John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259

Temecula, California is a unique community with many different facets to it. There is of course, wine country. Our 'Old Town District' is a fun and happening place. The area boasts of many great independenly owned restaurants and bistros.

Many people choose to relocate to the South West Riverside County region from out of state. Many are military while others are just seeking our wonderful climate. While the Come2Temecula Team does a great job working with local residents who are either a first time homebuyers, move up buyers and even 2nd home buyers we also service many great people who will be traveling here from out of state.

While much can be done through the use of our website to narrow down desirables homes for sale in Temecula and the surrounding communites (Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Winchester, Hemet and San Jacinto) we consider to be home many still need short term housing until they can actually preview a short list of homes...write the offer and wait for escrow to close.

We have found there are three places that we will often recommend to our clients. They are both an extended stay suites hotel.

The First: Estended Stay America - Temecula Wine Country
27622 Jefferson Ave.
Temecula, CA 92590
(951) 587-8881
email: ltm@extendedstay.com

The Second: Hampton Inn & Suites
28190 Jefferson Ave.
Temecula, CA 92590
(951) 506-2331

A Third: SpringHill Suites by Marriott
28220 Jefferson Ave.
Temecula, CA 92590
(951) 699-4477

We are always willing to help anyone from out of the area with their research...so if you've got a question, please just ask. (this goes for locals too - lol).

Temecula Wine Country Should Consider Itself Fortunate

The rolling hills east of Temecula,dotted with 40 or so wineries and acre upon acre of vineyard are perhaps one of the most popular destinations for the baby boomer and Gen-X residents and tourists in Southern California.

Sometimes though, unexpected tragedy can take place...a tragedy of monumental proportion to those it effects. Fortunately, this tale of woe did not happen here in South West Riverside County, but in the vineyards of Adelaide, Australia when a forklift operator may have just a bit too much of the signature Shiraz.

Yes, the forklift operator dropped a container full of a fine Shiraz - 462 cases to be precise. The debut shipment from the Mollydooker Winery destined for the shores of the United States, was priced at $200 per bottle and represented one third of the production of the Velvet Glove Shiraz.

So, let this be an important lesson that one should never drink and drive...even if the driving is a forklift.

It is no secret that the value of your home has sunk to the murky bottom, just like the titanic did a century ago. You are so far underwater that if you had to hold your breath until values returned to where they peaked, you would be introduced as Mr./Mrs. Blue.

Across the country, property owners' property taxes are reassessed every 2 to 5 years to bring the assessed value in line with the fair market value. Here in California we have a special way of assessing taxable values, thanks to the 30-year-old amendment to the state constitution - Proposition 13. Prop 13 assesses the value at the time of purchase and then limits a tax increase to 2% per year. The upside is that as California real estate values increased by double digit numbers, year-after-year, assessed values soon fell well below the then current market values.

The effect of this landmark legislation is that those who purchased real estate near the market peaks are being unfairly assessed at values that may be double the current fair market value. Those who purchased prior to the boom are still likely to have the assessed value lag behind today's current market value.

As an example, if you purchased a home in California for $350,000 in 1995 the value today may still be a million dollars, despite it being down from the peak value of $2 million. In the meantime, the assessed value has only crept up around $100,000 in value and this year your assessed value would creep up another 2%.

On the other hand, if you bought a million dollar home in Temecula, in 2006 the value has fallen by more than half. and you should get a tax break.

KOOL-AID ANYONE?

There is a new flavor of Kool-Aid being distributed by County Assessor's, throughout the Stat of California that discourages homeowners from filing appeals to reduce the value to a more equitable market value. The Assessor's are saying not to worry about over assessed values, that they will issue reductions, across the board to reflect the change in the market. If you read my earlier post on this topic, CALIFORNIA PROPRTY TAXES: The Spider and the Fly I point out that it is in the Assessors best interest to hand out token reductions and avoiding the majority of property owners who would otherwise be entitled to a reduction, from ever filing their own appeal.

While it is true that Californians can file their own appeal they may often find more traction with a company that has established themselves in the field. I am not talking about the scams perpetrated with mass mailings charging an outrageous fee to tell you how to file the appeal yourself. Rather I am talking about legitimate companies that actually represent you through each step of the appeal process to maximize your savings, year-after-year. These professional property tax consulting firms have the advantage of a reputation with the Assessor's. Realize that the Assessor's office is made up of county workers (people) that have suffered with massive cutbacks, furlough days without pay and department lay-offs. To be frank, they don't have the resources and lack much of the motivation to work each individual appeal the way it should - the way that maximizes your reduction. The advantage the consultant brings to the table, besides their reputation for never giving up is that they only get paid when savings are achieved - so they have a very real motivation to stay on top of the process...even if it takes the two years, allowed by law.

If you would like to know more about the company I recommend to reduce your property tax liability for both commercial and residential real estate, please don't hesitate to drop me an email with the specifics of your property - either commercial or residential and I'd be glad to provide you with more details.

Please join the new ActiveRain Group for California Property Taxes - a place to research all things relating to California Property Taxes for both the homeowner, investor and commercial real estate/land owner.

To read more articles I have published about California Properyt Taxes and Prop 13, please follow this link.

