BlackBerrys, Blueberrie and Dancing Sugar Plums

If your new to this blog your about to find out that every now and then we get off the topic of real estate,  this is one of those times.  Sometimes I write about those strange discussions we are all  involved in  from time to time, you know the discussions that seem to be worth sharing with friends

Yesterday I was retrieving my lunch from the refrigerator in the office and two of my favorite agents walked in at the same time.  Each of them has committed to a diet where BlueBerry shakes are included as part of the diet.   At the same time they were laying their hands on the premade shakes they had placed there earlier, my BlackBerry started to ring.  I had a pocket full of noise humming a tune.    “  I said you have your Blueberry and I will get my Blackberry”  everyone smiled.

I talked for just a few moments and I heard one of the agents say they had a new Blackberry Curve 8330 and it was so nice it was  like flying to the moon.  She continued on to say she got it from Connect Direct and her friend Jean Marie, in Rancho San Diego.  The part of this that was shocking to me is what the phone cost $50.00, yes fifty dollars.  I thought to myself 50 Dollars to fly to the moon, that is a great deal.    She told me it was “Dancing Sugar Plum Season” and that she purchased a few more Blackberries  for family members as gifts.

As quickly as the discussion went to cell phones it went back to food, they saw the chocolate chip cookies I had and they told me there are better health benefits in Blueberries.   I think that was just a distraction as they attempted to grab my cookies.

OK, Back to work,  coming up on “Sugar Plum Season” and there are lots of things to do to get ready for Santa and the Nutcracker.  All to soon we will be back to talking Real Estate.

This article was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate

at Keller Williams Realty. Lic. 01229951

READ THE COMMENT ITS A DISCOUNT FROM CONNECT DIRECT THEY POSTED IT AFTER READING THE BLOG!  READING BLOGS PAYS!

This is a Dec 18th Update.  I went in to Upgrade and JeanMarie set me up with a BlackBerry Tour.  It has a little more on board memory than the Curve and I needed it for a Real Estate Web Application.  Thank You JeanMarie and staff, you were all great.. Many thanks.

a friendly discussion can lead many places

A few friends and I were sitting at Jitters Coffee Shop on La Mesa Blvd one block from Spring Street  enjoying a fine cup of joe  (my favorite coffee shop)  and discussing business plans for next year.  Our discussion regarding advertising lead to the comment of a picture is worth a thousand words.

A man at a table next to me told me he knew of a picture worth a billion words, just one single picture.   This peaked my interest and I said what is the picture of ?  He told me, it was a Hubble Space Telescope picture.   He was an astronomy student at San Diego State University, working at the Palomar Observatory.   I gave him a business card and asked for a copy of the picture  and he e mailed me this link along with a single comment.  The comment was,  “engineering is applying what we already know, science is looking for  what we don’t know, magic is when we find something.”

MAKE SURE TO CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO FOLLOW THE YOUTUBE LINK

If you ever see me out in public and have something you want to share please let me know.  Not only do I want to aid you with your real estate needs but if you have some science to share with me,  I love hearing about the magic.

This article was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate, Lic. 01229951

All marketing is done with the assistance of Kalabash Marketing

Goodnight Mrs. Kalabash where ever you are.

REVERSE MORTGAGES NOW INSURED BY FHA

It does not take long for bad news to spread and once it does it is almost impossible to change the course of the information, but in this case people should listen and investigate this valuable option for Senior Citizens.

Recently I attended a trade meeting with a Mortgage Specialist from Bank of America.   For any real estate professional to stay on top of his game he has to know about the ever-changing financial options available to his clients.

Having been in this industry for 20 years I have seen both happy and unhappy clients with Reverse Mortgages.  But I have seen change and here is just some of what I have seen.  The largest financial institutions are now providing these products and FHA is backing them. Bank of America in fact employes specialists that do nothing but these mortgages.   They are masters of helping this segment of the community and aid them obtain special classes which are required by FHA to even obtain a loan.

I am going to post some Internet Links to some information on these FHA backed loans so my readers can easily access them.   I am also going to post a photo of  and an e mail  link to the gentleman that was nice enough to update my associates and I.  With his expertise I am sure you can gain access to all the information necessary to see  if this type of loan fits you or your love ones needs.

