Calling All Artists to Enter the 7th Annual Thousand Oaks Arts Festival

All area artists are invited to join the 7th Annual Thousand Oaks Arts Festival which is set to start on September 11th at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.  The plaza is located in Mary and Richard Carpenter Plaza Park, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., and The Lakes at Thousand Oaks. This exciting event will feature around 60 local art exhibitors, along with live performances as well as art demonstrations. This is a family friendly event and there will be a children's interactive exhibit as well!

 

It is important that you get your application in because the deadline for this Festival is July 15th, 2010. The prices are as follows: Artist booths will be $235 each, with a $35 cover charge. In addition to the booth you will also receive a canopy at no charge for each booth that is bought. The actual Festival is free and the hours this will be available are between 10am to 5pm. The Festival Admissions ask that you set up on Friday night because extra-security will be provided!

 

The Artist catalog and the application to sign up are all available on the Festival website located at www.toartsfestival.com, you can also visit the website to see the 2009 Thousand Oaks Arts Festival Video produced by TOTV and to view maps of the Festival too. You can also call the Honorary Chair of the Festival Visual Arts - Craig Morton at 818-991-6158 to have the catalog and application mailed to you as well. The Thousand Oaks Art Festival is also in search of College Students as well to enter the Digital Art Contests if you know of anyone or are interested in yourself, please visit the website and click on the Press Release for more information!

 

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New Dog Park and Splash Pad for Kids opens in Oak Park

Just in time for a warm Memorial Day weekend the new dog park and splash pad at Oak Canyon Park opens Saturday at 9:00.

http://www.rsrpd.org/park/oakcanyondogpark/ocdp.html

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Learn To Make Your Home Solar!

Over the last few years, people and businesses have become more accompanied to the idea of becoming "green". This is a great way to not only help save the earth, but it's a great way to help save yourself some "green" as well. It's been proven that by installing things such as solar panels and solar systems into your home and businesses that you could be saving up to 45% on the dollar for your electric bills. It will also help stop the deterioration of the earths core and a whole slew of environmental problems we have been having over the last few years such as Global warming and the greenhouse effect, Environmental effects and toxicology and Environmental impact of volcanic eruption.

Southern California Edison is having some classes for the residents in the surrounding areas to help them better understand what going green means and how it can benefit you and the earth as a whole. The classes at Southern California Edison are going to be free and will follow along with a class in the CSI (California Solar Initiative). Customers of the class will learn about the basics of solar energy, the benefits of installing a solar energy system, tax credits that can help reduce costs and you can also receive financial incentives through the CSI program!

These classes last about 90 minutes long, are very user-friendly and easy to understand and they are held at the SCE service centers and other locations for your convenience! It is important that you sign up very soon, however, because these free sessions are sure to get filled up soon and the classes can only hold a certain number of people! In order to register for the classes please visit www.sce.com/solartraining or call (866) 970-9221.

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People are holding their spots...

To watch the race in Westlake Village. Where will you be watching from????
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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Lance Armstrong crashes in Tour of California - More Sports - SI.com

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The Amgen Tour of California

The Amgen Tour of California will make it's way thru the City of Thousand Oaks,Westlake Village and Agoura Hills this weekend! The Amgen.is the largest cycling event in America and the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 16-23.

The tour started in the Sacramento area on the 16th and will end here in the Westlake Village area. Visit here for a map of the scheduled route. Be sure to also visit the MBT Lifestyle Festival, located near the finish line at each stage finish, is the place to be for all cycling enthusiasts. There is no better place to experience the spectacle of race day than at the MBT Lifestyle Festival. The festival will feature a health & fitness expo, cancer awareness education, cycling gear, family activities, bike safety, food, entertainment and more! There will be plenty to see and do for everyone in your family!

Founded in 2005 by Amgen, Breakaway from Cancer® is a national initiative to increase awareness of the important resources available to people affected by cancer from prevention to survivorship. The initiative supports the valuable support, education and advocacy resources offered by Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community, Patient Advocate Foundation and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship..

 

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Are You Ready To Be A Homeowner?

Eventhough we are currently in a "buyers market" that is very benefical to buyers shopping for a new home, many potential homebuyers are still not completely decided as to if they are ready to make the plunge into homeownership.  There is a huge selection of homes priced right and low interest rates that appeal to homebuyers, but how do you know if you are ready to take that leap and become a homeowner? Below are some things that can help you know if you are ready!

