Rancho Mission Viejo

Rancho Mission Viejo

kitchen 

 SEA COUNTRY's model home I LOVE the galvanized light fixtures

patio furniture

Patio off Sea Country's model home

For the 55+ buyers four single-story neighborhoods each feature their own character, but all offer conveniences. The entry will be gated with electronic openers (not guarded). Large community pool, Hacienda Club house, community gardens set with surrounding hillsides that hold on to their rural beauty. Orange Groves, horse stables, and hiking trails all in area create a country setting for this new community.

Exit the I-5 at Crown Valley Parkway to avoid the Caltrans construction on the Ortega/I-5 on and off ramps. Go east. At Antonio Parkway turn right and head south. Before Ortega, turn left at the signed entry.

hanging barn door indoors

RYLAND Homes Bright and airy model number two

box light fixtures marble kitchen

Kitchen so clean and white!

 The hillsides have been inhabited by native peoples, then cattle ranchers, then orange and lemon groves. Today there are hiking trails and cowboy activities with the rodeo and equestrian events. There are a couple phases to Rancho Mission Viejo and this post is about the "retirement" section. What is it they politically correct call it? It's not Senior living any more it is just for the over 55 set.

Gavilán Neighborhoods

·            Standard Pacific   and Standard Pacific Casitas: Courtyard homes

·             Shea: Single-family

·             Del Webb: Single-family detached homes

Standard Pacific | Bungalows

Spanish-modern designs single and duplex bungalows feature two- and three-bedrooms and range from 1278 to 1809 square feet.

Plan Name	Priced From	Square Feet		Beds	Baths	Garage	Stories
Plan 1A/B/C	mid $400s	1,276		2	2	2	1
Plan 2A/B/C	low $500s	1,533		2	2	2	1
Plan 2XA/B/C	mid $500s	1,843 – 1,860		2	2	2	2
Plan 3/A/B/C	low $500s	1,692		3	2	2	1

Standard Pacific | Casitas

Casitas showcase the relaxed spirit of ranch-style living. From the cook’s kitchen with its oversized island to the covered outdoor Ranch Room, these two- and three-bedroom homes with den or loft range from 1624 to 2059 square feet and feature two-car garages. They do not look like “retirement living” homes.

Plan Name	Priced From	Square Feet		Beds	Baths	Garage	Stories
Plan 1A/B/C	mid $500s	1,624		2	2	2	1
Plan 1XA/B/C	high $500s	1,900		2	2	2	2
Plan 2A/B/C	high $500s	1,787		2	2	2	1
Plan 3A/C/D	high $500s	1,748		2	2	2	1
Plan 3XA/C/D	low $600s	2,059		2	2	2	2

Shea | Single Family Homes

Single family homes on graded lots with full amenities

Plan Name	Priced From	Square Feet		Beds	Baths	Garage	Stories
Plan 1	mid $600s	1,770		2	2.5	2	1
Plan 2	high $600s	1,929		2	2.5	2	1
Plan 3	mid $700s	2,041		2	2.5	2	1

Del Webb | Single Family Homes

Spacious and energy-efficient is the idea in the Del Webb neighborhood. Dual pane windows, additional insulation, reflective roof materials and a contemporary ranch feel.

Plan Name	Priced From	Square Feet		Beds	Baths	Garage	Stories
Residence One	$830,990	2,021		2	2.5	2	1
Residence Two	$853,990	2,156		2	2.5	2	1
Residence Three	$908,990	2,325		2	2.5	2	1

Soon I will review Sea Country’s innovative homes in this tract and compare:

·             Lyon Cabanas: Townhomes  and  Lyon Villas: Townhomes

·             Shea: Townhomes

·             SeaCountry: Single-family detached homes offering three and four bedrooms in

·             TriPointe: Single-family detached homes offering three and four (optional bonus

·             Ryland: Single-family detached homes

·             Meritage: Single-family detached homes

Vote For Pretty Snail Trap

Creating garden organic art that are work as tools to get rid of snails.

