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After the new California carbon monoxide meter law took effect in July 2011, scammers found a new way to make money. 

To avoid being the scammers’ next victim I recomend to read the following article in Tracy Press : “Safety Requirement May Be Scam Opportunity”

Carbon monoxide meters are available in most major warehouses and stores like Walmart, Costco, Orchard Supply and many others and cost no more than  $25 to $40.

Related articles

• Fire officials warn of carbon monoxide detector scam (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

home with the tax credit:

Tax Credit & Tax Refund

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Today is Staint Nicholas Day in Europe.

In European countries December 6th is a much anticipated day by children: Saint Nickolas Day. On this special day, St. Nick surprises children with treats if they behaved well during the year. Those who were naughty, receive coal and sticks from St. Nicholas’ helper, Knecht Ruprecht.

On the evening of December 5th, children of all ages shine their shoes and then place them on the window sill. During that night, St. Nicholas makes a stop at each house. On the morning of December 6th, the children awake with excitement to see their treats.

When I was a young child, my sisters, my brother, and I always did a very thorough job cleaning our boots. My father always checked each one to see if it was acceptable for St. Nick’s visit.

The presents were placed in the shoes or boots in a small see-through bag that contained a few pieces of nuts, an orange (which was a rarity those days) and some small pieces of chocolates or lollypops. We were poor, so my siblings and I appreciated it very much. Not only because of the goodies, but because we knew that Christmas Eve would be extra special that year. The belief is that St. Nicholas and the Angels share the list of naughty and nice children. Therefore, getting treats from St. Nick instead of coals and sticks also meant that on Christmas Eve the Angels would not only bring the Christmas tree, but a present sent from Heaven as well.

I raised my own children with this same magical tradition and story. I am very pleased to see that they are passing it on to their own children, my grandchildren. It is not the big and expensive toys that make Christmas special. Small inexpensive things with the right magical story can make life long memories that they will cherish and pass down to their own children. That is worth a lot more and those memories are priceless.

Happy St. Nicholas Day to all!

Related articles

• Remembering Celebrations of St. Nicholas Day (blogcritics.org)
• Weird Christmas Traditions Around The World (socyberty.com)

http://realtytimes.com/145/EvaBradley

This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month’s issue includes topics such as:

“Why Buy a Home?”;
“Disclosure: Safest Way To Sell A Home”;
“Should I Take My Home Off the Market During the Holidays?”;
“Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday”;
“Value in Homeownership”;

Plus a roundup of November real estate activity in Tracy as well as much more advice and information.

I hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!

Please contact me if you would like this monthly Newsletter sent directly to your inbox.

To see how the market in Tracy was in the first 10 months of 2010, please take a minute to study the the following charts:

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There is a desperate need for bone marrow donors to save the lives of people suffering from leukemia and other life-threatening illnesses. 

Please join the National Donor Registry for this Marrow Drive to help several local cancer patients to have life saving Bone Marrow Transplant.

It is a painless procedure and no blood involved – it is a simple check SWAB. 

For more detailed information on Bone Marrow Transplant and the Registry of Bone Marrow Transplant please visit www.projectmarrow.org

 Tracy Bone Marrow Drive

Friday, November 12, 2010

12pm-6pm

104 W 10^th Street, Downtown Tracy

Inside Realty World Corral Hollow Real Estate

Be a Hero!

Have questions or concerns?  Please call Mitra Behnam at 209-740-2764

Related articles

• Why You Should Join the Bone Marrow Registry (self.com)

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According to the BBB Better Business Bureau article: “The housing market in the United States may not be thriving, but business is booming for foreclosure rescue and loan modification scammers.” Don’t be a victim of a scam – if you think that an offer to help with foreclosure or loan modification issues sound to good to be true, seek help or ask for a second opinion from a legitimate source. Read more…. 

Related articles by Zemanta

• Home Affordable Modification Program (flowerblossoms.wordpress.com)
• Desperate job hunters fall victim to scams (cbc.ca)

Tracy is a sleeper town, which means a big portion of its population, my husband included, is commuting to work to the San Francisco bay area day after day.  With affordable home prices and close proximity to the Silicon Valley many are attracted to move to Tracy and Mountain House area.

There is only one thing that is not so desirable about living in Tracy: the commute. Prospecting homebuyers beware; you are strongly advised to keep in mind that you will be spending a lot of your time on the road traveling to and from work.  If you are fortunate and able to use the ACE Train or carpool you are set.  But if you need to use your own vehicle and commute back and forth, sooner or later it is going to take a toll not only on you but also on your vehicle.  Commuting is not for everyone; it is stressful and while some can handle it, others can’t. Although the widening of Hwy 205 last year gave us a bit of a relief, the roads are still congested, especially during peak commute.

My suggestion is that if you are thinking of buying a property in Tracy or surroundings, do some traveling during the peak commute time to check out just how much time you would need to spend on the road.  Home prices are a lot lower here than in the Bay Area and interest rates are still in your favor; living in Tracy is well worth it.  It is good to live here!

Realty World Corral Hollow agents have always been actively involved in helping the community throughout the years and I am proud to be one of them.  We care about our clients and we care about the community.

In these troubling times, Corral Hollow agents are available for you to educate you and to give you directions as to what would be the best option for your individual situation. A confidential, personal consultation does not cost any money and if you get nothing else out of it, just knowing that there is someone you can trust and talk to, will make you feel better and it will be well worth it.

Being agents at Realty World Corral Hollow, our ongoing education allows us to stay informed of the newest laws, rules and regulations that would affect your situation as a homeowner.

For most of us, our biggest investment in our lives is our home.  And it is worth every effort to fight for it.  As your realtor, I would stand and fight with you, until we can reach a reasonable solution.  Even if you are one day away from foreclosure, there is still time to act. 

I urge you to pick up the phone and call me or any Corral Hollow agent to find out about your options. 

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Bi-Weekly Mortgage

Did You Know? Making one extra mortgage payment a year will knock years off your mortgage and save you thousands of dollars. Click here to learn more.

If you search for “bi-weekly mortgage” with an Internet search engine, you will be overwhelmed by the number of companies offering “Bi-weekly Mortgage Reduction Services” or “Bi-weekly Savings Programs.” Beware, you are entering dangerous waters.

Beware of Bi-Weekly Mortgage Reduction Services and Savings Programs

These “Reduction Services” and “Savings Programs” are charging you fees to “make a bi-weekly mortgage payment” for you. The enticement is that they will save you an impressive amount of money on your mortgage and reduce the number of years you pay on your mortgage.

The enticement is that they will make bi-weekly mortgage payments for you.

The real story is that they are not actually making bi-weekly payments on your mortgage. They are making bi-weekly deductions from your bank account. These funds are placed into an account from which your monthly mortgage payment is made (which only takes 24 deductions – but during the course of a year 26 deductions will be made from your account). With the extra 2 deductions, the “Service” makes an additional mortgage payment. In other words rather than making 12 mortgage payments, 13 payments are made.

The enticement is that they are providing a special service to you that would either not be possible for you to get on your own or that you won’t have the time or discipline to make it happen.

The real story is that you can easily make an additional mortgage payment each year. An easy way to do this is to have your mortgage payment automatically deducted from your account each month with an additional 1/12 payment to be applied to the principal amount. At the end of 12 months, you will have made an additional payment. And you won’t have to pay any fees to a “Service”.

Remember: when you have questions, you can always turn to a local Realtor® and he or she will be glad to assist you.