Q: I enjoy reading your weekly column in the paper. I’ve been enlightened regard ing many real estate problems, but never expected to be writing you about my own.
On May 19, 2023, we entered into a contract for the pur chase of a new home and gave a deposit of $5,000 to the builder. The offer was based on the approval of a bridge loan to be paid from the proceeds from the sale of our current home. Upon approval of the bridge loan, we would move into the new house and payment would begin in 45 days and the bridge loan would be due in 90 days. We soon were notified that we did not qualify for the bridge loan.
We wanted this particular house, so we were continually in contact with the sales agent and the bank, which was attempting to secure another type of loan. In June we received an email from the bank that another loan they had worked on had been approved, but we were never given a new contract to sign. Our real estate agent requested one, but it was never offered. We continued to work on a verbal mutual agreement that the house would be ours and we continued to try to sell our home.
Tim Jones
Two weeks ago, we received a letter from the bank stating that had been terminated due to our failure to perform as required under the Offer to Purchase and Receipt of Deposit. The letter-
ing our contract that we were
give us any warning they were going to withdraw our contingency or cancel our agreement. The day we received the termination letter, the front window in the new house displayed a “SOLD” sign. Before then, the front window displayed an “AVAILABLE” sign. Is this fair and are we entitled to receive our refund?
A: Nope, it’s not fair. Unfortunately, “fair” isn’t the issue.
The real question is, “is it legal?” The answer is “maybe.”
At the outset, everyone should understand that buying a “used” house and buying a new tract home are entirely different things, mostly because they are entirely different industries.
When you buy a pre-occupied home, there are two parties dealing at arm’s length with each other. In other words, both sides have Realtors. Both sides are interested in their own best interest and so the contract negotiations are a matter of give-and-take.
The contracts used by Realtors typically come from the California Association of Realtors (CAR) and the language in the contract is not, as a whole, intended for one party’s benefit over the other. In other words, whatever legal rights and responsibilities the parties have or don’t have is a result of their negotiations.
Not so with a builder.
Builders deliberately use their own, custom-drafted contracts. There’s virtually no negotiation between the builder and the buyer. The boilerplate provisions are set in stone and the builder’s sales people have no authority to line out provisions or draft new ones. If they appear to do so, it’s only for show in order to make the
buyer believe they have some control. Much like when you buy a car. You may drive away thinking you really took advantage of the poor salesman and all but stole the car. All the while the guy is beginning his Happy Commission Check dance as he waives goodbye.
So the answer to your question lies in the contract you did sign.
You didn’t tell me who the builder is, but given the very few builders around here who are selling new homes, I can make an educated guess.
If I’m right, I am pretty familiar with their contract and yes, they have a right to keep the money.
Typically, when a buyer enters into a contract to purchase a pre-owned home from the seller, the buyer’s Realtor will negotiate a financing contingency.
If the buyer, despite their best efforts, is unable to obtain a loan of a certain amount and terms, the buyer can opt to back out and will be refunded all of their money.
That provision doesn’t exist in most builder contracts. Put a deposit down and that’s money you’ll never see again if you don’t close escrow for any reason that isn’t directly the builder’s fault.
See Jones, Page 10
There are two groups of people that need to build a credit score from scratch.
The most common group are my friends and clients that have had bad luck, bad habits or were never taught financial literacy which crushed their credit scores. These are people like me, where in 1989, I found myself having to rebuild my credit after two rough years in 1987 and 1988. These two bad years were caused by a combination of bad luck and financial stupidity.
In 1986, I left a corporate job with a good salary and great benefits to become an independent contractor with no medical benefits. The bad luck was some unexpected significant medical bills. The stupidity was that I gambled, didn’t buy medical insurance, had baby No. 4 in 1988, and because I had always been a W-2 employee, I underestimated the importance of socking away 25% of my income for Uncle Sam.
Humans, unlike robots powered by artificial intelligence, can be idiots. It took me two years to rebuild my credit, which allowed me to buy our home in late 1990.
The other group of people that must build a great credit score are 18-year-olds right out of high school. My readers and followers have heard me say this a thousand times, but I will say it again: teaching kids about investing, credit scores and the American Dream should be a required class in high school.
For now, here are a few easy tips on building or rebuilding a credit score from scratch.
No. 1: Become an authorized user on a relative’s major bank card. This will only be a risk to the cardholder if they give the authorized user the physical credit card and the secret threedigit number and the authorized user goes to Vegas or becomes addicted to QVC.
