The Town of Paradise provides a deferred loan to eligible first-time home buyers. The loan provides a bridge between what borrowers can afford on their own and the amount needed to purchase a home. The loan is secured by a note and a deed of trust on the home. It does not require monthly payments. Repayment of the loan is required when the home is sold; the family stops using it as their principal residence; or title is transferred out of the names of the original borrowers. At the time the loan is repaid, the Agency collects its original loan amount, plus interest or a share of the homeowner's equity. Contact me for Loan Procedure Instructions for Homebuyers     I am a Certified Realtor with the Town of Paradise program Contact me for the Program Guidelines TO BE ELIGIBLE, THE APPLICAN... 07/12/2008

Evacuations downgraded, 55 percent containment Firefighters make progress on the Camp Fire bringing containment up to 55 percent while downgrading Ridge evacuations. The strong high pressure that has been occurring over the past several days is expected to gradually weaken, bringing good humidity recovery during the night, a CAL FIRE press release stated. Weather conditions are still challenging during the day with minimum relative humidity ranging between 15 to the low 20's and temperatures in the low 100's, the release stated. High priority continues to be holding the line along Highway 70 and focusing on an area known as the West Branch, according to the release. Evacuations were downgraded from "immediate" to "precautionary" Friday night in parts of the Town of Paradise, Old Magalia... 07/12/2008

The Butte County Fire Safe Council has done some mailings with information on how to protect yourself in the event a wildfire passes by your home here in Paradise and Butte County.  In case you haven't received this information, I wanted to pass it along to everyone that may find it helpful here in Paradise. If you are unable to evacuate when a fire approaches your Paradise home: Stay inside your house, away from outside walls and away from the area of fire. Keep all doors closed, but leave them unlocked. Keep your entire family together and REMAIN CALM.  Remember, if it's hot in the house, it's four to five times hotter and more dangerous outside.  Exit after the wildfire passes. After the fire passes: Check the exterior and roof immediately; extinguish all sparks and embers. Check ins... 07/01/2008

As a Paradise homeowner and realtor I try to be as green for our community as I possibly can.  That is why I will be frequenting the Paradise Farmer's market that officially opens this upcoming Tuesday, June 3rd.  The Farmer's Market is on Clark Road next to the Paradise post office and open from June through October on Tuesday mornings.  The hours of operation are are 7:30 to Noon and open in both rain and shine.  A couple of great things about the Paradise Farmer's Market (other than how incredible the fruits and vegetables are!!) 1) No long distance shipping.  Save the gas and environment! 2) Support our local Paradise farmers.  Helping our local economy helps our Paradise community and our Paradise real estate market. 05/31/2008

Last week in the Paradise real estate market there were 9 properties that went under agreement. 5 listings that closed escrow, and another 25 new listings that hit the market.  Of the Paradise properties that that went under agreement and closed escrow, the majority were single family homes priced under $250,000 and manufactured homes.  Some great news for the market is the 30 year fixed mortgage rate that continues to remain at great lows, 6.05%.  This is especially ideal for all those buyers out there that want to take advantage of the 25 properties that experienced price reductions last week.  YES...that's right 25 price reductions.  The Paradise real estate sellers are ready to negotiate and make a deal! 05/15/2008

I am often asked about the Paradise real estate market conditions and whether I feel we are currently in a buyer's market.  I have to tell you, this is not an easy question to answer.  Reason being, you will find little consistency when asking real estate professionals and financial experts the true definition of a buyer's market. Some of the definitions out there,   1)      The average days on market in a typical market are 180 days for most real estate markets.  If the average days of available housing inventory falls above that then the market is in favor of the buyer.  If the average days fall below 180 days then the market is in favor of the seller.  The days on market is relative the amount of inventory that is available.  2)      If there is more real estate inventory available t... 05/12/2008

The Paradise real estate market has been picking up some speed.  Last week there were 13 listings that closed escrow and 12 listings that went under agreement.  The Paradise sellers though are letting all the prospective buyers out there know that they have more to offer.  We saw 26 price reductions last week, which represents more than 10% of the single family residential listings on the Paradise real estate market.  The sellers are ready to make a deal.  The low mortgage rates are another added bonus for all the prospective Paradise buyers.  A great time to buy, especially for the first time buyers with 30 year fixed rate mortgages at 6.06% 05/09/2008

