Sandy Vickrey's Winters, CA Blog

Check out the article that was found in a Marin County newspaper.  Looks like everyone is discovering Winters.  Thought it was a nice article and they got it all right!

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14832296?source=email

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

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, 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.  

My daughter is a sophomore at Sierra Nevada College at Incline, NV.  She has been taking skiing this semester.  Yes, I am paying  for that class.  She tried snowboarding when she was younger but wasn’t impressed.  This is the first time she has tried skiing and has enjoyed it.   Anyway, she is not a fan of the Olympics and has not watched over the past two weeks.  I talked to her tonight and she said that her school is going to Squaw Valley to ski tomorrow as some Onlymic athlete has a tie to her school and she will be at Squaw tomorrow.  Oh, that would be Julie Mancuso!  She didn’t know so had to look it up, guess what?  Mom was right!  Have a great time, Devon, should be an awesome day in many ways.

Monday morning I had to have my husband, John, down in Vacaville at 6AM for his total knee replacement.   Those who know me well know I am not a morning person.  However, I got him there 5 minutes early!  Please be impressed!  Check out my Facebook page for pictures as I always seem to have  a problem posting them here.  John came home on Thurs afternoon and my son, Chad, and I have been playing nurse ever since!  Finally I will have some more time to Blog.  Thanks for your patience. 

My friend, Judy and I stopped at BJ’s Brewery in Vacaville on our way home form San Franciso, tonight.  I called in when we hit Fairfield to put our name on the list and was told it was a 45-60 min wait.  When we got there we found a mom and son just finishing and they told us we could have their table, but one small problem, she couldnt’ find her wallet!  They had been to the movies but they couldn’t find her wallet in the car.  They called over the manager and explained the problem, she offered to call her husband at work and give them the ATM number over the phone.  The manager said , NO PROBLEM, I will comp  your meal.  Not what the lady had expected but again the manager said, I will pay for your meal.  The funny thing was that he thought that my friend and  I were part of the party and he was ready to comp 4 meals.  Never even asked why we couldn’t pay for her.  We were all over whelmed so I told him I would put this on my Facebook page and blog.  The amazing thing was that this manager had no idea what a huge thing was doing.  While we were waiting for the manager to come this lady told me that she had been  diagosed with caner back in October and has under gone 3 cancer surgeries and is undergoing chemno and radiation.  On top of that, this women came back to the restaurant just as we were finishing to pay her bill.  She had gone all the way back to her home in Fairfield and then to the Brenden theaters in Vacaville where someone had turned in her wallet, complete with her cash.  But, still, Bj’s would not take her money. On top of this, her 14 yr old son could not have been nicer nor more supportive of her suffering all this embarassing stuff.  His name is Dillian, want to give him credit.   You just don’t see this kind of service any more so I told Bj’s I would put this story on my Facebook pageand blog as I was so touched.  Everything about this just came from the heart.  So, if you are in Vacaville, stop by BJ’s and have something to eat, they deserve our business.