A blog about Business & Finance, Kern County, and Neighborhoods.
Real Name: Chris Craddock Address: 3400 Calloway Dr #800 Bakersfield, CA 93312 Cell: (661)900-2222 Gender: male Member Since: June 30, 2007 Last Signed In: November 06, 2009 Profile Views: 745 Blog Views: 9388 THE FEDERAL HOMEBUYERS TAX CREDIT HAS BEEN EXTENDED AND EXPANDED Have a Safe and Happy Halloween! Caravan in Northwest Bakersfield Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Vol. I Was the Kern County Fair the Best in the West? Blogging about blogging The Southwest Stats Black Friday and Cyber Monday Que Pasa, Bakersfield? Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 
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A really good way to keep up with the articles in The Bakersfield Californian about Bakersfield Real Estate is by reading the Money Talks blog. This is a staff blog for all the writers who cover Bakersfield Real Estate, and other aspects of business and commerce in Bakersfield. Sometimes it is hard to find the online articles, even when I have the paper in hand. And if you wait too long, it is archived, but you have to pay to see it. But if I go to the Money Talks blog, then not only can I find the article for free, but can make comments on it as well. They have added a great new feature that is a map that shows the Bakersfield Real Estate sales with different colored pins in a map. Here are the links to January and December, 2008. Check it out. One more interesting article on a Mortgage Fraud investigation is also worth seeing. I have blogged about the kind of Mortgage Fraud that is being investigated here before, so I will be interested in the outcome. Read all about it here.
If you want to contact the Money Talks crew, contact info is below. Team Leader: Christine Peterson, cpeterson@bakersfield.com, 395-7418 Assistant team leader: John Cox, jcox@bakersfield.com, 395- 7345 Reporters: Vanessa Gregory, vgregory@bakersfield.com, 395-7379 Jenny Shearer, jshearer@bakersfield.com, 395-7234 Gretchen Wenner, gwenner@bakersfield.com, 395-7368 Heard a crazy rumor about someone who moved to Camarillo, and is now working there. Camarillo is a very nice city in Ventura County, on the coast. There used to be a mental hospital there, and due to its proximity to Hollywood, a lot of musicians and actors have stayed there. Charlie "Yardbird" Parker, or "Bird" checked in and wrote a song called "Relaxin' At Camarillo." And Frank Zappa has a song called "Camarillo Brillo." Wikipedia has even more stuff, like a rumor that the Eagles' song, "Hotel California" is about it. "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." History of the Camarillo State Hospital The Camarillo State Hospital was located 3 miles south of the city of Camarillo, California and was in use from 1936 to 1997. During its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, the hospital was at the forefront of treating conditions that in previously had been thought of as un-treatable. An example of this was the drugs and therapy procedures doctors at that institution developed for schizophrenia. Many of these programs initiated at Camarillo helped patients formerly relegated to a lifetime of warehousing in an institution or lobotomies be able to leave the hospital and move to less restrictive group homes or become (at least nearly) independent. The hospital continued to be a leader in the research of drugs and therapies in subsequent years. They also had one of the first units of any hospital to deal with autism. Violent criminals were typically housed at Atascadero State Hospital and not at Camarillo State Hospital. Camarillo State Hospital in movies and music Due to the proximity to the media center of Los Angeles, the hospital has been referred to in movies, television, and music. Some famous persons suffering from mental illnesses,tuberculosis, or detoxing from drugs or alcohol stayed there to recover in Ventura County's mild climate. Jazzman Charlie Parker's "Relaxin' at Camarillo," written while he was detoxing from heroin addiction, as a tribute to the facility. The song "Camarillo" by punk outfit Fear is also written about the facility. The band Ambrosia released a song called "Ready for Camarillo" on their 1978 Life Beyond L.A. album. "Ready for Camarillo" also appeared as the single B side of their hit "How Much I Feel." Camarillo Brillo by Frank Zappa is also a reference to the institution. Perhaps the most famous song associated with the facility was "Hotel California," by The Eagles, which was rumored to be about a stay in a mental hospital. A popular rumor, especially among residents of Ventura County, but this is most likely not true. Don Henley said in a 1995 interview that it was written about "the zeitgeist of the time", meaning about their lifestyle as celebrity musicians in L.A. in the 70s. Those who believe the rumor about it being about the hospital point to lyrics such as "You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave". In addition, Camarillo State Hospital has a "mission bell" tower which is referenced in the song, and The Beverly Hills Hotel towers on the cover of the album look similar to that of CSH. Also, there are other lyrics to point out that the song may have been referencing the hospital such as: "the voices down the corridor", "we are programmed to receive." While these things could in theory refer to a mental hospital, they could also refer to being trapped in a certain lifestyle. The opening scene from the Wes Anderson film "Bottle Rocket" in which Owen Wilson's character Dignan helps his friend Luke Wilson's character Anthony escape from a voluntary mental hospital was filmed at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital. 'N Sync's mental hospital-set video for "I Drive Myself Crazy" was filmed at Camarillo after the hospital closed. After it closed, Camarillo was a popular destination for ghost hunters alleging that the hospital is haunted. A destination on the grounds for Ventura County youth was an allegedly haunted dairy used by the hospital known to locals as "Scary Dairy". A well is located on the property that was used in the movie, "The Ring." This no doubt adds to the mystery and ghost stories surrounding the property During the dénouement of some television episodes of the Dragnet series, there were references to captured criminals being sentenced to Camarillo State Hospital.
