About Del Norte County, CA

Here are new laws that took effect on January 1st, 2008 and that might effect you:

• Smokers in California should think twice before they light up while driving in the car with youngsters. People can now be fined up to $100 if they are caught smoking in a vehicle when people under 18 are present. Motorists must be pulled over for another offense, such as speeding, before they can be cited under the new smoking law. For more information about the new law, visit SB 7.
  
  
• An increase in minimum wage to $8 an hour, up 50 cents from last year.
  
  

• Traffic violations: Courts are prohibited from dismissing serious traffic violations by allowing violators to complete traffic school programs. These violations include hit-and-run incidents and drunk driving.

• Bicycle safety: Bicyclists riding on highways, roadways or sidewalks after dark must use a lamp and specific types of reflectants.

• License plates: It's illegal to cover or obstruct vehicle license plates with anything that keeps officers from using electronic devices, such as red-light cameras, to identify cars.

• Cellular phones: Two cellular phone laws will take effect July 1, 2008. Drivers over age 18 cannot drive while using a cell phone unless a hands-free device is used.

• For drivers under 18, it will be illegal to use cell phones, including all hands-free devices, while driving. Emergencies are the exception to both laws.

Fran Gatti is keeping you up-to-date on news that effects you in Del Norte County.

Fran Gatti is the #1 Buyer's Agent in Del Norte County for 2007. Put her experience to work for you when buying or selling property in Del Norte County.

Del Norte County...The Other California
Copyright © 2008 Fran Gatti/Crescent City/Del Norte County...The Other California | All Rights Reserved

LOW COST CAR INSURANCE PROGRAM NOW IN DEL NORTE COUNTY ~

Low-income drivers in Del Norte now have access to affordable automobile insurance.

This low income program has been in several California Counties and Insurance Commissioner, Steve Poizner announced in August that the program will be instituted in the rest of the state, including Del Norte County.

Some of the program details:

• Program provides eligible low-income drivers with liability auto coverage for under $400 a year.
  
  
• Rates are set in each county.
  
  
• An applicant can not have more than one at-fault, property damage-only accident or one point for a moving violation in the past three years.
  
  
• An applicant can not have an at-fault accident involving bodily injury or death in the past three years.
  
  
• An applicant can not have a felony or misdemeanor conviction for a vehicle violation.
  
  
• Family income can not exceed 250% of the federal poverty level ($25,525 for a single person, $34,225 for two persons and $51,625 for a family of four).
  
  
• The value of an uninsured vehicle must not exceed $20,000.
  

Policies are issued by California licensed insurers and the program is administered by the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. ALCA is not subsidized by taxpayers; the program is self-sustaining.

For more information about the program, call 1-866-60-AUTO-1 or 1-866-602-8861.

ALL DOGS NEED TO BE REGISTERED BEFORE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2008 -

The Del Norte Department of Agriculture would like to remind dog owners that they are in the second month of their annual open-licensing period.

All dogs need to be registered before Feb. 1 to avoid penalties.

For further information, call the Del Norte County Agriculture Department at 464-7235 or stop by the office at 2650 Washington Boulevard.

Predictions for 2008 by Fran Gatti ~

Below is a quote from a N.A.R. (National Association of REALTOR's) newsletter I received via email on January 2.

"As we kick off another year "All Together," it is easy to get caught up in news about what is wrong with the real estate market. The truth is that 2008 is shaping up to be a promising year for real estate, with plenty of opportunities to buy and sell in every market."

If wishing something into existence worked, I wouldn't need to diet, I would think thin thoughts, and make it so. I appreciate N.A.R.s wanting to start off everyone's year with positive thought's, but I'm more of a "give it to me straight" kinda girl. I like to paint the most realistic picture possible then exceed my expectations, not start with the happiness and success bar set high, only to face harsh realities later.

So knowing that...what does Fran think is coming in 2008:

1. Lending was the crisis of 2007, credit card debt is going to replace that crisis in 2008 - The real problem is a culture of leveraged credit and debt, both by our government and individual consumers, which shows no signs of changing anytime soon. Consider:
   
   * Actual income for the average middle-class person has fallen over past decades, remained stagnant, or otherwise has not kept up with inflation, resulting in consumers going into debt to continue to fund a lifestyle not affordable otherwise.
   
