mercurynews--2020-12-13--Sponsored: How does a family halt an agent and broker from showing the home of a relative with early

Sponsored: How does a family halt an agent and broker from showing the home of a relative with early dementia?

Q : In the very early stages of dementia , my father-in-law signs listings agreements with one seller ’ s agent after another .
My sister-in-law is the co-trustee on all public records regarding his home .
Beyond comprehension is the speed at which these real estate agents sign a listing contract with an older adult in his ninth decade .
None of the seller ’ s agents conducted due diligence regarding ownership or title .
Not one seller ’ s agent asked to speak with any of his six adult children prominently displayed in all the family photos .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent signed a three-month listing agreement with my father-in-law in early October , overlapping the third listing agent ’ s listing contract period ending in early November .
During the two listing periods before COVID-19 restrictions , and two since , my father-in-law was uncooperative in showing his house .
Luckily , no offers were submitted or accepted to our knowledge .
Currently , the listing is in a holding pattern with the local Multiple Listing Service .
I just learned the current seller ’ s agent refuses to cancel her listing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ show the house ” and did so without wearing a face mask .
My sister-in-law , on record as a co-trustee , complained to the realty brokerage firm ’ s owner/broker , who said she “ backs up her agent 100 % .
” Until now , all of the real estate agents that this large family has known were consummate professionals .
How in the world do we get this unscrupulous real estate agent and her broker to agree this will not end well ?
A : The potent trifecta of options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , or all at once , is overwhelming to a licensed real estate professional .
A scathing letter listing infractions from a real estate attorney is often fast and successful .
Each state ’ s Department of Real Estate ( DRE ) has easy ways for consumers to file complaints .
In California , the website link is www.dre.ca.gov/Consumers/FileComplaint.html , and the phone number for the DRE ’ s outstanding Bay Area field office is ( 877 ) 373-4542 .
The national , state and local trade associations make dispute resolution the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a Grievance Committee to review complaints .
The California Association of Realtors has an ombudsman ’ s program , as do some regional associations .
Go to https : //www.car.org/en/helplines/ombudsman .
At the beginning of the Great Recession , recruited to reboot an ombudsman program for one of Silicon Valley ’ s Realtor associations , I would solve most cases in one phone call .
Why ?
Because exposed under the spotlight of peer review , the conflict ’ s de-escalation is clearly in the wayward agent ’ s best interest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your father-in-law is in interim or permanent housing , hire one of those consummate professionals to fund his 24/7 care with the responsible sale of his home .

Q: In the very early stages of dementia, my father-in-law signs listings agreements with one seller’s agent after another. My sister-in-law is the co-trustee on all public records regarding his home. Beyond comprehension is the speed at which these real estate agents sign a listing contract with an older adult in his ninth decade. None of the seller’s agents conducted due diligence regarding ownership or title. Not one seller’s agent asked to speak with any of his six adult children prominently displayed in all the family photos. Currently, the fourth seller’s agent signed a three-month listing agreement with my father-in-law in early October, overlapping the third listing agent’s listing contract period ending in early November. During the two listing periods before COVID-19 restrictions, and two since, my father-in-law was uncooperative in showing his house. Luckily, no offers were submitted or accepted to our knowledge.
Currently, the listing is in a holding pattern with the local Multiple Listing Service. I just learned the current seller’s agent refuses to cancel her listing. She told my sister-in-law she would “show the house” and did so without wearing a face mask. My sister-in-law, on record as a co-trustee, complained to the realty brokerage firm’s owner/broker, who said she “backs up her agent 100%.” Until now, all of the real estate agents that this large family has known were consummate professionals. How in the world do we get this unscrupulous real estate agent and her broker to agree this will not end well?
A: The potent trifecta of options at your disposal used one at a time, or all at once, is overwhelming to a licensed real estate professional. A scathing letter listing infractions from a real estate attorney is often fast and successful. Each state’s Department of Real Estate (DRE) has easy ways for consumers to file complaints. In California, the website link is www.dre.ca.gov/Consumers/FileComplaint.html, and the phone number for the DRE’s outstanding Bay Area field office is (877) 373-4542. The national, state and local trade associations make dispute resolution the highest priority. All regional Realtor associations have a Grievance Committee to review complaints. The California Association of Realtors has an ombudsman’s program, as do some regional associations. Go to https://www.car.org/en/helplines/ombudsman. At the beginning of the Great Recession, recruited to reboot an ombudsman program for one of Silicon Valley’s Realtor associations, I would solve most cases in one phone call. Why? Because exposed under the spotlight of peer review, the conflict’s de-escalation is clearly in the wayward agent’s best interest. In more ways than one.
When your father-in-law is in interim or permanent housing, hire one of those consummate professionals to fund his 24/7 care with the responsible sale of his home.
Questions? Full-service Realtor Pat Kapowich is a career-long consumer protection advocate and Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager. 408-245-7700 Pat@SiliconValleyBroker.com DRE# 00979413 www.SiliconValleyBroker.com YouTube.com/PatKapowich


mercurynews--2020-12-13--Me & My Car: Doomed ’48 Tucker dazzled auto press at first

Editor ’ s note : David Krumboltz ’ s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
In its place , we ’ re running some of Dave ’ s favorite past columns .
This one originally ran in March 2018 .
Today I have a sad story about a man and his dream .
The dream was about building a car unlike any other that had ever been built .
It would be futuristic with features never before seen , and it would be safer than any other car on the road .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1981 Datsun 280 ZX is a fun compromise • Me & My Car : 1934 Bentley once owned by country singer Roy Orbison • Me & My Car : Rare , near-perfect Ford De Luxe woody made even better The man was Preston Tucker , a successful car man with executive sales experience at Dodge , Studebaker and other companies .
He was good at raising money , as he did from Henry Ford to build an Indy race car .
He ’ d also built a high-speed military scout car in 1937 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II ended .
Tim McGrane , the Blackhawk Museum ’ s executive director , showed me this issue ’ s 1948 Tucker “ 48 ” now on display , supplied me with a stack of historical data and told me much about the dream that failed to materialize .
“ The ’ 48 ’ model designation , ” he said , “ represents the year the car came to market.
” After the war , the country was starving for new cars .
After all , there had been no new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Studebaker was the first with an all-new car in 1947 , but even that car used much of the existing technology .
When the Big Three automakers resumed car production , they were basically building their 1942 models with minor face-lifting .
They fabricated those for the 1946-48 model years , selling them as fast as they could be assembled .
It was an exciting time in the auto industry , and America was clearly the world ’ s automotive leader .
The Tucker wasn ’ t just a new look using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolutionary in 1948 as the Tesla was in 2003 .
It ’ s said the car business is like a three-legged stool .
One leg is money , another is management and the third leg is facilities .
Preston Tucker had two sturdy legs of the stool .
He had the management and facilities , the largest building under one roof in Chicago that he leased from the government and had been used to build B-29 engines during the war .
The weak leg was that he was short on money , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The car was jaw-droppingly stylish , designed by Alex Tremulis .
The torpedo-shaped car was a fastback with a 128-inch wheelbase and stood only 60 inches high , very low for the 1940s .
McGrane stated that “ It was a rear-wheel-drive , rear-engine car with the engine being a modified air-cooled helicopter motor from the war that generated 166 horsepower and weighed only 320 pounds .
The Tucker had performance as well , accelerating from zero to 60 in about 10 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph.
” The premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer named Tom McCahill for the popular magazine Mechanix Illustrated .
When he wrote an article for the August 1948 issue , he had just visited the Chicago factory and was impressed with the activity of some 2,000 workers and Tucker cars in various stages of production .
There were negative rumors about the car , the most frequent was that it didn ’ t have a reverse gear .
In that issue he wrote , “ Tucker is building an automobile !
And brother , it ’ s a real automobile !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here and now as saying that it is the most amazing American car I have seen to date ; its performance is out of this world.
” McGrane said , “ One of the features many people familiar with the car like and comment on is the ‘ cyclops-eye ’ headlight that turned with the front wheels of the car to help with visibility around corners .
At the time , there were 17 states that had laws against a vehicle having more than two headlights , so Tucker made a cover for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sold in those states.
” The Tucker 48 had four-wheel independent suspension with no springs using rubber torsion tubes with shock absorbers — very innovative .
Ford was still using the two lateral “ buggy springs ” suspension .
There were more innovations , like doors that were cut into the roof of the car to make entry and exit easier .
To help equalize wear on the bench seats , the front and rear seats were interchangeable .
There were many safety features including a pop-out windshield , recessed switches and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tucker offered seat belts , but some people thought that if one needed to wear a seat belt , the car must be dangerous to drive or ride in .
Only 51 Tuckers were built , including the prototype , and experts believe there are still 47 of them in existence .
Those cars sold for about $ 4,000 , the price of a Cadillac , or about $ 42,160 in today ’ s dollars .
So , what happened ?
In my next column I will tell you of the sad ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interesting vehicle ?
Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly @ yahoo.com .
To view more photos of this and other issues ’ vehicles or to read more of Dave ’ s columns , visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz .

