I just helped to micro-finance a loan to a group in Rwanda to help produce food - Pay It Forward Ancille is 51 years old and is a widow. She has six children between the ages of 4 and 16 years. Ancille is the president of a group called “Umucyo.” She is the first person on the left side of the photo. Ancille sells bananas, and has been working for two years. Ancille and her group have requested a loan from Kiva lenders in order to purchase more bananas. With the profits from this loan, Ancille and her team would like to satisfy the basic needs of their families, and start saving for their children. http://kiva.org/invitedby/ralph6433 Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale   10/20/2011

End the deficit!  Please consider...Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months, 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure. End the deficit! Congressional Reform Act of 2011:1. No Tenure / No Pension.A Congressman/woman collects... 10/17/2011

There's a very calculating, perpetrator lurking in your home........... They could possibly be a very sinister culprit there as we speak. Beware of Bed Crocodiles! With their very stealth-like ability to hide beneath the covers, they can strike at any moment. And before you know it, you're the merciless victim of an unrelentless wrath of ........................ doggie slobber! Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale 10/17/2011

I just made a $25 donation to help an African village through SaveAfricaNow.org - Pay It Forward I met this organization at the Green Expo in Los Angeles a while back. We made a donation to SaveAfricaNow a while back, and I decided to do it again as they are half way through getting financing in place for a particular village. Just thought I'd bring it to everyone's attention. There are so many desperate people around the globe who are victims of dictatorships, warfare, and so many other socioeconomic injustices that they can really use our help. All the best,   Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale 10/16/2011

There are some new laws coming out in 2012 that will have some substantial affect on brokers, agents, and homeowners. The new law regarding HOA's is interesting.  I can remember a few times where the cost of HOA docs was ridiculously high, and perhaps this law will keep that in check. The laws regarding new fines by the DRE and also the Notice of Trustee sale are very interesting and noteworthy also. Give them a read:   Sellers Disclosing Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixtures: C.A.R. successfully sponsored a new law, effective January 1, 2012, revising the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) to include a checkbox in Section A for the seller to disclose whether the property has water-conserving plumbing fixtures.  The revised TDS also clarifies at the end of Section B that, by January 1, 20... 10/16/2011

Is the listing broker still due their commission if the bank takes the property back?  Let's talk..... I have a short sale listing with Flagstar Bank in which we're finally getting close to receiving an approval. There's just a couple of updated docs that they need, but one of the docs that they need is something I'm seeing for the first time.  They want an Addendum to the listing agreement with the following verbiage: “Seller may cancel this agreement prior to the ending date of the listing period without advance notice to the broker, and without payment of a commission or any other consideration, if the property is conveyed to the mortgage insurer or the mortgage holder.” Now this got me to thinking. Is there verbiage in some listing agreements that states that during the listing peri... 10/14/2011

Why was my loan declined? No prospective home buyer wants to hear the words "We regret to inform you..." Unfortunately, according to federal data more than two million people in the US heard those ill fated words! Why? For a variety of reasons ranging from just not meeting certain lender requirements or because they didn't fill out the applications properly or completely. That number doesn't even include all the people who abandoned the process all together! The Mortgage Bankers Association estimate that about half the people who try to refinance and 30 percent of buyers are either declined financing or they drop out before reaching the closing!  Underwriters have been tightening up their guidelines for several years now, some even tighter than federal guidelines!  Why was my mortgage d... 10/13/2011

New bill could improve millions of FICO scores! Did you know that HUD just wrapped their latest and FAILED program. Imagine that! They were supposed to essentially give away $1 Billion but wound up with $600 Million dollars in unused earmarked dollars that they couldn't get their act to gether to distribute to homeowners who are un or under employed in exchange for keeping their homes out of foreclosure for at least the next 5 years. Even after they were granted an extension, this was yet another failed attempt by the federal government to stave off foreclosures.  Are you as tired of uneffective ideas for market/economy stimulation as I am?  Here's a very simple idea that actually makes sense! There is a new bill that could improve millions of FICO scores. HR2086 will allow any medical ... 10/11/2011

Sherman Oaks Short Sale Negotiation Strategies. What do you do when two lenders are fighting over the division of funds in a short sale? If you are like me, you've probably become aware that in the Sherman Oaks Short Sale market there are many properties where the ultimate decision cannot be made by only one party. Many of these homeowners find that after searching the Nine Alternatives to Foreclosure in Sherman Oaks that their mortgage relief options are now only one... the short sale... and that after signing with a great Pre Foreclosure Specialist agent, marketing the home aggressively to get top dollar quickly, that the bank that holds the first and the lender on the second lien cannot agree. Now what? One of the pitfalls that some agents find is that when they are upfront and gener... 10/11/2011

Pay It Forward - September Reporting Post OK, Pay It Forward Angels, this is where you will write your SINGLE comment with the link to your Pay It Forward posts for August. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST REPORTING POST FOR BONUS POINTS, AS SEPTEMBER WILL BE THE LAST MONTH FOR BONUS POINTS AWARDED - HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE OTHER INCENTIVES ON THE HORIZON, SO STAY TUNED! We have 4 Sundays falling in September, so you will need to post the links to your 4 posts here. IMPORTANT REMINDER:  When awarding bonus points, posts are screened for acts of kindness you have performed yourself, not those others have done, charities being solicited (unless you have donated yourself), re-blogs, letting people know about facts and events, etc. When people read about an act of kindness you have performed yours... 10/11/2011