   * Christmas sales in 2007 were up a meager 2 to 4 percent, yet credit card debt has gone up 7 percent.
   
   * American consumers, on the aggregate, save little if nothing, and continue to go deeper into debt with borrowed money.
   
   * Now that home mortgage has tightened up due to the subprime disaster and homeowner's can no longer use their home as an ATM, consumer's are turning to cash advances on their credit cards to maintain their lifestyle.
   
   Therefore, just as our government is talking about bailing out lenders this year, we may be hearing these same discussions about bailing out credit card companies next year.
   
   Consumers who want to position themselves to weather through this storm need to learn to live on what they make and forgo using credit to fund a lifestyle (I'm the pot calling the kettle black on this one BTW).
   
   
2. The US Fed will influence the market to continue cutting interest rates with the hopes this will assuage or reduce the current economic crisis in the mortgage and credit markets. The other choice: to influence the markets to raise rates to try and choke off inflation, thereby making US debt still attractive to foreign investors. This seems like a better choice to me, but since we are in an election year, I predict the Fed will use their influence to lower rates. This will please voters who want to refinance and purchase homes. (For a better understanding of The Fed, read Matt Heaton's featured post on the subject).
   
   N.A.R. states in the same newsletter mentioned above:
   
   "There is significant pent-up housing demand that will begin to be unleashed into the marketplace in 2008. Many markets will see rising home sales and strengthening home prices. We believe that the worst of the credit problems are behind us. Great news for consumers and REALTORS®!"
   
   I believe this will be true, if interest rates stay low, which I already speculated will happen. However, if they do not, which in my opinion would be better off for the U.S. in the long run, then the pent up buyer's may stay pent up in their current digs paying affordable rent or an affordable house payment, rather than going out on a limb into the wild unknown of "new house payment" land.
   
   
3. The Crescent City/Del Norte County real estate market will decrease less than the rest of California overall for 2008 (California's average price decrease for 2007 was approximately 11% while Del Norte County's was 6%). Consider:
   
   * Del Norte County's real estate market's median priced home has been consistently (at least) $200,000 lower than the rest of California.
   
   * Del Norte County has little traffic, no smog, mild climate and has a small county, rural lifestyle. The county has approximately 28,000 residents and is a retirement destination for baby boomers looking to get out off the hamster wheel.
   
   * Del Norte County has not over-built and you can purchase a brand new, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1500+ sq. ft. home for under $280,000.

Therefore, Del Norte County seller's who price their homes for this market will still find a buyer, and buyer's will still be able to find affordable housing in California, in Del Norte County that is. Is it time to sing Coom By Ya yet?

Fran Gatti is the #1 Buyer's Agent in Del Norte County for 2007. Put her experience to work for you when buying or selling property in Del Norte County.

Del Norte County...The Other California
Copyright © 2007 Fran Gatti/Crescent City/Del Norte County...The Other California | All Rights Reserved

sources: Ascot Newsletter, N.A.R. newsletter, C.A.R. newsletter, CCMLS, Fran's brain

Crescent City/Del Norte County Market Wrap up for 2007 ~

The following statistics should come as no surprise to anyone who is up-to-date on what is happening in the financial world right now. Real estate prices and sales have been declining since the subprime disaster started at the beginning of 2007.

Del Norte County's market statistics bear that out as do most markets in the United States. Some markets are suffering more than others.

Del Norte County's real estate market is faring rather well (our median price decrease is much lower than the states average) due to several factors:

1. People want to retire here- Del Norte County is a quiet, traffic and smog free rural county.
2. Del Norte County did not over build - Our market does not have a plethora of new housing inventory that builders are desperately trying to unload.
3. Our foreclosure rate in September was the 3rd lowest in California.
4. Employment has remained rather stable in our county- Del Norte County dealt with shrinking employment a decade ago when the timber and fishing industries started to come under heavy legislation and therefore, have not been hit as hard as many counties that are just now dealing with plant and military base closures.
5. Our housing is affordably priced - Our median price is routinely $200k or more below the rest of the state.

Fran Gatti is the #1 Buyer's Agent in Del Norte County for 2007. Put her experience to work for you when buying or selling property in Del Norte County.

Del Norte County...The Other California
Copyright © 2007 Fran Gatti/Crescent City/Del Norte County...The Other California | All Rights Reserved