A Strong Movement in Sacramento is Pushing to Remove the
Protection of Prop 13 from Commercial and Industrial Properties.

California Voters amended the state constitution when Prop 13 was passed with an overwhelming consensus that our property tax system was broke and needed fixing.

Opponents to the landmark legislation have continued to find ways to blame CA Prop 13, often referred to as the 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing', for the shortcomings of California society, at every opportunity . The battle cry is always the same, "If only there was more money to spend this or that would have been different".

The Los Angeles Times is clearly in favor of a Split-Roll tax as they reported on July 13, 2009 that "California's property tax burden has gradually shifted to homeowners because commercial and industrial property taxes doesn't change hands as often as homes and the sales can be easily disguised."

The LA Times cites Disneyland as an example as property that has never changed hands and pays approximately five cents per sq ft of land while the average homeowner is paying $2.06 per sq ft in property taxes.

Through the years, since the passage of Proposition 13, there have been several attempts to change the law-including another ballot initiative in Prop 167 which was rightfully rejected in 1992 by 59% of voters.

As recently as September, 2009 the California State Senate unanimously voted to approve SB17, known as the "Smart Grid Systems" Bill which began as legislation aimed at unraveling Prop 13 and allowing commercial/industrial property owners to carry the cost through a split-roll property tax system.

On May 28th, 2009 the Sacramento Bee reported, "The idea of a split roll has been gaining steam among Democratic lawmakers and interest groups that would like to see the state's fiscal problems solved by generating more revenue, not solely by program cuts. Ting (S.F. Assessor Phil Ting) said there are many ‘split roll' possibilities including creating a different tax rate for commercial property, reassessing it more often, or allowing it to increase at a faster annual pace then homes. Ting said he launched the new political committee ("Close the Loophole") at the urging of numerous private individuals in the Bay Area and Northern California, but that he did not act at the behest of lawmakers or Capitol interest groups."

The California Teachers Association (CTA) filed two initiatives with the Attorney General on November 6, 2009 for ‘Title & Summary'. These will end Prop 13 protection for commercial real estate, by enacting a split roll property tax in spite of the Constitutional Amendment being successfully defended in several venues over the past year, including the state budget and the Tax Commission.

To sweeten the appeal to the residential voter who must pass this law, the homeowner property tax exemption is doubled, the renters credit is doubled and small business is exempted on the first million dollars of personal property tax.

One of the measures has a laundry list of benefits to education in an attempt to sway the public and control of the monies collected to assure the benefit for teachers and has built in rhetorical devices for the campaign; i.e. Vote for Prop XX to "Increase Class Size Reduction" and "Improved School Safety"... all at the expense of the nasty big businesses who have taken advantage of loopholes in the system.

To read more articles I have published about California Properyt Taxes and Prop 13, please follow this link.

If you have a home to sell in the Hemet - San Jacinto CA Valley, you have a 1 in 350 shot of picking the right one for you. There are many good agents in the Hemet San Jacinto Valley that can do the job the right away and there are a handful of great agents - but how do you pick the right one from the 350 members of the Hemet San Jacinto Association of REALTORS®?

I have a list of 13 questions I provide sellers that they should ask when interviewing an agent and finding the one who is right for you...

1) Do you work full-time as a REALTOR®, or part time?

You should only consider working with a full time agent, otherwise you re bound to run into situations where your agent cannot communicate with other players in the transaction, including you. Full time should also equate to more attention paid to you and the sale of your home and less worrying about the boss and the 'day job'.

2) How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood?

The agent who specializes in your neighborhood is preferable, Is there an agent who makes contact with you at least once a month - be it a post card, door hanger or even a knock on the door? This agent will be most familiar with the nuances of each model in your neighborhood and be up to speed on recent sales and new listings in the neighborhood. The neighborhood expert should be able to zero in on a good market price for your home.

3) How may other homes are you currently representing on the market?

Typically, the busier the agent the more efficient they are. Selling real estate is all about systems and systems work best when they have a pipe line running through the process. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the different systems the prospective agent uses to sell homes.

4) Will you handle all aspects of the sale of my home or will you assign some of the tasks to another sales associate or an administrative assistant?

You want to make certain that you can contact your agent when needed and not be put through voice mail h*ll. But understand that knowledgeable assistants can be an invaluable benefit.

5) What will the cost of selling my home be?

Commissions are always negotiable and never set in stone. Remember though, the commission you negotiate is divided in four shares - there is a buyers agent and buyers broker who will presumably earn half and the other half by your agent and his broker.

Your agent should be prepared with a 'Sellers Net Sheet' that breaks down all of the costs associated with selling your home, including Title and Escrow fees.

6) At what price do you think my home will sell for?

This gives your prospective agent the chance to shine and display their knowledge of current market conditions and how they will effect the price and sale of your home. Your agent should have a CMA prepared to justify their pricing strategy. CMA stands for either a Comparative Market Analysis or a Comprehensive Market Analysis - the difference is in the amount of prep work that goes into the report.

Hopefully you see the value in this list and you'll come back in a couple of days to access the rest of the list which promises to make any homeowner knowledgeable in the process of selecting the right REALTOR® to help you sell your home, for the most amount of money, in the shortest time with the least amount of inconvenience to you...the home owner!