The Bakersfield metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Kern County, had the eighth-highest foreclosure rate in the nation during the first quarter of 2007 with one foreclosure filing for every 83 households. In the first quarter there was one foreclosure filing for every 264 households nationally and one filing for every 152 households in California.
The Bakersfield MSA had 2,779 properties enter some stage of foreclosure in the first three months of 2007, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties. Bakersfield’s first quarter foreclosure filings were up 106 percent from the previous quarter and 424 percent from the first quarter of 2006.
The local foreclosure spike has been blamed on an overbuilt local market, the subprime meltdown, investors and even mortgage fraud.
What do you think?  How bad will foreclosures get?  When will we reach the bottom?  Does this mean it's a good time to buy or should prospective homebuyers hold out for a better deal?

Local appraiser Gary Crabtree has tipped off the FBI, California Department of Real Estate and the California Office of Real Estate Appraisers to what he has termed "suspicious" home sales transactions.  And others have since stepped up to verify that mortgage fraud is indeed going on in Bakersfield.  None of the three agencies will confirm if they have current mortgage fraud investigations in Bakersfield, citing policies of not commenting publicly about any ongoing investigations.  What do you think?  Do you think mortgage fraud is happening in Bakersfield?  If so would investigations clean it up and rid the industry of the bad apples or just give everyone, including those who are legitimate a black eye?

What is your favorite coffee shop and why?  Since I work downtown, I often visit Dagny's on breaks.  My wife likes Starbucks, especially because of the convenience of its drive-thru windows.  What do you prefer, small mom and pop store or corporate franchise?

How does customer service impact your shopping habits?  Have you stopped shopping at a particular store or restaurant after a bad experience or hearing about somone else's bad experience?  What's your best or worst shopping horror story?  Check out a story on customer service in The Californian on Sunday, April 15 and glance at a previous blog on customer service from last fall when I first started working on this story.

According to a market research firm Bakersfield now has nearly 50 fitness clubs, ranging from chains like 24 Hour Fitness and Body Xchange to smaller mom and pop operations and niche operators like Total Woman and Curves, which cater to women.  Is that enough?  Do we really need that many?  Which fitness center or health club do you attend and why?  And no, doing curls with a beer can don't count as working out.

Read The Californian's recent gym review and a blog about the sometimes difficult process of selecting a place to work out.