Mission Viejo, CA

Casta del Sol in Mission Viejo, only has two more get togethers before the end of this year. November 5, at 6:30 will be our Election Party at which we will serve Pizza, free for member and $3 for guests. It is a BYOB! Please make sure to sign up at Rec center 1, so that we have enough pizza for all. Kip will be presenting a slide show from our past events and I know you don't want to miss seeing yourself on the big screen. Don't forget, you will need to vote for the board while having fun.

Our annual Holiday Party is going to be on Saturday December 5th. sign-up start on November 5th. Dinner will be catered by Jolanda's with a mixture of surprises thrown in, so make sure to save yourself a spot!.

Our last boogie night for this year is on Nov. 7 at 6:30 in Vista Room and is open to all. Cost is $1 at the door, no sign-up required and light snacks will be served. BYOB at boogie nights. Come find out about Casta del Sol, Mission Viejo and you will love i,t as much as we do!

Casta del Sol Aerobic classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30am. The Insturtor Leila makes sure that we use a variaty of different equipment to produce over all fitness. Using such things as weights, balance pods, stretch bands and stretch tubs in both standing or on floor mats to get the maxium benifit out of all of them.

We complain sometimes by moaning and groaning but we know that working out will increase our balance plus keep our bones and muscles strong. Leila ends each class with 10 minutes of stretching.

Body Sculpting is the most rewarding and sucessful program for building strength and improving balance.

Just to let all of you out there know, that may want to jion us, spring semster will be starting on January 12th and goes though May 6th 2010 all for a total of only $55 residents of Casta del Sol and $60 for non residents. Come join us, get fit and make new friends. Casta del Sol, Mission Viejo, CA Look us up!

Can't believe I am talking about January 2010 already!

Median price of $432,000 (single family detached and condos) in Orange County, are up 2.9% from one year ago. This is still 33% below the high of June 2007 of $645,000. The last two months have been an increase over the previous years price index.

Pricing for single family houses at the median of $500,000 there was 33% less housing sold now then at the peak of June 2007. Mostly due to the low inventory we are experiencing now and strict qualifying rules.

The median price of condos has reached $310,000 and is selling at 36% lower than the high in March of 2006.

The good news is that for Orange County, we have had an increase in the price of housing for the eigth month in a roll. We are going to have two months in concession that the year-over-year price is higher than the year before.

Need help to avoid forclosure? Here are a list of site where you can get help and no up front fees!

1) Making Home Affordable: www.makinghomeaffordable.gov

2)Consumer Credit Counseling Services: www.cccsoc.org

3) Neighborhood Housing Services: www.nhsoc.org

4) Fair Housing Council: www.fairhousingoc.org

5) Orange County Home Ownership Preservation Collaboration: www.ochopc.org

6) Legal aid Society: lasoc.com/LoansMods.aspx

7) to find HUD-certified counseling agencies: www.hud.gov

To find foreclosure prevention classes; go to agencies above and click on Calendar or Workshops

Reported in the Orange County Register by Jonathan Lansner, buying a home instead of renting is just about perfect right now. Buying costs reached a point, using a simple math formula, sides with the house shopper instead of the renter.

Every shopper is different and every house is different so no formula will be able to fit all buyers into one scenario. Orange County Index indicates that the prices of recent home purchases when compare to a benchmark of local rents is looking better than it has in ten years.

The last time this happened in Orange County was just before prices took off in the late 1999. In the late 80s and up till then mortgage payments were close to double the rents. Once they reached about 56% of the cost to own a house, the market for buying took off. I am glad to say we are at that point again. In the latter part of 2009 the difference between renting verses buying is at a low 57%.

We would be selling more homes but it is difficult to get many buyers qualified because the banks are afraid to loan money to any one but the cream of the crop.