No. 2: Open two secured credit cards with a bank or credit union. A person can get a Visa with a zero-credit score by simply depositing $500 in a banking institution and the lender will issue a credit card with a limit up to that $500. The key to having the highest FICO score possible after six months is to use the card every month and then pay it off in full on or before the payment due date and never ever be late. A parent or an uncle can do this for a kid and manage the secured card to help their loved-one grow up and learn how to be financially smart. After a year the creditor will make the credit card unsecured totally based on your good looks and payment history and release the $500 collateral.
No. 3: Experian, one of the three big credit bureaus, offers something called Experian Boost, which allows folks to have their utility bill and cellphone bill payment history reported. That will boost a credit score if the payments are made as agreed and on time.
No. 4: Once a person has a credit card, try to avoid maxing out the balance and get close to the credit limit. For example, if a person has a Visa card with a $5,000 credit limit and on the day that person has their credit report and FICO score pulled, they happen to have a balance of $4,500, their score will be lower than it would be if the balance was less than 30% of the credit limit. This irritates my highFICO score friends and clients that pay off their cards in full every month because FICO is
TOTAL SALES: 6
LOWEST AMOUNT: $350,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $903,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $772,500
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $660,250
524 Baylor Court - $800,000
06-12-23 [3 Bdrms - 1365 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-06-17, $545,000
316 Durham Court - $903,000
06-12-23 [4 Bdrms - 1735 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 03-30-98, $180,000
941 Elane Way - $812,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1527 SqFt - 1941 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-21-03, $459,900
534 Hastings Drive - $745,000
06-16-23 [4 Bdrms - 1812 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 00/1990, $210,000
919 West L Street #9 - $350,000
06-12-23 [1 Bdrms - 660 SqFt - 1971 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-10-18, $250,000
900 Southampton Road #93 - $351,500
06-16-23 [2 Bdrms - 853 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 03-05-10, $71,000
TOTAL SALES: 7
LOWEST AMOUNT: $430,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $725,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $560,000
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $588,071
509 West A Street - $535,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1230 SqFt - 1916 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 02-09-22, $535,000
770 Collier Drive - $725,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1874 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 10-22-07, $498,000
805 Evans Road - $560,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1462 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-19-19, $445,000
450 La Esperanza Drive - $485,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1273 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-28-09, $166,000
1130 Legion Court - $710,000
06-13-23 [5 Bdrms - 3026 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt]
1830 Margurite Drive - $671,500
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1969 SqFt - 1997 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-29-22, $567,000
525 North Washington Street - $430,000
06-13-23 [2 Bdrms - 1196 SqFt - 1934 YrBlt]
TOTAL SALES: 23
LOWEST AMOUNT: $247,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,550,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $588,000
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $627,630
1513 Bailey Drive - $588,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1819 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 06-13-19, $462,000
374 Begonia Boulevard - $502,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1391 SqFt - 1966 YrBlt]
234 Camellia Street - $515,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1473 SqFt - 1965 YrBlt]
5287 Carlson Lane - $720,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 2328 SqFt - 2015 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 02-03-15, $478,500
3716 Chapparal Court - $728,500
06-15-23 [4 Bdrms - 2335 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 09-28-12, $340,000
1994 Clyde Jean Place - $750,000
06-16-23 [4 Bdrms - 2102 SqFt - 2017 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 10-29-20, $699,000
2260 Currier Place - $524,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1438 SqFt - 1974 YrBlt]
282 Gardenstone Place - $615,000
06-15-23 [4 Bdrms - 1664 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 10-22-19, $450,000
1124 Hayes Street - $471,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1000 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-27-19, $378,000
2740 Midtown Lane - $570,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1890 SqFt - 2007 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 02-28-20, $453,000
1001 Mockingbird Lane - $247,000
06-14-23 [4 Bdrms - 1584 SqFt - 1967 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-27-10, $145,000
2048 Nottingham Drive - $435,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1008 SqFt - 1959 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 03-16-23, $330,000
14 Oak Lane - $800,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 2100 SqFt - 1974 YrBlt]
