Tweety Bird is 60 years old this year.
tweety
Get my tri-focals - I tot I taw a puddy tat.
 
Obama appoints new Housing Czar.
house czar
Don't laugh. That house is worth more than yours.
 

If you are a gun owner or even if you are not, this should be of concern to you. California Democrats are considering legislation to severely limit sales of ammunition, ban gun shows in the Cow Palace and eliminate your right to re-load your own ammo by outlawing the sale of black powder and other elements.

I don't care if you're a 'gun nut' or not, this should be scaring you. Once again it's the government meddling in places they don't belong, restricting access for legitimate gun owners and acting in direct contra-indication to the rights bestowed on us by our constitution. 

Do you really think banning sales of more than 50 pieces of ammunition a month will do ANYTHING to deter criminals? No, it will impact the recreational gun owner who enjoys a weekend of shooting (and there are lots of them). Do you think banning gun sales at the Cow Palace will eliminate criminals easy access to guns? Not for a minute - but for Democrats it's just the first step toward outlawing gun sales in any publicly owned venue, then any privately owned venue, then... 

I hate to sound trite but 'When guns are outlawed - only outlaws will have guns'. Democrats will not be happy until every single freedom you and I enjoy is either taken away completely or placed under the benevolent supervision and control of 'the government' or whomever they see fit to assign as arbiters of justice and freedom. Stalin tried it. Hitler gave it a run. It's in the news today from Iran. and it's news from Sacramento - like those boneheads don't have enough to worry about in this fiscally and morally bankrupt state. As if Mark Leno's comedic performance on the budget webinar last week wasn't enough, now he's stepping even further away from anything he knows anything about. Blueberry commission, pomegranite standards, mylar balloons and ammunition rationing? Yeah we need more of that kind of sh**. 

Well, it probably doesn't concern your freedom - after all, you're not one of those gun owners. But let me re-iterate a slogan that I fear all too much. 'When they came for the Jews I said nothing, for I was not a Jew. When they came for the Gypsies, I said nothing because I was not a Gypsy and didn't want to make waves. When they came for the Catholics, I said nothing because I'm not a Catholic and didn't want them to notice me. Then they came for me ... and there was nobody left to stand in my defense.' Think I'm being paranoid? Just ask the former Chairman of GM, ask Chrysler, ask the banks, health care providers, insurance carriers - who are they coming for next? 

If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. I'm not a gun owner but this BS infuriates me. Hopefully you will take a moment. Sen John Benoit is Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Committee and local to the Riverside/Palm Springs area. Please read up on the issue and let our legislators know they should be concentrating on more important matters - like saving our failing state - not worried about injecting themselves into yet another area of our lives. 

nra

Two Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled to be Considered Next Week!
Please Contact Your State Legislators Today!

Assembly Bill 962 and Senate Bill 585 are scheduled to be considered on Tuesday, June 30.  AB962 will be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee and SB585 will be considered by the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

S
ponsored by Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-45), AB962 would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a “handgun ammunition vendor” in the Department of Justice’s database.  Ammunition retailers would have to be licensed and store ammunition in such a manner that it would be inaccessible to purchasers.  The bill would also require purchasers submit to fingerprinting, which would be kept in dealers' records and subject to inspection by the Department of Justice.  Lastly, mail order ammunition sales would be prohibited. 

SB585, introduced by State Senator Mark Leno (D-3), would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition on the property or inside the buildings that comprise the Cow Palace.  In short, SB585 is a stepping-stone to banning gun shows on all publicly-owned property in California. 

It is imperative that you stand-up and respectfully make your voices heard!  Please contact the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee and urge them to oppose AB962.  Also, please contact the members of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety and insist that they defeat SB585.  Contact information can be found below.

SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE:

State Senator Mark Leno (D-3) – Chair
(916) 651-4003
senator.leno@senate.ca.gov

State Senator John J. Benoit (R-37) - Vice-Chair
(916) 651-4037

State Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-22)
(916) 651-4022

State Senator Loni Hancock (D-9)
(916) 651-4009

State Senator Robert Huff (R-29)
(916) 651-4029

State Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-6)
(916) 651-4006

State Senator Roderick Wright (D-25)
(916) 651-4025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY:

Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-69) - Chair 
(916) 319-2069
Assemblymember.solorio@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Curt Hagman (R-60) - Vice Chair 
(916) 319-2060
Assemblymember.Hagman@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Warren T. Furutani (D-55)
(916) 319-2055
Assemblymember.Furutani@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Danny D. Gilmore (R-30)
(916) 319-2030
Assemblymember.Gilmore@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Jerry Hill (D-19)
(916) 319-2019
Assemblymember.Hill@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Fiona Ma (D-12)
(916) 319-2012
Assemblymember.Ma@assembly.ca.gov  

Assembly Member Nancy Skinner (D-14)
(916) 319-2014
Assemblymember.Skinner@assembly.ca.gov
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Tuesday after speaking to the City Council about our housing market, several people followed me out as I left the chambers. Usually they're chasing me with cudgels, but this night they just wanted to share stories and ask about getting help with their housing problems.

One story I still hear way too often in spite of all our efforts to get the word out was a story of fraud. One gentleman lamented that he had sent $2,500 to a Florida company that promised to get his loan modified. Not only has nothing been done in three months, but now they don't even answer the phone there and their website states they no longer do business in California. Nice!

What should he do?

My advice - kiss the $2,500 good-bye and don't send anymore money to scam artists. I did put him in touch with the District Attorney and the Attorney General because how is one individual going to sue a company clear across the country - especially a company that was probably founded on fraudulent grounds and specializes in flim-flam? That he possesses no significant resources and has only a halting command of English doesn't make it any easier for him to proceed and undoubtedly made him a prime target for the unscrupulous. I've also put him in touch with a legitimate counseling service and the HUD website and hope it's not too late for him to recover. 

home affordableOn the flip side, last night I got a call from a good friend of mine on an altogether happier matter - his loan modification had been approved! Honest. I don't know about you but this is the first success story I've heard from the Making Home Affordable program and it was a welcome relief from all the failures experienced by so many. There may be rays of sunshine out there somewhere, folks.

chaseMy friend - let's call him Fred - said he was fed up with the 20 calls and letters he was getting every day offering to refi or modify his loan for a fee - or to make his mortgage go away completely. From being my friend for years he knows all about fraud and only recently came to realize how pervasive it is in the housing industry. He found the onslaught of offers frustrating and very insulting in their blatant attempts to rip him off.  

wfAnd it's not that Fred was in imminent danger of losing his home but being self-employed they have seen a substantial decline in their own business the past couple years and are finding that the money runs out before the month does anymore. So they contacted their lender, Chase, on-line and he said the process couldn't have been easier or simpler. They filed the appropriate paperwork on March 8 and this month their monthly mortgage payment will be reduced by over $200 - or about 18%. Granted we're not talking huge numbers here (especially for California) but how many people do you know who would be able to stay in their home with even that amount of relief? 

hudNow over the years Fred and Betty have been prudent homeowners. They bought their house during the last big drop for about $90,000. After 16 years and two kids, the house needed some updating and repairs so they refi'd in 2007 but only took out the amount they needed for the update. Their current mortgage is about $125,000 though at the time they could have sucked more than $300,000 equity out of the house. They also have the good fortune to have a Fannie/Freddie backed loan, which is not all that common in California - especially after the over-heated run-up the past few years. And they still have positive equity in their home and they are not delinquent in their payments even though they've been paying a $38 late fee for so long it seems like part of the mortgage.

baThe modification was accomplished through an interest rate adjustment only - the principle and term remain the same. Based on individual circumstances he said there are programs where the principle might be reduced or the term extended to 40 years in combination with an interest rate reduction but those options didn't apply in their case. Their assigned caseworker was personable and almost always answered her phone immediately. She encouraged them to be diligent in their follow-up every week or two, was happy to answer questions and the promise of an answer within 120 days was actually less than 90

rivcoAs Fred pointed out - this is a legitimate program for legitimate people. I know I'm happy as heck for my friends as they do a lot for our community with minimal compensation. It's great to see deserving people get something for a change

I've sprinkled a variety of company logos throughout this post. If you click on any of them, it'll take you to the company website where the details of their modification program is available. The Making Home Affordable site even has an easy on-line form to see if you might qualify. It couldn't get much simpler. The Help for Homeowners site is currently local to Riverside County, but expanding. This group puts on seminars throughout the region geared to put homeowners in touch with FREE or low-cost LEGITIMATE resources to help refi, modify, short-sale or even lose your home (everybody cannot be helped). This is done with every effort to provide relief, comfort and with as little impact as possible with an eye to future homeownership for those who can't be helped right now. 

