It’s easy for some people to choose a web hosting company. They’re the ones born with a keyboard in one hand and a binky in the other. The rest of us looking to jump on the internet train to wealth need a little education. Before you can put up your website and make a single red cent, you need to find a company that will host your nifty new contribution to the world wide web. It’s not hard to do. Almost any random click in your browser brings you to a dozen ads for web hosting companies eager to prove their worth. But what is web hosting and why do you need it? A web host is nothing more than a place to hold all the files that make up your website so they can be accessed by internet users. You could host your own web site but, if you’re reading this post and saying “Wow, this is good in... 02/15/2010

I've got exciting news. Yesterday I joined First Team Real Estate, Inc. in Woodbridge, Irvine!!First Team and I have created a unique partnership wherein all resources, marketing, advertising, and administrative support are at my disposal. I'm already using the internet a LOT for marketing homes and finding buyers, and this isn't going to change, but one of the things I'm particularly looking forward to, is increased advertising in the NEWSPAPERS. Sure, newspaper circulations have dropped a LOT the past few years, but over a MILLION people still get the paper. I thought - why not put my seller's homes in front of these people more than I've done in the past? Our print advertising is now going to be in EVERY major newspaper in Orange County and Southern California with full page color ad... 02/13/2010

We are proud to announce the addition of Maureen (Mo) Mulligan (Irvine, Ca) to our 100% Commission Real Estate team. At Realty Source we hire only the best real estate agents in the market. If you are looking for a seasoned professional, please contact the agents mentioned above. Tired of Franchise Fees? Tired of Office Politics? Tired of Giving Away 30%+ to Your Broker? .....YOU SHOULD BE! The real estate market is changing and the 100% commission plans have arrived! In the current real estate climate, Agents and Brokers no longer need a "Fancy" office with hundreds of cubicles to effectively sell real estate. We are California's #1 100% Commission Real Estate office. We offer plans as low as only $99 per closing! Realty Source is expanding and looking for agents in San Diego, Orange C... 02/12/2010

RE/MAX Homes & Estates Pre-Foreclosure Division (714) 588 -7676 ∙  www.remaxann.com   If you are in a situation where: • You lost your job • Your Medical Expenses are too high • Just went through/going through a divorce • You are behind on your payments • You have no equity • You can't afford the cost of selling your home • Your income has been reduced • You are in foreclosure   WE CAN HELP YOU! It's easy and doesn't cost you any MONEY! Our services are Free!!! WHEN THE DEBT EXCEEDS YOUR HOME'S VALUE... we can help is with a SHORT SALE.   Benefits of a Short Sale: • Avoid Foreclosure • Avoid Bankruptcy • Reduced damage to your credit • Postpone your foreclosure sale date • A short sale will stay on your credit approx 3 years • BE FREE of financial and emotional burdens! We are licensed ... 02/12/2010

What a great income property! I love rental property! This is perfect for the remote investor. I will in CA and have 19 properties all over the US with great cash flow - just like this one! I just had to share!   Click here to view property's proforma: http://bit.ly/btBi83   http://jasonhartman.com/ 02/10/2010

Who Qualifies for the Home Buyer Tax Credit in Irvine California? First-time home buyers who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Current home owners can qualify for the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit by purchasing a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight. To qualify as a "first time home buyer tax credit" the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase. Which Properties Are Eligible for the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit? The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit may be applied to primary residences, including: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops. How Much Is Av... 02/09/2010

With the recently changed FHA rules for condo financing, it has become a little more difficult for Orange County first time home buyers wanting to buy a condo. FHA recently made big changes to the condo approval process while at the same time eliminating the Spot Approval program.First, a little background information on FHA financing and condo's. FHA has, for many years, required that condo projects be "approved" before allowing financing within the project. In the 70's and 80's, and even the early 90's, when a project was being built, the builder pay the expense of getting the new project approved, thus making it easier to sell the finished condo's to homebuyers wanting to use FHA financing. Most condo projects in Orange County were approved and it was rarely a concern that a project ... 02/06/2010

