NOVEMBER HOME SALES

After moving up 10% in October, sales of existing homes jumped again, growing 7.4% compared with October to an annual rate of 6.54 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. "This clearly is a rush of first-time buyers not wanting to miss out on the tax credit," said NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun.

Market notes

North County looks strong!
Single-Family Detached Home Prices
~ The median price for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family
detached and single-family attached – decreased to $370,000 in November 2009
from $375,000 in October 2009.1
~ The median-priced single-family detached (SFD) home in North San Diego
County rose 1.45 percent from $430,000 in October 2009 to $436,250 in
November 2009. The SFD median price in Non-North County zip codes declined
1.4 percent from $355,000 in October 2009 to $349,900 in November 2009.

No New Housing!
For several months, the California and local housing markets have been experiencing a
sales rebound as a result of low interest rates, a continuing supply of distressed
properties coming to market, and a continuing reduction in the fear factor on the part of
prospective homebuyers.
a. Sales of new homes are down significantly because home-building activity has
all but stopped completely.
b. Meanwhile, 2010 will see a steady stream of sales of resale homes, driven by
distressed properties at the low end of the market, coupled with moderate homeprice
appreciation.
i. The statewide median-home price is expected to rise 3.3 percent in 2010
over this year.

Interest rates are good now but for how long?
Expect interest rates to climb next year from about 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent on average.

Prepared for the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® by Robert Brown, Ph.D. (Bold headlines by North County)

Tighter housing market for renters

Apartment vacancies tighten up
Average rent rises $1 over last year
By Roger Showley, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Friday, December 4, 2009 at midnight

San Diego — San Diego landlords had it slightly better, and renters slightly worse, as vacancy rates dipped to 5 percent at local apartment complexes, the San Diego County Apartment Association will report today.

In its fall vacancy and rental rate survey of 38,207 apartments in 1,268 complexes and single-family rented homes, the association said vacancy was down from 5.4 percent last spring but up from 3.6 percent a year ago.

The weighted average rent countywide was $1,189, compared with $1,192 last spring and $1,188 a year ago.

Robert Pinnegar, the association’s executive director, said in a statement that vacancy was down because of higher renter demand and few if any new apartment complexes.

Apartment complex sales have begun to increase, he said, indicating an improvement in the investment market. “But we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.

A 5 percent vacancy level generally indicates a balance between supply and demand. Ten years ago the vacancy rate was at 2 percent and widespread rent increases were common.

NORTH COUNTY COMMENT:
Interest rates are between 4 1/2% & 5% and the rental market appears to be tightening up. Make from it what you will but this sure looks like we're heading for a short supply of housing in San Diego County. The law of supply and demand, great prices and low interest rates might just make this the best time to buy in years!

Contact me if you need me... SDRealtor@cox.net

And on and on and on and......

Photo of Ben Bernanke: AP Images







Bernanke Attacks Ron Paul's Audit the Fed Bill
Written by Thomas R. Eddlem
Sunday, 29 November 2009 00:00
Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Chairman Ben Bernanke is pulling out all the stops to kill Congressman Ron Paul's legislation to audit the Federal Reserve Bank, this time with a November 29 op-ed column in the Sunday Washington Post.

“I am concerned, however, that a number of the legislative proposals being circulated would significantly reduce the capacity of the Federal Reserve to perform its core functions,” Bernanke wrote, adding that "a House committee recently voted to repeal a 1978 provision that was intended to protect monetary policy from short-term political influence.”

Ron Paul's legislation, H.R. 1207, recently passed the House Financial Services Committee, and a majority of the whole House (307 of 435) have cosponsored the overwhelmingly popular bill. The legislation would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the Federal Reserve annually and disclose the results to the public. Bernanke opposes the audit while at the same time claiming that the Fed is adequately audited:

In its making of monetary policy, the Fed is highly transparent, providing detailed minutes of policy meetings and regular testimony before Congress, among other information. Our financial statements are public and audited by an outside accounting firm; we publish our balance sheet weekly; and we provide monthly reports with extensive information on all the temporary lending facilities developed during the crisis. Congress, through the Government Accountability Office, can and does audit all parts of our operations except for the monetary policy deliberations and actions covered by the 1978 exemption. The general repeal of that exemption would serve only to increase the perceived influence of Congress on monetary policy decisions, which would undermine the confidence the public and the markets have in the Fed to act in the long-term economic interest of the nation.

But earlier this year in Congressional testimony, Bernanke and other Federal Reserve auditors claimed they didn't know precisely how the Fed had added half a trillion dollars in assets (debts) to its balance sheet. The $500 billion in loans, Bernanke then told Florida Democrat Alan Grayson, were loans made to foreign central banks at the same time American businesses and homeowners were struggling to get loans. Bernanke has decried the possibility of congressmen and citizens being able to look into the books of the U.S. central bank and see transactions like the one above. “These measures are very much out of step with the global consensus on the appropriate role of central banks,” Bernanke said of the Paul bill, “and they would seriously impair the prospects for economic and financial stability in the United States.”

Bernanke argues that his goal is “to design a system of financial oversight that will embody the lessons of the past two years and provide a robust framework for preventing future crises and the economic damage they cause.” But the Fed's loose monetary policy of suppressing interest rates over the 2003-07 period was the primary cause of the housing bubble/bust cycle. Even Bernanke has admitted that the Fed failed in its supposed responsibility to prevent the monetary crisis of 2008: “The Federal Reserve, like other regulators around the world, did not do all that it could have to constrain excessive risk-taking in the financial sector in the period leading up to the crisis.”

But Bernanke's solution to the current crisis is to continue and even accelerate the unparalleled increase in money supply that will lead to new bubbles and dilute the value of already-existing dollars, causing prices to rise. “To support economic growth,” Bernanke noted in his column, “the Fed has cut interest rates aggressively and provided further stimulus through lending and asset-purchase programs. Our ability to take such actions without engendering sharp increases in inflation depends heavily on our credibility and independence from short-term political pressures.” The result of these rate cuts — the Federal Reserve's target interest rate is now set to zero — the Fed has more than doubled the supply of money in the last year, and the rate of increase in the money supply has been called a “hockey stick chart” by opponents of the Federal Reserve policies.

Comments:
Robbing The Populous Through Inflation Seems TO Be The Only Thing The Federal Reserve Is Good At.
report abuse vote down vote up

November 28, 2009
Darryl Schmitz said:
Absolute Power (Secrecy) Corrupts Absolutely
When I hear Bernanke or any other puppet of Wall Street and the Banking Industry talk like this, I'm reminded of that scene from The Wizard of Oz: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"
report abuse vote down vote up

November 29, 2009
Boris said:
first things first - Dignose this problem!
Audit the Federal Reserve Bank! Expose this fraud. Facts speak for themselves. By the way, how's M3 stacking up today? I thought so.

