California’s abundant natural beauty can turn deadly when combined with warm, dry, windy weather. Now that Spring is here with Summer quickly approaching, it is important to take preemptive measures against wildfire.

As a homeowner, there are several actions you can take to protect your home from wildfires:

• Create a defensible zone around your home. Your local fire department can help.
• Using roofing resistant materials that are rated Class A. Common Class A roof covering includes asphalt fiberglass composition shingles, concrete or clay tiles, and steel or copper tiles. Screen all openings created by vents and roof materials. Keep roof and gutters free of debris.
• Landscape with fire-resistant plants.
• Make sure firefighters can see your address.
• Have an evacuation plan family members can follow, and don’t just talk about it, practice it.

If you’re ready to start the hunt in earnest, your next step is to get pre-approved for a loan. Most sellers, including all REO and short sale sellers, will not review an offer without a loan pre-approval, and many real estate brokerages require pre-approval in order to work with you. There are two ways to go—quick, or in-depth. You can get a quick pre-approval from your regular bank or credit union if you’re not sure which lender or mortgage plan you’ll be using. If you do know your specific lender and mortgage, go with the in-depth. With either process, you’ll need to fill out a loan application and submit it along with the following information: Work History, Credit Rating and History, Total Debt, Down Payment amount available, Investments and Other Assets and Residence History for Previous two Years. The amount of documentation will vary by Lender, this is just a general rule of thumb.

Let’s assume your application passes muster, and you’ve been pre-approved—congratulations! Don’t go too crazy celebrating though: If you make major changes to your credit, debt, or assets after pre-approval, but before you secure a loan, you could jeopardize your chances of getting any mortgage at all. Lenders commonly re-check your credit within five days of your home purchase closing, and any significant changes to your score may put the kibosh on your loan.

Until recently, if you had a complaint, you had to take your chances appealing to the credit card company itself. Now the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has opened a one-stop complaint center for all credit card related issues.

To register your complaint, go to CFPB’s home page. There you’ll find a simple form that asks you to describe what happened and to categorize your complaint from a menu of about 30 items, such as “billing disputes” and “credit line increase/decrease.” You’ll also be asked how much money you lost (if any), when the incident occurred and what you have already done to resolve the problem.

Next, you’ll be asked to describe the outcome for your problem that you think would be fair, and for your contact information. Expect written confirmation from the CFPB, which will forward your complaint to the card issuer.

Once you have registered your complaint, you can check its status online. If the issuer does not respond in a timely manner and resolve the complaint satisfactorily, and the CFPB receives a number of similar complaints, it will likely launch an investigation. It’s too soon to tell how well this complaint process will work, but seems like a step in the right direction.

By: Tina Stern

My listing of 114 Hollister Ranch, Gaviota, California was featured in the Business Section of the Sunday Los Angeles Times on 9.4.2011 as their choice for “Home of the Week” (view here). This 108 acre property with 5 structures is nothing short of magnificent. To view the property, see the YouTube video below or view the property website at www.114hollister.com

The legendary Hollister Ranch. Full parcel Listing. Inaccessible to the public, guard gated 24 hours a day. The 14,400 acre Ranch has 8 ½ miles of private pristine beach frontage for the exclusive use of homeowners. Property includes 2 complete houses, 1 guest house, 1 barn-game room and 1 secluded hilltop hideaway. Located approx. 30 minutes up the coast from Southern California’s most charming city, Santa Barbara. Ranch consists of 136 one hundred acre, or larger parcels. Parcel 114 is nestled in its own private valley. Its approx. 108 acres lie on a private road winding through 100 year old oaks, spring-fed creeks & vistas from rolling hills to pastures & the Pacific Ocean. It offers privacy, security & beauty only minutes to the beach. Whether seeking solitude or staging a grand getaway for family & friends, this is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a virtually unspoiled piece of the California dream right on the most protected coastline in Southern California

Be prepared for our next quake

By: Tina Stern

If you’re like most people, after every California earthquake you tell yourself, “I’m going to get prepared for the next one.” Then you don’t do a thing about it.

Well, now you can do something about it. Just by reading this page, doing what it says and saving it. Many earthquake experts in Southern California recommend the following tips to minimize damage in the event of an earthquake.

