It was the first day that it really rained in the High Desert. Victorville Apple Valley, Hesperia. My investment home is in Apple Valley. Richard Rossi included a certification and a warranty with the roof work that he provided. Yes it rained and I had a leak. Not a bad leak, however I have never met a good leak. So a phone call and he was out the very next day to take a look at the issue.  I read over the contract to remind myself what it was that Richard promised to do and what he did not promise to do. He would cover any problem that was due to his workman ship or use of material. He would not cover acts of God or the poor workmanship of another craftsman.A ladder and up on the roof. The Roof was in great shape. What was the issue? Well go figure that the Air conditioning was missing... 12/02/2007

                                                               Mansion Project gets the OK Staff Writer for the Daily Press announces in the paper dated November 16, 2007 that the Town Council approved this past Tuesday the new project referred to as the Mansion Senior Living project was voted on by a 3-2 vote.The 40 acre site will be built at the south west corner of Deep Creek and Del oro roads. It will be built to accomodate 240 independent-residential units. 36 villas, 37 assisted-living units and 16 skilled-nursing beds, as well as a two story main building. There will be more than 500 parking spaces and surrounding gardens. Just to show that the cities growth is still growing strong. 11/16/2007

First of All This is a Commercial, an Advertisement, an Announcement, a Broadcast,a sound-byte, a reel Clip, Etc.One of the listing under Exit Desert Ocean Realty Broker-ship needed a new roof. Not the whole thing but a significant part. Not considered a replacement but a fix. Almost half of the roof needed replacement. The roof had been fixed by the prior owner, however the roll had pulled up and the laying of some of the material didn't take into consideration the flow of water. The job required the removal of a 4'by 4' skylight. A corner that would stop up was cut and had new flashing put on it. 30 year shingles were used.  There were a couple of crickets that needed some special attention. What is most important. For all contractors Time is Money. However for Richard a Good Job is m... 08/24/2007

If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from HUD/FHA.My first home I bought back in 2001, I never realize that I had paid up-front mortgage insurance to purchase my home. I then sold it  in 2004. Just this week I received a letter from a professional tracer notifing me that I had monies owed and that they could help me recover the funds for a fee(29%0. Wow, it was exciting, and I would had never known if they hadn't mailed this letter to me, I almost sign the paperwork to have them recover my money. But then I thought, I am Realtor, I do have access to the internet, I should see what it entails to request a refund. And this is what I found: Go to  http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/comp/refunds/index.cfm  You can do search of their database to find if you are du... 06/29/2007

I live, work, worship, shop, recreate in Apple Valley. Although, only here for about five years. I have studied and learned about Apple Valley. What should you know if you move here?Clean Air: Compared to many other places in So California you can take a deep breath here.Children: We have many great schools. They had been given State recognition. We have Charter School. Cost of living: Simply put you can live easier because the largest expense of your life is less expensive in Apple Valley: your Home.Commute: If you need to travel down the hill for your occupation. Apple Valley is increasing its Freeway Access.Can you See?: Take a look at sweeping vistas. Enjoy unique Rocky Hills supported by Granite.Capture Every Sport:  Yes, living in Apple Valley puts you close enough to skiing,water... 06/10/2007

Apple Valley is a great place to live and it just got a little better.My wife and daughter are both in the Apple Valley  education system as teachers. So I hear things about WASC  both good and bad. It is a tough standard to reach. It is one that takes time, united effort, vision and determination to succeed.  So...Apple Valley received an honor that only about 5% of the schools in the California school system enjoy. That is high!!How do you get this award? A team of education from WASC and the California Department of Education come to your school and preform a three day site review. Part of what this accreditation is called is "Clear Six" which means that they do not have to have another review for six years.So if you are thinking about moving to Apple Valley, come in the next six yea... 06/04/2007

Rick Roelle from Apple Valley gave this speech at the most recent High Desert Economic Summit.He touched on so many key issues and growth for Apple Valley. However, in case you miss it he gave us a website www.applevalleyprojectfiles.com  to look further into what is important and what is happening in Apple Valley. Highlights   Despite the slower housing market, over 8000 lots are in process right now.Apple Valley is Focused on correcting a Leakage Problem. A Tax Leakage Problem because 70% of the tax revenue is going to other cities.  Therefore Apple Valley is focused on retail.Commercial Growth has increased 150% in the last 3 years. Big Box Stores: Home Depot, Lowes are coming or are open.Brand names like Panda express, Apple Bees, Mervyns, Pet Smart, Big 5  will open soon at the Jes... 05/17/2007

How is today's market good for the consumer? On Wednesday the Federal Reserve held the interest rate at 5.25%. This is the seventh straight time that the Fed chairman and policy-makers held steady to the rate, in a bid to fight inflation. This is good for those of you who want to purchase a home and get into a low interest rate. It is also great for those of you who still have not refinanced and have a high interest rate. The prices of homes are dropping and the inventory is enormous. Now is the time to buy the home you want at a price that can be negotiated. IT IS A BUYER'S MARKET! 05/11/2007

A lot of agents around our office and throughout the entire Victor Valley are wandering around asking "where are the home buyers"? The truth is they are staying home saving gas money. We are a commuters town, a bedroom community with very few good paying jobs. The majority of the people who live here have at least an 80 mile drive round trip to work each day and some put in over 200 miles a day. A friend of mine who still commutes told me in the last 2 years he has gone from 30 dollars a week to 120 dollars a week for gas. Now we know home prices are lower here but at the current price for gas how many people are looking at the commute and saying "I can handle that". I'll bet its not many people, and that is where the buyers are. When gas prices first went up it was an irritation and we... 05/09/2007

