911 Tribute Photograph on the 10th Anniversay

I was flying across the US the year after 2011 and as I crossed the midwest I looked out my window and saw this amazing tribute in the fields below.  Unfortunately this is an old and faded picture because the sea air takes all the life out of photos and the original is buried who knows where, digital or film I cannot recollect.  But I do remember how I scrambled for my camera so as not to miss taking this special photograph.

Some mid-western farmer felt so compelled to pay tribute to the 911 attack that he turned his fields into an American flag and a clock face that shows the hour of the attack.  I can only guess at the number of hours it took in planning and planting to create this 911 tribute but this farmer hopefully sat in his seat with pride as he passed those hours, perhaps in prayer but most certainly in homage, to our American family members who died in the attack and the families that were left behind to pick up the pieces and carry on.

I was surprised that the pilots didn’t announce its presence but perhaps they did not want  a mad rush to that side of the plane or perhaps wounds were still too fresh that they didn’t want to make anxious any passengers in their care.  Whatever the case, I’m so pleased to have this 911 tribute in my personal collection.

I would love to discover who the farmer is so please pass this on.  If you saw this view yourself, please add your reflections.

God, please continue to bless America.

A Mother’s Story of 9/11 on the 10 Year Anniversary

As I remember:

Ten years ago, I was awakened by a call from Megan who was visiting NYC with a friend.  She figured that when I awoke, I would hear that a plane had accidentally flown into the World Trade Center and she wanted me to know up-front that she was not involved and OK.  (Thank you for your thinking ahead and caring.) I hung up the phone thinking that no one accidentally flies into the Trade Center. It was terrorists and, now awakened, I had to go to the bathroom.  As I got out of bed, the phone rang, again.  It was Heidi.  So I took her into the bathroom with me while listening to her announcement that there was a plane heading to CA to attack something if it wasn’t shot down beforehand.

As I returned to bed, I decided to take the phone off the hook as five children were left to call and inform me of the terrible “accident.”

Next, I am reawakened by hearing the doorbell ring.  Sarah Kintz Urbanski had been sent to check on me by Shauna (Thanks for your persistance and caring) who could not get a response from my disengaged telephone and was concerned.  I assured Sarah that I was fine.

Now, I was upright for the day.  I must have spoken to more kids but I don’t remember who/when.  I made the choice to turn off any more information about the unbelievable events that had unfolded.  Megan was OK, after all.  She had called me and told me so, and I could not take in any more reporting on these horrific events.  I puttered about and all of a sudden, the doorbell rang, again.

There stood, Rock, soon followed by Carol and Austin.  Everyone was all quiet, calm smiles and I could tell that they were intent on coming in and settling.  “What do you know that I don’t know?” I asked many times.  What could their arrival mean?  I was assured by them that they didn’t know anything that I didn’t know but there was rather pasted on smiles and unusualy calm sitting by Carol and Austin, while Rock paced in a manner that he thought I wouldn’t observe.

After a bit of chit-chat, Rock suggested it would be a good thing for me to call Megan and see how she was doing.  So I did.  I left her a message that said we’d sure like to hear how she was doing as soon as possible.  More chit-chat.  Finally, the phone rang and it was Megan saying that she was still fine and we chatted for a few minutes.

Rock had disappeared around the corner saying, “That’s what we were waiting for,” right after he heard my side of the conversation with an obviously “OK” Megan.

When I got off the phone and he had returned to the living room, I said I guessed that we should let people know that Megan was OK.  He said, “Already done.”  I told him that he was impressively speedy.

A very cheery trio gathered themselves and headed back to Kazo.

I have no memory other than the above.  I was blissfully unaware of the possibility of Megan’s earlier call being from the second tower before it was hit and fell.  Just what everyone else in the family had conjectured I probably was told about later but do not remember now.  I just “knew” that Megan was ok and everyone had been told.

