California Real Estate and Life

Summer…Kids wait for Summer all year.  Those lazy days of no school, staying up later, and sleeping in later. Those lazy hot days that make swimming pools and the Beach so popular. 

Well it’s official….for the 3rd straight month the Consumer confidence level increased. What does this really mean to you?  It means that people are becoming more optimistic about the future and believe the worst (recession) is behind us now.

And just today HUD announced their decision on using the $8000 tax credit as a  bridge loan or down payment.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provides for as much as an $8000 tax credit to qualified first-time home buyers.  But now the rules have changed again,  and FHA Lenders can use the $8000 tax credit to help offset some of the cost of purchasing the home upfront, and not wait for a refund.  Certain rules and restrictions apply. (more…)

California now has 8 National Cemeteries throughout the State, the newest one is in the Bakersfield area that will be serving Veterans in the California Central Valley by the Fall of 2009.

Fort Rosecrans Flickr Photo Courtesy of Padraic

The National cemeteries were established on July 17, 1862 by Congress as a place to bury those that died in the Civil War. They are specifically for deceased veterans and members of the armed forces and their families. The most famous of the National Cemeteries’ is Arlington, although it is managed by the Army instead of the VA like the others.

The following are the 8 National Cemeteries in the State of California.

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Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, CALIF has grown quite a bit in the past several years.  This was the site of many battles over the separation of Church and State, all because of a 29 foot Cross that sat atop this hill overlooking La Jolla and surrounding areas.

Mount Soledad was involved in several court battles because of a 29 foot Cross that sat on public land.  The cross was rumored to have been erected  in the 1950’s as a Korean War Memorial.  For 17 years the right of the cross to be on public land atop Mount Soledad was challenged in the courts because of the Constitutional Amendment of Separation of Church and State, and the cross was ordered taken down. (more…)

Memorial Day has changed from it’s original purpose of honoring Civil War Soldiers that lost their lives while fighting the war, to a 3 day week-end that culminates in a Day that honors all Soldiers that have died in all wars.

For most though, the last Monday of May,  Memorial Day  is the unofficial beginning of Summer.  Families go camping, have BBQ’s, watch local Memorial Day Parades, and just enjoy the long week-end. And at 3PM on Memorial Day we are all supposed to pause to remember  those that have died fighting for our freedoms.  It is called the The National Moment of Remembrance, signed into law in 2000 by then President Clinton. (more…)