So you’re looking for some safe and fun activities to celebrate Halloween in the Palmdale and Lancaster area?  There are quite a few events going on this year beginning Friday the 28th all the way through to the big day on Monday the 31st.  Check ‘em out!

Halloween Events in Palmdale, CA

10/28:  Halloween Costume Party

The Fun After Fourty Dance Club is hosting this dance and costume party at the Legacy Commons for Active Seniors (930 E Avenue Q9) on Friday the 28th from 7:30pm to 10pm.  Admission is $5 for members and $7 for guests.

10/29:  The “Spooky Fun Children’s Party”

The Palmdale Moose Lodge is hosting this event for children ages 12 and younger.  The party is being held at the Moose Lodge in Palmdale (3101 E Avenue Q) from noon to 3pm on Saturday the 29th.  There will be games, crafts, and lots of goodies!

10/30:  Dia de los Muertos Celebration

A local observation of a centuries-old tribute to departed loved-ones is being presented by the Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  This event is being held in Palmdale‘s Poncitlan Square just outside of City Hall (on 9th St East at E Avenue Q9) from 11am to 5pm on Sunday the 30th.  Live performances by Simplemente Belle, Grupo Basucazo, Banda Sensacion del Valle, Enrique “El Primero” Valle, El Padrino de Guanajuato, Victor Guerrero and Maricella Ibarra will be on the stage.

Halloween Events in Lancaster, CA

10/28:  FearFest 1.0

Presented by the University of Antelope Valley, FearFest begins at 8pm on Friday, October 28th, and goes until 2am on Saturday.  The event is being held at the Pioneer Event Center located at 45000 Valley Central Wy (Next to the Jethawks Stadium) in Lancaster.  There will be a haunted maze, a costume contest, and live entertainment.  Admission is $15 at the door.

10/29:  BooLVD Halloween and Harvest Festival

The largest Halloween celebration runs from 5pm to 9pm on Saturday the 29th on Lancaster Blvd between Beech and Fern Avenues.  There will be many games, a costume contest and live entertainment (a tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” being one example!) … For more information and the times/locations of the various shows, take a look at the City of Lancaster‘s website.

10/29 – 10/30:  N’Ever Rest Cemetery and Haunted House

This attraction is located at 43848 Elm Ave in Lancaster and is open to the public from 6pm to 10pm on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th.  Admission is FREE but they are accepting donations to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

10/30:  ”Halloween Bash” Costume Party

… Held at the Lancaster Elks Lodge (240 E Avenue K) on Sunday the 30th from 6pm to 10pm.  This event is aimed at singles and couples 40 years old and above.  Admission is $10 at the door.

10/31:  Halloween Party

… Held at the Lancaster Elks Lodge (240 E Avenue K) on Monday the 31st from 6pm to 8pm.  This one is for the kids (12 and younger) and is FREE!  The event will feature a haunted house attraction, games, a meal and treats!

10/31:  Rotting Ridge Cemetery

Located at 43008 Guyman Ave in Lancaster, this spooky attraction features a graveyard, haunted house and fright maze!  The gates creak open at nightfall on Monday the 31st.

Halloween Events in Quartz Hill, CA

10/31:  A “Trunk or Treat”

… is being sponsored by the Christ Our Savior United Methodist Church (5027 W Columbia Wy in Quartz Hill) from 5pm to 8pm on Monday the 31st.  The event will feature games, treats and prizes for the kids, and hot coffee, cider and cookies for the parents.

Halloween Events in Antelope Acres, CA

10/31:  The 5th Annual Halloween Carnival

… will be held at the Antelope Acres Community Center (8812 W Avenue E8) from 5pm to 8pm on Monday the 31st.  This is a free event sponsored by the Antelope Acres Community Queens and it will feature a haunted house attraction and trick-or-treating.

Halloween Events in Littlerock, CA

10/31:  Scarecrew’s Decorated Graveyard

A Halloween display located at 9829 E Avenue S12 in Littlerock featuring motorcycle-riding skeletons, tractor-driving pumpkin men and some creative headstones!  Available for trick-or-treat pitstops beginning at dusk on Monday the 31st.

