About Amador County, CA

Met an interesting guy at Homestead Mortgage in Jackson CA yesterday after doing a 203k inspection. He specializes in the Steamlined k whie I was doing a "full 203k" for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage - Jacob Warren. Jacob is one of the more knowledgeable renovation lenders in CA.

Lots of people say they do the 203k but not everyone can close them in a timely manner.

This home is a newer home that has been neglected and needs some TLC... no problem for the 203k loan program, why, then is it a "full 203k" and not a streamlined k? Simple due to the amount of work being just too close to that $35,000 threshold.

It is a falicy to thing it is really a $35,000 limit for "non structral repairs". The $35,000 also includes costs and fees. If you go over about $34,200 or if your lender requires a contingency reserve on a streamlined k you will find yourself in the middle of a "Full 203k" loan.

I was supposed to list a home in Rancho Covdova this weekend. But the seller of that short sale isn't quite ready yet, and she canceled our appointment. That's too bad because in another month, we'll be moving into the slower season. People think that selling in summer is the best time to put your home on the market, but it's not. Still, if you have to do a short sale, what choice have you got? You call your Sacramento short sale agent, and you go on the market.

That cancellation did leave me free, though, to take a short trip with my husband to the Amador Flower Farm. It's about an hour out of Sacramento, down Highway 16 toward Jackson and then right on Shenandoah School Road. The day lilies are beautiful right now. This nursery boasts more than 800 varieties of flowers. Plus, it's smack dab in the middle of Amador wine country.

Here are some of my favorite day lilies:

GATO (in Spanish, Gato means cat)

BETTE DAVIS EYES LILY

CRIMSON SHEEN LILY

HALF MOON LILY

PIRATE'S PATCH LILY

SILENT SENTRY LILY

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

Sorta by mistake, my husband and I ended up in Ione, CA, yesterday. Unlike many of the tourists who probably frequent Ione and support its 3 restaurants, we weren't there to visit loved ones in residence at Mule Creek Prison. The photo to the left is of Iron Ivan, a steam locomotive that was in operation from 1937 to 1956, a 12-mile stretch between Ione and Martell.

Ione is a small town, smaller than 5 square miles, in the Central Valley in Amador County. It's about an hour from Sacramento. During the Gold Rush, it was a supply center where the railroad ran through and horse-drawn stagecoaches stopped along the main road to the Mother Lode.

The first time I heard of the town of Ione was when a former client moved there. She and her husband had hired me to sell their short sale in Sacramento. I sold it, and their lender approved the short sale, providing the sellers contributed in the lender's loss. The sellers had the money but they refused. It was a small percentage of their difference. Nevertheless, I reluctantly canceled the purchase contract for them and canceled the listing.

I was very sad that they had chosen foreclosure; however, I respected their decision. This particular lender wasn't willing to bend. The stipulation for a contribution was in its guidelines. There was nothing else I could do for these sellers, which was painful for me.

After a few months, I guess they had a change of heart and decided to pay the amount the lender demanded after all. Instead of calling me, though, for some unknown reason, they hired another agent, who then proceeded to swipe all of my photos from MLS.

Not everybody appreciates the job of a Sacramento short sale agent.

Here are my photos of Ione, California:

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub