Uncategorized Archives - My Scattered Brain

Election Links of Interest

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 20:11:57 +0000

Public Interest Legal Foundation https://publicinterestlegal.org/category/blog/ Election Process Maps and Infographics https://www.cisa.gov/publication/election-infographic-products Oregon election director fired https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/11/oregon-elections-director-fired-after-sharing-security-spending-concerns.html

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Protect Your Vote

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:32:03 +0000

WHAT YOU CAN DO BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 3 TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY IN THE NOVEMBER 2020 ELECTIONS Print this document and hang on your bulletin board or refrigerator to refer to often. PROTECT YOUR OWN VOTE: sign up to receive all alerts and updates from EIPCa at eip-da.com. Staying abreast of the rapidly changing election information is especially vital this year. Be sure you are not affected by “surprises”. sign up at sos.ca.gov to receive text, email or phone message information: about when your ballot is mailed the date of expected ballot delivery ballot return arrival at the elections office when your ballot is counted or rejected (with remediation suggestions) a reminder to vote before the deadline. Check your registration at sdvote.com and at www.voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. If you believe your signature has changed over the years, you may wish to visit your county elections office soon and update your signature. mark your calendar: you should receive your ballot in the mail NO LATER THAN October 14 if it has not arrived, call your Registrar’s office IMMEDIATELY, report your ballot missing, and insist that it be cancelled and that you be mailed a new one; verify the mailing address If you are going to use your mail-in ballot: mark your ballot carefully with a proper implement and make NO stray marks or other writing do not spill or drip anything on your ballot; handle carefully to keep in pristine condition If you damage your ballot in any way, call your county elections office and request a new one, or go to a polling location to surrender your damaged ballot. turn your ballot in only to a staffed drop box that is emptied daily, a polling location or your county elections office do NOT mail your ballot turn your ballot in to an unstaffed drop box give your ballot to anyone other than a trusted friend or relative to turn in for you If possible, VOTE IN PERSON PROTECT ALL VOTES Provide the above advice to everyone you can. EDUCATE your friends, neighbors, family, members of any group in which you participate. IT’S NOT TOO SOON TO START NOW. Make fliers to distribute. Post on social media Blog Speak to groups Call in to radio shows Other? Download EIPCa’s Citizen Incident Statement from eip-ca.com .Make copies to have on hand. Use if appropriate and provide to others who have something to report. Explore the possibility of working for your county elections office during election season Application and information can be found at sdvote.com. If you are not already volunteering with EIPCa, visit https://www.eip-ca.com/volunteer/ and sign up. Counties and communities need coordination teams—encourage some friends to join you and volunteer NOW—we will assist you in getting started All polling locations and counting centers will need OBSERVERS. EIPCa will offer training for observing polls and ballot processing by live Zoom conference. (If you trained for either of these for the Primary, you will only need a brief Zoom live update on changes due to COVID.) Every time you visit an elections office or polling location, BE AN OBSERVER. Watch for things of concern, and when in doubt, contact EIPCa and fill out a Citizen Incident Report. At the Post Office or an apartment complex, watch for discarded ballots thrown in the trash and report to authorities; discarded ballots are opportunities for vote theft. Be alert to unscrupulous behavior by ballot harvesters, and report to EIPCa. BE GENERALLY ALERT. IF YOU SEE OR HEAR SOMETHING AMISS, REPORT IT! OTHER IMPORTANT ADVICE If you receive a ballot addressed to someone else: Fill out a Citizen Incident Statement and mail to EIPCa (include photo) Mark ballot “No such person at this address” and return to ROV by mail If you receive more than one ballot: Fill out a Citizen Incident Statement and mail to EIPCa (include photo) Call your elections office to report; follow their instructions

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Housing Issues in Upcoming Election

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:07:20 +0000

Prop 15 - Split Roll Prop 19 - Tax Portability Prop 21 - Rent Control Measure A - Prop tax increase Measure N - City of Santee Other: SB 1090 Coastal Erosion

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Del Mar Sky Deck Grand Opening Postponed

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:01:53 +0000

The Del Mar Sky Deck grand opening is postponed to Feb 20201 due to the pandemic. The Sky Deck will feature ten dining destinations, a central cocktail bar, and an elevated outdoor “brewer’s deck” featuring Northern Pine, Rough Draft Brewing, and Boochcraft Kombucha on an outdoor deck with a view. https://www.delmartimes.net/news/story/2020-09-16/carmel-valleys-sky-deck-opening-postponed-to-2021 https://www.delmarhighlandstowncenter.com/expansionupdates/

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Where to Run/Bike in San Diego

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:54:13 +0000

Coronado Silver Strand Train Run Fiesta Island Mission Bay Lake Hodges Mission Trails San Diego River Bike Path 56 Bike Path Train Run Lake Miramar