Unfortunately, there will be no fireworks display sponsored by the City of Palmdale this year due to budget restraints.  However, the use of “Safe-and-Sane” fireworks are still allowed within the Palmdale city limits.  You will want to make sure that you are not located in a “No Fireworks” Zone, though!  The City of Palmdale has put up an interactive map that outlines where 4th of July fireworks are allowed to be set off and has also posted some safety tips that all would be wise to follow for an enjoyable and safe 4th of July holiday!

City of Palmdale Fireworks Safety Tips

Always read directions and use common sense.

• Have an adult present.
• Use outdoors only—away from buildings, vehicles, dry grass and other flammable objects.
• Light one at a time, then move quickly away.
• Keep others at a safe distance.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Never alter or take apart fireworks.
• Do not give to young children under any circumstances.
• Have a bucket of water handy for emergencies and for dousing misfired and   spent fireworks.
• Never attempt to relight or fix malfunctioning fireworks.

To protect your pet on the Fourth of July, take these precautions:

• Resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him company.
• Consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear andanxiety he or she may experience during fireworks displays.
• Never leave pets outside unattended. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn’t leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.

“Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly,” said Director of Public Safety Anne Ambrose.

“Only ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks are allowed in Palmdale city limits except for the designated ‘No Fireworks Zone’ where even ‘Safe and Sane’ are illegal,” said Anne Ambrose. “The ‘No Fireworks Zone’ includes the Anaverde housing development and anywhere south of the California Aqueduct, as well as neighborhoods located on the south side of Rancho Vista Boulevard along the following lines: beginning at the intersection of Rancho Vista Boulevard and 30th Street West, areas south and west of Rancho Vista Boulevard, north to Avenue N-8; south and west of Avenue N-8 from Rancho Vista Boulevard to 55th Street West; west of 55th Street West; and south from 55th Street West to 60th Street West (Godde Hill Road),” she added.

“Our Web site, www.cityofpalmdale.org, has an interactive map that allows residents to enter their address so they can see if they live in the ‘No Fireworks Zone’ where ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks are NOT allowed,” said Ambrose. “Residents may also contact the City’s Code Enforcement office at 267-5234 or the Public Safety Department at 267-5181 and our staff will assist them.”

“Illegal fireworks are not allowed anywhere in Palmdale or in the Los Angeles County portion of the Antelope Valley,” said Ambrose.  “These are the type that explode or shoot up in the air and they are dangerous and cause a real threat to life and property,” she added.

“If people are caught using illegal fireworks in Palmdale, they will be facing a $2,500 fine for a first offense, $5,000 for a second offense and $10,000 for a third offense,” Ambrose added.

Fireworks may only be discharged from noon on Tuesday, June 28 through noon on Tuesday, July 5. Discharging fireworks before June 28 or after July 5 will subject the violators to fines.

For more information, please call 661/267-5181. To report any illegal fireworks anonymously, please call the Sheriff’s Department at 272-2400.

Photo Credit: fireworks from Crestock Images

I’ve been working with a buyer that has been focused on bank-owned / REO properties here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area but with the REO inventory so low here in the Antelope Valley, I expanded the search to include short-sales as well. This evening, I received this question from them in an e-mail:

“…So what I was wondering is how much lower the bank will typically go on a short sale? Or how likely it is that they will go down at all? Because I know short sales are a lot more complicated and I don’t really want to get involved in the whole process if there isn’t even a possibility that they’ll go low enough that we could give them something actually in our price range. …”

First of all, short-sales are not necessarily more difficult on the buyer’s side of the transaction. The one thing a short-sale buyer will need is an extra helping of patience! The time frame for bank approval on a short-sale can be anywhere from 3 to 6 months and that’s before your actual escrow time line starts. Add another 30 to 60 days after the bank’s approval of the short-sale for you to get the keys to your new home.