When Megan and Stacy arrived in SB after fleeing NYC in a rental car, I tried so hard not to nail their feet to the floor so they couldn’t leave, again.  Waving good-by with a smile on my face was one of the most difficult things I have had to do as a mother.  But, getting “home” was so important for them, after being so close to all that horror.

(Megan had been rather bored the night before 09/10 and was sketching the towers while Stacy was in a meeting.)

I am so grateful, Rock, Carol and Austin, for your being here with me when you didn’t have a clue as to what we were going to face together. What love and courage.  And my thanks, also, to all others involved in getting a support system in place for me that day.

I wish everyone’s 09/11 story had my happy ending.  But, I don’t/didn’t get a choice of any ending.  Endurance.  That’s about all we can pray for some days.  Gratitude, however, is in my heart, today.

Love, always and ever, MOM/MOI

Hip Resurfacing–A Quick Video Overview

If you are considering a hip replacement, you might want to ask your doctor about the alternative which is called hip resurfacing.  Not all hips qualify if there is too much bone deterioration but it’s worth looking into especially if you are young or lead an active life and want to continue doing so.

This is a cool commercial by Smith & Nephew, one of the makers of the prosthetics used.  I saw it on TV and just like getting the word out about hip resurfacing because it’s such a new surgery here in the US.  If it’s your first time hearing about it too, you can visit some of my other articles for additional resources and information.

Please share…

Image via Wikipedia

How to improve joint health with Hyaluronic Acid

We are an active people living in active times.  If you are like me, you want to protect your joints so that they won’t wear out before you get to the finish line!  This is podcast hosted by Cary Nosler of Wide World of Health that gives the details of why hyaluronic acid works to help rebuild collagen in our joints.  He interviews Steve Allday, a horse doctor, who has refined the formula for HA so that horses and humans can benefit. The main points of dosage are covered in the second half of the show, if you are in a hurry.  Definitely subscribe to Nosler’s radio talk show as it’s a weekly event that covers a great many interesting health topics.  I’m hooked!

As for me,  I’m definitely applying around my eyes & neck to reduce the wrinkles as well.  Twenty nine never looked so young–I hope!  Be sure to add your comments and experiences below.

The Wide World of Health 04/17 Hr 1 Podcast (click here to listen)

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Related articles

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• Home Remedies for Glowing Skin Include Wakame Kelp Extract and Manuka Honey (notecook.com)
• Penn scientists develop a new way to re-grow cartilage (nextbigfuture.com)
• Early Warning Signs Of Joint Replacement Failure With New Test (medicalnewstoday.com)

Top 6 One Deal a Day Sites Plus Tips

Tip #1

How to Use the Daily Offers Sites

One of the ways I use the sites is if I have a plan to go out for the evening or the upcoming week. I’ll check in with my One Deal A Day sites for the best offer in my area. The sites I’m covering in this lens are NATIONAL SITES, with representation in most major cities, but believe me you are sure to find local deals on your penny saver websites or even the small, local newspaper websites. Be sure to look for those too!

Another way I use them is if I want to do something special & different at a steep discount, maybe try something short term to see if I’ll like it. For example I might try out pilates on a reformer, go skydiving for my birthday (which I did!) or sign up for a sailing class. I can’t wait to use the aerial gym deal I bought to see if I have any Cirque du Soleil talents!

Tip #2

RSS Subscriptions to the One Deal A Day Sites

Now, because you are a shopper and not a computer wizard, you may not know some of the tricks of the trade to harness the power of these sites. You may even be getting daily emails from each daily steal site that just clutter your in-box. I’ll setup you up with an insider trick that allows you to quickly and easily read the headlines on each site. If you want that tip and the top one-deal-a-day sites, read on.

First things first, the tip on viewing the daily offers then I’ll get to the sites & a few bonus sites that you might not have thought of using for this type of daily deal discount. If you have a gmail account (and if you don’t, you might as well get one because they are free and because Google has a million resources that will be put at your fingertips when you enroll-another techy tip. And by the way, I’m a chick who loves these tricks that simplify my life so I’m pleased to share them with my other estrogen-amped friends who might not be “in the know!”)