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El Cajon Mayor Will Stop Enforcing Pandemic Laws

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 06:40:29 +0000

This was a well said article from the mayor of El Cajon on why they will stop enforcing pandemic laws. It hits the nail on the head. Two weeks to flatten the curve, turned into months of shuttered doors and many businesses closed for good. “It’s like seeing a spider and burning down the house.” Police officers will be focused on crime rather than whether people are wearing masks. It doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t wear them or not practice social distancing. But it means the government will not be the ones to choose which businesses get to be successful. I do not believe that El Cajon should stop people from opening their restaurants, schools, nail salons or hardware stores. I believe that it is our duty to defend another promise of our Founding Fathers, which is to promote a civil environment, which allows all of us to pursue happiness. I love this and this is how it should be. Bravo mayor of El Cajon!

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San Diego Real Estate Market Update – August 2020

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 23:57:44 +0000

Prices in San Diego shot up in July compared to last year due to extremely low inventory. The number of new listings is back to the same level as last year, but Pending and Sold listings exceeded prior year. A balanced market is about 5-7 months of inventory. We are currently at 1.8 months, compared to 2.8 last year. It is still a seller's market. Foreclosures One of the most common questions I get is, "are we going to see a wave of foreclosures?" A wave of foreclosures could indicate a buyer's market due to increased inventory and distressed situations. The Short Answer The short answer is, yes, I think we will see some impending foreclosures which will stimulate activity. However, I don't think prices will depreciate. Buyer demand will increase as foreclosures start coming on the market. As dormant buyers get back in the market, it will balance out the supply and demand. The Long Answer As always, I look to the data to guide my opinions. Here's the detail. National and Local Distressed Sales Foreclosures and short sales were at an all time low prior to the pandemic, both locally and nationally. San Diego Foreclosures and Short Sales Home Values Forty two (42%) of homes are owned free and clear. Of the remaining 58%, the average equity in a home is $177,000. Homeowners are not going to walk away from $177,000 in equity. If they run into mortgage trouble, they are going to sell their homes, not give them up to the bank in foreclosure. Additionally, with $177,000 in equity, they will likely not have to short sell their home, which is where they owe more than the house is worth. Because of the strong equity positions, home values should not see much, if any depreciation. Forbearance is Lower Than Expected An estimated 4.1M mortgages are currently in forbearance, which accounts for 7.8% of all mortgages. In other words, 92.2% of mortgages are current. Mortgage Forbearance (as of July 21) As of July 21, 5.7M homeowners have entered a forbearance plan. Of those that entered:: 21% are no longer on forbearance and are current on their mortgage payments 4% are no longer on forbearance and are past due on their mortgage payments 3% paid off their mortgages 45% extended their forbearance 27% are still in their original forbearance term In September, 2.2M forbearance plans are scheduled to expire. Therefore, we can expect to see a wave of extensions or removals in September/October timeframe. That data will become available in October/November. In the meantime, we can look at the last wave that expired in the June and July. Of the 3.8M that were set to expire in June/July, there were 1.8M extensions and 890,000 removed, which is a 2:1 ratio (as of July 21) If you follow that same trend, of the 2.2M in forbearance scheduled for Sept, an estimated 730,000 will be removed and 1.46M would be extended. See the full report Home Affordability Falling interest rates are making homes more affordable. According to the Black Knight report, the last time homes were this affordable in CA was in Jan 2017. This brings up another point that I have been making. Back in Jan 2017, it was a strong seller's market and buyers decided to wait until another market crash. In the meantime, home prices have been going up. By the time the market crashes, it may not even drop to the level it is at if you were to buy now. Here's the actual numbers for median sales prices in San Diego: Jan 2017 - $495,000 Jan 2018 - $520,000 Jan 2019 - $542,000 Jan 2020 - $587,250 July 2020 - $635,000 If the prices were to drop by 10% from where they are today, that would be $571,500. You would have been better off buying in January 2017 for a median priced home of $495,000. Plus, you would be paying down your mortgage instead of paying it to a landlord. San Diego Median Home Sales Prices Appraisals One last thing to note is, anecdotally, I've noticed appraisals coming in low, not just in San Diego, but across the board. In many cases, there are multiple offer situations and nearby comps that support the sales prices. Often, the appraisals get challenged and rarely do I see them succeed. I don't think it's because prices are going down. I think appraisers and lenders are being extremely cautious. But the end result is, many times, the prices get adjusted downward in order to close the deal. Or it falls out of escrow, goes back on market and is stigmatized and eventually gets sold at a lower price. Then this suppresses the nearby home values. Bottom Line Overall, the market is strong. Buyers are more confident now that the peak of the pandemic has passed. Interest rates are low and it's a good time to put your home on the market. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know.

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