Across Southern California and the Inland Empire, voters are also weighing in on congressional contests that could help determine control of the U.S. House during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.

The statewide ballot includes races for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, controller, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner and seats on the Board of Equalization. Voters are also selecting candidates for the California Assembly and state Senate.

In the closely watched governor’s race, recent polling has shown Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer running closely with Republican Steve Hilton. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Final outcomes may not be known immediately, especially in tight races. Ballots postmarked by Election Day may still be counted if they arrive by June 9. County election officials will continue processing ballots in the days ahead, and the California secretary of state has until July 10 to certify the official results.

Results are being updated as ballots are counted for statewide offices, U.S. House races, state Senate contests and Assembly races.

Original source: CalMatters

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• Place at least 38,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.
• Ensure that at least 95% of the Veterans housed in 2023 do not return to homelessness during the year. And of those who return to homelessness, VA will ensure that at least 90% are rehoused or on a path to rehousing by the end of 2023.
• Engage with at least 28,000 unsheltered Veterans to help them obtain housing and other wraparound services. This goal represents a more than 10% increase in the number of unsheltered Veterans reached during 2022.

Ending Veteran homelessness is a top priority of VA and the entire Biden administration. The number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by 11% since early 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010. Additionally, during 2022, VA placed more than 40,000 homeless Veterans into permanent housing — exceeding VA’s 2022 goal by more than 6%.

“We are making real progress in the fight to end Veteran homelessness, but even one Veteran experiencing homelessness is one too many,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We will not rest until every Veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they fought to defend.”

VA also announced specific goals for combating Veteran homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area. During 2022, VA provided 1,301 permanent housing placements to formerly homeless Veterans in LA, the most of any city in America. In 2023, VA will build on that progress by:

• Providing at least 1,500 permanent housing placements to formerly homeless Veterans.
• Conducting at least 1,888 engagements with unsheltered Veterans to help them obtain housing and other wraparound services.

VA’s efforts to combat Veteran homelessness are grounded in reaching out to homeless Veterans, understanding their unique needs, and addressing them. These efforts are built upon the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the wraparound support they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.

Of the 40,401 Veterans housed by VA in 2022, 2,443 returned to homelessness at some point last year. With the help of VA staff and community partners, 86% of those Veterans were rehoused or on a path to rehousing by the end of the year. There are several reasons why Veterans may return to homelessness after being placed into permanent housing, such as financial hardship and illness — and VA works to return them to stable housing as quickly and sustainably as possible.

This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader efforts to reduce homelessness for all Americans by 25% by 2025. President Biden also released his Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Proposal last week, which invests $3.1 billion in providing homeless Veterans — and Veterans at-risk of homelessness — with permanent housing, access to health care and other supportive services.

For more information about VA’s comprehensive efforts to end Veteran homelessness, visit VA.gov/homeless.

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This is what they call a nail-biter, folks.

With Democrats managing to hang on to control of the U.S. Senate following votes tallied this weekend, all eyes have shifted to the U.S. House — and to California, which could end up determining the balance of power in Congress and the political direction of the country.

With 218 House seats needed for a majority, Republicans had secured 212 and Democrats 204 as of Sunday, according to the Associated Press. But 19 races remained too close to call — including 12 in California.

David Wasserman, U.S. House editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told the Los Angeles Times: “It will absolutely come down to California. It’s the single largest cluster of races that are too close to call. It could remain that way for several days.”

In three Golden State contests, the candidates were within 3 percentage points of each other as of Sunday night, CalMatters’ live results tracker shows. Other gaps weren’t much larger: In the Central Valley, for example, Republican Rep. David Valadao was about 5 percentage points ahead of his Democratic challenger, Assemblymember Rudy Salas.

The three closest races include:

• The matchup between Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and Republican Scott Baugh in Orange County.

• The race between Republican Rep. Ken Calvert and Democrat Will Rollins for a district spanning the Coachella Valley and Riverside County.

• And the contest between Republican farmer John Duarte and Democratic Assemblymember Adam Gray for a newly created district anchored in Modesto.

