Erin Newington, Sacramento Mortgage Planner

What do you do with your dogs when you go out of town?

If you are like me I don't feel comfortable leaving my dogs home alone for extended stays. Sometimes getting friends, neighbors, or family to drop by and check on the dogs can be a hassle. So when you have to go out of town at the last minute... What the heck do you do?

What about booking them a room at the local dog hotel? The what?

Yep that is right... I guess you did not know that Elk Grove has brand new dog hotel! I remember when the first McDonald's was built on Elk Grove Blvd... now we have a Pet Hotel...I have seen it all!

Franklin Ranch is a brand new facility that has everything a Elk Grove dog lover would need! Not only do they offer a full service hotel with grooming, training, and luxury accommodations... they have a full service Pet Hospital lead by Dr. Tom Zehnder.

We have personally brought our dogs Ben and Jerry to see Dr. Tom Zehnder (when he was over at Bradshaw Vet) and was impressed with how much he cared about our dogs.

Speaking of my dogs!... You did not think I would pas up the opportunity to share pictures did you? Meet Ben and Jerry!

We got Ben and Jerry at the Stockton SPCA about a year ago after we lost our dog Benji. We were not planning on two dogs, but once we say them... we knew they were ours! OK... OK back to the Franklin Ranch!

Franklin Ranch Pet Hotel offer 3 types of accommodations:

Lofts
Small: $30/night | Large: $35/night
Lofts are available in two sizes, small is 18 square feet and large is 24 square feet. The lofts feature an elevated fiberglass floor, privacy walls, a platform bedding area, secure latching, and secured food dishes.

Window Suites
Small: $35/night | Large: $40/night
Window suites are available in two sizes, the small suite is 15 square feet and the large suite is 20 square feet. They have an elevated fiberglass floor, privacy walls, a platform bedding area, secure latching, and secured food dishes. These suites feature a glass door allowing for plenty of natural light and a wonderful view of the grounds, bringing the outdoors in.

Luxury Suite
$55/night
Each luxury suites offers individual rooms for added privacy and relaxation. Ken Bailey's whimsical artwork has been added to each suite to create a touch of home. Guests enjoy a Kuranda® bed for maximum comfort and sanitation. As an added level of ease, we provide orthopedic cushions with a classic ottoman-style slipcover made of a soft suede fabric. For entertainment, all suites offer flat screen televisions, soothing music, and two indoor/outdoor playtimes. Perhaps our most important feature, the 24-hour pet cam service, allows you to keep your pet just a few clicks away regardless of the distance.

Now I can tell you Ben and Jerry stay in the loft rooms and are just fine! But, if you really want to have the piece of mind your dogs are OK I guess the pet cam in the Luxury Suite could ease your mind! To be honest... that is way over the top for me!

All dogs get walked a couple times a day and they even have a play ground. Their is full time staff available and the facility is immaculate!

Here is a picture of Ben and Jerry checking out the grounds before their recent stay!

Franklin Ranch Pet Hospital and Hotel
http://www.franklinpet.com

10207 Franklin Blvd.
Elk Grove, CA 95757

Hospital phone: (916) 683-4000
Hotel phone: (916) 683-4007
Email: info@franklinpet.com
Fax: (916) 683-4040

Hours

Hospital
Monday-Saturday: 9 am - 7 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 5 pm

Hotel
Monday-Friday: 7 am - 7 pm
Saturday: 9 am - 7 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 5 pm

I highly recommend a stay at the Franklin Ranch Pet Hotel. It was a great way to go out of town and know our dogs were in good hands!

This blog by:

Team Newington
Sacramento Mortgage Planners
First Priority Financial
(916) 687-6868

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Every day I drive by this man on Elk Grove Blvd... right smack in the middle of town.

His timing is precise and at every signal he turns to great you with a wave. He marches in place on that corner for hours! For some reason this just makes me smile every time I drive by.

I swore one day I would pull over and take a picture of him so I could share this story.

Meet Mr. Cheese Steak!

So if you are in the mood for a Cheese steak sandwich or salad... please make sure your drop by and support Mr.Cheese Steak!

Elk Grove Cheesesteak Shop
http://www.cheesesteakshop.com

8555 Elk Grove Blvd
(916) 686-7454

This blog by:

Team Newington
Sacramento Mortgage Planners
First Priority Financial
(916) 687-6868

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If you are thinking about buying a Sacramento investment home in your near future...this is the event for you! We are excited to announce we have partnered with Lori Mode and Bruce Durham at Keller Williams Realty to bring you Sacramento's Investor Boot Camp and Foreclosure Bus Tour! Join us on Saturday, August 15th, for this intense training designed to give you the tools you need to purchase investment property in today's Sacramento and Elk Grove real estate market. Frankly, there are deals everywhere... it is just a matter of picking which one meets your needs. BUT buying a Sacramento foreclosure home or short sale home is much different than a traditional purchase. Join us and get the information you need to make a successful purchase. Our job during this Investor Boot Camp is to give you the information you need to get into action. Once you take the fear out of the decision... because you have done your homework...the rest is a piece of cake. Join season investors and real estate professionals who work full time in the Sacramento foreclosure market who will share with you what is working and what is not. If you are interested in joining us... ENLIST TODAY >>

This blog by:

Team Newington
Sacramento Mortgage Planners
First Priority Financial
(916) 687-6868

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Have you registered yet for the largest Sacramento Real Estate Investors and Rental Owners conference and EXPO this SATURDAY?

