Sunday morning..a hot cup of coffee..just my dogs and I on a walk. Now both my dogs and I are in pretty decent shape so running out of breath doesn't normally happen. Well, it does to my Springer, Sleepy. But that's after I toss him the Frisbee. Personally ,I'm not about to chase a Frisbee.But, as I round the corner from my house, THIS is what took my breath away:




Upland,CA is still one of the most beautiful, established cities in the area. If you are thinking of buying a home, this is a place you should consider. To make your fact finding a bit easier, Click Here to see Upland Demographics.



Pat Palmer-Realtor/Broker
Real Estate The Right Way
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOME PRICES HIGHER AGAIN IN OCTOBER -- latimes.com

As our market continues to calm, Southern California is seeing the beginning of home appreciation again. Are things all better now? Of course not. And there are those who will say it's only a temporary spike. Or others that will some how blame The First Time Buyer Tax Credit Extension for skewing the numbers. Personally, I am glad to find and share good news. We have forgotten that a large part of any market's decline or rise is based on emotion and confidence. Headlines have a way of building on themselves either way. So please take a moment and click the link below:

Southern California home prices edge upward again in October -- latimes.com

HOUSING UPTURN IN CALIFORNIA-- latimes.com

The link below sheds some light on the appreciation in the local market.

Housing upturn occurring in some parts of Southern California, data show -- latimes.com

DAY TRIP TP OAK GLEN

Other than being a real estate/ mortgage broker, if I had it to do all over again, I’d be a food and travel reporter. That way, I’d get paid to do two things I really enjoy. But since I’m not, I’ll just blog about it instead.
I took my family and some friends to Oak Glen yesterday for a day of apple picking and exploring. If you’re not familiar with Oak Glen, it is located in the lower mountains above Yucaipa. It’s an easy, scenic drive. On they way up, we came to a stop while a group of horse back riders crossed the road. That set the tone for a wonderful day. We started out at Riley Farms. The Rileys own several different apple related businesses on Oak Glen Road. This stop was a family run, working apple farm. When we arrived, we were given all the apple pickin’ supplies we needed. These consisted of bags and an apple picking basket. From there, we were free to explore the grounds. What I found most interesting is that the Rileys live in a log home on the premises. The family and staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. Along with various kinds of apples, there are also several blue berry and black berry patches. You may want to bring gardening gloves if you are going to pick these. The only drawbacks we found were the berries had been pretty well picked over, and the apples were still quite small. But given the amount of fun we had, it was all worth it.

From there, we ate at Apple Annie’s in Oak Glen. Like everywhere in Oak Glen this time of year, it pays to get there early. The line starts forming about 11:00. Apple Annie’s is famous for their fried chicken, and it didn’t disappoint. The restaurant is located in Oak Tree Village. There are several shops, vendors, and most importantly…. the petting zoo. For $2, and an additional $1 for a cup of corn feed, we got to pet baby pigs, feed goats, sheep and emus. Once again, I was reminded what good, family fun is all about.
If you make the trip, let me know what you think.

4th of JULY IN UPLAND

OK, I can admit it. Nothing makes me forget I'm an adult faster than a 4th of July fireworks show at Upland High School. Summer, family, BBQ'ing and colorful stuff blowing up above my head. The only thing better than hearing grown men & women say "Ooohhhh" and "Ahhhhhhh", is hearing the same thing from children.

That's why I will be at Upland High School for the annual 4th of July spectacular. Upland has a wonderful sense of community and that's always apparent at this gathering. It's the most popular, one day event in town. So come early. Parking can be tough. You can park at Upland High School, or along many of the businesses on Foothill Blvd. Click here for more information.

HIGHLAND POOL HOME-REGULAR SALE

***JUST LISTED***

1565 Central Avenue,Highland

4 Bed/2 Bath/1330 Sq.Ft.

$165,000

Click here for more information

INEXPENSIVE SUMMER FUN

Summer's Here!!!

