Chris and Maria Jeantet

If you are new to Redding, CA you must know that the Turkey Trot is coming!

Shasta Regional Medical Center's annual Turkey Trot is just weeks away, and while the race is competitive, it's also open for nonrunners who would just like to participate in the community event.

"It's a competitive race," said Tori Parks, race director of the Turkey Trot and officer of SWEAT Running Club. "But we encourage people of all skill levels to come out."

The main event of the race is a 6-mile loop around the Sacramento River Trail, but there are additional events, including the Diestelhorst Dash, a quarter-mile sprint for kids, a 2-mile walk/run, and a 6-mile wheelchair division.

"For participants who don't have an athletic base to work from, I'd recommend the 2-mile walk/run," Parks said.

The 6-mile race drew 741 runners last year, according to the SWEAT running club.

Both Parks and Deron Cutright, co-owner of Fleet Feet Redding on Hilltop Drive, agree that the 6-mile race shouldn't be too much trouble for those with an aerobic background.

"Or if you're just plain stubborn," Cutright said. "I know a guy who never runs, but he always staggers across the finish line every year."

For those who would rather enjoy the event, Cutright recommends taking a more leisurely pace.

"If you have to, just slow your pace down," Cutright said. "You don't have to run the whole thing."

24th SRMC Turkey Trot

Date

Thursday, November 26, 2009 @ 8:00 AM local time

Address

Lake Redding Park, Redding
2150 Benton Dr.

Registration Closing Date

Monday, November 23, 2009 @ 3:00 AM

Benefits

Proceeds benefit a number of non-profit organizations

Registration

NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION

Important information

All fees are non-refundable; No Race day registration; No sweatshirts will be available after early registration deadline.

Contact info:

Tori Parks 530-515-6157

Packet Pick-up & Late Registration

Packet Pick-up at Fleet Feet Sports, 1376 Hilltop Dr, Redding, 530-226-0600. November 21-November 25 10am -7pm Across from Sears next to Member's One Credit Union

Additional Information

As many as four generations (from a baby in a stroller through great grandparent) of one family has participated in this event. And this year there is an event for kids, the Diestlehorst Dash, a quarter mile sprint for kids eight and under, which takes kids over the Sacramento River on the historical Diestlehorst bridge.

Event Day Schedule:

Diestlehorst Dash: 8:00 a.m.
2 Mile Fun Run: 8:45 a.m.
6 Mile Wheelchair Division: 8:25 a.m.
6 Mile Run: 8:30 a.m.

Bring the family and have fun!

Dear Home Buyer,

Did you know the Homebuyer Tax Credit has been extended and expanded?

The tax credit extension has now become law as the president has signed the bill!! Even better news is these provisions go into effect immediately (not December 1^st as previously thought). The

As part of its plan to stimulate the U.S. housing market and address the economic challenges facing our nation, Congress has passed new legislation that:

·Extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers until April 30, 2010.

·Expands the credit to grant up to $6,500 credit to current home owners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

Here is more information about how the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit can help you:

Who Qualifies for the Extended Credit?

·First-time home buyers who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

·Current home owners purchasing a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight.

To qualify as a "first-time home buyer" the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase.

Which Properties Are Eligible?

Primary residences, including: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops.

How Much Is Available?

The maximum allowable credit for first-time home buyers is $8,000.

The maximum allowable credit for current homeowners is $6,500.

How is a Buyer's Credit Amount Determined?

Each home buyer's tax credit is determined by two additional factors:

1. The price of the home.

2. The buyer's income.

The credit decreases for buyers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000 for single buyers and between $225,000 and $245,000 for home buyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Home buyers earning more than the maximum qualifying income-over $145,000 for singles and over $245,000 for couples are not eligible for the credit.

Can a Buyer Still Qualify If He/She Closes After April 30, 2010?

Under the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit, as long as a written binding contract to purchase is in effect on April 30, 2010, the purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.

Will the Tax Credit Need to Be Repaid?

No. The buyer does not need to repay the tax credit, if he/she occupies the home for three years or more. However, if the property is sold during this three-year period, the full amount credit will be recouped on the sale.

Would you like to take advantage of the Homebuyer Tax Credit? Please call us today, Chris and Maria Jeantet at (530) 510-8880 or visit our webpage at ShastaLiving.com.

Home inventory is going down and sales activity is going up! That is great news for the Shasta County real estate market. Anything under $200,000 sells...that seems to be where the buyers are. This is primarily due in part to the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit which was recently extended through 2010. For those that waited "until prices come down", their patience was well worth it!

The average days on the market for homes in the Redding, CA area are around 130 days. Almost 50% of our unsold inventory is a foreclosed property or pre-foreclosure (short-sale). Homeowners who have not been able to sell are being challenged by these rock-bottom, foreclosure properties.

