Time to Buy a Home-The cost gap narrows...read on-

Thinking of buying a home? Consider this: The gap between monthly rents and mortgage payments is at its lowest level in almost 20 years.
In some markets, the difference can be less than $100, according to a national study conducted for The Associated Press by Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services.
The study, part of a week-long look at homeownership by the AP, found years of falling home prices and low interest rates have created the ultimate buyer's market. But while buying a home is more affordable, it isn't necessarily easier.
Tougher lending standards have made it harder to qualify for a home loan, and unemployment is at 9.7 percent. Tax incentives for homebuyers will expire April 30, and interest rates are expected to increase this year.
"Statistically, it's a great time to buy," said Hessam Nadji, managing director of Marcus & Millichap. "Psychologically, the consumer doesn't feel like it's a great time to buy."
The analysis of 45 metro areas found the difference between the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home and the median rent is down to $256. The last time that gap was anywhere near that small was in 1993 when it fell to $264, according to the study.
Marcus & Millichap used median prices for the last three months of 2009 and calculated mortgage payments by assuming a 10 percent down payment and a 30-year fixed loan at 5.07 percent, among other factors. It also assumed borrowers.

Let Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI Resident Realtor for Connect Realty.com, INC., be your resource-phone us today Toll Free 866-333-6333 or direct at 916-616-0874 also wendimae@wendimae.com or check out her personal website at: http://www.wendimae.com/

There is soon to be a new Sheriff in Town!

There is soon to be a new Sheriff in El Dorado County-Know the Candidates
Last Tuesday the El Dorado Hills Communty Center was the meeting place for all those interested, to come and meet the Candidates for County Sheriff. Also to hear what they had to say-about why they are running for County Sheriff-and what they will do while they hold the position.

There will be 3 to 4 more Town Hall meetings between now and the June 5th election Day. Be sure to check out your Candidates personal website or the Mountain Democrat (and Life papers) for the next scheduled event-near you.

Here is a photo taken during the interviews at El Dorado Hills Community Center-
The Candidates are:

Craig Therkildsen http://craig4sheriff.com/ "Protecting your safety" "You, Your family, Your property. In these difficult economic times, my experience will help make this happen."

George Nielsen George Nielsen http://www.georgenielsen4sheriff.com/

"Community Leadership for the Future"

John D'Agostini http://www.johndagostini.com/
"Leadership that Listens"

Bob Luca http://www.luca4sheriff.com/

"Proven Leadership for tough times"

Ernie Hillman http://www.erniehillman.com/

"Proven Leadeship We can trust"

Larry Hennick No website address given

"Larry has the knowledge, training, experience and leadership to be our next leader of the Sheriff's department"

Check them out-You need to be involved with who will lead your Police Department. It is an important decision-and an important Vote. If you need a voter registration card-or any information on El Dorado County-and cities within, call me anytime:

Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI,

Broker Associate, Real Estate Counselor.

23 Year Veteran in the field!

Toll Free 866-333-6333 or

wendimae@wendimae.com

Resume' and references and many other resources and facts can be found at: http://www.wendimae.com/

How to make being GREEN-easy and practical

The savings to you-when you take a few easy steps to be GREEN-are a plenty! We need to learn not to use our resources in such a way that they become depleted for future generations. One truth-up to 30%, on average, of our home's heating and air is wasted. THis being said, I know-being a Realtor, there is alot I can do to help my clients save money, and make a difference to their environment-each and every day.

Here is a start-these are some of the best websites I have researched, thus far:

http://www.energystar.gov/

which offers guidelines for energy audits and managment, green constriction, and rebates.
http://www.fypower.org/

You can enter a zipcode and also search for local rebates, energy audits, etc.
http://www.cheers.org/

which stands or the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services-Rates and certifies home builders on energy-efficient construction.
http://www.green.car.org/

Provides information to homeowners, Realtors, and the general public on how to "green" their living spaces.
HTTP://www.easyecoblog.com/470/ways-to-save-energy-money-on-your-energy-bill

Will provide Hundreds of ways to save money and energy.
Let's all make a change. Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI,

Broker Associate for Connect Realty.com, INC
wendimae@wendimae.com

personal website http://www.wendimae.com/ or call us Toll free 866-333-6333

El Dorado Hills Big Brothers Big Sisters

With the Economy in its current condition and local schools struggling to provide students with the best education possible, the use of mentoring programs in elementary and Middle schools proves as effective way of helping to offset some of the challenges teachers face in the classroom.
It is often very difficult to receive one-on-one help from their teachers due to class size. One program geared toward assisting children (and teachers) with extra help is often often offered by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of El DOrado County. Their School Mentoring Program, which extends to the 50 Corridor and El Dorado Hills Area assists 10 local elementary and middle schools. The children are matched one-to-one with a Community volunteer called a "school mentor" who meets with the student at their school during the students lunch hour, one day a week. The mentor program is a evidence-based program that helps students feel more connected to their school and and helps them to be more successful in school, both socially and academically.

For more information on this program, contact Big Brothers and Sisters of El Dorado County and El Dorado Hills http://www.mentors4youth.org/
Become a Big Brother or Sister today!

For more details on any program in El Dorado HIlls contact your Resident Realtor-

Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI,

Broker Associate Connect Realty.com, INC.

Toll Free 866-333-6333 or

wendimae@wendimae.com

http://www.wendimae.com

El Dorado County has it all!