There are resources available. Remember - if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If they ask for money up front - it's probably a scam. Also be aware of 'affinity' fraud. Your own ethnic group will prey on you before others. Your church group, your workplace (nurses, teachers) are all more likely to be victimized by an inside job - somebody you may know and trust

If you're in trouble, start with YOUR OWN bank first. Be patient, be persistent and be professional. If they can help you they PROBABLY will. Banks don't always seem to operate rationally or in their own best interest (or yours) but as Freed & Betty can tell you - sometimes it works just right and sometimes you win the lotto. Good Luck.

 

I make no pretense at being a golfer - let me get that out right up front. But as they say, a bad day golfing is better than a good day working. THEY say that. I say that about fishing, which I prefer to golf, but if you can't go fishing, golf will do. Golf is another one of those 'sports' where you can drink while you're practicing it, or playing it or whatever it is you do with it. I like that in a sport. And unlike fishing where you have to haul your own supplies, in golf there's a sweet young lady that travels the course in the 'beer truck'. That's right - they bring it icy cold right to you. That puts it right up a notch above bowling - where you sometimes have to walk several feet to a bar. 

cross creek

There's also a lot of cussing in golf I've noticed. If you haven't been, here's what it sounds like in the T area:

daneGolfer #1 - Thwack / sunava %}}@~.

Golfer #2 - Thwack / Mother 4w%%$3. 

Golfer #3 - Thwack / {?**^> ball/club/wind.

Golfer #4 - Thwack / well you catch my drift.

Again, not really a negative to my mind. And golf cussing is pretty mild. Heck, I grew up in a mining town - those old boys had cussing down to an art form.

mikeBut I digress - I do enjoy golf. I get my moneys worth when I golf because I  spend way more time on the course than the average bear whiffing around in 3 or 4 hours in his brightly colored shorts ensemble. If I don't start before noon, I might as well take along a sleeping bag and some freeze dried grub. If I had glow-in-the-dark balls I'd be a happy man - I could play all night. (That may have come out wrong.) Actually, when I lived in Minnesota I played with bright orange balls, which makes them very easy to see and hard to lose. (again, don't go there). When I moved to California some a** took pains to point out that those were 'snow balls' - orange so you could play in the snow. Only a total doofus would sport them in SoCal.

Thank you very much Mr. Chartreuse Shirt Man.

I also feel it's my tribute to the designer of the course, to come to know the intricacies he designed into the course. They planned those big sandy areas, trees, rivers and lakes all for our enjoyment yet most golfers only try to avoid them. They also placed courses in beautiful wildlife areas and it's fun to explore the surrounding flora (& fauna). You don't even want to know how many homes I've 'come in contact with' playing Bear Creek. (Thwack / Krink - that's the sound of a well driven ball off a Spanish Tile roof).

driveBut it's always a pleasure to play for a good cause and this past Saturday we had an opportunity to do just that. I'd never played Cross Creek before and it is a gorgeous course lying in a bowl surrounded by oak and avocado trees and, in the distance, some exquisite homes. It's a very unforgiving course too, I might add. Keeping score as I do is a function of balls lost X beer consumed / good company = score. Others keep a more numerically based algorithm which only works for me when I play a scramble or best ball event. Again, assuming I'm with 2 or 3 other people who know what they're doing. 

My son and I enjoyed an afternoon with friends Mike & Eric - who carried our team to a 7 under finish. I never thought I'd experience that pinnacle in a tournment that did not allow Mulligans. And we scored honetly, not like those pikers that claimed they shot 60. 

nicholasThe event was 'Driving to Beat Autism' with Our Nicholas Foundation. The foundation was started by Mark & Kathy Anselmo to honor their son Nicholas. While researching what they could on the topic after their son was diagnosed, they discovered a dire shortage of information, of the tools necessary for teaching & therapy, and funding for research & basic classroom necessities. 

