California

Massage and Workout Deal in Fullerton!

02-12-12

Vic Steele - Broker/Consultant

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Office: (714) 240-3693

Mobile: (714) 240-3693

Please take advantage of this great Living Social offer and join me at the gym! CORE Physical Therapy

I've dropped fat and added muscle working out here the last three months. My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades! Don't look for before/after photographs here - there was no way I was taking Valet Real Estate Services a before photo!

For ony $49, you get an hour-long massage (from an extraordinary massage therapist) plus ten classes of your choice -- yoga, Pilates, boot camp, and Zumba (that's a $175 value!).

Join me for the hour-long classes with their professional instructors at their new 6,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Wellness Center at 1427-B N. Harbor Blvd in Fullerton.

What are you waiting for? The quality massage alone is worth $49! Let's take some classes together! Buy it now!

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Replacement Products for Picnik - It Will NOT Be Fun!

02-12-12

Jeanean Gendron, CDPE, CIAS ~ Redding & Shasta County Specialist

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Office: (530) 276-7417

Mobile: (530) 276-7417

I've been out looking for a replacement for Picnik and it is not going to be fun. I ended up with BeFunky as one alternative. It far more limited than Picnik but manages things in a similar way. It is also brower based and has the same feature upgrade for about the same amount. No way is it as rich as Picnick. It is easy to use and if you know Picknick....well you can move around pretty quick and get things done.

I love Picnik because I can be in and out of it so fast. I can create something from scratch in 15 minuites and edit photos in 5 minutes. It will be a great loss. I looked at Aviary.com also. It is beautiful, elegant and very complex. I may start using it over GIMP. I love the elegance of it. It feels and acts like an Apple Product. Lot's to learn on this professional level.

So here are some silly little things that I played around with in an effort to find a quick an dirty photo editing substitute...

BeFunky.com

BeFunky

Disappointed in the frames.

piZap.com

Pizazz

A couple of cool backgrounds...and the text editor...was good.

Lunapix.com

Lunapix

Don't you like this one. My Grandma would!

piZap and Lunapix

Mixture

They are not Picnik. Woe is me....I guess I will learn to live without it. On Frames, they seem to encroach on the photo where in Picnik they do not. Big difference. That's it for my playing today.....

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When Whitney Sang The Star Spangled Banner

02-12-12

Norma Toering Palos Verdes Homes in Los Angeles Area

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Office: (310) 831-0800

Mobile: (310) 493-8333

When Whitney Houston sang The Star Spangled Banner she made us feel every word with the depth and power of her gifted voice. As I walked today, I glanced up at the super-sized American Flag flapping in the breeze at Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The sun was shining through the flag giving it a spiritual back light. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

May singers of generations to come use your rendition of the National Anthem as the standard they try to achieve--musically pure and emotionally heartfelt.

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Are we rethinking what we label as a “moral dilemma?” Is it just a “business decision?”

02-12-12

Myrl Jeffcoat

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Office: (916) 635-0420

Mobile: (916) 635-0420
Secondary: (916) 635-0420

I remember a couple years ago, real estate professionals were expressing they had just about seen it all in recent years. Some of us thought it might get better, but alas, subsequent action by those in power to create meaningful change, has mostly translated to too little – too late!

In 2010, Zillow.com reported 31% of California’s homeowners were underwater. In other words, they owed more on their mortgages than the current value of their homes. In present day, February 2012, the percentages have continued to increase, with some cities and areas of California reporting percentages considerably higher.

Two years ago, Kurtis Ming of Sacramento's Channel 13/CW31 (CBS), showcased the dilemma many homeowners experience, in a segment titled, "Giving Up On Your Home."

The expose’ asked the important question, if you are underwater in your house, and even if you can afford it, should you stay on course - or walk away?

Ming’s article showcased an El Dorado County couple, who was able to afford their home, acquired in 2005, but had decided to walk away. They saw it as a business decision.

Increasingly, real estate professionals are hearing from folks, who decline to believe they have a moral obligation to pay mortgages. These individuals have seen a double standard for Main Street and Wall Street. Main Street has historically felt ethically bound to contractual promises, but Wall Street often fails to be bound by ethics, when seeking to minimize losses.

When Kurtis Ming first aired his story in 2010, the California Bankers Association released the following response:

"During the past few years as foreclosures have increased we have seen historic efforts by the government, financial services industry and consumer groups to help millions of borrowers stay in their homes. These foreclosure relief/mortgage modification programs are designed to help borrowers who have a willingness to stay in their home, yet are no longer able to make their monthly mortgage payment. These programs were not designed to help those borrowers who have the resources to pay their mortgage, yet find themselves owing more than the house is worth. Throughout, concerns have been expressed over the moral hazard resulting from efforts to keep borrowers in their homes. Establishing residential mortgage assistance programs is intended to create a safety net for borrowers and minimize the adverse consequences of foreclosures to the overall economy.

With respect to what you refer to as "responsible" borrowers, it is expected that those borrowers demonstrating an ability to make their payment would continue to do so according to the terms of the loan documents they signed. The bank released funds based on that agreement and a failure to honor that agreement jeopardizes shareholders whose investment is adversely affected when loans are not repaid. In general, principal reductions may be considered by banks on a case by case basis, where a number of factors are taken into consideration including a borrower's ability to pay." --Beth Mills, California Bankers Association

So here’s the question as we sit here today. For those of you who have eyed the housing landscape from the trenches - What are your feelings and thoughts concerning Kurtis Ming's report written in February 2010? Do you see any meaningful change in the trenches – or do things seem much the same!

Click the following link for the complete Kurtis Ming report titled, "Giving Up On Your Home" It is very worth reading! It could just as easily been written in February 2012, as February 2010.