Pablo Santibanez

How was I to know, my neighbor up the way is a Granola Gourmet. Jeff Cohen approached me the other day with a see through plastic container filled with Brownie Granola bars. Of course he had my undivided attention at that point as he began to share with me the story behind this new business he created from his own kitchen. "Here try this, these bars are not only good, but they are good for you" Well he didn't have to ask me twice and I began to chew on the first of many Granola bars that evening. My personal favorite thus far is the "Brownies"

Jeff began to share his story as to what motivated him and his wife (Anita) to create these delicious bars.

I learned that Jeff is a Diabetic and the ingredients he uses allows Diabetics such as himself to enjoy these as well. He even had a friend who is a local endocrinologist look into the makeup of these bars and endorsed them. "These are really good, Tell me more" (between bites) as I continued to sample another "Granola Gourmet" bar. Jeff continued mentioning that the bars are so popular that he began selling them on line and is looking into other ways of increasing his ability to keep up with demand. He recently found one way and that was to create a website Granolagourmet.com so we can order on line. Jeff is presently working on other ways to improve the distribution of his new product. Of course all he has to do is walk over to my place for my deliveries.

Now I am not a Diabetic however eating snacks like this will help me avoid becoming one. I understand that each bar equates to approximately "3 points" if your on the Weight Watchers program which I am presently on.

Jeff is a good guy and he has a great product you should try for yourself. If you know someone in your group of friends or family who is a diabetic have them sample this. But you don't need to be a Diabetic to get it, in fact as I mentioned earlier it could be one additional way to avoid becoming one.

All views, opinions, observations are strictly my own, unless stated otherwise, and do not reflect the views of the entities I represent as an independent agent.

Do you love your agent? Some Rights Reserved Pablo Santibanez Copyright 2008

I just passed my Fire and Casualty Insurance Licensing test for the state of California. I passed on my first try!. I owe my success first and foremost to the big guy upstairs as well as the folks who created the 52hours.com website. This site was created for students wanting to prepare for the state exam for their Insurance and Securities license. Why 52hours? Well the state of California requires you to take 52 hours of education prior to taking the state Insurance Licensing exam for Property and Casualty Insurance. The first 12 hours consist of Code and Ethics and the remaining 40 hours go towards the Fire and Casualty Insurance.

I signed up on line just under three weeks ago with 52hours.com to prepare for the Insurance Exam here in Los Angeles and it obviously paid off. I studied on line in the evenings and on the weekends whenever I could find the time. I am so grateful to have been able to do this on my own time and from the comfort of home. My only other option would have been to take a week off and go to a classroom for eight hours a day. I couldn't afford to do that especially in this market. This doesn't even take into account the traffic and drive I was able to avoid as well.

If anyone is considering a career move or just looking for an additional means to supplement their income. I highly recommend the 52hours.com site for your educational preparedness for the Property and Casualty Insurance exam. I am preparing for both the Life Insurance and Securities license as well on the 52hours.com website. I can confidently say that I will have these licenses as well in short order thanks to the big guy upstairs and 52hours.com.

Here are the statistics from their website

52hours.com 1st time pass ratio is 25% higher than the state average!! 2008-01-25

It is now official! The first time pass ratio for students of 52hours.com pre-license courses is 25% higher than the statewide online/classroom 1st time pass ratio as reported by the Department of Insurance!! Here are the shocking statistics as provided by the Department of Insurance:

52 hours.com First Time Pass Ratio for 2007

Life Agent Exam - 93.3%

Fire & Casualty - 83.6%

Statewide First Time Pass Ratio for 2007

Life Agent Exam - 68.5%

Fire & Casualty - 57.7%

All views, opinions, observations are strictly my own, unless stated otherwise, and do not reflect the views of the entities I represent as an Independent agent.

Do you love your agent? Some Rights Reserved Pablo Santibanez Copyright 2008 Join the network

What would you do in the event of a disaster? Call 911?, Call your mother?

Most likely in the event of a disaster you may not be able to reach these two. What now? What steps should you take to protect your family and those you love?

Well that is what the Emergency Expo is all about in a friendly, not threatening manner. These are important questions we must be able to answer in the event of an emergency. This expo empowers you with those tools and resources to be prepared for these types of events. There are booths set up throughout the expo and plenty to do for all ages.

This event is being held at College of the Canyons in Valencia on April 19, 2008 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00.P.M.

See you there

If you have any questions contact Donna Nuzzi our Emergency Preparedness Liaison at 661.255.4965

All views, opinions, observations are strictly my own, unless stated otherwise, and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams VIP Properties.

Santa Clarita Real Estate Some Rights Reserved Copyright 2008 Join the network

As I reflect on my ActiveRain membership and what I have experienced, the overall assessment is that this network of real estate professionals has enriched my life in so many ways.

I achieved two milestones recently in our ActiveRain community. One was to accumulate 25K in points, and the other was writing my 100^th post. They were not my motivations to blog, just roadway signs on the side of the information superhighway. Looking back I cannot believe I have achieved both of these milestones within a few days of each other and in my first year blogging on this forum. I am grateful to have this vehicle to share my insights, opinions, and experiences. I have learned a lifetime of information in a mere few months from other ActiveRain members.

The knowledge I have acquired is invaluable as well as the friendships and fellow Rainers opinions and experiences. One advantage that we as "Rainers" have over those who don't use this medium is that we are not limited or relying solely on our own life experiences both personally and professionally. It could take two, three, four lifetimes to experience all of the issues, topics that relate to real estate and other topics that are discussed daily in our network. Those that don't get it, "blogging" are simply falling behind.

I have learned so much from other members my learning curve is shortened daily. I am doing things on line that I could never have imagined if not for what I have learned from others. I will continue to leave my mark on line.

I want to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts, your encouragement, and knowledge thus far.

All views, opinions, observations are strictly my own, unless stated otherwise, and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams VIP Properties.

Santa Clarita Real Estate All Rights Reserved Copyright 2008 Join the network

The Foreclosure Prevention Consumer Workshop will be held this March 15^th from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Cesar Chavez Recreation Center in the city of San Fernando. This event is Hosted by Senator Alex Padilla and Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes. There will likely be representatives from the State Consumer Services Agency, Business Transportation and Housing Department, Freddie Mac, and the Department of Corporations.

I am on a temporary assignment representing a "Major lender" as a Field Counseling Representative. I am presently counseling existing borrowers who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments by visiting them personally at their homes. The primary goal is to facilitate a solution to prevent existing loan customers from going to foreclosure. This primarily portfolio lender has many options and flexibility in assisting troubled loan customers.

There will be various lenders in attendance as well as non profit Consumer Credit Management services. This event will likely be well attended as the workshop I recently attended at the UC Riverside Extension. The organizers did a terrific job of educating borrowers on the many options available to them. It was a well organized event and we were able to assist those borrowers who attended.

Nicole Miadani of the State and Consumer Services Agency did a tremendous job at the Riverside event and will be helping to coordinate the San Fernando Foreclosure Prevention Consumer Workshop.

These events are geared towards providing consumers with information to assist them in making informed credit decisions and ways to save there homes from Foreclosure. They are able to speak directly to loan counselors who represent many of the "Major" lenders in the lending industry.

All views, opinions, observations are strictly my own, unless stated otherwise, and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams VIP Properties.

Santa Clarita Real Estate All Rights Reserved Copyright 2008 Join the network