All aboard

By: Sher Hann

This Sunday, January 29, the Hyatt Westlake Plaza will host a travel show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by Michael’s Travel Centre, the show is offering free admission and door prizes. Some 40 travel suppliers – cruise lines and major tour operators throughout the world – will be on hand, offering discounts and specials for those in attendance. Come one, come all, to begin your 2012 travel adventure. “Anchors aweigh!”

This news comes from my friend, Susan Raffler, at Michael’s Travel Centre

Tuesday Sept 27th 4:30-8:00pm

By: Sher Hann

Vom Fass joins the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and dozens of local restaurants and merchants for an unforgettable evening of exceptional food and spirits, stunning fashion, live music, dynamic demonstrations and more at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village.

Vom Fass will be serving delectable oil/vinegar pairings and a specialty liqueur or two. Pick up a tasting tray and wine glass on the way in and visit countless food/beverage vendors excited to debut their delicious tastings! From savory and sweet treats to a variety of beer, wine and specialty liqueurs, there’s something for everyone. Look forward to seeing you there!

Event Date: September 27, 2011
Event Time: 4:30 – 8 p.m.
Location: Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village
Phone: 805-370-0035
Email: Kelli Lighthizer

Pre-Registration Tickets
Chamber Members: $35
Non-Members: $45
Please include all guest names in the comments section when making your purchase.

Walk-ins welcome at the door:
Chamber Members: $50
Non-Members: $60

Includes free self-parking at the hotel. Additional parking is available at Calvary Community Church.
Guests must be 21 years or older.
Pre-Registration Deadline: 12 noon, Wed., Sept. 21, 2011

Actual tickets will not be issued. Your name will be placed on a Will-Call list. Check in at the registration table the evening of the event.

Bed bugs are creepin’

By: Sher Hann

As we all march into the malls buying gifts and throwing them in our closets until the special day, here is a word to the wise. Bed bugs are on the move!

Two years ago year my son suffered an infestation in his apartment in San Francisco. “There’s one on the dust ruffle!” he screamed into the phone at 11:30 one night. Thus began an expensive ordeal and two months of his sleeping in his living room.

The advice below came across my desk from a friend, and even if you don’t believe it, it offers an easy precaution:

“We have friends here in our community and one of their sons is an entomologist (insect expert) who travels all over the country as an advisor to many of stores. He is telling them that there is an epidemic of bed bugs now occurring in America. Recently,  several stores in New York City have had to close due to bed bug problems, as well as a complete mall in New Jersey.

“He says that since much of our clothing, sheets, towels, etc. now comes from companies outside of America, even the most expensive stores sell foreign clothing from China, Indonesia, etc. The bed bugs are coming in on the clothing as these countries do not consider them a problem. He recommends that if you buy any new clothing, even underwear and socks, sheets and towels, bring them into the house and put them in your clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will kill them and their eggs.

“DO NOT PURCHASE CLOTHES AND HANG THEM IN THE CLOSET FIRST. It does not matter what the price range is of the clothing, or if the outfit comes from the most expensive store known in the U.S. They still get shipments from these countries and the bugs can come in a box of scarves or anything else for that matter. That is the reason so many stores, many of them clothing stores, have had to shut down in New York and other places. All you need is to bring one item into the house that has bugs or eggs and your live will change forever in an expensive way as you try to get rid of them.”

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: Sher Hann

I have fielded a lot of questions about using FHA financing to buy a condo or town home. Here are several points to keep in mind.

1. Is the property a condo or town home? This may seem like a simple question, but actually, seeing is not always believing. In Thousand Oaks a number of neighborhoods, while appearing to be single-family homes, are deeded as condos, that is, they are zoned as condos on the county tax assessor’s record.

2. If the property is a condo, then ask, Is the complex approved by FHA? If the complex is already on the FHA-approved list, the escrow process can go fairly quickly and smoothly – a must if you are buying a short-sale or bank-owned property. For an FHA-approved complex, lenders only need to certify that the project remains in compliance with current FHA guidelines. This streamlined process involves a 1-page questionnaire completed by the property manager.