Well, it just might!

A proposed Railroad Park is on Track. Can you imagine sitting on a bench at the El Dorado Depot? THen hearing the whistle blow and the clinking sound of the rails as the locomotive makes its way up the grade from the "Y"...THere are bound to be many eager passengers! For some residents here, this is an all too distant memory; for others it only exists in the mind's eye, but for Everyone, it will one day be a realistic re-creation of the days when steam and iron colored the landscape.

Recently the County Board of Sup.'s approved preliminary plans for the developement of a railroad musem in the town of El Dorado. The proposed El Dorado County Historical Railroad Park, located on the old Southern Pacific right of way, will display and operate railroading artifacts currently housed at the El Dorado County Historical Museum. Artifacts have been collected and preserved-many restored-from the county's rich railroading past for many.
Years.Survivors of a time when logging companies harvested "green gold" from makeshift camps like Caldor and Pino Grande, include the 102-year-old Shay Number 4 Locomotive, a tally-ho Rail Bus, an 1892 Porter Number 6 Switch Engine, a skidshed, sidings, and a bobby car, just to name a few-which was used to haul lumber via the 1200-foot-high cableway over the American River. The Railroad will operate between El Dorado Road and Blanchard Road. They also plan to recreat the original depot. Cool 'eh?

For more information on the railroad, or any place/anywhere in El Dorado County-
call your resident Realtor-

Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI,
Broker Associate,
Connect Realty.con
http://www.wendimae.com/

Toll Free 866-333-6333
http://www.wendimae.com

Over 55 years of age? Proposition 90 is coming to El Dorado County-Part 2

OVER 55? CALIFORNIA PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
Since its passage, Proposition 13 prohibits property tax increases until property ownership is changed.
If either spouse is over age 55 (when the old home is sold), PROP 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value (but see below) within the same county and transfer of the Prop 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. This is allowed once in your lifetime, and a spouse who has done it before 'taints' both spouses.
PROP 90 allows counties to elect to accept transfers of Prop 13 values for moves from other counties when a primary residence is replaced with a less expensive (but see below) home. If you are over 55 and move into a county which accepts Prop 90, you may take your old, lower Prop 13 value, regardless of from which county you move.
Using Prop 90, you can sell your $400,000 San Francisco home [assessed value $80,000] and move to a new $300,000 home in San Mateo; the new San Mateo assessed value will be $80,000!

7 COUNTIES WHICH ACCEPT PROP 90 (Current as of 6/1/2008)
Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Ventura. [Contra Costa, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, Modoc, Monterey, and Marin have dropped out of the Prop 90 program.]
Props 60 and 90 apply if you "trade down" (i.e. the new home costs less than the sales price of the old home).
> If you buy New Home 1st; then sell the Old Home, you must go down in price.
> If you sell the Old Home1st; then buy the New Home:
In 1st 365 days after the sale of Old Home, you may go up 5% in the purchase price of New Home.
If you buy New Home more than 1 year from the sale of Old Home, but less than 2 years, you may go up 10%.
Some buyers can pay the commission outside of escrow to lower to sales price. Example: I sold for $100,000 and then want to buy next week for $120,000. The seller will owe a commission of $7,200. The seller will owe $2,800 of other expenses
I sold 1st so I must buy for no more than $105,000. If I pay the seller's expenses of $10,000, the price is down to $110,000. Hmm. If I buy the stove, refrigerator, and lawn furniture for $6,000, it looks like I qualify. WARNING: I do not suggest this is a valid idea.
On Thursday December 10th, Our Board of Supervisors decided 5-0 in favor of adopting Proposition 90-
The new Proposition does not go in to affect until Either 2/14 or 2/15 of 2010. Date to be be solidified Tuesday the 15th of this month. The 60 day waiting period is to do with the County Assessor-to set up the process/system in which they will be charging each Transferee $500. for the transfer. One must close escrow after 2/15/2010. This will change the outlook in our County in a very positive way. When real estate prices began to fall and property owners began their requests for reassessments-of course to lower values-this of course resulted in lower tax revenues to the County. How does EDC put a stop to the continued reduction of RE values/revenue? Prop 90 is just the answer. For any and all information on Real Estate in Cameron Park, and in El Dorado County proper-

contact your resident Realtor and real estate Counselor,

Wendi-Mae Davis Toll free 866-333-6333 or

wendimae@wendimae.com and you may want to check out her personal website at:

http://www.wendimae.com/ also check out the community website at:

http://www.mycameronpark.com Let's talk!

Giving Sellers the Green light

Wendi-Mae is keeping it real, and keeping it Green...Now it is your turn! How do you start protecting your environment, without spending money-rather by saving it? Glad you asked-here's how:
An inexpensive way to start helping to save your environment, locally- buy CFL's "Compact Flourescent Light" Bulbs. They use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and last 6-10 times longer. You'll save energy and mney and contribute to global climate change. Prtoect the environment of today, and tomorrow-by changing a light! For any and all Real Estate information you may need for all of Santa Clara County, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramanto Counties-call your neighborhood specialist/Team-

Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI,
Broker Associate Connect Realty,
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Real Estate counselor.
22 years of full time service to the Community
Toll Free 866-333-6333
Personal website
http://www.blogger.com/www.wendimae.com or email her
at wendimae@wendimae.com
She looks forward to the opportunity of assisting you in your quest!