Although the Democratic Party’s unexpectedly strong national showing suggests predictions of a Republican “red wave” were largely overblown, the party is unlikely to flip some GOP-held California congressional seats if current ballot trends persist, Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, tweeted Saturday.

Regardless of which party ends up in control of the House, a Californian is in line to take the helm: either current Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, or Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican.

• Pelosi said in a Sunday interview with ABC that she doesn’t plan to leave Congress, but declined to share whether she intends to seek a leadership position: “I’m not making any comments until this election is finished, and we have a little more time to go.”

• Meanwhile, if McCarthy were to ascend to the speakership — a path his party will be asked to affirm Tuesday in an internal vote — he would face the sizable challenge of contending with former President Donald Trump’s increasingly divisive influence on the Republican Party.

The election may also pose a conundrum for Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose path to higher office could be stymied by results seemingly contradicting his repeated assertion that the Democratic Party is getting “crushed on narrative,” argues Wall Street Journal columnist James Freeman.

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In fact, you shouldn’t expect a real-estate deal to go fast. That’s because buying property is less like swiping your credit card during a Black Friday sale and more like preparing a Thanksgiving feast for the family. The process involves a variety of steps, each of which needs to be done right, if you want a happy result. One of the most important steps in that process is known as due diligence.

During it, you will want to investigate the property to make sure you are getting exactly what you expect before money changes hands. First, figure out who actually owns the property. Obvious, right? But people occasionally buy property from people who don’t actually own the property.

In some cases, a seller mistakenly believes that they own the property. For example, a family might agree on how to distribute property after a loved one passed away without going through the probate process. And then later memories change, leaving ownership disputed. In less-innocent cases, the seller is lying. They tell you that the property has been in their family for years; they may even cry over the idea of parting ways with it.

But they assure you that if you pay right away, they will let it go. The easiest and safest way to find out whether the seller actually owns the property is to obtain a preliminary title report. A PTR is not a government document; instead, it is a report issued by a title-insurance company describing the chain of ownership from the first owner to the current owner. It will also say if the property has been leased and whether there are any mortgages or other liens on the property.

You should get this document directly from the title-insurance company, especially if you have any doubts about the seller. On Saipan, two companies currently issue PTRs: Security Title and Pacific American Title. The first is located on Capital Hill; the second is in Susupe. Second, double-check the property’s boundaries. Just because a seller claims that a property has certain boundaries doesn’t make it so. Take a common example.

Let’s say a father owns a big chunk of land and then passes away, leaving five children. Following probate, each child gets one-fifth of the land. Over 20 years, each uses the land with little thought about the formal boundaries of each property. Later, one of the children sells their piece to someone outside the family. What happens next? That’s right: Disagreements about where one property ends and the other begins.

And those disagreements can turn especially expensive if there’s a house built over the boundary line, a surprisingly common occurrence. So, how does a careful buyer prevent boundary problems from transforming their investment into a nightmare? Get a boundary survey from a seasoned surveyor. Doing so will confirm access points and boundary lines as well as identifying any encroachments.

Third, make sure that you can use the property for the purpose you intend. You may not be able to. That is because Saipan has a zoning law establishing how different areas of the island can be used. For example, if a part of the island has been designated as a residential area, then it generally cannot be used for a nonresidential purpose like a hotel, a hospital, or a factory—although occasionally the Zoning Board or the Legislature may grant an exception. Other zoning restrictions may also apply. The Zoning Law is long and detailed with many technical requirements stretching from how far to set back buildings from roads, boundaries, and high watermarks to how much parking is needed to how much of a storefront window can be used for advertisements.

Fourth, investigate whether the property has any environmental issues. For instance, is there a wetland on the property? If so, CNMI law strongly restricts and sometimes flatly prohibits development. Is the property in a floodplain? Again, development restrictions may apply (on top of all the other issues that apply to building in a flood-prone location). Are there any endangered animals on the property? If so, you will need to reach into your wallet to pay remediation costs.