What a short-sale buyer needs to understand is that the bank does not own the home. Just as in a standard sale, you are making an offer to the current owner of the property who needs to sell the home for less than what he owes the bank, usually due to a personal financial hardship. A better term for a short-sale would be a short-pay or short-payoff because the bank is agreeing to be shorted the amount of money that they are owed.

The buyer of a short-sale home will negotiate with the owner to come to an acceptable purchase price. Once the purchase price and terms are negotiated, the seller (or most likely, the seller’s agent) will submit the purchase agreement to the bank to begin the short-sale negotiation. It is important for a short-sale buyer to understand that while the bank does not own the property and is not a party to the sale as they are in a REO purchase, the short-sale approval is a contingency to the purchase contract.  This means that if the short-sale is not approved, the buyer will not lose their deposit.

During the short-sale approval process, the bank will order price opinions from a third-party broker – or two – that isn’t involved in the transaction as well as a full appraisal. The bank will use these to determine if the purchase price is in the range of fair market value. If it isn’t, they will state what they believe the fair-market value to be and demand a payoff of that amount … and the battle begins!

So, to successfully purchase a home that is listed as a short-sale, a buyer should be working with an agent who can properly analyze the market and help you to make an informed offer that is fair to all involved. This way, there is more of a chance that your short-sale offer will be approved by the bank and we can move you forward towards a successful closing!

Photo Credit: Woman at Blackboard from Crestock Stock Photography

Looking for places to watch Fourth of July fireworks in the Antelope Valley area? Well, to celebrate Independence Day 2010 you’ll have two chances!

To kick off the weekend, you can spend a wonderful evening in the park with the 2101 season opening of Palmdale’s Starlight Concert Series … Come on out to Marie Kerr Park located at Rancho Vista Blvd and 30th St West and for the easy-on-the-wallet fee of $5.00/ticket (children under 12 are free!) you will enjoy the music of the multi-platinum country/pop group LONESTAR! Following the show will be Palmdale’s fireworks spectacular! The show begins at 8pm on JULY 3RD, 2010.

Yes, you read that right … Palmdale’s 2010 fireworks show is going to be on July 3rd, NOT July 4th.

Didn’t get enough fireworks?  On July 4th, 2010 the City of Lancaster will have a fantastic display at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.  The grandstands open at 8pm and admission to the fireworks show is FREE!

Happy Independence Day and enjoy the Antelope Valley fireworks shows!

Photo Credit: fireworks from Crestock Images

As buyers who have been sitting on the fence or were not able to get an offer accepted in this hot REO market here in the Lancaster / Palmdale area are watching the clock run down on the Federal First-Time Home Buyer tax credit, the State of California has stepped in to fill the gap.

To have qualified for the Federal First-Time Home Buyer tax credit you would have had to had an accepted contract and opened escrow before April 30th, 2010.  As market trends have been showing us, many buyers jumped in the frey here in Palmdale and Lancaster to meet that deadline.   However, there are some buyers that have been waiting for the predicted flood of new REO / Bank-Owned properties to hit the market and see how they affect prices and there are even more buyers that have been trying to buy a home in Palmdale or Lancaster that have run into the problem we have here of low REO inventory making it hard to get an offer accepted because of the multiple offers running bids up over asking prices.

If you fit into one of these categories, then don’t fear! The Governator signed a bill that will go into affect the day AFTER the Federal Tax Credit goes away.  On May 1st, 2010, the California First-Time Home Buyer and New-Home Buyer tax credit goes into effect.

HOW DOES THE NEW CALIFORNIA TAX CREDIT WORK?

Basically, for either credit, the State of California will credit the first-time buyer or new-home buyer 5% of the sales price up to $10,000 towards their tax liability. This credit is spread out over a three year period.  In other words, if you purchase a home for $180,000 (easy to do here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area!) you would qualify for a tax credit of $9,000.  When you file your taxes for 2010, 2011, and 2012 you would receieve a $3,000 credit towards your tax liability.

Note that if you do not have a tax liability for those years the State of California will NOT give you a refund based on this credit. In other words, if you only owe $1,500 in taxes for 2010 you will only receive a $1,500 dollar credit … the State will not zero out your liability and then give you a $1,500 refund.

