Orangevale, CA--Today, as my truck swung into the horseshoe driveway, Megan immediately saw the Notice of Trustee's Sale tacked to her front door, the locks had been changed, and a Realtor's lockbox was affixed to the entrance of the large family home with a pool and acreage. Her house had been sold at auction. This was the end of my friend's dream. And as her Realtor, I was a reluctant witness to the final chapter. Megan had tried to work out a "short sale" with the bank--selling the house for less than was owed. Within two weeks of listing the house, she even received two offers, one for cash. But, in the end, the bank decided to send the house to auction on October 26, 2009. On the st

Have you received a letter? My household has been mailed two so far claiming that XYZ Company will help me lower my property taxes if I send them $95.00 or $179.00. Fellow residents, may I offer some advice? Don’t waste your money. We all want to pay lower taxes, especially in a declining market, but as a tax payer you can do this for free (or at least pay someone to help you when the time is right – only if you need to). Here is what you need to do: 1. First off, wait to see what the Sacramento County Assessor’s Office says your home is worth. They should have this data available around May 2009. Figures for 2009 property taxes aren’t even out yet, so how can these companies accurately