Modesto Real Estate – Luz Martinez

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Remember when you made that garage into a family room, without a building permit? Or maybe you converted an attic to your teenager’s bedroom, or closed in a patio for a game room, without the government watching.

You saved a few hundred bucks, but it’s nagged at your conscience because you’re otherwise a decent, hardworking taxpayer.

If it happened in an unincorporated area of Stanislaus County, a new amnesty program could help ease your conscience.

It still will cost you a few hundred bucks, but you’ll escape double-fee penalties, saving a bundle. And you might sleep better at night.

Or maybe you bought a house with an unapproved addition or major remodel. It’s not your fault, but the government doesn’t care when they find out.

Until now.

Having seen successful building permit amnesty programs elsewhere, county building officials took the idea Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors. On a split vote, supervisors agreed to give it a try from July 1 through year’s end, when they’ll evaluate how it worked and consider canceling the program or extending a version to commercial and industrial buildings.

A few rules apply, however.

The stealth improvements must have been done before 2008. They must meet minimum safety codes. And you’ll pay a $200 application fee, plus $105 for an inspection if you decide to pursue it.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/25/1182087/stanislaus-homeowners-offered.html#ixzz0p4HFi7AP

Homeowners from seven Stanislaus County cities were among the victims of a multimillion-dollar loan modification scheme run out of a Southern California boiler room that resembled a casino, the state attorney general said Thursday.

The victims were persuaded to hand over up-front fees of as much as $5,000 to get help modifying loans to keep their houses out of foreclosure.

But the company did not follow through on its promises, leaving its customers with additional debt.

I almost lost the house because I was depending on them to mediate the process and they never did,” said Jeff Carnie, an Oakdale resident who sought help from the group. “Everything looked good, sounded good.”

Carnie, 50, said he lost $2,200. He said he sent the money after perusing a Web site and a stack of paperwork sent to his house, all which looked professional.

Nine men have been charged with 97 criminal counts including grand theft, unlawful foreclosure consulting, tax evasion and conspiracy. They operated out of a boiler room decorated “high-roller style” with a roulette wheel and other casino equipment, authorities said.

Attorney General Jerry Brown said the men are accused of bilking $2.3 million from 1,500 homeowners, including some in Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Oakdale, Riverbank, Manteca and Newman.

In almost every case, no loan modifications were completed as promised, the Justice Department said.

Arrested Tuesday and Wednesday night were Gregg Scott Quinn, 37, of Camarillo and Juan Pierre Washington, 40, of Winnetka, who worked as company sales managers and supervisors.

Gary Arnold Eisenberg, 71, of Westwood, a telemarketer with the company, and Ira Itskowitz, 58, a sales manager, are in federal custody for violating parole in connection with their participation in the scheme, authorities said.

The four primary owners of the business are not in custody. They are Niv Iskin, 30, of Reseda; Reviv Karpman, 38, of Tarzana; Tomer Kogman, 29, of Reseda; and Avraham Yechizkia, 34, of Encino. Sales manager Barel Iskin, 23, of Woodland Hills also is being sought.

Brown’s office began its investigation in March 2009 in response to consumer complaints against the Canoga Park-based loan modification business, which operated as Mason Capital Group, LLC and Gretchen Fox and Associates.

Financial records indicate that the four owners spent hundreds of thousands on private school tuition, travel, entertainment, shopping and other personal expenses.

Brown said his office will seek restitution for victims.

The three-county region including Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties continues to have the highest percentage of defaulted mortgages in California.

Since 2007, when the region’s housing crisis began, nearly 52,500 Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin County homes have been lost to foreclosure. That includes about 12.7 percent of all houses and condos in Stanislaus, 15.5 percent in Merced and 13.9 percent in San Joaquin.

The Modesto Certified Farmer’s Market is held every Thursday and Saturday from 7:00 am – Noon on 16th Street between H & I Street. Fresh Fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, eggs, poultry, BBQ, olive oil, flowers, soaps & sundries, crafts, kettle corn, pastries, cheeses, live music, demos and more!