Here is a quick run-down of what you need to do to qualify for one of these new California tax credits …

CALIFORNIA FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT QUALIFICATION

A qualified principal residence, for purposes of the First-Time Buyer Credit, must:

• Be a single family residence, either detached or attached. This can be a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a house boat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home. A home constructed by the taxpayer is not eligible since the home has not been “purchased.”
• Be eligible for the California property tax homeowner’s exemption.
• Be occupied by the taxpayer as their principal residence for a minimum of 2 years immediately following the purchase.
• A first-time buyer is any individual (and the individual’s spouse/RDP, if married on the date of purchase) who did not have an ownership interest in a principal residence, either in or out of California, during the preceding 3 year period ending on the date of the purchase of the qualified principal residence. If the buyer is married on the date of purchase and either the buyer or the buyer’s spouse/RDP had an ownership interest in a principal residence during the preceding 3 year period, the buyer does not qualify for the First-Time Buyer Credit even if the spouse/RDP is not going to be on title.

CALIFORNIA NEW-HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT QUALIFICATION

A qualified principal residence, for purposes of the New Home Credit, must:

• Be a single family residence, either detached or attached. This can be a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a house boat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home. A home constructed by the taxpayer is not eligible since the home has not been “purchased.”
• Have never been occupied. Sellers must certify that the home has never been occupied in order for a taxpayer to receive an allocation of the credit.
• Be eligible for the California property tax homeowner’s exemption.
• Be occupied by the taxpayer as their principal residence for a minimum of 2 years immediately following the purchase.

For more information and instructions on how to claim your tax credit, please see the official announcement from the California Franchise Tax Board.

For such a cold day here in Palmdale tonight’s sunset sure is hot!

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any harder to qualify for a home loan …

FannieMae announced on September 29th, 2009 (yeah, I guess I’m late to the party) that effective December 12th, 2009 they will be reducing the debt to income ratio (DTI) requirement to 45 percent “with flexibilities up to 50 percent for certain loan casefiles with strong compensating factors.”

What this means is that for those folks that were barely qualifying for a mortgage before due to credit card balances, car loans, department store debt, etc. will now be blown out of the home-buying market for sure.

What can you do?  Pay off those loans!  Get rid of your personal debt if you want to qualify for a home loan after December 12th.  Not that that’s a bad idea anyway!

Take note, rent payments toward your current place of residence, utility bills, or other bills incurred towards your current home do not count towards your DTI … It’s the personal debt (credit cards, etc) that we are talking about here.  I believe child and spousal support also counts (let’s NOT gyp your kids to get into a house!).

So don’t worry about that expiring tax credit – offer $8000 less on the property for immediate gratification! – and start worrying about your finances!  Get your ducks in a row, talk to a good mortgage broker/banker, and get to shopping for that home you’ve always wanted … Just make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your wallet!

This is #1 of a 9-part series highlighting new and/or updated laws as of the closing of the October 2009 legislative session affecting buyers, sellers, and real estate agents in California.  Subscribe to this blog so you won’t miss the rest of the series!

Assembly Bill 957 – Signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger on October 11, 2009 and stays in affect until January 1, 2015 is known as “The Buyer’s Choice Act.”

Before we go into the purpose of The Buyer’s Choice Act, let me give you a little of the back-story …

The process of buying a bank-owned (REO) property can be stressful on buyers here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area. During a time in which most foreclosure buyers think that they should have all the control – Hey, it’s a Buyer’s Market, right?! – when they actually get into the process of negotiating an offer on the home they’ve decided on they realize that they don’t have as much power as they thought …

The actual process of the REO home purchase is a topic for another post, but let’s just say that the bank likes to play hardball and twist some thumb screws with their pages of additional addenda to the California Residential Purchase Agreement. Part of the fine print usually defines which companies the bank wishes to use for escrow and title services.