Click here to go to the Official FHA Internet Site all of the information and  some of the calculation tools are right here.

I thought very highly of Robert Commerford so much so that as soon as I left the meeting I called two clients and gave them his contact points so they could evaluate  if this product would fill  their needs.

Robert Commerford, Bank of America

8898 La Mesa Blvd. La Mesa Ca.

Robert.Commerford@BankofAmerica.com

619-337-3415

This article was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate at Keller Williams Realty in La Mesa Ca.  Lic. 01229951

All marketing is done with the assistance of Kalabash Marketing.

“Good Night Mrs. Kalabash where ever you are.”

Having “The Housing Talk” with an Aging Parent

This article is written by a guest author Emily M. Butler – Morton who has her B.S. degree in Psychology/Family Studies with a Certificate in Gerontology.  She is a Nationally recognized authority and author who tours the United States speaking on issues related to Senior Citizens.  She has been featured on both Radio and Television.  She currently resides in Medford, Oregon. I  have read her book and referred it to friends, family members and associates.

Having the “Housing Talk” with an Aging Parent

Have you ever felt that there was an invisible, oversized “elephant” in the room when visiting your elderly parents or other older loved ones? Oh, yes it is there but no one wants to mention it! Do you know what I am talking about? It has to do with that whole idea of “later life living issues.” Have you thought about where mom is going to live when she can no longer live alone? Will she be able to live with you? Will one of your siblings take on the responsibility? Does she live close to you or miles away? Who will be there to help her make that very important transition when the need arises? Perhaps your mom is no longer safe in her home, she has been taking some falls, forgetting to take her medicine, she is very lonely and depressed, or she is just tired of home ownership responsibilities. You know there are obvious issues that should be brought up, yet for various reasons you shy away from the subject. There is a feeling of awkwardness as the roles between you and your elderly parents seem to be shifting. You feel guilty, depressed, stressed and at a loss as to what to do, yet you know in your heart of hearts that something has to be done. A plan! You need a plan. First of all, the best approach is honesty. Begin the process long before the need ever arises. Ask your parents or other loved one(s) if they have given any thought to where they would like to live their later years. They may surprise you. Maybe they have already considered some type of senior living community but don’t know where to start. On the other hand they may be totally resistant to the idea of ever moving out of their home, and you will have some homework ahead of you. Literally thousands of adult children and boomers are faced with having “the talk” with their aging parents As role reversal takes place the adult child becomes the “parent” in many ways. As this change takes place it must be handled very carefully. Often times parents resent the input from their adult children which can cause dissention in the family. Again, being open and honest is the best policy and once the “elephant” has been acknowledged it is easier to proceed. It is never too soon to start, but it might be too late to begin if you put it off. Someone has to take the first step. There is nothing worse than having to make a spur of the moment decision when it comes to selecting any type of senior living community. As a major life transition, and a very delicate one at that, it is vitally important to ask the right questions, look at the right things and thoroughly research all aspects of the community before ever making a commitment or signing on the dotted line. Too often families are caught like “a deer in the headlights” and wrong choices are made resulting in heartache and disappointment. When the right approach is taken along with some advance planning, good choices can be made resulting in what we want and expect for our elderly parents and other loved ones. There is an excellent book available that will help you to start this process. “Care Enough to Know-Keep Your Parents Safe” by Emily M. Butler-Morton. This concise book will lead you each step of the way, covering senior living options that are available, how to check them out, which one is appropriate, “red flag” areas, and what to expect before and after the move. “Care Enough to Know-Keep Your Parents Safe” can be purchased online at www.theparentcare.net or on Amazon.com. It is also available in digital form on Amazon Kindle Books. Remember, IF YOU CARE ENOUGH TO KNOW, YOU WILL KNOW ENOUGH TO CARE!!

The Baby Boomers Housing Needs Are Changing

 

This post is written by a guest author, Annie Bergeron who assists people with their housing needs after their families have grow and move from their homes.  She aids people in the process of happy retirement and the best housing situation for them based upon their needs.