Three Things happen to cause a home not to sell. If it is in good condition but located poorly it won't sell. If it is located well and priced poorly it won't sell.  If it is located poorly and condition is poor  and priced poorly it won't sell forever. What I am saying here is True in the High Desert as it is true everywhere. Of these concerns what can you change?  Location is what it is. Other than cosmetic and cleanup, condition is what it is.(may you have worked with sellers who said they were going to do some changes but they didn't because motivation, and other priorities pop up)  So the only thing that really controls the sale of the home (granted you have marketed the home properly - cross market, direct market, word of mouth market, sign market, mls market etc) is price. Price ... 05/07/2007

Natural disasters are a fact of life. Each area of the country has its own challenges, from hurricanes on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts to tornados in the Plains and earthquakes in California. Regardless of where you live, it's important to have plans in place to ensure that you and your family are prepared should an emergency arise. Begin by researching which types of events could occur in your community: •Contact local authorities to learn how community alerts are issued and the evacuation routes you will need to follow. •Inquire about emergency plans at work, school, and any other locations that family members frequent on a regular basis. •Determine how to care for your pet(s) since most temporary shelters only permit service dogs to enter. Start by visiting the American Red Cross web... 04/23/2007

From the very start, I will confess some real ignorance at the issue of zoning. Don't get me wrong, I understand that every town, like Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville should/must have a master plan. I know that the primary purpose of the current zoning map and future zoning map as part of a master plan protray the planning commissioners concern for seismic issues, streets, highways, easements, height restrictions,districts and the quality of living with buffer zones parks, and medical and shopping issues.  What I am curious about concerning Apple Valley is the direction of the Growth. Where is the better potential for increased value of property?Every investor, is or becomes an expert at the issue of the zoning map. Even a person who just flips property,who by nature of flipping is ... 04/22/2007

Credit cards are a great tool when it comes to building up a good credit history. However, according to a recent report, credit card debt in America reached nearly $800 billion in 2005. How can you obtain the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls? Here are some dos and don'ts: Monitor your balances: Credit card usage and management makes up 30% of your credit score. Keep each account balance below 50% of the available credit limit at all times to maintain your score, and below 30% to improve your score.Read everything: Credit card companies can change the terms of your account at any time with only a simple written notification. Carefully review monthly statements along with any correspondence received throughout the life of the account.Evaluate special rewards programs: Generally, "rewa... 04/22/2007

The effects of the subprime crisis are becoming clearer with each passing day. According to the Wall Street Journal, tightening guidelines and fewer available products are creating challenges for borrowers with credit issues. If you're thinking about taking on or refinancing a mortgage, your credit score will be crucial when it comes to obtaining the best loan program available.For homeowners with ARMs that are scheduled to reset anytime within the next 2 to 24 months, the challenges are even greater. With higher credit standards and tightening guidelines, you may not even qualify for a refinance if you wait too long. At this stage, a fixed-rate product may be your best chance at creating real financial stability before your loan resets and your payment adjusts. Even if your mortgage ha... 04/21/2007

I recieved this outline from one of my Lenders. It is all about High Trust Selling. This is a book written by Todd Duncan. He has also written Killing the sale: the ten fatal mistakes salespeople make and how to avoid them. Here are the Six laws of High Trust Selling:Law 1 - The Law of the Iceberg: The truest measure of your success is invisible to your clients. What you do behind the scenes, the hard work is what makes it look easy in front of the client.Law 2 - The Law of the Summit : Your direction is a result of your perception.Where are you going, Will you lead by the past or the place in the future that you are going to? Law 3 - The Law of the Shareholder: Successful sales people buy stock in themselves. Have you invested in yourself. what courses, time, memorization, training, co... 04/09/2007

Just a list of names.  Some ot them you will know and recoginze others are lesser lights yet maked the history of this town Called Apple Valley. You will remember Clark Gable. and He was an acadamy award winning actor Born 1901 and died 1960. Romance and Rumors about his visits to the Yucca Loma Ranch(a home with a metal sign stands as one of the last remnants of the Yucca Loma Ranch-it is still occupied today) With one Carrol Lombard B1908 -D1942 (she was in over 81 movies a real silver screen actress)Movies Stars and other celebrates have come to Apple Valley. Here is a list: Chuck Connors(The Rifleman, Branded also a Professional Celtic Basketball player, Dean Martin (Teamed with Jerry Lewis and sang Thats Amore when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie) Desi Arnas(team player... 04/04/2007

House Master's is a company that performs home inspections.  When it is convenient or needed, I attend a home inspection.  This time the home is a constructed in 1953. I would rather have the surprises now, up front than in the middle of escrow. My clients agreed. We also felt it was important to give the buyer of the home some objective assurances of the present condition. 21510 Pine Ridge Apple Valley is going to get the treatment and the clients are going to get the peace of mind they deserve.The inspection took 4 hours. Scott and Brian of House Master's reviewed the property. I always learn something about homes. Even though my father was in constuction most of his adult life and I learned from him. There is always something about a home that is new especially if it is old.SO WHAT C... 03/20/2007