California consumers can get a free copy of their credit reports once a year from the three nationwide companies that compile these financial profiles, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.One way to make the most of this opportunity is to order a report from just one of the three credit bureaus, then wait four months to order a report from another and, four months later, order a report from the third credit bureau.  By repeating this process annually, you can monitor your credit report regularly, at no cost. 

Some key steps to cleaning up and repairing your credit include the following. Begin by taking action. Deliberate action over time can help repair your credit there is no quick fix.  Check your credit history by law you are entitled to a free credit report once every 12 months. Yoiu have the right to disput the incorrect information and have the file corrected. If an investigation does not resolve your dispute, you can ask the credit reporting agency to include a written statement about the disputed information in your file and have your notice included any time information from your file is furnished. Check out all the information at the Office of the Attorney General website!

The Board of Supervisors approved nearly $1 million in engineering contracts. This is part of the effort to draft the report on the environmental impact that the construction of a sewer would have on several sites in the coastal community of Los Osos. The town of Los Osos relies almost entirely on septic systems to dispose of waste.

In October 2007 property owners overwhelmingly approved  a 127 million assessment to pay for a sewer. The total 4 million loan could start being repaid when the county starts selling bonds by September and property tax assessments will appear on the 2090-10 property tax bill.

Part of the $4 million loan will go toward conducting a survey and establish a plan to help disadvantaged property owners pay for the waste treatment plant. That plan is part of the county’s effort to secure a $10 million grant from the Department of Water Resources and State Water Quality Control Board to help offset the cost of the sewer for low-in-come property owners.

SLO COUNTY-FREE SECONDARY DWELLING HOUSE PLANS PROGRAM

The San Luis Obispo County Planning Department worked with the local chapter of the American Institute  of Architects, Workforce Housing Coalition, and the builders exchange to put on a design competiton among local licensed architects to come up with a well designed secondary dwelling. Ten winning home designs were chosen out of 29 submittals. Plans were then reviewed by structural engineers and energy consultants for compliance with codes, and then processed through the Building Department for plan check. Stock plans for a secondary dwelling will have reduced building permit  fees as well.

The winning house plans will soon be available to the public at no charge (other than coping costs) for those properties who qualify for a secondary dwelling. Free house plans must be used for secondary housing only. At this time this program is available to the residents of the incorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County.

Unintentional acts are covered under personal liability. Have you heard of the Mike Tyson test? If you bite someone you are not covered. If your dog bites someone you are covered but only the 1st time.Finally in the event someone is injured on your property or you damage property that belongs to others you could be legally liable for the injury or damage. A homeowner policy provides personal and liability insurance to financially protect you should this ever occur.

Enjoy the benefits of Homeowners liability insurance even if you rent or own a condominium.If you rent or own you still need coverage for your household contents and personal belongings and personal liability.There are specific policies designed for those who rent or own condominiums.

One of the highlights of the new marketing program is a KCBX radio show. “Keepin it Fresh on the

The newly revamped website, www.slocountyfarmers.org, provides a full complement of information about in-season produce and healthy cooking with fruits and vegetables, background on the association and its board members, and details of upcoming events. The website includes extensive information about a newly launched series of cooking demonstrations featuring leading chefs from each community. Jankay also noted that tourists are an important part of the market customer base, and the website offers an easy way to communicate with out-of-towners.

Further information is available via the association website, www.slocountyfarmers.org.

Here are a few quick tips to get you started. If your a seller start  with a  reputable inspector. If you don’t know one check with the Structural Pest Control Board. This is an excellent resource of information.

If your a buyer you may search the Board’s Wood Destroying Organism System to see if a specific property has been inspected within the last two years. The Board’s database is very specific so the best results are usually found by entering in limited information, for example, only the building number and zip code. This will ensure that the entire database is checked for the information you are seeking.

 Days on the market can affect the sellers who are trying to determine proper pricing. How their properties are percived  by buyers  within the first 30  days on the market can be critical and sometimes adjustments are needed. Questions like: Are you getting showings? Maybe your getting showings and no offers or how about getting no showings at all.  Knowing these answer can help a seller. Concerning the market perception and time on the market an appraiser said the market dictates the price these days.When the sellers list their homes and the statistics used for pricing their properties is not accurate this can mislead sellers down a  path with data that doesn’t tell the real story.

  I am a member of  The Central Coast Regional MLS the MLS provides the timing data on  listings as  DOM (days on the market) and CDOM (cumulative days on the market) showing total days on the market and whether or not it has been withdrawn, brought back as a new listing, or expired. The consumer and subscribers  get an accurate  picture of what the property history is and with their REALTOR can interpret the data relevant to their situation.

 Federal Reserve surprised the markets with a 0.75-point reduction last week according to Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and according to Hassett’s commentary on Bloomberg.com is a reduction in the rate that size had never happened before. Ever since the Fed began announcing changes in its policy stance in February 1994, it has been rare for the central bank to move between regularly scheduled Open Market Committee meetings. Yet even in those moments when it did take emergency action, the Fed never reduced rates by as much as it did on Jan. 22 2008.The raw economic data today are a little better than they were in 2001, and a little worse than they were in 1998. Equity markets, on the other hand, are much worse than they were in 2001, and even worse than they were in 1998. Since actions in similar periods under similar conditions proved, in retrospect, to be propitiously timed, it is easy to justify more aggressive action this time around. One can even say with confidence that Feds of the past would, faced with today’s data, almost surely have acted in a similar manner. Kevin Hassett,  is an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain of

“The 14.2 percent decline in overall housing starts for the month of December was due primarily to a 40 percent drop-off in the multifamily sector, which tends to display significant month-to-month volatility,” noted NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “On a quarterly basis, multifamily production actually has held up relatively well since the peak in the early part of 2006.”Meanwhile, housing permits were down, by lesser margins, in three out of four regions in December. The Midwest posted a 10.6 percent decline, the South posted a 7.8 percent decline, and the West posted an 11.6 percent decline in overall permits for the month, while the Northeast registered a 1.6 percent increase.