Baby Boomers it’s time for New Beginnings

Did you know that by 2011 most baby-boomers will be 65 or older? By 2030, about one in every five people will be 65 or older. Life expectancy of the baby-boomer has increased from 79 years to 84. So it is safe to say that there will be no shortage of senior citizens in the near future. This is not a bad development but one that needs to be prepared for.

In the media, internet and periodicals there is a vast amount of information about elder care, case management of seniors, placement, etc. The responsible person in the family trying to do the right thing by their aging parent or parents can get lost in this maze. Should my parent stay home, are they safe to drive, what is their competency level or ability to make safe decisions, so many questions and no direction as to where to go for answers.

So let me help you. My name is Annie Bergeron and I have a company called New Beginnings, Etc. In this article I will provide you with some very clear answers. The most obvious one is a Geriatric Case Manager. Just as one would seek an attorney for legal issues or a financial planner to safeguard their assets, every family with an aging parent should seek the assistance of a Geriatric Nurse Case Manager. We have the answers to all of the questions and know exactly how to navigate the medical, governmental agencies and local facilities design to care for seniors. So many families, especially those that live out of town try to arrange care by phone or come for a brief visit thinking that they have made all of the necessary arrangements. Upon arrival home they find that the situation is the same or worse. Families that live in town find themselves dealing with the same issues daily, neglecting both their personal and professional lives. Dealing with aging parents can be a full time job.

The children of the aging parent have to take other things into consideration. Even though we are grown, our parents still view us as the “kids.” The senior is more likely to take recommendations from an outsider informed in elder care as opposed to their children. After all, what do we know? The family of a senior is there for love and support while the professional makes recommendations and takes appropriate actions.

What does a Geriatric Care Manger do? These are just few of the services that we provide at New Beginnings, Etc. A Care Manager basically takes the senior at the level there at and guides them where ever they will be the safest and achieve optimal health. Some of the services provided are:

Comprehensive assessment to determine health care needs and level of care required.

Medical management post discharge from a hospital or skilled nursing facility to arrange home care, medication management and supervision of all healthcare providers to make sure client is receiving optimal care.

Placement services if the client desires to move or is medically necessary.

Act as Power of Attorney for Health Care if needed or requested.

Coordinate medical appointments and ensure compliance with the doctor’s recommendations.

Arrange legal or financial services.

Non-legal mediation to resolve family or neighbor issues that maybe compromise the senior’s health or well-being.

Develop short and long term plans for the aging parent that currently does not require care.

Hiring a qualified and licensed Geriatric Case Manager is the best choice for both the parent and their family. This will allow you to live your life in the way your parents would truly intend with the knowledge that your loved one is cared for. We at New Beginnings, Etc. are experienced Care Managers that truly love the work we do. Our backgrounds vary which serves to compliment our skills and abilities.

By the way, contacting a Geriatric Case Manager is not limited to just families. There are many of us that come in contact daily with seniors. Most may be independent and high functioning but for those that are not, a Case Manager would be one option especially when the individual has no family in town. Attempts to handle the situation would most likely be uneventful and extremely frustrating.

I am available for speaking engagements to further advance your knowledge in this area or call toll free at (877)510-1801. Additional information can be obtained from my web site at www.newbeginningsetc.com. Email: nebeetc@gmail.com.

Annie Bergeron, BSN, PHN, CCM

Soon we will feature an article on Reverse Mortgages with some helpful links to valuable information.  Major Banks like Bank of American and Well Fargo are now standing behind this valuable tool, as is FHA, a division of the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Message in a Bottle, Radio Waves, Text In Hyperspace, & My Favorite Smoke Signals

The ability, no the desire,  to invent communications platforms is just human nature.  We have been working on ways to maintain contact with one another since our first day of walking on this planet.

I think the best way to communicate was the one that we have always had, our voices supported by our eyes and other sences.  With these sences we can come to conculsion that few specis even have a concept of,  TRUST.    At least as I view things it is impossible to trust a smoke signal, a message in a bottle or any other physical thing.  But I can trust Mrs. Kalabash, my doctor, even the San Diego police officer that is giving me a ticket.  And the reason for that is I am talking to them, I am interacting with them.  There is in fact a science to this and if your interested, may  I suggest the book by Steven Hawkins, M.D.  Power Vs. Force. it’s available at the San Diego County Library.