2916 Orchid Street - $415,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1276 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt]
2502 Orchid Street - $475,000
06-16-23 [4 Bdrms - 1219 SqFt - 1971 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 04-13-15, $260,000
3040 Peppertree Drive - $670,000
06-13-23 [4 Bdrms - 2261 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 00/1990, $226,500
3150 Redwood Drive - $720,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 2127 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-20-98, $197,000
Rockville Road - $1,550,000
[3 Bdrms - 3053 SqFt - 1966 YrBlt]
San Diego Street - $555,000
[3 Bdrms - 1686 SqFt - 1959 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-08-23, $405,000
Shumway Place - $715,000
[3 Bdrms - 2224 SqFt - 2012 YrBlt],
Sale:
LOWEST AMOUNT: $445,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $499,000
MEDIAN
Previous Sale: 11-06-20, $434,000
SUISUN CITY
TOTAL SALES: 3
LOWEST AMOUNT: $545,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $620,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $565,000
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $576,667
825 Heron Drive - $545,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1776 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]
1311 Pintail Drive - $565,000
06-12-23 [4 Bdrms - 1824 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-16-18, $415,000
701 Whispering Bay Lane - $620,000
06-16-23 [4 Bdrms - 1846 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 09-19-22, $307,000
TOTAL SALES: 21
LOWEST AMOUNT: $250,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,125,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $630,000
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $627,714
502 Arcadia Drive - $250,000
06-14-23 [1 Bdrms - 687 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-15-20, $195,000
103 Beverly Court - $581,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1608 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 04-18-13, $305,000
525 Blarney Circle - $545,000
06-12-23 [3 Bdrms - 1679 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 08-24-09, $280,000
184 Carlsbad Circle - $400,000
06-15-23 [2 Bdrms - 1008 SqFt - 1972 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-19-18, $325,000
1043 Copper Court - $695,000
06-12-23 [4 Bdrms - 1840 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 09-19-22, $630,000
661 Dahlia Drive - $652,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1728 SqFt - 2020 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-10-20, $504,000
548 Datura Drive - $630,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1639 SqFt - 2021 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 02-04-21, $549,000
2001 Eastwood Drive #23 - $260,000
06-12-23 [2 Bdrms - 890 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-19-19, $205,000
273 Limerick Way - $650,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1988 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-09-15, $400,000
3511 Nut Tree Road - $585,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1334 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-16-21, $520,000
422 Peacock Way - $988,000
06-13-23 [4 Bdrms - 3673 SqFt - 2007 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-09-10, $505,000
753 Placer Circle - $855,000
06-12-23 [5 Bdrms - 3712 SqFt - 2008 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-18-09, $420,000
291 Regency Circle - $565,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1313 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-17-98,
These are the local homes sold recently, provided by California Resource of Lodi. The company can be reached at 209.365.6663 or CalResource@aol.com.
773 Roscommon Drive - $680,000
06-15-23 [4 Bdrms - 1911 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 00/1989, $182,000
218 Sandalwood Court - $590,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1293 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 10-29-15, $325,000
529 Scottsdale Drive - $545,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1602 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-07-03, $265,000
7932 Spencer Lane - $387,000
06-13-23 [4 Bdrms - 3665 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-16-21, $400,000
297 Sunridge Way - $699,000
06-15-23 [4 Bdrms - 1829 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt]
649 Sweet Pea Street - $650,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1827 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 07-15-19, $465,500
TOTAL SALES: 27
LOWEST AMOUNT: $230,000
HIGHEST AMOUNT: $815,000
MEDIAN AMOUNT: $510,000
AVERAGE AMOUNT: $532,926
210 B Street - $600,000
06-14-23 [2 Bdrms - 1008 SqFt - 1924 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-16-13, $224,500
9 Bergwall Way - $515,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1304 SqFt - 1957 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 03-15-18, $184,000
1054 Caldwell Avenue - $465,000
06-14-23 [2 Bdrms - 816 SqFt - 1949 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 09-27-19, $355,000
450 Carousel Drive - $565,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1310 SqFt - 1994 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 02-21-23, $415,000
308 Corkwood Street - $502,500
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1150 SqFt - 1955 YrBlt]
550 Cotta Court - $660,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1690 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt]
525 Daniels Avenue - $304,000
06-14-23 [2 Bdrms - 784 SqFt - 2003 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-12-11, $61,000
