Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate

For mortgages, 620 is the new magic number Near historic low mortgage rates, favorable home prices, and the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers have contributed to home purchases in the past year. However, the onset of the credit crisis, new regulations for home appraisals, and more stringent guidelines for purchases and refinances have resulted in confusion for some potential home buyers. While using a mortgage broker to find the best loan may work for some buyers, it may not always be the best route. In the past, mortgage brokers could “shop” a loan to multiple lenders to help find the best deal. However, new practices and procedures under the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) have hampered mortgage brokers’ abilities, namely that lenders may no longer accept home appraisals commissioned by brokers. As a result, consumers may have to pay for new appraisals with each lender, which costs time and money. However, consumers who are very busy or need guidance may fin

5 easy ways to speed up your PC http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/maintenance/speed.aspx By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online. 1. Free up disk space By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files. Use Disk Cleanup to: · Remove temporary Internet files. · Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets). · Empty the Recycle Bin. · Remove Win

Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest , held October 24 at 6 p.m. at the City’s Sports Complex Aquatic Center. The no cost event will feature teams of SCUBA divers carving pumpkins underwater in the City’s Aquatic Center dive pool, as well as on-deck festive games and activities for spectators. At the event, certified SCUBA dive teams will take to the dive pool at 6:45 p.m. to carve pumpkins 13 feet under the pool’s surface. An underwater camera will capture all the action so spectators can watch the dive teams’ progress live on a big screen. Once the carving is complete, the pumpkins will be judged for a grand prize. “The City of Santa Clarita is dedicated to providing community members with fun and festive recreational activities,” said Mayor Frank Ferry. “The Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest is one of the City’s most popular fall events and is a great opportunity for residents to enjoy a free, one-of-a-kind event at a state-of–the-art facility.” In addition to the Pumpkin Carving

Washington Report: $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit by Kenneth R. Harney Quick passage by the House last week of a bill extending the $8,000 home buyer tax credit next year for military, diplomatic and intelligence personnel serving overseas increases the odds that Congress will agree to an extension, maybe even an expansion, of the entire credit program well into 2010. The White House is also signaling that it sees the overall tax credit program -- currently set to expire November 30 -- as an important element in cutting the unemployment rolls and stimulating new jobs next year. After an economic policy strategy meeting last week in the Oval Office involving President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, congressional aides said Democrats generally support an extension of the housing credit. Reid already has made clear he wants an extension. He is co-sponsoring a Senate bill that would do so for six months. Congressman Charles Rang

Santa Clarita Street Art Festival 2009 On October 3 and 4, 2009, the Santa Clarita Festival of the Arts, sponsored by Lockheed Federal Credit Union, will highlight a spectrum of artistic talent in Old Town Newhall. This exciting two-day festival will be located along Main Street between Lyons Avenue and 5th Street. This year the highlight of the festival is the process of art. All weekend long, watch street painters, visual, digital, and multimedia artists create a works of art, from a beginning conception to the final masterpiece. The Festival of the Arts is a free outdoor event, open to the public, and features a variety of artisans creating artwork, such as woodcarving, plein air painting, sculptures, and pottery, as well as live entertainment, fine arts and crafts vendors, and the fine art of street painting. Click link for more details Directions & Parking Saturday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm Sunday 10:00 am - 6

NO NEW 21-DAY TURNAROUND REQUIREMENT FOR SHORT SALE APPROVALS Recently enacted Senate Bill 306 does not require lenders to review short sale requests from sellers and their agents within 21 days. The new California law, which addresses certain escrow procedures, has been mischaracterized by some practitioners as landmark legislation calling for a 21-day turnaround for short sale approvals. The new law inserts a short payoff amount request into the existing payoff demand law which generally requires a lender to respond to a request for a payoff demand statement within 21 days from when it is requested, typically by escrow. The new law essentially requires, after a short sale has already been approved, for the lender to respond to a request for a short-pay demand statement within 21 days. The lender’s response to escrow can be a short-pay demand statement or even, depending on the circumstances, a written statement electing not to proceed with the proposed transaction.