Non Verbal Communication is important.  Marketing Agencies say that 92 percent of Real Estate and some other products are first viewed on the Internet.  The real difficulty they find is in conveying to people that there is a difference in the people behind the home or the product.  We all want to scream at the top of our lungs “Pick Me” but is screaming the best way to communicate?

Here is my question to you, a favor if you will allow me to ask it.   Please tell me in an e mail or better yet call me and tell me what is your hot button.  Tell me what would aid you select the Real Estate Professional that you would like to use in your home purchase.

Please tell me if you like the MLS SEARCH SYSTEM on my site.  Let me know if the Public Records Search System that allows you to search for Foreclosures, Notices Of Default and Trustee Sale Dates (Public Auction) is beneficial to you.

This was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate at Keller Williams Realty in La Mesa.  He is the owner of Number One In San Diego dot Com.  George’s  phone number is 619-723-5714

Stairway to Heaven, Just a Little Slice of Heaven, How Far Is Heaven?

Are we all not just looking for that little slice of heaven when we are searching for a new place to live? I was recently showing a client a home and she said to her husband, ” that is”  and before she could complete the sentence he said  “A Stairway to Heaven”.  The smile everyone got on their face, I will leave to your imagination to construct. I will say that I have frequently wondered how far is heaven?

My client had grown up around construction and built a home of his own which was lost in one of the California wild fires. During the viewing he was shocked at the offered price  of the home. He knew he could not build the home for the offered price, which is consistent with the market for more expensive homes in San Diego today.

San Diego Realtors  are experiencing more interest in luxury homes in San Diego County. The buyers are not arriving in the market in the numbers we would like to see but have you ever heard a Realtor say they had to many clients.  Please by all means search the MLS  and if you have a special need let me know.  I provide a service called “One Time Showing” that may be of interest to you. You can register to do this as a buyer or a seller. There are a number of sellers who are approaching the Market in a Short Sale position, in lieu of Foreclosure,  who contact me daily.  It is after all my job to put buyers and seller together.

This article was written by George Kenner, an Associate Broker with Prudential California Realty, La Mesa,  He can be contacted at 619-723-5714.  George strongly encourages all his buyers to get Pre Approved in todays market, to be able to quickly capitalize on some real market savings.        “Good Night Mrs. Kalabash.”

Changed My Luck for Just One Dime, Have I found the Key?

The Lucky Key?

I have learned the secret of the United States Post Office Employees who work in the Rancho San Diego area.  The coveted classified information is the Library is a great place to stop for lunch.   Following  their lead and being between appointments ,  needing  to eat my lunch, I stopped in.

In the nicely shaded  courtyard the Library sometimes has a rack of books out for sale.  On this day there was a book called “Create Your Own Luck.”   It was only a dime, plus tax of course.   I felt the need to buy it,   after all what if I could make my luck even better for just a dime.

I have already finished reading the book  and it was great, written by Susan RoAne who is an accomplished author and speaker.   I had to go inside to the small used book store that is run by the Library.  Sitting there  in a display was another book,  Inspiration , Your Ultimate Calling by Dr. Wayne Dyer.    It was a whopping 75 cents.   My luck had already changed and I had not even paid for the book, yet.

I guess sometimes out of the middle of nowhere,   great things can happen which take you to something even better.   Maybe you arrived at this blog to find  the perfect San Diego home and your just  one home search away from finding it.   Maybe your looking for a short sale or Forclosure.     

Ok,  I got to go finish Dr. Dyer’s book,  I am sure   when I am finished  it was  meant for me to give them away,  ” Pay it  Forward”   , for  luck so to speak.   By the way “Pay it Forward” is a must see movie.

This article was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate, Prudential Califonia Realty,  he is the owner and designer of  Number One In San Diego.  He is looking for Mrs. Kalabash if you know her, let her know.

An 80th Birthday Party, What are the Odds, Was it Meant To Be?

