Mudslides Threaten Soaked Northern California. Mud and landslides are most common on hilly and steeply sloped areas, but they can occur wherever there is a slope as shallow as 15 degrees or more, experts say. The slides can be backyard size or miles long, shallow or deep and they can move a few inches or several miles in a flash. They range from soil and mud flows to rock and boulder falls, all of which can take vegetation, structures, vehicles and parts of roadways and other debris -- as well as people -- along for the ride.
To help prevent slides:
* Do not place loose soils on steep slopes.
* Do not channel or concentrate surface drainage onto slopes.
* Do not cut the toe or bottom of a slope without replacing it with a retaining wall.
* Do not strip the vegetation from a slope. Deeply rooted plants that do not require extensive watering make the best type of landscaping for hillsides. Tell-tale signs the earth may be about to give way to gravity, include:
* Foundation cracking, doors slightly rotated so they jam -- both on the downhill side -- are indications the land may be creeping.
* An ominous cracking of the ground in an arcuate fashion, like an arch shaped crack rather than a linear crack.
* Hillside scalloped shapes with a berm forming at the bottom of the slope is also an indication the hillside is succumbing to gravity.
* Hillsides with large areas without trees are likely bare because the trees slid down the hill. Hilly areas left barren of grasses, plants, shrubs and trees are particularly vulnerable to slides. Conversely areas dense with old trees indicates stability.
* New above-ground springs, excessive ponding, cracked soil or rocks, bulging slopes, new holes or bare spots on hillsides, tilted trees and muddy waters.
Only very early landslide prevention efforts are successful at holding back the earth. Once the earth starts to move you can protect yourself, but it's almost always too cost prohibitive to stop the slide. Click here to read more.
So Many Lenders, So Few Takers. As housing slumps, the roof is falling in on the overbuilt mortgage industry. Applications for purchase mortgages in early November fell below their 2004 level for the first time in six months -- after a 5% drop from September to October, according to the Mortgage Bankers Assn. (MBA). By late December, applications had plunged to June, 2002 levels. The MBA expects mortgage originations to fall by 18.6% in 2006. At especially high risk: lenders that have sold lots of mortgages to so-called subprime borrowers with spotty credit records or unstable incomes. Some of these borrowers have escaped default in recent years only by refinancing at higher home values and lower interest rates, reducing their monthly payments and pulling equity out of the home to spend on other things. "If real estate stops going up, the opportunity to refinance because of a higher value is going to go away," says Michael Moskowitz, CEO at mortgage bank Equity Now in New York. "That's going to hurt companies that were doing bad business." Click here to read more.
Two legislative bills signed into law last year mean a significant amount of money to you when you buy or sell your house. They are the expanded Domestic Partnership Acts and the Real Estate Withholding Act. Beginning this year, California’s domestic partnership law was expanded. The more robust law now grants most of the same rights, protections and benefits to domestic partners as were once the exclusive province of a married husband and wife. Under the expanded law, registered domestic partners can hold title to real estate as community property. This means that domestic partners can have joint ownership of property acquired during the partnership with rights of survivorship. This is important because it allows a surviving partner to avoid potentially costly probate of jointly held property on the demise of the other partner. The California law still does not treat domestic partners completely as if they were married. Domestic partners still don’t have the ability to file joint tax returns because of provisions in federal law which could reduce their tax liabilities. California’s domestic partner laws still have no effect on federal laws, which still don’t recognize the relationships of same-sex couples. Click here to read more.
In 2006, extreme home design may fall to kid-friendly amenities, say real estate specialists. New houses are competing with the sale of pre-owned homes. And the competition is stiffening. Sullivan said that if that trend continues, popular design features such as stainless steel kitchens could become standard or readily available as part of upgrade packages in more moderately-priced homes. New homes are being built to reflect the needs of today's family, builders say, including everything from mudrooms and playrooms to a variety of storage options --- a top concern of homeowners. Skyrocketing long-term care costs mean that a homeowner's elderly parents may be living with the family. As a result, more builders are now adding downstairs bedrooms with bathrooms fitted with walk-in showers for an occupant who may have trouble climbing stairs. Designers are sizing down or eliminating traditional living rooms, which have long gone underused. New family areas, called "great rooms," provide space for a variety of leisure activities, from browsing the Internet to sinking into a couch and watching a movie. Most new homes can now be fitted with a flat-screen TV over the fireplace, with the wires running through the wall to a nearby cabinet containing the cable box. And almost all homes come equipped with wiring for Internet, cable and phone in every room. High-end home buyers are also expecting spa-like master bathrooms with frameless showers, large showerheads with separate whirlpool bathtubs, double vanities and coffee bars. Exercise rooms for massage, yoga or meditation help reinforce the idea that home is a sanctuary in a family's stressful world. The heavy use of textures that pique the senses is a trend that is likely to continue in 2006, designers say. Natural elements such as warm earth tones and textured wall coverings such as grass cloth can also enhance the coziness of home. Smaller lot sizes mean families are looking to courtyards as private outdoor spaces where they can dine, play and enjoy the Southern California weather. In the kitchen, granite countertops and commercial appliances are practically standard in new high-end homes. Flooring options abound, from ebony hardwood to shag-pile carpet. Bamboo has been touted as a less expensive, environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood. But it has yet to catch on in North County, designers say. Click here to read more.
Firesafe Landscaping. The fire department recommends a “Green Belt,” a landscaped and irrigated zone designed to provide an adequate firebreak between your home and the surrounding native vegetation. Green Belt plants should be low growing, deep-rooted, drought resistant with low fuel volume. The most fire resistive are succulents (Iceplants, Aloe or Sedum). The next best would be Herbaceous or non-woody plants (Periwinkle, Gazania, Africa Daisy and Ajuga, etc.). The third best are low growing shrubs with thick leathery leaves (Dwarf Coyote Bush, English and Algerian Ivy, Rockrose, etc.). These are easily maintained at a height of 18 to 24 inches. Keep landscape clean. Remove litter under trees and scrubs; prune out dead wood. Remove dead and dried out portions of ground covers and succulents. Plant lawns, succulent ground covers or other low-growing plants around all structures, and water regularly. Do not allow continuous tree or brush canopy next to buildings. After a fire the main concern is erosion. The use of jute matting or straw mulch and the seeding of quickly growing grasses or ground covers for temporary protection can prevent this. Grasses for temporary protection are Bromus mollis (soft chess), Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Lolium multiflorum (annual ryegrass). Click here to read more.
~Tina Jan~
Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters
1655 E. Sixth St.
Beaumont, CA 92223
Work: 951-845-5520 Ext. 105
Fax: 951-845-4916
Cell: 909-446-2666
Toll-Free: 1-877-TINAJAN
tina.jan@coldwellbanker.com
www.tinajan.com
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