Say it with me now...Summer is HERE! OK, so it's cloudy today and 65 degrees. But there are two distinct things that tell me warm Southern California nights are upon us. And I've spotted both. One is the sound of Vin Scully calling a Dodger game. Whether you're a Dodger fan, Angel fan, or no fan at all, hearing Vin Scully means summer. Some of the best things in life really are free. And dozing off to Vinny is definitely one of them.


The other sure sign summer is here are the sites, sounds and smells ( that darn kettle corn does it every, single time) of a local farmers market/street fair. Nothing turns a person back to their childhood faster than cruising around a blocked off street, eating a funnel cake, bbq, roasted corn, tri-tip sandwich, and/or kettle corn. Unless of course, it's listening to a cover band play your favorite high school songs while holding your spouses hand and watching your child laugh and shop for ...well in my case, anything.




If you are now thinking about fresh cranberry bread,bonsai plant, or a henna tattoo, you'll find it

at any number of local downtown street fairs. It's fun, it's family, and it's the best inexpensive fun you can treat your family to. So below are a list of links to Upland, Claremont, Pomona, San Dimas and La Verne's Farmer's Markets:

Upland Farmers Market

Claremont Farmers Market

Pomona Farmers Market

San Dimas Farmers Market

La Verne Farmers Market

If you see a skinny, bald guy eating way too much bad food, be sure to stop by and say hi.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA UNDER $100,000

***JUST LISTED***

8990 19th Street #291,Rancho Cucamonga

2 Bed/2 Bath/925 Sq.Ft.

$99,995

Click here for more information

A TAX NOTICE I WAS GLAD TO GET

So I go out to my mailbox a couple of weeks ago, and pull out my Sports Illustrated, Realtor Magazine and a bunch of advertising I had no need for. But then I came across this:
Not a particularly attractive post card. And quite frankly, getting anything with a county,IRS,or Franchise Tax logo on it is not necessarily good news. BUT...as I scanned to the bottom, I was over joyed at the sight of my home's value being upside down. The reason being, the County of San Bernardino is the one entity that I want to think my home has de-valued. Not only that, but this was accomplished in the recent election under Prop. 8 .
Smelling a reduction in my property tax (which may be the only smell I enjoy more than orange blossoms), I decided to investigate. Lo and behold, it worked! I lowered my mortgagepayment by $185.69/month. And I didn't even have to pay for the postage.It can for you too. If you live in San Bernardino County,and got the same post card....

Here's how:
1. Get a copy of your tax bill Click Here..Just follow the instructions and it will take you a link that says "Parcel
Number". Now click on that. Then click the link that says "View PDF".
2. When you see your tax bill (you'll know because the next thing you will see is Dick Larsen's name in large font)
look just below his name, and see the number under "Total Tax Rate" . Mine is .010594, or 1.0594%
3. Here's the only math you have to do. Use my tax bill as an example. My "Maximum Assessment" is
currently $575,341. Multiplying that by the Total Tax Rate gives you my existing yearly
taxes of $6095.16 ( $575,341 x 1.0594%= $6,095.16)....Now do the same for the "Fair Market Value as
of 1/1/2009" . That figure is $365,000 ($365,000 x 1.0594%=$3,866.81)
4. Subtract those two figures, and you'll get the yearly tax savings ($6,095.16-$3,866.81= $2,228.35) Since
my taxes are built into my payment, I divide $2,228.35 /12= $185.69.That is how much my mortgage
payment dropped. If it wouldn't have made for an uncomfortable moment, I might have actually kissed my mail
man. If the math is confusing, just drop me an email, or call and I'd be happy to walk you through it.

And just like Billy Mays.....WAIT...THERE'S MORE!!!
If your mail man wasn't nice enough to give you one of those postcards, and you think your property is worth less than when you bough it, you can petition the County of San Bernardino to lower your taxes. Click Here.. and be taken to the application page for The County.You may still get a reduction.

WAIT...THERE'S STILL MORE!!!
If you don't happen to live in San Bernardino County, here are some links you may be able to use:
For Orange County Click Here
For Los Angeles County Click Here
For Riverside County Click Here

If your taxes are built into your payment,and depending on your lender, you may have your payment reduced in the next month. And yes...THERE'S STILL MORE!! You may also have a refund from the overage your lender now has in your escrow account.