Today was the first “real” Sunday we’ve had off since coming to Mexico.  We were off last Sunday but so exhausted from school we simply slept in.

We knew we wanted to celebrate the risen Christ with fellow believers on Easter Sunday, so we googled “english speaking church” and found the Union Evangelical Church on the south end of town.  No problem – we’d simply take the Metro south (to the end of the line) and then a short taxi ride to church.

Didn’t quite happen!  We got to the end of the line okay, but we were correctly judged to be gringos and got the “scenic” tour to church! Instead of heading south, we got to see new skylines of Mexico, around the castle in Chapultepec park and then a lovely drive back down south on the beautiful Paseo de la Reforma.  It only took 45 minutes (and 150 pesos – about $12) but we’d given ourselves plenty of time and everything worked out fine.

Take a look at our google map to see our little “detour”!

We discovered the Union Church was started in 1873.  It’s a beautiful church and Pastor Lance eloquently stated the essence of the Christian faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

By the way – it only took a 10 – 12 minute ride back to the Metro station!

Leslie and I had the privilege of hosting 2 visiting Chinese professors to a little bit of Americana Sunday afternoon, and what better way could there be but on a beautiful summer day take in the sights and sounds of an airshow.

With constant flying overhead, we wandered around looking at airplanes and I enjoyed showing them the Tiger Moth project in our EAA hangar. Our chapter recently acquired a new flight simulator for the Young Eagle program and both of them got some flying time in the simulator.

During the show we’d wander past a cargo plane from WW2 named the “China Doll” (a C-46) and I promised we’d go inside the plane before the show ended. However, we were almost ready to leave when I remembered the China Doll.

We were one of the last to enter the “flying museum” but John (the docent) explained how American volunteers flew this type of aircraft “over the hump” of the Himalayas from India to Burma to China in support of the Chinese against the Japanese invaders during WW2. The “blood chit” was worn on the flight jackets of the pilots in the event their plane went down and was a message to the Chinese people to help the Americans escape. If the Japanese soldiers caught any of the Chinese helping the Americans, the consequences were brutal. About 900 of those aircraft were lost.

I’d heard of the Flying Tigers but it was good to have that memory refreshed and was a new reminder of the ties that still connect the Chinese and Americans.

Last night (Wednesday) was the ESL (English as a Second Language) class Don and I’ve been teaching for a couple of months or so now.

We’d gotten into a good rhythm with our “regular” adult students when 4 young men were brought to our class by a woman who asked if they could join the class. Of course they could – it’s just that they were absolute beginners of English and our other students could read, speak and write basic English.

Take a look at our lesson we’d plan for last night on the white board – all that went away! We erased it all and literally started with putting the ABC’s up on the board and starting out scratch with them – while having our “regular” students helping out with teaching.

And it worked great! One “regular” student is studying for his citizenship and he did a great job on the white board helping the “newbies” with pronunciation.

So last night was a great night to get us out of our planned and organized routine and force us to change direction on the fly. Challenging – but fun!

With multiple offers and over bidding now the norm, some buyers have asked me if we’re in a new housing “bubble”.  These frustrated buyers, after losing out multiple times, want to throw in the towel and give up.

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had this chart from the just released Case-Shiller study.  It shows where current price points are in relation to the high water mark of a few years ago.

Looking at the LA region, even though price points are currently rocketing up, there’s still a long ways to go before reaching previous price point levels.  And with interest rates so incredibly low, many buyers (and investors) believe today’s prices are still “cheap”.

With an extremely limited inventory for entry level homes, competition and heavy over bidding will still be the norm I believe through the summer months.

The LA Times recently ran this article stating that homeowners who have received a loan mod are still vulnerable to defaulting on their loan.

Specifically, the article stated that “at the end of the first quarter of 2013, the (Treasury Department’s TARP Program) report found, nearly half the oldest of the HAMP modifications, from the third and fourth quarters of 2009, were going back into default.” The article goes on to give specific statistics of these “re-defaults”.

We’re coming up on the middle of 2013. What many homeowners are facing – and maybe don’t know – is that the benefits of the 2007 Mortgage Debt Relief act were extended only to the end of this year under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. If and unless Congress extends it (doubtful I think at this time), homeowners doing a short sale (or losing their home in foreclosure) in 2014 will be 1099’d without the benefit of the current IRS debt forgiveness.

If you’re struggling to keep up with your loan mod payments, consult your tax adviser sooner vice later to see what tax implications you may be facing next year – if worse comes to worst.