Editor’s note: David Krumboltz’s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, we’re running some of Dave’s favorite past columns. This one originally ran in March 2018.
Today I have a sad story about a man and his dream. The dream was about building a car unlike any other that had ever been built. It would be futuristic with features never before seen, and it would be safer than any other car on the road.
Related Articles Local News | Me & My Car: This 1981 Datsun 280 ZX is a fun compromise
Me & My Car: This 1981 Datsun 280 ZX is a fun compromise Local News | Me & My Car: 1934 Bentley once owned by country singer Roy Orbison
Me & My Car: 1934 Bentley once owned by country singer Roy Orbison Local News | Me & My Car: Rare, near-perfect Ford De Luxe woody made even better The man was Preston Tucker, a successful car man with executive sales experience at Dodge, Studebaker and other companies. He was good at raising money, as he did from Henry Ford to build an Indy race car. He’d also built a high-speed military scout car in 1937, but this dream started even before World War II ended.
Tim McGrane, the Blackhawk Museum’s executive director, showed me this issue’s 1948 Tucker “48” now on display, supplied me with a stack of historical data and told me much about the dream that failed to materialize. “The ’48’ model designation,” he said, “represents the year the car came to market.”
After the war, the country was starving for new cars. After all, there had been no new civilian cars produced for almost five years. Studebaker was the first with an all-new car in 1947, but even that car used much of the existing technology. When the Big Three automakers resumed car production, they were basically building their 1942 models with minor face-lifting. They fabricated those for the 1946-48 model years, selling them as fast as they could be assembled.
It was an exciting time in the auto industry, and America was clearly the world’s automotive leader. The Tucker wasn’t just a new look using tried-and-true industry specifications. It was as revolutionary in 1948 as the Tesla was in 2003.
It’s said the car business is like a three-legged stool. One leg is money, another is management and the third leg is facilities. Preston Tucker had two sturdy legs of the stool. He had the management and facilities, the largest building under one roof in Chicago that he leased from the government and had been used to build B-29 engines during the war. The weak leg was that he was short on money, and there is no substitute for cash.
The car was jaw-droppingly stylish, designed by Alex Tremulis. The torpedo-shaped car was a fastback with a 128-inch wheelbase and stood only 60 inches high, very low for the 1940s. McGrane stated that “It was a rear-wheel-drive, rear-engine car with the engine being a modified air-cooled helicopter motor from the war that generated 166 horsepower and weighed only 320 pounds. The Tucker had performance as well, accelerating from zero to 60 in about 10 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph.”
The premier automotive expert at that time was a writer named Tom McCahill for the popular magazine Mechanix Illustrated. When he wrote an article for the August 1948 issue, he had just visited the Chicago factory and was impressed with the activity of some 2,000 workers and Tucker cars in various stages of production.
There were negative rumors about the car, the most frequent was that it didn’t have a reverse gear. In that issue he wrote, “Tucker is building an automobile! And brother, it’s a real automobile! I want to go on record right here and now as saying that it is the most amazing American car I have seen to date; its performance is out of this world.”
McGrane said, “One of the features many people familiar with the car like and comment on is the ‘cyclops-eye’ headlight that turned with the front wheels of the car to help with visibility around corners. At the time, there were 17 states that had laws against a vehicle having more than two headlights, so Tucker made a cover for the center light for cars that would be sold in those states.”
The Tucker 48 had four-wheel independent suspension with no springs using rubber torsion tubes with shock absorbers — very innovative. Ford was still using the two lateral “buggy springs” suspension. There were more innovations, like doors that were cut into the roof of the car to make entry and exit easier. To help equalize wear on the bench seats, the front and rear seats were interchangeable. There were many safety features including a pop-out windshield, recessed switches and knobs and huge bumpers.
McGrane said Tucker offered seat belts, but some people thought that if one needed to wear a seat belt, the car must be dangerous to drive or ride in. Only 51 Tuckers were built, including the prototype, and experts believe there are still 47 of them in existence. Those cars sold for about $4,000, the price of a Cadillac, or about $42,160 in today’s dollars.
So, what happened? In my next column I will tell you of the sad ending to this beautiful automotive dream.
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles or to read more of Dave’s columns, visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz.


mercurynews--2020-12-13--Study: Monterey County quakes tied to oil operations

SAN ARDO — For decades , oil operators in the Salinas Valley have been shooting water deep into the earth .
Now , scientists believe that activity may have been triggering earthquakes .
A recent study links seismic activity around the San Ardo oil field to the use of “ wastewater injection.
” When petroleum companies draw crude oil from the earth , it is accompanied by large volumes of water .
This wastewater is then pumped through wells thousands of feet deep into the earth .
The research is not the first to tie earthquakes to wastewater injection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sooner State , the link is well accepted .
In 2016 the largest earthquake in Oklahoma ’ s history , a magnitude 5.8 , struck near the city of Pawnee , damaging structures up to 300 miles away and prompting the Pawnee Nation to declare a state of emergency .
Scientists believe this quake and thousands of others in Oklahoma were triggered by wastewater injection .
But in a statement to the Herald , the Western States Petroleum Association said it would be out of place to compare seismic activity in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Oklahoma , because of differences in geology and oilfield activity .
Responding to the Association ’ s claim , the study ’ s lead author , Thomas Goebel , said “ faults don ’ t care if they are in Oklahoma or California .
Earthquake physics and triggering processes are the same everywhere.
” Goebel , a professor of seismology at the University of Memphis , and Manoochehr Shirzaei , a professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech , took a close look at more than 40 years of wastewater injection data and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that earthquakes in San Ardo tended to occur near wastewater disposal wells and that changes to the rates of wastewater injection were shadowed by changes in earthquake activity , with a delay of around 13 to 17 months .
As Goebel describes it : “ the up and downs in earthquake rates followed ups and downs in injection rates.
” A similar delayed response is described by studies of the quake-injection connection in Oklahoma .
Before 2008 , the Sooner State was relatively quiet in terms of seismic activity .
But over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically increased their use of wastewater injection .
And in that same period of time , the state has experienced an explosion of earthquakes .
According to the United States Geological Survey , the majority of quakes in Oklahoma are caused by the injection of wastewater into the ground .
How it happens Wastewater and fracking fluids can trigger , or “ induce ” earthquakes because they ’ re forced underground at very high pressures .
They squeeze their way through pore spaces and fractures in the rock , which are themselves already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surface of an air hockey table , which shoots air under the puck to lower friction and help it slide smoothly , pumping high-pressure fluids into underground faults and fractures makes it easier for them to slip and produce earthquakes .
But as stated by the USGS , wastewater injection is far more likely than fracking to trigger earthquakes .
That is because compared to fracking operations , wastewater disposal wells pump larger volumes of fluid , for longer periods of time .
For their analysis , Goebel and Shirzaei procured earthquake data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and wastewater injection data from the California Geologic Energy Management Division .
All oil operators are required by law to report wastewater injection data to CalGEM .
Goebel and Shirzaei also looked at satellite imagery and found the valley floor was rising , in some areas more than half an inch per year .
According to Goebel , this is evidence that pressures underground are out of balance , forcing the earth to expand .
Oil operations in California are typically associated with the ground sinking , noted Joern Kaven , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you actually see inflation , so there ’ s a lot of wastewater that is getting injected.
” The Western States Petroleum Association , which has represented oil operations in California for over a century , rebuked the conclusions of Goebel and Shirzaei , pointing out earthquakes are common and natural in California .
The Association further pointed out that the San Andreas plate boundary , a tectonically active feature , sits 22 miles east of the San Ardo oilfield .
But Kaven , who was not involved with the research , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Andreas fault to trigger so many earthquakes at the distance the oilfield sits .
In their study , Goebel and Shirzaei show wastewater injection and earthquake rates are strongly correlated , and this link included earthquakes up to 15 miles from the oilfield .
When they tried to factor in earthquakes along the San Andreas into their calculations , the correlation weakened .
The researchers also noticed that earthquakes appeared to crowd near the oilfield , with fewer quakes in the zone between San Ardo and the San Andreas .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that wastewater injection is triggering earthquakes in the San Ardo area .
The San Ardo oilfield last came under the spotlight in 2016 , when 56 % of Monterey County voters passed Measure Z , which banned fracking , wastewater injection and the development of new oil and gas wells in the county .
But after a lawsuit was filed by oil companies , much of Measure Z was invalidated — only the ban on fracking was preserved .
Today , pumping wastewater into the ground is still legal .
An appeal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the appellate court .
Its supporters are hoping to reinstate the bans on wastewater injection and new oil and gas well development .
“ It was pretty outrageous that a judge would overturn the vote of people , ” says Andy Hsia-Coron , co-founder of Protect Monterey County , the grassroots organization behind Measure Z .
“ There ’ s plenty of precedent for curtailing these kinds of activities.
” • Map : 5.1 earthquake near Mono Lake followed by flurry of aftershocks • Map : Second quake in 10 hours for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedent can be found right next door .
In 2014 , neighboring San Benito County made history by passing the first fracking ban in the state .
The pioneering initiative , called Measure J , also banned other “ high intensity ” petroleum operations in the county , such as wastewater injection .
But with no court date scheduled for Measure Z ’ s restoration , it appears that the wastewater will continue to flow into the earth .
On the future of earthquakes in the San Ardo oilfield , Goebel said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the previous 40 years , the same will hold true for the future if injection continues .
”