• Your have your finances in order. Becoming a homeowner, especially in a difficult economy can be financially challenging. If you have created a budget and stick with it you are on the right path. Having good money-management skills are a must-have so that when you do own a home you will be able to have a smooth financial flow for monthly home expenses.
• You have a sizable down payment of at least 20%. While this is a large amount of money to come up with it is important to have as you will start out with having some equity. There are options out there for zero or low money down loans but if you have to sell your home before you expect you can potentially loose money and you will also need to pay for PMI (priviate mortage insurance).
• You have a steady source of income. Of course in a recession there is no real thing as job security but when you buy a home you are going to be required to have a reliable source of income to cover not only mortgage payments but all the other monthly and unexpected expenses that come along with homeownership. It is important to look at how stable your source of income is as well as having an emergency savings fund where you will have enough funds to cover these expense in case of a loss of a job or other emergency.
• Your debt and credit are clean. Having a good credit score will help to not only get a home loan but will also get you a lower interest rate on your mortgage. Hold off on any large purchases such as cars before applying for a loan as this could effect your rating. Also review your credit report for free at annualcreditreport.com before even applying for the loan to check for any errors.
• You are ready for the responsibility. In addition to the financial aspect of homeownership, you need to be sure you are ready for the other things that come along. Things like lawn care, upkeep as well as unexpected repairs need to be considered as part of owing a home. 

 

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Talent Lab Dance Show tonight

Talent Lab a Westlake dance and ariel studio is performing tonight and tomorrow night at the Scherr Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.  It is not your typical local studio dance show and we have been to a few!   The dancing flows form act to act with no talking.  It is truly entertaining.  Tickets are $25.00 and $30.00  Hope to see you there!   

http://www.talentlabonline.com/TalentLabSite/Videos.php

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Don't Be A Loan Scam Victim

If you are a potential homebuyer who will be purchasing a new home or even if you are a current homeowner who is needing to refinance, you may find all the options for financing confusing. Unfortunately however, many misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Even if you have been thru the loan process before it can be easy to fall victim to a loan scam. eventhough most lenders are professional and legitimate, there are predatory lenders who are willing to take advantage if you are not a smart consumer.  Unfortunately with the current economomic status and the availability of loans more difficult, loan scams are on the rise.  Below are some tips to help you from being a victim.

Tips To Avoid Being A Victim

• Shop for a lender and compare costs. Be suspicious if anyone tries to steer you to just one lender.
• Avoid Unsolicited phone calls. Be wary of any phone call offering remarkably low interest rates on loans, especially if you have registered your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. Most major nationwide lenders do not solicit business over the phone. Never give out personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure who you are speaking with.
• Be informed. Research and get information about the prices of other homes in the neighborhood. Don't be fooled into paying too much.
• Shop for a lender and compare costs. Be suspicious if anyone tries to steer you to just one lender.
• Never sign a blank document or a document containing blanks. If information is inserted by someone else after you have signed, you may still be bound to the terms of the contract. Insert "N/A" (i.e., not applicable) or cross through any blanks. If the terms aren't what you'd agreed on, do not sign the document.
• Avoid bad credit mortgage rates when looking for a loan.
• Many loan scammers use high pressure sales tactics, so if you feel pressured or uncomfortable in anyway, never sign anything. It is a good idea to contact a real estate lawyer if in doubt to review the documents. If the company is legit, they should have no objection to a lawyer looking over the loan agreements before you will sign them.

Warning Signs

• Do business with reputable companies, stay away from unsolicited calls, e-mails or letters offering you a loan.
• Never do business with anyone who asks for money to be sent in advance to cover "processing", "application", "insurance", or the "first month's payment". Legitimate lenders never ask for these things to be paid before a loan is disbursed.
• Requests that you "wire" or "send" money, as soon as possible to a large U.S. city or to another country, such as Canada, England, or Nigeria, by Western Union, Moneygram, or similar means.

What To Do If You Think You Have Been Scammed?

If you feel that you have been scammed or the company you have been in touch with is suspicious, contact the below agencies.

• The FTC
• The FBI
• File fraud alerts with each of the three credit bureaus. This is important if you have provided the scammers with your sensitive information, such as your Social Security Number and information on your driver's license. They can use this to obtain credit in your name.