You may also need to halt your project until the issue has been addressed, a process that can take half a year or more. Fifth, check whether the property is part of a planned community. Though more common in the U.S. mainland than here, the CNMI has some planned communities too. For example, if you buy a condo, an apartment, or a house that’s part of a subdivision, community rules often apply to everyone in the planned community.

These rules can strictly control where you can park, how you decorate your property, and so on. So you’ll want to know what you are getting yourself into before you buy. This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as legal advice. For your specific case, consult a lawyer

-Jordan Sundell

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“As the home continues to serve as our collective sanctuary during the COVID pandemic, it’s critical to consider how lighting can keep a family thriving during this fall and winter season,” says Michael McCullough, director of PR at Progress Lighting.

Fall has arrived, and with it, a new reality. The days are naturally growing shorter and darker. Daylight Saving Time expires November 1, ushering in the long winter nights and colder temperatures. This means more time spent inside working, learning and just plain living in our homes.

“The stress of the COVID-19 crisis has emphasized the impact our environment plays on our well-being. There’s never been a more important time for interior design,” says Doris Pearlman, founder of Possibilities for Design of Denver. “Our goal is to create spaces that uplift and embrace, providing respite from daily pressures.”

Pearlman’s team offers three design suggestions:

• Add lighting above work areas to create functional, operational spaces.

• Complement ambient lighting with pendant lighting around kitchen islands to facilitate collaboration.

• Create inspiration by clustering pendants for a fun, unique centerpiece.

• Hang pendants over nightstands to turn the bedroom into a retreat. Individual switches allow for customized lighting for easy bedtime reading.

Jayme and Nolan Fridley, of Fridley Homes in Oregon, who balance a busy custom home building business with their active family, are observing new trends.

“The open-concept floor plan is not as charming when everyone’s working from home,” says Jayme Fridley. “Instead of a ‘great room,’ many families now think that having many areas designated for specific tasks is ‘great’.”

Fridley’s strategies include:

• Create specific learning areas for each child.

• Let kids customize spaces, keeping clutter minimized to avoid distractions.

• Encourage concentration with good (if possible natural) lighting.

Design pros suggest homeowners incorporate light layering to maximize light throughout the day. Supplement daylight with overhead lighting from chandeliers, recessed and close-to-ceiling fixtures. Place task lighting such as pendants or desk lamps over work areas. Use accent lighting like wall sconces to add a soft glow as the day wanes.

“Lighting should set the tone for productivity. For some, this might mean bright lighting and multiple sources. Others might prefer a moody vibe. Making it your own is what’s most important…oh, and a good backdrop for Zoom calls sure won’t hurt,” says Julie Wynalda, owner of True Vine Creations in Hudsonville, Mich.

Instagram influencer Heather, of Operation Tudor Revival, who’s DIY-ing her home renovation says, “Office lighting can be both functional and fabulous! I went with an overhead chandelier with a drum shade for an updated look. The shade also helps diffuse light to avoid glare on my computer screen.”

Technology can help spaces pull double-duty. Lifestyle blogger, Lindsey Dalton says, “We put our chandelier on a dimmer so it can be bright while my husband’s working but we can turn it down during dinner to transition the room from workday to relaxing evening.”

With smart light fixtures, you can change lighting tone, brightness and color with a device or your voice. Control products from iDevices work with the three most popular voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. Using the iDevices smart Dimmer Switch and Wall Switch, you can set lights on dynamic schedules and automations based on triggers like your local sunrise or presence at home. Delineating start and stop times to your day through lighting can help optimize productivity and boost your mood.

Smart controls can also facilitate distance-learning.

“With a voice assistant built inside the Instinct smart light switch, you have your own at-home teaching assistant, helping answer questions and assisting with exercises,” says Andrew Ragali, senior marketing manager for iDevices. “It also allows you to play music or audiobooks using voice commands to keep kids on task.”

For more tips and to shop products, visit Progress Lighting.

Your home environment impacts your family’s health and wellbeing. Well-lit, comfortable spaces can help your household thrive in the months ahead.

