DENA LAND NEWS A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER BY LINDA LANE-WHITE—KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY SERVING MY HOMETOWN OF ALTADENA/PASADENA AND OUTLYING AREAS December 2009
Keep the Home Fires Burning Page 5
Linda Lane-White “Singing” Realtor ® CA Lic #01091347 Notary Public (626)786-1231
Though it’s been a tough year for many of us, I still wanted to wish you the many joys of the holiday season It's time to put aside concerns about the world, the economy and work, at least temporarily. Fortunately, the worst American recession since the 1930s appears to be slowly healing. It's time to celebrate. The holidays are here. The birth of Christ, the menorah's promise of light, and the winter solstice lifting of our spirits. In December, our diverse people celebrate in different ways but everyone can feel the wonder of the holiday
season. Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ on December 25 with its traditions and customs, including the appearance of Santa, that jolly old elf. Hanukkah celebrates the lives of a people who refused to give up. The Festival of Lights commemorates the Jews' rededicating the Temple of Jerusalem after a great battle. The lights of Christmas and Hanukkah come as a welcome relief since by Dec. 21, the winter solstice brings the shortest, darkest day of the year. Yes, in December, ob-
serve the ecumenical wonders of the Jewish menorahs, the Christian traditions, and sparkling garlands for all. This year, December 18 also marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year. This movable feast is marked quietly with prayers, readings and reflection. We may celebrate holidays in different ways, but in our work we are one group, unified and determined to prevail and succeed. I wish you the joys of the season and thank you for being the good friends and co -workers you have proved to be. Linda Lane-White ..
7 Steps To Keep Christmas Spending Under Control One survey shows that 35 per2) Make a list of everyone you cent of consumers plan to spend less for absolutely have to buy for. Then whittle Christmas gifts this year. The percentage is just a little higher than the 25 percent who reported last January that they spent too much. That percentage will probably decrease when consumers are surveyed in January 2010. The recession has been a wakeup call for everyone. Even profligate spenders are planning to cut back and charge less to their credit cards. Here's how to do it: 1) Calculate exactly how much down the list. you can spend from current income plus 3) If you have a family gatherwhatever you saved ahead for gifts. ing where everyone buys for everyone
else, suggest a gift exchange instead. Draw names so everyone only buys one gift. 4) Negotiate with relatives so only the kids get presents this year. But couples without children who buy for others' kids should be gifted. 5) Once your list is finalized, decide how much of your calculated money you will spend on each individual. 6) Shop with a list that includes the amount to spend on each person. Try not to exceed it. 7) Consider buying used vintage books, sheet music, or bookends for those who would appreciate them.
Dena Land News—Linda Lane-White • Keller Williams Realty (626) 786-1231 • www.lindalanewhite.com
Ask an Expert
hear that FHA Q We mortgages are a good deal these days, but are they strictly for lower-income home buyers? In the past, most Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans were made to lower-income borrowers. In fact, that is why FHA was established. In the 1930s, a working person would have to save 50 percent of the value of a house before being able to get a mortgage. The FHA changed that with programs that guaranteed loans made to people with lower down payments. FHA itself does not actually lend money or set interest rates. Instead, it guarantees loans, insuring that private lenders are protected against defaults on loans. Today the FHA has a variety of loan guarantee programs for first-time borrowers, reverse mortgages, and refinances. The percentage of FHA loans in the mortgage market is about 25 percent. In fact, while FHA loans still require smaller down payments and often have low interest rates, not all FHA borrowers are low income. In areas where real estate is expensive,
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CHRISTMAS DECO Across 1. Engine need 4. Band performance 7. La Scala highlight 9. Dotty 10. Huckleberry ___ 11. Midterm, for one 12. Like some glass 14. Clock standard: Abbr. 15. Glut 19. Large butte 20. Arthurian lady 22. Big-ticket ___ 23. French novelist Pierre 24. Driveway surface 25. Votes against
Down 1. Blockhead 2. Camera part 3. Fluff 4. Old German duchy name 5. "Good grief!" 6. Tartan cap 8. Rearrange letters 9. Refined 13. UN agency 15. ___ good example 16. ___-friendly 17. Knowing, as a secret 18. Josip Broz, familiarly 19. Cambridge sch. 21. Criticize, slangily
The title is a clue to the word in the shaded diagonal. Meyosha Scott Williams—30th Peter Larson—31st
Happy Birthday David Rutherford—5th George Van Alstine—5th Laurie Williams—10th (Happy 50th) Cynthia Perello—17th Dana Hause Gaspars—19th Jessica Williams—22nd Vickie Westgate—23rd Carol Lane-McCoo—24th
Happy Anniversary Glenn & Shanti Molina—22nd Ivory and Marilyn Webster—27th
Christmas riddle What would Rudolph do if he lost his tail? (Go to a re-tail shop!)