For more tips to help you be an educated consumer and to avoid loan scams, visit the US HUD website for more information

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CBSNews.com: Strategic Default: Walking Away from Mortgages - CBSNews

This email was sent from Lydia@lydiagable.com

Message from sender: Do you know you have options before you "Walk Away". How does walking away affect your credit? Please contact me for a confidential meeting if you have questions about your options.

Strategic Default: Walking Away from Mortgages - CBSNews
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/06/60minutes/main6466484.shtml

A million Americans who could afford to pay their mortgages on homes `underwater` walked away instead. Morley Safer reports.

CNET: The source for computers and technology http://www.cnet.com

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God could not be everywhere,

God could not be everywhere,
and therefore he created mothers."

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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Fannie Mae Tightens Lending Reqirements

 Due to an overwhelming amount of loan defaults, the government-backed mortgage giant Fannie Mae, announced Friday that it would tighten lending requirements for the interest-only loans and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) it backs. A recent article on CNN.com, give details on the new program  guidelines that go into effect after August 31

To get a Fannie Mae-backed interest-only mortgage, for example, homebuyers will have to make down payments of 30% of the sale price. For adjustable rate mortgages, Fannie will only buy those underwritten to ensure that borrowers could still afford payments even if their interest rates reset to the higher of either 1) the loan's initial interest rate plus two percentage points or 2) the fully indexed rate. The fully indexed rate is based on an index that represents the cost of funds at the time of the loan plus a specified margin.

For a loan with a beginning rate of 5% and a fully indexed rate of 6%, for example, borrowers would have to demonstrate they could keep up payments even if the rate rose to 7%. If the fully indexed rate is 8%, borrowers would have to be able to afford an 8% loan.

"Our goal is to make sure consumers can sustain their mortgages and remain in their homes over the long term, while helping our lender partners offer a range of mortgage products for qualified borrowers," said Marianne Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Single Family Credit Policy and Risk Management at Fannie Mae, in a prepared release.

"These policy changes reflect our intention to continue providing liquidity to different market segments by ensuring that support for ARM products remains in appropriate circumstances," Sullivan said.

Fannie does not issue mortgages itself; it buys them from lenders. But few lenders will issue loans these days unless they can sell them to Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) will also demand that borrowers of interest-only loans have credit scores of at least 720 and sufficient cash cushions to be able to continue mortgage payments and other housing expenses for 24 months.

Meanwhile, Fannie says it will stop funding so-called balloon mortgages. With these, borrowers pay at a rate lower initially than the nominal interest rate on their mortgages. The difference between the two builds up every month and has to be repaid with one huge payment at a specified date.

Many borrowers saw those balloons swell to unmanageable proportions and lost their homes when they couldn't afford or refinance the balloon payment.

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Mortgage Protection Insurance

As a homeowner with a mortgage, you know that having the proper homeowner's insurance is necessary to protect you from losses caused by fire, burglary or a natural disaster. Many people however are unaware of a different type of protection, mortgage protection insurance. While there are different variations, this type of insurance typically will offer coverage that will pay your mortgage in the event that you are not able to.

Mortgage protection insurance (MPI) is essentially life insurance that pays your mortgage if a certain event, such as death, disability or job loss occurs.

It is important to do your research and see if this type of insuance fits your needs, as this type of insurance is not for everyone. Such factors as your financial situation and your health can factor into your decison to obtain this isurance or to forgo this protection. Below are some pros and cons of mortgage protection insurance and some things to look for when doing your homework.

The way this insurance works, is that if in the event you die, the insurance company will send a check directly to your mortgage company. If you are disabled, suffer a job loss, the mortgage payments will also go directly to your mortgage company. The terms of these payment such as length in time will vary, typically for a few years.

Another benefit of MPI is most polices are issued on a "guaranteed acceptance" basis. " This means that when you apply, there will be only a few questions and you are accepted-guaranteed. If you are someone who typically is uninsureable due to health issues or work in a high risk occupational field, this is a great opportunity for coverage.

Some cons of mortgage protection insurance is that it is a declining-benefit policy, which means that payoff amount decreases as you pay down your mortgage.
In addition, some financial advisors recommends that homeowners consider other ways of planning for their future. 

If you decide to obtain this type of insurance, be sure to shop around and ask about specifics and services in additon to cost. Be sure to research their rating thru A.M. Best Co.

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