All posts by jd

Real estate broker, civil engineer and general contractor.

How Local Business People Are Becoming Stronger Leaders

February 13, 2011 jd

by Lisa J. Lehr

Would you like to have more communicative employees—or be one? Have a more effective sales force, or be a trainer with phenomenal presentation skills? Be a more confident, competent leader? Be persuasive, inspirational, and/or entertaining?

That’s what 235,000 people around the world are doing right now, and it’s called Toastmasters International.

This might sound like a shameless plug for Toastmasters…and perhaps it is, because I’ve been a member of Toastmasters for over 10 months now, and I love it, and so do my fellow Toastmasters, and we’d love to have more company!

Toastmasters is an international organization that provides training in speaking and leadership that is on a par with expensive and extensive professional training programs, yet at a fraction of the cost and time commitment.

Nevada County is lucky to have four different Toastmasters Clubs—unusual for a community of our size. Mother Lode Toastmasters meets Monday evenings; Early Risers Toastmasters, Tuesday mornings; Penn Valley Club, Wednesday evenings; and the club I belong to, Empire Toastmasters, meets every Friday at noon at Trolley Junction Restaurant (at the Northern Queen Hotel) in Nevada City.

We’re a small, friendly, supportive group dedicated to helping each other improve at a comfortable pace, wherever we each currently are with our speaking and leadership skills. Our meetings are open to anyone who is interested. Come as a guest; you’ll be invited (but not required!) to participate in Table Topics, in which participants each speak impromptu for about a minute on a given theme. It’s often the highlight of the meeting, and almost always provides the most laughs. Lunch is $14 and reservations are not required.

My fellow Toastmasters and I are available to do a presentation for your business or organization that will explain the program in much greater detail. My own personal and professional growth through Toastmasters has been nothing short of astonishing in less than a year, and my fellow club members have similar stories to tell about being “the shyest person who ever lived”—but no more, thanks to Toastmasters!

Visit this link for more information about the local clubs:

http://www.toastmastersnevadacounty.org/

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

Real Estate

Online Mortgage Shopping Made Easier

February 11, 2011 jd

The vast amount of information available online about mortgages – such as interest rates, loan benchmarks, prepayment penalties, and the like – can cause home buyers to feel confused and overwhelmed when shopping for a mortgage. Most surprisingly, a recent survey found that only 61 percent of homeowners surveyed said they comparison shopped for a mortgage, and 39 percent said they took out a home loan based on just one quote.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY

Resulting from consumer feedback about lending Web sites being unhelpful or difficult to navigate, some of the nation’s leading mortgage sites have responded by working to become more consumer-friendly. The revamped sites allow borrowers to not only browse lender rates and terms, but also learn about market trends and read comments from other loan shoppers.
One of the challenges borrowers have, according to Keith T. Gumbinger, the vice president of HSH Association, is that while there is plenty of mortgage information available, consumers often have difficulty understanding the technical aspects of a mortgage, such as when an adjustable rate mortgage actually adjusts, and when a prepayment penalty applies.
One site, LendingTree, allows consumers to browse quotes from various lenders, read an array of industry articles, use research tools and calculators, and peruse consumer-generated ratings and reviews of lenders. In December, the company created an online feature in which borrowers can post a mortgage-related question to be answered by a LendingTree loan specialist.
Online direct lender, Quicken Loans, offers an expanding number of customer-written reviews on buying and refinancing. Beginning in March, consumers can download Quicken Loan’s iPhone app and track when appraisals come in, closing dates are set, and when other time-sensitive hurdles in the home-buying process are reached.
Some major lenders also are making changes, including Bank of America, which offers articles and tools specifically for first-time buyers, and another set for more experienced borrowers.
Of course, borrowers also can forgo the online aspect of mortgage shopping, and instead work with an experienced mortgage broker who can help guide the buyer through the process, including locking in the best rates available for their situation.