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Owning a home is a huge investment, and once they’ve owned long enough to build up equity, many homeowners opt to leverage the equity for other uses. But if you’re on the fence about taking on another monthly loan payment, an option that may be right for you is co-investing. With a home equity loan, you borrow against the equity in your home and receive a lump sum of money that you have to pay back each month over a specified term – commonly 15 years. The interest rate is usually fixed, but is typically higher than your primary mortgage.

Co-investing offers an alternative to traditional home equity loans. In a nutshell, the co-investing company pays the homeowner an upfront amount, with no repayments for a set number of years, or until the home is sold, whichever comes first. There may also be an option to buy the company out, after a minimum restriction period passes. This option can be ideal for a homeowner who wants access to cash without the added financial burden of monthly loan payments, who has lived in a home long enough to build up some equity, and plans to stay at least another five years.

Unison, a San-Francisco-based real estate company, is a leader in the growing field of co-investment. Unison offers homeowners a cash payment of up to 17.5 percent of their home’s current market value. When the house is sold or 30 years pass, the owner pays Unison an amount equal to the initial co-investment, plus (or minus) a percentage of the home’s appreciated (or depreciated) value. Here’s an example: A homeowner whose home is currently worth $500,000 and who needed $25,000 in cash (5 percent of the home’s value) would repay an amount equal to $25,000 plus 25 percent* of the amount the house appreciates in value during the time of the co-investment.

With a larger co-investment, the company receives a larger share of the appreciation in value. Homeowners can use their cash for anything, but Unison recommends something of long-term value, such as kids’ college tuition, medical expenses, home remodeling, or investing in diverse stocks and bonds. Other benefits of co-investing: Keeping gains from remodeling work and keeping the equity built from prompt mortgage payments. Being a good candidate for homeowner co-investing is not so different from being a good homeowner generally.

Unison requires that homeowners keep the home as their primary residence; stay current on payments for mortgages, property tax, and homeowners’ insurance; keep the home well-maintained to retain and increase value; and keep Unison informed of issues, such as remodeling plans or emergencies, such as natural disasters, bankruptcy, or plans to sell the home. To find out how Unison can help you get the most out of homeownership, visit unison.com. *This is a possible percentage for illustrative purposes. The actual percentage varies based on the specific HomeOwner transaction.

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Mortgage rates have recently hit near-record lows and Freddie Mac predicts rates will remain low for the foreseeable future.

If you haven’t already taken advantage of the low-rate environment to refinance your home, experts say it’s worth considering.

“There are lots of reasons to refinance your home mortgage when rates go down,” says Liz Bryant, national sales manager for Wells Fargo Home Lending. “Lower rates can reduce your payment, shorten the overall length of your loan and/or provide you access to cash that you can use for home improvements or other expenses.”

Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking of taking that step:

• It may make sense to consider if your goal is to reduce your monthly payment as well as the interest you will pay over the life of the loan. A mortgage consultant or refinancing calculator can help you decide. Reducing your payment will free up money for saving, investing or spending in other ways.
• Refinancing can shorten the length of your loan, for example, by reducing your loan from a 30-year repayment period to l5 or even 10. That can allow you to pay the loan off faster and reduce the amount of interest you pay. But depending on your individual situation, it could mean a larger monthly payment.
• Some homeowners refinance to tap into available equity. This can be useful if you’re paying for a large project like a home renovation or are making another large purchase. You should talk to a home mortgage consultant to see if a cash-out refinance fits into your long-term financial goals or whether a home equity line of credit makes more sense for this need.
• If you have built up equity in your home, you may want to consider refinancing to remove mortgage insurance. Typically, you can request your lender to remove mortgage insurance if you show you have at least 20 percent equity in your home. However, if you have a government-backed mortgage, you will need to refinance to a conventional loan to remove your mortgage insurance, which will reduce your monthly payment. You can find more details at yourhomematters.wf.com.
• Finally, if you want to move out of an adjustable-rate mortgage and into a fixed-rate one, refinancing may make sense. Depending on rates, your payment could be higher, but doing so will protect you against rising rates in the future.