Where was I? Oh, yeah, with a gmail account, you can load each sites’ RSS feed into your Google Reader. Look for the RSS button on each site (that little orange button that looks like it’s shooting out waves of info). If the site offers RSS feeds, the little orange RSS button may also be displayed in your browser box or below it on the tool bar somewhere. CLICK ON IT and subscribe to the feed! You can also save it to your desktop Bookmarks where you can just peak at it daily for the headlines of the offers you have subscribed to.

If you saved it to Your Google Reader account, you’ll find it there and it’s just like an email box but better because it’s just got the headlines and is faster to get through. I really hope you are getting this. It’s very hard to explain without the benefit of photos.

Top 6 Sites with Daily Offers

1. Groupon

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. This daily deal site everyone knows about, including Google, who made that monstrous offer to buy them & they declined!

Groupon has RSS feeds so set yourself up with that for easy viewing.

Additionally did you know they also have a referral program? Yes, indeed, get $10 in Groupon Bucks when someone you invite gets their first Groupon.

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2. KGB Deals

KGB Deals in another national one deal a day site that uncovers the best deals for you! They are great at “spying” the deals!

They also have RSS feeds so simplify, simplify by subscribing.

This site also offers $6 per deal that a friend buys. Not bad for sharing the good news with your shopping buddies. I’m sure they’ll thank you even if their husbands don’t!

3. Tippr

Tippr is a fun site that has some unusual one-deal-a-day offers.

Yes, to RSS! Need to track down a private surf lesson & hang 10?

They’ll also give your friends $5.00 just for joining Tippr…and then give you $5.00 when they purchase their first deal!

4. iCoupon Online

iCoupon Online has daily deals as well as daily offers that might last a few days. If you haven’t seen it, now you know to check it out!

This site has that RSS reader for your daily deal convenience. Need an oil change for $10.99? Not as fun as a mani & pedi but every bit as necessary so why not save!

Share your custom link with friends across the web and earn $10 towards your next purchase-no real technical knowlege required, just cutting and pasting knowlege

5. Buy With Me

Buy With Me is another great national daily steal program that offers irresistible pleasures.

No RSS for this site—yet!

Buy with Three, Get it Free-a catchy phrase which means if you get 3 friends to buy that smokin’ cut n color deal, you’ll get your’s free!

6. Deal On

DealOn is gaining in popularity and now that you know about it, I’m sure it will take off. The price keeps falling the more people who sign up for the deal. A different twist on the normal daily deal sites but the discount starts at 50% off and gets steeper after that. By recruiting more people to the deal, you’ll get a deeper discount (and that referral fee!). Got to love it!

No RSS feed here either but I’m sure they’ll catch on soon!

If someone purchases their first deal within 72 hours of clicking your referral link, they’ll add $10 to your account – good towards any DealOn purchases! Ok, you have to pressure your friends a bit; not really, because the deals only last a day.

Bonus Restaurant & Entertainment Sites

1. Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com is probably one of the original daily deal sites that’s been a bit forgotten due to the celebrity of those young ‘uns but still a noteworthy site in my estimation and here is why:

My best deal on this site was $2 for a $25 gift certificate at the restaurant of my choice in my neighborhood (not all restaurants participate, naturally). I had to spend $35 on my meal, bringing my total investment up to $12 for a $35 meal. Now that’s a bargain, don’t you think?

Tip #3 Check in with me on Facebook (see buttons top right of the blog) to see what the weekly coupon is to get those even more spectacular savings.

2. Yelp

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Yelp! Surprise, it’s not just a site for commenting and reviewing restaurants but also a site that offers—surely you know by now—daily deals. Well, not every day but regularly. Add them to your Reader too for reviews but you’ll have to register the old fashioned way to receive the regular deals via email!

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Shop Til You Drop!

