Wreath Making

I make wreaths of native and greenery available on the ranch.
Last Christmas I sold them at Rogers Gardens, but I will have them at
a tree lot in Dana Point.

They are wild and fun, not your plastic $179 wreath from Target or Hobby Lobby

I sell them wholesale for $20 and $45 for anything you order. The size is from twenty inches
to forty. Every one is different. Some have long needle pine, olives, toyon berries (used by Native people as tea), lemons or oranges with cloves, rosemary, lavender, sage and pine cones.
They smell wonderful. They are all organic and decompose very easily. The frame is wild grape.
Even the wire turns to dust.

Here are a few unfinished. They will have velvet ribbons and more wild fruits before I deliver them.
A few friends an family get one dropped on the doorstep as if Santa stopped by on black friday.
I'm not into selling Christmas as big mall stuff.

Use what greenery surrounds you.
I start with grape vines and wire them.
I allow them to dry in shapes then remove
the wire.

Happy Thanksgiving

On Guard

Be on guard for hackers. It’s hard to keep secure in the digital age. Don’t give any application your real date of birth- Facebook, Apple, and social media apps do not need your Private information. They sell your behaviors and habits online.

If you use a cell phone for banking, Venmo, email or work Outlook notifications you are vulnerable.

On your desktop/ laptop be aware. Allowing Google Cloud Identity, Okta, One Login, Last Pass Enterprise. CA SSO, Sailpoint Identity Now, Microsoft, or companies that manage and secure user authentication in applications, website web services and into devices puts you at risk. These companies hold a cheat sheet of passwords online. The best protection is to use different and complex passwords and to change them once a month.

Email accounts can be hacked. Don’t send bank statements, paperwork with your social security number and date of birth unless you can encrypt the send email. Delete the thousands of old emails stored in your account. 

When an email arrives from an unknown sender, don’t click on the attachments. When you see an email from Apple or your bank name try and reply to the email and see if the email address is indeed who they say they are. If the email is reportapplexyq~”{pm@papz.com  you can see the email address looks wrong. If it feels wrong, don’t answer. If you get an email from your bank account to change the password DO NOT click on the link. Call the Bank and double check.

When wiring funds for a real estate transaction. Call the lender, call the escrow company more than once to triple check the account information.

It is easier to protect yourself with cumbersome passwords than to try and make a claim to get the money back.

C G Caroline Gerardo Barbeau

Mortgage Banker CMG FI

RATES ARE LOW

NMLS 324982

(949) 784- 9699

California Go Solar

Wichita Line Man Says Go Solar

Californians are at the mercy of Energy Companies. Do you recall when Enron defrauded California and contributed to the energy crisis? Our system is more fragile than it was in 2002. 

What will happen if your utility company turns off the power for a few days or a week? P G and E refused this week to give a household even one hundred dollars for the loss of all the food in their refrigerator and other hardships.

Power in California is supplied to your business or home from “the grid.” Wind, water, natural gas and solar systems are converted by electric power generators that are fueled by natural gas. Sounds complex. In turn the gas grid relies on electric powered compressors and pumping stations. Our system is old, mostly dates to the 1950’s. Power companies have not updated lines and cut trees and obstacles in the path of the lines.

If the power goes down long enough you will also be without water and natural gas. Gas stations for your vehicle will also close. Not meaning to sound doomsday; but you won’t be going to work, if you have health issues this will most likely be during a fire, heat wave or earthquake and daily life will be hard.

If you own your home and you plan to stay there more than four years, I encourage you to research solar. The type of solar you want is off grid solar that does not connect to the public utility company. Solar has greatly improved. There are twenty options for battery systems varying in price from three thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars depending on type, space, and storage needed.

In researching your solar contractor, you want really to inspect them carefully. Check the contractor’s license with the state board, better business bureau, references, your local lender who does construction loans. It may be necessary to upgrade your roof, add support for possible earthquake. Add protection under the eaves for fire prevention and so forth.