Enough of this fear-building psychological manipulation - it's not going to get worse by knowing how financially ill our Nation is. First thing is to diagnose the problem. If Fed is refusing to tell us ("No," "I can't tell you that"), than we shall find out through decent representatives such as Ron Paul.

Thank you Mr. Paul.

The gang is on the water!!!

Check out this group. Nice!

The gang is on the water!!!

This week in Oceanside: The California Surf Festival (click here)

Parts of this look like real fun. Last year was a big deal. This year should be even better.

http://www.californiasurffestival.com/

Median price report article

North County Times printed this interesting article this morning.

share

Posted using ShareThis

Staying put? Remodeling? Recycled teak is both "green" & beautiful!

Origin Teak is owned by a very good friend of mine, Jason Nedelman. He can help you add value and beauty if you are staying put forever or just until the market improves. Make use of recycled teak. Be green and have the type of decor that people talk about.

Unusual yard?




















Cool bath?






















Kitchen that doesn't look like all of your freinds kitchens?













http://www.originteak.com/

Here is what the owner has to say:
"We make custom recycled teak cabinetry that has a cradle to cradle life cycle, will never end up in landfill, made by adults under ISO certified workplace conditions that far surpass Indonesia standard workplace conditions, with a micro-lending program in place, a tree planting program to offset our carbon footprint, and using Triple Bottom Line accounting to take factor the social, envionmental, and economic bottom line into our business practices." And it is custom-made to your specifications, the highest quality and beautiful.

October Median Prices in Various North County Zips

North San Diego County HomeDexTM
October 2009 Summary Report
Single-Family Detached Homes

Single-Family Detached Home Prices and Affordability by North County Zip Codes
• Rancho Santa Fe (92067) reported the highest median SFD price at two million
dollars followed by Solana Beach (92075) at $1.75 million with Del Mar (92014)
and Cardiff (92007) at over one million.

• Bonsall (92003) had a median SFD price at $984,000 and Carmel Valley (92130)
at $861,500 with Encinitas (92024), Rancho Bernardo (92127), and Carlsbad
(92011) reporting median prices in the high $700,000s. Carlsbad (92008, 92009)
reported median SFD prices in the mid $600,000s with Rancho Bernardo (92128),
Rancho Penasquitos (92129), San Marcos (92078), and Carlsbad (92010)
reporting median prices ranging between $504,000 and $570,000, Escondido
(92029) at $490,000, and Poway (92064) at $450,300.

• Vista (92081, 92084), San Marcos (92069), Escondido (92025, 92026), Ramona
(92065), Valley Center (92082), Fallbrook (92028), and Oceanside (92054,
92056, 92057) reported median SFD prices between $301,000 and $368,000 with
Escondido (92027), Pala (92059), and Vista (92083, 92084) under $300,000

Prepared for the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® by Robert Brown, Ph.D. Department of Economics California State University, San Marcos.
Data source: Sandicor, Inc. Comparisons are not based on identical samples of homes sold and do not imply statistical significance.

North County Surf Real Estate Comments:
Sold prices are still creeping up from the LOW lows. They might stay flat during the slow winter months but, if there are no further catastrophies, look out for Spring 2010.
Interest rates still under 5%. High 4's...are you kidding???
Values are out there now. Don't chase the market up like last time when you can buy at a great value NOW. Ride it up from the bottom instead.

Real estate purchases should be compared to renting costs (costs go up with no appreciation on your outlay). If you can get in near the bottom, and stay within your realistic monthly budget, buying real estate can really make alot of financial sense. It should always be looked at as a longer term investment.

As always, I'm here if you need me. Phil SDRealtor@cox.net

U.S.+National+Debt+Clock+%3A+Real+Time

U.S.+National+Debt+Clock+%3A+Real+Time

Sit down first

Weekend surf forecast looks good!

From WetSand.com:
Saturday the 7th should see NW swell fill in more, increasing size in SoCal as the energy traverses from the north to the south. According to this morning's model run, this swell should start filling in around SB/VC early to mid morning, but not hit SD until possibly the late afternoon. When it does fill in, west facing breaks would be looking at consistent head high sets with some sets running 2-3 feet overhead. The overhead pluses though are likely to be infrequent on Saturday until possibly the afternoon or early evening. Winds are expected to be from theNNE early in the morning, possibly 8-12 mph from LA north (calmer in OC and SD), calming mid day, and then turning moderately onshore in the afternoon. Tide will still be an issue, nearing the 6-foot mark around 11:40 AM.

Sunday the 8th the NW swell should make full impact in SoCal. This is expected to place most west facing breaks in surf running 2-3 feet overhead, and with standouts goingDOH . Swell is likely to be consistent, with even the smallest waves in the sets running at least head high. Winds are expected to be from theNNE early in the AM, and may become a bit strong around VC and SB (to perhaps 15 mph max at times), but most areas should see NNE winds 10 mph or less in the AM.

Monday the 9th should still see some waves out of this NW'er, but with the swell backing down, size around west facing breaks is expected to max out around head high.

North County says: "YAHOO!!!"

News from the CA Assoc. of Realtors

1. Loan limit extensions signed into law
President Obama late Friday signed a congressional resolution to extend through 2010 the current conforming loan limits of $417,000 for most areas in the U.S. and $729,750 for high-cost areas, including many in California.
2. Pending home sales rose 6.1 percent in September
NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index rose 6.1 percent to 110.1 in September compared with 103.8 in August. The index now is 21.2 percent higher than its September 2008 reading of 90.9, the largest annual increase on record, and is at its highest level since December 2006 when it stood at 112.8. The Pending Home Sales Index in the West increased 10.2 percent to 143.8 in September and is 23.7 percent higher than a year ago.

“What we’re witnessing is a rush of first-time buyers trying to beat the expiration of the tax credit at the end of this month,” said NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Home values will stabilize sooner rather than over-correcting. That, in turn, will mean wealth stabilization for the vast number of middle-class families and lay the foundation for a durable economic recovery.”

North County Note:
The loan limits stand, the rates are still low, the $8,000 1st time buyer program is extended and now has a provision of $6,500 if you've owned for more than 5 years, home prices are down and many feel that we are at or near the bottom for prices. Time to buy??? The chance may never be better.

Contact me if you need me at SDRealtor@cox.net

Time to buy? New 1st time buyer credit on the way?

Photo By Matt Rourke, AP

Pending home sales rise for record eighth straight month
The volume of signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose for the eighth straight month in September.

By Stephanie Armour, USA TODAY
Sales of pending homes hit a record in September as homebuyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time home buyers — a pace that could continue if Congress takes steps this week to extend and expand the stimulus set to expire at the end of this month.
Pending home sales saw their eighth straight month of gains, marking the longest streak since the measurement begin in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors. The data, which is based on contracts signed in September, showed that sales of pending homes rose 6.1% over August. It's also 21% higher than September 2008.

"I did not anticipate such a huge rise," says Lawrence Yun, chief economist with NAR. "This is getting home values to start to stabilize. First-time buyers have clearly responded to the tax credit. With the passage of an extension, more move-up buyers will respond as well."

