Brian Creel

Bus fee increase slated

For Mother Lode Union

By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa

Democrat staff writer

An increase in bus fee for the Mother Lode Union School District was approved by trustees during their March meeting. The fees, which will go into effect at the start of school next year, are the result of higher costs for fuel, services and goods. District Chief Financial Officer Cathy Schmidt said school officials hate having the public foot the bill for an increase but like many districts, state funding has been reduced. "We didn't get enough money from the state to cover our expenses," she said. District officials, following a survey of surrounding districts, decided to raise the fees 11 percent.

For one child the rate will rise from $180 per year to $200 per year. One way will rise from $90 per year to $100 per year. For two children, round-trip fees will go from $324 a year to $360 a year. One way for the two children will go from $162 per year to $180 per year. To transport three or more children round-trip fees will go from $486 to $540

per year. One way fees will go from $243 per year to $270 per year.

Here is the link for MLUSD http://www.mlusd.org/schools.php

Brian's RANT!

What Happened? I thought school fees were covered in my property taxes, lotto proceeds etc. Looks like another TAX to me. I wonder, when they say "state funding has been reduced" does that mean a reduction on the slated increase? Another hand in our wallet!! And oh by the way it has been my experience that they do not tell you about the "Bus Fee" until AFTER you check the box that indicates you are going to be using the service (they tell you about it via your 1st bill). There is one silver lining here, at least the only ones being taxed are those who are actually using the service, maybe we should extend that line of reasoning to the schools themselves. Am I wrong here ?

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A lot of my clients ask me (especially since it's now a "buyers market"),

Should I sell now or is it better to remodel or maybe even add on to my house?

Will I get my Return on Investment?

As a rule of thumb you want your house to be at LEAST as functional (up to date) as other similar homes in your neighborhood. Most remodeling projects WILL NOT recoup all the money spent. It will help your home sell faster and for more money, but most projects do not add value. Here is a nice site to check out if you are interested in gaining knowledge about Cost vs. Value when it comes to home improvements. http://www.costvsvalue.com/sacramento.html .

Also keep in mind the very high cost of pulling permits in El Dorado County http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/building/Permit_ResAdditions.html

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http://www.briancreel.com/

WOW, I read this the other day and it just confirms what I have been advising my clients for years. Read this article that was printed in the local paper just 2 days ago

Now check out the "Helpful Hints" document I give to my clients who either just bought a home and are excited about getting it "fixed up" or sellers who are getting their home ready to put on the market and are taking care of all that "deferred maintenance" that has been piling up over the years.

HIRING A CONRACTOR

Question - How do I find the right licensed contractor?

€ Make sure the contractor is licensed

€ You should check out any contractor's license information before hiring. You can do this at the following website:

€ http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ and enter the license number

€ Get at least 3 written bids on your projects. Make sure you are comparing bids based on identical plans, specifications and scope of work. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid. In fact, you should beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others. It probably indicates that the contractor made a mistake or is not including all the work quoted by competitors. It is also possible that this contractor will cut corners or do substandard work in order to make a profit on the job.

€ Ask for personal recommendations

€ Verify the contractor's workers' compensation and commercial general liability insurance coverage.

Question - Contracts, Do I need one?

€ A contract is required for all home improvement projects over $500. The contract and any changes made to that contract must be in writing.

€ The contract should inform the consumer of their rights to cancel or rescind the contract. It should also tell how the work will be done, when it will be done, what materials will be used and how much it will cost.

Question -What should the contract contain?

€ Detailed description of products to be used

€ Detailed written payment schedule. The payments to the contractor cannot exceed the value of the work performed (with the exception of the down payment)

€ Written directions on who will get the necessary permits and provide a date of completion

€ Any changes require a written change order to be signed by the customer

€ The contract should also include the contractors address and license number

€ Liability and worker's comp insurance information should be provided as part of the contract

€ Down payment - cannot be more than $1000 or 10% of the total contract price whichever is less.

Question - what about Mechanics Liens?

€ Consumers are required to receive a "Notice to Owner" warning about property liens.

Question - Can I cancel?

€ Consumer has the right to cancel within 3 days of executing the contract.

Additional Information; Illegal Contractors

€ It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project valued at $500 or more in labor and materials. Besides being illegal, unlicensed contractors lack accountability and have a high rate if involvement in construction scams. They are also unfair competition for licensed contractors who operate with bonds, insurance and other responsible business practices.

€ There is a statewide fraud team to set up to monitor and combat illegal activity. If you run into an illegal contractor you can turn them in to the Contractors State Licensing Board

Owner/Builder

€ An owner/builder is what the term indicates. The person owns the property and acts as their own general contractor on the job. They can do the work themselves or use subcontractors.

€ As an owner/builder you assume full responsibility for all phase of your project and its integrity. You must pull all building permits. The owner/builder is responsible for ordering materials and making sure all suppliers are paid.

€ An owner/builder is responsible for supervising, scheduling and paying subcontractors. If you use anyone other than your immediate family or a licensed subcontractor for work, you may be considered an employer and be obligated to participate in state and federal income tax withholding, federal ss taxes workers comp and disability.

Downside of being an Owner/Builder

€ Unless you are knowledgeable about construction, mistakes can be costly and take additional time to repair. If your workers are injured or your subcontractors are not licensed or do not carry liability insurance or worker's compensation and they are injured, you could be asked to pay for injuries and rehabilitation through your homeowner's insurance policy or face lawsuits.

http://www.gofamilyhomes.com/

http://www.briancreel.com/

Last night was the year end party (at Round Table Pizza on Main Street) for the Placerville Mavericks. We had a great year (8-2) ! Thank you GreatWest GMAC Real Estate for sponsoring our team a helping support our community. Your sponsorship helps keep the cost low for parents enrolling their children in the Placerville Parks and Rec.

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