The REO Seller has most likely chosen these services for the following reasons:

• The escrow and title fees have been negotiated upfront. Due to large volume the escrow and title companies have given the REO seller a discount.
• The escrow and title officers have been trained in the systems and procedures of the REO seller. Banks have a large amount of foreclosures that they are working with, so to keep the processes easier and uniform they like to make sure that every file will be handled the same way and all the necessary internal forms are used.
• REO departments like to have a single point of contact. One stop for all the REO files is much easier to keep track of for them.

Now, the problem we are running into here in Palmdale and Lancaster, is that 9 out of 10 bank-owned sales are placed into escrow with a company that are far from local. This sometimes makes it harder for agents and buyers of the REO properties to get paperwork to escrow or for the buyer to go into the escrow or title office to sign loan documents. This has also made a huge impact on the local Antelope Valley escrow and title offices. Many of the smaller escrow companies went out of business in the last couple of years since the real estate bubble burst and even the larger companies have either closed or consolidated their Palmdale and Lancaster branch offices. This has caused several job losses here in the Antelope Valley!

So, I told you that story to tell you this one …

It has long been California law that the choice of escrow and title services are to be negotiated by the buyer and seller as part of the offer/counter offer process. Although some agents may say that the buyer doesn’t have the choice, that has never been the case. The problem has been that some REO sellers that are not familiar with California law are telling buyers, through their pre-printed addenda, that they have no choice … It’s either the bank’s way or the highway!

The purpose of The Buyer’s Choice Act is to prevent the REO buyer from feeling like they are being strong-armed into using services they may not wish to use. The Act requires that the REO seller provide a disclosure to the buyer stating that the buyer has the right to request that other escrow and title services be used. The Act does NOT hand the control to the buyer and force the seller to use the buyer’s preferred escrow and title services – This would be just as bad.

So, does the Buyer’s Choice Act really help the buyer? Possibly … It will require that the REO agent disclose that the buyer can negotiate their own escrow and title services BUT the REO seller still has the right to tell the buyer to go pound sand!

My personal opinion is that the Buyer’s Choice Act was lobbied for by the escrow and title companies that were losing business because they weren’t able to strike a deal for the foreclosure business that some other companies did … I can’t say that I blame them. I miss using my local escrow and title officers too! This may help bring some business back to the local Palmdale and Lancaster businesses (and that would be a good thing!) but the bottom line is, that in this age of the Internet, e-mail, digital signatures, overnight deliveries, etc. it truly doesn’t matter where a company is located – what matters is that they do their job and work with the agents, buyers, and sellers to get the REO sale closed!

What do you folks think? Let’s discuss it in the comments below!

Although the first day of fall was last week, here in Palmdale today was the first day of actual fall-like weather.

This morning I walked outside to a wonderful sunrise and mid-60 degree temps. As the day progressed, it didn’t get past the mid 80s … Quite a relief from the 100+ degree days we’ve been have these last few weeks!

Yes, we may have another heat wave before fall finally sets in to stay, but today reminded us that summer is finally over!

If you don’t get the reference to the elephant, please take a sec to go read my last post .  Go ahead, I’ll wait … Got it?  Okay!

So I did some quick research and found that according to RealtyTrac the Notice of Default filings (NODs) in Palmdale and Lancaster has been rising steadily since January.  Yes, the elephant is now going to whack the ignorant upside the head!

Can you tell when the foreclosure moratorium was lifted?  That’s a 54.4% increase in NOD filings from Feb 2009 to March 2009!

Now take a look at the difference from the 4th Quarter of 2008 to the 1st Quarter of 2009 …

Here you’re looking at a whopping 87.7% increase in NOD filings!

So, bottom line, what does this all mean?  I think it means we’re in for another huge increase in inventory which may mean some more softening of prices and buyer demand.  The increase in market activity that everyone has been cheering about will either be short-lived OR will see a big influx of investors coming into the market.

Up until now, most of the REO / Bank-Owned properties I sell have been to first-time home buyers.  If the $8000 tax credit and the favorable interest rates continue to hold we may still be OK.  If they don’t or if it becomes harder to finance investment properties our Palmdale / Lancaster housing market may REALLY tank.