I hope you found this helpful and informative and that’ll you share this information with your friends as well by hitting that LIKE button below. I’ll be making additional recommendations on new sites as they pop up so stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by and please add your comments as well. Happy daily deal shopping!!

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Introduction to Notes Investing vs Traditional Residential Real Estate Purchases Podcast  with Megan McGinnis & guest Greg Spiro.

Podcast on Commercial Shadow Inventory Prediction with Megan McGinnis and guest Greg Spiro.

Sample of Megan McGinnis’ Portfolio on Social Media Channels

Social Media is just one avenue that McGinnis uses to propel her clients to the level of expert in their chosen field of endeavor.  The following are some samples of McGinnis’ work on Facebook, Twitter & Youtube.  With a special focus on growing Twitter followers, McGinnis boasts several clients with over 20,000 followers!

Enjoy Megan McGinnis’ Social Media Portfolio.

Note: the level of site development, interaction and followers is a function of strategic budgeting and is determined by the client.

To get further information on how to become a client of McGinnis,

one of real estate’s top marketing & communication strategists,

please click here.

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Top 5 Do’s & Don’ts of Social Media Engagement for Businesses by Megan McGinnis

1. Create a Game Plan.

Sounds basic and it is, so start with the basics.  Figure out what you hope to accomplish using social media and then decide on your line of attack.  For example, you might want to create more brand awareness for your company or you might want to combat negative press by flooding the web with positive testimonials.  Whatever your goal, identify it then create a game plan around that.

2. At a Minimum, Develop a Corporate Presence in these 3 areas: Blogging, Micro-Blogging  & Social Networks.

Blog writing on your area of expertise should be done 3-4 times a week in order for search engines to find you and consider you relevant.

Micro-blogging, most commonly done through Twitter, should be 3-6 tweets per day of 140 characters of pure content.

Social networks, my favorite being Facebook but other sites include MySpace, Youtube, Digg, Flickr etc. should be touched on a daily basis at a minimum.  Whether you are commenting on other’s posts or creating your own content, it’s important to make daily contact with your peeps.

3.  Measure What You Are Doing in Social Media.

One of the biggest advantages of using social media is that it’s trackable.  Stats are easy to aggregate using social media because you can literally and simply view the clicks.  There are also many tools available to monitor online useage as  well.

Tracking the number of followers on each channel also shows you trends in growth.
4.  Don’t Sell.

Social Media is the place to make friends with your customers, clients & constituents.  It’s the place to ask questions and get feedback.  It’s the place to offer information and to educate from a variety of sources, not just you, and using a variety of vehicles.  Social media is a place of engagement so engage, don’t sell.

5.  Don’t Use an Intern or a High School Student to Represent Your Brand

How many years did it take you to develop your brand?  Why would you leave the biggest, strongest, most visible form of contact with your clients to someone like that?  If you can’t do it yourself because there aren’t enough hours in the day to wear the number of hats you have to wear then hire a professional.

The digital age has all these wonderful merits.  Are you taking advantage of them?

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The Viral Power of Social Media Podcast by Megan McGinnis

Groupon’s Latest Challenger: Have you heard of it?

Most folks are plugged into this cost-cutting website Groupon for online deals.

It’s the place to go to Find Today’s Daily Deal on the Best in Los Angeles or any other city for that matter!

Super discounts on places you already eat, activities you are already doing and a few that you’d like to try.  Can anyone say sky diving?  I just did that on my birthday.  Check it out….