North County Comment:
It sure looks like we are going to get an extension of the 1st time buyer credit. That has been good for our sales in San Diego County thus far. With loan rates still low, buyer credits looming, & prices stabilizing is it time for you to get off of the fence and buy a home? There is a good chance that it is!

Just use good sense when establishing your budget and, in the long term, you should do great. Need to get your budget set and pre-approval going? Try these 2 lenders that I've worked with in the past:
Jim Gibson jim.gibson@mortgagefamily.com or 760-815-2534
Tray Trevino 760-415-2417 or trayinsd@yahoo.com

HOUSING: 10/27/09 North County Times

Prospective homebuyer Jessica Duarte, right, looks through a kitchen with her agent, Vangie Arambulo, on Monday at a condo in Rancho Bernardo. (Photo by Jamie Scott Lytle - Staff Photographer)

HOUSING: Traditional buyers frustrated by blistering competition from investors
Traditional homebuyers frustrated by blistering competition from investors

Story By ERIC WOLFF - ewolff@nctimes.com | Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:55 pm

Jessica Duarte has made offers on 12 homes in Rancho Bernardo and Escondido, and been rejected every time.

Jackie Kim recently landed a place, but not before she saw 177 houses this spring and summer, all over North County.

Mitchell Davis made offers on 15 of the 30 Oceanside homes he saw in October, and got no takers.

Three years into the deepest housing recession in local history, middle class buyers like Duarte, Davis and Kim thought prices were finally low enough that they could afford to buy a home. Instead, they're struggling to compete with investors.

"It's the cash offers," Davis said. "We'll bid $30,000 over asking price, and they (sellers) go with a lower cash offer."

Davis is 31, married, has a 6-week-old baby, and has been a renter all his adult life. He's pre-approved for a loan, has good credit, and a good job installing drinking water systems.

With San Diego County housing prices 38 percent off their peak, according to a report from the California Association Realtors, and several different government incentive plans available to him, Davis decided to buy a house.

But houses and condos priced in the $150,000 to $300,000 range where Davis is looking are being gobbled up by buyers almost as fast as they can be brought to market. Real estate agents use phrases such as "feeding frenzy," "craze" and "mad house" to describe what's going on in certain price ranges.

"I'm in escrow right now with a client on a condo that was priced a smidge under $200,000," said Kris Berg, a real estate agent with San Diego Castles Realty in San Diego. "We got 21 offers on that one. He was 20 percent over list price and actually did not get it."

Agents like Berg say demand for houses in the lower price range has been driving an increase in home prices. A report from CAR released Monday shows that the median price for a San Diego County single-family home rose 1.9 percent in September to $386,050. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the median sale price rose to $172,421, a 3.2 percent increase since August.

"I think that we've had such a limited amount of inventory," said Diane Conaway, a real estate agent with RE/MAX United in Escondido.

At September's pace of sales, there was a three-month supply of houses priced under $300,000 in California, compared with 5.7 months in September 2008, the CAR report said. That's the lowest inventory of any of the pricing tiers in the report. In North San Diego County, the supply was 2.5 months.

The problem is that new homebuyers aren't the only ones in the market. Investors smell a bargain, and they're bidding on houses with all-cash offers.

Kim spent her summer looking at homes before finally winning a bid. She is 37 and a writer who occasionally freelances for the North County Times. Her bid may have been accepted because the house needs a lot of work.

"The one we ended up with has not had a remodeling done since the 1970s," she said. "It needs mold remediation, asbestos remediation. The windows are leaking."

Daniel Scott, head of the Faith Based Federal Credit Union in Oceanside, worked with Davis in his attempts to get a home. He said he's tired of watching cash buyers keep deserving buyers out of homes.

"It angers me," Scott said. "A lot of these are the very same investors; they were some of the very same folks who benefited financially from the subprime market."

No real estate investors returned the North County Times' calls for comment.

Real estate agents say cash buyers are more attractive to sellers because cash makes for a quicker, more certain transaction. The provider of a loan typically wants an appraisal of a property before it will approve the mortgage.

The appraisal delays the closing date, and it can also lower the sale price. If the appraiser values the house at less than the offer, then either the buyer must make up the difference or the seller has to settle for less.

But there may be a backlash against investors.

Duarte is 27 and has good credit, but after she lost out on her ninth bid, her parents volunteered to pay for a house in cash, which she would then buy back from them with a loan. But recently she said she's lost three cash bids to buyers with loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, exactly the sort of bids she had been submitting earlier in the fall.

"So, yeah, I'm frustrated," Duarte said. "Next time I might have my parents make a cash offer, and I'll make an FHA offer. But the rules keep changing."

Posted in Business on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:55 pm Updated: 9:00 pm. | Tags: Top, Nct, Business, Local,

Another Beautiful San Diego October day

10/23/09: This was taken looking over at Turtles, Barneys, Traps & Pipes in Encinitas / Cardiff. It was at about 9:30 AM and the tide was getting on it but it was better at dawn. A couple of guys told me that they were out at Torrey Pines early and it was a couple of feet overhead and hollow. They said that you had to be on your game every wave or eat it. I guess that the North West swell direction wasn't wrapping into here. Even at low tide the faces were only head high on the sets. You can see that there was a paddle out memorial for a local who died recently while building homes in Africa for the needy. Shame to loose a guy who would help like he did.

WildCoast does it again & that's a good thing

Anyone in South San Diego not busy Saturday morning and want to get into the swing during volunteerism week?

Over time, common sense prevails.

SOURCE: California Association of REALTORS®

















As you can see, the appreciation of the median prices has been pretty steady over the last 40 years in California. The amazing thing is that so many folks refused to see the artificial spike created by the disreputable lenders who knowingly placed people in loans that they could never pay back.

Big spike up when they write those loans; big spike down when they fail. Overall still OK for borrowers who did not get in over their heads.

Average mid-October day in North County SD

Well, Friday 10/16/09 was about 5 feet smaller than Thursday. But how does this look for an average day at around 9:00 AM. Could there be a better place to live? Stay stoked!

Foreclosure buying

Sacred Craft in Del Mar

Did you make it to Del Mar for the sacred craft show this past weekend. It's a great deal for 5 bucks and kids free.

I got to watch Robert August shape a 9'4 "What I Ride" with my son...not an everyday occurance. Also, he got to get into the booth with Dave Daum while he shaped a board.

My son got a picture with Mark Richards and MR drew his Superman logo onto a piece of foam for him. Very cool guy.

Sacred Craft Show in Del Mar

http://www.sacredcraftexpo.com/

Check out this link. Sacred Craft is coming again to Del Mar. If you have not made it yet, don't miss it this year. FOR 5 BUCKS??!!!

