Patty McMillen

The Sundays In The Park Free Concert Series is the largest and most recognized community event in Mendocino County.

It is a blast to sit on a Sunday and mingle with friends, clients, etc. I encourage you all to attend the second to last Summer 2010 Concert In The Park.

The band this Sunday, August 1^st is Brian Anders and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel. They are a World Class Latin Jazz Group.

Come to the park and wrap the weekend up right!

Electronic signature or doc u sign makes it easy and convenient for you if your out of town, in a meeting or on vacation.  Electronic signature will minimize the hassle and enable you to respond in a timely fashion, especially if there are multiple offers on a property an a quick response is needed. Often negotiations are handled verbally when buyers and sellers can’t be present to sign a purchase contract, but oral agreements to buy and sell are not binding.  Doc u sign has made it possible no matter where you are.  Your agent can send you documents, you sign with your e-signature and e-mail the documents back…now you can go on vacation and have a good time with no worries!

Going green can be expensive, here are a few things you can do to start heading towards green living..

1.  In a new kitchen, go light on the countertops, there will be an immediate payback.  Light colored countertops do a lot to save the environment, they reflect light upwards, thus reducing lighting cost for a room.

2.  Zone your heating and cooling systems..green means don’t use power, use power efficiently.  In most two-story homes, people spend their days downstairs, their nights upstairs:  It’s wasteful to heat and cool the whole house to the same levels simultaneously.

3.  Deep roof overhangs..roof overhangs extending a couple of feet beyond the exterior walls will shade the windows, plus they will help extend the lifespan of the average paint job by protecting it from the elements.

4.  Breath better..don’t build your garage attached to your house, you are just inviting automotive exhaust indoors..a lot of people forget about this, think respiratory.

1357 Laurel Avenue  – Ukiah

Here’s the perfect opportunity to own a lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath home in a wonderful neighborhood against the western hills. The double door entry leads to either the spacious living room or the family room and bedroom wing. This well laid out home has a spacious kitchen adjoining both casual and formal dining areas. The beautiful back yard has shade trees and a tree house. $354,900

Call me with questions about this or any other property. 707-367-0036

There have been new changes to the federal Truth in Lending Act and RESPA  which can slow the process of closing.  The new HUD-1 form adds a few more hours of document preparation, because underwriters and escrow agents are not familiar with them. 

A lot of people didn’t update their software programs or start training soon enough and this could cost a buyer more money.  The fear of making a mistake on the Good Faith Estimate form are making lenders ask for closing-cost information more than once and in several formats.

Lending rules have also made it harder to close on time if things change during the escrow.  If there is an amendment to the Truth in Lending Act it will require a three-day disclosure period if a borrower decides to change the loan amount or anything else that can change the interest rate. Any change of more than 0.125 in the APR can trigger another disclosure for the buyer to sign.  Agents/Lenders need to educate their buyers on how long a transaction could take if changes are made during the escrow period.

1. Schedule physically strenuous activities for cooler times. And yes, that includes walking around the theme parks. Walking around in the heat and humidity can make ALL parts of your body sweat, and that includes your poor feet. When feet are wet, blisters can develop, so try to wear socks that are not 100 percent cotton. If you feel a hot spot developing, find a place in the shade to sit down. Take off your shoe and sock and inspect your feet. Put a bandage on the tender area, and let your feet dry. Dry feet are happy feet!

 2. Dress in light, loose, cotton clothing. Natural fabrics like cotton are much cooler than most synthetics (though there are new high-tech synthetics made specifically to keep you cool). Protective hats (Wide-brimmed) keep the sun out of your eyes and provide some cooling shade. Loose fitting clothes allow air to circulate, keeping you cooler. The fewer clothes, the better, but make sure to be appropriate to the circumstances.

 3. Use sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels). You can get painful sunburn even on a cloudy day, so slather on the sunscreen every morning before you start out. Don’t forget lips, ears, back of neck.

 4. When working outside, take periodic rest breaks in a cool area. So relax, slow down, pace yourself.

 5. Drink, drink, drink – WATER and Non-Alcoholic drinks!! DON’T wait until you feel thirsty -STAY HYDRATED. In hot weather, as much as 3-4 quarts per day are recommended while exercising. Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer. Food should be safe as long as the outage lasts NO MORE than 4-6 hours. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which are diuretics — substances that increase water loss via the urine.

Sport drinks, such as Gatorade, are high in sodium and are only needed if you exercise (or work) hard and long. Water-filled fruits and vegetables add to your hydration level, but not in significant amounts.

 6. Never leave children or pets inside a car, even if the windows are open.

 7. If you are taking medication, ask your doctor about its side-effects. Be extra cautious in the sun /heat if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions. Also be extra careful if you are taking any medications. For instance, certain medications (like some antibiotics, NSAIDS [such as ibuprofen and aspirin], and some oral contraceptives), may make you sunburn more easily, so be sure to protect yourself and stay out of the sun as much as possible.

 8. Keep cool with fans, air conditioning, and cool baths or showers. Make your own air conditioner by placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan and letting it blow on you. Window fans work best when blowing air out, so put your fan on the sunny side of the apartment and let it expel the hot air while pulling cool air from open windows on the shady side. Keep shades or curtains pulled on the sunny side of the house.

 9. Get plenty of sleep and eat light, nutritious, and non-fatty meals. Eat foods high in water content, like fruits & vegetables. Don’t use your oven, use the microwave or a toaster oven. Better yet, eat out.

 10. Be aware that when active in a hot, dry climate — for example when playing tennis — both salt and water are lost in sweat. Under such conditions restriction of dietary salt by healthy individuals may be unwise. However, salt tablets are rarely necessary.

Taken from: Womans Fitness Online

Every week our office as a whole picks the property that we feel is the BEST BUY… What that means is that our 50 Realtors believe that this property should have sold.

This weeks BEST BUY is 994 Fairway Avenue, Ukiah

Beautifully remodeled home, approx. 3000 sq. ft. with 3 master bedrooms. Private location at end of cul de sac with valley views. Built in hot tub with waterfall into in-ground pool with stamped concrete patio, BBQ island, and covered patio. Perfect backyard for entertaining. Hardwood and bamboo flooring plus carpet and tile. 3 fireplaces plus huge game room. Upstairs master with jetted tub, separate travertine shower and huge walk-in closet.

This property has new pricing of $559,416.

If you would like more information on this property or any other please give me a call at 467-3637.

Housing fell 5% in June to 549,000 below expectation of 575,000 and was the lowest in 8 months.  This comes after a 33% drop in New Home Sales in the latest survey.  Building permits are up but not for single family mostly for multi-family housing.   No new tax credit which didn’t help.. and low employment adds to the weakness in the market.  Housing and jobs have always been very closely tied together.  The senate is expected to pass an Unemployment Benefits extension today for people whose benefits have expired prior to the 99 week maximum…if this passed then this will add to the already ballooning budget deficit.

Bank of America has implemented a new short sale process that has work wonderful.  I have had a 100% success rate with this new program.  No more trying to get thru to a person, you now just upload all your documents and get a response with a three day period.  If your considering a short sale and have a Bank of America Loan, please give me a call and I will be happy to help with the process.