3062 Associated Rd. #1 in Default

#1 is listed by Realty Track as in default and going to auction with $229,000+ owed to the a lender.

random people hanging around

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "$1150 - 1BD/1BA Condo For Rent in Parkridge on As...":

This is actually not a reply but a post:
Over the past few months there have been more and more random people hanging around our parking lot after hours. I work late and on several occasions while getting home after 2AM I have been met at the gate by people walking in after the gate is open (since it has been fixed) or finding people sitting in their cars waiting for something. I was curious and followed a shady person to Unit #__ where all this traffic is coming from at ALL hours of the night! I am concerned for my saftey as well as the safety of our community and property. I spoke to a few neighbors whom feel threatened but obviously won't do anything about it due to being intimidated by one particular Bill or Phill? kid that is allways walking back and forth with a pitbull between his unit and the #__ unit. I don't know the kid but if this is enuff to scare my fellow neighbors than I feel that you should say something to the board Mr. Moderator. And what can we do to report #__? The Assoc. Co. has done nothing since the person there is a renter and not an owner. I own and feel that property values are already in the toilet without tweekers runnig freely.
Signed,
Anonymous
(I dont want my safety or property damaged now that I have come this far.)

$1150 - 1BD/1BA Condo For Rent in Parkridge on Associated @ Rolling Hills (Fullerton, CA) (map)

Foreclosures put county's HOAs in financial bind

Mortgage meltdowns have cut into homeowner association budgets, prompting fee hikes and delays in repairs. Click on the title link for full article.
By JEFF COLLINS
The Orange County Register

RealtyTrac New foreclosure postings in Parkridge

RealtyTrac New foreclosure postings in Parkridge

Market Value----------------- Market Value
$234,000--------------------- $254,000
Default Amount-------------- Default Amount
$220,000--------------------- $279,000
Property Address------------- Property Address
3062 Associated Rd # 1----- 3026 Associated Rd # 104
Fullerton, CA, 92835-------- Fullerton, CA, 92835

Water Off Again

The water is off again. Also almost every day after 8 or so we have nothing but hot water. This is around the third time within the last couple of weeks that it has been shut off. I had no notice nor did I see any posting any where. What is going on?
#71

Perspective neighbors with questions

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Suspicious Activity Comments Here":

my fiance' and I are looking for our first place and was wondering if any of you could shed some light on the special assessment, roofing repairs, any other concerns that we should be aware of in the community. We liked the place we saw but obviously not living there doesn't allow us to see the whole community. Thank you!

Suspicious Activity Comments Here

Truck Break In

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "speed racers on motorcycles":

This is my first post because I was once a board member and did not want to use this as an outlet. However, I am no longer a board member and wish to get some stuff out to people. Last night or the night before, my three month old truck was broken in to. No other vehicle was touched and the after market stereo I installed was very stock looking. There is a select group of boys that hang out in the alley and saw me installing it. I suspect that a friend of someone who lives here might know something about the excessive damage to my truck during the theft of the stereo. I would like to see better security or cameras or something to protect our property and children.

With that said, I am sorry I failed to address this issue while I was on the board. I did not take this matter seriously until something happened to me. Please accept my apologies.

Kevin

speed racers on motorcycles

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "June 2008 Board Meeting changed to 6/17/08":

Anybody have any good ideas to get those speed racers on motorcycles to stop racings up and down our complex roads?? I know that one guy that lives with his mom in unit #1 loves to pull wheelee's and race on the southern part of the complex of which I live. I also have seen him crash his new airplane into a couple of cars. The worst one I think was when he crashed it on the hood of that white GMC Envoy. Should I just confront him and tell him to stop? Any ideas would be great. I would hate for this situation to escalate. It feels like living in lower Fullerton.

What's the deal with the assessment costs???

