4A Monday, November 12, 2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
NATION/WORLD
Death toll hits 25 from
wildfires in California
MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ I Associated Press
Firefighters Jason Toole, right, and Brent McGill with the
Santa Barbara Fire Department, walk among the ashes of a
wildfire-ravaged home after turning off an open gas line on
the property Saturday, Nov. 10, in Malibu, Calif.
BY GILLIAN FLACCUS,
DON THOMPSON
AND PAUL ELIAS
Associated Press
PARADISE, Calif. —
Authorities called in a
mobile DNA lab and anthro
pologists to help identify
the dead as the search went
on for victims of the most
destructive wildfire in Cali
fornia history. The overall
death toll from the outbreak
of fires at both ends of the
state stood at 25 Sunday and
appeared likely to rise.
All told, more than 8,000
firefighters battled three
large wildfires burning
across nearly 400 square
miles in Northern and South
ern California, with out-of-
state crews continuing to
arrive and gusty, blowtorch
winds making their return.
The worst of the blazes
was in Northern California,
where flames reduced the
town of Paradise, popula
tion 27,000, to a smoking
ruin days ago and contin
ued to rage in surrounding
communities. The number
of people killed in that fire
alone, at least 23, made it the
third-deadliest on record in
the state.
Butte County Sheriff
Kory Honea said the county
was bringing in more res
cue workers and consulted
anthropologists from Cali
fornia State University at
Chico because in some cases
“the only remains we are
able to find are bones or
bone fragments.”
“This weighs heavy on all
of us,” Honea said.
Authorities were also
bringing in a DNA lab and
encouraged people with
missing relatives to submit
samples to aid in identify
ing the dead after the blaze
destroyed more than 6,700
buildings, nearly all of them
homes.
The sheriff’s depart
ment compiled a list of 110
people unaccounted for, but
officials held out hope that
many were safe but had no
cellphones or some other
way to contact loved ones.
Firefighters gained mod
est ground overnight against
the blaze, which grew
slightly to 170 square miles
from the day before but was
25 percent contained, up
from 20 percent, according
to state fire agency, Cal Fire.
But Cal Fire spokes
man Bill Murphy warned
that gusty winds predicted
into Monday morning
could spark “explosive fire
behavior.”
Two people were also
found dead in a wildfire in
Southern California, where
flames tore through Malibu
mansions and working-class
Los Angeles suburbs allike.
The severely burned bod
ies were discovered in a
long residential driveway
in celebrity-studded Malibu,
where those forced out of
homes included Lady Gaga,
Kim Kardashian West, Guill
ermo del Toro and Martin
Sheen.
Flames also besieged
Thousand Oaks, the South
ern California city in mourn
ing over the massacre of 12
people in a shooting ram
page at a country music bar
Wednesday night.
Fire officials said Sunday
morning that the larger of
the region’s two fires, the
one burning in and around
Malibu, grew to 130 square
miles and was 10 percent
contained. But the strong,
dry Santa Ana winds that
blow from the interior
toward the coast returned
after a one-day lull, fanning
the flames.
The count of lost struc
tures in both Southern
California fires climbed to
nearly 180, authorities said.
All told, an estimated
300,000 people statewide
were under evacuation
orders, most of them in
Southern California.
Gov. Jerry Brown said
he is requesting a major-
disaster declaration from
President Donald Trump
that would make victims
eligible for crisis counseling,
housing and unemployment
help, and legal aid.
Drought, warmer weather
attributed to climate change,
and the building of homes
deeper into forests have led
to longer and more destruc
tive wildfire seasons in
California. While California
officially emerged from a
five-year drought last year,
much of the northern two-
thirds of the state is abnor
mally dry.
In Paradise, a town
founded in the 1800s, resi
dents who stayed behind to
try to save their properties
or who managed to return
despite an evacuation order
found incinerated cars and
homes.
Wearing masks because
the air was still heavy with
smoke, people sidestepped
metal that had melted off of
cars or Jet-Skis as they sur
veyed their ravaged neigh
borhoods. Some cried when
they saw nothing was left.
