Money Talks - MoneyTalks's Blog - Bakersfield.com http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks The Bakersfield Californian's growth and economy team of reporters and editors strives to bring you the latest news and information on real estate, retail, restaurants, oil, energy, agriculture, aerospace, banking, cars and employment. If it's about money and our growing community, we want you to know it! The Bakersfield Californian's growth and economy team of reporters and editors strives to bring you the latest news and information on real estate, retail, restaurants, oil, energy, agriculture, aerospace, banking, cars and employment. If it's about money and our growing community, we want you to know it! en-us Business mixer this Thursday http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30628 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30628 <p>Here's a &quot;raw report&quot; press release from the <a href="http://www.bakersfieldchamber.org/">Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce</a>:</p> <p>Chamber Business After Five Mixer combines business connections and fun<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Rabobank, N.A. hosts the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Business After Five Mixer on Thursday, July 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the 5151 Stockdale Highway branch.<br /> Make new and renew business connections while enjoying all the amenities of &ldquo;business after five,&rdquo; including hors d&rsquo;oeuvres, DJ, putting contest, giveaways and prizes. Regular admission is $5 per Chamber member and $10 per nonmember. No reservations are needed. For information, call 661-327-4421.</p> 35.353836 -119.058732 Handshake or fist bump? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30623 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30623 <p>I was reading a <i>USA Today</i> story about an apparent increase in the fist bump in the workplace. Maybe you already know what that is &mdash; two people lightly tapping fists. </p> <p>Are you kidding? People actually do this at work? </p> <p>Apparently more men, especially those who are friends or acquintances outside the work world, find this acceptable, the <i>USA Today</i> story said. </p> <p><b><i>Maybe</i></b> ... but just don't expect me to have a good impresion if you give me a fist bump on a job interview. </p> <p><i>&mdash; Christine Peterson</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> -1 -1


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Credit: Google Images, karate1.com


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 Google Images, karate1.com Fire sale for land? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30600 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30600 <p>There are probably more, but so far we've found <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/503825.html">three significant land sales</a> by developers fetching them roughly 21 to 30 cents on the dollar compared to what they shelled out during the boom.</p> <p>The most recent are two southwest tracts sold last month by Ennis Homes and a northeast parcel sold by KB Home.</p> <p>Total paid for those sites in 2005? More than $11.5 million. Total they sold for in June 2008? About $2.2 million.</p> <p>And as we type, the county assessor's office is revaluing all those unstarted and unfinished residential tracts, expecting hundreds of millions to come off the assessment roll in the next few weeks.</p> <p>I suspect this is an excellent scenario if you have a big pocketful of cash?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> -4 -4


Title: Other Corner
Caption: This is the wrong corner, the northWEST corner of Panama and Old River. Across the street, at the northEAST corner, is one of the Ennis sites, the former Antongiovanni land.
Credit: Gretchen Wenner


Title: Other Corner
Caption: This is the wrong corner, the northWEST corner of Panama and Old River. Across the street, at the northEAST corner, is one of the Ennis sites, the former Antongiovanni land.
Credit: Gretchen Wenner

 Other Corner This is the wrong corner, the northWEST corner of Panama and Old River. Across the street, at the northEAST corner, is one of the Ennis sites, the former Antongiovanni land. Gretchen Wenner Bakersfield ranks among top midsize business cities http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30583 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30583 <p>Apparently, Bakersfield is No. 9 in the Top 30 Midsize Cities for Doing Business, according to Inc. Magazine. </p> <p>After looking around some more, I saw that the city also ranked No. 38 in Overall Top Cities for Doing Business, just below Ogden-Clearfield, Utah and above Panama City-Lynn Haven, Florida.</p> <p>Check it out for yourself here: http://www.inc.com/bestcities/2008/bestlimited.html?size=2&amp;year=2008&amp;display=30</p> <p><a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/503850.html">Read our full story here.</a></p> <p>What do you think about the state of businesses in Bakersfield?</p> <p><i>&mdash; Angelle Barbazon, staff writer</i></p> -3 -3 Eco-friendly book signing http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30552 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30552 <p>Lassens Natural Foods &amp; Vitamins will offer demonstrations, samples, raffle prizes, local health practitioners and more during a 38th anniversary celebration Saturday.</p> <p>Actor, author and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. will be on hand at noon to sign his new book, &ldquo;Living Like Ed,&rdquo; and demonstrate eco-friendly cleaners.</p> <p>The store is located at 4308 California Ave.</p> <p>Call 324-6990 for information.</p> 35.366750 -119.051782 People in Business: A who's who for July 21 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30539 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30539 <p>Do you know what Catherine Pickering accomplished?</p> <p>Read all about what she and many other Kern County men and women in business have done in <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/1385/story/502893.html">this week's column. <br /> </a></p> <p>People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business &ldquo;people news&rdquo; in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to <a href="mailto:business@bakersfield.com"> business@bakersfield.com.</a> Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.</p>


