit card, you'll end up have $2000 across 2 credit cards. Since they are now both below 50% of being maxed out to their limits, you should see an improvement in your credit scores. The 50% rule is not etched in stone, but its a good percentage to strive for since we've seen it have a big affect in the FICO scores.

There are many other fairly simple things you can do. My advice is to do whatever you can to pump up your score as it has a direct affect on your loan costs. If you can get your score into the 700's say at least 720, then congratulations! You'll have an easy time getting a great loan with the best interest rate.

2 Bedroom Detached for $450,000 in Rancho Bernardo!

Imagine coming home to an affordable 2 bedroom home in the prestigious Rancho Bernardo community of Bernardo Heights! This lovely home is situated on a gentle slope with no homes directly in front or rear. This single-story model is rarely available and sought after for its soaring vaulted ceilings, roomy eat-in kitchen, open floorplan, fireplace, attached 2-car garage, tile roof, and double sliding doors to the backyard. Enjoy a private BBQ on the covered wood deck or relax on the lush lawn. Or, escape to the Bernardo Heights Recreation and Community Center with swimming pools, tennis courts, exercise and meeting rooms. Not far is the acclaimed Poway Unified School District schools including Rancho Bernardo High School and Bernardo Heights Middle School. Located near a hi-tech area with major local companies such as Sony, HP, Northrup Grumman, Unisys, BAE, plus major shopping! Asking price is $450,000. To hear more information, call my 24 HR recorded info line at 1-800-530-1481 extension 9764. I'm the listing agent for this home, so don't hesitate to call, 858-213-6058, or e-mail me directly to go see it!.




Click Photo to View Virtual Tour

You can also find out more about this home by entering the search code PRU5N5W6 in any Yahoo! search window.

The Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS)

Do you want to know who are the 10 most wanted criminals in San Diego County? How about whether an offender is living in the neighborhood? Perhaps you are interested in San Diego County's crime statistics?

With ARJIS, you can get answers to many of your criminal justice related questions!

The Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) is a complex criminal justice enterprise network utilized by 50 local, state and federal agencies in the San Diego region.

Click here to see it for yourself!

Interest Rates Overview