1543 El Dorado - $475,000
06-16-23 [2 Bdrms - 1090 SqFt - 1934 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 06-07-11, $103,500
8 Evergreen Court - $635,000
06-14-23 [4 Bdrms - 1670 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]
100 Gleason Avenue - $260,000
06-15-23 [2 Bdrms - 975 SqFt - 1916 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 08-03-10, $63,000
146 Grubstake Place - $467,500
06-12-23 [3 Bdrms - 1180 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 10-29-15, $296,000
160 Hamilton Court - $300,000
06-16-23 [2 Bdrms - 1344 SqFt - 1971 YrBlt]
219 Holly Street - $490,000
06-14-23 [3 Bdrms - 1025 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt]
608 Kirkland Avenue - $775,000
06-13-23 [4 Bdrms - 2878 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-01-11, $295,000
1143 Legend Circle - $730,000
06-12-23 [4 Bdrms - 1986 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt]
405 Lighthouse Drive - $230,000
06-15-23 [1 Bdrms - 718 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 00/1992, $91,500
674 Mini Drive - $510,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1214 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 01-10-19, $375,000
165 Oddstad Drive #8 - $325,000
06-16-23 [2 Bdrms - 1121 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 12-16-10, $60,000
15 Parrott Street - $350,000
06-16-23 [3 Bdrms - 1100 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 05-02-10, $46,500
260 Preakness Lane - $725,000
06-12-23 [4 Bdrms - 2627 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 04-07-18, $352,500
981 Prospect Avenue - $725,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 2153 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt],
Previous Sale: 11-29-16, $280,000
7258 Seaglass Drive - $645,000
06-13-23 [3 Bdrms - 1545 SqFt - 2009 YrBlt]
250 Seawind Drive - $815,000
06-16-23 [4 Bdrms - 2215 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt]
101 Smokey Hills Drive - $500,000
06-13-23 [4 Bdrms - 2468 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-28-99, $197,500 4104 Summer Gate Avenue - $805,000 06-16-23 [5 Bdrms - 2366 SqFt - 2003 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-02-14, $475,000
749 Vervais Avenue - $585,000
06-15-23 [3 Bdrms - 1042 SqFt - 1951 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-19-21, $340,000 155 Ward Court - $430,000
06-14-23 [2 Bdrms - 908 SqFt - 1972 YrBlt]
Sale: 02-14-18, $320,000
2290 Revival Lane - $499,000
06-12-23 [3 Bdrms - 1837 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt],
To advertise here, call 707-427-6927
JEANNE HUBER SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
Q: How can I remove cat urine stains from slate?
A: The best advice about pet urine stains on stone is to avoid them – and the stink that can persist for what seems like forever – by cleaning up puddles as soon as possible. Blot up the liquid with paper towels, rather than wiping it, to avoid spreading the urine onto a wider area. Then, with fresh paper towels at each step, wash and rinse using the same blotting technique. For the wash, mix a squirt of hand dishwashing detergent – about a quarter teaspoon – in a quart of warm water. Blot it on, wait a few minutes, then blot off. Rinse by repeating this process several times with plain water.
Of course, if the slate is already stained, a quick cleanup won’t be enough. You still should be able to eliminate or at least greatly reduce the stain, though. The stone stained because it was porous enough to absorb the urine and the urine dried while trapped there. You need a way to reverse that process and suck out the stain. Your best bet is a poultice – a highly absorbent powder mixed with liquid suited to the stain. If you spread the poultice over the area and keep it wet long enough to allow it to sink in and dissolve the stain ingredients, the mixture will pull those ingredients toward the surface as it evaporates, trapping them in the drying powder.
A poultice recipe recommended by Surface Care Pros, a training and marketing resource for stone care professionals, calls for mixing white flour or diatomaceous earth with hydrogen
peroxide in the “20 volume” concentration. This type of product, sold for bleaching hair, consists of 6 percent hydrogen peroxide in water, double the percentage in the hydrogen peroxide sold at drugstores as a disinfectant. Find the higher potency product at a local beauty shop, or order it online. A 16-ounce bottle of Salon Care 20 Volume Clear Developer is $8.23 on Amazon, but online delivery takes a while because the product has to be shipped by ground. (Hydrogen peroxide isn’t flammable on its own, but it is a powerful oxidizer, meaning the oxygen it releases can make other substances burn more intensely and even explode.)
Diatomaceous earth, made by grinding fossilized algae, is sold for many uses, including as a gardening aid. The particles’ sharp edges poke into many kinds of crawling insects and cause them to dry up and die. A four-pound bag of Harris brand’s diatomaceous earth crawling insect killer is $10.26 at Home Depot. If you use flour, choose ordinary white flour. When you’re ready to tackle the stain, dampen the area with distilled water to begin dissolving the remnants of the urine. Wear protective gloves and glasses, and work carefully to avoid stirring up and inhaling dust if you are using diatomaceous earth. Put some of the powder in a glass or ceramic container; the amount depends on the size of the stain. With a plastic or wooden spoon, stir in enough hydrogen peroxide to make a thick, creamy mixture, sort of like warm peanut butter.