One of Our Nicholas Foundation's early successes has been their Peer Buddies Program which integrates special ed students with 'typical' students in a classroom environment. It has fostered compassion and understanding among the student population while providing a sense of well being and inclusion for the autistic.

They are also developing an extensive Autism Resource Library and can provide parents with local resource guides. Having experienced a 400% increase in autistic students enrolled in local classes in just the last 4 years shows the critical need for the products, services and research needed to enrich the lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

If you or anyone you know has been touched by autism and would like to find out more about this amazing organization, please contact www.OurNicholasFoundation.org

 
Friends - are ya feelin' a little backed-up and bloated? Has your breakfast burrito turned to spackle in your lower GI. Well tune in  to the California Budget Town Hall at 6 this evening. I guarantee you'll be sh*tting bricks long before the scheduled fini'.
budget
Click here

 
Friends - are ya feelin' a little backed-up and bloated? Has your breakfast burrito turned to spackle in your lower GI. Well tune in  to the California Budget Town Hall at 6 this evening. I guarantee you'll be sh*tting bricks long before the scheduled fini'.
budget
Click here

 
If you're planing on drinking and driving this weekend, spring for the $2.00 and get one of these. It apparently makes it OK.
ff
 

I'll be posting more specifics for you from our Sacramento Legislative trip last week, but just wanted to share a couple observations.

Wednesday was Legislative Day. In addition to our CAR Directors, we always bring up a few folks with us for that day - folks who have made an investment in our Realtor Action Fund of at least $197. It's always a great day - including a terrific speech by former  (and future?) Governor Jerry Brown, legislative updates from our lobbyists, our march on the capitol photo op, visits with our Legislators and the Capitol Reception in the evening. For people who only think real estate is about selling houses, you should come with us next year. 

march

(If you're curious, I'm 6th row back, 22nd from the right, next to Frank Nelson)

That same Wednesday, the Assembly had a deadline for closing out their docket because anything that wasn't passed to the Senate, either dies or reverts to a two year bill. Needless to say it was hectic and our schedules had to remain flexible as we sought to discuss our housing agenda with our electeds. Assembly Member Kevin Jeffries was literally on lock-down until the bills got passed and had been so all week. He managed to visit with us outside the chambers for a few minutes and joined us later at the reception after they had completed the session. 

And there-in lies the tale. Between seeing Assemblyman Jeffries and our reschedule with Senator Hollingsworth, we had an hour to spare. So we sat down in the basement coffee shop in the Capitol and had a soda. They have several TV's on the walls all broadcasting the current floor session. There were about a dozen of us talking and laughing about the days adventures. After about 5 minutes the folks fell silent - consumed by what they were seeing on TV. Over the span of the next 45 minutes we saw 19 bills passed. With one exception - every one of the bills passed on a 42 - 22 vote, (+/- 2). Not only were these bills passed hastily and on strict party line votes, virtually every bill involved some sort of spending or new committee creation. 

After having their asses handed to them on our May 19 Proposition vote, these Assembly Democrats still don't get the message on spending. They can't help themselves. It was a real eye opener for our political neophytes who have never seen the process up close and personal. It's times like that I'm reminded of Otto von Bismarck's caution that - 'People should never see either sausages or laws being made'. It's true - I've seen both and don't advise it. The difference is with sausage you can just avoid consuming the product if it's too unpalatable. With legislation, regardless of your efforts, you are forced to partake - and it's generally going to cost you more money or less freedom

You should be pleased to note that both Assembly members Jeffries and Nestande consistently had their votes tabulated among the paltry smattering of 'red' votes. The Assembly considered over 1,000 new pieces of legislation this session in spite of getting a late start. It took them 5 months to consider and vote on the first 500 bills, only 5 days to consider and vote the last 500. Is it any wonder we're in the shape we're in? 

The Senate only produced about 1/4 that many bills in this first session. Here's hoping the Senate is somewhat more in touch with Californians than 2/3 of their Assembly counterparts are when they sit down to consider the truckload of crappola the Assembly is delivering to them. 