What's the deal with the assessment costs??? Something like 10,000 per owner or something that we are expected to pay within a few months or something. I don't understand this...please does anyone understand???
#71

Neighbor looking for 2 bedroom condo to rent

Do you know any body who owns a two bedroom condo here?We need a bigger place for our family to rent, and this a such a great neighborhood we don't want to move out of Park Ridge. If you happen to know some one you can contact us: johnlguerito@aol.com

Housing rehab loans available

Low- and moderate-income residents may qualify for city programs.
By BARBARA GIASONE The Orange County Register

FULLERTON – Housing rehabilitation loans for residents financially strapped to fix plumbing, repair faulty wiring or add a new roof are available through the city's Housing and community Development Office.

Deferred and below-market interest rate loans are funded through the federal Housing and Urban Development Department's Community Development Block Grant Program.

Low- and moderate-income residents who qualify may receive below-market rate loans of up to $35,000. The loans carry a 6 percent or below interest rate. The maximum repayment period is 15 years.

Those unable to qualify for the below-market loans may qualify for a deferred loan, said Sylvia Chavez, housing programs assistant. Deferred loans require no monthly payments and no interest. The loans, which are reviewed every 15 years for eligibility, come due upon the sale or transfer of the home.

Senior citizen homeowners, ages 62 or older who only receive federal or state financial assistance, are allowed to bypass the bank application and apply directly for a deferred loan.

June 2008 Board Meeting changed to 6/17/08

Falling house prices could be a good thing

By Jack Naudi
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/25/2008

This column will challenge how most of you view your houses. So let me begin with the most-provocative comment: In general, I think it's a good thing that house prices are falling.

I honestly believe lower house prices will strengthen the national economy in the long term. And, much as the Great Depression helped people understand the risk of stock-market investing, I'm hopeful that what might be the worst national housing market since the Depression will force people to rethink the value of owning a house.

For decades, a hoax has been perpetrated on Americans by a greedy, or naive, residential real estate industry. It's the notion that your house is an investment, a retirement nest egg.
In addition, the real estate industry equates paper profits with actual profits. The truth is, your house is worth nothing until you sell it, which can be difficult.

And even when you do sell it, the "profit" isn't the selling price, minus the purchase price. It's the sales price, minus the purchase price, minus the broker's commission, minus household repairs and improvements, minus taxes and insurance paid. And when add it all up, you could be recording a loss, not a profit.

The absolute worst aspect of house buying is that many people can't afford the houses they buy. Sure, they qualify based on lenders' ratios. But after stretching themselves to the limit on mortgages, many house buyers don't have enough left for real investments, like stocks and bonds.

No Water Today Units 1-48 from 9AM to 6PM

FOUND DOG IN PARKING LOT.

FOUND DOG IN PARKING LOT.
The dog is very nice and loving. It's gray. I tried calling the number on the tag and the number from what animal control said is dead. I don't want animal control to take it because it seems in shock enough as it is. It's in really good hands, but I want to try and find the owner myself for the next few days rather than send it to the shelter where they just put him in a cage. I will post flyers around the area, but just wanted to post it on here to see if anyone knows of anyone missing a dog. Please contact 714-255-9361 if you have any questions or know anything. Thanks!

Are Owners stealing value by underfunding reserves and then selling out?

Click on link in the title for entire article at the condoissues blog.

"All condominium associations face the problem of high and ever increasing costs to maintain a condominium project, including reserves. To compound the problem, a number of condominium boards cannot, or will not, make 'hard and unpopular' decisions of raising maintenance fees to meet this problem and facing any criticism.

No Hot Water Last Night May 5th!

did anyone else not have hot water this afternoon & nite? does anyone know why?
unit#125

Is #47 still for Sale?

Anybody know if this condo is still available?? I am very interested!
thanks.
Jason

Difficulty Financing Condos for Complexes with Unhealthy HOA Budgets

Click on link above for entire article.
Fannie Mae, a dominant financing source for condominium projects, has rolled out new procedures that some lenders and mortgage brokers say could tighten up the availability of loans to condo purchasers in the coming months. Freddie Mac has issued similar new guidelines.

Under Fannie Mae's changes, most of the due-diligence research on condominium projects' key characteristics -- their legal documentation, the adequacy of condo association operating budgets, percentage of unit owners who are late on association-fee payments, percentage of space allocated to commercial use, and percentage of units owned by investors -- must now be performed upfront by loan officers.

