This free discussion, co-hosted by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native Plants and the Glendale Department of Public Works, will address how communities can adapt to fire-prone environments and the importance of nature education. The event’s hosts also have invited local fire officials.

The talk runs 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Clark Magnet High School auditorium, 4747 New York Ave., La Crescenta.

– Los Angeles Times Lisa Boone

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Read the rest at Valerie Fitzgerald Group website.

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The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of home prices in 20 metropolitan areas showed a 1% increase in the seasonally adjusted median price of homes from July to August. The index has posted month-to-month gains since June.

“I think we have reached some kind of bottom,” David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s Index Committee, said. U.S. home prices continued to decline in August, falling 11.3% when compared to the same month a year earlier, though not as steeply as past months, according to the data released this morning.

From the L.A. Times <a href=”alejandro.lazo@latimes.com”>alejandro.lazo@latimes.com</a>

For the rest of the story click here.

The Valerie Fitzgerald Group specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years of real estate experience and is known for her solid reputation in the West Los Angeles brokerage community. She’s also the author of Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

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The latest figures from the National Association of Realtors show that existing home sales were strong in September, which means that conditions have improved for five of the past six months. Last month, sales were up 9.4 percent from the level recorded in August, and also 9.2 percent higher than the figures recorded in September 2008.

“We’re getting early indications of price stabilization, but we need a steady supply of qualified buyers to meaningfully bring inventories down and return us to a period of normal, steady price growth and to fully remove consumer fears, which would then revive the broader economy,” said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

From Credit.com

Read the rest of the story at Valerie Fitzgerald Group.

The Valerie Fitzgerald Group specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years of real estate experience and is known for her solid reputation in the West Los Angeles brokerage community. She’s also the author of Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business. 

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In today’s challenging real estate market where 30 offers on homes out here in Victorville, CA is the norm, (and I’m sure the same applies all over the United States) we need every little bit of information to help our offers stand out from the crowd.

I have made countless offers on REO properties including Freddie Mac deals, and these tips reflect my experience in dealing with them. These are the things that Freddie Mac always counters with and always wants flat out.

When making an offer to purchase a Freddie Mac or Home Steps owned property you should try and follow these guidelines to help your offer stand out from the crowd and help you save a day or two in negotiations with them.

To read the rest of the story click here.

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The first call is scheduled for Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. PST. As a special bonus for the first call we’re offering $25 off. Use FALL101 when you check out.

This program is an authentic transformative mentoring experience designed to help you move your business forward using proven strategies that are effective and efficient that Valerie has developed and implemented over the last 20 years.

Members will receive all the tools, resources, and materials relevant to each call with Valerie, so you won’t just be loaded up with information. We’ll give you the tools to put it into action.

During the process we will:

• Define what your “Desired Life” looks like.
• Strategize your best Next Steps to move your business forward.
• Hold you accountable to take massive action!

To register visit: http://www.heartandsoldmentoring.com

Message From Valerie:

As part of my “Designed Life”, this tele-workshop is in response to numerous requests to share my experience, strategies, and tools with a wider audience.

I’ve been privately coached for the past 15 years and I know the positive effects of that guidance and accountability. And what derived as a result, was not only a greater acceptance of my deeper self and mission in life, but greater productivity, success, jumps in income and understanding, and, most of all, the peace of mind I always sought but had never been able to find anywhere else.I look forward to offering you the same support through this group program.

I am now offering the potential for these results with monthly tele-workshops (All classes recorded for those who may miss a class). I am making my program available in an innovative tele-workshop format that will include live group participation, as well as transformative exercises that help you discover your most efficient and effective way of moving your business forward while expressing your unique gifts and talents.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

If you are unable to make the call at this time, all calls will be recorded and you can access the call within 24 hours on your Member Resource Page.

After you sign up for the Mentor Program, you will create your unique username and password to gain access to the Member Resource Page.  There you will find everything relevant to the live calls, including an audio recording you can replay at your leisure.

To register visit: http://www.heartandsoldmentoring.com.

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However, the $8,000 credit is expected to expire on November 30, which has some would-be buyers scrambling to get their financial affairs in order to qualify for the incentive.

With that in mind, an organization representing many of the nation’s real estate professionals is calling on Congress to extend the tax credit. According to the National Association of Realtors, 350,000 people who would not have otherwise purchased a home did so because of the tax credit.

To read the rest visit The Valerie Fitzgerald Group.

The Valerie Fitzgerald Group specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years of real estate experience and is known for her solid reputation in the West Los Angeles brokerage community. She’s also the author of Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ValreFitzgerald

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Wow. One sees that on paper, but it doesn’t seem to be fathomable.

According to the L.A. Times:

“The state is one of 14 in the nation with an unemployment rate in the double digits, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Only Michigan, Nevada and Rhode Island, at 15.2%, 13.2% and 12.8%, respectively, have higher unemployment rates than California. The national unemployment rate in August was 9.7%.

California has shed 741,000 jobs in the last year, and the state’s unemployment rate has climbed 4.6 percentage points from August 2008. The state’s July unemployment rate was 11.9%.”

How has the economic climate impacted you? Your family? Your business?

Have you developed creative ways to combat the economic challenges? Have they worked? What are some examples.

I’d love to share your “winning” experiences so that they may be examples and inspiration for others out there who are finding this period challenging.

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