There is always something new at the Modesto’s Farmers Market, whether it’s fresh fruit and veggies for the season or new musical entertainment.. this is a wonderful activity for the whole family!

Saturday, May 22 11:00a to 10:00p  St. Peter the Apostle Serbian Orthodox Church, Fresno, CA  Annual Serbian Food Festival! Serbian & Eastern European Foods and Pastries. Live Serbian music and folk dancing, church tours and much more. Complete meals or a la carte food items. Public invited! http://www.stpeterfresno.com/

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Warning signs of a Craigslist Home Sale/Rental Scam:

• The price is below market rate. This is the lure that separates the clear thinkers and those that tend to be nervous or desperate.
• The owner is overseas, typically a missionary. The missionary angle is to gain credibility. Overseas, typically Africa and most Nigeria, is to get you to send money to these countries without thinking about it.
• They want you to wire money via Western Union. Enough said on this one.
• When you go by the home there is someone living there. These folks are audacious enough to try to rent or sell homes that are occupied. They are preying on the fact you are too lazy to do your homework.

How To Check If A Craigslist Rental Is A Scam:

• Do a Google search for the property. Odds are the property is already for sale. If there is a listing, typically you will see this on Trulia or Zillow, call the agent. They will be able to give you an answer.
• The price is below market. Very rarely will someone discount rent to the general public. If they are a missionary they will go through a local charity before just going onto Facebook.
• Knock on the door of the unit for sale/rent. Let them know that you have seen this ad on Craigslist and ask if the advertisement is legit.
• If no one is about, ask a neighbor or the super. They will know.
• If it is a scam, let Craigslist know. They will remove the listing.

Are you health conscious? If so this might be the activity for you! Not only will your health benefit, but so will your wallet! Review the information below or visit http://www.commuteconnection.com/bike.htm for more information.

May 17, 2010 – Friday, May 21, 2010

This exciting and fun event promotes cycling as a form of transportation to the workplace, celebrates those who bicycle commute throughout the year and promotes an environmentally friendly transportation option and promotes clean air.

Simply pledge to ride your bike or walk to work (or to a transit station) at least one day during Bike-to-Work week (May 17-21, 2010) in San Joaquin or Stanislaus County and you will be eligible to enter a drawing for a free bicycle and helmet or other great prizes. It’s that Simple. So, save money, have fun, practice safe riding and walking and join your community for this great event.

Commute Connection, the regional ridesharing program operated by the San Joaquin Council of Governments, REI and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District sponsors the drawing for San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties.

Commute Connection is a program designed to help commuters make the transition from driving alone to a convenient ridesharing option such as car or van pooling, bicycling/walking or riding transit.

Events:

City of Stockton, Bike to Work Day: Thursday May 20th, DeCarli Waterfront Plaza, 6:30 am

Sustainability in San Joaquin County, “Leaving the Car Behind”: Friday, May 21st, 7:30

Mayor’s Hike and Bike Stockton, Saturday, May 29th

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The Cottonwood is ready to blossom in its new home. The downtown Oakdale cafe opened in the summer of 2008, sharing space with The Works Car Wash. Earlier this year, owner Monica Davis decided to move to a larger, independent space

Since then, she said, business has been up and patrons have enjoyed its new historical locale.

The Cottonwood, 154 S. Yosemite Ave., Suite A, sits inside the Hubble Building, built in the 1800s. The new space has a larger dedicated indoor dining area that seats 25 and outdoor garden seating for another 25.

The Cottonwood serves an assortment of sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch and dinner, and offers carry-out and catering.

Specialty sandwiches include crab, hot veggie, Angus beef and turkey cranberry pesto.

Davis comes from a family with catering experience and had her own business for about 10 years before opening the restaurant.  Since moving, she said, customers have said that “the location now fits the food.” Davis plans to add beer and wine service in the summer and is considering live entertainment, too. The Cottonwood is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 847-4748. Elsewhere around the Business Beat: Modesto’s Ocean Palace Chinese restaurant is under new management.