In any case, these sites are popping up everywhere these online deals.  If you’d like to join in the fun at a different level, here’s an early opportunity.  Anyway, I’m talking about The Customer Advantage.  It is in pre-launch since just last month, so I figure there is a chance you have not heard of it yet.  Here is the info and sign up page:

http://socalbargains.thecustomeradvantage.com

]]> http://megan-mcginnis.com/1484/groupons-latest-challenger-have-you-heard-of-it/feed/ 1 http://megan-mcginnis.com/1484/groupons-latest-challenger-have-you-heard-of-it/http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MeganMcGinnisBlog--GetConnected/~3/wSXIjxW95fw/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MeganMcGinnis/~3/M1VjtnqAaSM/ http://megan-mcginnis.com/1474/avoid-deficiency-judgement-from-short-sales-with-full-recourse-loan-in-california/#comments Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:10:37 +0000 Megan http://megan-mcginnis.com/?p=1474

Avoid Deficiency Judgement, From Short Sales With Full Recourse Loan, In California

From Guest Writer Angella Raisian’s Blog.

This legal chart is intended to provide a quick and easy guide to determine when a borrower may be liable for a deficiency judgment in California.  There are other factors and conditions which may change the result (such as fraud by the borrower and bad faith waste).  For more details see the legal article, Deficiency Judgments and California Law.  Find out the rules on deficiency judgments of non-recourse loans in California short sales, and read about the newest Short Sale law that may stop lender  recourse for deficiency. Readers who require specific advice should consult an attorney.

* If a senior lienholder forecloses on the property, the “wiped out” junior lienholder who no longer has a secured note may not sue on this promissory note for those categories indicated in the chart.

Related articles

• Deficiency Judgments with Short Sales and Foreclosures (shortsalemn.info)
• Rights of second-mortgage holders in short sales (sfgate.com)
• Rights of second-mortgage holders in short sales (sfgate.com)

Megan McGinnis 2011 Fencing Demo Reel

Megan McGinnis, former world class epee fencer, turns pro in Hollywood.  Fencing demo includes foil, epee & broadsword.

For casting call submission and audition purposes.

Special thanks to Tim Weske of Swordplay in Burbank.

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Yet Another Benefit for California Veterans: CalVet Loans

In earlier articles I discussed the benefits of home ownership using VA loans to veterans nationwide—low-to-no money down & lower closing costs are a few examples .  These special loans for veterans can be obtained from a variety of mortgage brokers.  With CalVet loans, on the other hand, you need to apply with the California government because it’s a state sponsored program.  Additionally, this program is not valid for re-financing veteran’s current homes.

Because it is a veteran’s benefit the state government will make every effort to make the loan available to all veterans. You will be qualified for the loan using the same criteria as other lenders, but because the state is a direct lender and they service the loans they make, they are able to give every veteran extra consideration, and if you qualify for a loan you get the same rate as everyone else. You will not be classified as a higher risk and have an increase in the interest rate.

The program is a bit different from a regular house purchase because CalVet uses a Contract of Sale, or Land Contract, as the financing  instrument for the loan.  What this means is that CalVet actually purchases the home you select and takes legal title and then sells the house to you using a contract of sale.  When the loan is finally paid in full, after 30 years of payments or because you sell it and move or refinance, CalVet will issue you a grant deed to transfer legal title to you.

One advantage to this program is that CalVet gets groups rates on Fire & Hazard insurance as well as Disaster insurance, providing the veteran with superior coverage that would not be available as an individual.

The other advantage to a CalVet loan is through their Life & Disability coverage.  With this mandatory life insurance your family will be protected for up to 5 years of principal and interest payments in the event of the insured’s death.

Additionally, CalVet offers a Home Improvement Loan program as well that can be used to finance most improvements on your home.

Whether you as a California veteran choose a CalVet Loan or a VA Loan doesn’t matter.  Examine which program is best for you, your family and your situation.  What does matter is that you take advantage of these powerful, money-saving tools available to you in order to partake of the American dream of home ownership.

Click here for the link to the California Department of Veteran’s Affairs and more info.