Irvine Company bet that there was an appetite for new homes and it has paid off and they are now their program speeds up the home building.  They bet that new homes would have an appeal in this market and 70 new homes were sold before Saturday's grand opening of two new comunities in Woodbury and Woodbury East neighborhoods.  They believe that with just 10 days they could hit 100 new homes sold. In the whole of Orange County the DataQuick reported an average of 124 new home sales a month.  The Irvine Company got off to a very quick start last Saturday.  The response was so good that they were forced to speed up the new home building.  The Irvine Company is funding the construction of the homes with the builders concentrating on building and selling the homes.  If you wanted to know more... 02/05/2010

Mr. 20% Are you ready for a rule that’s important both in business and life? You may not be a big fan of numbers but file this one away in the grey matter. It’s called The 80/20 Rule and goes like this: 80% of your outcomes result from 20% of your inputs. That’s sort of a janky way to say the following: 1. If you’re a businessman, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. 2. Apply this to life and you’ve got 20% of your activities provide 80% of your happiness. Of course, the ratio isn’t always an exact 80/20 but the big idea is that most of your happiness/sales/whatever come from a much smaller minority of customers/activities/whatever. What can you learn from this? If you’re an internet marketer or interested in work-at-home businesses, make it a top priority to keep your be... 02/02/2010

Mr. 20% Are you ready for a rule that’s important both in business and life? You may not be a big fan of numbers but file this one away in the grey matter. It’s called The 80/20 Rule and goes like this: 80% of your outcomes result from 20% of your inputs. That’s sort of a janky way to say the following: 1. If you’re a businessman, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. 2. Apply this to life and you’ve got 20% of your activities provide 80% of your happiness. Of course, the ratio isn’t always an exact 80/20 but the big idea is that most of your happiness/sales/whatever come from a much smaller minority of customers/activities/whatever. What can you learn from this? If you’re an internet marketer or interested in work-at-home businesses, make it a top priority to keep your be... 02/02/2010

I just had to stop & snap this photo of the Woodbridge High School field, when on my way to my office this morning. Hundreds & hundreds of seagulls had taken over the field, probably feasting on earthworms after the field had been tilled.If they stay much longer, I'm going to have to find an under-cover parking-space at Century 21 Professionals! 01/31/2010

The down payment is nearly always the biggest hurdle an Orange County First Time Home Buyer has to over come. The down payment can come from several different sources, but buyers need to be careful because there are also sources that are not allowed. Besides actually saving the down payment over a period of time, below is a list of a few of the acceptable down payment sources.Sources of Down Payment for an FHA LoanIRA's, 401K, retirement funds. One of the great things about FHA is that a 401K loan payment is not counted in the borrowers debt to income ratios. It is on a Conventional loan.Gift Funds. This typically needs to come from a relative.  Gift funds need to be "paper trailed", meaning the lender will need to verify the donor had the funds to give. A copy of the actual cancelled g... 01/30/2010

On January 15, 2010, HUD issued a news release which dramatically changes its 90 day anti flipping rule, which will help Orange County first time home buyers using FHA financing. The 90 day no flipping rule has prevented Orange County home buyers from purchasing a property that had been recently purchased by an investor for profit.What was the Purpose of the No Flipping Rule? In 2003 HUD came up with the No Flip rule in order to prevent investors from artificially inflating prices, thus ripping off unsuspecting home buyers. But in the current market the rule has been seen as a road block to the housing recovery. With all of the new consumer protection rules that have gone into place in the past 12 months including HVCC, which takes the appraisal ordering out of the hands of the lender, ... 01/20/2010

My former assistant has now graduated with her accounting degree and is working for a major accounting firm in Southern California. It's tax season and she is finding her 3 hr R/T commute to be a daunting addition to her workday.                                                            I need a favor; do you have a client who can use some extra money to pay those holiday bills?  This is a short-term situation, probably about 3 months.  She is as quiet as a mouse and only needs to be able to have somewhere to sleep, clean up, access her laptop and re-charge her cell phone. Who are you thinking of right now that has an extra room and a bathroom that Kathleen can call Termporary Quarters for a couple of months?  Irvine or Newport Beach are ideal.  (She is a homeowner in Riverside County.... 01/16/2010