Oh, the one bill that didn't pass 42 - 22? It was a bill introduced by Speaker Karen Bass. The Speaker does not come on the floor to introduce her own bills - she sent it in with a messenger. They trick to this one? They first had to waive the 1 day read rule. That means within the span of 2 - 3 minutes 

  1. a copy of this bill was either laid on their desk or appeared on their PC and 
  2. they were concurrently being asked to waive the 1 day read rule and then to 
  3. vote on the bill. 

Honest. And the vote was unanimous. They musta been a shell-shocked as we were.

If you've never seen the process by which our state is governed, take your tax rebate and book a trip to Sacramento. Maybe by witnessing first hand the fiscal depravity which our leaders display, the wanton pandering to special interests and (in some cases) their shocking lack of command of the English language, you will come to undertand how we arrived at the brink of collapse. Hopefully you will come to the conclusion that, in good conscience, you CANNOT continue to vote the same incompetent louts back into office time and again. 

Or not.

 

What a glorious time this is - end of a school year and graduation. You meet some of the most delightful young people at this time of year - too bad you won't see much about it in other media. 

stan scheerThis morning I had the privilege of attending the 14th Annual Murrieta Student of the Year award ceremony presented by the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce. Ever month the Chamber, in association with numerous community sponsors, recognize an outstanding student of the month from our three current high schools. Today's event selects from among those  recipients to recognize students who have made a truly outstanding contribution to their school and our community. 

WOW! What a group. This morning 6 Murrieta students - a male and female recipient from Murrieta Valley, Vista Murrieta and Creekside, were introduced to a group of education, civic & business leaders. The recognition of their scholarship includes $1,300 in monetary awards per student as well as city, county and state proclamations and gift bags donated by business sponsors. 

karieHere's a thumbnail summary of the very deserving award winners. I wish I had been taking notes.

  • Vista Murrieta grad Brian Choi carries a 6.0 GPA. In addition to nailing straight A's in Advanced Placement courses, his list of accomplishments and accolades is a mile long. This son of immigrant farmers, Brian will be attending Harvard this fall. 
  • Creekside graduate Crystal Farr completed a spectacular high school career in spite of numerous difficulties. Among other goals, Crystal plans on volunteering for military service as part of a family tradition. After the ceremony we discovered that the 'difficulty' that led to Crystal attending the continuation school was her frequent absences to care for her brother, an amputee veteran. She will be attending San Diego State to be closer to her brothers hos[pital. 
  • MVHS' Nikki Salazar will be attending Stanford.
  • Vista Murrieta's Ashley Scott will be attending Berkeley.
  • MVHS Jacob Levy plans to pursue a career in law/politics/advocacy. He has not only posted a superlative GPA but has been a student activist on behalf of a number of causes during his matriculation. His teacher and Principal alike praised his ability to get diverse groups to reach common ground. If the state survives that long, I'd vote for this kid in about 20 years.
  • Creekside's Miles Ten Brinke dropped out of school for 'a couple years'. When he finally decided to re-enroll in the continuation school, he 'found himself', as his teacher said. He completed the required coursework in months rather than years and has been attending MSJC since October.

rogersIntroduced by their Principals, both MVHS Superintendent Dr. Stan Scheer and our County Superintendent gave some words of encouragement. The students made a few comments on their plans and extended thanks to the sponsors, their teachers and especially their parents. To say these students are highly motivated, focused and possessing of poise far beyond their years would be an understatement. You come out of one of these events with a little more spring in your step - they give you a little more hope for a future generation.

Thanks also due to Margaret Jones, who has served as Program Chair for many years and Rex Oliver, CEO of the Murrieta Chamber for their long-time support of this event. Special thanks to Student of the Month Program, Inc. and its founder, Sally Myers of Sizzler Restaurants. It's a great accomplishment to make sure these outstanding student and future leaders are recognized and encouraged.

It's just a shame the only place you'll read about it is here.

 
 
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Gene Wunderlich - Selling Southwest California Homes / Temecula & Murrieta

Temecula, CA

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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

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