Sandy Vickrey's Winters, CA Blog

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if you don’t have a pet, please pass this to those who do. This article was sent to me by my brother, Stan, a real dog lover.

“Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.”

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s web site, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.”

Snopes site gives the following information:

“Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.”

Below is a quote from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the new home buyers tax credit.  It seems that the verdict is still out as to whether or not this applies to current escrows are only those who go into contract May 1, 2010 or later.  I tried several times yesterday to call the California Association of Realtors attorneys for clarification on this and the lines were always busy.  Then I resolved myself to call our local Assocation of Realtors and was just referred to another website with no answer.  As you can see from the link below it looks like everyone is waiting word from the Franchise Tax Board.  Wouldn’t you think they could write a bill  specifically states this such and the current federal rule states.  Too bad there is so much confusion.  Looks like we are “still waiting”.  I need to know so I can advise my clients as some of them might be better off closing in May instead of April.   

“First come-first served eligible taxpayers must close escrow between May 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010, or after December 31, 2010 and before August 1, 2011, pursuant to an enforceable contract executed on or before December 31, 2010.

Watch for clarifications from the states Franchise Tax Board“

The following is an article that came to me via First American Title.  Always want to give credit where credit is due.  The one question everyone has is ” does this apply only to those people who go into contract after the Federal Tax Credit goes away on April 30, 2010?  In other words, non “double dipping”.  I need to call the CAR attorneys on this one as a lot of people are confused.  Anyway you look at it, it  is a good thing but the time constraint here is “when the money runs out”, not the dates.  Very important to remember, ie act quickly. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new bill this week that would extend the $10,000 homebuyer tax credit to Californians. The state legislature on March 22 passed assembly bill (AB) 183, which gives the Franchise Tax Board authority to extend $200m in tax credits to homebuyers in the Golden State. Buyers of new, unoccupied homes are allocated $100m in credits, and first-time homebuyers of existing homes get another $100m. The credit is extended from May 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2010. The credit is available to buyers on a first-come, first-serve basis, and it’s applied in equal amounts over a three-year period. According to the governor’s office, the initial $100m tax credit approved in February 2009 lasted just four months

This many meanings for some and only one for others!   I am sitting here watching the Xavier vs Kansas St. and it is a very close game.  What an exciting fame.  Personally I am waiting for the St. Mary’s game since many kids from Winters High School go there or are alumni, including my buddy Adam Mills, Class ‘01.  2001 that is.  Don’t you just love upsets!?  I sure do.  I often root for the underdog and have loved these upsets.  Can you believe Kansas was out in the first round!?  Amazing.  Anything can happen.  The weekend is coming up so I know what many of you will be doing this weekend.

A lot of REO (foreclosure) agents told me that we would see a “flood” of new listings come on the market the first part of this year.   Well, we are almost done with the first quarter and April 30, 2010 is fast approaching and there arent’ any listings.  Why is that date important?  Well, in order to get the first time home buyer tax credit of $8000 you have to be in contract by April 30 and then close by June 30, 2010.  If there aren’t any listings then people can’t buy and therefore, can’t get the tax credit.    Since Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank control/own the majority of the  foreclosed homes you gotta wonder why they aren’t putting them on the market.    Is there some conspiracy going on here?  No listings, no sales, no tax credit, saves the government a lot of money?  I wish I knew but food for thought for sure.  So the next BIG question is, will the government extend the credit once again?  I sure hope so.

Well, we finally have a new listing to show our clients!  There a new listing at 313 Creekside that has a granny flat over the garage.  The City ordinance states that the owner has to live in one or the other, so an investor can’t buy a “duplex”.    The home is listed at $259,900 and 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.  This is a popular neighborhood due to the fact that there is access to the trail that runs along Putah Creek and is close to the downtown area.  Come and take a look.

It has been a busy week.  Positas Rd had two really good offers on it and the sellers finally picked one of them.  This home has a beautiful view and I hope the new owner will love it as much as the current owner does.   Have a great weekend and enjoy this gorgeous weather we are having.

I met a client at my office today who was so distraught when she arrived as she had been to Home Depot in Vacaville and had lost her purse.  She was just sure it was gone.  They had gone back to look for it but it was no where to be found.  As we were meeting a nice gentleman came in to the office wondering if I knew the lady who’s driver’s license he held.  I told him that I did and she was sitting in the back of the office.  She was so relieved!  He had found her purse in the shopping cart outside in the parking lot.  He had taken the time to drive to her house in Winters but when he found no one at home he decided to come to my office.  He had found my card in her wallet.  It was just Divine design that she was in my office when he arrived.  She wanted to give him some kind of reward but he wouldn’t hear of it so I asked him to please write his name and address for her so she could send him a note.  So folks, we all need to “play this one forward” as the saying goes.  I truly believe that when you do something nice for someone, it comes back to you ten fold.  Have a fantastic week and enjoy the fabulous weather.

Well, I guess Yolo County is looking for money like  everyone else so, they have found  a creative way of raising funds.   If you have built anything in the county and did not bother to get a building permit, now is your chance.   Why on earth would you want to do that you might ask?  Because according to my favorite lender, my sister, Vicki, investors who are buying loans are getting very particular and will not buy loans where they think there has been  work done without a permit.  What if you bought a property and the previous owner did not get a permit, are you liable, yes, you are.  So if you think you might fall in this category you need so seriously look into caught up.  I will post more on this soon,  I won’t keep you hanging.  If you live within the city limits you come under the jurisdiction of that city, this is for those people who fall under the rules of the Yolo County building department. 

Well, let’s start with the knee.  We have just completed week one.  John still hurts and can’t understand why he has to do his exercises.  Told him if he  doesn’t, he won’t get his mobility back.  Bitch. 

On the real estate front, Dave and I finally sold 309 Edwards Street!  We put this puppy pending last August.   Think this is my longest career escrow!  Sure hope so.  The property was a 3/2 manufactured home.  The key word here is "manufactured".  That kind of home has its own set of lending rules.  We all learned more that we ever want to know about manufactured home on this one.  I am so happy for both the Buyer and the Sellers to finally get this done.  I want to thank them both for hanging in there on this one!  Did I mention the sales price was $114k?  Simply amazing as Huell Houser would say.

Finally, we have a new listing in the office!  Yeah!  It is a nice 4/2 single story in the new subdivision across from St. Anthony’s center.  I can hardly wait to show it.  I really like this floor plan.  List price is $274+-.  Shouldn’t last long.