Auburn, CA

This weekend is one that my husband and I look forward to, because we love Sasuma mandarin oranges! It is time for the annual Mountain Mandarin Festival in nearby Auburn, California. Ths festival is held annually the weekend before Thanksgiving, and it celebrates the harvest of the Owari Satsuma Mandarin oranges that are grown in Placer County, right next door to Sacramento County.

In addition to the great taste of these delicious little fruits, the USDA has extolled the wonderful health benefits of them. If you will be within an hour's drive of this great celebration, I recommend you come on by. It is a lot of fun. And if you spot me there, stop and say hello. I'll be bouncing from vendor to vendor, and sampling the wares of the dozen or so orchards that will be represented, checking out the crafts, and picking up so new recipes that include Mandarins.

There is something for all ages, including for everyone, some great cooking demonstrations by professional chefs (and sampling of the food prepared), a cooking contest, and booths, booths, booths!

Proceeds from the Festival fund three scholarships presented each year by the Newcastle Area Business Association. Crowds have grown from 1,500 in 1993 to 40,000 in 2008. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this major agriculture festival.


November 20, 21 and 22, 2009
Gold Country Fairgrounds, 1273 High St., Auburn, CA

Admission: $5, Seniors $3, children under 12 free.

Saturday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Sunday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
For more information: (916) 663-1918

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

The town of Auburn offers affordable residential living with 142 active single family home listings ranging in price from $145,000 for a 2 bed/1 bath 996 sq ft home to a 5,875 sq ft home on .56 acres in Canyon Rim for $1,495,000. Of the active listings, 53 were short sales and 12 were bank owned (REO's).

There are 28 pending sales with average days on the market at 77. There were 52 sold listings in the last 3 months with average days on the market of 64. List to sales price increased 96.74%

The rural areas in and surrounding Auburn include the areas of Loomis, Newcastle, Penryn, East Lincoln, Meadow Vista, Colfax, Weimar, Foresthill and South County of Nevada County. There are 360 active listings on acreage. This is a decrease of 67 listings from last report.. Price ranges from $145,000 for a 2 bed/1 bath home on 2 acres outside of Auburn to $6,900,000 for a 3100 Sq Ft home on 1,047 acres in Foresthill.

There are 65 pending sales with average days on market of 98. There are 109 sold listings in the last 90 days with average days on the market of 95. List price to sales price has decreased a bit to 93.6%.

Are you considering a short sale? Here are some basics to get you started.

What is a short sale?

• When a homeowner owes more on their mortgage than their home can sell for in the current market (a.k.a, upside-down), the homeowner can try to avoid foreclosure by negotiating with the lender to accept a "short" payoff.

Are you a candidate for a short sale? Ask yourself this question:

• Do you have a true hardship that is keeping you from making your payments?
• Think job loss, job transfer, illness, or other challenge. Discuss your particular situation with your lender. Loss in value due to market condition does not qualify as hardship.

What do you need to do to prepare for a short sale?

• First, find a Realtor® who is experienced with the short sale process, who knows how to negotiate with banks, and will be your partner to get the transaction closed.
• With the help of your Realtor®, compile your hardship letter and other necessary documentation which comprises the Short Sale Packet.

What goes in your hardship letter?

• In your own words (and in your own handwriting is best), describe the circumstances that have caused you to be unable to make your monthly mortgage payments.
• Be personal and sincere about your situation, and include as much detail as possible. We want them to want to help you.

What goes into the necessary Short Sale documentation packet?

• Proof of income & assets, including:
  • Bank Statements
  • Pay Stubs
  • Assets (investment accounts, stocks, CDs, other properties)
• Proof of hardship, which might include:
  • Bills
  • Unemployment Records
  • Death certificates
  • Divorce papers
• Preliminary net sheet, prepared by your Realtor®, reflecting the price you hope to get, less the cost of the sale. Include a comparative market analysis, prepared by your Realtor®.

Prepare your home for sale

• With the help of your Realtor®, price your house to generate an offer.
• Prepare your home for sale.
• If you do not get showings and/or an offer in the first 2-3 weeks, lower the price.
• Keep lowering the price until you receive an offer.

Submit offer to the bank along with the short sale package

• Your experienced Short Sale Realtor® will take it from here
  • They will submit the package to the bank
  • They will follow up to make sure it has been received
  • They will be assigned an asset manager with whom they will communicate throughout the short sale negotiation
  • If all goes well, the lender will approve the short payoff, and your Realtor will follow the transaction through to a successful close

For more information, contact short sale specialist Noel Crider or visit my website at http://www.viewfromthefoothills.com.

For those of you who don't know I have a up and coming driver in the house. My oldest Zachary will be driving by January 2010 and we are all very excited. Now it should be known Zachary's grandfather my dad was Zachary's personal instructor from day one. Dick Reed (my dad) experience was with the Construction TeamstersTraining and Upgrading Fund southern California as a instructor and from there he opened the first RV Driving school that teaches individuals and their spouses/partners to drive and utilize their RV'sin the best possible way and both professions required a certian amount of patients, No braging this kid has been trained by the best.

Not all kids have this kind of one on one instruction let alone quality time with a family member with full understanding of the DMV or California HighwayPatrol wants and needs. Well Auburn has come to the rescue for our local teens. The California Highway patrol is hosting a free Start Smart Driving safely education class right here in Auburn for teenagers/young adults and their parents/guardians.

the class will be held from 7-9 pm on Oct 14th , Nov 18th , Dec 16th at EZ way Driving Schoolat 1085 Grass Valley Highway in Auburn. Now pre-registration is required call (530)885-8109

Fact:Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, killing between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers every year for the past decade (through 2003, the last year for which complete NHTSA data is available) Via: Allstate insurance

I love the town of Auburn; Not only because of its rustic charm and its clasic standards we still have the coolest small town stuff. We not only still have parades for everything from 4th of July to Christmas, as a town/family we still take every opportunity to gather as possible. This just happens to be one of my favorite, The Old Town Antiques and Collectible Street fair it doesn't cost a thing. Yep just another FREE thing to do in Auburn and the enjoyment is priceless.

The warm memory's that sometimes bubble up in a persons heart when walking around at a street fair is priceless. You see the first year I was amazed at the rush of memory's this little yellow lunch box brought to my heart. Now it should be known I never owned one of these lunch boxes but I always admired it from afar and when I saw it again after 15 + years later i was a kid all over again. I didn't buy it that day and my lesson learned from this year is buy when it is right in front of you because it is not the same when you look at them on e-bay later. : {

The Old Town Business Association is providing a free shuttle from the Auburn Library parking lot from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. located at 350 Nevada Street, it runs every 20 mins. Giving you the quite moment with your treasure on your way to your car.

You should also know that the Specialty shops will be open offering gifts collectibles and clothing. Most restaurants will be open as well so take a minute to see what this town can do when it cleans out its attics and puts it on the streets.

FYI..... Bring a flashlight and shop early for the best bargains.