She's Slowly Coming Back

I don't know what the future holds for me as far as living in Pomona. I moved here 6 years ago with the intention of staying here around 3-5 years. I would keep the house and rent it (as many people do). But one thing I am happy about is I did not make the mistake everyone else who is foreclosing did. I got a low rate 30 year fixed and never thought of my house as a piggy bank. No refinance, no funny loans, just the same payment for 30 years. I've already knocked out 7 years off my 30 year by paying a little extra when I can. So right now I'm sitting tight and trying to relax in my little corner of Pomona, making the best out of it.

I've got great neighbors, some who've been here as long as me, and many who have been here more than 30 years. But like any big city, every block has 'that house'. That is basically the only problem, if it even is. Other than that, renting anything now is more than my mortgage. Will I move? Perhaps, mainly due to needing more space. But for now, I've become very curious about Pomona and it's surrounding Valley. Driving to L.A. for everything has gotten old very quick! I love L.A. and it will always be a part of me. In fact, I still feel L.A. in Pomona, because we are still L.A. County! And the Staples center is a 30 mile drive, and at 6:30pm against traffic I am always there in 1/2 hour. That's all I need.

I've also formed a sense of neighborhood patrol around here. At least with a few neighbors. We all tell each other when we're on vacation and look out for one another. It's hard to form a neighborhood watch in Southern California mainly because that's just how it is. Everyone is moving so fast that there is no time, so the little time we have we try and enjoy our privacy. I've taken that concept and made it clear to everyone so we don't feel intruded on or anything when we want to be somewhat of a community. We can go a month or two without seeing each other and once in a while see how we're all doing. That alone is SOMETHING, and it helps. If more of us thought like this, things may change.

Encourage good friends and families to buy here in Pomona. My sister is looking into buying a foreclosed home on my street, by herself. When the previous owner packed 3 families into it and still could not afford it. That will help cleanup the streets a bit. Encourage good friends and families who are looking to buy their first home to move here. Pomona has so many distinct neighborhoods that you cannot label it all the same, believe me. I also have a friend who has a standard small ranch style in Claremont, but wants a big historic home in Pomona due to their low price. I mean, you can get the same historic house in Claremont for over $1 Million, while in Pomona the same house can go for about $600,000, with room to bargain. In fact, Pomona is the leader of Historic Homes rivaling Pasadena!

While it's a long stretch with a city this size and somewhat shady politicians (I yearn for George Hunter), it's my little part that I can do while I'm here.