Have we hit bottom? It depends who you ask. The local news-reporter will say one thing, while the local real estate agent will say another which will be entirely different from what a home-buyer or home-seller will say. One thing is for sure, it will take many years before we will begin to see double-digit appreciation on home values, California (and Redding for that matter) was out of control. We were past due for some correction and equilibrium of the market. Personally, we're keeping our eyes on unemployment and consumer confidence indexes. It's simple really, low unemployment means confident consumers, which equals more home purchases. The truth is, Redding is still facing double-digit unemployment rates, almost 15% as of October 2009, more than doubled from 2005 numbers when it was 6-7%.

For regular updates on our local market, follow us on twitter or visit our website at ShastaLiving.com.

Thank you for reading! Chris & Maria Jeantet Direct: (530) 510-8880

Experienced Residential Sales & Marketing Realtors

Short Sale Specialists

Helping Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

This is a list of "tough truths" for some homeowners out there that REALLY want to sell their house or MUST sell their house but so often do not take the advise of their real estate professional. I recently came across this list and decided it was too good not to share...

1. Access
Easy access to the property is key to selling it. Your place must be ready to show and easily accessible for buyers and their agents. Signs must be properly and clearly placed in front of the home, along with directional signs when necessary. All agents should utilize the MLS Lockbox system. There must be a MLS lockbox on or near the door. Buyers and their agents will not waste time trying to find hidden properties. Buyers will move onto the next property of their tour. This happens quiet often, especially when there's so many properties to chose from.

2. Setting the asking price too high
Places sell for what the market brings, not what you want/need to get for your home. A lot of sellers are underwater these days. To price your property appropriately, find out what comparable homes in the area sold for and how long they stayed on the market. You also want to look at expired and cancelled listings to see what couldn't sell in your neighborhood or condo complex. Buyers look in search increments - so if you price a $500,000 house at $512,500 you might be missing all of the buyers looking up to $500,000 in their search. You have to lower your price if you are not getting the proper amount of showings. If you are getting no showings - you are overpriced if your house/condo is otherwise in normal condition. I'll add too, if you're getting a lot of showings but no offers, and showing have slowed down, chances are you are overpriced.

3. Going with the wrong Real Estate Agent
You need an experienced real estate agent who knows the fundamentals of real estate, as well as what's going on in the market at all times. Look for an agent whose primary job is real estate - he or she should be familiar with the business and the area you're interested in. More experienced agents are accustomed to handling multiple transactions and tend to have superior negations skills. Most importantly, you should feel comfortable with your agent. You don't want to be rushed or coerced into anything, so trust your gut. My personal advise is, get referrals! Talk to recent customers who have used this particular agent and if necessary, ask them for a copy of the past 12 month's sales (or longer).

4. Not fixing up your property prior to listing it
Home buyers like "move in ready" places. They generally don't like the idea of living in a construction zone when they buy a new home. Make necessary repairs prior to listing and don't underestimate the value of a fresh coat of paint. Choose neutral colors, but nothing too sterile. You will generate more buyer interest with well chosen colors, applied over properly prepared walls. New construction sells well for a reason. You need to make your place shine! When competition is high, it's the little things that will set your hope apart!

5. Staging
Buyers need to see that ‘model home' to be wowed! To start with, remove all unnecessary items, including excess furniture and any fixtures that will not be included in the sale. If your home isn't vacant, rent a storage unit - almost every home shows better with less furniture. Empty out closets, cabinets and drawers as much as possible. Buyers have a tendency to investigate every inch of a property, so organize those items you do keep in the home. Neatly stack dishes, clothes and any other personal belongings. Also, remove all clutter and personal artifacts, such as family photographs. Allow the buyers to see themselves in the home by making it generic.

6. Pictures, pictures, pictures
These days, the vast majority of home searches begin online and listings without photographs are often ignored. Buyers are visual, so you need to have at least ten great photos of the property. Don't forget to "stage" all your photos, indoors and outdoors. The exterior pictures will be much more appealing without cars, toys and other debris in the shot. Mow the lawn, trim the bushes and be sure to include pictures of the yard. For interior shots, use lots of light and emphasize space. People will email their friends and Realtor a listing from the Internet and it must present itself well through the pictures. We say "location is everything" in real estate, well..."pictures are everything" for buyers!

7. Marketing
Marketing is now Internet based. Online ads can be created instantly and updated as often as necessary. Internet advertising reaches the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time. Postcards work, signs work, but the internet is key. Don't get worried about newspaper ads - they don't work. Repeat - newspaper ads don't work and newspaper companies are struggling for a reason. Nuff said!

8. Taking offense at offers.
Home buying is one of last great bastions of haggling in the U.S. Now, more than ever, buyers are testing the waters to see how low they can go. Everyone wants a great deal and the possibility of a lowball offer is a reality. Rather than turning your nose at what you think is a low bid, take the offer seriously and present a realistic counter offer. That way, you can spark a real negotiation. Many times these "low ballers" are just testing you, if they really love the house they'll try to meet your counter-offer.

From Redding, CA: Chris and Maria Jeantet

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