3. If the complex is not FHA-approved, you may still be able to use FHA financing for the purchase, provided you and your lender can get FHA approval during the escrow process. To obtain FHA approval on a complex that had not been reviewed, the lender must obtain significantly more documentation – including a complete set of homeowner governing and financial documents and title records of every unit in the complex. Collecting the required documents is a time-consuming process which necessarily translates into the need for a longer escrow (typically 45-60 days). It is important to plan for that when you make an offer. Most short-sale and bank-owned [properties will not allow the extra time needed.

4. Consider the monthly cost of homeowners’ dues when you are choosing a condo or town home. These can be more than $400 a month – a fair chunk of your monthly payment. HOA monthly dues typically pay for fire/hazard insurance, earthquake insurance, property management fees, and such services as housekeeping, gardening, pool service, plumbing, roof repairs and general building upkeep – all things you would be paying out-of-pocket as a homeowner. However, some complexes have been able to hold costs down for various reasons, while others have seen their monthly dues go up substantially.

5. Give careful consideration to your choice of lender for your FHA financing. Direct-endorsement lenders have contracts with FHA, allowing them to approve and fund the loans directly; generally, these lenders also have the authority to approve condominium projects. If your lender is not a direct-endorsement lender, your loan will be brokered to a third-party for approval and funding. This process will take longer and will be subject to more restrictive guidelines.

For more information, including the latest list of FHA-approved condo complexes, visit the FHA website, or call Brownie Stanisch at 818.681-2401, Prospect Mortgage, your direct-endorsement FHA lender.

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: Sher Hann

This airy one-story ideally located in a cul-de-sac in Westlake Hills features updated interior features, high smooth ceilings, newer kitchen amenities, remodeled baths and Quenn Anne street side windows. The gated front entry leads to a charming patio and large private yard with roses and fruit trees.

This is a pocket listing so please contact me by email if you’d like to learn more.

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: Sher Hann

What do these names have in common?

At one time all were shelter pets. They have since been adopted and are now the poster children for a new series of stamps that will go on sale on 4/30/2010. The new 44-cent was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, D,C., with photography by Sally Andersen-Bruce. Bindi Su, Jake Teddy and the other models are from the photographer’s home in New Milford, CT. All have found homes. With these 10 stamp designs, the U.S. Postal Service hopes to raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter pets.

During the campaign, Stamps to the Rescue, along with Conejo Valley property owner Ellen DeGeneres and Halo: Purely for Pets, will give shelter pets around the country a “First-Class Meal,” donating a million meals to animal shelters around the country. (DeGeneres is a co-owner of Halo).

To pre-order your stamps, visit your local post office next week, or preorder now. To find adorable pets like the authors, go to your local animal shelter.

About the authors: Walter Landen wa adopted from Life Animal Rescue, Agoura Hills.

Tang-Tang came from the animal shelter in Agoura Hills.

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: Sher Hann

Every time I wear my “LOVE” beads, someone comments on them. What they don’t realize until I tell them is that those beads support an AIDS mission in South Africa. They are also quite inexpensive!

The beaded jewelry, along with beaded animals and crafts, leather work and artwork, are made by families infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The Lily of the Valley bead ministry purchases the crafts at local market value and then sells them at events throughout the Conejo Valley. The LOVE beads and crafts are also available on e-Bay. All proceeds go to support Lily of the Valley Orphanages in Kwazulu, South Africa.

For more information, see www.LilyValleyUSA.org. The next big event where the beads will be on sale locally is LOVEFEST on June 13, 2010, at Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks.

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.

You be the judge. Which logo is the new one?

The power of branding

By: Sher Hann

Nowadays, we hear a lot about branding – not of cattle but of companies, service providers and the like. Now Thousand Oaks is buying a new brand for its publications and website.

The new look is not without controversy, primarily because it has cost money from public funds. After the City Council rejected an $89,000 bid from a Nashville firm, which included extensive community research about updating the city’s visual brand, the public information office decided to allot funds from its own budget. At a trimmed down cost of $25,000, a local company, Mustang Marketing, designed a new logo for the city’s publications, signs and website.