Snail ranch come on in and never check out.

 

Other tools I have made effective in my suburban neighborhood of South Orange County are: my organic snail eradicator, my special stick around ladybug house, Noni’s female dog sauce elixir for no brown spots, and a host of tips of what to plant next to your tomatoes, peppers and roses to keep away pests. The problem is my tools aren’t “pretty.” I want them to be durable and beautiful rather than what I have is MacGiver recycled containers crazy glued together. This post is about a snail trap prototype that I am making and prize for your input.

Idea A.

The snail ranch will be a ceramic or porcelain house with a hole and lid that can be removed. I am thinking of making it as a simple box bird house.

 

 

 

I have not tried to my get rid of snails in suburbia using Sluggo, Ortho bug-getta, iron phosphate or any other store bought chemical. I don’t use any chemicals, poisons or fertilizers in my garden in an attempt to keep the vegetables I grow healthful and my pets safe.

Idea B

more rustic or steam punk house with muted colors and not so cheerful?

After making twenty different “snail ranches” I’m ready to build a pretty prototype to  sell. “Snail ranch”- is a nicey nice term I use for traps that capture snails that are being permanently removed from my garden. A couple of  kind gardeners posted about putting the snails they gather into zip lock bags, placing them into the freezer for a quick gentle death and others who release them into a stream. Freezing to death is might be more painful than my quick smash. My snail hut is designed to capture slugs overnight, immobilize snails until I do a manual squish. You can trust these buggers to a baggy in the garbage (I find some escape and I want them to never to return to my yard).  This is snail war.

Idea C

a simple box with printed flora and fauna?

When my children were younger paid them to gather snails in a plastic bucket with a flashlight as if it was a fun game. It has become impossible to engage in battle them as teens.  My teenage son says I ought to make the snail trap an army bunker, but that's not the pretty look I am aiming towards.

I’m not allowed to have chickens where I live (once had lovely hens who roamed around doing the chore and as hard as I try I can’t seem to encourage toads to stick around). The only natural predator easily accessible to my Orange County California yard is crows. I have trained the crows to wait around in the morning for my cup full of snails tossed into the middle of the street. The crows have become peaceful inhabitants, but that’s another story.

Idea D

a box with a real house perhaps a Dutch or English Cottage printed on the ceramic?

 

Nothing seems to easily “kill” the mollusks.  They only are slowed down by crushed eggshells, sandpaper, cinders, wood ashes, and diatomaceous earth (this will need replacing if it gets wet), work well as a barrier.

Putting mint or sage in your mulch is reported to do a good job of repelling them. Which snail trap is both cute and one you might try in your garden?

Idea E a white or bisque finish that has removable lid and hole in rear to match any garden?

Another scratchy material they don't like to cross is sandpaper. You can make sandpaper collars to put around your plants if you have the time. I don’t find this works as the paper renders worthless as soon as you water.

This ammonia mix of: 1 cup water to 1 cup ammonia and 1 tablespoon of Murphy’s oil soap to make it stick seems to piss hem off and doesn’t wreck you soil like salt. It is the AK47 of the spray bottle in the slug war but you have to find the enemy and get it on them. The slugs hate it and die quickly. Plants love the ammonia it is pure nitrogen (and some H3). Consider this the Marine Corps down and dirty battle. Personally I prefer two methods: pick and squish the big ones and leave snail ranch traps out and refill with secret bomb juice every other day. My dogs will eat the bomb juice filled with fresh escargot but they won’t eat the snails. This is not harmful to dogs.

Idea F

I love these little sculptures I would need to make the house larger- smaller than a bread box and larger than a grapefruit with a blue bird of happiness on top? or maybe threatening with a crow?

 

Please give your input on the prototype and there is a prize!

Yes anyone who votes on one of the images for the exterior appearance of my snail trap gets a two free taco coupon. Why a two free taco coupon from Jack in The  Box? It just seems funny for an organic gardener to give away junk food. Make a comment and leave some bread crumb trail to find your mailing address where I can send the taco coupon. Make two votes get two coupons… or show me some gingerbread house design that I can make out of porcelain.