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Loan Modification Program that’s Free-NACA

I am re-publishing this article as I see the need is extreme and I continue to hear positive results coming from this group.  Please consult their website for current events.  The link is below.  Best of luck.  Megan McGinnis

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I just discovered this loan modification program that’s free yesterday when a realtor told me about it.  I would like to get the word out as quickly as possible as they are hosting an event at the LA Convention Center Saturday, October 31, 2009.  It seems they are regulars at this convention center and others across the country as they have a nationwide network of offices.  NACA, which stands for Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, is a non-profit advocacy group, that does not charge homeowners for their services.  Rather, they charge the banks $500 per successful modification.   If you can’t make today’s event check their website for future dates and locations as they operate nationally.

You’ll need to bring all your paperwork with you as the modification is done on the spot with bank representatives being present as well.  Lines are long so be prepared to wait all day but it’s worth it for many.  With real, documented hardship, families are able to keep their homes with lower monthly payments, lower interest rates and sometimes lower principal. Visit their website to get registered and to get the list of required documents.

NACA’s website

The LA Convention Center Event Details

In addition to having a free loan modification program this group is also helping families get qualified for their first home purchase including getting them their first loan.  Current rates are 4.5% for a 30 year fixed (as of 10/27/09) with no down payment and no closing costs.  They will only put you in a loan you can truly afford.

NACA Mortgage Information

I believe this is a good group to follow and I’ll be watching them.  If you have any experience with NACA, please add your comments here.  Good luck!

In honor of veteran’s day, I thought I should educate my readers on the basics & benefits of VA Loans.

1.        These loans allow veterans to borrow up to 100% of the funds needed to purchase a home.

2.       VA loans allow veterans to refinance up to 100% of the funds too!

3.       The VA guarantees a percentage of the loan and doesn’t require vets to pay PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance).  Mortgage insurance is generally required if less than a 20% down payment is used with conventional financing and will account for significant monthly savings.

4.       Credit score and income guidelines for VA loans are less stringent and allow for higher debt-to-income ratios compared to conventional financing.  Higher ratios mean more vets can qualify.

5.       No cash reserve requirements are demanded of veterans.  Therefore, vets can purchase or refinance without any savings or cash reserves in the bank.  Conventional financiers like to see anywhere from two to six times of the borrower’s monthly mortgage payments banked before loaning the money.  This lifted qualification allows more veterans to become homeowners as well.

6.       Closing costs are significantly lower with VA loans because the VA guidelines don’t allow for “junk fees” that are traditionally added on to closing statements to pad the broker’s pocketbooks, saving veterans money, yet again.

7.       Finally, after buying a home, veterans can claim a veteran’s exemption on their taxes as well, increasing their savings here as well.

Given this long list of advantages and savings, it certainly pays to exercise your veteran’s rights and buy some property.  Simply consult your mortgage broker to determine if they handle VA loans.  Keep looking til you find one!  These benefits are too life-enhancing to leave sitting on the table unclaimed.

It’s been almost a year since I published this poll and there have been a few changes.  Since it was my most popular post last year, I decided I should update the list on the Top 10 Real Estate Trainers on Twitter.  Tell me who your favorite is….

Thanks for stopping in!

Peace,
Megan McGinnis

1. Peter Olsen | ( PeteOlsen on Twitter ) Love my family, animal lover, Twitter and Social Media Guru, Partner in one of the top Social Media management companies in the world! Followers: 147,542 Location: Big Sky Country

	2. Joe Manausa | ( HousingReporter on Twitter ) Husband, Father, Real Estate Blogger, Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Investor. Golfer Followers: 128,788 Location: Tallahassee, FL

	3. Mike Bowler Sr | ( MIrealestate on Twitter ) Realtor, Trainer, Consultant, Marketing, Mediation, real estate, Greater Lansing Michigan Area Followers: 28,308 Location: Lansing Michigan

	4. Stefan Swanepoel | ( Swanepoel on Twitter ) Best-selling Author. Business Leadership & Motivational Speaker. Real Estate Trends Strategist. Social Media Friend. Followers: 20,988 Location: Ladera Ranch, Orange County, Ca