Read the full story

For all your real estate needs Call

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE# 00669941

Bits & Pieces

Tibetan Monks in Roseville Februrary 4th to 13th

February 7, 2011 jd

By John J. O’Dell

Sunday I visited the Tibetan Monks who are in Roseville. They are there making a mandala, which if you haven’t seen one, is truly a work of art. Made entirely out of colored sand, the mandala is made one grain of sand at a time!

Mandalas created from sand are unique to Tibetan Buddhism and are believed to effect purification and healing. Typically, a great teacher chooses the specific mandala to be created. The monks assigned to make the mandala construct the mandala completely from memory, including the color of sand for each line!

This completed mandala was made by the monks when they visisted Grass Valley

Over a period of days, the design is filled in with millions of grains of sand. At its completion, the mandala is consecrated. The monks then enact the impermanent nature of existence by sweeping up the colored grains and dispersing them in flowing water.

According to Buddhist scripture, sand mandalas transmit positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them. While constructing a mandala, Buddhist monks chant and meditate to invoke the divine energies of the deities residing within the mandala. The monks then ask for the deities’ healing blessings.

A mandala’s healing power extends to the whole world even before it is swept up and dispersed into flowing water—a further expression of sharing the mandala’s blessings with all.

Tibetan Monks will be in Roseville from February 4th – 13th, 2011 at The Children’s Art Center 190 Park Drive, Roseville, CA. Viewing hours are 10 am to 6 pm.

Real Estate

5 Unexpected Foreclosure Hotspots

February 6, 2011 jd

One of the lakes in Grouse Ridge, Nevada County, CA

While Las Vegas boasts the worst foreclosure rate in the country, several other cities are creeping up with the fastest growing rates of foreclosures — and they’re in some unexpected places.

These cities mostly have one thing in common: They’re all battling a growing number of job losses among their residents that are leading more home owners to default on their mortgages.

Here are five cities with some of the fastest-growing foreclosure rates in the country:

1. Spartanburg, S.C.
Foreclosure rate: 1 in 60 homes

This city in upstate South Carolina faced a 228 percent increase in foreclosure filings in 2010 — making it the nation’s fastest-growing foreclosure rate. In 2009, the city’s unemployment rate hit 12.7 percent in 2009, dropping to 10.9 percent in 2010, yet still well above the national average.

2. Albuquerque, N.M.
Foreclosure rate: 1 in 46 homes

Albuquerque had a 60 percent increase in foreclosures in 2010. This city has had one of the fastest-growing metro areas over the past decade, attracting young professionals and retirees, but its economy was hard hit by the recession.

3. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Foreclosure rate: 2.25 percent

Myrtle Beach had a 44 percent increase in foreclosures in 2010. Once a big draw for vacation-home buyers, the city’s second-home market was crushed by the recession when tourism dropped and unemployment increased.

4. Savannah, Ga.
Foreclosure rate: 1 in 40 homes

Savannah had a 37 percent increase in foreclosure filings in 2010. Its unemployment rate is still on the rise; in November it rose to 8.9 percent. Many of the foreclosures in the city are in its Historic District or The Landings, popular areas where home prices rose quickly during the housing boom days.

5. Charlotte, N.C.
Foreclosure rate: 1 in 50 homes

Charlotte also had a 37 percent increase in foreclosure filings in 2010. Its unemployment rate is dropping; it was 10 percent in November. Charlotte has become the 33rd largest metro area in the country, growing by more than 30 percent in the past 10 years.

For all your real estate needs Call
John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE# 00669941

Real Estate

Fees For Home Mortgages Increase

February 5, 2011 jd

For the first time since 2009, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are raising risk fees charged to lenders on loans they buy for resale to investors. Fannie and Freddie also are adding risk fees to more loans offered to borrowers with exemplary credit. Although lenders could absorb the cost, most are expected to add the fees to loan costs.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY

To avoid a fee or to receive a discount, most borrowers will need FICO scores of 740 or better and down payments of at least 25 percent.
The fee increases likely will affect most loans with terms longer than 15 years that are sent to Freddie beginning March 1, and to Fannie beginning April 1.
The most notable aspect of the fee increase is that the fees are being added to more loans to borrowers with higher credit scores. With few exceptions, risk fees previously hadn’t applied to borrowers with FICO scores of 740 or higher.

