The Semi-Annual MLS Fees Billing have been sent out. The MLS Service and Data fees are $210 every 6 months, if you are an MLS-Touch subscriber these fees will be included.  

If you are an MLS-Touch Subscriber your fees have been reduced to $4.95 per month. Deadline to submit these fees are June 15. 

C.A.R. recently defeated Senate Bill (SB) 364 (Leno) in the State Legislature. The bill would have eliminated property rights protections for owners of rental property and significantly discouraged efforts to create new rental housing in the city and county of San Francisco. Often time, what is passed in other areas can come to Fresno. Could you imagine being "forced" to keep your rental for 5 consecutive years? 

"SB 364 was an unreasonable and unjustified attack on property owners that need or want to take a rental property off the market," C.A.R. President Chris Kutzkey said. "Discouraging investment in housing is bad policy, and SB 364 would have caused harmful unintended consequences. San Francisco already has the most protective, and the most expensive eviction rules in the state."

In 1985, C.A.R. successfully sponsored the Ellis Act, preventing local governments from restricting the ability of rental property owners to remove a rental property from the market.  SB 364 would have allowed San Francisco to prevent property owners from taking rental units off the market, unless every owner of that property has owned the property for at least five consecutive years.  This effectively forces property owners to remain in the rental housing business even if they are losing money or simply wish to occupy their own property

San Francisco already has California's strongest renter protection rules.  Seniors and the disabled are, under current state law, given a one-year notice when a property owner is going to vacate the unit.  All other tenants receive 120 days. 

Distracting Driving, It's Not Worth It by Carmen Hernandez

 

The battle of using your mobile phone while driving increases every day as technology enhances. In addition, driver safety is put to the test as mobile companies compete with state law for mobile consumption. When state law prohibited talking on the phone while driving, mobile companies expanded their services to compensate for loss of mobile consumption. Currently, according to the California Highway Patrol, cell phone tickets are dropping but crashes are not. 

 

While mobile phones are a great distraction when driving, teen drivers are facing an even greater distraction, their friends. The number one killer of teens in America are auto collisions and the number one distraction are friends.  "A lot of kids wait until they are 18 years old to drive, they forgo driver's education because it is not readily available like it used to be in high school.  Also, driver restrictions for teenagers are lifted at 18 years old, leaving them less experienced and knowledgeable" said David Singer, CHP Community Outreach & Media Relations Officer.

 

The highest rate of auto collisions involve eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year olds because they are not educated or experienced, they jump into the driver seat with little practice. The California Highway Patrol is taking a part in filling the gap of inexperienced drivers by providing free services to youth groups and schools.  With CHP's Start Smart, "There are ways to keep a new driver - and their passengers - safe on the road".  

 

Start Smart provides an emotional connection with new drivers by providing a free 2 hour long Start Smart class. According to www.chp.ca.gov, CHP officers speak directly to the newly licensed driver and their parents/guardians through candid conversations, discussing topics such as collision avoidance techniques along with collision causing elements such as excessive speed, DUI, and distracted driving.  In addition, Every 15 Minutes is a two-day program focusing on high school juniors and seniors, which challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and many others.  Funding is available through the CHP to implement this program.  Go to www.chp.ca.gov for more information.