More to follow - secret sauce, and the final mock up

FHA Loan ONE Year After Bankruptcy, Short Sale ...

A new ruling is coming down the pipeline that will pave the way for once-struggling homeowners to qualify for an FHA mortgage.
The Federal Housing Administration has announced in a letter to mortgagees that it will reduce the time homebuyers must wait after a bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale before qualifying for an FHA loan.  Before the wait time was two years following the discharge of a bankruptcy, and three years following a foreclosure or short sale in addition to establishing new credit and having no late payments after the event.

The agency will reduce the wait period to one year.
"FHA recognizes the hardships faced by these borrowers, and realizes that their credit histories may not fully reflect their true ability or propensity to repay a mortgage," per FHA Commissioner Carol J. Galante this week.

But fulfilling the new, more lenient waiting period won't automatically qualify borrowers for an FHA-backed loan. Borrowers will have to show that they experienced an "economic event" whereby their household income fell by 20% or more for a period of at least six months.

 

 

Applicants must also show and explain how they have fully recovered from the event, and agree to complete housing counseling prior to closing.

Carol J. Galante began her service as the Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner on December 30, 2012. Prior to confirmation, Galante was Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing/FHA Commissioner.

As FHA Commissioner, Ms. Galante watches over and manages the FHA’s trillion dollar insurance portfolio, which includes single family and multifamily housing.

Caroline Gerardo, NMLS # 324982  phone (949) 637-8190

 

 

 

Direct Lender

Lenders like to say they are direct. They also say they are big or have assets or they are fast. They just might be wearing a funny hat and can't close your home on time

Here are the top twenty Companies and banks that Closed Mortgage Loans in the United States in 2012.

	Flagstar Bank	Troy, MI	$53,586,827,000	94%/6%	221,237	$26,612,567,904	2,871	50	20
2	Guaranteed Rate	Chicago, IL	$14,710,666,093	0%/100%	53,411	$6,800,000,000	750	49	12
3	Freedom Mortgage Corp.	Mount Laurel, NJ	$13,772,356,120	71%/29%	65,163	$3,589,663,484	125	50	23
4	PrimeLending, PlainsCapital Company	Dallas, TX	$13,735,022,825	0%/100%	66,670	$8,787,254,188	1,185	50	27
5	Stearns Lending Inc.	Santa Ana, CA	$11,810,814,448	82%/18%	48,655	$5,692,804,090	560	49	23
6	Pinnacle Capital Mortgage	Roseville, CA	$7,647,142,667	32%/68%	29,732	$4,999,555,953	995	13	5
7	Sierra Pacific Mortgage Co. Inc.	Folsom, CA	$7,559,405,058	75%/25%	29,917	$5,162,249,725	368	48	27
8	Mortgage Master Inc.	Walpole, MA	$7,305,861,638	0%/100%	23,809	$5,285,471,564	250	22	25
9	United Shore Financial Services LLC	Troy, MI	$7,041,740,634	88%/12%	34,091	$1,797,284,739	75	49	27
10	Fremont Bank	Fremont, CA	$7,000,016,431	24%/76%	25,024	$3,771,706,000	33	3	49
11	George Mason Mortgage LLC	Fairfax, VA	$6,577,775,135	38%/62%	18,617	$3,893,934,538	155	10	26
12	W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital LLC	Centennial, CO	$6,495,740,657	0%/100%	22,187	$2,378,546,301	440	22	11
13	Guild Mortgage Co.	San Diego, CA	$6,441,077,578	10%/90%	31,691	$3,571,310,464	802	37	52
14	Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.	Sun Prairie, WI	$6,001,390,613	8%/92%	29,377	$3,609,673,149	522	45	16
15	Caliber Funding LLC	Irving, TX	$5,484,274,224	65%/35%	23,068	$891,506,517	211	47	5
16	Cole Taylor Mortgage	Ann Arbor, MI	$5,187,000,000	81%/19%	20,617	$1,880,000,000		41	3
17	Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.	Salt Lake City, UT	$4,990,129,796	0%/100%	25,715	$3,473,560,028	831	50	14
18	New Penn Financial	Plymouth Meeting, PA	$4,773,680,000	41%/59%	19,268	$1,492,728,813	468	46	5
19	Academy Mortgage	Sandy, UT	$4,663,752,424	0%/100%	25,935	$3,327,846,391	705	44	25
20	Mortgage Services III LLC	Bloomington, IL	$4,599,082,172	80%/20%	20,699	$2,880,410,086	122	42	6