Read the full story

For all your real estate needs Call

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE# 00669941

Grouse Ridge Location

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Real Estate

Countrywide Financial Executives Settles With State of California for $6.5 Million

February 4, 2011 jd

Sunset over Scotts Flat Lake from my deck 2/3/11 In the background is the Coast Range

By John J. O’Dell

Finally some justice against Countrywide Financial Corporation for all of their shady lending practices.. They created mortgage loans which were bound to be foreclosed on. Here’s a press release from the office of the Attorney General of California explaining what they did:

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today (February 2, 201) announced a $6.5 million settlement of a predatory lending case against Angelo Mozilo and David Sambol, former officers of Countrywide Financial Corporation. Attorney General Harris announced the settlement money will be used to establish an innovative statewide California Foreclosure Crisis Relief Fund to combat the effects of California’s high rates of foreclosure and mortgage delinquency.

“Our prior settlement with Countrywide provided restitution for foreclosed homeowners and set in motion loan modification programs that have helped tens of thousands of consumers,” Attorney General Harris said. “We will use the current settlement to help Californians affected by the mortgage crisis by providing grants to agencies that help homeowners facing foreclosure with relocation assistance and providing money to state and local agencies to prosecute mortgage fraud.”

This settlement concludes litigation filed by Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. in June 2008 against Countrywide Financial Corp., Countrywide Home Loans and Full Spectrum Lending, as well as Mozilo and Sambol. The financial relief provided under the current settlement augments the Attorney General’s October 2008 settlement with Countrywide to provide loan modifications and other foreclosure relief valued at $8.68 billion nationwide, with $3.5 billion provided to California borrowers.

According to the lawsuit, leading up to the mortgage crisis, Countrywide lured borrowers with low “teaser” rates often as low as 1 percent adjustable rate loans. Its loan officers obscured the downsides of these loans, which included rapidly rising rates after teaser rates expired, big prepayment penalties, and negative amortization in which a borrower’s total loan costs rose even as additional payments were made. Countrywide also loosened its mortgage standards and verification procedures in order to write more loans.

As a result of these practices, tens of thousands of homeowners with Countrywide loans ended up in default and foreclosure. The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleged that Mozilo and Sambol knew of these practices and allowed them to continue.

The complaint alleged that Countrywide sought to increase its share of the nationwide mortgage market to 30 percent through a deceptive scheme to mass produce loans – with little concern about borrowers’ long-term ability to afford them. It then would sell the loans on the secondary market to earn the highest possible premiums.

The settlement with Mozilo, the CEO of Countrywide, and Sambol, its president, was filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court. Mozilo and Sambol left Countrywide when it was purchased by Bank of America in July 2008.”

Source: Attorney General’s Office

So what do you think?

For all your real estate needs Call

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE# 00669941

Bits & Pieces

Dave McLellan Designs – Art Gallery – Nevada County

February 2, 2011 jd

Smooth Current - Spring Creek, South Fork Yuba River (Note this picture is copyrighted and cannot be used without permission of David McLellan Designs)

By John J. O’Dell

While sitting in the Flour Garden I met Dave McLellan of Dave McLellan Designs. Dave was putting up an exhibit of his art work which looks very impressive. For a little background on Dave, he is a photographer, graphic artist, bicyclist and a musician.

On his website you can find many images of Nevada City, Grass Valley and California Gold Rush towns with a Victorian feel in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

If you have time, check out his work while it’s still in the Flour Garden located in the Brunswick Area next to the CVS drugstore.