SAN ARDO — For decades, oil operators in the Salinas Valley have been shooting water deep into the earth. Now, scientists believe that activity may have been triggering earthquakes.
A recent study links seismic activity around the San Ardo oil field to the use of “wastewater injection.” When petroleum companies draw crude oil from the earth, it is accompanied by large volumes of water. This wastewater is then pumped through wells thousands of feet deep into the earth.
The research is not the first to tie earthquakes to wastewater injection. More than a thousand miles away in the Sooner State, the link is well accepted. In 2016 the largest earthquake in Oklahoma’s history, a magnitude 5.8, struck near the city of Pawnee, damaging structures up to 300 miles away and prompting the Pawnee Nation to declare a state of emergency. Scientists believe this quake and thousands of others in Oklahoma were triggered by wastewater injection.
But in a statement to the Herald, the Western States Petroleum Association said it would be out of place to compare seismic activity in California to what is taking place in states like Oklahoma, because of differences in geology and oilfield activity.
Responding to the Association’s claim, the study’s lead author, Thomas Goebel, said “faults don’t care if they are in Oklahoma or California. Earthquake physics and triggering processes are the same everywhere.”
The study
Goebel, a professor of seismology at the University of Memphis, and Manoochehr Shirzaei, a professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech, took a close look at more than 40 years of wastewater injection data and 1,735 local earthquakes.
What they found was that earthquakes in San Ardo tended to occur near wastewater disposal wells and that changes to the rates of wastewater injection were shadowed by changes in earthquake activity, with a delay of around 13 to 17 months.
As Goebel describes it: “the up and downs in earthquake rates followed ups and downs in injection rates.”
A similar delayed response is described by studies of the quake-injection connection in Oklahoma.
Before 2008, the Sooner State was relatively quiet in terms of seismic activity. But over the last decade, oil operations have dramatically increased their use of wastewater injection. And in that same period of time, the state has experienced an explosion of earthquakes.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the majority of quakes in Oklahoma are caused by the injection of wastewater into the ground.
How it happens
Wastewater and fracking fluids can trigger, or “induce” earthquakes because they’re forced underground at very high pressures. They squeeze their way through pore spaces and fractures in the rock, which are themselves already under immense tectonic stress.
Like the surface of an air hockey table, which shoots air under the puck to lower friction and help it slide smoothly, pumping high-pressure fluids into underground faults and fractures makes it easier for them to slip and produce earthquakes.
But as stated by the USGS, wastewater injection is far more likely than fracking to trigger earthquakes. That is because compared to fracking operations, wastewater disposal wells pump larger volumes of fluid, for longer periods of time.
For their analysis, Goebel and Shirzaei procured earthquake data from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, and wastewater injection data from the California Geologic Energy Management Division. All oil operators are required by law to report wastewater injection data to CalGEM.
Goebel and Shirzaei also looked at satellite imagery and found the valley floor was rising, in some areas more than half an inch per year. According to Goebel, this is evidence that pressures underground are out of balance, forcing the earth to expand.
Oil operations in California are typically associated with the ground sinking, noted Joern Kaven, a geophysicist from the USGS. “Here, you actually see inflation, so there’s a lot of wastewater that is getting injected.”
Faulting the San Andreas
The Western States Petroleum Association, which has represented oil operations in California for over a century, rebuked the conclusions of Goebel and Shirzaei, pointing out earthquakes are common and natural in California. The Association further pointed out that the San Andreas plate boundary, a tectonically active feature, sits 22 miles east of the San Ardo oilfield.
But Kaven, who was not involved with the research, said it would be strange for the San Andreas fault to trigger so many earthquakes at the distance the oilfield sits.
In their study, Goebel and Shirzaei show wastewater injection and earthquake rates are strongly correlated, and this link included earthquakes up to 15 miles from the oilfield. When they tried to factor in earthquakes along the San Andreas into their calculations, the correlation weakened.
The researchers also noticed that earthquakes appeared to crowd near the oilfield, with fewer quakes in the zone between San Ardo and the San Andreas.
According to Goebel, these observations support the conclusion that wastewater injection is triggering earthquakes in the San Ardo area.
Measure Z and oilfield prohibitions
The San Ardo oilfield last came under the spotlight in 2016, when 56% of Monterey County voters passed Measure Z, which banned fracking, wastewater injection and the development of new oil and gas wells in the county.
But after a lawsuit was filed by oil companies, much of Measure Z was invalidated — only the ban on fracking was preserved. Today, pumping wastewater into the ground is still legal.
An appeal to restore Measure Z is currently awaiting review in the appellate court. Its supporters are hoping to reinstate the bans on wastewater injection and new oil and gas well development.
“It was pretty outrageous that a judge would overturn the vote of people,” says Andy Hsia-Coron, co-founder of Protect Monterey County, the grassroots organization behind Measure Z. “There’s plenty of precedent for curtailing these kinds of activities.”
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In 2014, neighboring San Benito County made history by passing the first fracking ban in the state. The pioneering initiative, called Measure J, also banned other “high intensity” petroleum operations in the county, such as wastewater injection.
But with no court date scheduled for Measure Z’s restoration, it appears that the wastewater will continue to flow into the earth.
On the future of earthquakes in the San Ardo oilfield, Goebel said: “the expectation is that what happened over the previous 40 years, the same will hold true for the future if injection continues.”


mercurynews--2020-12-13--Few foreclosures expected in COVID’s wake, real estate experts predict

Foreclosures will rise in the months ahead as government-mandated support for struggling homeowners subsides , housing experts said last week .
But not like they did during the Great Recession when almost 7.8 million Americans lost their homes .
Meanwhile , economists speaking online at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference predicted this year ’ s surprise rebound in the housing market will continue through 2021 , with rising sales and prices .
Demand , they said , is strongest for larger homes in the suburbs and in second-home markets as renters and homebuyers react to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an increase in demand for larger homes with more rooms , ” said Michael Lane , president of ShowingTime , a Chicago-based firm that automates home-viewing appointments for agents .
“ People are looking to move to bigger and better homes.
” The number of distressed homeowners at least three months behind on their home payments has tripled since February , figures from real estate data firm CoreLogic show .
But government-mandated forbearance , which gives homeowners more time to make loan payments , provides a financial crutch , said CoreLogic Chief Economist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of struggling homeowners is far below expectations , thanks to low mortgage rates , strong consumer savings and rising home prices , said Rick Sharga , executive vice president for foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac .
For example , just 5 % of U.S. borrowers were in forbearance in November , compared with predictions that at least a fourth of all borrowers would be seeking payment deferrals .
At the peak of the foreclosure crisis of 2008-12 , mortgages in the foreclosure process peaked at 4 % of all home loans , Sharga added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go over 1.5 % , 2 % tops .
“ You can ’ t lose 20 million jobs and not have an increase in foreclosure activity , ” Sharga said .
“ But there are a whole host of reasons why we don ’ t believe that the fallout this time is going to be anywhere near what we saw in the Great Recession.
” One reason is the vast majority of U.S. homeowners currently have equity in their homes .
Almost three-fourths of all homes are worth at least 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sharga said .
If homeowners lose their income due to the pandemic , they have more options this time around .
And with the number of listings about 300,000 to 400,000 homes below normal for eight years , the likelihood foreclosures will flood the market is “ infinitesimally small.
” “ A majority of those properties will be sold rather than go into foreclosure , ” he said .
The real questions are , he said , how big the next wave of foreclosures will be , when it will hit and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Others likewise were optimistic about the housing outlook .
A trio of housing economists gave rosy forecasts for 2021 , for example , saying the swift recovery from the early days of the pandemic should last through next year .
“ I did not anticipate the housing market would soar once we reopened ( the economy ) .
That was quite a surprise , ” said Lawrence Yun , chief economist for the National Association of Realtors .
Yun predicted home prices will rise 3 % next year and sales will increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economist for the online home listing site Realtor.com , had a similar outlook : Prices up 5.7 % and sales up 7 % .
“ We expect the economy to continue to grow in 2021 , ” Hale said .
“ The economic outlook is for strong growth from a healing economy.
” CoreLogic ’ s Nothaft said sales next year will be brisk , predicting the number of homes for sale — currently the lowest in at least seven years — will increase during the second half of the year once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects home prices to increase 4.1 % next year .
Economists say low mortgage rates , which are drawing more home shoppers to the market , will remain just above 3 % through 2022 , up just slightly from last week ’ s all-time low of 2.71 % .
Nothaft expects rates to remain even lower next year , averaging just 2.9 % .
“ That ’ s going to be great news for anybody wanting to buy a home , ” he said .
Nothaft created a “ thought experiment ” showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home prices are up .
A home selling for $ 400,000 a year ago had a mortgage payment of $ 1,657 , his figures show .
That same home would sell for $ 29,200 more today , but the monthly payment would be $ 76 less .
The economists ’ housing outlook was echoed by a NAR survey of economists and housing experts released Thursday .
Housing experts told NAR the housing market will remain strong through 2022 .
David Hicks , CEO of Dallas-based HomeVestors , speaking at the NAREE conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We Buy Ugly Homes ” franchisees are expected to buy more than 10,000 properties this year and generate sales of about $ 1.7 billion .
Demand also is high for luxury homes , said “ Million Dollar Listing ” star David Parnes , a principal at The Agency , a Los Angeles brokerage .
“ Things are strong , ” Parnes said .
“ It ’ s been one of our busiest years .
”

