By Kurt Wannebo, CEO, San Diego Real Estate and Investments (SDREI)

November 26, 2012 (San Diego)--Did you know that right now that we are actually in a seller’s market and prices are starting to go up? If you are a buyer waiting for the bottom of the market to buy, news flash, you already missed it by a couple of months! Every day I speak with buyers and sellers that believe we are still in a declining market, when in actuality it’s the other way around.

November 20, 2012 (San Diego)—By a 5-3 vote, San Diego’s City Council voted last week to pass the Property Value Protection Ordinance (PVPO) aimed at helping banks clean up blighted foreclosure properties.  It requires banks to register with the city and pay a $76 fee whenever they take action to foreclose a home. The registry makes it possible to immediately identify the bank responsible for a blighted property, and the fee revenue will increase code enforcement staff to hold banks accountable for neglected properties.

November 15, 2012 (Sunnyvale, CA)—With the holidays (and associated chaos) fast approaching, you probably aren’t putting much thought into home improvement—except, perhaps, to grumble about the fact that you’ll have to cook another Thanksgiving meal in your outdated kitchen, or to wish that you didn’t have to steer your fa-la-la-ing guests toward your house’s only bathroom with its leaky faucet.

November 9, 2012 (Alpine) – The Alpine Woman’s Club 8th Annual Holiday Home Tour is December 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You will have an opportunity to stroll through five stunning homes which will be decorated for the holidays and visit a local church which will also be decorated for the season.

October 26, 2012 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Historical Society’ hosts its 2012 Centennial Home Tour on November 3, which will focus on 5 historic/classic homes in the Date Avenue/Mt. Nebo area.  The event will be from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and will begin at the Shuttle Bus Stop at the City Parking Lot on the northeast corner of Date & Allison.

September 27, 2012 (El Cajon) – The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College will offer a fire-wise gardening seminar with Greg Rubin, native plant expert from California’s Own Native Landscape Design. Cost is $20 for members, $28 for nonmembers. The program will be held on Saturday, September 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.thegarden.org/calendar/index.php

September 13, 2012 (Sacramento)-- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom called upon Attorney General Eric Holder and members of the Antitrust Division at the Office of the Attorney General to review the actions of some members of the mortgage industry, as well as federal agencies, who have coercively urged local governments to reject consideration of any proposal that would exercise the powers constitutionally granted local governments to use eminent domain to help stem the mortgage crisis.

From Longfield Gardens:  www.longfield-gardens.com

September 3, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- In life some questions loom larger than others. Certainly, for gardeners, one of the biggies worth working out this time of year borders on the cosmic:

Does the concept “too many daffodils” exist?

July 11, 2012 -- Marking a major milestone for Californians and all Americans, the Homeowners Bill of Rights, a package of bills sponsored by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris that gives homeowners important new protections and places restrictions on how aggressively banks can foreclose, was signed into law today by Governor Brown.

Updated July 5, 2012 with roll-call votes for San Diego legislators

July 2, 2012 (Sacramento) – “Sometimes David beats Goliath...Just a few minutes ago, the Homeowner Bill of Rights was passed by the California State Legislature," the Alilance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) annouced. "This means that Wall Street Banks are on notice: California will no longer tolerate the unfair and abusive foreclosure practices of the big banks." 

The legislation sought by California Attorney General Kamala Harris is now on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk awaiting signature. Hailed as a victory for homeowners, the landmark legislation passed despite the banking industry spending $70,000 a day on lobbying efforts to defeat the bills.

May 30, 2012 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Housing Federation has announced finalists for its annual affordable housing and community development awards newly named the “Ruby Awards  . . . There’s No Place Like Home”. Finalists include individuals, organizations and developers of affordable housing.

Ducheny Chastises Vargas for "Special Interest" Favors

May 5, 2012 (San Diego) -- Congressional Candidate Denise Moreno Ducheny took issue with Senator Juan Vargas's recent voting record and called on the Senator to back a strong set of foreclosure protection bills being discussed in the Senate this week. "The recent voting record of my opponent is a disservice to the residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties," Ducheny said in a statement. "He should be spending more time focusing on the needs of his constituents, not just those special interest groups who write his campaign checks."