To see his gallery Click Here

For all your real estate needs Call
John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE# 00669941

nevada county fair

Winner of Nevada County Fair Artwork Design Announced

February 1, 2011 jd

Art by Sandy Gold Winner Nevada County 2011 Art Work Contest

Congratulations to Sandy Gold of Grass Valley

Congratulations to Sandy Gold of Grass Valley for submitting the winning artwork for the 2011 Fair artwork design contest. Sandy’s design does an excellent job of representing the Nevada County Fair and this year’s Fair theme of “Gold! Rush to the Fair.”

Sandy’s design was chosen from more than 20 entries submitted by community members. Her artwork will be used on various Fair promotional pieces, including print ads, t-shirts, buttons, banners, posters, flyers, and handbooks.

Lucy Galbraith of Grass Valley submitted the winning slogan, “Gold! Rush to the Fair,” for the 2011 Fair.

This year’s Nevada County Fair is August 10 – 14, 2011. For more information, visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com.

By Wendy Oaks
Publicist, Nevada County Fairgrounds
(530) 273-6217
wsoaks@gmail.com

Center for the Arts

The Battlefield Band Comes to Grass Valley Saturday February 5

January 31, 2011 jd

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj5Q_I6YAFU

Coming The Center For The Arts in Grass Valley Saturday February 5th is the renowned Battle Band playing at 8 pm. According to their press release:

“Under their banner Forward with Scotland’s Past, Battlefield Band have been performing on the international scene for four decades, inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of the modern Scottish cultural scene. The band, who pioneered the integration of bagpipes with fiddle, keyboards, guitar and voice, mix the old songs and tunes with new self-penned material, playing them on a unique fusion of ancient and modern instruments: bagpipes, fiddles, guitars, cittern, bass, keyboards, whistles, and bouzouki. Founded by a group of friends in 1969 and named after the ‘Battlefield’ area of Glasgow, Battlefield Band perform throughout the world, playing to audiences in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East & Canada, as well as more than 60 cities annually in the United States. Their music is played regularly on National Public Radio’s Thistle and Shamrock program, and they are frequent guests on Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion.”

Their website is Battlefield Band

For tickets Click Here

For all your real estate needs Call
John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
(530) 263-1091

DRE 0066941

Real Estate

Nevada County Housing Market December 2009 Compared to December 2010

January 28, 2011 jd

Another year in the Real estate market in Nevada County saw a drop of 11 percent in home prices from December 09 to December 10.

In December 2009, the median price of homes in Nevada County for sale was $339,900 and there were 1009 listing for sale. In December 2010 the median price of homes was $303,500 or a difference of -$36,400. In December 2010 there were 1,026 listings and 81 homes sold in that month.

Foreclosures seems to have slowed down somewhat, which may be due to the problems which the banks and Wall Street created during the height of the housing bubble. As you may or may not know, most of the problems were created when banks started lowering their lending standards. They allowed stated income loans (now known as liar loans) and negative amortization loans, where the buyer could pay any amount of the loan that they wanted to. Of course in a couple of years the terms changed and the home owner could not possibly make payments on their mortgage.

The banks then sold the mortgages to Wall Street, who packaged them into bonds. The rating companies gave these bonds a rating based on the overall FICO score, not knowing what kind of mortgages they were giving a high credit rating to. In other words, the bond may consist of 25 percent or more of subprime loans, but have an overall FICO high enough to call the bond triple A. Included in these loans there might be loans to clients with good credit ratings but have a loan that was bound to fail such as the negative amortization loans.

In order to get FICO scores by Wall Street, loans were made to recent immigrants who might have been here for only a few years but because they made their payments on t

All of these bonds became worthless when the home owners started defaulting. Wall Street’s haste to create these bonds and sell them worldwide resulted in sloppy book keeping and the mortgage notes in many cases became lost.

Thus we have the “robo signing” or more illegal works by our illustrious banks. This has created a brief slowing down of foreclosures and I think that maybe the banks are concerned about all of the mortgage bonds they created and in some cases still hold.

By John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
For all your real estate needs call
(530) 263-1091

Dre# 00669941