Foreclosures will rise in the months ahead as government-mandated support for struggling homeowners subsides, housing experts said last week. But not like they did during the Great Recession when almost 7.8 million Americans lost their homes.
Meanwhile, economists speaking online at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference predicted this year’s surprise rebound in the housing market will continue through 2021, with rising sales and prices. Demand, they said, is strongest for larger homes in the suburbs and in second-home markets as renters and homebuyers react to the coronavirus pandemic.
“There’s definitely an increase in demand for larger homes with more rooms,” said Michael Lane, president of ShowingTime, a Chicago-based firm that automates home-viewing appointments for agents. “People are looking to move to bigger and better homes.”
The number of distressed homeowners at least three months behind on their home payments has tripled since February, figures from real estate data firm CoreLogic show. But government-mandated forbearance, which gives homeowners more time to make loan payments, provides a financial crutch, said CoreLogic Chief Economist Frank Nothaft.
Nonetheless, the number of struggling homeowners is far below expectations, thanks to low mortgage rates, strong consumer savings and rising home prices, said Rick Sharga, executive vice president for foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac. For example, just 5% of U.S. borrowers were in forbearance in November, compared with predictions that at least a fourth of all borrowers would be seeking payment deferrals.
At the peak of the foreclosure crisis of 2008-12, mortgages in the foreclosure process peaked at 4% of all home loans, Sharga added. The next peak probably won’t go over 1.5%, 2% tops.
“You can’t lose 20 million jobs and not have an increase in foreclosure activity,” Sharga said. “But there are a whole host of reasons why we don’t believe that the fallout this time is going to be anywhere near what we saw in the Great Recession.”
One reason is the vast majority of U.S. homeowners currently have equity in their homes. Almost three-fourths of all homes are worth at least 20% more than is owed on their mortgages, Sharga said. If homeowners lose their income due to the pandemic, they have more options this time around. And with the number of listings about 300,000 to 400,000 homes below normal for eight years, the likelihood foreclosures will flood the market is “infinitesimally small.”
“A majority of those properties will be sold rather than go into foreclosure,” he said.
The real questions are, he said, how big the next wave of foreclosures will be, when it will hit and what housing sectors will be hit hardest.
Others likewise were optimistic about the housing outlook. A trio of housing economists gave rosy forecasts for 2021, for example, saying the swift recovery from the early days of the pandemic should last through next year.
“I did not anticipate the housing market would soar once we reopened (the economy). That was quite a surprise,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
Yun predicted home prices will rise 3% next year and sales will increase 9%.
Danielle Hale, chief economist for the online home listing site Realtor.com, had a similar outlook: Prices up 5.7% and sales up 7%.
“We expect the economy to continue to grow in 2021,” Hale said. “The economic outlook is for strong growth from a healing economy.”
CoreLogic’s Nothaft said sales next year will be brisk, predicting the number of homes for sale — currently the lowest in at least seven years — will increase during the second half of the year once the coronavirus vaccine is widely distributed. He expects home prices to increase 4.1% next year.
Economists say low mortgage rates, which are drawing more home shoppers to the market, will remain just above 3% through 2022, up just slightly from last week’s all-time low of 2.71%. Nothaft expects rates to remain even lower next year, averaging just 2.9%.
“That’s going to be great news for anybody wanting to buy a home,” he said.
Nothaft created a “thought experiment” showing that mortgage payments are down even though home prices are up. A home selling for $400,000 a year ago had a mortgage payment of $1,657, his figures show. That same home would sell for $29,200 more today, but the monthly payment would be $76 less.
The economists’ housing outlook was echoed by a NAR survey of economists and housing experts released Thursday. Housing experts told NAR the housing market will remain strong through 2022.
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“We don’t anticipate that market slowing down,” Hicks said.
Demand also is high for luxury homes, said “Million Dollar Listing” star David Parnes, a principal at The Agency, a Los Angeles brokerage.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--Police shoot and kill man with knife in Northern California grocery store

SACRAMENTO — Police on Sunday fatally shot a man who was threatening them with a knife in a California grocery store , authorities said .
Two officers shot the man around 7 a.m. Sunday in a Sacramento grocery store , the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement .
One officer works for the Sacramento police and the other is with the California Highway Patrol .
The man ’ s name wasn ’ t released Sunday because his family hasn ’ t yet been notified .
An officer responded to a report of a vehicle crashing into a building when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the collision had entered the store and was armed with a large knife and acting erratically , Sacramento police said .
The man was “ severely wounding himself ” with the knife while the Sacramento officer attempted to negotiate with him for more than 20 minutes , according to police .
Police said the man charged toward the officers , and they attempted to stop him with “ less lethal ” tactics but failed before they shot and killed him .
Meanwhile , other officers evacuated customers and employees from the store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Department personnel attempted to treat the man , but he died on scene .
The Sacramento Police Homicide Unit and Internal Affairs Division are investigating the shooting with oversight by the Office of Public Safety Accountability and the Sacramento County District Attorney ’ s Office .
l customers and employees are being interviewed as witnesses , police said .

SACRAMENTO — Police on Sunday fatally shot a man who was threatening them with a knife in a California grocery store, authorities said.
Two officers shot the man around 7 a.m. Sunday in a Sacramento grocery store, the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement. One officer works for the Sacramento police and the other is with the California Highway Patrol.
The man’s name wasn’t released Sunday because his family hasn’t yet been notified.
An officer responded to a report of a vehicle crashing into a building when multiple calls reported that a man involved in the collision had entered the store and was armed with a large knife and acting erratically, Sacramento police said. The man was “severely wounding himself” with the knife while the Sacramento officer attempted to negotiate with him for more than 20 minutes, according to police.
Police said the man charged toward the officers, and they attempted to stop him with “less lethal” tactics but failed before they shot and killed him.
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Police and Sacramento Fire Department personnel attempted to treat the man, but he died on scene.
The Sacramento Police Homicide Unit and Internal Affairs Division are investigating the shooting with oversight by the Office of Public Safety Accountability and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
l customers and employees are being interviewed as witnesses, police said.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--Michigan House, Senate close offices due to threats ahead of electors’ meeting

Lansing — Citing “ safety and security concerns , ” the Michigan House and Senate will close their offices in downtown Lansing on Monday as presidential electors meet in the state Capitol .
On Sunday night , House and Senate officials sent notifications about the closures to members and staff .
At 2 p.m. Monday , the state ’ s 16 presidential electors will convene in the Senate chamber to cast their votes for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .
Some are expecting protesters in support of Republican President Donald Trump to gather outside the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
Amber McCann , spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey , R-Clarklake , said Sunday night the Senate closed its offices based on “ recommendations from law enforcement.
” The decision was not based on anticipated protests but on “ credible threats of violence , ” McCann said .
“ Due to safety and security concerns , the Senate and all Senate spaces in downtown Lansing will be closed Monday , December 14 , ” the Senate notification said .
“ The Capitol , Binsfeld Office Building , and Senate offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The notification to House staffers said , “ ( O ) nly those needed for the Electoral College will be permitted in the Capitol Building.
” Thousands of pro-Trump protesters rallied in Washington , D.C. , over the weekend as the president ’ s campaign continues its push to discredit and overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election based on unproven claims of voter fraud .
The demonstrations led to dozens of arrests , several stabbings and injuries to police officers , according to the Associated Press .
Biden won Michigan 51 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
The Board of State Canvassers certified the results on Nov. 23 .
But supporters of the president have filed lawsuits and called for Republican lawmakers to intervene in the awarding of the state ’ s 16 presidential electors .
• Letters : A bad idea | Avoiding fees | Averse to truth | Profit motive | Privileged few | Too many assumptions • Letters : More science | Skin in the game | Familiar threat | Scare tactics | Trump is culpable | Liberal doublethink Michigan Democrats and electors have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without people in the gallery of the state Senate chamber and the building closed due to security reasons given the political climate and COVID-19 restrictions .
The Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement the meeting would be live-streamed to keep everyone safe .
“ The Electoral College will be broadcast live on three different platforms — Michigan Senate TV ( stream 1 ) , WLNS and on Gov .
Whitmer ’ s Facebook page , ” the statement said .
“ We invite everyone to join us from the safety of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 14 to watch this historic event .
”