“If you’re thinking of refinancing, take some time to do some research and talk to your mortgage lender,” says Bryant. “Refinancing may save you money over the long-term and help you achieve your financial goals.”

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A national housing survey found 88 percent of Hispanics felt homeownership was a good long-term investment, with 92 percent reporting they planned to be homeowners.

Jocelyn Vasquez is living proof of those statistics.

At a young age, her parents instilled the belief that if you owned a home, you had achieved the American dream. That dream of homeownership carried a lot of weight for her Hispanic parents, who had immigrated from El Salvador in 1977.

Jocelyn turned the dream into an aggressive goal for herself:

“My goal, as a U.S. citizen, was to graduate college and get a house before turning 30,” says Jocelyn. “And, I wanted to do it on my own.”

To accomplish this, the Los Angeles, California resident made a roadmap for herself. She saved, attended college and kept her student loan debt as low as possible – all without burdening her parents.

After she graduated, Jocelyn got a job as a loan officer assistant. It wasn’t until she had worked there for three years that she fully understood what was needed to qualify for a mortgage. The lightbulb went off when she realized, “I really could buy my own home someday.”

That was when she got serious. Because California real estate is so expensive, Jocelyn got a second job. She earned her real estate license and worked part-time as an agent, determined to save all her commission checks for a down payment.

It took her three years to build her savings, pay off bills and get her debt-to-income (DTI) ratio low enough to qualify for a loan. (Many lenders don’t want a borrower’s debt to be greater than 45 percent of their gross income.) Once she achieved this, it was time to execute her plan.

Jocelyn searched for a house that was less than $300,000 – not an easy task in the Greater Los Angeles Area. She looked at 16 homes before she found a 2-bed, 2 ? bath townhouse, with a 2-car garage for $285,000. Even though it was perfect for her, she took the weekend to think it over before making an offer. Unfortunately, her hesitancy cost her. By Sunday night, the seller had already accepted an offer. Jocelyn was devastated.

“I felt so discouraged, I didn’t know what to do,” she admitted.

“After all my hard work and determination, I couldn’t believe I had missed out on this house. But I told myself what I tell all my buyers, ‘If it’s meant to be, it will be.'”

It must have been meant to be: Five days later, Jocelyn got an alert on her phone informing her the house was back on the market – for $7,000 less. Jocelyn immediately called the seller’s agent, who told her the first buyer had backed out of the deal because his truck didn’t fit in the garage. This time, Jocelyn didn’t hesitate to offer the new asking price of $278,000.

Jocelyn used conventional financing with private mortgage insurance, which allowed her to put down less than 20 percent. By saving diligently, she was able to make a five-percent down payment of $13,900. Her current monthly payment of $2,020 is exactly what she paid to rent her previous 1-bed, 1-bath, 640-sq.-ft apartment in downtown LA.

“This is the best investment I’ve ever made,” says Jocelyn. “In the two years I’ve owned my home, its value has increased by almost 15 percent. It took a very long time, but I knew my plan would work eventually. And, I did it all on my own at age 28. My goal now is to help other Hispanic homebuyers realize the American dream of owning their own home.”

For more first-time homebuyer stories, visit readynest.com.

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Erin, who works at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, had been toying with the idea of buying her first home. She was 32 years old, and was very aware that the Durham housing market was heating up.

“I figured if I was going to buy a house, I’d better do it sooner rather than later because prices just kept going up,” explains Erin.

However, with only $7,000 in savings at the time, she felt she didn’t have enough money for a down payment. But the timing became a dilemma for her. Should she wait to save more money for a house that would probably cost more in a year? Or, use all her savings to buy a house now – at the risk of leaving herself with no funds for a rainy day or future expenses?

The answer came when Erin visited the new home of a friend who had used a down payment assistance program to purchase her house. Her friend explained how down payment assistance programs give first-time homebuyers money to pay for a portion or all of their down payment, with some programs even helping with closing costs.

Free money for eligible borrowers

While there are more than 2,500 down payment assistance programs available throughout the country, Erin decided to apply for the same state-offered program her friend had used.

