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Archive for October, 2009
Home Buyer Tax Credit Update: A New Credit May Be On The Books By Week’s End
October 27th, 2009 categories: Buying, The Economy
Update (10-31-09) Congress is still tweaking the bill and it appears that they’ll now vote on the bill sometime next week. The current proposal now calls for keeping the credit at $8,000 for first-time buyers and giving move-up buyers a $6,500 credit (as long as they’ve lived in their current home for at least 5 of the last 8 years).
Legislators were busy on the home buyer tax credit front earlier today, crafting what may soon be a new and improved home buyer tax credit. Well, not sure about “improved,” but it will definitely be new.
Keep in mind that all of this is still subject to change as Congress and the White House decide how best to keep the housing market moving forward without saddling the country with any extra unnecessary debt.
As of mid-day Tuesday, various real estate and media outlets were reporting that Senators had potentially reached agreement on Tax Credit III.
If nothing changes between now and the time President Obama signs it, according to what I’ve read and heard, here is what the new credit might look like: Read the rest of this entry »
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Solano Weekly Real Estate Report For Oct. 26: Inventory Up Slightly, Demand Remains High
October 27th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Buying, Fairfield-Gr Valley, Market Update, Selling, Solano, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo
Real estate activity was fairly constant in our Solano County market area last week, with all communities except Benicia showing a net increase in their supply of active listings.
The biggest increases were in Vallejo (+8) and Suisun City (+7). On a percentage basis, Suisun was up over 13%, as its inventory “soared” from 53 to 60.
In the past two weeks, Suisun has seen its inventory climb from 49 to 60. However, its supply is still down 74% since the beginning of the year.
Even though the supply has crept a little higher in recent weeks, the increase hasn’t been significant. Rather, just a few additional listings here and there, and certainly not enough to satisfy the hoards of hungry home buyers who continue to eagerly wait for an opportunity to buy. Read the rest of this entry »
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2009 Benicia Scarecrows — Here They Are
October 26th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
For the past week-plus, I’ve been introducing you to this year’s entries in Benicia’s Scarecrow Contest. I took one last stroll around town earlier today and was able to get a few more photos.
The Re/Max entry was out on First Street today, but I still wasn’t able to get anything more than an orange bucket and few wooden supports for the entries at Hissy Fits and The Honey Mill.
Below is a photo collage with every entry I was able to capture with my camera. For a complete list of this year’s entries, courtesy of the Benicia Main Street Program, which sponsors the contest each year, click here (not every businesses on this list has a scarecrow yet on display). Read the rest of this entry »
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Tax Credit Update: Will It Stay Or Will It Go?
October 25th, 2009 categories: Buying, The Economy
With only 36 days to before the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit expires, the winds surrounding its fate are swirling all around Capitol Hill these days, as lawmakers try to decide whether to extend it or let it fade away.
From what I’ve been reading and hearing, there seems to be strong sentiment in Washington to extend the credit. But for how long or in what form still seems very much open to debate.
The options that have been bandied about in recent weeks include: Read the rest of this entry »
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Benicia Scarecrow Photos…Part 8
October 25th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
This is the eighth installment of my “photo essay” on this year’s Benicia Scarecrow entries. With Halloween now less than a week away, this series is almost complete.
Today’s photos are of the following Benicia businesses: Elisabeth’s Hair Design, Miguelina (clothing store), the Rellik Tavern and Be Chic Boutique.
So far, I’ve published all but one of the photos I’ve taken. That last one (#19 — Romancing The Home at 617 First St.) isn’t outside, but rather inside the store window. I’ve made several attempts to photograph it, but each time, I ended up with way too much glare. So if you want to see that entry, I’m afraid you’ll have to wander down First St. and see it for yourself. Read the rest of this entry »
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Four More Benicia Scarecrows . . .Part 7
October 24th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
With Halloween just a week away, I’m stepping up the number of Scarecrow photos. Four more photos today…just a few more still to go after this post.
Today’s scarecrows are from Cooper’s Doll House, Choices Night Club, Captain Blyther’s Restaurant and Char’s Hot Dogs.
Click on the image to the right to see the photos in full size (depending on your browser, once the image appears, you may have to click on it a second time to enlarge it to its full size).
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Scarecrow. Entry forms are available at most businesses that are participating in the contest. Read the rest of this entry »
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Benicia Scarecrow Photos — Part 6 In A Series
October 22nd, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
For the past 6 days, I’ve been posting several photos a day of some of the scarecrows in this year’s Benicia Scarecrow Contest. So far I’ve captured 11 of these frightful or whimsical creatures.
I’ll keep posting these photos until all 20+ scarecrows have made an appearance here. And to finish it all off, I’ll publish one final Scarecrow post with photos of every contestant.
If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to see them in person, be sure to take a stroll down First Street and marvel at the creativity that exists here in Benicia.
Here are today’s photos of two more contestants: Camellia Tea Room and Lindsay Art Glass. Click on the image to the right to see the photos in full size (depending on your browser, once the image appears, you may have to click on it a second time to enlarge it to its full size). Read the rest of this entry »
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Two More Benicia Scarecrows (Part 5)
October 21st, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
Here are photos of two more entrants in the 2009 Benicia Scarecrow contest.This is Part 5 of a series of posts. For previous posts, click on the links at the bottom of this post.
Click the image to the right for today’s photos — The Chill and ME Salon’s Jack Skellington. Depending on your browser, once the image appears, you may have to click on it a second time to enlarge it to its full size.
Also be sure to vote for your favorite Scarecrow. Entry forms should be available at each business that’s participating in the contest.
I’ll continue to post several more photos each day until they’ve all appeared and then I’ll post one final collage of the entire bunch. Read the rest of this entry »
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Solano County Weekly Real Estate Report For Oct. 19: A County-Wide First For 2009
October 20th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fairfield-Gr Valley, Market Update, Selling, Solano, Vacaville, Vallejo
The big real estate news this past week in Solano County was that inventory was up in all five cities in our Solano market area. That marks the first time all year that every city has seen an increase in its supply in the same week.
In four of the five cities, the increase over last week was marginal (Benicia +2, Fairfield +1, Suisun +4, Vacaville +3). But in Vallejo, which has been the darling of this year’s real estate recovery, it was a different story.
Vallejo’s inventory skyrocketed last week, with 17 more active listings than the previous week. That’s an 8% increase in one week… and the second highest one-week increase of the entire year.
A few highlights from this week’s report: Read the rest of this entry »
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Still More Benicia Scarecrows — Part 4
October 20th, 2009 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff
Here are the next two photos of entries in this year’s Benicia Scarecrow contest.This is Part 4 of a series of posts. For previous posts, click on the links at the bottom of this one.
Click the image to the right for today’s photos —the 2009 entries from North American Title and First Street Cafe (depending on your browser, once the image appears, you may have to click on it again to enlarge it to full size).
Be sure to vote for your favorite Scarecrow! I’ll continue to post several more photos each day until they’ve all appeared and then I’ll post one final collage of the entire bunch.
For a complete list of this year’s entries, Read the rest of this entry »
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