BEES AND HONEY!!!

I have a very good friend who recently purchased a home in the Western San Fernando Valley. At the inspection, it was determined that a large bee hive was present on the outside of the home. The owner removed the bee hive, and my friend thought that would be the end of the bees. Not so fast!....It turns out the bee hive was removed but the honey that the bees made was still present and the hole that the bees were using for their entrance and exit remained. The bees continued to go to the honey and began to enter the house through light fixtures etc. A second bee company had to go to the property and secure the hole and remove the honey as well. It is important to know that just because a bee hive is removed does not remove the bees...A good bee company would know that all parts must be removed to erradicate the problem. It was a lesson for me because I always thought that once the bee hive is removed the problem is gone....FYI

READY, SET GO....Prepare Yourself and Your Home Against Wildfires

Ready, Set, Go! is a program offered by the fire department to ensure that a homeowner living in a wildland fire area is familiar with the threat of wildfires and how to go about protecting your home against this threat..The homes that are in these areas must clear weeds by June 1, 2011. READY- teaches homeowners howe to make their home safe (defensible space, fire resistant landscaping, fire safe construction etc) and how to assemble emergency supplies and prepare evacuation routes. SET- teaches homeowners awareness during fire weather(back car into the driveway, assemble the things to take if evacuated, monitor property for embers, monitor the media for fire updates). GO - explains to homeowners why it is important to leave early and not wait for an evacuation order and therefore allowing firefighters room to do their job in protecting your home. Please visit www.vcreadysetgo.com for further valuable information

LOAN CHANGES AFFECTING ALL BUYERS

The loan limit which has been in place by FHA and conventional Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at $729,950.00 is going down to $625,500.00 around September 2011. What does this mean for home buyers? A loan being obtained will be considered JUMBO if it is higher than $625,500.00. For qualified buyers obtaining a jumbo loan will be more challenging, but there are loans out there if you have good lenders who will shop for the best financing possible. The reduction by the government will hopefully make buyers realize that it is still such a good time to buy a home due to the low interest rates and the buyers ability to borrow. Further, lenders have lowered the requirement on FICO scores on FHA loans to 580, which will allow a new pool of buyers into the real estate market. Purchasing power has never been better, and when the changes do take place with the lowering of the conforming amount, buyers will ask why did I not know this was happening and take advantage by buying a property prior to the change in September 2011.