Some interest...ing info from my buddy Tray

From Tray - take heed:


“WILLING TO MAKE DECISIONS." General George Patton. And that's exactly what the Fed did last week at their regularly scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting. But just what did they decide...and what do their decisions mean for home loan rates?
The Fed said they are going to ration out the remaining commitment of Mortgage Backed Security purchases through the first quarter of 2010. There will be no additional buying, but instead, a longer weaning off of the program. There was some speculation about the Fed increasing the amount of buying above the $1.25T committed to, and last week's statement is the Fed's nice way of saying "no." They will not be buying more in quantity, but what they will do is attempt to provide a smoother transition to normal market conditions.
It is a given that once the Fed ceases its purchases, that interest rates will climb significantly higher...most likely back above the 6% area. So instead of a hard transition with a large bump in rates, the Fed is attempting to allow rates to gradually rise. This means that waiting to purchase or refinance will very likely mean a higher interest rate.
Their decision also means that the Fed's remaining purchases will all be lower in quantity, as the remaining allotment for purchases will be spread over a longer period of time - and additionally, will not necessarily be spread out as evenly as their past purchases - which could lead to more volatility for rates in the near term.
In other news, Existing Home Sales and New Home Sales were reported slightly less than expected, but both reports continue to show signs of an improving housing market. The inventory of unsold existing homes fell to its lowest inventory level since April 2007, while the inventory of unsold new homes dropped to its lowest level since January 2007. While some of the decline in new home inventory may be due to builders constructing fewer homes - these reports indicate that the housing market is indeed showing signs of life.
Remember, with home loan rates still low - but slated to increase with the Fed's recent decision - as well as a juicy tax credit for First Time Home Buyers that is going to expire on November 30th, it makes sense to get off the fence if you've been considering a purchase or refinance.
Or do you have a family member, neighbor, friend or coworker who might benefit from getting some good home loan advice? I'm always glad to get your referrals, so simply let me know who I might be able to help.

Atrayon “Tray” David Trevino
Licensed Mortgage Banker
Certified Home Loan Specialist

Mobile 760-415-2417
Email: ttrevino@magnifundgroup.com
Website: www.magnifundgroup.com
BBB Link: BBB Rating

Info from Equity Title

I often get questions regarding escrow from new buyers or people who have been out of the market for a while. Here is some quick info on escrow's workings. Let me know if you need more.

WHO DOES WHAT IN THE ESCROW PROCESS?


The Seller
Deposits the executed deed to the buyer with the escrow holder.
Deposits evidence of pest inspection and any required repair work.
Deposits other required documents such as tax receipts, addresses of mortgage holders, insurance policies, equipment warranties or home warranty contracts, etc.
The Buyer
Deposits the funds required, in addition to any borrowed funds, to pay the purchase price with the escrow holder.
Deposits funds sufficient for home and title insurance.
Arranges for any borrowed funds to be delivered to the escrow holder.
Deposits any deed of trust or mortgages necessary to secure loans.
Approves any inspection reports, title insurance commitments, etc. called for by the purchase and sale agreements.
Fulfills any other conditions specified in the escrow instructions.
The Lender (If Applicable)
Deposits proceeds of the loan to the purchaser.
Directs the escrow holder on the conditions under which the loan funds may be used.
The Escrow Holder
Opens the order for title insurance.
Obtains approvals from the buyer on title insurance report, pest and other inspections.
Receives funds from the buyer and/or any lender.
Prorates insurance, taxes, rents, etc.
Disburses funds for title insurance, recordation fees, real estate commissions, lien clearance, etc.
Prepares a final statement for each party, indicating amounts to be disbursed for services and any further amounts necessary to close escrow.
Records deed and loan documents, delivers the deed to the buyer, loan documents to the lender and funds to the seller, closing the escrow.

For more information check them out at:
https://www.equitytitle.com/metroportal/

Stunning numbers - ever changing

Click this link but be sitting down. Here are the numbers without a spin master massaging them. Just raw numbers that will make you dizzy.







http://www.usdebtclock.org/

What if you ran your household like this? What does this mean to my 10 year old? Anyone have an idea of what to do? Please post your ideas if you do. Thanks.

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/how-our-plastic-use-is-coming-back-at-us-in-waves_30095/

Mary Crowley is a friend of my wife and very active in the environmental movement. Here is a partial reprint of an article about her in Surfline and a picture of her ship used in the expedition. If you are interested, please click on the link and read it all. Find a way to help, even if you just pick up plastic on your way in from each surf session. Thanks.

PLASTICS: FROM BOTTLE TO BARREL
How our plastic use is coming back at us in waves
By: Dean LaTourrette
September 2, 2009
10651 views | 26 comments

Sailing out through the Golden Gate and into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, Mary Crowley took one last look at the City by the Bay as it went by. A cannon salute bellowed from the nearby St. Francis Yacht Club, while colleague George Orbelian paddled his 9'2" George Downing big-wave gun out to wish the vessel farewell.


The boat she was crewing on, a 150-foot research brigantine named Kaisei ("ocean planet" in Japanese), made its way out into open ocean and set its course towards the North Pacific Gyre, roughly a thousand miles off the California coast. Crowley was more than just crew, however. As the founder of Ocean Voyages Institute and co-founder of Project Kaisei (www.projectkaisei.org) along with Orbelian and Doug Woodring, she played a large role in pulling the entire voyage together -- a one-month, 3000-plus-mile research journey several years in the making. All this, in the name of plastic.

Well, not quite just plastic. Crowley and team were headed to study the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and plastic debris was the focal point. Along the way the band of scientists, environmentalists and yes, surfers, were to examine the North Pacific Gyre region, and the marine debris that has collected there. "The more accurately we can describe the problem, the better we can design the solution," says Orbelian, a San Francisco surfer who, among other things, served as SURFER Magazine's surfboard design editor in the late 1980s.

But let's back up a moment. For those who haven't yet heard the news, there's a giant garbage dump floating smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that, according to various researchers, has been quietly growing at a rapid rate. It's called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, comprised of two sub-areas called the Western Garbage Patch and the Eastern Garbage Patch, and despite lots of wishful thinking, the problem isn't going away -- it's getting worse.

Great info on Surfline

WiLDCOAST's Serge Dedina Named 2009 Coastal Hero August 29, 2009 PRESS RELEASE

WiLDCOAST Executive Director Serge Dedina has been named as one of nine 2009 California Coastal Heroes by Sunset magazine and the California Coastal Commission.

Dedina and his fellow honorees are profiled in the September issue of Sunset Magazine and will be honored at the California Coastal Commission's 25th anniversary celebration in San Francisco, CA on September 17.

The executive director of the San Diego based coastal and marine conservation organization- which celebrates its tenth anniversary next year-was recognized for helping "to protect coastal ecosystems and wildlife in California and Mexico," said Katie Tamony, Sunset's editor-in-chief.

Under Dedina's leadership, WILDCOAST has helped to preserve more than one million acres of coastal and marine habitat in California and Baja California and carried out innovative campaigns to preserve endangered shark and sea turtle populations. WiLDCOAST recently initiated a partnership with the San Diego Zoological Society to provide support for its California Condor restoration program in Baja California.

