Mykel's Blog

Framed by magnificent mountain and foothill views, Shady Trails is one of the newer master-planned communities in North Fontana.   You'll find long walking trails, parks complete with beautiful landscaping that will encouraging you to become active or simply relax and take in the view of the beautiful nearby mountains.  The $56 million, state-of-the-art Summit High School is located right across the street from Shady Trails.

Residents here enjoy private resort-style recreation at The Parkhouse, a 15,000 sq. ft. recreation center that includes...

· A Jr. Olympic pool, spa, sun decks and shade arbor situated  in a three-and-a-half acre park setting
· A 2,600 sq. ft. fully-equipped fitness center, game rooms, tennis courts, putting green
· A movie theater, library, modern business center with wireless internet access and cyber café.
· Victorian Gazebo, rose garden and open lawns
· Tot lot and sports courts

Nearby Fontana Park, the City of Fontana's new Community Sports Center, is quickly coming to life. This landmark Sports Park is planned to include a 45,000 sq. ft. Community Center, Aquatic Complex, full size public indoor Gymnasium, sport courts and much more.

There are several new retail and commercial opportunities developing nearby, including the Fontana Promenade, a Hilton Garden Inn, The Sierra San Antonio Medical Plaza, and a 93-acre auto center. Construction is underway on a 93,000-square-foot Fontana Library & Technology Center - a $45 million facility with museum, auditorium, coffee bar and more.  As an added advantage, Shady Trails' freeway-close location allows for an efficient commute to employment and recreation in L.A., the Inland Empire and Orange County making Shady Trails a great residential destination.

BIG NEWS!
Fontana Ranked 24th Best Place to Raise a Family!!

The City of Fontana has always offered access to modern amenities, great parks, ample recreational opportunities, fantastic shopping centers and excellent schools for your children to attend but now it's finally being recognized! Best Life magazine recently ranked Fontana the 24th best city in the United States to raise a family (read the whole article here). Families all over Southern California are moving to Fontana - and it's not a big surprise considering in addition to everything it already had to offer, Fontana recently opened Lewis Library and Technology Center and will soon be opening state-of-the-art, fitness and aquatic center in Fontana Park.

Other factors in the decision included: number of money spent in schools per pupil and student-to-teacher ratio, number of pediatricians in the area, unemployment rates, median home value, number of parks, and average commute time. In addition to Fontana, an additional 22 cities in California are on the list - meaning 23% of the list are Californian cities and reinforces my belief that Fontana is a Great Place to Live!

Congratulations to Local Keller Williams Real Estate Broker. Wanda Peyton graciously conducted a book signing and motivational speech for her inclusion in the newest Chicken Soup for the Soul, ‘Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction.'  I had the opportunity to attend that outstanding event last night at Barnes and Nobles here in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

For those of you who don't have a clue, Chicken Soup for the Soul is a collection of stories about ordinary people who have done extraordinary things; uplifting stories with powerful messages of hope and inspiration, transitioning from the test to the testimony, and from the battles to the victories.

The books are filled with stories that will touch the hearts and minds of readers from all walks of life; stories of ordinary people and their ordinary experiences that have a profound impact and the defining moments that change the lives of everyday people. 

In this latest edition, Wanda shares her powerful journey and the story that brought her to where she is today.  It's a story of the power of perseverance, attitude and overcoming obstacles that teach a powerful message of hope and inspiration; it shows that dreams really do come true for those who dare to believe that no obstacle is so big that it can't be overcome with persistence, patience and belief in oneself.

Truth is, we all have a story and Wanda reminded us so eloquently that we are the author.  Thanks Wanda.

*Pick up a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul, ‘Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction'  and read her inspirational story.  You can also visit her motivational website at http://www.SheWhoWhispers.com.  Whoever said Realtors only sell houses obviously hasn't met Wanda!

Active Rain Community, I would like to introduce a new member to our Active Rain team, Jason Morrison of Windermere Real Estate in Palm Desert, CA.  Jason is a dedicated member of my Southern California REO Broker team.  I told him about Active Rain and invited him to join -twice!  He jumped right in-after I twisted his arm a little! 

I know he will find it to be The online source of incredible knowledge, experience and  industry support. There are thousands of years of combined experience here and the resources are mind Bloggling!  

Jason, Be prepared to become addicted!

It's been all over the news! Calilfornia Indymac bank has been driven out of business by the credit crisis and is now in the hands of Federal Regulators.  Indymac specialized in stated income mortgages.  As the property values continued to drop, buyers defaulted in record numbers and the bank lost big money.  This is the second largest bank failure in United States history and customers could lose up to a half billion in uninsured deposits. How did it get to this point?  

Indymac has been on the brink of collapse for months.  CNN says U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer bears some of the blame. Back in June, he spoke of his concerns regarding ‘Indymac's financial deterioration possessing significant risks to both taxpayers and borrowers.' Within a day, panicked customers rushed to the bank, closed their accounts and withdrew over $1.3 billion.  On Monday, July 7^th, Indymac reported massive losses and warned of bigger ones to come.  On Tuesday, the bank told U.S. Regulators they were no longer well capitalized.  Indymac fired more than half of their staff saying, "they were getting out of the mortgage business."  By Friday, Investors had given up, with stock closing at just .28 cents.  The government moved in to seize the bank putting the FDIC in charge. 