Want to know what has sold recently in YOUR area. Send me an e-mail or give me a call and I’ll custom tailor a list just for you! Linda Lane-White (626) 786-1231 or lindalanewhite@sbcglobal.net borrowers can take FHA mortgages for as much as $729,750 but the limits vary from place-toplace. We can discuss FHA limits and requirements with you if you think such a loan would be good for you. There are a lot of reasons people look to FHA loans. Today, if you want to make a down payment of less than 10 percent, you almost certainly will have to do an FHA loan. Borrowers can get a home mortgage for as little as 3.5 percent down.
As a government-insured loan, an FHA mortgage has easier credit qualifying guidelines than most lenders. Today, nearly all lenders require a credit score of 700 or more to qualify for a conventional mortgage. FHA credit score requirements are slightly lower. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that an FHA mortgage is a better deal than a conventional one. As always, shop around and deal with a reputable lender.
It’s December—Make a List and Check It Twice ...When Buying or Remodeling
S
anta Claus is coming to town ... and you never can tell what might happen. He's making a list and checking it twice. So should you. If you are thinking about the home you want in the coming year, this is a good time to compile your wish list, whether you're looking to Santa or not. After writing your dreams and wishes, your list of must-haves comes next. Give yourself the gift of time to create the lists. You can enjoy that time whenever a new idea comes to you, whether it's in the middle of the day or in the middle of watching NCIS on television. Builders of up-scale homes say a state-of-the-art kitchen, walk-in closets and whirlpool tubs rank as the three most-coveted elements Americans over age 25 want in their dream homes. The survey of builders was made by market-research firm GFK Roper. Your own list will be a lot longer as you customize it according to how your family lives. Fortunately, most of your needs today can be met by an existing home, and many of your wishes can be fulfilled at the same time. A dream home doesn't have to be a palace, but with home prices at their current levels, dreamers have the opportunity to buy more than they could in earlier times. If you don‟t want to move—remodel! Just make sure to use a licensed contractor who knows current code in your area and make sure you‟re named as additional insured under the company‟s liability insurance. DON‟T TAKE CHANCES WITH UNLICENSED
WORKERS WHO “SAY” THEY‟RE CONTRACTORS. Check their license at www.cslb.ca.gov A few things you may want to include in your list: A separate laundry room. A mud room with a half bath attached for washing up. Extra storage space for toys and sports equipment. Large kitchen with space for family dining. Fenced yard to keep small kids and big dogs contained. No home will have them all, but many will have other amenities you will like even better. If you're a baby boomer or beyond, that home could be your reCEEDUB ward for CONSTRUCTION a lifeRESIDENTIAL & LIGHT COMMERCIAL time of With over 30 years of experience, we work work with you to achieve your dream. service to Call Today For A Free Estimate (Licensed/Bonded/Insured) others.
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1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup candied citrus peel 1/2 cup almond slivers 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Directions: Scald milk. Add granulated sugar, butter and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs, and 2 yolks. Mix. Add to 3 cups flour and yeast in food processor. Process and let rise until double.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 5 2/3 cups flour 1 ounce active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Add spices, raisins, citron, almonds, and rest of flour. Process and put on floured board and knead. Let the dough rise in greased bowl. When risen, cut into 3-4 pieces. Roll each into an oval, butter, and fold in half lengthwise. Put on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove to rack. When cool, dust with confectioner's (powdered) sugar.
Active Adults Corner Trust Linda Lane-White as your Seniors Real Estate Specialist®
„Tis The Season: Watch Out For E-Mail and Phone Scams The scammers, spammers, and rip-off artists are out in force this time of year. But you can protect yourself. On the telephone, never give an unsolicited caller your account numbers. To protect yourself from email scams, don't click on links within emails, open
unexpected attachments, or call phone numbers included in emails from financial institutions. If you think you have received a message by email from your bank or financial institution, do not click on the link. Open a new window in your browser (Internet
Explorer, for example) and type the address in the address blank. If the email urges you to call the bank, go to call the bank by the number listed in the telephone book, not the email.
When Buying or Refinancing... Call Peter First &
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Peter Cosfol Augusta Financial Senior Loan Officer
Augusta Financial is a service oriented mortgage company that specializes in residential financing. We have many loan programs to help our clients with all of their mortgage needs. Peter offers the best pricing with the lowest fees! Peter will personally address all of your questions and concerns regarding the loan process! Augusta Financial makes the loan process seem easy! Augusta is both Broker and Mortgage Banker! We offer In-house processing and funding!