W.J. Bradley was number 12 last year and in June of 2013 we were number five. The only Bank on the list is Flagstar - forget about Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America they aren't in the top 150.

My company has the smallest number of  mortgage loan originators in the top 50. We also have the fastest turn time. Caroline Gerardo with W J Bradley closed purchase loans in eleven days. Think of me as the little engine that could. Call and find out what is the difference between a real direct lender who has assets to weather the storm.

(949) 637-8190  C. G. Barbeau  NMLS # 324982

Free Sweet Pea Seeds Offer

 

Sweet Pea Offer to my readers

Foreign National Mortgage Loan

Items needed for a mortgage loan upfront:

Gather all these in pdf format, break into two or three emails to send smaller files

Past two years Federal Tax returns signed From your country & United States returns with rentals

Past 90 days actual bank statements (not online printouts). Online printouts are when you just download a screen print. Instead, go to "print a statement" and save as pdf. in your computer to forward.

All deposits larger than $500. that are not payroll must have a paper trail

Two types of ID : driver’s license / passport copies
Sign the attached five forms

credit card for $150 international credit report
four credit references written on the Loan Application 1003

Complete 1003 mortgage application

Schedule of real estate owned

Mortgage bill, front page of fire insurance, and property tax bill

Current paycheck stub for 60 days

All loans are full recourse and in the Borrower’s name. Foreign Nationals can get loans in the U. S. but you need to establish credit in the American system as rates are partly driven by FICO score. A Canadian will only have a Beacon score, but can establish Experian, Tran Union and Equifax files by opening small secured VISA or Mastercards with American companies.

 

 

Establishing credit in the U. S. will also be helpful in opening American bank accounts as you will need to pay bills in American dollars and receive rents in our exchange.

We DO NOT loan to LLC’s or entities. If you went to a seminar that told you to invest in different LLC’s to avoid lawsuits or taxes you wasted your money on the seminar.

Acquiring a mortgage on Residential property in the United States is full recourse and in your name or as Joint Tenants. Getting a loan after the crash of 2008 is not simple or easy. If you do not want to provide some of the paperwork you will not get a low interest rate.

 I also have low documentation loans available but the mortgage Rates are more than double because of the risks. Low doc loans start at eleven percent and can be as high as thirteen percent for non-owner occupied foreign nationals buying in the U. S.

 

 

58 Carlsbad Open House

Holding Open House with my friend Darlene Kelly CFL Real Estate at
58 Carlsbad, Aliso Viejo California
Sales price of this condominium is $369,900.00
2 bedroom 2 baths
Built 1996

open 12- 5 today Saturday 8/10/2013

Ocean View Lot Auction

Ocean View Lot in  Monarch Beach Auction

 $2,300,000 for a 14 Acre lot with just a little slide problem.
The Coastal Commission will allow you to build a 18000 square foot house.
This Dana Point address will never have comparables BUT the views are stunning.
Because the lot is cut into the hillside you could see to San Diego California on a clear day

Save Money - Free Refinance Review

 

 

Easy project for home gardens and Cheap! Galvanized Wash tub  recycled into planter. Poke holes in the bottom with a hammer and nail, add six inches of gravel then compost and save cuttings of a variety of succulents. Keep adding new pieces as you see which ones survive- rarely or never water

 

Reduce your payments or

increase your home’s value

Traditionally, homeowners resort to refinancing whenever they believe they can

reduce their monthly mortgage payment by a lower rate or by debt consolidation.

