One of my favorite things about hanging out with Slow Food Temecula Valley folks like chapter president, Leah Di Bernardo, and Leonesse Cellars owner, Mike Rennie, is that they talk about farmers, chefs, winemakers, brewmasters and other local artisans like they are rock stars.  They name drop like groupies because they know that the people who care where our food comes from and that labor to produce it in a socially conscious way are greater heros than your typical celebrity.  Slow Food Temecula Valley and host Leonesse Cellars will be showcasing local food, wine, beer and artisans at Field to the Fork on May 21st.  Here is a taste of what you can expect from this exceptional event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XECO5_OlhY 

Temecula Valley Slow Food school garden program provides an opportunity for children to experience a seasonal, organic, edible garden as part of their education.  The children are able to connect with the source of their food and realize that they have wholesome alternatives to their typical school lunch fare.  With programs like Farm-to-School and Edible Schoolyard on the horizon, Slow Food Temecula Valley aims to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they insure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food that we eat.  This is a cause worth digging in to!  For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://temeculavalleyslowfood.org/

Photo Courtesy of Slow Food Temecula Valley

One of my new favorite things is getting to know more about the beneficiaries of DocPros’ “Give Together – Gain Together” program.  It is an amazing feeling to be able to help those that are so committed to making the world a better place.  Here is a reprise of a recent article that I wrote for the online publication, Taste of Temecula.

The numbers are tough to hear and even more difficult to fathom: each year in Riverside County, hundreds of cases of child abuse are reported, a number which escalates in difficult economic times and around the holidays.  The children that are removed from these unsafe and unbearable conditions are in need of significant emotional healing and a safe environment in which to relearn what it means to be a kid.

Rancho Damacitas and it’s parent organization, Thessalonika Family Services, provide a much needed environment for some of these precious children to recover from the abuse that they have suffered.  The Rancho Damacitas campus is a long-term care solution with several homes complete with a parent couple in each who take on the day to day responsibilities of raising the six girls or boys entrusted to their care.  This loving, safe structure gives the children an opportunity to bond with the family unit and heal from the deep physical and/or emotional pain that they have suffered.  Though the children often stay in the program for years, Rancho Damacitas does ultimately work towards transitioning ones that are ready into a more traditional foster care situation.  In the interim, they offer much-needed family unit, counseling, recreation programs, tutoring and so much more.

Along with the care that they provide for children ages 6 – 18, Thessalonika Family Services also offers a continuum of care with Project Independence.  As children age out of foster care at age 18, they are often left to their own devices, but not so with Project Independence.  Once they have received their high school diploma, qualified participants are eligible for financial assistance with living expenses and continued education.  Project Independence offers a mentoring program and other resources to help these young adults grow into responsible contributing members of our community.  In essence, they continue to parent the children just as any parent would help their child transition into adulthood.

As with many nonprofit organizations, Rancho Damacitas is full of love and, at times like these, short on funds.  Their short term goals involve simply maintaining the level of care that they currently provide to the children entrusted to them.  In addition, they are always looking for families who are interested in training through their foster care program.  By teaching families in our community how to love and care for abused children, they increase their positive influence exponentially.

Other needs include funds for basics such as clothing, school supplies and group outings for the children.  Improvements to the campus are planned as funds come in.  The wish list includes a walking path for the children to use for recreation and for therapy.  The counselors often find that much healing can come from walking side by side and talking through feelings.  Bigger goals include and outdoor basketball court as this is an activity that all the children seem to enjoy.  The current parking space/basketball hoop set up quickly becomes crowded as everyone wants to play.  For a complete list of needs or to make a donation online, please visit the Current Needs page on their website.

Events sponsored by Ponte Winery and other supporters give Rancho Damacitas the much-needed exposure to those who want to help.  For a list of upcoming events please visit the Events Page on their website.

Rancho Damacitas gives the children in our community a chance at a happy, healthy life and then returns those children to us as happy, healthy adults. I submit that this investment is best repaid by our generous support of their efforts.  Please join Taste of Temecula in our commitment to Thessalonika Family Services the wonderful work that they do.

Wishes for Children Founder, Charlie Pate & Corie Maue - Photo by Carl Kravats

After close to a decade of providing exceptional notary and loan signing services nationwide, DocPros has a long history of quietly giving back to local, national and international aid programs and charities.  Over the years, we have proudly supported Wishes for Children, Slow Food International, Rancho Damacitas Children’s Homes, Project TOUCH, World Vision, Susan G. Komen for a Cure and countless others.  We are a pupose driven company that believes in the concept of Giver’s Gain: that when we help others, we are helping ourselves as well.

In the spirit of paying it forward, we have decided to partner with our clients and notaries to give more where it is truely needed.