Not only is this time-consuming and costly, but under the new procedures, Fannie Mae expects the lender to warrant the accuracy of its research. Some condo project legal documents run into the hundreds of pages of text, yet lenders are supposed to take legal and financial responsibility for their accuracy.

The LA Times Reports

The median price for a Southern California home fell below $400,000, to $385,000. Homes are now typically selling for what they fetched in April 2004, with the median price 20% below the market peak of $505,000 last year. Click on title for full story.

Congratulations New Parkridge Board!

Congratulations to Jim Manhart, John Norton, Kelly Thompson, Sally Watkins & Kim Wolfe on their election to the Parkridge Board of Directors. Thank you all in advance for all of the hours and dedication you donate on behalf of everyone who lives in Parkridge.

Digital TV Transition Feb 17, 2009 & the Coupon Program

Click on the title link to be redirected to www.dtv2009.gov to get your free coupon

What is the digital television transition?
At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.
What is the TV Converter Box Coupon Program?
Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to keep using their analog TV sets after February 17, 2009. The Program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes.
A TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program.

Consumers have a variety of options. Options to explore include:
Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box. A converter box plugs into your TV and will keep it working after Feb. 17, 2009, or
Connect to cable, satellite or other pay service, or
Purchase a television with a digital tuner.

Park Ridge News-Landscape Notes

Just like you, the board too has noticed the recent decline in the quality of our landscape. We noticed the very dry spots and also the very over watered spots. We noticed the water spraying our stucco and recently repaired wrought iron. We noticed the dirt covering our sidewalks. We noticed the lack of greenery and beauty.

We reviewed our contract and called on our landscaping company. Board members conducted a very thorough walk through with the sales representative and the crew manager from the landscaping company. We conducted extensive tests of the sprinklers. We discussed the greenery and foliage. We were able to point out many items that needed attention and improvement and made it quite clear to our vendor that we have been a very loyal customer for years. In other words, we told the landscaping company to step it up or be prepared to step away.

Harvest Landscape took our walk through seriously and we are pleased to announce that you should see some serious improvements in the very near future. We will be cleaning, adjusting, repairing and capping sprinklers where needed.

Look for new ground cover being planted in front of our clubhouse shortly. This ground cover is called Red Apple. We are excited about it and hope you like it too. This ground cover has a wonderful feature-it may be clipped and planted in other areas of our community as well.

The up and coming improvements are at no cost to the association. We welcome your comments and reviews. We look forward to working with our volunteers on the up and coming projects as well.

Thank you to a cohesive and active Board of Directors. Thank you to a professional, knowledgeable and involved Management Company. Thank you to the community. Your willingness to become involved and be hands-on is a breath of fresh air.

Let’s work together to renew Park Ridge!

County Tax Officials Begin Reducing Assessed Values

Click on link in title above for complete Times article and link to the right for OC Tax Assessor Site

As Southland counties reassess home values, tax bills fall
Owners benefit, but already cash-strapped governments will see less-than-expected revenue. By Garrett Therolf, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 21, 2008

The tumbling housing market has prompted county tax officials around Southern California to begin reducing the assessed value of many houses, resulting in lower tax bills for homeowners but less-than-expected revenue for already cash-strapped governments.

The values of more than 41,000 homes have been reassessed downward so far in Los Angeles County, resulting in an average tax saving of $660. Other counties have barely begun the reassessment process but promise to get the job done before property tax bills are mailed in October.

SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS IN TRYING TIMES

Click on link above for entire article @ communityassociations.net

WOW, I cannot remember more difficult times for talking to boards and members about big but necessary special assessments. The meetings these days are becoming more and more challenging when a board has to face the membership to talk about how to raise multi-thousand dollar per unit assessments for repair work, it is not fun. But truth be told, if the Board does not tell the membership about a looming big problem, it will probably snowball down the hill into a much bigger problem ... so don't shoot the messenger.

Many thanks to those who attended the March 12 HOA meeting

Many thanks to those who attended the March 12 HOA meeting. It really does take a strong community to make things happen, and by the strength of the meeting on Wednesday night, I’d say that we’re doing pretty darn good!

