McKinley Park Gardens

This morning I got up EARLY 7 am (this is Saturday) and drove to McKinley Park to meet fellow photographers from my camera club. Our job was to practice "macro photography" techniques -- that means you use your longest lens and get very close to a flower and try to take a very artsy, soft-focus photgraph of a flower, or even just PART of a flower. We went early because when the traffic on H Street picks up, it creates wind and makes the picture-taking difficult. Well, today, the traffic made no difference -- it was windy anyway ! So it was a bit of a challenge. But it was fun to be there among other photographers - we had about five or six. One of them, the President of our Sierra Camera Club, used to be my professor at CSUS when I was in Grad school -- in 1980. He has since retired and I'm so impressed with his photography skills -- he's a master at creating beautiful macro shots, especially of poppies. Another group that was there consisted of artists -- painters, sketchers, etc., and of course there were many people running and walking around the park. Quite a lively place at 7:30 in the morning !! Don't people like to sleep in ?? Actually, I envy them. I wish I were a morning person, but I much prefer to stay up late and sleep in. But not today !

Federal Pool Safety Law

A new federal law was passed, the Pool and Spa Safety Act, requiring all public pools and spas to have a cover on the pool drain. In the past 20 years, dozens of children have become sucked into or trapped underwater in drains and died or been severely injured. Violation of this crime carries a hefty fine -- up to $1.8 million per infraction plus criminal penalties, so it certainly makes sense for pool owners to be in compliance. The public pools include those in hotels, apartment complexes, home-owner associations, and other common areas.

Here are some specifics about the law. All public pools must include approved safety drain covers, while single drain public pools must ALSO install approved anti-entrapment devices, such as Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS), an automatic pump shot-off system, a gravity drainage system, or a suction-limiting vent system.

Privately owned pools and spas in the backyard of private homes are NOT covered by the law and are not required to install any drain covers. Pool maintenance companies have reportedly quoted thousands of dollars to owners to install the required covers, but officials said no such costs are warranted in order to comply with the law.

Organizations such as CPSC (Consumer Public Safety Commission) and Safe Kids strongly recommend all pools and spas, even private residential pools and spas, install both approved drain covers and an additional layer of protection.

If you are taking your children to a public place to swim, and swimming weather is here, PLEASE take the time to double-check your community pool and ask the owner if the safety devices have been installed. Make the summer of 2009 a safe and fun time when it comes to children's pool safety.

Mello Roos

I have noticed as a Roseville Realtor (or Roseville Realator, as some mistakenly call it -- see my website), that many of the Roseville homes have a Mello Roos tax which is a monthly expense attached to the home. What is a Mello Roos tax? It is a special tax which was assessed to homeowners in a particular community, in order to repay bonds which were used to fund the infrastructure of that community. This infrastructure includes roads, schools, police and fire protection services, ambulance, utility connection, sewer lines, and streetlights. It is generally found that communities with a Mello Roos tax have lower crime rates and better schools. A disadvantage to a new buyer, especially a first-time buyer, is that the Mello Roos (which can range anywhere from $25 to $300 or more per month) must be considered when looking at how much the property will cost the buyer per month -- can they afford the mortgage payment AND can they also afford the Mello Roos tax?

Mello Roos was voted on and passed in 1982, four years after Proposition 13 was passed to limit property taxation. It is usually attached to communities of homes which were built in 1994 or later. Some Mello Roos taxes can be paid in a lump sum if the buyer can pay them; others can last 30 years or more and cannot be paid in a lump sum. Any Roseville Realtor ( or Sacramento Realtor) should let the buyer know if there is a Mello Roos tax attached to the home, and how much it is. This information should also be supplied by the Listing agent of the home. And, any new homebuyer should decide if the home and surrounding area warrant the additional expense of the Mello Roos tax. They should drive around the area, see what is available, check out the schools and parks and other amenities, and make an educated decision.

Crosswoods Bank Owned

There is a bank owned townhome in Crosswoods which is in a lovely setting, close to the creek that runs through. It has been on the market for some time and I'm perplexed as to why it has not been sold yet. It has not been updated, but it's in such a lovely location with such nice neighbors on both sides, you'd think someone would snatch it up. It's 1500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two and a half baths, with a beautiful view, and it's listed at $175,000, which is about $50,000 less than that model usually sells for. I offered to do an open house for the listing agent -- sent her an email -- and she never responded. Too bad for both of us, it would be fun for me to hold it open, and it could help her sell the unit. I think the only reason it's not selling must be that it's not updated. But, with a little work in the kitchen, and some paint and upgraded carpet or other flooring, it would be perfect to live in. I would buy it myself if I didn't already love the unit I'm living in !

My Name is Donna Sturla. This is my very first blog !! As a realtor in Sacramento, I have lived in Crosswoods in Citrus Heights, CA, for eleven years. I love living there, and realized recently that most of the people there would benefit from having access to a Realtor who knows the "lay of the land" in Crosswoods. So, I wrote up a nice introduction letter, letting people know who I am and what I might be able to do for them. That way, they know they can call a neighbor in Crosswoods, and ask for the name of a good painter, electrician, plumber, painter, handyman, general contractor, carpet cleaner, and so on and so on, and I can give them that information. Also, who would be a better Realtor for Crosswoods than someone who actually lives there !
So, I started bringing my little letter to people who live on my court. As I did this, I ran into a small flock of turkeys who also live in Crosswoods. One of them was a huge male, with his feathers all plumped up. He was strutting around, probably doing his best to attract a female. I didn't know if I should walk by (and risk being stalked -- which happened to me once a few years ago, by four females) or walk way around him. I chose to walk by and just kept chatting to him, and he held his ground, ignored me, and let me go. I met a few more of my neighbors and introduced myself to them, and it was great fun.