Mark Wisterman's Paradise & Lake Oroville Real Estate Blog

Throughout my relatively short period of time on this earth I have witnessed many things. Some good, some not so good. Some funny, far too many, tragic.

One of those not so good things I am reminded of on nearly a daily basis as I watch and read the news, or I observe watching the overall behavior of our society in general, is the constant march toward the “it’s all about me” way of life. There is an incessant drive to care only about oneself and to heck with everything else.  I even see it at special times of the year like this when we have these national holidays. How often did you hear a response similar to this when you asked someone what they are doing for this Memorial Day weekend?: “Well, we are going to have some people over and have a Bar-B-Que and some beer and then maybe go out on the lake.” Or, ” We’re taking the family on a camping trip.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think these are fine things to do on a Memorial Day weekend. My point is that there seems to be only talk of ourselves and very rarely a mention of THEM. After all, this holiday was given to us, not for us, but to honor them. It’s all about them.

It’s all about the over 1.3 million people who have given their lives in the formation and defense of this country. It is about nearly 1.5 million people who have been wounded in preserving our freedom, securing our rights as human beings, and the ability to exercise those rights without fear of persecution. It is their bravery and sacrifice that allow you to have that BBQ, to be able to say what you want and go where you want.  Would it be too much to ask in light of the sacrifices made by so many if when asked what we are doing this Memorial Day weekend, part of answer includes something along the lines of : ” I am going to take some time to thank God for those paid the ultimate price so I can be free to do what I want this weekend.” Could it be that hard to drop the,  ”all about me attitude” for one weekend a year and take a moment to remember those who died or were wounded in defense of your right to be that way? I certainly hope not.

Please take a moment out of your busy schedules to remember not only those that have fallen or have been wounded in defending our freedoms but to also remember and pray for those who, this very minute, are putting their lives on the line, in some far way land, to do the same for us and for others.  Make this Memorial Day “All About Them.”

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I recently had cause to discuss an issue with the City of Oroville Housing Department regarding whether or not a particular home located within the city limits of the Lake Oroville real estate market could be approved to be sold to the first time home-buyer that I am representing.

Without getting into the minutia of the issue, the Housing Department originally said that my client would not be able to purchase the home based on the current guidelines that were established within the grant program that is being used to fund the loans for first time home buyers that are purchasing homes within the city limits of the Lake Oroville real estate market.

In my view, the guideline that they were using was one that was very subjective and open to broad interpretation. In discussing this issue with the housing department over a three day period I think I talked to nearly everyone in the department.

I talked to Dawn, Tiffany, Vanessa, and Pat during this time and to be totally honest I thought I was going to get the proverbial government runaround that normally comes in  dealing with “policy.”

Well I was wrong. That’s right….wrong!

Each of these public servants listened to my concerns and my position with an open mind  and in the end understood that the guideline was in fact extremely subjective and worked diligently to do the right thing for my client , as well as for future users of the First Time Home Buyer Loan Program, of which many in the Lake Oroville real estate market have availed themselves.

The postition that these ladies are in cannot always be an enjoyable job. Dealing with REALTORS®, lenders and first time home buyers while trying to keep up with, and communciate, the many changes that occur in the grant programs that make the loan programs possible has got to be quite a challenge.

A big thank you to Pat Clark, the Director of Business Assistance and Housing Development, and the entire staff in the department for their help. It is refreshing to see that common sense and fairness are alive and well in the halls of our city in the Lake Oroville real estate market.