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Level 1-Commercial 560 sf Level 2- 1 BR/1BA 560 sf 2 Car Garage 400 sf Laundry Room 64 sf 2,997 sf lot Separate HVAC Units Separate Electric Meters Dual pane laminate glass Alarm System Security Gates (Buy with only a $49,900 down payment)
1564-66 N. Fair OaksAve., Pasadena Free LCD TV if you bring me a $499,900 buyer! Completely renovated, vacant, free-standing building, great street frontage Call (626) 786-1231 for more information
www.1564NFairOaks.com (Construction by Ceedub Construction)
Highlights Mixed Use Live/Work Owner/User Investment Enterprise Zone Tax Credits Hiring Credits
Zoned FGSP-CL-1B Use Code: Retail/ Residential
Who do you know right now who’s looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? Give me a call or send me an E-mail. I’m never too busy for your referrals to friends or family. Linda Lane-White (lindalanewhite@kw.com or 626-786-1231) Disclaimers: All real estate information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change, or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor this company shall be responsible for typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. If your property is currently listed with another real estate broker, this is not a solicitation of that listing.
Dena Land News—Linda Lane-White • Keller Williams Realty (626) 786-1231 • www.lindalanewhite.com
Keep the Home Fires Burning Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful! That crackling, cheerful dancing fire in the fireplace is sure to kindle deep appreciation from family and guests on chilly winter days. Throughout the ages, the home hearth has been the center of cheer on dreary days. For some, keeping the home fires burning, is virtually a sacred tradition. Mary-Anne Robb resident of the stately Cothay Manor in Somerset, England keeps the fire burning in her Great Hall from October until Easter. “Old houses,,”she says, “should smell of beeswax and wood smoke.” Perhaps with the rising costs of fuel, more homes will rekindle the tradition of a merry fire. If you are considering building a holiday fire, one of the first things you have to do choose wood. Of course different woods smell differently and burn for different periods. Dense hard wood such as oak and ash are slow, lazy burners.
Spruce or cedar smell lovely but burn quickly. If you cut your own wood, cut your logs to size immediately then let them season a year. A fire can take an hour or so to warm up a room, so plan ahead if you want to have one as a backdrop for dinner. Robb recommends keeping a good layer of ash in the often-used fireplace, since it holds heat and cuts down on smoke. Remove some ash every two weeks or so, depending on the size of your fireplace. You can distribute it over your rose beds. The editors at County Life UK recommend purchasing a firelighter to start your fire. To lay a proper fire, crisscross a layer of extremely dry kindling. Above that put two small, very dry logs balanced against each other as an arch. Start the kindling and logs with your firelighter. When the flames are high and going well, add coal or larger logs.
American Christmas: Blending Customs For more than a thousand years, we have evidence that Christmas has been a time of joy and celebration, but just what kind of celebration depends on time and place. Not surprisingly, North American Christmas traditions are a blend of customs. In England during the 1700s, Christmas was a time for parties, fox hunts, balls, and merry-making -- all the province of adults with no wide-eyed children in sight. Meanwhile, in colonial Williamsburg, as you might expect, Christmas was treated very much as a religious holiday,
centered first around church services, and then around friends, family, and, of course, food. In these celebrations children were almost certainly included and encouraged to participate, setting the American colonials apart from their British contemporaries. The tradition of the Christmas tree, seems rightly attributed to the Germans. More than 1,500 years ago a monk who became known as St. Boniface used a fir tree to explain the Trinity to his German audience. By the 12th century the tree was being hung upside down from ceilings at Christmastide. Although there exist reports of deco-
FIREWOOD (Author Unknown)
Beechwood fires are bright and clear If the logs are kept a year; Chestnut's only good, they say, If for long 'tis laid away; Make a fire of elder tree, Death within your house shall be; But ash new or ash old Is fit for Queen with crown of gold. Birch and fir logs burn too fast, Blaze up bright and do not last; It is by the Irish said Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread; Elmwood burns like churchyard mould E'en the very flames are cold; But ash green or ash brown Is fit for Queen with golden crown. Poplar gives a bitter smoke Fills your eyes and makes you choke; Apple wood will scent your room With an incense like perfume; Oaken logs, if dry and old Keep away the winter's cold; But ash wet or ash dry A King shall warm his slippers by.
rated trees in England and Germany in the 15th century, the idea of a Christmas tree didn't really catch on in England until 1848. At that time, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were pictured in the Illustrated London News standing with family around a decorated tree. Suddenly the Christmas tree was all the fashion. While Americans are often accused of over-lavish Christmases, Victorian celebrations of the 1890s were over the top: Heaps of toys, food, and trees crammed with every kind of decoration. By contrast, on the vast American continent, traditions varied but by 1900, all the elements of the modern Christmas were in place. Woolworths sold decorations and even little hooks to hang them on. Strings of lights were available. And people thought giving gifts to loved ones was a good thing.
