Northridge, CA

By Clicking on the link below you can search for foreclosures and other homes listed for sale in the

Los Angeles and Sorrounding Areas.

Click Here to Search For Listings:

http://od1204803.isanexpert.com/listings/residential_r43.aspx

If you would like to be updated and receive notification of up and coming newly listed homes please feel free to contact me via e-mail at dawnsrealestate4u@yahoo.com .

Please include the following: Price range, Area or City, Property Type, # of Bedrooms, Garage Etc.

It is a great time to purchase, homes are being listed for sale daily.

If you are serious about working with an experienced Realtor who truly cares about you and your real estate needs please contact Dawn Anderson at Coldwell Banker - Quality Properties .

Dawn can be reached at 818-266-7622 or email: dawnsrealestate4u@yahoo.com

FEATURED LISTING Click Below:

http://od1204803.isanexpert.com/listings/listingdetail_r4.aspx?LID=32084333

The Northridge Farmers' Market is a great place to go to find all the freshest fruits and vegetables! make sure to check it out this week!

After you've been to the Northridge Farmers Market try this great recipe that got glowing reviews!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (yes, 1 1/4 cups)
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (Regular or mini, I like mini best)

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.
2. Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
4. Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

This post is supported by James90210 on Active Rain, Localism and all other blogs.

Yesterday my buyers (who already had loan approval) were ready to close escrow only to be told that they could not get insurance because the property had a prior water damage claim plus the fact that many buyers who purchased foreclosure properties immediately put in claims for missing appliances, missing pool equipment, and damages to the property. This is a new trend among insurance companies that is likely to continue! I have taken a number of steps to overcome this new challange to my qualified buyers and if all goes well in the next few days we will close this escrow on time. I'll let you know how it goes. My hope is that my experience will be of help to others in overcoming this new hurdle.

Monday Oct 13, 2008 Update: We made it! We closed escrow last Friday! Here's what we did. We went to the property with the permission of the selling broker and took several time and date stamped high resolution digital photos showing the general condition of the interior and exterior of the property including roof condition, appliances, flooring and close-ups showing that all copper plumbing had been upgraded (under sinks, water heater, hose bibs, etc.) We submitted the photos with a "general statement of condition" to the insurance company and they OK'd the policy. You don't always have to think out of the box to save an escrow...sometimes you only have to lookaround the corner for a workable solution! Hope you find this helpful.

What a great help this tax credit will be for buyers who are having difficulty affording their first home. With all the headlines about the so called credit crisis, it is nice to see that there are incentives being put in place for first time homebuyers.

The Housing Stimulus Bill is offering a $7500 tax credit that would be available for any qualified purchase between April 9, 2008 and June 30, 2009. The credit is repayable over 15 years (making it, in effect, an interest free loan)

Combine this tax credit with the current down payment assistance programs available in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties to get 100% financing and upto a $7500 tax credit. Let's spread the word.

I took a listing in Northridge California from a nice lady that has some, albeit them applicable, concerns about safety. With my Law Enforcement background I had informed her that I want everyone to use the lockbox to obtain access, even if the seller is out on the front porch when the prospective buyers come up. This is so I can have a record of who visited, just in case.

I also told her to keep any and all valuables out of sight. I informed her not to let anyone come in that is not with a Realtor that can access the box. And not to let anyone else in while one is showing. When the one that is showing finishes, make sure they place back the key and the agent waiting remove the key with their Access key.

Plus a lot of other stuff.

I get a panicked phone call from my client two days ago. Telling me that she received a hand written letter from a husband and wife (per the return address label). That said that they wanted to buy her home. It then listed a (310) area code (Los Angeles) with a physical address and a please call me note.

There was no disclaimer to "disregard if her home is listed for sale". There was no other information related to this being other than what it appeared to be, some real people that wanted to buy her home.

So I called. It was a call answering center, the lady told me that she needed to get further information from me before she could put me into contact with the couple that mailed me the letter. I gave her my name and my phone number and stopped. I asked who the man and woman that mailed the letter to me were. She said she does not know and is not with them, but she is in a call center. She further commented that they are in investment company but knew nothing else.

I received a call about 1 hour later from a (310) area code from a man that seemed to have a speech impediment while talking he smacked his lips after each sentence. I returned his call and acted like my seller. I told him that I received his letter and that I am ready to have him purchase my home. He wanted to know the address. I told him that he should know it. He said that he sent a few letters in the same neighborhood, due to him and his wife wanting to be in that school district.

I then came clean because he was not. I told him that he was soliciting a home that is already for sale under another broker. I further explained that my seller was very distraught that he obtained her information from the MLS possibly and to please explain. He was taken back a bit and said that there was nothing that could be done, by either myself, my company or my seller and everything that he was doing is quite legal. I asked him how could he make such claims? He told me that if someone does not know how much their home is worth and they can get in for way under market then they have people in place that will make such a purchase. They are the middle men that had this idea.

In this case the prey are probably the elderly I would guess... (which happens to describe my client - Interesting)

Misleading, to say the least. But the thing that work well is on Active Rain to educate each other with what we find out in this industry that is not Kosher. - Connor with HONOR