Dedina, who grew up in and still resides in Imperial Beach on the U.S.-Mexico border, received his doctorate in geography from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a bachelor's degree from UCSD and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A longtime surfer, he received the 2003 Surf Industry Manufacturer's Association Environmentalist of the Yea Award and the 2009 San Diego Zoological Society's Conservation in Action Award.

The author of Saving the Gray Whale, Dedina also authored the forthcoming Pirate Sea: Dispatches from the Coast of the Californias. Thanks to a California Wellness Foundation Sabbatical Award he spent the summer surfing and researching coastal and marine conservation and national parks management in Australia and New Zealand with his wife Emily Young and sons Israel and Daniel.

Other honorees include UC Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Science Director Gary Griggs, Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Julie Packard, John Hanke of Google Earth, Linda Sheehan of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, State Senator Alan Lowenthal, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Pierce and Keely Brosnan.

WiLDCOAST conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife.

925 Seacoast Drive, Imperial Beach CA 91932, USA www.wildccoast.net
SURFLINE HOME

Serge is a dedicated guy who works hard for the environment. He surfs up and down the coast with his 2 grom rippers. He was also instrumental in the fight over Trestles. It's always great to support a surfer who works this hard for us all. Now we have to buy Sunset Magazine in September to get more of the scoop. Hit the Wild Coast website to help out.
Thanks.
Phil

Carlsbad today

From 82709 Terramar & Offshores

Surf forecasts called for 2 - 4 feet and fair conditions in North County today. Check the sets downbeach in the middle of this clip from this morning. Overhead & offshores blowing. The size was heading down quite a bit due to the tide when this was taken. Sorry for the camera shake...taken after 4 hours in the water.

First Time Buyer News

To help provide first-time home buyers with peace of mind when purchasing a home, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Housing Affordability Fund (C.A.R.H.A.F.) is offering a mortgage protection program to first-time home buyers.

Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund’s Mortgage Protection Program, first-time home buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month, for six months, to help make their mortgage payments. A qualified co-buyer also can participate in the program, and receive a monthly benefit of $750 per month for up to six months.

Beginning Aug. 1, changes to the C.A.R.H.A.F. Mortgage Protection Program will be implemented. To learn more about these changes and how to get your clients pre-approved for the C.A.R.H.A.F. Mortgage Protection Program, please visit http://www.car.org/aboutus/hafmainpage/carhafmortgageprotection/ .

For questions about MPP, call (213) 739-8380. To access an application, or for more information about C.A.R.H.A.F., please visit: http://www.car.org/aboutus/hafmainpage/carhafmortgageprotection/

If you need help I am available at: SDRealtor@cox.net

Summer Soul 8-19-09

Video Link, let it load & click view at the top:

From

It was a small day today at the Summer Soul Surf Camp. My son has been going every year, this is his 4th camp with them. That's him riding a small one in the video. Every year, when we pick him up on the last day, he puts in his request for the next year! These guys are great. It's over for this summer but check out this link and save it for next summer. It is a week that your groms will remember forever.

http://summersoulsurfcamp.com/

Got to have a plan and work it in this market!

Multiple offers: the new norm
Competition returns to slumping markets
By Inman News, Monday, August 17, 2009.

Inman News

Up-market homes consistently sell above asking in a New Jersey suburb. Bidding wars break out in hot neighborhoods in Cape Cod, Chicago and Seattle. Short sales in some Florida and California markets draw as many as 40 bids.

It's a far cry from 2006, but brokers and agents across the country say multiple offers are once again the norm in specific corners of the market.

"The banks are purposely putting them on the market under value and creating a frenzy," says Kristi Townsend ...





HMMMM, Maybe it's time!
SDRealtor@cox.net
if you need help.

Blacks Access and Volunteer Opportunities with Surfrider San Diego

Blacks Access and Volunteer Opportunities with Surfrider San Diego

Posted using ShareThis

Have you seen the North County surf forecast??

Maybe we should all try this for about a week or so. Not much out there this morning.

July North County Newest Real Estate Stats

North San Diego County
Association of REALTORS®
AUGUST 2009 REPORT
July 2009 Statistics
North San Diego County
HomeDex TM
HomeDex™ Key Points
July 2009 Data
1. The median price for all North County home sales – attached and detached – increased 4.12% in July 2009 from June 2009, to $379,000.

a. Detached homes in North County increased 6.02 percent, from June 2009 to July 2009, from $415,000 to $440,000.

i. Detached home prices OUTSIDE North County increased 2.52% from June 2009 to July
2009, from $326,750 to $335,000.
ii. July 2009 median single-family detached homes in North San Diego County decreased
3.83%, from $457,500 in July 2008. The median price OUTSIDE North County for single-family homes fell 11 percent from the $376,500 a year ago.
iii. The countywide median price of homes sold increased from $360,000 in June 2009 to
$372,000 in July 2009 and was down 8.7% from the July 2008 number.

b. Attached home prices in North County decreased during July 2009 by 7.84%, from $255,000 a month earlier to $235,000.

i. Non-North County attached home prices increased 6.01% in July 2009; from $191,500
to $203,000.
ii. North County attached homes decreased 6.93% from $252,500 a year ago.
c. Median days-on-market for single-family detached homes in North County decreased
from 45 days in June 2009 to 34 days in July 2009. The number of North County single-family homes sold increased 17.65% last month, from 765 to 900. There was a year-to-year increase of 9.76% for home sales in July 2009 compared to July 2008.

2. The residential real estate market has swung from the seller’s market of three years ago when home prices were increasing as much as 20 to 30 percent per year to the buyer’s market today where prices have decreased and there’s an abundant inventory of homes from which to choose. That’s good news for those looking to buy a home.

a. Interest rates continue at record lows, at least for the short-term future.

1 The current condition of the housing market needs to be kept in historical perspective. Home
values rose 88 percent on a national average – higher in California – over the past decade.
Sales continue to be hampered by problems in real estate finance. Both tighter underwriting standards and the ongoing effects of the credit/liquidity crunch continue to limit sales.

a. Buyers with secured financing, or all cash are not hampered by the constraints of the
real estate financing market.