I was at my Uncle’s 80th birthday party a few weeks ago and noticed someone sitting at a table who I knew. He had been a San Diego Police Officer and we had worked together in the mid 1980′s in San Ysidro. Years later, mid 1990s, I was in my neighborhood in Jamul and there he was jogging down the street, we stopped and talked for a few minutes, he had moved into the neighborhood. A few years had passed and we ran into each other at a local restruant, a just a few days before the birthday party and a few days after he had retired from the police department.

How odd is it that we had these brief encounters over the years? Well, when I approached him to find out why he was at my Uncles party he told me he knew my Uncle from when he was a kid. Of course he also knew my cousins and asked if I had gone to school with them, which I had. To cut to the chase we had both been in the same 4th Grade Class, with Mrs Powell at Carver Elementary, here in San Diego.

Just a few days before the party I had seen a special documentry on George Washington Carver. It’s a small world and some things are just meant to be. Just as I had been in contact with a old classmate many times over the years, so may you have some special conicidence that is just about to fall upon you. Maybe you are to find that perfect home at the perfect price, maybe you will  a lost love or lost friend about to knock on your door.

It is said “life can change in the twinkle of an eye.” I have got to go now, I am going to buy a lotto ticket and see if the random selection of the numbers falls my direction.  Someone just told me about a book I have to read by Carl Jung, M.D. who said there are no coincidences. Now, what does that mean?

If you are considering searching for a home please consider starting your search with me. It is no coincidence that I provide access to the MLS and Public Records including Foreclosures, Notices of Default and Trustee Sale Dates.  Maybe we could exchange odd stories, I bet you may have one that is even better than mine. I hope you have time to watch this next link, maybe it was “Meant to Be”.  Maybe Mrs. Kalabash is still meant to be, but that is another story.

This article was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate at Prudential California Realty. Please visit George and a few of his other team members at Short Sale Nurse. com

Mrs. Kalabash Who is She? Why Say Goodnite to Her?

The last few years in the San Diego Real Estate Industry have given even the best in the profession reason to reevaluate their direction.  Technology has changed from where it was almost impossible to buy advertising time on television because of the expense, to where Flash Videos, Mpegs and Youtube are tools of the trade. 

I work very hard to stay current on where our industry is going but to me it’s a mystery.  Had someone told me that it was going to be possible to do live interviews on Blackberrys or IPhones I would have believed them to be crazy a year ago,  and now I am wondering when that will happen.

In my childhood there was a comedian named Jimmy Durante who had a television show that aired on a weekly basis.  As part of his persona he used a closing line that  became very popular,  it was “Goodnight Mrs. Kalabash where ever you are.” 

One night at the end of the show, I asked my father who Mrs. Kalabash was.  He told me that he believed  Mrs. Kalabash was a lost love and Jimmy obviously wanted her back.  As I grew older  I kept that thought of a lost love in my mind,  when I would lose something I wanted back for some reason, Mrs. Kalabash would pop into my head.   Over the  passing years  Mrs. Kalabash  became a personal  metaphor for searching.   So when I started to build my web site which allowed me to search for clients and for clients to search for homes  Kalabash Marketing seemed to be a “Natural”.

Some people have asked me if I have a Mrs. Kalabash, in the same way Jimmy Durante did, and if there is some deeper reason for using this closing on each of my web pages.   I am going to be silent on that for right now.  If there is a real Mrs. Kalabash,  I may have hidden a link to her picture in my site.   There is one way to find out for sure and  that is to search my site.  While you are looking don’t forget to register for MLS information.   You can search the San Diego MLS the same way that a Broker does.

If you clink on the picture of the Sailor Kissing the girl it will take you to a link that discusses the history of the people who were models for the statue.   Is the name of the statue “Unconditional Surrender” or ‘Jimmy finds Mrs. Kalabash ? ”   If your interested to know the story of the  San Diego Statue click here.

This blog feature was written by George Kenner, Broker Associate.  Prudential Cal. Realty in La Mesa.  If you need help with any real estate issue, including a short sale  please do not hesitate to call him, 619-723-5714 or maybe you have a question about Mrs. Kalabash, heck maybe your Mrs. Kalabalsh and your looking for George.