For Indymac borrowers, the shutdown will have little impact. They will still have to make their mortgage payments. For the people with bank accounts or individual retirement accounts at Indymac it is a different story. Most bank accounts in the U.S. are automatically insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC; IRA's are insured up to $250,000.  For now, customers with Indymac accounts can still get money out of ATM's, but cannot bank online or by phone until Monday morning.  Customers with less than one hundred thousand dollars are fully insured and have full access to their money when they visit Indymac Federal on Monday.

The FDIC say's that about 10,000 customers have more than the insured amount with the bank.  Those. customers can claim the $100,000 insured amount plus half of the uninsured remainder. They may get more later depending on how much the FDIC gets when it sells the bank's assets. The total loss to customers could end up being more than $500 million.  This news is very unsettling. This is now the fifth bank, this year to fail in this country.  What's next?  Should we all be worried about what little nest egg we have left?

Communication Between Lender and Borrower

This week, the State Legislature enacted foreclosure reform law to address the adverse effects of high foreclosure rates in California. The new law requires lenders to contact homeowners, with owner-occupied loans secured from 2003 to 2007, to explore options for avoiding foreclosure at least 30 days before filing a notice of default.  This requirement to contact borrowers applies to. Effective on or about September 8, 2008, a lender or their authorized agent has to contact a borrower, in person or by telephone,   to assess the borrower's financial situation and explore options for avoiding foreclosure 30 days prior to filing a Notice of Default.  During this initial contact

• The lender must inform the borrower of the right to request a meeting with the lender within 14 days
• The lender must also give the borrower the toll-free number for finding a HUD-certified housing counseling agency.

The subsequent Notice of Default must include the lender's declaration of this initial borrower contact or verification of meeting their due diligence requirements for contacting a borrower.  Lenders filing Notice of Default prior to the enactment of this law must include a similar declaration in the Notice of Sale.

Certain exemptions apply such as the borrower

• Filing for bankruptcy
• Surrendering  the property
• Contracting with a person or entity whose primary business is advising people

60-Day Notice to Terminate Tenants

Effective July 8, 2008, the new law also extends from 30 to 60 days the time for residential tenants to move out of properties that have been foreclosed upon, unless other laws apply.  However, a borrower who remains on the property after foreclosure may be served a 3-day notice to vacate.

When the borrower has a different billing address than the property address,  effective September 8, 2008, the lender or authorized agent posting a Notice of Sale must also post and mail a Notice of a Tenant's Right along with a 60-day Eviction Notice from the new owner, unless other laws apply.

*This law does not affect  rent-controlled properties with just-cause evictions.

 Maintenance of Vacant Properties

Effective July 8, 2008, anyone who acquires property through foreclosure must maintain the vacant residential property.  This law authorizes a governmental entity to impose civil penalties up to $1,000 per day.  However, the owner must have been given notice and an opportunity to remedy the violation.

Typical violations include:

• Permitting excessive over growth that diminishes the value of surrounding properties  
• Failing to take action against trespassers or squatters
• Failing to take action to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in green pools

Violators must be given at least 14 days to begin, and 30 days to complete, such remediation before a fine can be assessed.

These requirements will remain in effect until January 1, 2013. View the full text of Senate Bill 1137 (Perata) at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

Welcome to Riverside! 

Riverside--It's a beautiful day in Riverside
throughout the entire year! Riversiders and
visitors can enjoy a wealth of outdoor and
indoor activities in any season. Explore our
cultural heritage, visit a museum, watch a
live performance, and enjoy our parks.

From art exhibits to arcade games, dining and
dancing, golf to botanical gardens, hiking to
horseback riding, movies to museums, shopping
and symphonies - Riverside offers it all.

Welcome to Big Bear!

Big Bear-- Big Bear is a world of natural beauty, crisp, clean alpine air, and endless four-season recreation. High above the hustle of everyday life, Big Bear Lake provides the ideal getaway for day or for a long vacation.

An easy drive from virtually anywhere in Southern California, Big Bear Lake offers numerous recreational opportunities including boating, sailing, water skiing, fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, golfing, down hill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, and more. Big Bear Lake is also host to numerous events throughout the year including Old Miner's Days, Oktoberfest, mountain bike racing, hobie cat regattas, jazz festivals, car shows, trout classics, rodeos, ski and snowboard competitions, and more.

Our City on the Internet - Best Big Bear Websites

Welcome to Corona!

Corona-- The City of Corona is home to more than 138,000 people. For more information about this dynamic community, click on Community Profile. This website also offers detailed links to Community Resources and lists Places to Go, Things to Do, as well as providing much other useful information.

Welcome to Moreno Valley!

Moreno Valley-- Moreno Valley is a dynamic community half-way between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Nestled between local mountains and Lake Perris, Moreno Valley is uniquely located one hour from the mountains, the desert, and the ocean.

Moreno Valley is centrally located in Southern California, 66 miles east of Los Angeles and 100 miles north of San Diego, two major metropolitan areas on the West Coast. This central location provides easy access to Pacific Rim and western U.S. markets ...plus we're only an hour's drive from major California recreation destinations: Orange County beaches, San Bernardino mountains, and desert resorts.