2 In fact, several North County brokers and agents have experienced significant increases in
activity in recent weeks, working with well-qualified buyers who recognize optimum buying conditions in which there are low interest rates and an abundant selection of homes on the market.
North San Diego County HomeDexTM
July 2009 Summary Report
Single-Family Detached Homes

Part 2 Single-Family Detached Home Prices

• The median price for all homes in North San Diego County – single-family
detached and single-family attached – rose to $379,000 in July 2009 from
$364,000 in June 2009.1
• The median-priced single-family detached (SFD) home in North San Diego
County increased 6.02 percent from $415,000 in June 2009 to $440,000 in July
2009. SFD median prices in Non-North County zip codes rose 2.52 percent from
$326,750 in June 2009 to $335,000 in July 2009.
• July 2009 median SFD prices in North San Diego County decreased 3.83 percent
from $457,500 in July 2008. Median price decreased 11 percent in Non-North
County from $376,500 in July 2008.
• The countywide median SFD price rose 3.33 percent from $360,000 in June 2009
to $372,000 in July 2009, an 8.7 percent decrease from July 2008.
• The median days-on-market for North San Diego County SFD homes fell from 45
days in June 2009 to 34 in July 2009. The average number of days-on-market
decreased from 75 in June 2009 to 67 in July 2009.2
• The SFD median price-per-square foot was $208 in July 2009, a 10.58 percent
decrease from July 2008.
• Active SFD listings in North San Diego County decreased from 3,090 at the end
of June 2009 to 3,065 active SFD listings ending July 2009, down 47.05 percent
compared to July 2008. San Diego County active SFD listings fell from 5,705 at
the end of June 2009 to 5,660 ending July 2009, compared to 12,314 active
listings reported countywide at the end of July 2008.
• The number of North San Diego County SFD units sold increased 17.65 percent
to 900 in July 2009 from 765 in June 2009. SFD home sales increased 9.76
percent from July 2008.
Prepared for the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® by Robert Brown, Ph.D.
Department of Economics California State University, San Marcos. Inquiries may be directed to Robert Brown
rbrown@csusm.edu; 760-750-4196 or Lynn Sullivan, NSDCAR Communications Director: lynn@nsdcar.com or
760-734-3976. Data source: Sandicor, Inc. Comparisons are not based on identical samples of homes sold and do
not imply statistical significance.

I'm ready. You ready?

Check out Surflines Hurricane Track. Looks like waves for the weekend. Woo Hoo!

http://storm.surfline.com/map/pacific/east/?2009s9&2009s8&ll=14.519780046326085,-134.033203125

The Cove: A Documentary Detailing the Dolphin Slaughters in Taiji, Japan

The Cove: A Documentary Detailing the Dolphin Slaughters in Taiji, Japan

Shared via AddThis

Here is some stuff to think about!!!

