Home Inspector Got More Than He Bargained for: Greeting from Deputies

Last Sunday afternoon, while enjoying Oktoberfest, Cliff Simms, owner and CEO of All City Inspections, dropped into my office and introduced his wife. 

He also told me about a man who called him recently for a home inspection. 

The inspection had to be done that day since he, the buyer, was only in town for the day.  Cliff told him that he was tied up that day and gave him the name of another inspector to call. 

Victor Hernandez, owner of Golden State Property Inspections, had an opening and met the buyer at the property. 

The “seller” also was there when he arrived and he proceeded to fill out the paperwork, including a contract for the work to be done. 

But when he crawled out from under the house, he was met by five or six San Diego deputy sheriffs, who asked who he was and what he was doing under the house. 

After he explained, he was told the “seller” was not the owner of the house and that they had been called by neighbors who actually knew the owners.  

Victor, when I called to confirm my facts, said that all his paperwork had been rifled through, but didn’t ask who or why.  The only good thing that happened that day for Victor was that the buyer did pay for the inspection.

Recliner Needed for Coordinator’s Convalescing Dad, 87

This has not been a banner year for Tammie Whatley, an independent real estate transaction coordinator in La Mesa. 

She has made five trips this year to Cincinnati, with an average stay of three weeks.  First she went to be with her sick mother and then to take care of family matters and her father, 87-year-old Charlie Whatley. 

She has now found a convalescent home for him in La Mesa, and he will be arriving here soon. 

She told me that he really wants a La-Z-Boy type recliner and some assorted small tables for his new “home.”  If anyone has either of these items, and no longer needs them, please let me know and I will pass it along to her.

Fix the Foreclosure Mess, Realtors Group Says

The Department of Veteran Affairs recently sent an urgent message to all lenders to say that the anticipated drop in points for VA loans had been put on hold.

So far, I have not heard the reasoning behind this reversal.

Last week, I stated that the FHA and other government-backed loans were going to be lowered to $625,500. This amount is the highest for all of California.  In San Diego County, it will be lowered from $697,500 to $546,250.  This is a drop of $151,250 and one of the largest in the state. 

The California Association of Realtors estimates that more than 30,000 homebuyers in California will be adversely affected by this change in buying power.

The association’s Government Affairs Team held a press conference in Fresno to highlight the problems with the short-sale process and to call for reform.

The message to lenders throughout the state was loud and clear: Fix the process to prevent foreclosures and promote economic recovery. 

Some 74% of Realtors say it takes more than 60 days for lenders to return a written response on the approval or disapproval of the short-sale agreement submitted.  Half say it takes lenders more than five days to return any form of communication. 

(This is true of many agents who work primarily with short sales, but that is a story for another time.)

Some 77 percent of Realtors say they are dissatisfied with lenders and 88 percent are unlikely to refer buyers to the lender to finance future home purchases, according to the Realtors association.

“Lenders are out of touch with the realities of the market and the consequences to struggling homeowners, and the result is unnecessary foreclosures that only make California’s economic problems worse, hindering a desperately needed recovery,” said Don Faught, treasurer of the state association.

This week in La Mesa Real Estate

The median list price in La Mesa is $419,000.  The 233 properties have been on the market for an average of 135 days.  The average list price is $486,256.  The average time on the market is 135 days. 

Eighteen single-family homes and four condos/townhomes came on the market this past week.

My first Pick of the Week is 6065 Odessa Ave., 91942.  Listed by Julie Moore of Ascent Real Estate, Inc., it is priced at $320,000.  A three-bedroom, one-bath built in 1953, it has been updated to be appealing to today’s savvy buyer.  It has a two-car garage and a big well designed back yard. 

My second Pick of the Week is a sweet little home at 9160 Southern Rd., 91942.  Priced for $319,000, the listing agent, Jeff Fechter, says it is below market price.  Built in 1952, it has three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage. Yard and patio are both delightful.