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Randy "Lazarus" McAtee - Owner/Broker Lazarus Realty, Fresno California

Shopping For OIL CHANGE -- signs of the (recessionary) times

Recession Forces Fresno REAL ESTATE Broker to Shop For Oil Change

oil_change.jpgNormally I would just drop off my vehicle at Michael Toyota and being a “preferred customer” they would change my oil for $29.95 plus tax ( — every oil change is quoted PLUS TAX). But when I called Michael Toyota I found out that I was no longer a preferred customer. It has nothing to do with the fact that we drove across town to Bingham last last year to lease my wife’s car. No, apparently there was an expiration date on my Preferred Customer Card and my preferred customer status expired along with everyone else’s and my service manager (which I happen to know by name) didn’t know of any coupons I could hunt down to reduce the CURRENT PRICE OF AN OIL CHANGE: $39.95.

Well, I figure surely I can get a deal at Jiffy Lube so I called them and they were the exact same price. So then I tried SpeeDee Oil Change and straight away I see they have $5.00 off coupon on their website so I get all excited— until the guy on the phone quotes me $44.95 — which with a $5.00 coupon brings me right back to $39.95 (only when you add the tax its actually MORE since you are charged tax on the full price.)

Well, I kept hunting and I am happy to report that I just returned from having my oil changed for $12.95 — plus tax of course.

If you are buying or selling Real Estate in the Fresno market — or you just need to know where to get an good price on an oil change — call me.

Lazarus Realty Lazarus

Direct:
Fax:

559.301.1647
559.438.7475

1319 W Bullard #4 — Fresno CA — 93711

© Randy “Lazarus” McAtee

Landlords Have a NEW Competitor - THE NEW FREDDIE MAC RENT BACK PROGRAM

I just read this article:

Freddie Mac to rent foreclosed properties

AMAZING! It's totally understandable that they would take this route. I showed a house on Tuesday that was only a couple of years old and theives had taken the stove and hood, oven and microwave, dishwasher and cabinets. It's unreal. When homes are looted the banks can't resell them with typical financing (ala FHA) unless they meet basic living standards. If they don't, they sell them at a discount to investors for cash, who either fix them up and rent them out or resell them.

The problem is investors who buy these homes face the same problems the bank is having. If they fix them up and they sit empty on the market waiting for a buyer they may get robbed again of everything the investor replaced. NOW, if the investor fixes up this type of property he will be competing with the government for renters. OH, and just so you know, these homes are NOT in ghetto neighborhoods, they once sold for around $400k.

SIGH :(

Look for rents to GO DOWN.

Freddie Mac stock - Ticker FRE - currently trading at 60 cents.

Fannie and Freddie combined own or guarantee about half of the $10.6 trillion in outstanding U.S. home loan debt.

Lazarus Realty
Lazarus

Direct:
Fax:

559.301.1647
559.438.7475

1319 W Bullard #4 -- Fresno CA -- 93711

© Randy "Lazarus" McAtee

Citibank Buying 50 Million Dollar Corportate Jet...

...While the taxpayers are forking over billions to bolster to their balance sheet.

I know that there are some of you who think this is absolutely atrocious.

JUST PLANE DESPICABLE

if you give an executive a GOLDEN PARACHUTE …

….he will need a nice new corparate jet to bail out of.

Lazarus Realty
Lazarus

Direct:
Fax:

559.301.1647
559.438.7475

1319 W Bullard #4 -- Fresno CA -- 93711

© Randy "Lazarus" McAtee

I WANT SOME TARP!!!

Who doesnt?  "They're givin' money away for free.... Save a little bit for me...I WANT SOME TARP..."

I saw this video this morning and it brightened up my day.  Hopefully -- it'll do the same for you :)

 

Buying or Selling in Fresno CA? Contact Lazarus @ 559-301-1647

Sad News For Fresno

In the past I have blogged about the Pacific Southwest building located in the Fulton Mall in downtown Fresno. This Building is on the Historic Register and is the tallest bulding between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Here is an picture taken about a year or so ago.

Pacific Southwest Bulding - Fresno CA

There are 11 windows on the north side of the bulding (pictured above).

Saturday when I was down there I noticed that ALL ELEVEN OF THE WINDOWS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BULDING WERE BROKEN.

Very sad to see this kind of vandalism. And I have to assume it was vandalism. It looks like someone just went along and bashed in every window with a baseball bat. I could be wrong and if you're reading this post and you know what happened feel free to comment and let us know the story.

Pacific Southwest Bulding - Fresno CA / broken  windows

Pacific Southwest Bulding - Fresno CA / broken  windows  2

Lazarus Realty
Lazarus

Direct:
Fax:

559.301.1647
559.438.7475

1319 W Bullard #4 -- Fresno CA -- 93711

© Randy "Lazarus" McAtee