I was accused by some on my last post of being filled with doom-and-gloom.  On the contrary, I am just being realistic here.  Yes, our market has been going along at a pretty good clip.  Hell, my 2008 sales numbers were my best ever!  But these NOD numbers may be a foreshadowing to a tailspin even worse than what we saw in 2007.  The whole point of this post and my last were to bring to light what people are NOT talking about.  You can’t take the good without the bad.

So, people keep saying we’re at the bottom of the market here in Palmdale / Lancaster.  After seeing these numbers, what say you?

Yes, as reported by the AV Press today, home sales in the Antelope Valley (Palmdale / Lancaster, CA) are way WAY up from last year … here’s the numbers released by the Greater Antelope Valley Association of REALTORS:

• 773 homes sold in March 2009 (282 in March 2008)
• 2111 Homes sold Jan 2009-Mar 2009 (654 sold Jan-Mar 2008)
• Average sales price $129,390 in March 2009 (DOWN 46% from March 2008)
• Average sales price $140,401 Jan-Mar 2009 (DOWN 44% from Jan-March 2008)
• About 2500-3000 active listings (DOWN from about 5500 Q4 2008)

So what does this mean? A few things, in my opinion.

First of all, prices are at a level that many homes can be purchased here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area for about the same or less than it costs to rent. Why throw your cash down the toilet by handing it to a landlord when you can be buying your own piece of the American Dream??  If you have good credit and can prove your income, there are plenty of banks dying to give you a loan contrary to all the BS most media outlets (or even your own President for God sakes) would have you believe!  Loans are being made every day and I’ve got the closed transaction history to prove it!

Secondly, I believe the $8000 tax credit for home buyers has had a positive effect.  I know if I were a first-time buyer looking for a home the Perfect Storm of historically low interest rates, $8000 from Uncle Sam, and deep discounts on REO / Bank-Owned homes here in the Antelope Valley would have me pulling out my checkbook!

How about the drop in prices? Why are prices still dropping if the buyer activity is increasing??  Well, here’s the thing … About 85-90% of the housing market in Palmdale / Lancaster is either REO / Bank-Owned homes or they are short-sale listings. Yes, banks want to maximize profit – I should say minimize their loss – but the main goal is to get the assets off their books as quickly as possible.  So this means price reductions until the house gets sold!  Yes, the falling prices has slowed to about 1-2% per month (down from as much as 5% in 2007-2008) but they’re still coming down.  The only thing really saving us right now are multiple offers bidding the prices UP when the sweet-spot is hit on the list price.

Now, about that elephant … What no one seems to be talking about here is what I am most worried about when people ask me about the bottom of the market here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area.  You notice from the stats above that our available inventory has dropped substantially from last year.  You know when that happened?  Right about January 1st when many REO and short-sale listings didn’t get SOLD but they EXPIRED.  What else has been happening in the foreclosure market?  The banks have all been adhering to a moratorium on foreclosures and also have been sitting on their toxic assets waiting to see what ‘ol Obama’s bailout was going to entail.  This is giving us an artificially low inventory!

As of last week all of the moratoriums have been lifted. Banks are finally organizing their pre-foreclosure work-out plans.  They have analyzed their backlog of bad loans and more-or-less know who will qualify for a loan modification.  Those loans that can’t be worked out they are now moving forward with the foreclosure process.

Here’s some more stats …

Notice of Default Filings (The first phase of the foreclosure process)

• JAN 2009 – 968
• FEB 2009 – 1338
• MAR 2009 – 1472

As you can see, they are on the rise again.  At least 80% of those NODs will go through the foreclosure process and end up being REO / Bank-owned homes for sale.  This is just the tip of the ice burg.  How about all the loans that were bad before the moratorium was lifted?  I predict we are going to see some drastically higher NOD filings in the coming months.

Now here’s the thing – when these banks start putting these homes on the market that they’ve been sitting on since about last September the inventory of available homes for sale it going to shoot back up.  How high?  Who knows … But when it does, the current buyer frenzy that may be partially attributed to a perceived bottoming-out of the market may soften.  The buyers will have more homes to choose from and their sense of urgency lost.  This may send home prices into even more of a tailspin and this is what I am most concerned about.

