News to me, yet still interesting and pertinent. A group in Miami, Florida, Take Back the Land, is

putting those without homes into newly foreclosed properties. The group searches out empty

government buildings and newly foreclosed homes and then after evaluating the home's

condition (they make sure it has running water and electricity) the family in need is

moved in. Neighbors near the property are notified of the move ahead of time.

Everyone's story is different, some have been homeless while others move back into

the house they were just evicted from. The group's motivation comes from their belief

in housing as a human right and claims this right should supersede the right of a

corporation to make a profit. These acts are illegal, and the media emphasizes this

very clearly, though Max Rameau (head of the organization) states that legality is

not always in-line with what is moral - citing the Jim Crow laws that inflicted the

black population up until the 70's. These actions come at a time when 1 in 9 homes

lay empty and Take Back the Land is taking direct action instead of waiting for the

government to fix the problem or for the market to rebound. Looking back at our

history, this story is a familiar one, during the Great Depression people organized

in similar ways in reaction to evictions, responding by collectively, as a

neighborhood, moving those evicted immediately back into their home. There is a great

passage from A People's History of the United States that illustrates this (top of

394). As a Realtor what do you think is the right thing to do? What is your

first inclination - then what is your moral inclination? What could be done as an

alternative, enabling people to stay in their homes legally? Should the government

play a part or should this be left to the market? I would really like to hear your comments

Tim Holborn

Staff writer

Humboltd State Student .

(please visit the links and browse the organization's site and media links)

The Obama administration has just extended a plan through the Making Home

Affordable program which will extend the refinancing of mortgages to those whose

home's equity has reached negative 25% of their original mortgages. This extension was based off

the original 5% coverage rate, the new rate will now cover a much larger population with

negative equity in their homes. A large population by some estimates will still be

excluded even with this new extension, as the Financial Times reports "one in

ten homeowners are thirty-percent 'underwater' or more." This decision leaves those

who are hit hardest by falling equity to remain without any help and to remain

responsible for paying their original mortgage with hardly a hope of refinancing. This

is a problem that has hit nearly everyone, as the housing bubble burst "houses have

lost a third of their value on average...which has catapulted about one in five

homeowners into negative equity."

-Original Source: Financial Times-

'Secret Pals' sought to help disadvantaged kids   

The City of Fullerton is searching for some special people interested in impacting the lives of deserving Fullerton children.      

The object of the search is "secret pals" - individuals, businesses and organizations willing to donate money to provide "scholarships" for children wishing to register for activities and events offered by the Fullerton Parks and Recreation Department.

Children receiving scholarships from the Secret Pal program "are primarily from low-income families or families who, given the state of the economy, simply cannot afford recreational activities such as swimming lessons for their children," said Aaron Orozco, youth services coordinator for the city's Parks and Recreation Department.  

"Consequently, the only `playground' these children have is the streets.  However, through the generosity of a Secret Pal, these kids can leave the streets and take part in a variety of fun activities - activities which can make a difference in their lives." 

Since the program's inception in 1992, hundreds of children have participated in city recreational programs.  Classes made available to the children include dance, music, art, day and sports camps, skating and the ever-popular swimming lessons.

Any size donation is welcome.

 Individuals, organizations or businesses interested in becoming a Secret Pal can contact Orozco at (714) 738-5360.          

Donations may be sent to the program in care of the Fullerton Parks and Recreation Department, 303 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, 92832.  Checks should be made payable to the City of Fullerton/Secret Pal.

• Chapman University's. econ professors have their semiannual Orange County forecast out. Here's the real estate scoop:   
• Orange County's median family income runs $78,500 for 2009, so a potential homebuyer needs to allocate 27.4% of income to buy a median-priced home in Orange County vs. 48.4% in 2006.
• Smaller inventories, improved affordability and diminished supply of new homes cannot overcome continuing job losses. Downward pressure on prices runs well into the first half of 2010.
• But by 2010's third quarter, year-over-year percentage changes in median home prices will turn positive.
• The median resale single-family home prices, as measured by annual change in the California Association of Realtors benchmarks, will show prices up 1.6% in Orange County in 2010. That will follow Orange County's projected 17.9% loss for 2009 - and will mark the first local price gain in the median since 2006.