Danny Zeng took over from previous owner and chef Ken Huang in February.
Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/12/1163524/oakdale-eatery-offers-a-taste.html#ixzz0njYCy6Yd

Kadie Black, an outreach coordinator for a Miami kids agency, felt as if her co-worker didn’t carry her weight on a team project. Rather than confront her, she mentioned it to another colleague who repeated Black’s comments publicly. Friction soon permeated the workplace, making it uncomfortable for the two women to work together again.

We all know that conflicts in the workplace are unavoidable. But now, the number of conflicts are intensifying as workers do more with less and stress levels jump to an all-time high. More than half of all employees say they lost work time worrying about confrontation with a co-worker, according to a survey by researchers at the University of North Carolina.

“Co-worker conflicts can be one of the most difficult forms of workplace stress,” says Gus Stieber, national director of sales of Bensinger, DuPont & Associates, an employee assistance program services

I hate conflicts at work and I can tell you that they make people unhappy at home, too. I have a friend whose husband began staying late at work because she spent every dinner complaining about a co-worker who hogged credit for her work.

Most of us, like Black, have learned that when you stew about a co-worker who dumps on you or a boss who attacks you in a meeting, the situation usually only gets worse with time.

“If I had to do it again I would’ve had that conversation and nipped it in the bud,” Black says.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/25/1180774/irked-at-work-anger-sniping-avoidance.html#ixzz0p4Ib6Vp2

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THE SCAM: One person’s trash …

• HOW IT WORKS: Every day, thousands of people receive offers in the mail for new credit cards or monthly statements for credit cards or bank accounts. But fraud experts said there’s a growing problem with consumers who throw those statements and offers in the trash. According to those experts, identity thieves gladly will dig through a garbage can for personal banking information. They may use a discarded application to create a new card, which can be used to rack up bills in the victim’s name.

• WHAT’S AT STAKE: Your cash and your identity

• HOW TO BEAT IT: Rip up or, better yet, shred all mail and other documents with personal financial information before throwing them away. Monitor your bank accounts and credit accounts carefully for any unexplained charges. To cut down on potentially troublesome paper records, consumers might consider banking online and requesting to go paperless.

If your looking for a special way to spend the day with your mother, be sure to check out our list below:

Mothers Day Champagne Brunch Sunday, May 9 9:30a to 1:30pm at SOS Club, Modesto, CA Mothers Day Champagne Brunch buffet style at the SOS with chicken Marsala, top sirloin, and an assortment of egg dishes, pastries, side dishes and desserts. http://www.sosclub.com

Mother’s Day at Occasio Winery Sunday, May 9 12:00p to 5:00pm at Occasio Winery, Livermore, CA Mother’s Day at the Occasio Winery Tasting Salon! Celebrate Mom at Occasio Winery, where mothers will receive a complimentary tasting of our wine flight and a decadent and beautifully decorated truffle made with our 2008 Zinfandel! We will also be releasing the last 12 bottles of the sold out 2009 Rose’ from our library for this special day

Mother’s Day Dance Saturday, May 8 6:00p to 11:30p at American Legion Merced Post #83, Merced, CA Come join us for our annual Mother’s Day Dance. Dinner will be served from 6 to 8pm. Dancing to the sounds of “force-em” form 8 to 11:30pm. Dinner and Dance tickets are $25(prime rib) Dance only–$15
R.S.V.P.required!!! Call 209-722-0940 for reservations

Premier Community Credit Union Mother’s Day Fair Saturday, May 8 10:30a to 2:00pm at Premier Community Credit Union, Stockton, CA Help Premier Community celebrate our moms! Enjoy free food & drinks, bounce houses, carnival games, free mother’s day photos, raffle items, goodie bags and much, much more! Come check this fun and free event out on Saturday, May 8 from 10:30-2:00 at 3255 W. Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton, CA.