Location:
10106 Paradiso Ln,
Bakersfield, CA 93306
D.R. Horton, the self-desribed America's Builder, held what they called an UnAuction on February 16th. Another one is slated for February 23rd. Go to DRHortonUnAuction.com for more details. I commented on the article in the Money Talks blog, and here is my comment, which refers to some of the other comments and questions of the other bloggers: Back in the heyday of the housing market, I remember people would camp out to buy a new construction house. My how things have changed. Now they camp out, but to get a house at 50% off! D R Horton is a national company, and they needed to clear out the inventory, to get those houses off the books. They sold for less than it cost to build them.
People did get good deals. The people who bought the houses before the fire sale are upset because it drags down the value of their houses. The other builders are upset because it drags down the market, and they can't really afford to sell the houses at less than cost. But for the people who did get the houses, no question they got a great deal. Bakersfieldbubble, what are Knife Catchers? And FBs? Tcozy, this auction was announced and they sent out emails to Real Estate agents and brokers. They had a preview Brokers Open House, and you could get your clients in to see the houses before the auctions. I saw the email today, but hadn't seen it before due to the high volume of email I get. There was quite a backlog. I think it was publicized to the general public as well, but I didn't see any ads. I heard about it from some of the other agents at our company, who were at the event and very interested to see what would happen. One of our agents, Sherian Delfino, worked for D R Horton for many years before coming to McKinzie Nielsen. I was at another Brokers Open today, out in the Northwest. They had some interesting things to say there, too. Lennar also tried an auction out in Shafter. They were not so happy with the results, probably won't try it again. I guess that they were hoping that in the competitive heat of auction fever they would get the prices bid up, not have some people get ridiculously good deals. The City in the Hills auction was successful in that they just wanted to get rid of the inventory, and were prepared for big losses. Bakerbilly, the Northwest in considered to be a pretty good area, but there is a lot of new construction going on in the Northeast, and the new developments have their advantages. The person quoted in the article said he liked it better than the Northwest. As for whether it is a good time to buy now, or should you wait, I would say that it is a very good time to buy now. The market may not have reached its ultimate bottom, but it is close. There are great bargains out there right now. I have noticed that a lot of the houses that are selling now are REO, foreclosures. That is a great place to look for deals. But other sellers, if they are motivated, are dropping prices to compete.
Location:
h st & 20th st,
bakersfield, ca 93301
Today is my Birthday! This modern-day musical is set in Dublin and tells the story of a street musician (the guy) and a street hawker (the girl) who spend a busy week writing, rehearsing, and recording songs that tell the story of their developing love. The key players are “the guy” who works at his father's vacuum repair shop and plays music on street corners for extra cash and “the girl” who is an Eastern European Immigrant with musical aspirations of her own.. The twist in this film is that the main characters aren’t played by big-name actors; they’re played by musicians who are acting. “Once” delves into the personal journey that is song-writing and performance. The actors that star in this film wrote the songs that are performed. This film accomplishes two things: it pays homage to the musicals of old Hollywood and it reinvents the musical.
Location:
35089 7th Standard Rd,
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Merle Haggard Dr, formerly known as 7th Standard Rd, gets a new name, as Merle looks on!
Location:
35089 7th Standard Rd,
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Merle Haggard will be at the Harley Dealership on Merle Haggard Drive, formerly 7th Standard Road, today at noon. This is for the dedication ceremony, naming the street in his honor.
If you see me there, and you read about it in my blog, please say "Hi."
And he plays at the Fox tonight!!!!!!!!