The program, called North Carolina 1st Home Advantage Down Payment, makes homeownership more affordable for state residents. It offers down payment assistance of up to 5 percent for FHA, VA and USDA loans, and up to 3 percent for a conventional loan. And because Erin had a decent credit score and met the program’s income limit, she qualified.

Erin received down payment help in the form of a zero-percent, deferred second mortgage. As long as she doesn’t sell or refinance the house for 15 years, her down payment assistance will be forgiven, meaning she won’t have to pay it back.

Let the house hunting begin!

Once Erin knew she was eligible for help with her down payment, she earnestly began her home search. She found a historical 3-bedroom, 1-bath home that was built in 1925. The price of the home was $152,000. She used conventional financing with private mortgage insurance because she was putting less than 20 percent down. With her 3-percent down payment assistance ($4,560), Erin successfully purchased her home in 2016.

“And, I didn’t have to use all my savings!” says Erin. Plus, she’s built up equity over the last two years due to home values going up.

Aside from the financial perks of owning her own home, Erin enjoys other benefits. “I’ve got so much more space for the money than when I was renting,” says Erin. “And I like being a permanent part of the neighborhood and getting to know my neighbors.”

For more homebuyer resources, visit readynest.com.

To find down payment assistance programs in your area, visit downpaymentresource.com/

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How many houses have you been outbid on? And if you’re an owner who can’t even get a nibble out of buyers – if some barely even bother stepping inside – are you starting to feel like screaming?

Yes, times are tricky for both buyers and sellers.

“Rising demand among millennials, full employment, and the strong economy have bumped against limited inventory,” the Washington Post reported, “which fuels price increases.”

What to do? Read on for some of the best insider tips.

* January and February are the best months to buy. Forget the “experts” who warn you shouldn’t try to time the market. A recent study from NerdWallet shows houses typically cost 8.45 percent less during those two months than in June and August.

True, the pickings might be slimmer, given that most sellers list a house in the peak spring or summer seasons. However, not only are you less likely to be up against buyers with wads of cash – they’re probably wintering in the likes of St. Barts – but you’ll also stand to profit from a time-tested truth. “If their home is (still) on the market in fall or winter,” notes the home improvement website BobVila.com, “chances are they’ll be eager to close.”

With the median price of homes currently listed in the U.S. at $275,000, that 8.45 percent “discount” translates into a very un-chump change savings of more than $23,000 – and a lot more in pricier cities like San Francisco.

Sellers, on the other hand, do best in the first half of May, according to Zillow.com.

* Generation Z is quick to buy. We hear so much about Millennials these days, but those born after 1995 caught Zillow’s attention for a very good reason: When they buy, they buy “quickly.”

More than two-thirds of those Gen Z buyers spent less than three months on their search, compared to 54 percent of Millennials and less than half of both Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1976) and Baby Boomers.

One of the best ways to pique their interest? Smart home features that allow just about anything to be remotely controlled on their phones.

(Inside tips for anyone)

* A new roof is a sure-fire way to boost a home’s resale value. A perennial fixture on Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, roofs are often the first thing prospective buyers notice even before exiting their cars. And if yours pales in comparison to others up for sale in the area – or worse, looks like something out of “Twister” – that could explain the lack of nibbles.

Patsy O’Neill, a sales associate with Sotheby’s in Montclair, New Jersey, has witnessed this effect first-hand.

“If your current roof is an eyesore,” she says emphatically, “buyers will be predisposed to find other things they hate about your place. It’s just the way people’s minds work.”

Your roof no longer cutting it? You might want to check out the popular Timberline roofing shingle line from GAF (gaf.com), North America’s largest roofing manufacturer, given their look of luxury at affordable prices. An even more upscale choice: the Designer Shingle line from the same company.

* Play the online odds. “Studies show that homes with more than six listing photos online are twice as likely to be viewed by buyers,” Trulia.com reports.

Of course, that only applies if the house you’re trying to sell is photo-worthy. (See “New Roof” above.) And if it isn’t … well, let’s just say you might want to skip this tip.

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