By Craig Mauger | The Detroit News
Lansing — Citing “safety and security concerns,” the Michigan House and Senate will close their offices in downtown Lansing on Monday as presidential electors meet in the state Capitol.
On Sunday night, House and Senate officials sent notifications about the closures to members and staff. At 2 p.m. Monday, the state’s 16 presidential electors will convene in the Senate chamber to cast their votes for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Some are expecting protesters in support of Republican President Donald Trump to gather outside the building, which will be closed to the public.
Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said Sunday night the Senate closed its offices based on “recommendations from law enforcement.” The decision was not based on anticipated protests but on “credible threats of violence,” McCann said.
“Due to safety and security concerns, the Senate and all Senate spaces in downtown Lansing will be closed Monday, December 14,” the Senate notification said. “The Capitol, Binsfeld Office Building, and Senate offices within Boji Tower will be closed.”
The notification to House staffers said, “(O)nly those needed for the Electoral College will be permitted in the Capitol Building.”
Due to safety concerns for tomorrow’s Electoral College vote, the entire legislature is closed and will be working remotely. I’m thankful for the courage of our electors who will be exercising their democratic duty and selecting our next President. — Darrin Camilleri (@darrincamilleri) December 13, 2020
Thousands of pro-Trump protesters rallied in Washington, D.C., over the weekend as the president’s campaign continues its push to discredit and overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election based on unproven claims of voter fraud. The demonstrations led to dozens of arrests, several stabbings and injuries to police officers, according to the Associated Press.
Biden won Michigan 51%-48%, or by 154,000 votes. The Board of State Canvassers certified the results on Nov. 23. But supporters of the president have filed lawsuits and called for Republican lawmakers to intervene in the awarding of the state’s 16 presidential electors.
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The Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement the meeting would be live-streamed to keep everyone safe.
“The Electoral College will be broadcast live on three different platforms — Michigan Senate TV (stream 1), WLNS and on Gov. Whitmer’s Facebook page,” the statement said. “We invite everyone to join us from the safety of their homes beginning at 2pm on Monday, December 14 to watch this historic event.”
Staff Writer Leonard Fleming contributed.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--‘More victim than victimizer’: Scientists focus on bats for clues to prevent next pandemic

By CHRISTINA LARSON , ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA | The Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO — Night began to fall in Rio de Janeiro ’ s Pedra Branca state park as four Brazilian scientists switched on their flashlights to traipse along a narrow trail of mud through dense rainforest .
The researchers were on a mission : capture bats and help prevent the next global pandemic .
A few meters ahead , nearly invisible in the darkness , a bat made high-pitched squeaks as it strained its wings against the thin nylon net that had ensnared it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bat , which used its pointed teeth to bite her gloved fingers .
The November nighttime outing was part of a project at Brazil ’ s state-run Fiocruz Institute to collect and study viruses present in wild animals — including bats , which many scientists believe were linked to the outbreak of COVID-19 .
The goal now is to identify other viruses that may be highly contagious and lethal in humans , and to use that information to devise plans to stop them from ever infecting people — to forestall the next potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a highly connected world , an outbreak in one place endangers the entire globe , just as the coronavirus did .
And the Brazilian team is just one among many worldwide racing to minimize the risk of a second pandemic this century .
To some , it might seem too soon to contemplate the next global outbreak , with the world still grappling with the devastating fallout of the ongoing one .
But scientists say it ’ s highly like that , without savvy intervention , another novel virus will jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conditions to spread like wildfire .
As this pandemic has shown , modern transport can disperse the pathogen to all corners of the globe in a matter of hours and spread easily in densely populated cities .
It ’ s not a question of if , but of when , according to Dr. Gagandeep Kang , an infectious diseases expert at Christian Medical College at Vellore in southern India .
She pointed to previous research that found India was among the most likely places in the world for such a “ spillover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population density and increasing human and livestock incursion into its dense tropical forests teeming with wildlife .
It ’ s no coincidence that many scientists are focusing attention on the world ’ s only flying mammals — bats .
Bats are thought to be the original or intermediary hosts for multiple viruses that have spawned recent epidemics , including COVID-19 , SARS , MERS , Ebola , Nipah virus , Hendra virus and Marburg virus .
A 2019 study found that of viruses originating from the five most common mammalian sources — primates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bats — those from bats are the most virulent in humans .
Bats are a diverse group , with more than 1,400 species flitting across every continent except Antarctica .
But what many have in common are adaptations that allow them to carry viruses that are deadly in humans and livestock while exhibiting minimal symptoms themselves — meaning they are able travel and shed those viruses , instead of being quickly hobbled .
“ The secret is that bats have unusual immune systems , and that ’ s related to their ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an epidemiologist who studies bats at Montana State University .
To get off the ground and sustain flight requires an incredible amount of energy , with bats ’ metabolic rate increasing sixteen-fold , Plowright said .
“ You ’ d expect them to get cell damage from all that metabolic exertion , ” she said .
But that doesn ’ t happen .
Instead , bats are remarkably resilient , with many species living more than 30 years — highly unusual for such small mammals .
Plowright and other bat scientists believe evolutionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress of flying also give them extra protection against pathogens .
“ Bats seem to have evolved a collateral benefit of flight — resistance to deal with some of the nastiest viruses known to science , ” said Arinjay Banerjee , a virologist at McMaster University in Canada .
While scientists are still untangling the mystery , two leading theories are that bats may have evolved what Banerjee called “ an efficient DNA repair mechanism ” or that their bodies may tightly regulate inflammation triggers and not overreact to viral infections .
Probing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help scientists understand more about when bats do shed viruses , as well as providing hints for possible future medical treatment strategies , he said .
Bats and other animals that carry pathogens don ’ t innately pose a risk to humans — unless conditions are right for a spillover event .
“ The virus has to come out of the host for us to get infected , ” said Cara Brook , a disease ecologist at the University of California , Berkeley .
The bad news : Increasing destruction and fragmentation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tropical forests — means “ we are seeing higher rates of contact between wildlife and humans , creating more opportunities for spillover , ” she said .
That ’ s why the Brazilian researchers chose Pedra Branca park .
As one of the world ’ s largest forests within an urban area , it offers a constant interaction of wild animals with the thousands of humans and domestic animals in surrounding communities .
The scientists are studying not just bats , but also small primates , wild cats and domestic cats in homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments would stand a better chance at containing future outbreaks if they had faster notice of when and where they begin , said Ian Mackay , a virologist at Australia ’ s University of Queensland .
“ Ongoing , constant , nonstop surveillance , ” along the lines of the flu labs set up by the World Health Organization across the globe , could help researchers be better prepared , he said .
He also suggested that labs for virus discovery could regularly sample waste water or materials from hospitals .
In India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Well-Being has been pending since 2018 and will likely be launched next year .
Abi Tamim Vanak , a conservation scientist at Ashok Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment in Bengaluru , said that a core part of the plan is to set up 25 sentinel surveillance sites across the country in both rural and urban areas .
“ They will be the first line of defense , ” he said .
A varied patchwork of virus surveillance programs exists in several countries , but funding tends to wax and wane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgency .
Among the most ambitious endeavors is the Global Virome Project , which aims to discover 500,000 new viruses over 10 years .
The U.S. Agency for International Development recently announced the launch of the $ 100 million STOP Spillover project , an effort led by scientists at Tufts University and including global partners to study zoonotic diseases in Africa and Asia .
One approach that won ’ t help , scientists say , is treating bats as the enemy – vilifying them , throwing stones or trying to burn them out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Indian state of Rajasthan identified bat colonies in abandoned forts and palaces and killed hundreds with bats and sticks .
They also sealed some crevices where the bats lived , effectively trapping them .
In the Indian state of Karnataka , villagers cut down old trees where bats tend to roost .
Scientists say those those tactics are likely to backfire .
An investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ugandan health authorities found that , after a mining operation attempted to exterminate bats from a cave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher infection levels of Marburg virus .
This led to Uganda ’ s most severe outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever , caused by the virus , in 2012 .
“ Stress is a huge factor in upsetting the natural balance that bats have with their viruses — the more you stress bats , the more they shed viruses , ” said Vikram Misra , a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada .
Although orders issued by Indian forest officials reiterating the complete ban on killing of wildlife and information campaigns to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people not to attack bats means dispelling long-running cultural assumptions .
“ People have a lot of misconceptions about bats .
They ’ re nocturnal and look a little weird flying , and there ’ s a lot of literature and culture built around bats being scary , ” said Hannah Kim Frank , a biologist at Tulane University .
“ But bats aren ’ t aggressive — and attacking bats doesn ’ t help control diseases.
” Bats also play vital roles in ecosystems : They consume insects like mosquitos , pollinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We actually need bats in the wild to consume insects that otherwise destroy cotton , corn and pecan harvests , ” said Kristen Lear , an ecologist at Bat Conservational International .
A better approach to minimize disease risk , Frank said , is simply to minimize contact between wild bats and people and livestock .
She suggested that research on when bats migrate , and when new pups are born , could inform decisions about when people should avoid certain areas or keep their livestock penned up .
In North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to caves where bats roost .
“ Cave gating — bat-friendly gates , built with iron crossbars — can keep humans out and allow bats to move freely , ” said Kate Langwig , an infectious disease ecologist at Virginia Tech .
“ If we leave the bats alone , and don ’ t try to hurt or exterminate them , they are going to be healthier.
” Perhaps the most significant factor bringing bats into more frequent contact with people and domestic animals is the destruction of habitat , which forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roosting grounds .
In Australia , widespread destruction of winter flowering eucalyptus trees that provide nectar for fruit bats — known locally as “ flying foxes ” — prompted the bats to move into areas closer to human settlements looking for alternate meals , including to a suburb of Brisbane called Hendra .
There , the bats transmitted a virus to horses , which in turn infected people .
First identified in 1994 and named Hendra virus , it is highly lethal , killing 60 % of people and 75 % of horses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place in Bangladesh , when habitat destruction drove fruit bats into cities , where they spread Nipah virus , which causes severe encephalitis in humans , by licking date palm sap from collection barrels .
To potentially reverse the movement of bats , Montana State University ’ s Plowright and colleagues based in Australia are studying restoring the bats ’ original habitat .
• Yes , a Covid-19 vaccine has arrived .
But here ’ s what NOT to do • Health vs. wealth : How does California score on coronavirus lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Bay Area health officials get ready • San Francisco records the most coronavirus cases ever Saturday , health officials report • Rolling through the pandemic : ’ 70s roller skating craze is back “ Every city in Australia is full of fruit bats that lost their winter habitats , ” she said .
“ The idea is to plant new forests and make sure they are away from places with domestic animals and people.
” Whether the goal is to curb the spread of known zoonotic diseases or to reduce the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strategy is the same : Reduce contact between humans and wild animals .
“ In the history of COVID-19 , bats have been more victim than victimizer , ” said Ricardo Moratelli , coordinator of the Fiocruz project in Brazil .
“ Bats host a large number of parasites , and they deal with these parasites well .
The problem is when human beings enter into contact with them.
” Larson reported from Washington .
Silva de Sousa reported from Rio de Janeiro .
Ghosal reported from New Delhi .
The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