Why Bernanke Is in Panic Mode
By: Gary North, Mises on Money
http://news.goldseek.com/LewRockwell/1249244807.php
-- Posted Sunday, 2 August 2009 Source: GoldSeek.com
Bernanke video: He stutters; he stammers; he is in visible panic mode over Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve. Watch it. You'll love it! Then send it to your friends.
Usually, when Ben Bernanke is interviewed, he has the demeanor of a college professor in the presence of freshman students. Of course, as a full professor, he did not have to teach freshmen. That is for untenured assistant professors to do. Stammering and stuttering are therefore a real departure for him. There is a reason for this.
For the first time since 1914, there is a public debate in Congress over the Federal Reserve's power. Never before has a majority of the House of Representatives called for what should always have existed: Congressional scrutiny over the FED's money. Bernanke says that Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve is a bill to audit Federal Reserve policy. Yet the bill says nothing about auditing policy. So, what is he talking about?
Bernanke says that Congress can have access to an audit at any time. Sure it can – an audit vetted and sanitized by the FED, where no one knows which banks got what bailout money. This is an audit in the way a CIA audit is an audit. The main differences are these: (1) the CIA legally operates only outside the borders of the United States; (2) the CIA can assassinate any uncooperative Congressman who insists on a full audit. The FED does not have the second power, but it is not limited by the first restriction.
What has Bernanke panicked is this: the Federal Reserve has bailed out the biggest banks and has let almost 100 little ones die. This is crony capitalism at its most notorious.
The threat is that Congress will discover what should be obvious: the biggest banks last October almost went bankrupt. Bernanke and Paulson admitted this to Congressional leaders. This is how they got the leaders to authorize the Treasury bailout. This is why the FED swapped marketable Treasury debt for unmarketable toxic debt at face value with the biggest banks.
Which banks? The FED refuses to say.
This is the heart of the matter. This is what has Bernanke in a panic. If Congress compels a full audit – a real audit, not a FED-controlled audit – individual members of Congress will discover that the American financial system is a house of cards. A few of them will release the results of the audit to the public. This will include Website publishers, who will go over the audit, line by line. The mainstream media will face being scooped by newsletter writers, so they will try to publish first.
The public will find out which banks are not safe. This is what has Bernanke in panic mode.
The public will pull deposits out of the biggest, least safe banks and open new accounts at banks that look safer. That will bust some very big banks.
There is no way that the FDIC could cover the losses of even one of these giant banks. It is down to $12 billion in assets, mostly T-bills. It would have to come to Congress for the line of credit that Congress has extended: $500 billion.
The banking cartel would face a breakdown. Why? Because the public would finally learn which big banks got how much money, how much Treasury debt for toxic assets, and on what terms.
KEEPING DEPOSITORS IN THE DARK
Bernanke says this bill is all about criticizing Federal Reserve policy. Not really. It is all about exposing policy to the public, and letting them decide where to deposit their money.
This thought of depositors finding out which banks are at risk is what the Federal Reserve was created in 1913 to prevent. The banking cartel must prevent bank runs from spreading. If the public had explicit information on what the FED did and why, the public would be in a position to pull their money out of illiquid, economically insolvent large banks.
Bernanke feigns a fear of Congress setting policy. What he is afraid of is depositors setting policy. He does not want depositors to see which banks are at risk.
The bankers live in fear of their depositors. Depositors can bust a bank in a matter of days. All they need to do is write a check or send a bank wire transfer from their present bank to a different bank. If too many depositors pull money out of Bank A to send to Banks B, C, or D, Bank A goes under. The FDIC has to have a Friday afternoon emergency session where it absorbs the bad assets of Bank A and opens bidding for the good assets.
The big banks love this when they are not the targets of the bank run. They can buy up millions of dollars of good assets, while palming off the bad assets to the FDIC. If the FDIC can't cover the losses, then Congress picks up the tab. A sweet deal for the surviving banks!
But what if the surviving banks are being held together with accounting gimmicks. Example: the FED "lends" Treasury bills (marketable) at face value to big banks that are sitting on a hundred billion dollars in unmarketable assets: bad real estate loans. The receiving banks list the Treasury bills as their capital. The government auditors are then instructed to evaluate the solvency of the banks in terms of the quality of their loans – in this case, T-bills. No problem!
But these assets are borrowed from the FED. In theory, the FED can force the banks to swap back at face value. At that point, the banks are technically bankrupt. These assets have no liquid market.
The solvency of the American banking system rests on smoke and mirrors. Bernanke knows this. Congress is ignorant. Congress thinks things are probably OK. But a majority of House members want to be safe. They don't want the folks back home to believe that they are asleep at the wheel, which Congress has been since 1914 with respect to the Federal Reserve. So, a majority of House members co-sponsored Ron Paul's bill to audit the FED.
Barney Frank understands the threat. He has bottled the bill up in committee. This way, members who support the bill can tell the folks back home that it's not their fault. If they are asked about this, they can say, one by one, "I am really sorry. I did my best, but the bill is bottled up in committee. There is nothing I can do."
Of course there is something they can do. They can vote to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. There, they will be exposed to the folks back home. Did they vote "yes" to audit the FED? By co-sponsoring the bill, they can tell the folks back home, "I'm with you on this." By letting Frank bottle it up in committee, they can plead powerlessness. Nice.
It's all smoke and mirrors. It's all about not letting depositors find out how their banks are doing.
BERNANKE IS CONTEMPTUOUS OF CONGRESS
Bernanke said this on-camera: "The public does not want Congress to set monetary policy." If that really is the case, then it is odd what the United States Constitution says about this. Consider Article 1.
Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Then Article 8 spells out the powers of Congress. These include:
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.
That surely appears as though Congress does have lawful power over money. That in turn seems as though the public can ask Congress to fulfill its duties. That seems as though Congress has the legal right to audit or set policy for the private agency – the Federal Reserve Bank of New York – that executes the monetary policy of the government agency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
The way that the public kept both Congress and the commercial banks under control was through the silver standard, up until about 1815, and then by the international gold coin standard until late 1913, when the Senate rushed through the Federal Reserve Act when most members had gone home for the Christmas recess. President Wilson signed the bill into law that evening: a very fast track.
When Dr. Bernanke showed contempt for Congress in the name of the American people, he forgot to mention an alternative to both the Federal Reserve and Congress: the gold coin standard. That system lodged the power of the veto in the hands of the public. That was why commercial bankers, central bankers, and politicians joined forces to ridicule both the gold standard and the earlier silver standard.
A precious metal coin standard – coins payable at a government-fixed price on demand for paper money – gives the public too much authority over monetary policy. This gives them too much authority over government tax policy: no inflation tax.
The Federal Reserve Act transferred legally sovereign power over money from Congress to the Board of Governors of the FED. The Board of Governors labored under the restraint of the gold coin standard domestically until Roosevelt unilaterally abolished it in 1933. Then Nixon unilaterally abolished the last remaining traces of the international gold standard in 1971. That left the Federal Reserve System with nearly uncontested power over money, with only the infamous and much-denigrated "bond vigilantes" possessing an independent veto over FED policy.
Bernanke is adamant: any attempt by Congress to monitor the activities of the FED is an assault on Federal Reserve sovereignty. The Constitution lodges such sovereignty in Congress, but Congress delegated this sovereignty to the not-yet operational Federal Reserve in late 1913.
Ron Paul's bill is the first bill ever to gain widespread support in the House to transfer the right to audit the FED to Congress. This is the first time since 1914 that any Congressman has persuaded a majority of his colleagues to assert the legal sovereignty that the Constitution delegates to Congress with respect to money. This is why Bernanke is in panic mode.
This is the first chink in the FED's armor since 1914. This bill is a nightmare for the FED. Yet the FED's staffers are going to get paid their above-market salaries and keep their fully vested pensions, with or without an audit by Congress.
PANIC IN THE BOARDROOMS
The real panic is in the boardrooms of the largest banks. This bill will allow Congress to see the specifics of the sweetheart arrangement that big banks have had with the FED. Congress will get the statistical facts, and newsletter writers will interpret them for subscribers – rich subscribers.
The big bankers know that their banks would be insolvent without Federal Reserve bailouts, Treasury Department bailouts, and smoke-and-mirrors accounting. They know that any light thrown on the system's smoke-and-mirrors accounting will reveal the insolvency of the biggest banks.
The directors of these banks do not want the public to be able to get access to these facts by means of a full-scale audit of the Federal Reserve System. The paper trail, meaning the digital money trail, leads to their banks. This terrifies them. It should.
The big bank bankers are now in full defensive mode. They see the threat. They dare not go public with warnings about letting the public gain access to full information about the bailouts since last September. This would appear to be self-serving, which it would unquestionably be. So, they let Bernanke be their spokesman, as if Bernanke and the Board of Governors were not enforcers of the fractional reserve banking cartel.
This puts Bernanke on the spot. He dares not tell his interviewers that the United States Constitution lodges in Congress legal sovereignty over the money of the United Stares. He does not want to remind the public of this Constitutional fact. So, he denigrates Congress as incompetent to set monetary policy. He is therefore contemptuous of the Constitution, but he dares not let this slip out. That would not be prudent.
If Ron Paul's bill is kept bottled up, this will be grist for the mill of a growing number of Americans who have only recently learned about the existence of the Federal Reserve System. From the beginning, the Federal Reserve was designed to be a mystery to the public. This strategy succeeded for over 90 years. But Ron Paul's Presidential campaign at long last began to gain attention for the FED. The campaign took place in 2008. That was the year of the crash and the desperation bailouts. This was bad timing for the FED. This bad timing led this year to widespread member support in the House of Representatives for an audit of the FED. Worse yet, the bill was sponsored by Ron Paul – the FED's greatest Congressional opponent in this generation. This is very bad news for the banking cartel. It took place on Bernanke's watch. He is in panic mode.
CONCLUSION
The Federal Reserve has lost a lot of its legitimacy. It has also lost a lot of its secrecy. By opposing the audit, Bernanke is positioning himself as an anti-democratic representative of the Wall Street banks. Of course, this is what every FED chairman has been. But this is the first time since 1914 that any FED chairman (or his equivalent) has had to adopt this positioning in full public view.
This is bad news for the Federal Reserve. When the economy gets worse, as it will, the FED will receive its share of the blame, which is considerable. Bernanke is the primary visible agent of the FED. He will no longer get a free ride. The critics are at long last getting a hearing by the informed public – the people with lots of money deposited in large banks. This is why he has been going on television to present his case. No other FED chairman in history has been forced to do this. This is a sign of the degree of panic in the boardrooms.
The more often Bernanke goes on TV, the more people will think: "Methinks he doth protest too much."
This is a very good thing.
Other resources:
A classic 1933 MGM "short" on inflation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Dzdc1H0wM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.garynorth.com%2Fpublic%2F5266.cfm&feature=player_embedded
Bernanke's money helicopter speech in 2002: http://www.federalreserve.gov/BOARDDOCS/SPEECHES/2002/20021121/default.htm

Last day to bid on the Bonzers

We're all water crazy so here is the link. Bid or buy if you can.
http://www.bonzer5.org/summer-auction/boards/

Or help out here:
http://water1st.org/

2 boards auctioned for charity

Check it out. Bid on 2 great boards and buy other items here http://www.bonzer5.org/ to help out here http://water1st.org/. Safe water is so important to us all and so hard to get in so many places in the world. Help out, won't you?

