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Elise Groves, Mortgage Broker,Banker FHA, VA, Conv, Jumbo - Purchase or Refi

Buyer Beware: Check Megan's Law Registry before you buy

Buyers, do you know if registered sex offenders live in the neighborhood you are considering moving into? This might be of real concern to you, especially if you have a family with young children.

All real estate transactions come with a mountain of paperwork it seems, but one of the most important California disclosures that might get overlooked revolves around Megan's Law.

This short video interview with Richard Paille, the broker of Hart & Co Real Estate in Santa Rosa, CA. discusses this important disclosure and why buyers need to do their 'due diligence' as they are narrowing down homes to make an offer on.

Remember though that most sex offenses are generally not reported and more often than not involve someone close to the victim, such as a family member, friend or acquaintance. The registry will only revolve around designated registered sex offenders.

Every state should have a registry, and as a buyer, you should take a bit of time to do some research and find out how to protect yourself and your family.

I Played Hookey and Cruised Over to Spring Lake Park in Bennett Valley, Santa Rosa, CA

I confess...Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa, CA beckoned me so I played hookey (hookie? hooky? You know what I mean!) yesterday afternoon. The late summer weather was a perfect 78 degrees and it was just too nice to stay inside and work, so I jumped in our ’65 VW convertible and headed over to glorious Spring Lake Park in Bennett Valley.

Spring Lake is one of my favorites of the 46 inspiring regional parks in our magnificent Sonoma County parks system and it is almost within walking distance of my home in Santa Rosa. Situated in Bennett Valley, there are numerous hiking trails, a great family picnic and swim area at the Lagoon, bike trails, playgrounds, boat launches, horse trails, overnight camp grounds and of course the lovely Spring Lake.

This park is typically filled with lots of families having picnics, but this afternoon it was relatively quiet since it was it after Labor Day and things are definitely starting to wind down. There is such a quiet beauty about Spring Lake and I find myself walking the dogs there often on the miles of paved walkways. I can’t wait for later in September when they are going to open the Lagoon for a ‘Dog Day’ and I can take my Golden Retriever, Tiberious, for a fun afternoon of swimming! Glenn will bring his Labs, Cali and Lilly andall the Mortgage Retrievers will all have a ball.

On this particular afternoon, I was delighted to find the ‘Park & Eat Food Trucks’ on site and according to Indio, who manned the Sonoma County Parks Booth, there are a rotating number of delicious food trucks who set up from 4pm until dusk, and will be doing so until the end of October. Yum! My carnitas tacos were fabulous!

If you’re ever visiting our gorgeous northern California wine country of Sonoma County, you will have so many choices of neat places to go and see, so come and enjoy!! And you might as well also check out our Santa Rosa real estate market while you're at it! Here is a great resource for an authentic wine country visit. September and October will reward you with some of the nicest weather of the year, although I have to tell you that having near perfect year round weather is hard to beat. And harvest has finally started, so there is lots of activity in the wine country. Fun times!

California is the Rock ‘n Roll State... so earthquake info you can rely is critical

Elise Groves, Mortgage Broker, interviews Debra Speer from Property ID about the extensive information provided in a Property ID Natural Hazards Report about earthquakes. You need to be informed about the location of critical fault lines when you are looking to buy a home. Get those inspections done, then make a decision! A Property ID Report is the most thorough in the industry, so insist that your agent obtain the best for you. For more information, call Debra Speer at 707.974.0387. For all your home financing needs, call Elise Groves at 707.546.0440. www.GrovesTeam.net

Who is Elise Groves and the Groves Team

Who is The Groves Team

Specializing in Santa Rosa CA Mortgages, California Home Loans, Northern CA Mortgage Lender, FHA Loans, FHA Mortgage,VA Loans & Jumbo Loans, Santa Rosa Sonoma County CA Refinance.

Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Windsor, Rohnert,Glen Ellen, Forestville, Graton, Sonoma County California.

Drew Glenn Elise Groves The Groves Team

For over 25 years we have been grateful to call Santa Rosa and the beautiful Northern California wine country our home. It’s been said that if you are comfortable in your environment, you will thrive and it’s true. What’s not to love about Sonoma County and it’s beautiful year round weather, drop dead gorgeous scenery in every direction, wonderful communities of ‘real’ people, world class wineries, restaurants and spas, and it’s close proximity to magnificent San Francisco. Tourists come from all over the world to visit the wine country and we are lucky enough to call it home. We love it and everything about it suits us perfectly in so many ways.

My husband, Drew, and I raised our family here and are very proud that our son Glenn works with me as processor and assistant. After proudly serving our country in the United States Marine Corps for five years, he and his wife Jamie returned to Santa Rosa and he has been learning the ropes of the mortgage industry. He figures that if he could survive the Marine Corps, this challenging real estate market and lending industry upheaval we’re going thru are no big deal. Spoken like a true Marine and we couldn’t be more proud of him. Semper Fi!

Our daughter Kelley and her husband Matt live in Oakland, CA and are expecting their first child, so by the end of the summer we will be grandparents!

Elise Groves The Groves TeamWe’re owned by two beautiful Golden Retrievers and Glenn and Jamie have two beautiful Labradors Retrievers, so we call ourselves ‘Your Mortgage Retrievers’ for fun. I mean, who doesn’t like a lab or a golden?? We also have a very bossy Corgi who herds those retrievers around all day, and frankly, runs the show around here.

We are dedicated to making a positive impact on our industry and helping our Realtor partners be successful by closing their transactions with more efficiency and speed and a minimal amount of bumps in the road. I make it a priority to keep up with the constant underwriting guideline changes and we strive to maintain our sterling reputation as a mortgage loan source and trusted adviser to our clients and referral partners.

Drew Elise Groves The Groves Team

For fun, Drew and I love to buzz around the California wine country in our vintage 1965 VW convertible and take in the vast beauty of the area on the many back roads. I also am an avid gardener and entertain clients, friends and family frequently in the gardens at our home, Creekside Groves.

Life is good and getting better!