Alison McClelland

Hi Again Sue - Sorry it took me so long to find out the status of this property. I drove by the property and was able to find out that it sold in an auction that REDC had with http://www.ushomeauction.com. I was told that all their Temecula homes had been sold. The tax records however, still say that it is owned by a bank. Just wanted to follow up on this. I have not been able to verify that it is sold but according to REDC it is and is not available. That would explain why the listing was cancelled as well. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate to call me. - Tue Apr 22 2008, 16:15

Hi Sue - I left a phone message for the last listing agent that had it up for sale at a $339,920 price but for some reason it was cancelled. I looked in the office comments and it said you needed to go thru this company called Kazork...unfortunately, that is not a company that I can work with. I left a message for the last agent that had it listed and hopefully he will call me back. It does say that it is a bank owned property. I will try to drive by there tomorrow to investigate the property. If you want to send an email via my website I will email you the details when I find them out. It is not currently listed as active on the MRMLS, but I will investigate and find out the status. Thank you, - Thu Apr 17 2008, 19:28

Hi Barry - while I am not authorized to answer legal questions I was thinking you might want to contact the Dept of real estate in Sacramento and ask them. http://www.dre.ca.gov or you might want to contact a real estate law firm. I did just get a flyer in the mail from another Temecula Chamber of Commerce Member Winton & Larson, LLP who have recently opened an office here in Temecula. The contact is Evangeline J. Larson and the number is 951 - 308 - 1555. She may be able to answer your question.

Did you get your deposit money back? There are short sale buyers who have made offers that have not gotten their money back. Unfortunately, when they read the paperwork they signed from the bank, it somehow allowed that. I think that in a short sale, the banks can make their own rules. I actually stay away from short sales. Look for REO (bank owned properties). I have been hearing about multiple multiple offers going in on these homes and I do not know what criteria they use. The house behind mine was bank owned and went on the market and sold the same day for higher than the listing price and the people moved in less than a week later. They got the house a 4000 + sq ft home for $350,000. There are many amazing deals out there. I am sorry that your experience was rotten. Best of luck with your new search and getting a legal answer. - Mon Apr 21 2008, 17:19

You got some great information from these other agents and I just wanted to give you my two cents. I agree that the most important place to start is to get with a good fair lender. There are many good programs out there for first time buyers. Mission Hills Mortgage which is an affiliate of tarbell, realtors could help you with all those details. Once you know how much you have to spend then you can pinpoint the area in which you want to live. I would take a drive thru different neighborhoods on the weekends. There are some really nice homes at very reasonable prices out there. There are also some very nice condos available. I would be happy to show you around when you are ready. Temecula is a great place to live and work!! Once you know how much house you can qualify for you can narrow down your choices. Buying your first home is soooo exciting so I wish you all the best in your search and know that I am here for you if you need some help!

contact information for Mission Hills is Donna Elena, 951-264-6955, she can tell you all about the 1st time buyer special programs. - Mon Apr 21 2008, 16:15

I own 2 homes, one has white tile countertops in the kitchen and the other has black granite countertops. I myself personally like the white tile countertops (that kitchen is huge) but when I had a group of realtors to my other house with the black granite they all oohed and ahhed at the black granite. When going on caravan to preview properties, I hear them say, "oh there are no upgrades here and it will be hard to sell" when it does not have granite. I have a friend who works for a large kitchen remodeling company and she says the kitchen remodeling market right now is hot! So to answer more specifically I think it depends on the buyer and what they are looking for but it definitely seems to attract the more upscale buyer. I am also starting to see more copper being put into homes out here. The buyers that I have worked with seem definitely more attracted to the upgraded kitchens with granite. I do think the size and ease of use of the kitchen and the presence of an island is also very helpful. With that all said, I would guess that 50% of your buyers would be more inclined to look at the house if there was granite. - Wed Apr 2 2008, 11:31

When I see the words West Coast I think of California so just in case you are thinking of coming out to California there are many nice beach communities. Cardiff by the Sea here in Southern California is a nice area. Carpinteria is alson a nice area just south of Santa Barbara. Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach etc. If you are looking for a nice town, check out Temecula, it is not waterfront but it is only 45 minutes away. You can look at properties here on my site, just in case this is the area that you were considering. I would be happy to help you in your search if it is here in California. - Wed Apr 2 2008, 11:05