They say Mr. Haggard and other pioneers of The Bakersfield Sound will be there. Anyone can go. Plus, according to a press release from organizers, a private effort is afoot to make a green belt adjacent to Merle's street. The North of the River Chamber of Commerce will coordinate efforts to raise money for "Hag's Place." I helped with the decorations for the 2008 Bakersfield Association of Realtors Inaugural. Here are the members of the committee: Chair - Cheryl Pauley, Laora Norcross, Brenda Gregor, Michelle Cooper, Sheryl Gallion, Juanita Brooks, and me, Chris Craddock. Warren Peterson of Warren Peterson Construction is the 2008 President. He gave a heartfelt speech which included quotes from John Lennon. Realtor of the Year was Jeanne Radsick of Century 21 Hometown Realty. 2007 Salesperson of the Year was Pam Zulfa, of Coldwell Banker Preferred. The Rising Star Awards went to Marvin Bush of Bakersfield Premier Realty, Robert Dodds of Century 21 Hometown Realty, and Bradly Reese, Jr. of Prudential Bakersfield. Some of the distinguished guests included the Honorable Mayor Harvey Hall, State Senator, District 18, Senator Roy Ashburn, Congressman Kevin McCarthy from U.S. 22nd Congressional District, Nicole Villaruz representing U.S. 20th Congressional District Congressman Jim Costa
Location:
12104 Crown Crest,
Bakersfield, CA
Zane Richards was an employee of Crisp and Cole, but not an office worker, but actually the head of the security entourage that guarded David Crisp. He has filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy seeking forgiveness of a mound of debt, including unpaid property taxes, credit card bills and utilities charges. Richards declined to comment on the filing, but one of his lawyers, Fresno-based Carl Faller, said his client’s situation was similar to that of several others who became involved with the Crisp & Cole agency, which is now the subject of a federal investigation. “What’s happened to him was, basically, collateral damages from the business practices Crisp & Cole were engaged in,” Faller said. 2 Properties are currently listed in Metro as belonging to Zane Richards, and about 5 others that have been foreclosed on. 1914 Three Bridges was sold for $795,000 by Crisp & Cole, but is now listed as an REO for $525,000. 12104 Crown Crest was listed by Crisp 7 Cole for $995,000 but sold for $925,000 on 9/19/2005. In September of 2007 it was listed for $725,000, but by December it had sold as an REO for $505,000.
Friends of Zane Richards have stepped forward to claim that Zane Richards is a man of integrity. They are claiming that he was led astray by Crisp & Cole. I think that he should be considered innocent until proven guilty. http://www.bakersfield.com/...
Today is the first day of The Year of the Rat, from the Chinese New Year, which uses the lunar calendar. And I’m still writing Year of the Pig on all my checks (rim shot)! I am declaring this the year of The Rat Pack, and dusting off all of my Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin records. Maybe I will finally get around to watching “Ratatoullie.” Maybe this will be a good year for Patton Oswalt (voice of Remy, the gourmet rat from “Ratatoullie”. What is Ratatoullie, you may ask? It is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. The ingredients are usually egg plant, tomato, onion, and garlic.
And there was a song, Year of the Cat, from Al Stewart’s 1974 album of the same name. No song about the Year of the Rat, but then again, there is no Year of the Cat in Chinese astrology. Just Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Rooster, and Pig.
Last year was the Year of the Golden Pig, but this Rat year is only an Earth Rat. The Rat year may not be as good to you as the kindly Pig year, especially since it is an Earth year and Earth drains your Rat luck. Making favorable deals, for example, will be more challenging. It should still be a good year for Bakersfield Real Estate, as you have eight good months ahead of you. If you avoid risk and rely on hard work to get ahead, you most likely will. You may get off to a slow start, but the latter part of the year will present more and better opportunities -- so be patient.
Speaking of rats (OK, lousy transition but bear with me) A local Bakersfield Real Estate Agent had a surprise call from the police. It appears 100--200 kids, DJ included were having a party in the agent’s vacant REO property. The listing had a lockbox on it, and the police said there was no visible sign of forced entry. The police have discovered the kids are using vacant properties for parties and are using myspace website to keep in contact with party goers about where the parties will be held.
I recently saw another REO property in the Legends gated community (near the Riverlakes Golf Course), and it also showed signs of vandalism and partying. Signs of forced entry. Three broken windows and lots of graffiti from “The Stoners,” as they referred to themselves.
If only Bakersfield Real Estate agents could get 100-200 people to show up at an open house, they would be partying too!
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