Possible good news

Housing is Pulling the U.S., Canada and China out of Recession
July 27, 2009 - Alex Carrick
Featured in:
Market Insights

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The U.S. housing market just got the best news it has received in many years. Sales of new single-family homes jumped 11.0% month to month in June. New home sales have been trending upward throughout 2009. At 384,000 units, they are still exceptionally low − for example, in mid-2005, they were nearly 1.4 million − but they have been trending gradually upward throughout this year. Furthermore, they are only one-half of the story.
Number-of-months Inventory of Unsold Units
New sales have to be looked at in connection with the number of unsold units on the market. The number of unsold units was -4.1% month-to-month in June. Their current level of 281,000 units is low in a historical context, well below earlier in this century. The combination of stronger sales and fewer unsold homes has had a strong positive impact on the number-of-months inventory, which has dropped to 8.8. This is about double what it should be, but at its peak in January, it was three times higher than normal.
The improvement in U.S. new home sales is being driven by low interest rates, bargain prices and the $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit. It is an important lead indicator for future new home starts and stronger on-site activity levels in the residential sector.
Canada’s Forestry Sector
There is an international aspect to the improving housing market in the U.S. For Canada, it holds out the prospect of better times ahead for the forestry sector in many provinces. Increasing lumber exports should be the result, although there will be obstacles in the form of the strong-valued loonie and the usual objections to imports from U.S. sawmills.
China’s Domestic Economy and a Housing Boom
It is also interesting to note that an improvement in housing markets is one of the primary forces behind China’s improvement in GDP growth (+8% year over year) in the second quarter of this year. To finance its massive infrastructure program, China is increasing its money supply even faster than in America. Loans in China in the first half of this year were double what they were during the same period last year. There has been a spillover effect on the consumer spending side that has seen auto sales accelerate. A boom in housing markets is also appearing, which has already led to worry about a bubble effect.
Stronger housing markets, more so in China than is likely to be the case in the U.S. for a while, are nevertheless important because they lead to more demand for a whole range of products such as home appliances, electronic equipment, drapery and carpeting, that in turn fuel the need for basic commodities. The competition for raw materials will soon be heating up and when you think commodities, that’s when Canada comes to the forefront.

Mark your calendars to help out

18th Annual Paddle For Clean Water Festival set for Ocean Beach San Diego on Sunday September 13th
July 27, 2009
PRESS RELEASEBeach lovers and ocean enthusiasts unite for clean water! The Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter hosts the 18th Annual Paddle for Clean Water Festival presented by Clif Bar on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. The event starts with free breakfast at 9 a.m., features a paddle around the Ocean Beach Pier at 10 a.m., then the festival continues until 5 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Pier parking lot.This 18th year of the Paddle for Clean Water Festival presented by Clif Bar promises a full day of fun for everyone. The Paddle For Clean Water Festival will feature booths highlighting environmental awareness and action, local artists and eco-friendly vendor; free massages; free surf lessons, a free surfboard demo from Holeman Surf Designs, a kids' fun area featuring arts and crafts activities, food, great bands and a Stone Brew beer garden for folks age 21 and over. The paddle around the OB Pier at 10 a.m. features all sorts of paddlecraft - surfboards, bodyboards, kayaks, outrigger canoes, etc. - in a non-competitive paddle out and around the Ocean Beach Pier to raise awareness to pollution problems along San Diego's coastline. The event will also include breakfast for all paddlers starting at 9 a.m., along with special guest speakers, live music, a huge raffle with a Holeman Surf Designs surfboard as the grand prize, a beach cleanup, and bands all afternoon.The decline of near-shore water quality remains one of the biggest threats to our world's beaches and coastlines. In addition to destroying marine habitats, it poses a significant risk to the health and welfare of beachgoers. Two local issues will be highlighted at the event this year:* No B.S. - The No Border Sewage coalition to clean up the waters around the Mexico border* San Diego's water supply and how it relates to the marine environment - Know Your H2O!Over 1,000 beach and ocean lovers took to the waters off Ocean Beach at last year's San Diego event and 2,500 are expected for the festival this year."Whether you paddle or not, the Paddle for Clean Water Festival is always a fun way for people to get involved, and a great place to get the latest information on local coastal environmental issues," said Scott Harrison, chair of Surfrider Foundation's San Diego Chapter.Schedule of events:9am: Light breakfast is served10am: Paddle around the OB Pier11am: Group photo, guest speakers and raffle11:30am: Live music begins5:00pm: Festival ends Surfrider is making every effort to have the event be zero waste - from a solar powered sound stage to comprehensive recycling and analyzing what will be used at the event. Please walk, bike, take public transport or carpool to the event. Visit www.sdcommute.com or www.icarpool.com for more information.More information about the Paddle For Clean Water Festival can be found at www.surfriderSD.org or www.paddle4cleanwater.blogspot.comThe Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches. Now in its 25th year, the Surfrider Foundation has grown from a small group of dedicated surfers in Malibu, California to a global movement made up of over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide.
SURFLINE HOME

Carlsbad market trends

Want to see what has been going on in the Carlsbad market west of Interstate 5?

http://idx116021.tempo5.sandicor.com/?Page=-1


You are always welcome to contact me with questions. Phil

Interest rates (good) & the surf (bad) still down

U.S. Mortgage Rates Fall to 5.14%, Freddie Mac Says (Update2)
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By Brian Louis
July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Mortgage rates in the U.S. fell to the lowest since May as home-loan refinancings surged on lower borrowing costs.
The average 30-year rate fell to 5.14 percent from 5.20 percent, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac of McLean, Virginia, said today in a statement. The 15-year rate was 4.63 percent.
“It’s been stuck in this low-five range for a number of weeks,” Donald Rissmiller, chief economist at New York-based Strategas Research Partners, said. “This is still a good interest rate.”

My buddy, Tray Trevino, can advise you if you need more info on mortgage rates. 760-415-2417 or ttrevino@magnifundgroup.com

How Sand Castles Can Make You Sick - Wetsand.com

How Sand Castles Can Make You Sick - Wetsand.com

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Beat the crowds

Beat the crowds. Surf today (7/15/09 - Terramar). Let's hope that the Mexican hurricane sends some swell out way soon.

Here is the "set of the day"!!

Starting out 7/14/09

Just getting started today. Stay tuned after this quick start. There should be lots of new stuff to get going in the coming weeks. Here goes:

Surf down. Not much going on in the North County swell scene but the water is warm. Time to cross train. Grab the "big boy" and paddle out & maybe a set comes your way. Grab some flippers. There are still halibut around the reefs in the sandy bottom areas. I know one thing, no matter the season in San Diego County, I feel like I'm on vacation when I'm not at work. Here's hoping that you have the same vibe.

Real estate up? Appraisals seem to be following the median prices slightly higher In North San Diego County. Maybe a seasonal thing; maybe the start of better things...we'll see. I'm hoping that the leveling off is over and we can start to see more ticks upward in the coming months. Let's hope that any new foreclosures don't pull it down again.

Australia's Surfing Life - Random Videos

Australia's Surfing Life - Random Videos

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