Jan McGregor, 81, got
back to his small two-bed-
room home in Paradise
with the help of his fire
fighter grandson. He found
his home leveled — a large
metal safe and pipes from
his septic system the only
recognizable traces. The
safe was punctured with bul
let holes from guns inside
that went off in the scorch
ing heat.
He lived in Paradise for
nearly 80 years, moving
there in 1939, when the town
had just 3,000 people and
was nicknamed Poverty
Ridge.
“We knew Paradise was a
prime target for forest fire
over the years,” he said.
“We’ve had 'em come right
up to the city limits — oh,
yeah — but nothing like
this.”
McGregor said he prob
ably would not rebuild: “I
have nothing here to go back
to.”
Migrant caravan heads to
Mexican city of Irapuato
Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping
to reach the U.S. border, get a ride on a truck in Celaya,
Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 11. Local Mexican officials were
once again Sunday helping thousands of Central American
migrants find rides on the next leg of their journey toward
the U.S. border.
BY MARCO UGARTE AND
YESICA FISCH
Associated Press
QUERETARO, Mexico
— Local Mexican officials
were once again Sunday
helping thousands of Cen
tral American migrants find
rides on the next leg of their
journey toward the U.S.
border.
At a toll plaza to the west
of the central Mexico city of
Queretaro, where the group
spent Saturday night, police
helped find trucks to take
migrants and prevented
them from trying to stop driv
ers themselves.
The government of Que
retaro said via Twitter that
6,531 migrants had moved
through the state between
Friday and Saturday. It said
that 5,771 of those were
departing Sunday morning
after staying in three shelters
it had prepared, the largest of
which was a soccer stadium
in the state capital.
Those numbers appeared
even higher than counts
made by officials when the
group was in Mexico City for
several days, raising the pos
sibility that other migrants
have caught up to the main
caravan.
The migrants began walk
ing before dawn Sunday for
Irapuato about 62 miles to
the west after crossing into
Guanajuato state, where
local authorities also assisted
them.
A day earlier a similar
scene played out as the
caravan exited Mexico City.
Dedicated metro trains
moved migrants across the
capital before dawn and at
a toll plaza north of the city
they formed orderly lines to
wait for their turn to climb
aboard passing 18-wheel-
ers that were willing to help
them cover the 124 miles to
Queretaro.
Emilson Manuel Figueroa
managed a seat on the back
of a flatbed truck packed
with other migrants.
“I think that in my country
I will get old and will never
have something to live on,”
said the 23-year-old cab
driver from Honduras.
The migrants appear to be
MARCO UGARTE I Associated Press
on a path to Tijuana across
the border from San Diego,
which is still some 1,600
miles away.
The caravan became
a campaign issue in U.S.
midterm elections and U.S.
President Donald Trump
has ordered the deployment
of over 5,000 military troops
to the border to fend off the
migrants. Trump has also
insinuated without proof that
there are criminals or even
terrorists in the group.
ADVERTISEMENT
Why Haven’t Senior
Homeowners Been
Told These Facts?
Keep reading if you own a home in
the U.S. and were born before 1955.
It’s a well-known fact that for
many senior citizens in the U.S.
their home is their single biggest
asset, often accounting for more
than 50% of their total net worth.
Yet, according to new statistics
from the mortgage industry,
senior homeowners in the U.S.
are now sitting on more than 6.1
trillion dollars of unused home
equity. 1 With people now living
longer than ever before and home
prices back up again, ignoring this
“hidden wealth” may prove to be
short sighted.
All things considered, it’s
not surprising that more than a
million homeowners have already
used a government-insured Home
Equity Conversion Mortgage
or “HECM” loan to turn their
home equity into extra cash for
retirement.
However, today, there are still
millions of eligible homeowners
who could benefit from this
FHA-insured loan but may
simply not be aware of this
“retirement secret.’’
Some homeowners think
HECM loans sound “too good
to be true.” After all, you get the
cash you need out of your home
but you have no more monthly
mortgage payments.
NO MONTHLY MORTGAGE
PAYMENTS? 2 EXTRA CASH?