Why?

• Sales activity shifts from lower-priced homes to pricier abodes, median will be pulled up.
• Ratio of median home prices to median income will reach 5.6 in 2010 - near historical average of 5.7.
• Ratio of Orange County to U.S. home prices will be at 2.3 - near historical average ratio of 2.4.
• With rapidly declining home prices over the last three years, Chapman profs think median reached a rational level, "at least, in relation to inflation rate."
• "We should emphasize that the factors discussed above are only relevant to median prices. High-priced homes are still subject to further price erosions."

  Traffic helicopter reporter Commander Chuck Street will share his 20 years of flying experiences at 6:30 tonight at the AFI Hangar at Fullerton Airport, 4119 Commonwealth Ave.

Open to the public, the program is sponsored by the Fullerton 99s, Fullerton Airport Pilots Association and AFI.

Street cruises the Southern California skies to provide commuters with current traffic conditions each weekday morning on KTLA-TV and KIIS-FM radio.

I can't believe all the great artist that are going to me in concert this month !! It's fantastic.

The Coach House (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
Friday, Jun. 26 @ 6:00pm (Doors Open)


The missing link between Motown soul and Detroit rock, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels' manic energy made them one of the top live bands of the '60s. They had hits with "Jenny Take A Ride", "Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly", and more. See them at The Coach House, with openers 7th Sons and Sugah Daddy.

Rod Piazza is one of the West Coast's most respected blues veterans. A Southern California native, he's been singing and playing the harmonica for over 40 years. He brings his band, the Mighty Flyers, to Brixton South Bay.

Brixton South Bay (Redondo Beach, CA)
Saturday, Jun. 13 @ 6:00pm (Doors Open)

     Check out the line up so far: 

July 15 to August 19, 2009
Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fullerton Sports Complex - 560 E. Silver Pine
(off Bastanchury between Brea Blvd. and Harbor Blvd.)

Admission: Free

Bring your family and friends to enjoy a night of music under the stars! Feel free to bring a picnic dinner, chairs and blankets to this casual evening of entertainment. The Fullerton Museum Center leads a FREE family arts & crafts booth featuring a different craft each week. Food is available for purchase. Call 714-738-6545 for more information.

Band Line-up

• July 15: The Answer (Classic Rock)
• July 22: Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys (Rockabilly/Roots/Country/Western Swing)
• July 29: Rusty Anderson (guitarist for Paul McCartney - Rock & Alternative)
• August 5: James Intveld (Country)
• August 12: The Bruce Springsteen Tribute Band
• August 19: Los Fabulocos (Roots and Blues)

When: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Where: Fullerton High School Stadium @ the corner of Lemon and Berkeley

Fireworks begin at 9:00 p.m. and last for approximately 20 minutes.

Live music by Cloud 9 (Classic and Modern Rock cover band) stilt-walkers, balloon artists, face painters, unicyclist, bounce houses, petting zoo and more! NOMINAL FEES MAY APPLY for activities (Approximately $2-$4)!

Games offered by Parks & Recreation will be Free and will include small prizes. 

Food is available for purchase in the festival area. There is no alcoholic beverage service.All food is reasonably priced, and is being offered by local charity organizations as a fundraising activity (funnel cakes, popcorn, beef jerky, Mexican food, Thai food, ice cream, pizza and more). NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED.

 This is great fun for the family, and it's the SAFE AND SANE WAY to enjoy fireworks in Fullerton

Well, that's what we're calling it in our office today !!  Suzi has declared today Official Jimmy Buffett Day, in honor of his concert that a group of us are going to go to tonight in Irvine.

In honor of the day, the office is decorated in parrots, lei's and straw hats, complete with a billboard of Jimmy trivia and of course his music is playing in the background.  But the best part of all is that at noon we are firing up 2 margarita machines and saluting Margaritaville in style.  So drop on by if you're in the area and have one, oh yeah, and don't forget your Hawaiian shirt and flipflops.  We are having a contest for best shirt!!