By CHRISTINA LARSON, ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA | The Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — Night began to fall in Rio de Janeiro’s Pedra Branca state park as four Brazilian scientists switched on their flashlights to traipse along a narrow trail of mud through dense rainforest. The researchers were on a mission: capture bats and help prevent the next global pandemic.
A few meters ahead, nearly invisible in the darkness, a bat made high-pitched squeaks as it strained its wings against the thin nylon net that had ensnared it. One of the researchers removed the bat, which used its pointed teeth to bite her gloved fingers.
The November nighttime outing was part of a project at Brazil’s state-run Fiocruz Institute to collect and study viruses present in wild animals — including bats, which many scientists believe were linked to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The goal now is to identify other viruses that may be highly contagious and lethal in humans, and to use that information to devise plans to stop them from ever infecting people — to forestall the next potential global disease outbreak before it gets started.
In a highly connected world, an outbreak in one place endangers the entire globe, just as the coronavirus did. And the Brazilian team is just one among many worldwide racing to minimize the risk of a second pandemic this century.
To some, it might seem too soon to contemplate the next global outbreak, with the world still grappling with the devastating fallout of the ongoing one. But scientists say it’s highly like that, without savvy intervention, another novel virus will jump from animal to human host and find the conditions to spread like wildfire.
As this pandemic has shown, modern transport can disperse the pathogen to all corners of the globe in a matter of hours and spread easily in densely populated cities.
It’s not a question of if, but of when, according to Dr. Gagandeep Kang, an infectious diseases expert at Christian Medical College at Vellore in southern India.
She pointed to previous research that found India was among the most likely places in the world for such a “spillover” event to occur, due to population density and increasing human and livestock incursion into its dense tropical forests teeming with wildlife.
It’s no coincidence that many scientists are focusing attention on the world’s only flying mammals — bats.
Bats are thought to be the original or intermediary hosts for multiple viruses that have spawned recent epidemics, including COVID-19, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Nipah virus, Hendra virus and Marburg virus. A 2019 study found that of viruses originating from the five most common mammalian sources — primates, rodents, carnivores, ungulates and bats — those from bats are the most virulent in humans.
Bats are a diverse group, with more than 1,400 species flitting across every continent except Antarctica. But what many have in common are adaptations that allow them to carry viruses that are deadly in humans and livestock while exhibiting minimal symptoms themselves — meaning they are able travel and shed those viruses, instead of being quickly hobbled.
“The secret is that bats have unusual immune systems, and that’s related to their ability to fly,” said Raina Plowright, an epidemiologist who studies bats at Montana State University.
To get off the ground and sustain flight requires an incredible amount of energy, with bats’ metabolic rate increasing sixteen-fold, Plowright said. “You’d expect them to get cell damage from all that metabolic exertion,” she said.
But that doesn’t happen. Instead, bats are remarkably resilient, with many species living more than 30 years — highly unusual for such small mammals.
Plowright and other bat scientists believe evolutionary tweaks that help bats recover from the stress of flying also give them extra protection against pathogens.
“Bats seem to have evolved a collateral benefit of flight — resistance to deal with some of the nastiest viruses known to science,” said Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist at McMaster University in Canada.
While scientists are still untangling the mystery, two leading theories are that bats may have evolved what Banerjee called “an efficient DNA repair mechanism” or that their bodies may tightly regulate inflammation triggers and not overreact to viral infections.
Probing the secrets of bat immune systems may help scientists understand more about when bats do shed viruses, as well as providing hints for possible future medical treatment strategies, he said.
Bats and other animals that carry pathogens don’t innately pose a risk to humans — unless conditions are right for a spillover event. “The virus has to come out of the host for us to get infected,” said Cara Brook, a disease ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
The bad news: Increasing destruction and fragmentation of habitats worldwide — especially biodiverse areas like tropical forests — means “we are seeing higher rates of contact between wildlife and humans, creating more opportunities for spillover,” she said.
That’s why the Brazilian researchers chose Pedra Branca park. As one of the world’s largest forests within an urban area, it offers a constant interaction of wild animals with the thousands of humans and domestic animals in surrounding communities. The scientists are studying not just bats, but also small primates, wild cats and domestic cats in homes with confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Scientists and governments would stand a better chance at containing future outbreaks if they had faster notice of when and where they begin, said Ian Mackay, a virologist at Australia’s University of Queensland.
“Ongoing, constant, nonstop surveillance,” along the lines of the flu labs set up by the World Health Organization across the globe, could help researchers be better prepared, he said. He also suggested that labs for virus discovery could regularly sample waste water or materials from hospitals.
In India, a National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being has been pending since 2018 and will likely be launched next year. Abi Tamim Vanak, a conservation scientist at Ashok Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment in Bengaluru, said that a core part of the plan is to set up 25 sentinel surveillance sites across the country in both rural and urban areas.
“They will be the first line of defense,” he said.
A varied patchwork of virus surveillance programs exists in several countries, but funding tends to wax and wane with the political climate and sense of urgency.
Among the most ambitious endeavors is the Global Virome Project, which aims to discover 500,000 new viruses over 10 years.
The U.S. Agency for International Development recently announced the launch of the $100 million STOP Spillover project, an effort led by scientists at Tufts University and including global partners to study zoonotic diseases in Africa and Asia.
One approach that won’t help, scientists say, is treating bats as the enemy – vilifying them, throwing stones or trying to burn them out of caves.
This spring, villagers in the Indian state of Rajasthan identified bat colonies in abandoned forts and palaces and killed hundreds with bats and sticks. They also sealed some crevices where the bats lived, effectively trapping them. In the Indian state of Karnataka, villagers cut down old trees where bats tend to roost.
Scientists say those those tactics are likely to backfire.
An investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ugandan health authorities found that, after a mining operation attempted to exterminate bats from a cave in Uganda, the remaining bats exhibited higher infection levels of Marburg virus. This led to Uganda’s most severe outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, caused by the virus, in 2012.
“Stress is a huge factor in upsetting the natural balance that bats have with their viruses — the more you stress bats, the more they shed viruses,” said Vikram Misra, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
Although orders issued by Indian forest officials reiterating the complete ban on killing of wildlife and information campaigns to dispel myths were largely successful, convincing people not to attack bats means dispelling long-running cultural assumptions.
“People have a lot of misconceptions about bats. They’re nocturnal and look a little weird flying, and there’s a lot of literature and culture built around bats being scary,” said Hannah Kim Frank, a biologist at Tulane University. “But bats aren’t aggressive — and attacking bats doesn’t help control diseases.”
Bats also play vital roles in ecosystems: They consume insects like mosquitos, pollinate plants like agave, and disperse seeds.
“We actually need bats in the wild to consume insects that otherwise destroy cotton, corn and pecan harvests,” said Kristen Lear, an ecologist at Bat Conservational International.
A better approach to minimize disease risk, Frank said, is simply to minimize contact between wild bats and people and livestock.
She suggested that research on when bats migrate, and when new pups are born, could inform decisions about when people should avoid certain areas or keep their livestock penned up.
In North America, some scientists advocate restricting public access to caves where bats roost.
“Cave gating — bat-friendly gates, built with iron crossbars — can keep humans out and allow bats to move freely,” said Kate Langwig, an infectious disease ecologist at Virginia Tech. “If we leave the bats alone, and don’t try to hurt or exterminate them, they are going to be healthier.”
Perhaps the most significant factor bringing bats into more frequent contact with people and domestic animals is the destruction of habitat, which forces bats to seek out new foraging and roosting grounds.
In Australia, widespread destruction of winter flowering eucalyptus trees that provide nectar for fruit bats — known locally as “flying foxes” — prompted the bats to move into areas closer to human settlements looking for alternate meals, including to a suburb of Brisbane called Hendra.
There, the bats transmitted a virus to horses, which in turn infected people. First identified in 1994 and named Hendra virus, it is highly lethal, killing 60% of people and 75% of horses infected.
A similar chain of events took place in Bangladesh, when habitat destruction drove fruit bats into cities, where they spread Nipah virus, which causes severe encephalitis in humans, by licking date palm sap from collection barrels.
To potentially reverse the movement of bats, Montana State University’s Plowright and colleagues based in Australia are studying restoring the bats’ original habitat.
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Whether the goal is to curb the spread of known zoonotic diseases or to reduce the risk of new ones emerging as pandemics, the strategy is the same: Reduce contact between humans and wild animals.
“In the history of COVID-19, bats have been more victim than victimizer,” said Ricardo Moratelli, coordinator of the Fiocruz project in Brazil. “Bats host a large number of parasites, and they deal with these parasites well. The problem is when human beings enter into contact with them.”
—-
Larson reported from Washington. Silva de Sousa reported from Rio de Janeiro. Ghosal reported from New Delhi.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--For the first time ever, Popeyes will add this New Orleans classic to the menu

