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***CLICK HERE FOR AN IMPORTANT UPDATE.***
The Hemet Home Loan Guy reported recently that the community down payment assistance programs HART and Nehemiah are going away by October 1st.
Looks like another great source of help for buyers in Hemet and the surrounding areas is going away by that same date: The Riverside County EDA First Time Home Buyers Program.
The program offered up to 20% (maximum $75,000) down payment assistance to first time home buyers with low income (80% of the County median income). The buyers are not required to make any payments on the down payment assistance, and if they kept the home for 15 years the second mortgage is forgiven.
The program had just been funded July 15th, but notice came out today from the Economic Development Agency that it was set to run out of funds by the end of September. That means that all the money for qualified first time home buyers had been used up within just over two months!
Home prices in the Inland Empire (Hemet, San Jacinto, Temecula, Murrieta and the surrounding areas of Riverside County) have dropped substantially. The good news is that more working class families have been able to take advantage of great programs like this. The bad news? That the programs have run out of funds in record time. Some programs show no sign of coming back in these difficult economic times.
There is another program from the Riverside County EDA that is for Moderate Income first-time buyers (those who make 120% or less of the median income) called the Redevelopment Homeownership Program.
The RHP also offers 20% down and is very similar to the FTHB. Notable differences? This interest-free and payment-free silent second mortgage is forgiven after 45 years (instead of 15), or if the buyer sells the home at or below the County's affordability limits. Also, this program ONLY works for homes outside of city limits (in unincorporated County areas).
In July, the RHP had over twice the amount available as the FTHB. Where does it stand now?
My office has calls in to the EDA to find out. As soon as I know, I will post it.
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Top Hemet Mortgage & Real Estate Articles:
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Joey Aszterbaum is the Hemet Home Loan Guy and a member of the Active Rain social network of real estate professionals. Patrion Mortgage is a direct lender and a division of Altura Credit Union (formerly Riverside County's Credit Union). To buy or refinance real estate in Hemet, Riverside County, California visit www.HemetHomeLoans.com or call 951.571.5751
That's an original cartoon, so if you use it without permission you will have legal problems. :)
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When I go to see a movie, all I want is a great story, powerful performances, a few laughs and a way of looking at the world that challenges my mind. Is that too much to ask? :)
Okay...that is too much to ask of every movie, I know. But in this case, Hollywood has delivered.
Traitor is a pulse-pounding thriller. But it's more than that. It's the story of a man of faith (Hotel Rwanda's Don Cheadle) stuck in the middle of the war on terror.
I was shocked that critics were 'meh' on this movie. I was riveted. It worked as a mystery, as a thriller, and as a meditation on the boundaries between religious conviction and civil duty.
Another surprise: The moview was co-written by Steve Martin. Yes, the legendary comedian who, nonetheless, is in the Pink Panther remakes.
The biggest surprise: this is from the same director that brought us the clunky piece of eco-disaster The Day After Tomorrow - Jeffrey Nachmanoff.
I also think that, like Hotel Rwanda, the movie works as political propoganda. I can't help but think that this is the sort of movie that could actually change hearts and minds in regards to radical Islam. It didn't paint a black and white picture of the west versus the middle east, but recognized the tensions and hypocrisy in both...presenting compelling portraits of both an FBI straight-arrow (LA Confidential's Guy Pearce) that is the son of a baptist preacher AND a terrorist cell leader (Saïd Taghmaoui) trying to stay true to his convictions.
Ignore the critics. This one is a must see.
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Joey Aszterbaum is the Hemet Home Loan Guy and a member of the Active Rain social network of real estate professionals. To buy or refinance your home in Hemet, Riverside County, or California visit www.HemetHomeLoans.com or call 951.571.5751.
Hemet Mortgage & Real Estate Articles:
Looking to buy real estate?
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You may think of doing your laundry as a relatively low impact and low danger activity. But if your dryer is not properly installed and maintained, it could well be a disaster waiting to happen.
There are thousands of house fires started every year by clothes dryers. These happen in a couple of ways.
Lint Build-up Clogging Vents
Cleaning out your lint trap and other lint in the laundry line is important for more than just making your dryer run more efficiently. Dryer lint left unchecked can translate to a build up of lint inside the machine. While you may not realize this, that lint is extremely flammable. It's essentially very airy cloth remnants and doesn't take much to ignite. Just a spark or two from your machine can start a fire that can quickly get out of hand.
In addition to your regular cleaning of the lint trap, you also should make sure to have a professional come out at least once a year to inspect and do a complete cleaning.
Lint and Debris in the Line
Not all lint gets caught up in the machine. Some of it continues out of your dryer and into the chutes and tubes leading from the dryer to the outside of your home. There are numerous points along the path where it can get stuck, on the walls, around a curve or even at the termination point in the vent. This is another area you need to have regularly cleaned by a professional to keep build up to a minimum.
Lint Near and Ignition Point
If you have a gas-powered clothes dryer, you need to be even more aware of the threats of fire connected to this appliance and keeping it clean. Since natural gas appliances have pilot lights, that means there is already a flame waiting for any lint to catch on fire.
More than Lint
It's not just lint that may be clogging up your dryer vent and ducts, but this is an area that bugs and rodents love. If they can create an access from the outside portion of the vent, they will be happy to move in to the line and set up shop. Many a homeowner has been surprised to find a mouse nest or even a bird nest inside their dryer vent.
The Fix
The easiest way to make sure your home is safe from a fire threat related to your dryer is to make sure the dryer and the line are well maintained. You should look for a certified dryer exhaust duct technician to take care of this for you.