	5. Omar Burgos | ( omarburgos on Twitter ) In ‘03 I got shot in the chest in Iraq. In ‘07 my business failed. I was broke & couldnt afford a home -UNTIL- I stumbled across 1 *principle* that…. Followers: 20,857 Location: Orlando, FL

	6. Harry Charalambous | ( harrychara on Twitter ) property entrepeneur. Investor helping others with finance acquisition, mentoring. Speaker on how to use real estate to turn your dreams into a reality. Followers: 18,377 Location: Sydney Australia

	7. J A Smith | ( OlympicMktg on Twitter ) Buying & selling all types of property. Internet Marketer. Love The Outdoors,Golf, Playing Guitar, Photography and my Cats Followers: 14,549 Location: USA

	8. Tammy Burnell | ( TammyBurnell on Twitter ) Mompreneur, 5 kids crazy I know! Motivational / Keynote speaker, trainer, coach helping people turn their passion into profit thru personal coaching. View my full profile! Followers: 11,931 Location: Los Angeles, CA

	9. Atlanta REIA Tech | ( AtlantaREIATech on Twitter ) Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) is an Atlanta Georgia Real Estate Investors Association. See AtlantaREIA.com for more details on meetings. Followers: 11,793 Location: Atlanta, GA USA

10. H Demiral | ( HDemiral on Twitter ) Former Turkish National Basketball Player, Father of 2 Boys and Hubby of one Pretty Woman Followers: 11,397 Location: iPhone: 47.615776,-122.201736

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Mortgage Scam to Clean Up a Mortgage Scam to Clean Up a Mortgage Scam

We saw how homeowners were scammed into taking sub-prime mortgages & negative amortization mortgages being promised a solid, appreciating market by confident mortgage companies.  Now we are seeing the fallout of that scam with a new type of mortgage scam–a foreclosure scam.  Continuing on my topic from the other day, we are seeing more and more evidence of yet another type of mortgage scam–lending servicers baiting mortgage holders with hopes of a permanent mortgage modification only to have their homes foreclosed on.  This article lays out the situation cleanly.  What kind of reform do you think we need to curtail all these straw mortgage houses & their foreclosure scams?  Thanks for stopping in.

Peace,
Megan

Did lenders rig the market against homebuyers?

Local real estate consultant says lenders profit from foreclosing

By Dean Calbreath

As a local commentator on the housing industry, George Mantor has often been known by the moniker “The Real Estate Professor” when he doles out advice about the forces that impact the real estate market.

At various times in the past 30 years, he has held monthly real-estate workshops, headed training at Great Western Mortgage, written columns for a wide variety of real estate media, hosted his own show on KCEO radio and been a frequent guest on the Fox Business Network, expounding upon such topics as home sales and resales, real estate investments, commercial property and resort marketing. He even served a term as a director of the California Association of Realtors.

But these days, one of Mantor’s chief focuses has been on home foreclosures and the mortgage crisis. In 2007, he began fielding complaints from homeowners who told him that the servicers of their loans – the companies that lenders hire to collect and distribute payments on the loans – seemed as if they were trying to force them into default and foreclosure.

What he discovered, he says, is that “there are thousands of examples of foreclosures on wrong addresses, wrong parties, homes without loans, homes in a modification program, and the homes of people who never missed a payment.”

Many of the foreclosures happened as the borrowers were moving through the process of getting their mortgages modified.

Citing rules approved by the federal government, lenders told borrowers that their loans could not be modified unless they went into default. After the borrowers defaulted, they applied to get their loans modified, but many complain that the procedure – which was supposed to last only one or two months – was dragged out to as long as a year as the lenders told repeatedly told them that they had lost their applications and they had to resubmit documents in order to get the modifications approved.

During this time, the homeowners’ debts continued to build until finally the lender foreclosed.

“Who is in a better position to exploit a defaulting borrower than a person posing as someone who wants to help?” Mantor asked. “All the moves are choreographed to stymie, befuddle, and eventually beat down the homeowner until they give up in despair.”

Mantor said the lenders use “a variety of tricks” to foreclose on homes.