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has reached back to its New Orleans roots for its newest menu addition .
For the first time ever , the chicken restaurant chain will deep-fry pastry dough .
In squares .
And dust them in powdered sugar .
The treat will join the menu nationwide starting today , Dec. 14 , for a limited time only .
And these pillowy classics will come with a twist — a filling of melted Hershey ’ s chocolate .
The company had successfully test-marketed Popeyes Chocolate Beignets in Boston and other select markets before deciding on a national rollout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ menu addition since summer 2019 , when customers flocked to Popeyes to try the chain ’ s new chicken sandwich topped with a spicy Cajun mayo .
The beignets will be offered at the suggested price of three pieces for $ 1.99 , six for $ 3.99 and a dozen for $ 7.49 , though there could be regional differences .
And because these folks from NOLA know you ’ re going to get messy eating beignets , they ’ re also selling “ Beignet Camo ” hoodies with a shower of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mail-order purchases are $ 35 , plus tax and shipping , at their new e-commerce site , www.ThatLookFromPopeyes.com .
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Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has reached back to its New Orleans roots for its newest menu addition.
For the first time ever, the chicken restaurant chain will deep-fry pastry dough. In squares. And dust them in powdered sugar.
Yep, we’re talking beignets.
The treat will join the menu nationwide starting today, Dec. 14, for a limited time only. And these pillowy classics will come with a twist — a filling of melted Hershey’s chocolate.
The company had successfully test-marketed Popeyes Chocolate Beignets in Boston and other select markets before deciding on a national rollout. It’s the first major menu addition since summer 2019, when customers flocked to Popeyes to try the chain’s inaugural chicken sandwich, topped with a spicy Cajun mayo.
The beignets will be offered at the suggested price of three pieces for $1.99, six for $3.99 and a dozen for $7.49, though there could be regional differences.
And because these folks from NOLA know you’re going to get messy eating beignets, they’re also selling “Beignet Camo” hoodies with a shower of white sprinkles to camouflage any powdered sugar spillage. Mail-order purchases are $35, plus tax and shipping, at their new e-commerce site, www.ThatLookFromPopeyes.com.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--7 displaced as car pursued by deputies smashes into California home

Two Moreno Valley men were arrested following a car chase that ended with the suspects plowing into a Moreno Valley home on Saturday , Dec. 12 , leaving seven people displaced , according to fire officials and the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department .
Higiniodaniel Suarez , 32 , and Andre Mitchell , 29 , were taken into custody and transported to the Riverside University Health Systems Hospital to receive treatment for injuries sustained during the collision , the Sheriff ’ s Department said in a Sunday statement .
Suarez was held on suspicion of possession of a stolen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence of alcohol and felony evading , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
Mitchell was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest , being under the influence of a controlled substance and probation violation .
Moreno Valley Station deputies shortly before 2 p.m. spotted a suspected stolen vehicle in the 14000 block of Linnett Drive and pursued the driver when the motorist refused to stop , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
A short time later , the driver of the suspected stolen vehicle lost control and crashed into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
No other injuries were reported in the incident , and officials said they don ’ t yet know whether drugs or alcohol played a factor in the incident .
The home was not occupied at the time of the crash , the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
The home was re-tagged as uninhabitable , according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department .
The American Red Cross was assisting the five adults and two children left displaced .

Two Moreno Valley men were arrested following a car chase that ended with the suspects plowing into a Moreno Valley home on Saturday, Dec. 12, leaving seven people displaced, according to fire officials and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Higiniodaniel Suarez, 32, and Andre Mitchell, 29, were taken into custody and transported to the Riverside University Health Systems Hospital to receive treatment for injuries sustained during the collision, the Sheriff’s Department said in a Sunday statement.
Suarez was held on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and felony evading, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Mitchell was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, being under the influence of a controlled substance and probation violation.
Moreno Valley Station deputies shortly before 2 p.m. spotted a suspected stolen vehicle in the 14000 block of Linnett Drive and pursued the driver when the motorist refused to stop, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
A short time later, the driver of the suspected stolen vehicle lost control and crashed into a home in the 23000 block of Vought Street, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
No other injuries were reported in the incident, and officials said they don’t yet know whether drugs or alcohol played a factor in the incident.
The home was not occupied at the time of the crash, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The home was re-tagged as uninhabitable, according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. The American Red Cross was assisting the five adults and two children left displaced.


mercurynews--2020-12-14--California’s Prop. 19: Key things the new property tax law gives and takes away