This article was written by Steve Gors, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Murrieta. http://www.dryerventwizard.com provides dryer vent cleaning services to consumers and businesses in San Diego County, California, Encinitas, Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Fallbrook, Bonsall, Oceanside, Rainbow, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Riverside County, Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Perris, Corona, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Hemet, Menifee, Canyon Lake, Nuevo, San Jacinto, Winchester, Rubidoux, Norco and neighboring communities.
Dryer vent wizard, dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent exhaust cleaning, dryer vent repair, dryer vent alterations, dryer vent installations, dryer vent tube installations, dryer vent tubes, repair and replace dryer vents, dryer vent safety, dryer vent maintenance, dryer vent safety checks, dryer vent safety check kits, dryer vent service, dryer vent fire, clean dryer vents, dryer vent cleaning system, overheated clothes dryers, dryer vent ducts, dryer repair, dryer troubleshooting, air duct cleaning, American duct cleaning, dust mites, mold spores, mold, epa, dryer vent mold, dryer vent franchise, franchise opportunity, own a franchise, buy a franchise
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This is my house - in the Foothills of Hemet, California
The Hemet – San Jacinto Valley is not a typical location that many people relocate to because of the traditional reasons, such as a job or school. The Hemet San Jacinto Valley is a rather isolated destination, tucked into the base of Mount San Jacinto and surrounded by the Soboba Indian Reservation to the North and East and Diamond Valley Lake to the South.
In order to get a good clear vies of the area, Google has some pretty amazing satellite imagery that you can download for free – just go to earth.google.com. Once you have the program on your computer, you have free access to views of the entire world…nut just the Hemet – San Jacinto Valley.
You can use this tool to check out neighborhoods and even specific homes that you may be interested in buying. All you have to do is enter the address and you are taken to that exact address. You can than pan out and check out the rest of the neighborhood – see how close you are to the commuter routes, restaurants, schools and even where you’ll be working.
This is a cool tool that you can get lost in – it is easy to follow a road and wee where it will take you – and at $4 a gallon of gas, this might be a whole lot less expensive. There is a number of plug-ins that can make the experience even more interesting – depending on what you are interested in and where you are searching. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is a tour of the Hemet – San Jacinto Valley.
There are limitations to the program, but nothing that I think is a big deal. If you are looking to determine distances or routes you will want to use one of the more traditional map programs like maps.google.com, mapquest.com or maps.yahoo.com.
In the next article, I’ll reveal more tips for investigating the Hemet – San Jacinto Valley real estate market using the power of the Internet. Until then, don’t spend too much time looking at Google Earth – I’m sure you have something else important to do.
Blessings to all who read this,
John Occhi, REALTOR®
Century 21 Crest - CrestREO
CrestREO.Com
Hemet - San Jacinto Valley
951-927-9473
Author of "What You Need to Know...About Foreclosure and How You Can Stop It!" - If you are a Hemet or San Jacinto Homeowner.
This blog and the contents written here is the intellectual property of John Occhi, Hemet California REALTOR®. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of John Occhi and those who comment. Please note that I am not an attorney or a tax professional and any time I discuss either topic, I suggest you consult with the proper professional for relevant assistance.
This blog is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0. Information is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information the can be used to make better real estate decisions.
I am proud to be a full time REALTOR® with Century 21 Crest and the CrestREO Division who is proud to be a contributing member of the ActiveRain community.
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Krunching – An In Depth Look at the New Investor Tool
I recently published an article about a valuable new tool I discovered on the Internet and shared with my readers. This incredible website crunches numbers for investment real estate – and in the Hemet – San Jacinto Valley, we have a lot of properties that will generate a positive cash flow. In case you missed the article you can go back here and read about Krunching.

