Santa Clarita HOUSING ELEMENT COMES TO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION

The City’s Planning Commission will hear a presentation from City planners and the project consultant regarding the draft Housing Element of the new General Plan on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 5 p.m. in City’s Century room located on the first floor of City Hall at 23920 Valencia Boulevard.
The draft Housing Element is one of seven elements of the joint City/County General Plan, One Valley One Vision. As a required element of the General Plan, the Housing Element is part of the comprehensive planning document that provides a framework to guide new development in the City. The Housing Element contains information about the number and type of homes that must be built in order to ensure that all residents in the City will have a safe and healthy home in the future. The Element is being prepared to help Santa Clarita meet local and regional housing goals and to comply with State General Plan requirements.
The public is invited to attend the study session which will be held before the Planning Commission meeting on November 18 which will include an hour long presentation from City staff, followed by comments from the Planning Commission and the public.
“It is important to remember that the plan is still be drafted and that public participation is vital to the success of this broad planning document,” explained Paul Brotzman, Director of Community Development for the City.
The One Valley One Vision joint general plan has been in the works for several years, with nearly 100 public participation meetings and workshops already held.

Comments

What to look for in a real estate agent

There's a common saying in the real estate industry regarding the vast number of agents in the business: "If you don't have any friends who are agents, then you probably don't have any friends at all." With so many agent out there, how can you make an intelligent decision? Do you choose a friend, neighbor or coworker? Should you work with an agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent? While there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own nuances, here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation to protect your interests. Demand Experience Always look for an agent with at least two years of experience. Anyone still in the business after two years has probably learned at least the fundamentals of real estate. Look for Commitment Another problem we have in the industry is a large number of part-time and recreational salespeople. No matter how long they have been in real estate, their lack of f...

Getting the Best Tax Break When Selling Your Primary Residence

Getting the Best Tax Break When Selling Your Primary Residence When you sell your primary residence, you may be able to save thousands of dollars by taking advantage of one of the best available tax breaks. Provided that you have lived in the home as your primary residence and owned it for at least two of the past five years, when you sell your home, you can exclude from income up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly). This tax benefit can be used once every two years. Did you know that a married couple can qualify for the entire $500,000 exclusion even if only one spouse has owned the property for two years? Or that you don’t need to own the home and use it as your primary residence the same two years? Read on for a few pointers that may help you take advantage of this tax benefit when you sell your primary residence. Pointer One - $500,000 Exclusion for Married Couples Available Even if Only One Spouse Owns Home for...

A Down Payment Anomaly

Despite home buyers being advised to issue down payments of at least 20 percent, many home buyers are finding that smaller down payments result in better interest rates—but also higher payments. Rules put in place in late 2008 by Fannie Mae and similar rules adopted by Freddie Mac are less favorable to borrowers who put down 20 percent to 25 percent--partially because the GSEs consider these borrowers to be more of a credit risk since they are not required to purchase private mortgage insurance. According to Fannie Mae, borrowers benefit from this industry practice because they are able to leave themselves a financial cushion by not issuing larger down payments, and can instead save the extra money for emergencies. It is important to note though that smaller down payments mean higher monthly payments because the loan itself will be larger. To read the full story, please click here Message David Hoshaw Broker, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Weichert, Realtors - Hos...

Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate

Search This Blog