Proposition 19 , billed as “ The Property Tax Transfers , Exemptions , and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment , ” passed with 51.1 % of California voter approval in November .
As a result , 2021 will see sweeping changes in property taxes assessed on personal residences .
There ’ s good and bad news .
Let me note here that I ’ m going to simplify the math .
Your tax base is the assessed value — the value listed on your property tax bill on which the property tax is calculated .
It is typically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time you bought it , adjusted annually by the 1 % allowed under Proposition 13 and local taxes and assessments .
For the examples below , I ’ m using the purchase price as the “ property tax base.
” For residents age 55 and older , severely disabled , or a victim of a wildfire or natural disaster , there is much to like about Prop .
19 .
Effective April 1 , 2021 , those eligible homeowners can sell their homes and take their property tax base with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same value or less in the state of California .
Before Prop .
19 , if Susie Seventy bought a home in 1980 for $ 200,000 and the property was now worth $ 1 million , Susie may have resisted selling even if the house was too large and the stairs were too steep .
To sell and downsize to a smaller home worth $ 500,000 , unless she moved to a county with reciprocity and could transfer her property tax basis , Susie would wind up paying more than twice the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ d be taxed on the $ 500,000 tax base rather the $ 200,000 base in her current home .
Under Prop .
19 , Susie is now free to sell her home and buy another home valued at $ 1 million or less and have her same tax base ( $ 200,000 ) — anywhere in California .
( Cue the cheers of real estate agents everywhere , which is precisely who championed this proposition . )
For people age 55 and older or severely disabled , this property tax base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three times in your life anywhere in California .
Residents over age 55 , the severely disabled , and wildfire or natural disaster victims can also benefit from Prop .
19 after April 1 , 2021 , if they ’ re looking to upgrade to a more expensive home .
Say that Sam Sixty has a nice home he bought for $ 400,000 many years ago , and it ’ s now worth $ 800,000 .
But Sam ’ s now divorced , the kids have moved out and since he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking to spend more time at the beach .
When he finds that classic California beach bungalow for the low , low price of $ 1.5 million , Prop .
19 still has some advantages for him .
His new tax base will be $ 400,000 on the first $ 800,000 of value , with the remaining $ 700,000 taxed at the normal rate .
Sam can carry over the tax base value up to the fair market value of the “ old ” home to the property tax base of his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent cheers . )
The 55 and over set may love Prop .
19 , but their children aren ’ t going to like it .
Before Prop .
19 , parents could transfer their primary residence and $ 1 million ( per parent ) of other property to their children without triggering a reassessment of those properties .
After Feb. 15 , 2021 , that exemption is severely curtailed .
Beginning Feb. 16 , a transfer of a principal residence by a parent to a child is only exempt if the parent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residence and the child will also be using the home as their principal residence immediately following the transfer .
No other transfers of property between parents and children will be exempt from reassessment , except in the case of “ family farm , ” which is thus far only vaguely defined but appears to include land farmed even if there is no home on such land .
Even those transfers qualifying as exempt from reassessment have limits .
The exemption will only apply as far as the assessed value at the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anything above that will be assessed at the normal tax value .
Assume Ed and Eleanor Eighty have lived in their quaint Laguna beach home since they bought it in the early 1970s .
Their tax base is a mere $ 80,000 , but the home is valued at $ 2 million .
Prior to Prop .
19 , when Ed and Eleanor passed on , they could have left their home to their artist son Elijah who could have moved in and painted en plein air on the deck to his heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rented it out .
Either way , he ’ d pay only what his parents paid in property taxes , and with a stepped-up income tax basis at the $ 2 million value , so even if he sold the property , he ’ d pay no income tax .
Under Prop .
19 ’ s new rules , if Elijah moves into the home and files the homeowner ’ s property tax exemption within one year , he will be able to exclude $ 80,000 plus $ 1 million from increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 920,000 will be taxed at the regular property tax base .
This would result in roughly $ 9,200 a year more than his parents were paying .
If Elijah does not move into the home , the property will be assessed at the full $ 2 million value , with the property tax bill then exceeding $ 20,000 a year .
Let ’ s hope Elijah can sell those paintings , or he just might have to sell the beach house .
( There are those real estate agent cheers again ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residences or other property , such as family business property , would do well to seek advice soon .
There are options , including the use of trusts , forming business entities to hold the properties , and lifetime gifts before Feb. 16th but each of these techniques is very fact-specific and requires a “ running of the numbers ” to see what makes sense .
This is particularly true since a lifetime gift of property transfers the income tax basis as well , and you may be trading lower property taxes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prop .
19 giveth , but it had to taketh away to keep those property tax revenues coming in .
The proposition was said to eliminate “ unfair tax loopholes used by East Coast investors , celebrities , wealthy non-California residents and trust fund heirs to avoid paying a fair share of property taxes on vacation homes , income properties , and beachfront rentals they own in California.
” ( ACA-11 Section 2.1 ( a ) ( 2 ) ) .
Alas , it likely affects many normal California families as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in estate planning and trust administration in Riverside and Paso Robles , CA .
She is also the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of “ The Dog Lived ( and So Will I ) ” and “ Poppy in The Wild ” released on October 6 , 2020 .
You can reach her at Teresa @ trlawgroup.net

Proposition 19, billed as “The Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment,” passed with 51.1% of California voter approval in November. As a result, 2021 will see sweeping changes in property taxes assessed on personal residences. There’s good and bad news.
Let me note here that I’m going to simplify the math. Your tax base is the assessed value — the value listed on your property tax bill on which the property tax is calculated. It is typically the fair market value of your home at the time you bought it, adjusted annually by the 1% allowed under Proposition 13 and local taxes and assessments. For the examples below, I’m using the purchase price as the “property tax base.”
The good news
For residents age 55 and older, severely disabled, or a victim of a wildfire or natural disaster, there is much to like about Prop. 19. Effective April 1, 2021, those eligible homeowners can sell their homes and take their property tax base with them to any other property they buy for the same value or less in the state of California.
Before Prop. 19, if Susie Seventy bought a home in 1980 for $200,000 and the property was now worth $1 million, Susie may have resisted selling even if the house was too large and the stairs were too steep. To sell and downsize to a smaller home worth $500,000, unless she moved to a county with reciprocity and could transfer her property tax basis, Susie would wind up paying more than twice the property taxes she was paying, as she’d be taxed on the $500,000 tax base rather the $200,000 base in her current home.
Under Prop. 19, Susie is now free to sell her home and buy another home valued at $1 million or less and have her same tax base ($200,000) — anywhere in California. (Cue the cheers of real estate agents everywhere, which is precisely who championed this proposition.)
For people age 55 and older or severely disabled, this property tax base transfer can now be moved up to three times in your life anywhere in California.
The semi-good News
Residents over age 55, the severely disabled, and wildfire or natural disaster victims can also benefit from Prop. 19 after April 1, 2021, if they’re looking to upgrade to a more expensive home.
Say that Sam Sixty has a nice home he bought for $400,000 many years ago, and it’s now worth $800,000. But Sam’s now divorced, the kids have moved out and since he’s always preferred blondes, he’s looking to spend more time at the beach. When he finds that classic California beach bungalow for the low, low price of $1.5 million, Prop. 19 still has some advantages for him. His new tax base will be $400,000 on the first $800,000 of value, with the remaining $700,000 taxed at the normal rate. Sam can carry over the tax base value up to the fair market value of the “old” home to the property tax base of his new home. (Cue more real estate agent cheers.)
The bad news
The 55 and over set may love Prop. 19, but their children aren’t going to like it.
Before Prop. 19, parents could transfer their primary residence and $1 million (per parent) of other property to their children without triggering a reassessment of those properties. After Feb. 15, 2021, that exemption is severely curtailed.
Beginning Feb. 16, a transfer of a principal residence by a parent to a child is only exempt if the parent was using the property as their principal residence and the child will also be using the home as their principal residence immediately following the transfer. No other transfers of property between parents and children will be exempt from reassessment, except in the case of “family farm,” which is thus far only vaguely defined but appears to include land farmed even if there is no home on such land.
Even those transfers qualifying as exempt from reassessment have limits. The exemption will only apply as far as the assessed value at the time of the transfer plus $1 million. Anything above that will be assessed at the normal tax value.
Assume Ed and Eleanor Eighty have lived in their quaint Laguna beach home since they bought it in the early 1970s. Their tax base is a mere $80,000, but the home is valued at $2 million. Prior to Prop. 19, when Ed and Eleanor passed on, they could have left their home to their artist son Elijah who could have moved in and painted en plein air on the deck to his heart’s content or kept the property and rented it out. Either way, he’d pay only what his parents paid in property taxes, and with a stepped-up income tax basis at the $2 million value, so even if he sold the property, he’d pay no income tax.
Under Prop. 19’s new rules, if Elijah moves into the home and files the homeowner’s property tax exemption within one year, he will be able to exclude $80,000 plus $1 million from increased property tax assessments, but the remaining $920,000 will be taxed at the regular property tax base. This would result in roughly $9,200 a year more than his parents were paying.
If Elijah does not move into the home, the property will be assessed at the full $2 million value, with the property tax bill then exceeding $20,000 a year. Let’s hope Elijah can sell those paintings, or he just might have to sell the beach house. (There are those real estate agent cheers again).
The scramble
Parents looking to pass their principal residences or other property, such as family business property, would do well to seek advice soon.
There are options, including the use of trusts, forming business entities to hold the properties, and lifetime gifts before Feb. 16th but each of these techniques is very fact-specific and requires a “running of the numbers” to see what makes sense. This is particularly true since a lifetime gift of property transfers the income tax basis as well, and you may be trading lower property taxes for higher income taxes down the road.
Prop. 19 giveth, but it had to taketh away to keep those property tax revenues coming in. The proposition was said to eliminate “unfair tax loopholes used by East Coast investors, celebrities, wealthy non-California residents and trust fund heirs to avoid paying a fair share of property taxes on vacation homes, income properties, and beachfront rentals they own in California.” (ACA-11 Section 2.1(a)(2)).
Alas, it likely affects many normal California families as well.
Teresa J. Rhyne is an attorney practicing in estate planning and trust administration in Riverside and Paso Robles, CA. She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Dog Lived (and So Will I)” and “Poppy in The Wild” released on October 6, 2020. You can reach her at Teresa@trlawgroup.net