The purpose of this article is to go through the site and take a deeper look at what is offered for free.
The first search I did came from the “Find Investment Properties” search found in the upper menu area, in the center – nest to the blue magnifying glass icon.
I was given the opportunity to limit my search by county, city, zip code, the entire state of California, as well as by zip code. There were a couple of other limitations that did not make sense to me – maybe next time I play, I’ll look closer at those.
In any event, I selected my zip code of 92544, singe family detached homes under $150,000. The results were 88 Active listings with 45 of them reporting a positive cash flow.
The reported positive cash flow ranges from $5,517 per year down to a $82 return on your investment. The Hemet homes that reported a negative cash flow started at $114 per year and ranged all the way to a negative $4,125 with 6 reporting results of unknown.
When I click on the link, a clean page opens up with basic MLS data to include the listing agent and the MLS number. There are of course photos (apparently up to 6 can be displayed) as well as 6 tabs that allow you to look at additional details such as “County”, “Comps”, “Investment Summary”, “Investment Detail” and “Area Statistics”.
COUNTY TAB

This is pretty basic information that REALTORS® can typically get their hands on through the various Title Company websites, where they have accounts. It confirms the physical characteristics of the home as well as tax data and limited information on the last transaction. There is data that is held back for the paid subscribers, such as the current ownership and the loan details.
A nice feature that is reserved for the paid subscribers is “Underwriting AVM”. Apparently, the site will assign a value for the property based on their proprietary algorithm and then crunch the numbers to determine what the current Loan to Value is.
COMPS

A nice use of Google Maps where comps are identified within a 1.5 mile radius. The first 6 show up on the first screen shot and then you have the opportunity to “Show All”. You can also select the comps you want to view and narrow the search down to what you believe are the best comps to use in your analysis.
Remember now, these are only ACTIVE Comps – if you want the sold, you have to be prepared to pay the monthly fee.
Interestingly the data in the grid shows DAYS on MARKET (DOM). I was under the impression that the MLS quit sharing that information and it was only available on the AGENT REPOERT in the MLS. I’m not happy with that, hmmmm.
At the bottom of the page is a RENTAL COMPARABLE summary. Be careful if you select one of the reports available here – it will take you to a whole new site and you may lose your location and have to re-enter the criteria that got you where you were.
INVESTMENT SUMMARY

This is the interactive calculator where you can play with the numbers and KRUNCH away.
This is a real cool tool – as quick as you change a variable the Summary changes. There are a series of built in variables for you to select from and of course you can always put in your own custom numbers.
The seven variables that you can work with include, Purchase Price, Market Value, Market Rent, Appreciation (%) over a 5 year span, Rent Adjustment (%) also over a 5 year span, Financing options and Operating expense options.
You can spend some time here – playing the old “what if” game. It is kind of fun, too.
The summary itself spans out 5 years and covers Sales Value, Rents, Cashflow Before Taxes, Cash-on-Cash Return and Capitalization Rate.
INVESTMENT DETAIL

This is another page chock full of valuable information that I believe is generated based on the current scenario from the Investment Summary tab. This page breaks each category down into a five year analysis.
First there is the Net Operating Income report that covers Maximum Possible Rent, Vacancy Allowances, Management Fees, Tax Assessment, Insurance Service and Repairs leaving you with a 5 year projection of Net Operating Income.
The Cashflow report crunches the Net Operating Income and deducts the Debt Service, leaving you with the Cashflow Before Taxes.
As an investor, there always has to be an exit strategy to every property and of course this program allows the user to look at the
Sales Proceeds from a Hypothetical Sale. It takes into consideration the cost of the sale, the mortgage payoff, the amount of principal paid on the debt and then your Before Tax Sales Proceeds.
The tab ends with a look at the Basis, creating an Adjusted Basis and then looking at the Taxable Gain/Loss.
AREA STATISTICS

The final tab has limited free information – most of it is reserved for subscribers. Again, this is information that any REALTOR® worth their salt already can provide their real estate investor clients. We are talking about Property Types, Occupancy and Vacancy.
There is a grid that tells the viewer how many Residential addresses are in the tract as well as the Zip Code and how many vacancies there are (both in a real number and a percentage) and then the same for Commercial Addresses.
CONCLUSION
When all is said and done I have to admit that I am impressed with the accuracy of the data that Krunching provides. They do a very good job in presentation – not overloading any one page, but keeping the relevant data together. I am certain that this will become a powerhouse real estate website…maybe even still another place for us to advertise or to buy leads. Oh well, at least we still live in a free market economy.
Now have a blessed day,
John Occhi, REO REALTOR®
Century 21 Crest – CrestREO
www.CrestREO.Com
Blessings to all who read this,
John Occhi, REALTOR®
Century 21 Crest - CrestREO
CrestREO.Com
Hemet - San Jacinto Valley
951-927-9473
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Author of "What You Need to Know...About Foreclosure and How You Can Stop It!" - If you are a Hemet or San Jacinto Homeowner.
This blog and the contents written here is the intellectual property of John Occhi, Hemet California REALTOR®. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of John Occhi and those who comment. Please note that I am not an attorney or a tax professional and any time I discuss either topic, I suggest you consult with the proper professional for relevant assistance.
This blog is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0. Information is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information the can be used to make better real estate decisions.
I am proud to be a full time REALTOR® with Century 21 Crest and the CrestREO Division who is proud to be a contributing member of the ActiveRain community.

call me direct for your Hemet – San Jacinto Valley Real Estate needs, 951-443-6259
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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