“They will insist that they did not receive your payment, even though they did,” he said. “They will say that the homeowner is without adequate insurance. They will claim they paid your property taxes, even though they cannot prove it.”

As an example, he cited the case of Michelle Norris of Temecula who recently lost her home after the servicer alleged that it had been paying her property taxes.

Norris said she had paid the property taxes and had the receipts to prove it. But even though the loan servicer allegedly told her it had all been a mistake and it would soon be resolved, her home was foreclosed upon.

Although he once worked for a lender – in charge of training and customer service for the real estate division of the now-defunct Great Western Bank – he became very critical of the way banks have handled the crisis.

“What I didn’t understand at that time (when he first heard complaints from borrowers) was the real reason behind the servicer’s actions,” he said. “The servicers make way more money by foreclosing then they do by modifying the loan. And the lenders actually bought a form of insurance – credit default swaps – worth multiple times the loan amount. If they did not force the borrower into default, they couldn’t collect the money on the default swaps.”

Mantor became so incensed by the growing number of foreclosures that he launched the American Foreclosure Resistance Movement, a group that challenges foreclosures, and he is working as a consultant to attorneys who are helping homeowners deal with the lenders.

Following are some of his views on the rising foreclosures.

Question: Nearly four years into the real estate crisis, homes are still being foreclosed on at a historically high rate. How long will this last and how bad will it get?

A. At this point I’d be very wary of anyone who professes to know an answer to that, although in my opinion it will only get worse over the next two to three years.

To read more Q & A click here…..

Related articles

• Strategic Defaults Revisited: This Could Get Very Ugly (businessinsider.com)
• “Homeowners in Danger of Foreclosure Are Most Vulnerable to Con Artists and Financial Scams, Warns Oyezz Real Estate” and related posts (americanconsumernews.com)
• 10 Types of Companies Involved with Foreclosures (doorfly.com)

Don’t Volunteer for Thanksgiving!

Seems like a funny thing to say, don’t volunteer for Thanksgiving but… everybody wants to do that day and there’s just not enough outlets.  Instead, consider volunteering the weekend before or the weekend after.  Many soup kitchens operate year round and need regular help.  Below is a link to  a volunteer organization that can help you match up.

The soup kitchen that I have been volunteering in, just a few hours of my Saturday, feeds about 125 people on a budget of $100.  That’s not a typo!  I was shocked and thrilled to learn of this–those clever cooks!

Helpful hands are needed to setup, prepare, cook and cleanup on a weekly basis.  Food donations are always welcome and meal sponsorship is another great way to participate.  For example, last week at our kitchen, some generous person supplied the meatloaf and potatoes and we served a hearty meal with green beans, gravy, apples and cookies.

In these difficult times, not volunteering on Thanksgiving, but doing so on another day,  makes great sense because it really hammers home all that you really can be thankful for.

This is a brief video of my experience at His Table.  Thanks for reading, now find a place near you to not volunteer for Thanksgiving!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Volunteers help prepare Saturday lunch for friends who wander in for a meal, some conversation, prayer & hope.

Below are a few resources that I discovered doing a brief google search….

I.     For a  soup kitchen directory, consult this site.

http://4homeless.hypermart.net/soup_kitchens.html

II. Another Volunteer Website Click Here –Example: Searched Los Angeles Soup Kitchen

http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jsp

These are the results of my search of Los Angeles Soup Kitchen:

Find Urban Ministry Volunteering Opportunities (Homeless shelters, soup kitchen,…

Do you want to make a positive impact in your community? You can find faith-based volunteering opportunities at www.ChristianVolunteering.org. ChristianVolunteering.org connects high-quality… More >

Related articles

• Volunteering (wisewomeninvestor.wordpress.com)
• The GOOD Guide To Volunteering: Intro – Action (nsrtk.blogspot.com)
• What Do Selective Colleges Look for in an Applicant? Engagement Beyond the Classroom: The … (education.com)