Next time you make coffee at your Paradise home, don't throw out the coffee grounds! I have a couple of uses for those coffee grounds that are especially good after you've enjoyed your morning cup of coffee. 1) Take a spoonful of those warm grounds and mix them with your favorite hand soap.  As you scrub the two together in your hands it will act as an incredible exfoliant for your hands, and the soap will keep everything clean.  It will be like your very own spa treatment!2) Once you finish up exfoliating your hands, you can then put the rest of the grounds aside for later use on your Pardise landscape.  They make a great ferilizer for evergreen shrubs and trees!A couple of great benefits for you by keeping those grinds out of the trash!!Go Green! 05/08/2008

Last week in the blog we talked about getting your gardens and landscape in order at your Paradise home.  Especially if you have your home listed in the (busier!!! Yeah!!) Paradise real estate market, because curb appeal is VERY important.  So for my green tip this week I wanted to send you a few suggestions on keeping you landscape work green.  Currently it is estimated that 50% or more people use harmful pesticides and landscaping techniques.  By tring a few of these tips, you may be able to help reverse the trend. For pest control go with a homemade mixture or useful insect.  To get rid of those pesky bugs and weeds use hot peppers and water.  Visit the Green Guide Report or the Beneficial Insect Guide for ideas. Use Organic compost instead of fertilizer.  You can either make your ow... 04/28/2008

Stop by and visit me at Gold Nugget Days this weekend on April 26th & 27th.  The event is held at the Terry Ashe Park on 6626 Skyway in Paradise.  I will be at booth #70 and giving you the opportunity to strike it RICH!!  I will be hosting several drawings to give away all kinds of prizes.  I will also have information about the Paradise area real estate market, including area Information, first time homebuyer packets and much more.  Paradise has been celebrating The Gold Nugget Days since 1959 in honor of the 54-pound gold nugget found in 1859.  You can take a look at this site for more information on the fun that will be in Paradise this weekend. For any Paradise area real estate needs pleae just let me know, I'd be glad to help you out!   04/24/2008

What a great week for the Paradise real estate market which experienced a bit of a surge in activity.  We had 17 properties close escrow doubling the averages we have been seeing in recent weeks.   On top of the 17 properties that closed escrow, Paradise had another 7 properties go under agreement.  The Paradise market also had another week of desirable interest rates being available, as they are holding constant at 5.88%for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage.  Paradise also had 29 new listings hit the market and 19 of the active listings experience price reductions, making the plentiful inventory even more affordable for all the prospective Paradise buyers out there.   Activity remains strong for single family homes priced below $250,000.  There is a total of 100 single family homes for sal... 04/23/2008

Are you ready to start your landscape projects this year?   A quick checklist to make sure you have all your bases covered this spring while keeping up the outside of your Paradise home.  Landscaping and gardening are one of those pesky items that can really get out of hand when neglected.  So I always like to make myself a little checklist of items that really should be maintained on a regular basis so they don't become a huge chore later on!  Keeping up with this home maintenance is a good idea for everyone so that you can keep up your Paradise home's value.  Also in case you ever want to jump into the Paradise real estate market , your home will be sell ready!! •1.       Put in paths between plants and overgrown perennials.  This will help keep your yard look well manicured even if y... 04/18/2008

The Paradise real estate market is experiencing pretty consistent activity with 14 properties going under agreement last week and another 9 properties closing escrow.  There were 26 new listings that hit the market for this same time period, so available inventory continues to outpace the amount of Paradise real estate being sold.  This coupled with the low 5.88% average for 30 year fixed rate mortgages poses some great opportunities for Paradise area buyers.  Housing categories that are still experiencing the most activity are those single family homes priced between $350,000 and $450,000 as 27% of the properties are currently under agreement.  The other two most active categories are the single family homes priced below $250,000 and the manufactured homes with 25% and 24%, respectivel... 04/17/2008