Pasadena Market Center 445 S. Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105 Cell: (626) 786-1231 Home Office: (626) 798-2382 Fax: (626) 296-1979 lindalanewhite@sbcglobal.net
Home Office: 519 Alameda, Altadena Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
Linda Lane-White “Singing” Realtor® CA Lic #01091347 (since 1990) Notary Public (since 1987)
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Search the MLS on my web site! Dena Land News December 2009 Happenings
89th Annual Christmas Tree Lane Winter Festival &
Lighting Ceremony Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 2:00 Festival Begins 6:00 Ceremony Begins Location: Altadena Library— Corner of Mariposa and Santa Rosa Ave Danny’s Farm Petting Zoo, pics with Santa Claus & his sleigh, various arts & crafts, and entertainment (including the John Muir Alumni Drum Corps) and mingle with your neighbors! Call (626) 786-1231 for more information. www.christmastreelane.net
Various Dates Support our local Coffee Gallery in Altadena. There are some AWESOME acts this month! 2029 N Lake Call 626-398-7917 or www.coffeegallery.com Now—Dec 20 Baby It‟s You. Pasadena Playhouse 39 S El Molino.626-356-7529 $varies Now—Dec 12 Altadena Sheriff‟s Stations Annual Christmas Food & Toy Drive. Drop off unopened food items or unwrapped toys at the Station or Altadena Library. Call Deputy Sam Estrada at 626-798-1131 Dec 8 Five Acres Festive Holiday Open House. 6pm (cocoa, hot cider & hors d‟oeuvres) 7pm (program) 8pm (special wine reception to celebrate the new Zeilstra Research & Training Center w/campus tours) The program includes the Henson Puppets, the Rose Queen and her Court, and performance by the children. 760 W Mountain View, Altadena. Brighten a child‟s holiday. Bring an unwrapped gift! RSVP to Margaret 626-798-6793 ext 2244 or mmorici@5acres.org. www.5acres.org Dec 12 10-11:30am Altadena NAACP & LEAD Program Reception. Parents and 10th and 11th graders are encouraged to attend. Community Center 730 E Altadena Dr., Altadena www.leadprogram.org Dec 12 2pm Christmas Tree Lane Winter Arts & Crafts Festival. Altadena Library—Santa Rosa/Mariposa. 6pm Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony. Call 626-786-1231 for more info Dec 12 7pm-11pm North (Pole) Lake Shop Hop Festival. Galloway Alley. Live Music, Food, Sledding on Real Snow. Lake/Mariposa Dec 12 The Nutcracker. Pasadena Dance Theatre. San Gabriel Mission Playhouse 320 S Mission Dr., San Gabriel. www.pasadenadance.org 626-683-3459 Prices vary from $15 to $42 Dec 13 9am-3pm Rose Bowl Flea Market. 1001 Rose Bowl Drive $8.00 Dec 13 4pm-6pm Chanukah Menorah Lighting Celebration. Glendale Galleria 100 W Broadway, Glendale. www.chabadcenter.org 818-240-2750 Free Dec 13 4pm Christmas w/the Pasadena Master Chorale joined by students from Muir, Blair and Washington Middle School. Altadena Community Church 943 E Altadena Dr. www.pasadenamasterchorale.org 626-208-0009 $10.00 Dec 13 7pm 8th Annual Christmas Concert & Carol Sing Along. Westminster Presbyterian Church 1757 N Lake, Pasadena 626-794-7141 Free Dec 18 7pm Pasadena Conservatory of Music Annual Holiday Sing Along. 100 N Hill, Pasadena Free Dec 19 10am-12pm Merry Merry Movie Holiday treats and surprises await all who attend. Pasadena Playhouse District Assoc. 673 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena 626-744-0340 www.playhousedistrict.org Free Dec 22&23 Nutcracker by Long Beach Ballet at Pasadena Civic.300 E Green pasadenacivic.com $20-$85 Dec 26 9pm-midnightGreg Poree with Robert Kyle (awesome sax/flute player) performs at Red White & Bluezz 70 S. Raymond, Pasadena www.robertkyle.com