Patti Phillips
Prudential California Realty
6119 La Granada
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Direct toll free: 800-680-9133
Cell: 619-507-2100 Office: 858-481-2020
www.PattiPhillipsRealEstate.com

Friday, October 26, 2007

Fire Disaster Relief Resources

I hope that this blog finds you well. Unfortunately we all know people who have been affected by the tragedy of the San Diego fires. In light of that, I want to reach out and be a resource to those in need. If you know anyone in need of help, the following information may be of assistance:

Federal Help From FEMA
FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency. They can help with grants for temporary housing, grants for home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, other programs to help those recovering from the disaster & counseling for your family.
Their contact information is www.fema.gov , Telephone: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362); 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. (From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

For direct “face to face assistance” here are the locations of the local assistance centers that are open as of 10/25/07. FEMA representatives are on hand to answer questions and provide assistance:

Rancho Bernardo-Glassman Recreation Center 18448 W. Bernardo DriveSan Diego, CA 92127Ramona Community School1710 Montecito RoadRamona, CA 92065Fallbrook Community Center341 Heald LaneFallbrook, CA 92028Rancho San Diego-Cajamarca College900 Rancho San Diego ParkwayEl Cajon, CA 92109

State of California Department of Insurance
If you know someone who feels they are getting inadequate service/assistance from their home insurance carrier, aid may be available through the State of California, Department of Insurance.
The necessary forms needed are available through the following link:
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/contact-us/0200-file-complaint/upload/Revised_English_CSD_012_RFA_Form-2.pdf

211 San Diego
Local information about the wildfire disaster and all the available links for road closures, school closures, fire maps, shelters, donations, medical assistance, etc.
http://www.211sandiego.com/

OptumHealth
Optum Health is a confidential resource for mental health & life changes, such as stress, anxiety, etc. The toll free Help Line is available 24 hours a day to anyone needing assistance. The number is (866) 342-6892 and the service is free of charge.
In addition the OptumHealth (UBH) EAP website www.liveandworkwell.com
is a rich resource and offers information on local resources, a state wild fire map and creating a disaster plan.

Safe Cleanup of Fire Ash and Debris
The local fires have resulted in large volumes of fire ash and debris throughout San Diego County. When mandatory evacuations are lifted, residents who return to their effected homes and neighborhood should use caution when they come in contact with these materials.
Here is the link for the full article that provides very safe and useful information on dealing with post fire debris: http://www.sharp.com/news/index.cfm?id=9707

Rental Properties

PrudentialCalifornia Realty is working on a website to help people out with available rentals for temporary housing. Contact me for more information. In addition, a good source of temporary residence information is either the Union Tribune Website/classified ads at http://sdhomessearch.signonsandiego.com/Rentals/SearchIndex.asp
Or Craig’s list at: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/apa/ This is a great website with tons of homes/apartments/condos/rooms for rent in San Diego and the surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, I wish those of you who have personally experienced loss the very best in resstoring and rebuilding your lives and your homes.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

San Diego Fires & The Impact on Real Estate

Here in the San Diego area we are all starting to breath a little easier and get back to life. What a strange few days it has been. One minute, you think you are going to get up, go to work and start another typically hectic work-week. Next thing, you are throwing your most prized possessions in your car and taking off for safety.

Lucky for my family, after 2 days away, we returned home to an undamaged house and neighborhood. We feel blessed by that.

How will the recent fires affect our San Diego Real Estate market? I believe there will be both negative and positive repercussions from the fires. Obviously, there will be many families needing homes immediately. Some will rent, while waiting to rebuild. Others will buy, scared to remain in the same location that proved so dangerous to their families. In any case, there will be some activity created by the loss of homes

Some who were considering buying in San Diego may be frightened by the fires, and change their buying plans. Others will look at how the disaster was handled, the sense of calm, caring and community that took place, and decide that they want to live amongst people of such character and kindness.

In any case, the displaced families will need to be helped and cared for by professionals who can help them find a new place to call home. I hope they are all able to quickly settle in and move on with their lives, rebuild and create new memories to replace those that were swept away by the fires.

If you are one of those impacted by the fire, and need a list of contractors and service providers that you can trust, please contact me. I have a list of professionals in every type of industry that I know can be trusted. They have come to me highly recommended. You will have one less thing to worry about by having recommendations of reputable service providers at hand.