See Stains, Page 12
the center
Gardeners who’ve had their ear to the ground this season may be wondering what all the hoopla is about in the petunia world. Well, truth be told, it is a new Supertunia for 2024 called Hoopla Vivid Orchid.
If you think about it, "hoopla" means bustling excitement, com motion and ballyhoo, which is just the sensory overload you have when you first see this new addition to the Super tunia lineup.
When I received some plants for the trial, I immediately had some of them pegged for one of the premier window boxes in town. To be more succinct, I had them going out of state to the "Sweet Home Alabama" garden of our favorite real estate guru, Kim Mixon, in Phenix City,
Alabama, 10 miles west.
Son James and his partner, Anthony Arrington of Eden Landscape Management, design and plant the garden each year, and it has become a regular drive-by for The Garden Guy. The window box is like the centerpiece of the most floriferous garden in the Columbus, Georgia, metropolitan area. You might think this production was for business purposes, but it is strictly because Kim is a flower
See Winter, Page 12
Lone y & Worley Team invites you to join us at 4829 Duval Street in Paradise Valley-Fair eld
Welcome to Paradise! This is a highly sought after floor plan that is located in Paradise Valley and sits on the fourth fairway of the golf course. The primary bedroom and bathroom are located on the first floor and look out to the golf course. There is 2 additional first floor bedrooms. The upstairs has it’s own separate section that could easily be used as a separate apartment/living space. Upstairs offers a fourth bedroom, bathroom and great room. The kitchen has been completely updated. Newer stainless steel appliances, 5 burner gas cook-top with vent hood. Newer granite counter-tops, large island with dual stainless steel sinks. Kitchen opens to a large great room that looks out to views of the fourth fairway on the golf course. Newer updated flooring, high ceilings & crown molding throughout the home. In-door laundry room. Covered patio in backyard is upgraded type insulated (quiet during rain and less hot penetration during heat). Garage door is also insulated. Close to Paradise Valley Clubhouse, golf course and community park. This home also has 21 solar panels. Exterior & interior was recently painted. There are drafted plans available to review for 2 possible ADU’s to be added and/or a pool. Added bonus, there’s NO Home Owners Association fee’s in The Enclave Offered at $899,000
Fully hosted by Loney & Worley Team
Scott C. Loney (707) 290-0556 Lic#01146887 • Alicia N. Worley (707) 344-1300 Lic#01322884
Saturday & Sunday 12:00 PM-3:00 PM 2280
www.loneyandwor leyteam.com Enter
Whoever
Lic#01035560
From Page 3
viewing them as a higher risk consumer with a card maxed out to 90% of the limit when in fact, they are simply using the card to maximize mileage points and paying off the card in full every month and never paying any interest, which Visa and Mastercard loves because the merchants pay fees to Visa and Mastercard. The interest and late charges on credit cards go to banks like Capital One and Chase.
The rich are getting richer,
and the poor are getting poorer, and the one thing the rich have in common is high FICO scores and they do not finance food, designer jeans and shoe purchases at 24.99% for three to five years.
Jim Porter, NMLS No. 276412, is the branch manager and senior loan adviser of Solano Mortgage, NMLS No. 1515497, a division of American Pacific Mortgage Corporation, NMLS No. 1850, licensed in California by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the CRMLA / Equal Housing Opportunity. Jim can be reached at 707-449-4777.
and so may offer to compromise with you.
From Page 2 To
Remember, the builder writes everything for their benefit and, frankly, figures most laymen aren’t going to read the contract’s 10-point type. Which, sadly, generally proves to be true.
My best advice is to take the builder to small claims court. It’s quick and cheap. One of only three things will happen.
The builder may not want to pay someone to go to court and/or suffer the bad press,
Absent that, a judge may not like this anymore than you do and might make up a legal excuse to give you your money back. Judges are a bit freer to do that in small claims court.
Or, you lose, the builder keeps the money, and you’re no worse off than you are now.
Tim Jones is a real estate attorney in Fairfield. If you have any real estate questions you would like to have answered in this column, you can send an email to AllThingsRealEstate@ TJones-Law.com.