Energy costs are on the rise here in Paradise and throughout the nation, obviously no question about that.  This means that you are likely seeing in increase in your water and sewer bills as well.  So my green tip for you this week is to take shorter showers.  Think about how you would be helping your Paradise household's pocketbook as well as the environment. Less water usage is better for the environment and less money for on your water/sewer bill. Less time in the shower means less water that needs to be heated which cuts down on your fuel usage and bill (better for the environment and your pocketbook) and possbily your electricity usage and bill. And...the less time you spend in the shower each morning, the more time you have to sip on some coffee outside your home, enjoying the bea... 04/14/2008

 Spring arrived in the month of March and so did some low 30 year fixed rate mortgages in the Paradise area.  Currently at 5.88% with March just recently behind us.  Some other Paradise real estate market statistics for the month of March are as follows:  Paradise - March 2008 Site Built HomesManufactured Homes on LandVacantLandTotalNew Listings 5091473Sold223126Under Contract306238Price Reduced575668Expired or Withdrawn2541241 Total Listings Vs. Activity Paradise Total Active ListingsUnder Contract ListingsPercent Under ContractSite Built Homes 2234219%Manufactured Homes621321%Vacant Land76811% 04/12/2008

Attention all Paradise buyers, now is the time to buy!  The average 30 year fixed rate is again at historical lows, currently being only 5.88%.  There is plentiful available inventory to choose from in almost every housing category, with another 24 properties hitting the market this past week.  Another great factor for Paradise area buyers to consider is the large number of price reductions that the market continues to see week to week.  This past week the Paradise real estate market had 22 price reductions on single family homes and manufactured homes.  Paradise activity is remaining consistent with 14 properties going under agreement and 6 properties closing escrow, up slightly from last week with 11 and 5 respectively.  Currently 26% of single family homes priced under $250,000 are u... 04/09/2008

As a realtor, I know first hand the importance of having clean and well cared for community surroundings.  It is the places in the Paradise area that really make the difference for prospective buyers when they are seeking for their next place to call home.  It is also the difference for current Paradise area residents who cherish and love the community and things we have here in our community on the Ridge.  Places like the Gold Nugget Museum, the Research Room, the Gold Mine, the Terry Ashe Recreation Center, and ll the amazing state parks here in Butte County are invaluable to all of us.  Therefore instead of my typical green tip of the week, I would like to tell you about the Earth Day Celebration that will be held at Bidwell Park on April 19th from 10AM to 1 PM.  There will be a numb... 04/09/2008

It's a fun weekend to live in Butte County!  Part of the reason that I love selling real estate in Paradise and other parts of Butte County is because the community is always offering so much to our local residents.  I can always tell prospective Paradise area buyers just how great of place this truly is to live!!!  It makes selling real estate so much easier!! Whether you like nature or fun amusements there will be something for you this weekend in  Butte County.  The 2nd annual Wildflower and Nature Festival is going to take place in Riverbend Park and the Midway Rides carnival will also be in town.  You can check out the Butte County home site for more details on both events.  I hope to see you there!! 04/04/2008

Ok, so spring has officially come to Paradise.  Are you ready to put away those insulated winter drapes and bring out your spring/summer decor?  I know I am!!  I even like to add a different piece of furniture to my room or porch with a brightly colored throw pillow.  This year I have a great rocking chair that I am going to refinish and put on my back porch.  A nice quiet place to enjoy my morning cup of coffee!  It is my littlee piece of heaven  right here in Paradise.  Anyway, I found a great product called Home Strip that is making  my refinish job SO much easier.  It is a safe paint stripper that can be used indoors and there is no need to even open windows, it doesn't require all kinds of ventilation.  It will remove lead based paints, oil based paints, and even stains and some pl... 04/03/2008

The Paradise Real Estate market had 2 big changes this past week which will positively impact area buyers.  The first was that the 30 year fixed rate mortgages fell again with the average rate now being 5.85%.  In addition to this great interest rate, there were 20 price reductions in Paradise, signaling that sellers are ready to make a deal.  Overall the Paradise market activity is about the same as it has been over the past month.  There were 17 new listings that entered the market, 11 properties that went under agreement, and 5 Paradise properties that closed escrow.   The property types that are experiencing the most activity are also the same as previous weeks with 26% of the Paradise single family homes priced below $250,000 being sale pending, and 25% of the Paradise single famil... 04/03/2008