1. Put together a kit of basic emergency supplies. Include a portable radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit and handbook, wrenches to turn off gas and water valves, and food, water and medication for every member of your family for at least one week.
2. Secure your hot water heater. If your hot water heater falls over during an earthquake, the gas line can rupture and create sparks which can lead to a fire or explosion.
3. Know where your gas, electric and water main shutoffs are and how to shut them off.
4. Secure your tall and heavy furniture. Bookcases, entertainment centers and china cabinets can easily fall over during an earthquake.
5. Put some extra nails in heavy objects that are off the floor such as shelves, mirrors and large picture frames.
6. Hunt for hazard areas in your home. Teach your children to stay away from windows, mirrors and tall furniture.
7. Search for safe places in your home. Show your children how to take cover under a table, desk, or against inside walls.
8. Have a plan to reunite your family after an earthquake. Travel may be difficult and phone lines may be down, so don’t drive or call anyone unless it’s a real emergency.
9. Check for injury or damage after the shaking stops.
10. Above all, do not panic.

Practicing earthquake drills with your entire family and being prepared with the above instructions will put you in a safer position during any ground motion. Stop rumbling about how you’re going to get ready for “the next one.” Prepare for it today. The County of Los Angeles has an Earthquake Survival Program (ESP) with easy monthly preparedness steps.

For more information, call the Office of Emergency Management at (213) 974-1166 or visit the ESP website at www.espfocus.org

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Help identify lost possessions in case of disaster

By: Tina Stern

Photographing the interior of your home is a great way to document your belongings & most valued possessions, just in case disaster strikes. While it is never convenient for theft, natural disaster, or fire to damage your property, unfortunate things do happen and being prepared can give you a great head start in rebuilding your life.

To create a digital inventory of your home and possessions, simply use a digital camera to take shots of each room at varying angles, while making sure to include all valuable objects. These digital images can later be used to identify your exact losses.

Photos should be stored on a flash drive or CD-R and kept in the safe or safe deposit box, and this digital inventory should be updated every few years.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Tina Stern

Ensure your teen buckles up every trip, whether driving or riding.
Law or no law limit the number of passengers they are allowed to transport.
(With every added passenger the crash risk of your young driver increases significantly)
Restrict the use of any type of cell phone and discuss the dangers of other distractions.
Encourage them to go to www.oprah.com and sign up for a no texting contract. It’s a great program and gaining huge support.

Be a good role model and show your teen that you follow safe driving rules too.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Tina Stern

Talk to your children or grandchildren about the value of saving money for specific purposes. Simple lesson: if you want something, you have to save your money for it.
Once they’ve learned to save to achieve their goals, it’s time to teach them how to earn money through interest accumulation. Learning the benefits of compound interest will help to encourage them to invest their money in income producing instruments.

It’s important to stay involved with them as they learn to build a secure financial future. Most children consider a parent or grandparent a primary source of financial information.

Be a good role model by demonstrating good financial habits yourself.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Tina Stern

Swiss bank UBS recently released its tri-annual Prices and Earnings report revealing which of the 73 surveyed cities in the world had the most purchasing power (in terms of the local costs of goods) after taxes were deducted from the average hourly pay. Forbes Magazine further analyzed the data and listed the top 100 highest-Paid cities in the world. While this data isn’t all that useful in practical terms, it’s always interesting to see the facts and figures and how we fit into the global picture. Here are the top ten cities according to this data.

1. Zurich, Switzerland: Net pay per hour: $22.60 (Gross pay per hour: $30.30).
2. Geneva, Switzerland: Net pay per hour: $20.40 (Gross pay per hour: $29.20).
3. New York City: Net pay per hour: $19 (Gross pay per hour: $26.10).
4. Dublin, Ireland: Net pay per hour: $18.70 (Gross pay per hour: $22).
5. Luxembourg City: Net pay per hour: $18.20 (Gross pay per hour: $22.40).
6. Copenhagen, Denmark: Net pay per hour: $17.70 (Gross pay per hour: $32.80).
7. Los Angeles: Net pay per hour: $17.40 (Gross pay per hour: $23.90).
8. Oslo, Norway: Net pay per hour: $15.80 (Gross pay per hour: $24.40).
9. Helsinki, Finland: Net pay per hour: $15.70 (Gross pay per hour: $21.30).
10. Miami: Net pay per hour: $15.70 (Gross pay per hour: $21.10).

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Tina Stern

The California Appliance Rebate program will begin April 22, 2010. The Energy Commission submitted its proposed Appliance Rebate Program design to the U.S. Department of Energy on October 14, 2009, and it was accepted by the DOE. Three residential appliance categories were selected to be eligible to receive rebates: clothes washers (rebate $100), refrigerators (rebate $200), and room/window air conditioners (rebate $50). These rebates are in addition to existing rebates offered by California’s utilities or appliance manufacturers. The Energy Commission used the list of “pre-screened” appliances from the DOE. To qualify, the appliances must be ENERGY STAR-listed, meet CEE tier standards, and certified to the Energy Commission as meeting all state and federal appliance efficiency standards.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.