For those of you who did attend the meeting, you had a chance to meet all five candidates on The Park Ridge Five’s slate-Kelly Thompson, Kim Wolfe, Sally Watkins, John Norton and Jim Manhart. Five out of the eight candidates running for the Board of Directors seats were present at the open session portion of the meeting.

Please know that we are five people who care about our community and want to see our investment flourish. Come talk to us if you happen to see us walking around the complex. We are happy to tell you the ideas we have for the community and how we propose to make these things happen around Park Ridge.

Please also know that change can only come if you VOTE. Please follow all directions exactly for filling out your ballot and either mail it in or walk it in to the April 9th meeting. The vote will not become official if we do not have fifty-one percent of the owners submitting ballots! Please submit your ballot!

Thanks a bunch!

***Kim Wolfe for the slate of The Park Ridge Five***

ANTI-FORECLOSURE WEBSITE IS THREATENED WITH FORECLOSURE

AHRC.com at risk of shut down by powerful realty interests
by Danny Schechter
Website: Media Channel.org
Mediachannel.org appeals to its readers and the independent media community to publicize this issue, appeal to the local press to cover it and to civil liberties groups to defend them. This is an issue of economic justice and free expression in the context of a national foreclosure crisis. A California website representing homeowners fighting against foreclosures and arbitrary actions by Homeowner Associations is at risk of being shut down in the same way that a muckraking whistle blower site, Wikileaks.org was removed from the internet by a California Judge until a public clamor forced him to reverse himself.

Kelly Thompson Answers Questions

My name is Kelly Thompson. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to respond to what I feel is a very important and legitimate question.

Why does the name Kelly Thompson appear on two very different documents coming from two very different points of view?

Firstly I would like to set the record straight that I am running on the team with Kim Wolfe, Sally Watkins, John Norton, Jim Manhart and me, Kelly Thompson.

Secondly, Rene Fernandez sent out his letter to the community and condo owners without even so much as mentioning it to me let alone asking me if I would like to run with him. I would also like to point out that not only was I not asked for my permission but I did not even receive the document. A neighbor brought it to my attention. I was stunned, shocked and angry.

I called Rene Fernandez to inquire as to why this occurred. I had to leave a message. To date I have not heard from him. That was two days ago.

For the record Jim Manhart was as shocked as I was. Jim and I have sat on a board with Rene in the past and we soon found out that sitting next to Rene on the board was not possible but rather we had to sit underneath him. I suspect that Rene’s motive in adding our names to his list was this-If we were elected along side the three other men we may have chosen not to accept. For the record if three board members are present a board meeting may still take place. I think you can figure out the direction I am going with this.

I have lived in Parkridge for 8 years and I have served on the board for nearly half of those years. After last years election I took a break but mid stream was asked to rejoin. I am a proud owner. I respect the value of my investment and I want to look out for the best interest of the community and other investors that share my pride. I do believe in following rules. I urge all to contact property management and get a copy of the rules. The rules are in place so as not to tell us what to do but rather to keep our property value high. Trust me when I tell you that I am reasonable and intelligent. I am quite sure that my attention needs to be on the re-pipe project which will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and not focused on a 50.00 fine for a towel draped over a wall.

I believe in community involvement and neighborly interaction. I believe in sound financial decisions and investments.

I hope that I have answered some of the questions and cleared up some of the confusion. I will be campaigning in the neighborhood and I will be available for questions any time.

Respectfully
Kelly Thompson

Answer to questin "who is qualified" below

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Special Assessment":