It’s a fact: no monthly
mortgage payments are required
with a government-insured
HECM loan; 2 however the
homeowners are still responsible
for paying for the maintenance
of their home, property taxes,
homeowner’s insurance and, if
required, their HOA fees.
Another fact many are not
aware of is that HECM reverse
mortgages first took hold when
President Reagan signed the
FHA Reverse Mortgage Bill into
law 29 years ago in order to help
senior citizens remain in their
homes.
Today, HECM loans are
simply an effective way for
homeowners 62 and older to get
the extra cash they need to enjoy
retirement.
Although today’s HECM loans
have been improved to provide
even greater financial protection
for homeowners, there are still
many misconceptions.
For example, a lot of people
mistakenly believe the home
must be paid off in full in order
to qualify for a HECM loan,
which is not the case. In fact,
one key advantage of a HECM
is that the proceeds will first be
FACT: In 1988, President
Reagan signed an FHA bill that
put HECM loans into law.
used to pay off any existing liens
on the property, which frees
up cash flow, a huge blessing
for seniors living on a fixed
income. Unfortunately, many
senior homeowners who might
be better off with HECM loan
don’t even bother to get more
information because of rumors
they’ve heard.
That’s a shame because HECM
loans are helping many senior
homeowners live a better life.
In fact, a recent survey by
American Advisors Group
(AAG), the nation’s number one
HECM lender, found that over
90% of their clients are satisfied
with their loans.
While these special loans are
not for everyone, they can be a real
lifesaver for senior homeowners.
The cash from a HECM loan
can be used for any purpose.
Many people use the money
to save on interest charges by
paying off credit cards or other
high-interest loans. Other
common uses include making
home improvements, paying off
medical bills or helping other
family members. Some people
simply need the extra cash for
everyday expenses while others
are now using it as a “safety net”
for financial emergencies.
If you’re a homeowner age 62
or older, you owe it to yourself
to learn more so that you can
make an informed decision.
Homeowners who are interested
in learning more can request a free
2018 HECM loan Information
Kit and free Educational DVD by
calling American Advisors Group
toll-free at l-(800) 661-5968.
At no cost or obligation, the
professionals at AAG can help
you find out if you qualify and
also answer common questions
such as:
1. What’s the government’s role?
2. How much money might I
get?
3. Who owns the home after I
take out a HECM loan?
You may be pleasantly surprised
by what you discover when you
call AAG for more information
today.
'Source: http://reversemortgagedaily.com/2016/06/21/seniors-home-equity-grows-to-6-trillion-reverse-mortgage-
opportunity. 2 lf you qualify and your loan is approved, a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) must
pay off any existing mortgage(s). With a HECM loan, no monthly mortgage payment is required. A HECM
increases the principal mortgage loan amount and decreases home equity (it is a negative amortization
loan). AAG works with other lenders and financial institutions that offer HECMs. To process your request for
a loan, AAG may forward your contact information to such lenders for your consideration of HECM programs
that they offer. When the loan is due and payable, some or all of the equity in the property no longer belongs
to borrowers, who may need to sell the home or otherwise repay the loan with interest from other proceeds.
AAG charges an origination fee, mortgage insurance premium, closing costs and servicing fees (added
to the balance of the loan). The balance of the loan grows over time and AAG charges interest on the
balance. Interest is not tax-deductible until the loan is partially or fully repaid. Borrowers are responsible
for paying property taxes and homeowner’s insurance (which may be substantial). We do not establish an
escrow account for disbursements of these payments. A set-aside account can be set up to pay taxes and
insurance and may be required in some cases. Borrowers must occupy home as their primary residence
and pay for ongoing maintenance; otherwise the loan becomes due and payable. The loan also becomes
due and payable when the last borrower, or eligible non-borrowing surviving spouse, dies, sells the home,
permanently moves out, defaults on taxes or insurance payments, or does not otherwise comply with the
loan terms. American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 3800 W. Chapman Ave., 3rd & 7th Floors,
Orange CA, 92868. (Residential Mortgage Licensee #22849). V2017.08.23_OR
These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency.
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