Here is something for you to really consider...... We all heard of the great loss to mankind with the passing of Steve Jobs. I honestly feel like I have lost a friend with his passing. Here he was, 56 years old, loved by millions..... Handsome, clever, witty, enriched countless lives....  ....and had Billions of $$ in the bank, one of the wealthiest people on earth....  Yet,  you and I are infinitely wealthier than he is... .... As WE HAVE TODAY,  and sadly, he does not. Spend your infinite wealth today on something that matters, enrich people's lives like Steve did. Spend your day today,like Steve Jobs would spend it if he could. Make today count! Celebrating the gift of "Today" with you today, Emily Rose Newmark 10/06/2011

Check your toilet hoses! Just read an article that discusses how cheap toilet hoses can cause major flood damage. I just read an article from the Toronto Star that discussed how some certain cheap toilet hoses have caused major flood damage and even lawsuits as a result. Plus it could leave you with having to be out of your home for months due to the time it takes from remediation work necessary. The article states how some investigation was done and it is determined that those toilet hoses with the plastic nuts are the culprits. The investigation resulted in the specific type of hose that are short, flexible hoses wrapped in a braded stainless steel mesh, and topped with a cheap polymer coupling that looks like a hex nut. The plastic hex nut part of these hoses were found to break afte... 10/06/2011

  Anyone who's ever been a party to a short sale transaction in recent years where Bank of America holds the lien knows the frustration of trying to navigate a tiny vessel through the huge choppy ocean called B of A loss mitigation dept.  Or heaven forbid you were a buyer or agent using them on your purchase! Last year I had a couple cookie cutter loans take 3 months to fund on purchase escrows with B of A!! I swore I'd never get involved in an escrow with them again...Unfortunately they are a HUGE entity and my total avoidance didn't last too long before I was forced into business with them yet again. My last dance with Bank of America was this year as a listing agent where the buyer insisted on using B of A for their financing on our 30 day escrow and it took 4 weeks before their appr... 10/05/2011

Thinking about making a low-ball offer?  Let's talk about the theory of supply and demand in real estate Do you feel that you're in a buyer's market and the best strategy is to start low and "fish out" responses? Or perhaps you want to delve into what a seller paid for a property in determining what your buyer wants to offer? What a seller paid for a property HAS ABSOLUTELY NO BEARING on what the fair market value is for that property. Let's say a property is listed for $300,000.  It was purchased at a trustee sale for $195,000.  The seller's purchase price has nothing to do with what the property is worth, and you cannot consider what [you think] their net profit will be in determining what the property is worth, nor what you should offer for that matter. Let's do the reverse:  What if... 10/04/2011

Sherman Oaks Short Sale Realtors come in a lot of shapes and sizes, indeed lots of creeds and colors, political parties and religious affiliations. While being a member of a certain group or being a certain type of person may make one a good person, does is have anything to do with being a good Short Sale Real Estate Agent? Not Necessarily. There certainly is a skill set that underlies all the good Short Sale agents. Compared to a regular equity sale, the Sherman Oaks Short Sale has different characteristics that an agent must master to be great. 1. Persistent Communication The time factor in getting a Lender to approve a Short Sale may be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to agents who want to master the process. Keeping after the Bank in a way that is strong without being off-putti... 09/29/2011

Look what happens when we cut down too many trees. This is terrible!Global warming is one thing, but scroll down and look at what might happen if we continue to clear our forests! We have to stop cutting down trees! This isgetting serious! This was sent to me earlier today from our good friend, Rose Osman.  (leave it to Rosie.........) Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale 09/29/2011

A closing gift for your sellers - Great!  What if they are short sale sellers?  Is that considered proceeds? Many of us find it customary to provide a closing gift to our clients as a sign of good will.  Perhaps it may be more common for buyers than sellers. But for those short sale sellers, can your closing gift be considered "proceeds" from the sale? Are you violating any restrictions by the short sale bank(s) that held the lien on the property? Would you, in fact, be committing fraud by giving a closing gift to your short sale sellers? In many states, you are free to provide a gift to your clients, but there is a dollar amount limit.  Very commonly, it is a limit of $50.  It may also be the case that the tax deduction that you can take for giving the gift, according to the IRS, is li... 09/29/2011

Sherman Oaks Short Sales have many twists and turns in them and some potential sellers are currently drifting toward the far more damaging foreclosure sale because they are afraid of the costs. People looking for Loan Modifications, Mortgage Relief Options, indeed any of the Nine Alternatives to Foreclosure in Sherman Oaks often find that after any and all of the options available are explored that they can't get their head around the Short Sale because of the fear of the cost. There is some good news here.  The Bank is going to pay for the cost. In a traditional equity sale there are title and escrow costs that are often paid for by each party to the transaction.  The buyer will usually pay some or all of their closing costs and the seller, the same. So ... what does a Lender do when ... 09/28/2011

Sherman Oaks Short Sale practice reveals many different preconceived notions about what is different and what is the same from a traditional equity home sale.  Recently I found that a potential short sale seller admitted that he knew of some real and potential problems with the home, yet he thought that it was unimportant to tell the buyer about them because they would most likely get a home inspection. While it is as close to mandatory as can be, the home inspection is still a suggestion, indeed a request that is highly recommended... and even with this having been done, there is a reliance on a third party that does not have the knowledge that a home owner would have of the quirks, the nuance, the legitimate problems that his home demonstrates through time and season. Though there ar... 09/27/2011

Multiple offer situations where the listing broker represents one of the offers:  Can We Talk?.......... I think almost all of us at some point have been in a situation where you are presenting an offer for your buyers in a multiple offer situation. And in some of those instances it may or may not be apparent that the listing broker may be representing one of the other multiple offers. What's the politically or legally correct thing to do? Of course it never hurts to ask, does it?  Or does it? Is it a question that can be appreciated by the listing agent, or does it come across as being combative? In the end, does it really matter that you have the answer to that question?  Will asking that question help or hinder your clients chances?  Will it change anything?  There have been times wh... 09/24/2011