The Woodbridge Village Association has launched a WiFi network at Stonecreek Swim Club.  This new service allows members and guests to enjoy the internet and Southern California's climate while lounging at the pool!To use the network, please follow the instructions below.  These instructions are also posted on the bulletin board at Stonecreek Swim Club and on the Association's web site at http://www.wva.org and at http://WoodbridgeHomeSales.com.To access the WiFi, select WVA from your list of available wireless networks and press connect.  Your PC should connect to the network and Windows may provide a prompt asking if you want to connect to a non-secured network.  Accept the connection.  At this point, you may launch your internet browser.  You will get a pop up window with a security ... 01/11/2010

Just like in 2009, 2010 will be a big year for the FHA loan program and Orange County First Time Buyers. There are several reasons for this, one of them being that there just aren't many competing loan programs.4 Reasons FHA will Continue to be Preferred by Orange County First Time Buyers Only 3.5% down payment requirement. Other Conventional programs require at least 10% down, as long as the borrowers FICO scores are 740. There are a few niche programs, such as the Fannie Mae Homepath program which is for specific Fannie Mae owned properties, or the VA loan program which allows for 100% financing but is only for VA eligible borrowers. The FHA credit guidelines are more flexible than Conventional financing. Although technically FHA does not require a minimum FICO score, most lenders wan... 01/10/2010

The Annual Southern California Half Marathon and 5K race will be held in Woodbridge tomorrrow. Races will begin at 8:00am for the 5K and Half Marathon, and the Kids Run is at 10:00 AM.  The event benefits Woodbridge High School athletics, and also other IUSD schools, and some local charities. Over 4,500 participants are expected and the weather looks like it will cooperate! The course is flat and scenic. The races start near the intersection of Creek & Barranca. 01/08/2010

    Buyer's Agents - Don't Forget The Seller Concessions on Short Sales!         I respectfully disagree with the information given on this blog which states that seller concessions cannot be given to short sale buyers. The notion of " If a seller is in a short sale position....why would you think there was extra cash to help the buyer ?" is false as the seller does not directly pay cash to the buyer. Instead, the funds given to the buyer is paid out by the lender as a loss to the lender. So as a buyer's agent on a short sale, try to have the seller pay for everything and let the lender counter the terms.By not doing so, you are doing a great disservice to your clients to get the best possible terms negotiated for them. I wrote the following blog to show you how to write an offer on a ... 01/05/2010

Irvine's Wheel of Life Serves Up Vegan Power!!      VEGAN POWER!!! This is the message that you will receive when you visit the great restaurant,  Wheel of Life, in Irvine, CA.     Run by Victor and Kim, some of the friendliest people I have ever come in contact with, with the mission to serve great vegan food in a friendly atmosphere. Every time I visit, Victor comes out to greet us personally, "Vegan Power" he says, telling me he is a 3rd generation vegan. There is an awesome array of food, something for everyone.     The cuisine is traditional Thai food with vegan substitutes for meat - curries, Pad Thai, fried rice and much more (check out the menu). For dessert the coconut or green tea ice cream with fried banana is a must try. As you leave you can grab some free Buddhist literatur... 01/04/2010

Following my 12/30 post below, here are the final 2009 Woodbridge home sales numbers. 161 attached & 65 detached Woodbridge homes sold, making a total of 226 closed sales for the year. The average selling price of these 226 homes was $520,303. The average Days on Market was 56.9 days.     Here are the highest-priced Woodbridge houses that sold last year: Address Bed SqFt Sold Price Sold Date DOM 22 Rockwren  5  3,495  $1,130,000  10/14/2009  39  4 Earlymorn  4  3,068  $1,055,000  12/29/2009  45  46 Emerald  4  3,200  $1,150,000  7/20/2009  42  14 Rockwren  6  4,200  $1,349,000  5/12/2009  14  111 Nighthawk  5  3,734  $1,437,500  7/21/2009  130  46 Woodbridge homes are presently being offered for sale. These range in price from $285,000, (for a 3 bedroom short sale), to $1,399,000 for a ... 01/03/2010