The city plans to start using its new look in April.

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: Sher Hann

So it rained and rained and rained. And my Cal Classic French door, installed after the 1994 earthquake, leaked and leaked and leaked. We hadn’t planned on replacing it soon, but Mother Nature intervened. Within a few weeks we will be the proud owners of two new Energy Star French doors.

Yes, two doors, because the Cal Classic in the kitchen is dog-ravaged. The only silver lining here, other than having nice new doors, is that a federal tax credit is available on our purchase (not installation and finishing though).

With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, homeowners  who purchase “qualifying products” are eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the product cost. Installation is not included. For windows, doors and skylights, homeowners must obtain a manufacturer certification statement to be for the tax credit; the maximum tax credit for the current year for all improvements combined is $1,500  (including roofing, insulation, HVAC, and water heaters).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTJTPk0u-ws[/youtube]

Remember: A tax credit is generally more valuable than a tax deduction or tax allowance of the same amount because a tax credit reduces tax directly, whereas a deduction or allowance only reduces taxable income.

For more information, visit  www.Energarstar.gov,  the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder, www.MyEnergyTax.com or a recent blog by my colleague, Rob Jordan – “Tax Credits for Replacing Heating and Cooling Systems.”

By the time our days are sunny and warm, with nary a cloud in the sky, our new doors should arrive. Meanwhile, let the old doors leak away and be scratching post for our dogs. And since the  tax credit on the two new doors doesn’t quite add up to $1,500, let’s see what else we could fix ….

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.

Rolling on the Slopes

View of Lake Tahoe from the top of the Eastridge trail on Mt. Pluto, NorthStar.

By: Sher Hann

“Roll  . . . roll . . . roll . . . roll.” This is my mantra on the slopes. I was not born to skiing. In fact, growing up in Pennsylvania, I was not born to any sport. I grew up in the house.  I hated the cold and, for that matter, I wasn’t thrilled with summer heat either. So the house it was.

And yet, here I am, on my second week of skiing at Lake Tahoe (the first was earlier in the season – I would never make it 14 days in a row). It’s a miracle – a testament to perseverance and Fossamax.

My first downhill skiing adventure was many years ago at Killington, in Vermont. The first syllable says it all for me. I was supposed to go with two friends, both of whom got the flu, so off I went on my own. The highlight of the trip was skiing into the top of my class, lined up down the hill, thus reaffirming both gravity and the domino theory. I met a ski bum at the lodge who had broken his leg and we spent a couple evenings talking.  A safe bet.

These days my family and I ski at NorthStar, on the north side of the Lake Tahoe. Mammoth, it seems, is not a get-away; it’s simply Southern Californians transplanted to a winter location and driving on skis. The north side of lake is less hectic, almost rural.

A ski trip takes you away – from home, from routine, and frankly, from your right mind. Call it high-altitude goofiness. If you’ve ever wondered why skiers have two of everything, it’s because they are always forgetting one of them. This trip I bought new gloves. In another goofy move, I spent all Tuesday afternoon, wondering how I was going to tell my husband I had locked us out of the condo – after we had made a second key to prevent this situation. I tried not to think about it on the slopes. At the end of the day, after we stored our skis, I confessed. “Oh,” he said, “I have the extra key in the car.”

We are back at the condo now for après-ski: a glass of wine, two Motrin, reading and snoring. There are three TVs here with VCRs but no cable TV, and we can’t get the VCRs to work.  So we read a lot and listen to music on the radio. We even heard the President’s State of the Union message on the radio.

I am thinking about the day on the slopes. Skiing, strangely, is kind of like politics: the end justifies the means. You look not where you are going but where you want to go. You focus on that downhill spot and roll right, left, right . . . .  Whatever happens in between goes up (or down) in a cloud of snow.

Tomorrow we will hit the slopes again, face downhill and roll . . . roll . . . roll.

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.