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Caption: Catherine Pickering
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Caption: Catherine Pickering
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Catherine Pickering Get some leverage! Check our home sales map http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30526 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30526 <p>Our latest home sales map is ready for a peek. <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/1386/story/470224.html"> Check it out here.</a> The map is updated with homes that sold in Bakersfield May 26 to 31, color-coded by sales price.</p> <p>We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals. Since foreclosures, or bank-owned properties, now account for an increasing number of weekly sales, sales between banks and individuals are now being included.</p> <p>Check out what homes are going for with the information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer. </p> <p>Highlights for May 26 to 31:</p> <p>&bull; 73 homes are new on the map.</p> <p>&bull; Priciest? One sold for $810,000 in the 93314 ZIP code. (It was 3,803 square feet.)</p> <p>&bull; Cheapest? One sold for $52,000 in the 93308 ZIP code. (It was 660 square feet.)</p> <p>What do you think of the prices? Are you trying to buy? Sell?</p> <p><i>&mdash; Christine Peterson</i></p>


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Caption: This home at 4412 Sierra Redwood Drive sold on May 27 for $222,000. Located in the 93313 ZIP code, the 2,022-square-foot house has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.
Credit: Casey Christie/ The Californian


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Caption: This home at 4412 Sierra Redwood Drive sold on May 27 for $222,000. Located in the 93313 ZIP code, the 2,022-square-foot house has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.
Credit: Casey Christie/ The Californian

 This home at 4412 Sierra Redwood Drive sold on May 27 for $222,000. Located in the 93313 ZIP code, the 2,022-square-foot house has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Casey Christie/ The Californian No Bakersfield Starbucks are closing http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30475 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30475 <p>Starbucks recently announced the imminent closure of around 600 U.S. stores. Under pressure from customers and employees for not being more forthcoming about the exact locations, the coffee giant has released the locations of affected stores.</p> <p>And guess what?</p> <p>There are no local Starbucks on the list.</p> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-STARBUCKS_080718.html">Here's the list.</a></p>


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Caption: A Starbucks Corp. location.
Credit: AP photo/ Casa Grande Dispatch, Steven King


Title:
Caption: A Starbucks Corp. location.
Credit: AP photo/ Casa Grande Dispatch, Steven King

 A Starbucks Corp. location. AP photo/ Casa Grande Dispatch, Steven King Changes ahead for Windermere http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30342 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30342 <p>Castle &amp; Cooke got the OK Thursday night from the Bakersfield Planning Commission to make design tweaks to its Windermere development in the southwest.</p> <p>Several residents told commissioners they loved Windermere's design touches, including garages that are tucked away in alleys instead of being &quot;front-loaded&quot; or on the street.</p> <p>But realtor Louie Gregorio told commissioners he had a listing in Windermere for four months and clients consistently said they didn't like the alley feature.</p> <p>The neighborhood doesn't look like most Bakersfield subdivisions. And that's the problem, according to Castle &amp; Cooke. People who toured models told pollsters they wanted larger yards for their money. The company has sold less than 20 homes since the development came online.</p> <p>I went through a home in Windermere and its yard was plenty big. The woman has&nbsp; a lovely pool,&nbsp; lawn and storage space. Her house is gorgeous.</p> <p>What do you think? Is there an obsession with big lots in Bakersfield? Could Westchester, arguably the city's most desirable neighborhood, one that has homes that don't look the same, be built today? Would it fly?</p> <p>&mdash; Jenny Shearer, staff writer</p> More Countrywide "deception," suit says http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30271 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/MoneyTalks/30271 <p>Our state attorney general sent out a press release this morning disclosing <a href="http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1588"><b>&quot;shocking new details&quot;</b></a> about Countrywide's deceptive practices during the housing bubble, saying employees were rewarded for selling risky home loans and the company igored its own underwriting guidelines.</p> <p>California filed a lawsuit in June against Countrywide Financial for deceptive lending. Illinois has also sued the company. Bank of America agreed to buy it earlier this year.</p> <p>(Indymac Bank, by the way, was co-founded by Countrywide's former CEO Angelo Mozilo. If you haven't been following the news lately, Indymac is the Pasadena-based bank that failed last Friday.)</p> <p>Personally I wish the &quot;shocking new details&quot; revealed what city these loans were made in. Perhaps that will come out in the wash. Countrywide made many loans in Bakersfield and Kern during the real estate boom.</p> <p>If you're so inclined Atty. Gen. Brown's complaint is attached as&nbsp; PDF file at the bottom of the press release if you click the link.</p> <p>-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer</p>


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Caption: I'm shocked, shocked...
Credit: Casablanca


Title: ShockedShocked.jpg
Caption: I'm shocked, shocked...
Credit: Casablanca

 ShockedShocked.jpg I'm shocked, shocked... Casablanca