Fire season is year-round, this is California we love our State; but being ready is everything. Don’t expect our government local, state or Federal to figure this out. It is our job to protect our families and homes.

If you need advice or recommendations, please call me. I don’t work for a solar company and make nothing referring you.
I've designed and installed a few.

C G  (949) 784- 9699 

Caroline Gerardo Barbeau

NMLS 324982

Contractor Dizzy? 203k Home Loan Close Easy

RENOVATION LOAN 
As purchase or refinance

203k FHA

Does the HomeStyle product have Certificate of Occupancy requirements like the 203k?  For instance, can a borrower purchase a home that is 75% built and current owner can't or doesn't want to finish construction?

The HomeStyle product requires the home to be 90% completed at the time of purchase.

Is there a $5000 repair minimum requirement for a refi with the 203K Limited product?

There is no $5000 requirement minimum or any minimum on an FHA 203k Limited. 

Is the Borrower allowed to change contractors if they are unhappy with the work?

It is very challenging to change contractors as money has been paid to contractors and is difficult to retract.  The contractor needs to complete the work as per the agreement.  But they can change contractors after closing if that is needed. If you change contractors the first one can lien the project and place a cloud one title. It is difficult to determine how much the first contractor is owed, how much work completed may be subjective and difficult to prove. I once had a construction project where the contractor had a heart attack on site. He didn't die on site, his wife tried to save the job while he was hospitalized a couple weeks. His work was good. The bond was not enough to complete. Check out your contractor carefully- check recent jobs, find your own references. Chicken Ron says don't be caught with a contractor who doesn't show, shows up dizzy, or can't see the wall from the door. Chicken Ron puts his head dress in a pony tail because he knocks things over.

What happens if the work done by the contractor doesn’t pass inspection?

This rarely happens but it does happen!  The contractors are vetted and sometimes there are disputes on how things are done.  If the project is completed in an acceptable condition, they will be paid. If the work is not acceptable, we will withhold payment until it is acceptable as per the Appraiser or Inspector. Shoddy work is a nightmare. You thought you would be complete on time. Time costs money.

When using the 203K Limited product can you use big box stores like Home Depot to do the work?

Yes!  This happens all the time.  For major companies like Home Depot, special rules are in place for documentation and in some cases the documentation requirements are less.

If there is only one contractor, then there will be only one draw, correct?

Yes, that is exactly right.  If there is a general contractor with sub-contractors, the general contractor is responsible for paying those sub-contractors.

Is Land Gorilla a required company or does FNMA require that Land Gorilla be used on all HomeStyle loans?

FNMA requires to use an experienced Homestyle draw management and review company.  We chose Land Gorilla.  They are our third-party contractor for Homestyle loans ONLY.


C G Barbeau NMLS 324982   (949) 784-9699

Renovation Loan 203k

NACHO Recipe

Easy Recipe that
Your Family Can
Enjoy Before Trick or
Treating Tonight

INGREDIENTS:

·               1 tablespoon olive oil
          1 pound ground turkey (a bit healthier than beef or pork)
·         1/4 cup diced red onion
·         2 cloves garlic, minced fine
·         1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust down if you like it mild)
·         1 teaspoon cumin.
·         ½  tablespoon paprika (adjust down in half to ¼ if you like it mild)
·         ½  teaspoon oregano.
·         ½  teaspoon black pepper
·         12 ounces Have’A Chips - or choose restaurant style good ones with salt
·         1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
·         1 cup corn kernels canned or you can cut from 2 fresh ears
·         1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
·         1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
·         1 Roma tomato, diced
·         1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
·         1 tablespoon sour cream
·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
·         3 green onions chopped

1. DIRECTIONS:

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

2.      Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat, reed onion, and garlic, and cook until meat fully browns about 4 minutes, stir and crumble the meat as it cooks; stir in seasonings. I suggest you mix the spices in a bowl and add half, taste and see if you like the seasoning or can go hotter.  Drain excess fat.

3.      Place tortilla chips in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Top with meat mixture, black beans, corn and cheeses.