WOW! 4/3, 2700sf on .18 acre lot. Updated kitchen/ primary ste/bthrm, Hardwood/ bamboo floors, FR w/fp, bar, whole house fan. Byard oasis w/pool & hot tub. $795,000
Located in best area of town, near the Sacramento River, this 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home is waiting for you & your family. 2554 Sq Ft, wraps around a corner lot, providing a nice backyard. Room for a pool & home features a perfect game room. $725,000
New Listing in Dover Terrace South! Clean 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with great natural light & large backyard! Opportunity to transform this into your dream home! $524,400
New on the market! Built in 2021. Plantation shutters & backyard hardscape. Over 2000sf w/4BR 3.5BA, upgraded quartz counters, backsplash & kitchen applncs. 1st floor BR w/ full bath+1/2 BA. Open concept design w/ entertaining space in back. $739,999
From Page 6
lover of epic proportions.
The window box became like a testing site for me. It has all that is new and wonderful, and I will just skirt around the varieties now because I want to feature some of the new plants in later columns. For now: Supertunia Vivid Orchid is intertwined with the cheerful yellow Supertunia Mini Vista Yellow petunias that are still new to most of you and winner of over a dozen awards in 2022. Nearby in the box is Primo Wild Rose heuchera and Unplugged So Blue salvias.
Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid reaches about 12 inches tall with a potential spread of around 2 feet. Proven Winners call it a purple petunia with a picotee margin. When you look closely, you wonder how in the world this occurs. Each flower is uniform with the look of being hand-detailed from an artist but perhaps with the absolute precision of AI. But of course, it is just the genius of the breeders.
I also shared a couple with my neighbors Dave and Cynthia, who chose to partner them with Solenia Yellow begonias, Supertunia Mini Vista Yellow petunias and the Augusta Lavender heliotrope sporting new lavender/
From Page 5
Be careful not to get it on other surfaces, and don’t get any in your eyes or on your skin or clothes. If you do spill, rinse immediately and thoroughly. With a plastic putty knife, spread the poultice about a quarter-inch thick over the stained area, including about an inch beyond the borders. Then cover it with plastic wrap, and tape down all of the edges with paint-
blue flowers. The combo was stunning and Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid absolutely dazzles when planted with complemen tary yellow.
Such was the case at the Young’s Plant Farm when we visited for the 2023 Garden Tour. Here they had the Super tunias planted in raised boxed beds and grown in mass. On one side of Hoopla Vivid Orchid they had the new yellow Super tunia Saffron Finch, and on the other side the new vibrant coral/ orange Supertunia Bermuda Beach. All three looked in peak performance and were gently tumbling off the rim of the box.
Each of the plantings I have described were either in potting soil or fertile organic rich beds and all had very good sunlight. If you are planting in a bed, plan on using a spacing of 12 to 24 inches. The Garden Guy fer tilizes his containers every two weeks with water-soluble fertilizer. Those annuals grown in the ground received controlled release granules at planting and every four to six weeks during the growing season. Follow your label recommendation whenever applying fertilizer.
Next year is looking like a banner year for gardeners with all the new plant introductions, and I assure you: Supertunia Vivid Orchid petunia needs to be at the top of your list.
Norman Winter is a horticultur-
er’s tape. Cut a few small holes or slits in the plastic. When the poultice is completely dry – this may take 24 to 48 hours – scoop up the powder with the putty knife. Rinse the area with distilled water and allow the slate to dry. If the stain is less noticeable but still not gone, repeat the process. You may need to do it a half-dozen times. Stop when you no longer see improvement.
Even once the stain is gone, you may still smell urine. Try an enzyme product sold for eliminating urine smells in carpets, such as Rocco & Roxie stain & odor eliminator ($14.98 for a
Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia makes its debut in 2024. Each medium to large bloom has fine artistic detail of a purple emblem like patch surrounded by white.
ist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy. He receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.
32-ounce bottle on Amazon).
Surface Care Pros recommends spraying the cleaner on liberally, then covering the area with plastic wrap to slow evaporation and give the enzyme more time to work. After an hour or two – or maybe longer if the air in your house is vey humid –pull back the plastic and blot the floor dry with paper towels. The paper towels should look and smell like they picked up urine. Wait one to two hours, then apply the cleaner a second time using the same procedure. Repeat as necessary.
Colorful blooms stand out on the front porch of The Garden Guy’s neighbors, Dave and Cynthia. Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia, Supertunia Mini Vista Yellow petunias, Solenia Yellow Begonia and Augusta Lavender heliotrope dazzle with a container of SunPatiens in the distance.
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