What if I told you I could get you in for $39?Shhh ..don't tell anyone ;)

$39 gets you a choice of 12 seminar topics, sit down lunch with a special keynote speaker, a chance to win raffle prizes, and a vendor EXPO designed for the rental investment owner! Visit link below to register. Make sure to write Team Newington on the registration form to get the discount!

We are a featured speaker at this year's Sacramento Rental Owners Expo so come by our booth and say hello!

Download the REGISTRATION FORM NOW >>

 

 

Here are some pictures from last years event!

This blog by:

Team Newington
Sacramento Mortgage Planners
First Priority Financial
(916) 687-6868

Join us at Elk Grove Park on July 21st and meet other Sacramento area Investors at our 1st annual Cash Flow Tournament and BBQ!

Enjoy great food, conversation, and test your skills against other area Real Estate Investors!

Find out more and REGISTER today!

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The real estate market is certainly on a historic roller coaster ride. Yes, unfortunately, there are countless folks that are being caught up in the foreclosure storm that is sweeping across the country right now, but on the flip-side, this is creating significant investing opportunities for others.

There is another wave of foreclosures coming to the Sacramento real estate market. In fact there is a wave of homes that are already owned by the bank that are just sitting there... not currently on the market. For more information about this shadow inventory read Lori Mode's recap from our Sacramento Real Estate Investor Forum at the Rental Housing Association.

The following are actions that you can do to best prepare yourself to take advantage of the current shadow foreclosure some of these upcoming opportunities in our Sacramento real estate market.

Start with the End in Mind:
Be clear on what your desired financial outcome is and work strategically backwards to your current position. Specifically, how far out into the future are your milestones and how does this compare to your current situation and available resources.

Credit:
Lenders are becoming much more risk adverse and your credit history is becoming much more important when applying for a mortgage. Do whatever you can to get your middle FICO score at 740 or higher. Other than paying your bills on time make sure to keep credit card balances at lease 25 or 50% of allowable balances.

Employment/Income Source:
Many of our clients are self-employed and/or own several Sacramento rental properties. The biggest challenge for these types of clients is their tax returns are really ugly. That is the reason why we buy investment property... right? Yes as a Sacramento Investor you want to take advantage of the ample tax benefits available for owning rental property... BUT it can hurt you when you go to apply for a mortgage. Consult your CPA BEFORE you file your next tax return and make sure you have a good strategy to deal with this. It may make sense to file an extension until your purchase or refinance transaction has been completed.

Down Payment/Reserves:

• Plan on a down payment of 20-25%, depending on your purchase price.
• Your down payment funds may need to be seasoned two months or be prepared to provide proof of where the money came from as well as a letter of explanation.
• Plan on having 2-6 months of the subject property monthly expenses left in your accounts after close of escrow. Some lenders are requiring 6 months reserves for every property you own. It's in your best interest to maintain this even after purchase of the property to cover expenses in case you experience occupancy or maintenance challenges.
• Consider partnering or joint venturing with other parties if you need to augment your resources.

Compatibility of Loan Terms:

• Make sure your loan product is compatible with current Sacramento real estate cycle and your exit strategy. Always give yourself room for worst case scenarios when choosing adjustable rate products and prepayment penalty terms.
• Make sure you are aware of existing loan terms so that there are no surprises in regards to your existing portfolio. In certain circumstances, especially in this declining market, it may even make sense to refinance before your rate adjusts rather than be caught in a circumstance where your options are limited. If you are unsure of these terms, contact your mortgage advisor to help you get clear.

Develop Team:
Real estate investing in Sacramento is a team sport and should be treated as a business. Make sure your current team of advisors, including but not limited to, property manager, mortgage provider, CPA, attorney, and Realtor are real estate investment savvy and preferably own real estate investment themselves. That way they are personally vested in keeping up with the latest developments.

Lastly, make sure your advisors are proactive and strategic and don't be afraid to trade up if you need to get referrals from competent advisors to fill in other gaps.

Real estate investing can be a great source of long term wealth building if done prudently. Position yourself to take advantage of the real estate opportunities in our current real estate cycle.

Happy Hunting!

This blog by:

Team Newington
Sacramento Mortgage Planners
First Priority Financial
(916) 687-6868

Join us at Elk Grove Park on July 21st and meet other Sacramento area Investors at our 1st annual Cash Flow Tournament and BBQ!

Enjoy great food, conversation, and test your skills against other area Real Estate Investors!

Find out more and REGISTER today!

	Subscribe to our Blog Feed! >>
	Follow us on Twitter.com! >>
	Visit Our Website! >>