4.      Place into oven and bake until heated through and the cheeses have melted, about 5-6 minutes - peek and check the cheese don't burn

5.      Serve immediately, topped with tomato, green onion, and cilantro. Put the sour cream and jalapeno’s in two side bowls (I don’t like sour cream)

Total preparation time: 8 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
And  yummy packed with protein and everyone loves this dish
The turkey makes it a bit healthier

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

Servings Per Container 8

---

Amount Per Serving

Calories 493.0Calories from Fat 232.2

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 25.8g40%

Saturated Fat 9.6g48%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Cholesterol 58.6mg20%

Sodium 1071.2mg45%

Total Carbohydrate 44.1g15%

Dietary Fiber 7.4g30%

Sugars 2.0g

Protein 24.3g49%

---

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Top of Form

Zillow Flipping Your Home

How long will this venture last for Zillow?

Zillow Offers- Low offers 

Here's what they do:

Target single family homes valued around $400000.

There are a number of tools that can be used to access

the previous appraisal, view square footage, check your payment records

and bingo they start advertising to your Facebook account and yahoo email.

You click on their website and read about the too good to be true deal.

Sell your house without cleaning, don't bother doing repairs, no messy people

marching through your house with muddy feet, no agent bugging you for showings.

All you have to do is click and an "evaluator" sets an appointment to view the interior. 

So easy peasy.

Excepting when there's a delay in the check, and you realize it's not s six percent

discount for commission; but a  twenty percent discount for expenses.

Then you see your home on the market for a huge increase.

Meanwhile your discounted sale appears as a recent sale and reduces the

value of the neighborhood. I guess you can smile on the way to the bank?

Cities where they are active as of October 2019

• Arizona: Phoenix
• California: Riverside
• Colorado: Denver
• Georgia: Atlanta
• Nevada: Las Vegas
• North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh
• Texas: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston

If Zillow is actively buying in your market I want to know how it went. Generally I see them buying a single  family house for $300,000. - giving the seller cash gift cards to move fast and re listing for $400000. with no improvements completed. Please respond in comments if you have experienced this as I am tracking for appraisal issues

Single Unit Condo FHA Approval Loans

FHA Single unit approval

This month I see several new laws implemented to allow home ownership opportunities. This post is about the FHA new single exception to buy in a condominium complex that is not currently on the approved list.

Several individual condominium units are eligible for FHA mortgage insurance even if the condominium project is not FHA approved. The policy is effective October 15, 2019.

• Introduces a new single-unit approval process to make it easier for individual condominium units to be eligible for FHA-insured financing;
• Extends the recertification requirement for approved condominium projects from two to three years;
• Allows more mixed-use projects to be eligible for FHA insurance.

There are 150,000 condominium projects in the U.S., only 6.5 percent or less than ten thousand are approved to participate in FHA’s old mortgage insurance programs. HUD estimated that 20,000 to 60,000 condominium units may be eligible for FHA-insured financing after October 15^th. 2019.

How to get the one-off exception here is what HUD says I summarize:

Individual units may be eligible for Single-Unit Approval if:

• The individual condominium unit is in a completed project that is not approved;
• No more than 10 percent of the individual condo units are FHA-insured (properties with 10 or more units) or properties with fewer than 10 units have no more than two (2) FHA-insured units.

Minimum Owner-Occupancy Requirements
Approved condominium projects must be 50 percent owner-occupied.

FHA Insurance Concentration in Condominium Projects
FHA will only insure up to 50 percent of the total number of units in an approved condominium project.

Commercial/Nonresidential Space Limits
FHA will require that the commercial/non-residential space within an approved condominium project not exceed 35 percent of the project’s total floor area.

Think of Single-Unit Approvals as the borderline complexes which “almost” made the approved list or were approved and failed to update HUD.

If you have a listing in a complex this makes the real estate more "sale-able", as buyers with smaller down payments can purchase.

Call me let’s talk about getting your one – off approval for a buyer.

(949) 784- 9699

C G

NMLS 324982

Equal Opportunity Lender