Our new program, “Give Together, Gain Together,” allows our clients and notaries to participate in the act of giving.  For every new client registration that DocPros receives, we will make a $5 donation to a featured charity.  As I mentioned, we have several organizations that we support, but we are open to requests and recommendations from anyone who participates.   When you refer a friend or colleauge to us, you not only help resolve their need for a great signing service, you trigger a donation to a worthy cause. We will post the total donation at the end of each month so that everyone will see how their gift has made a difference.

As you may know, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.  As such, we will be splitting our charitable contributions between to amazing organizations: Wishes for Children and Rancho Damacitas.  We hope that you will join us in our endeavors to give.  For more information about the program, please feel free to email me at: corie@docpros.net

Crossroads Corporate Center

After six successful years at the Kalmia Courtyard building, DocPros officially outgrew that space and began to actively seek a new home for their headquarters.  The City of Murrieta has always been good to DocPros, so they were delighted to find an amazing space in a prime location: 25220 Hancock Ave. Ste. 220, Murrieta, CA 92562

DocPros provides nationwide notary/loan signing services to title, escrow and lenders across the country as well as notary services on location.  With an in office staff of close to 30 and thousands of Independent Contractor notaries throughout the nation, DocPros can easily accommodate a high level of volume without sacrificing the exceptional service that they are known for.

DocPros Team - Photo by Carl Kravats

For more information on how DocPros could be of service to you, please visit www.docpros.net or call 951-304-7738

As of August 4, FTB has received 31,460 applications. Because some of the applications are invalid or duplicates, FTB will continue to accept them through August 15, to ensure that enough valid applications are received to properly allocate the full $100 million of tax credit. FTB estimates that it can award approximately 17,500-20,000 credit certificates to unique and valid applicants. However, once the funds are exhausted, any remaining applications will be denied.

The State is providing $100 million in tax credits to first-time home buyers. The credit will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis using the date and time stamp on the fax submission, until the money is exhausted. The tax credit is available to those who purchased a qualified principal residence and did not own one during the last three years. This credit is five percent of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less. Taxpayers must claim the credit on their tax return in equal amounts over the following three tax years.

To apply, the buyer must complete and fax an FTB Form 3549-A, Application for New Home / First-Time Buyer Credit, along with the final settlement statement. It must be faxed to FTB within two weeks (14 calendar days) after the close of escrow. The fax number is 916.855.5577.

Taxpayers must receive a certificate of allocation from FTB to claim the tax credit on their California personal income tax return. FTB expects to send the allocation certificates over the next few months starting in August.

California homebuyers still have time to qualify for the state’s other $100 million home tax credit for the purchase of a new home. The New Home Credit is available for taxpayers who purchase (close escrow) a new home on or after May 1, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, as long as they enter into an enforceable contract executed before January 1, 2011. The seller must certify that the home has never been previously occupied.

For more information, go to ftb.ca.gov and select or search for Tax Credits for New Home Purchase / First-Time Buyer.

On Feb. 1, 2010, the Federal Housing Administration placed a one-year moratorium on its anti-flipping rule, which allows buyers with FHA-backed loans to purchase homes immediately rather than wait the usual 90 days.

The move has opened a new pool of homes to first-time homebuyer owner occupants (1-4 units) who have been losing bids to cash buyers due to the long waiting period, 90 days before they can close.

According to HUD, lifting the waiting period “will allow homes to resell as quickly as possible, helping to stabilize real estate prices and to revitalize neighborhoods and communities”.

Analysts said cash buyers take up much of the “flip” market, comprised mostly of speculators and investors.  Lifting the rule will bring additional buyers into the market.

Giving the consumer as many options as possible is the key to economic recovery in the housing market.

The HUD buyer can utilize the 203K loan program to purchase a property in need of repairs by incorporating the cost of repair into the loan amount, which can be completed after the transaction closes.  The maximum mortgage amount cannot exceed 100 percent of the after-improved value.

These new rules limit seller profits to 20 percent above the purchase cost, unless an independent appraiser confirms that renovations and repairs justify the higher price.

The goal in this action was not to facilitate speculators but rather to give owner occupants additional opportunities to purchase property.

This move will grow the number of transactions in coming month as more buyers for investors will motivate investors to buy and renovate more houses.

This should be good for everybody and the economy too!  As those transactions go to docs, please keep DocPros Nationwide Notaries in mind for all of your loan signing needs.  www.docpros.net

Thank you, California Escrow Association www.ceaescrow.org

If you would like to receive a sample copy of these forms, please email corie@docpros.net

I hope this is helpful as I know the transition has been challenging.  Many of the regions in CEA are offering seminars addressing the GFE, HUD, etc, so please email corie@docpros.net for a schedule of what is going on in your area.  For those outside of CA, the webinar is your best bet.  Please let us know how we can help!