People ask me all the time if I think the market has bottomed out.  I say who knows … I wish I had a crystal ball.  I just wish the government hadn’t stepped in and interfered with this market correction.  I feel that they have delayed the recovery here in the Palmdale / Lancaster area for 2-3 years if not more.  Now we have a potentially HUGE backlog of REO homes for sale that are going to need to be dumped and could potentially be even more devastating to our market values than what we have seen to date.

What do you think? Feel free to comment below … And if you have any questions or are looking for a smokin’ deal on bank-owned / REO properties here in Palmdale or Lancaster, drop me a line!

I just received the following communication from the City of Lancaster … Please contact your local representative to stop this from becoming reality!  Lancaster has been working hard to decrease its crime rate.  We don’t need the added stigma of high-risk criminals moving into our back yards.  Along with the inmates comes their friends to visit … Help keep our valley safe!

Dear Citizens:

The City of Lancaster has recently enjoyed tremendous cuts in our crime rate as we continue to aggressively combat criminal and gang activity.  This has been a community led battle which has achieved lasting results and restored calm to our neighborhoods.

As we speak, however, state agencies are looking to compromise Lancaster’s fight to restore safety to the Antelope Valley by advancing plans to increase the concentration of sex offenders and violent criminals at the California State Prison in Lancaster.  This is being done with blatant disregard for our community’s safety, compromising the efforts we have all made to end violence in City neighborhoods.  As the Mayor of Lancaster, I implore all residents and members of the greater Antelope Valley to help protest these actions and stop this unfair targeting of our community.

The California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation plans to convert the C Yard at the California State Prison – Los Angeles County in Lancaster into a Level Four Special Needs yard, a move that will make the prison home to some of the worst inmates in the entire state.  Please help combat these plans by forwarding letters to your elected officials in opposition to these horrific plans.

You may access a letter opposing the proposed prison conversion by clicking here .  You may copy the content of the letter, and paste it into the body of your email. Using the email addresses provided, please sign and forward the opposition letter to your elected officials and representatives.

Be sure to provide a closing to the letter with your name, and feel free to personalize the letter in any other way you see fit.  You may also choose to print the letter for standard mailing. For more information on the prison yard conversion, please read the City’s press release or watch a special video message regarding this issue.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the City at (661) 723-6000 or log onto www.cityoflancasterca.org .  Also, make sure to sign up for CityLink updates to receive breaking news regarding this and other City issues.

Thank you again for your help. I am confident that together we can fight this injustice and continue our efforts to make the Antelope Valley the safest community in America.

Respectfully,

R. Rex Parris,

Mayor of Lancaster

Send your emails and letters to the following individuals:

Matthew Cate, Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
matt.cate@cdcr.ca.gov
1515 S Street, Suite 502 South
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (916) 323-6001

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
governor@governor.ca.gov
Los Angeles Office:
300 South Spring St, Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: (213) 897-0322
Fax: (213) 897-0319

Senator George Runner
senator.runner@sen.ca.gov
Lancaster Office:
848 W. Lancaster Boulevard, Suite 101
Lancaster, CA 93534
Phone: (661) 729-6232
Fax: (661) 729-1683

Congressman, Howard "Buck" McKeon
http://mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml
Palmdale Office:
1008 W. Ave M-14, Suite E-1
Palmdale, CA 93551

Congressman, Kevin McCarthy
http://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/showpage.asp?ID=69
4100 Empire Drive, Suite 150
Bakersfield, CA 93309

Assemblyman Steve Knight

http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/member/36/?p=email

Antelope Valley District Office:
41319 12th Street W, Suite 105
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 267-7636
(661) 267-7736 fax

Senator Dianne Feinstein
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUS.EmailMe
Los Angeles Office:
11111 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 915
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Senator Barbara Boxer
http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm
Los Angeles Office:
312 N. Spring Street, Suite 1748
Los Angeles, CA 90012