Someone posed a comment on this blog asking who was qualified to be elected to this board. I am here to tell you that there are five people who I think need to be elected to this board without a shadow of a doubt to keep the good momentum going from the 2007-2008 year. Without these five people being elected, action will halt around this complex and we will go back to nothing being done.
The five people running for Park Ridge Board of Directors that need to be elected are (in order listed on the ballot): Kelly Thompson, Kim Wolfe, Sally Watkins, John L. Norton and Jim Manhart. Why, you ask?
1. We are always open to listening to the residents of Park Ridge. We won’t tell you when you approach us that you need to fill out a communication form and quit speaking to you. Of course, you still need to fill out a communication form if you want action to be taken, but feel free to talk to us! We are neighbors!
2. We are an action-oriented group. As a group, we have done many things for Park Ridge, including painting the laundry room, cleaning up the exercise room, cleaning up graffiti and doing minor repairs around the complex. Look on this blog and you will see our pictures from two community based activities.
3. We bring over fifty years of experience together in the areas of administration, real estate, construction, communications and technical knowledge. Who wouldn’t want that type of knowledge and experience on our board?!
4. We are homeowners who care about our investment. Just like you, we are homeowners who care about our investment and want to see it get top dollar when we sell. You will get that top dollar with us because we will get out there and do the hard work necessary to make this place shine.

We, Kelly Thompson, Kim Wolfe, Sally Watkins, John L. Norton and Jim Manhart ask for your votes to get action done around this community. Please be sure to stop and talk to us with any questions you may have about the recent mailings that have gone out to you. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Kim Wolfe for the slate of the Park Ridge Five

Special Assessment

Anonymous said...
Vote On a Special Assessment????

I just received my newsletter this AM and I noticed we are going to be asked to vote on a Special Assessment. This has never happened before at Parkridge. In the past, we always just got the bill.

Does anyone know why this is happening ?? Are they going to ask for a million bucks per unit or are they going to do something else stupid like the clubhouse re-pipe, which still isn't done by the way, over two years after it began. There is still missing tile in the ladys room and no baseboard in the laundryroom.

In spite of the fact I can't see anyone being stupid enogh to vote for a higher monthly bill, ther's always a possibility that there's a good reason. If someone could shed some light on this, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate it.

#47 Reduced to $190,000 on Feb 21st after Feb 19th reduction to $217,000 - 1 Bed 1 Bath Parkridge Price Reduced to $225,000

That is under $300 per sq ft at $271 and now down 22% from just 2 months ago. Feb 19, 2007 was down 11% from December listing price. Feb 14, 2007 was down 7% from the December listing price of $243,000.

Plumbing Question?

#64 has left a new comment - I need to replace the water shut off valves in my unit. Does anyone have a recommendation for or against any of the plumbing companies listed?

Recent Parkridge Sales

#45 "Sold" 1 bed/1 bath; 10/24/07 @ $299,900

#105 "Sold" 2 bed/2 bath; 1/4/08 @ $305,000

Someone sent this comment to the previous post. It's interesting and I'll assume it's accurate as the comment was not signed.

1 Bedroom Parkridge Condo For $229,000 ($327 per sq ft)

#47 For Sale - Reduced to $229,000 on 1/15/08 after being reduced to $235,000 ($1,000 under #25) on 1/7/2008 & initially $243,000 1b/1b on 12/18/07- Now $7,000 below #25 and down 22% from September 2007 listing price for #25.

New Bankruptcy Laws Spur Foreclosures

Almost 30 years have passed since the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, a time when mortgages typically had a fixed-rate and unchanging monthly costs. Back then — and until 2005 — if you ran into financial trouble bankruptcy provided a way out and a fresh start.

But in 2005 declaring bankruptcy — something that was never simple, easy or pleasant to begin with — became far tougher. Under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act creditors suddenly had new protections — and borrowers didn't.

What changed? Effective October 17, 2005 most student loans can no longer be discharged. If your income exceeds the state medium you can be forced to file under Chapter 13 (a repayment program) and not Chapter 7 (a discharge and forgiveness plan). Credit debt is not forgiven if you spend at least $500 in the 60 days prior to seeking bankruptcy protection -- say a cash advance to pay off a looming mortgage payment.

Perhaps most importantly for mortgage borrowers, the 2005 legislation says homeowners must obtain credit counseling and develop a budget analysis in the 180-day period before filing for bankruptcy.

Click on link for full article

Nancy Martin Employee of the Year!

Congratulations to our own Nancy Martin for being named CMS employee of the year for 2007! Personally, she has been very responsive and proactive for me and neighbors I talk to. She puts other recent Parkridge property managers and management companys to shame! Your Blogger, Howard