Let’s say refinancing will save you $150 a month due to a common reason today, paying off

other high interest rate debt. That’s good news, but you have to weigh these savings against

other factors such as having less to write-off in taxes, and in recouping refinancing costs.

An additional reason to refinance is to make home improvements. Rather than move up to a

larger home with higher property taxes, many Americans have elected to stay put.

 

I will review if we can get you out of expensive mortgage insurance

 

- I am seeing many clients reduce their monthly nut by $300 to $400 by refinancing

 

 from FHA to conventional with the raise in values. We can arrange for a free property profile,

 

So, knowing your primary goal — whether to reduce your overall monthly payments or to make

your home even more valuable with improvements — will tell you when to refinance.

If you would like more information about refinancing, call me today.

 

Caroline Gerardo

Mortgage Banker

W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC

20341 SW Birch St., Suite 330

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Office: 949.637.8190

Cell: 949.784.9699

caroline.gerardo@wjbradley.com

http://mywjb.com/caroline-gerardo/

http://cgbarbeau.blogspot.com/

 

NMLS: 324982

Another easy and cheap/ free home garden project. This table was discarded road side. Distressed finish was already prepared. move an arrangement of white blue and green for a cool and soothing corner of your yard or patio.

Zucchini Flower Recipe

Thyme, garlic, rosemary and nasturtiums in my garden

A recipe straight from my garden
Thyme, rosemary, garlic and zucchini flowers
Need: 10 flowers, sea salt, 1/2 cup whole wheat flower, plain olive oil, spices as you like,  3 eggs, 1/2 cup non fat milk

Zucchini Flowers being Dredged

It is finally August and my zucchini plants aren't as happy as last year (we have had fog most every morning and zucchini prefers full sun). However, I finally have enough flowers to spare for this old fashioned recipe. 

Ingredients:

10 Flowers

3 eggs

1/2 cup skim milk organic

2 garlic cloves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup olive oil make sure is fresh dated and no need for EVOO

Prepare one bowl with three egg whites and one yolk,  half cup skim milk, two whole garlic cloves finely smashed, thyme pulled off the stems, finely chopped rosemary and salt and pepper. Prepare second plate with half cup whole wheat flour, coarse sea salt, pepper, thyme and the chopped rosemary. Rinse flowers, pat dry, dunk  in egg mixture, then roll in flour. In high edge sauté pan heat on high  1/2 cup olive oil (don't need to waste on virgin oil). 

When you drop a tiny bit of water and it spits, gently place 5 of the flowers in the oil. Cook each side until golden brown- watch and flip. Remove and cool on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt right away. Cook the other half of the flowers (you may need to add a little more oil) so they  aren't touching.

Gently roll the flowers in the flour

Zucchini blooming in my garden

Egg mixture beaten and ready to dip

Prep time 4 minutes

Cook time 3 minutes

Author: Caroline Gerardo

Serving Size 3

Calories for 3 cooked flowers 75

Nutrition Facts:

5 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber

Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium

Here are my flowers shyly closing- you can see the zucchini squash forming.

Sauces for dipping:

1. your favorite mayonnaise plus a sprinkle of curry

or

2. squeeze 1 whole lemon, tablespoon cider vinegar, tablespoon best virgin olive oil, chopped tablespoon of parsley and chopped tablespoon of basil plus just a little splash of hot sauce of your choice

Zucchini flowers are an Italian tradition and I credit my Noni. Ready in 5 minutes, pretty to serve as an exotic side dish, my children fight over them.

A little summer fun from Orange County

Dump Your MI Premium

If you recently purchased your home with a FHA loan the real estate market has increased and you may be able to dump your MI. I am seeing clients save three hundred to four hundred dollars a month in  refinancing to conventional. Imagine either paying down the loan faster and gaining even more equity or just feeling the breathing room to make a lower payment

If you would like a FREE market analysis of the value of your home or condominium and review of exactly how much you could save Call Now

Caroline Gerardo
(949) 637-8190