BE FREE!

In Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits," he talks about focusing on the important to the exclusion of the unimportant. In his own words, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."

See if you recognize which motivational trainer espoused this similar philosophy:

"There are things within your power, and there are things beyond your power. Within your power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion; in a word, whatever affairs are your own. Beyond your power are body, property, reputation, office; in a word, affairs not properly your own. Concern yourself only with what is within your power.

The essence of good consists of things within your own power; with them there is no room for envy or emulation. For your part, do not desire to be a general, or a senator, or a consul, but to be free; and the only way to do this is a disregard of things which do not lie within your own power."

If you guessed Zig Ziglar, Howard Brinton, or Anthony Robbins, guess again. Its author referred to it as a "field manual for soldiers." It was carried by Frederick the Great on all his campaigns. It was written by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Stephen Covey conveys a similar message when he suggests drawing two concentric circles with a dot in the middle. He equates the dot in the middle to you, the first circle as your area of influence, and the outside circle as your area of concern. He suggests that you concentrate only on the circle of influence, things which you have the power to influence or change. He advises that you disregard those in the area of concern over which you have no influence or power.

The Palm Springs Real Estate Podcast

August 2010: 

This month's edition covers Palm Springs real estate market activity and then we'll discuss how to avoid surprises as mortgage underwriters are refreshing credit scores prior to closing. 

Features special guest Terri Murphy of US Learning.  

GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT!

Have you ever aspired to be deeply depressed? On your list of major life's achievements, have you included becoming an itinerant ne'er-do-well? Does your daily task list include hanging out at the local pub, gossiping over the back fence with nosy neighbors, or spending time with a loser who does nothing but grouse about how the world has dealt him a lousy hand?

Did that first paragraph seem to pull you down? Did you say, "Ridiculous! Who would want to do those things?" If so, congratulations, you've already received this week's message.

Now, let's give this message a lift.

Have you ever met someone with a bright inspiring spirit about them, and thought to yourself, "Wow, I'd like to know them better!" Have you noticed that when you attend a community education course, you leave with many fresh new ideas and a powerful boost in your attitude? A well-known quote says, "You are what you think about all day long." If you hang out with the losers, your thoughts are likely to be dark and depressing. Spend time with those who possess magic in their attitude and enthusiastic vitality in their work ethic, and your thoughts are likely to soar.

Take a close look at your list of goals for this year. Have you included the addition of positive new personal relationships in your work and play environment? Remember that "to have a friend, you must first be a friend." Consider expanding your sphere of contacts to include those who would inspire you to greatness!

WANT TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING REALLY GREAT?

Ever dream of becoming a U.S. Senator? Want to become an anonymous benefactor of youth programs in your community? Want to rise to the top 1% of your profession? Inspirational artist D. Morgan puts it this way: "The impossible dream . . . isn't!"

So - how do dreams become reality? Once your dream becomes your passion, you can begin building the foundation that will support the eventual structure of your dream. Begin by reading and studying how others have achieved similar dreams.

For politicians-to-be, there are plenty of biographies that reveal the long road to election. For those who aspire to achieve peak earnings, mentors are plentiful. Hang out with, attend courses with, and "shadow" the real stars in your chosen field. Ask how they began their rise, how they blend their work and family, how they attract and retain clients and customers.

In most cases, you will find that the models you choose have also made hard choices. They have first adopted certain principles upon which their decisions are made. Their actions are congruent with those principles. They are not duplicitous in their dealings with others. Their "word is their bond." Their foundational character sets the tone for the structure of their dreams.

Finally, with the foundation in place - they just build. They create plans, they implement strategies to achieve those plans. They understand that their final success does not occur in one fell swoop. It is the result of many footsteps in the direction of their dreams.

So . . . go ahead and dream! Remember - destiny is not a matter of chance . . . it's a matter of choice!

How a short sale works ?

PLAY BALL!

With the start of the major league baseball season, a simple success formula recently heard comes to mind. It uses baseball words, but contains plenty of success wisdom.

Which do you think is more important, a home run or a single base hit? Most of us would choose a home run - even a "grand slam" home run. Most of us were also brought up to believe that someday our "ship would come in" - that all of our success or wealth or whatever would arrive at once, in one grand port call.

Funny thing is - more ball games are won with base hits than with home runs. Most ships arrive slowly in port - guided by tiny tugboats - and only after having navigated the wide oceans through a series of thousands of minor navigational corrections.

Yes! Big wins and successful journeys occur most often as the result of daily decisions - not life-altering, once-a-year, mega-decisions. Want to lose weight? It won't happen because you vow on January 1 to do it. It will be the result of your daily decision to walk, run, or work out. Want excellent health? Your daily, even moment-by-moment, decisions to ingest only healthy foods and avoid junk are the ones that will win the day.

The same holds true for your success in business. While a master plan at the beginning of the year is important, it's really the steps taken each day that produce the results. As you face each of the very small daily decisions, be careful to make only the right choices. By day's end they'll add up to valuable progress both on and off the field.

THE SKY IS FALLING . . . NOT!

"The glass is half-full." "The glass is half-empty." "Looks like a beautiful day!" "I think it's going to rain." "I'm happy." "I'm depressed." "I'm an optimist!" "How can you be an optimist with things the way they are?"

OK, we all know the difference between an optimist and a pessimist - right? In some of Steven Covey's material, he states that "no one knows enough to be a pessimist." Pessimism, more often than not, is generated by inner fears, most likely fears "of the unknown." Hence, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist."

Consider the child about to learn the art of riding a bike. "I know I'm going to fall," proclaims the child - just before taking a skinned knee. After a week of practice, is the child still fearful? Once bike riding becomes second nature, i.e. once the child "knows" enough about bike riding, the fear (a.k.a. pessimism) disappears.

Just as the child's pessimism ("I'm going to fall...") precedes the skinned knee, our other pessimistic thoughts may precede our worst fears. By substituting a positive thought for a negative one, therefore, is it not possible that the action that follows might also be positive?

Add to that positive thought an extra measure of learning and knowledge, and it's highly unlikely there will continue to be room for either the pessimism or the subsequent negative action. From one optimist to another, heed this advice: "Don't worry - be happy!"

THE SKY IS FALLING . . . NOT!

"The glass is half-full." "The glass is half-empty." "Looks like a beautiful day!" "I think it's going to rain." "I'm happy." "I'm depressed." "I'm an optimist!" "How can you be an optimist with things the way they are?"

OK, we all know the difference between an optimist and a pessimist - right? In some of Steven Covey's material, he states that "no one knows enough to be a pessimist." Pessimism, more often than not, is generated by inner fears, most likely fears "of the unknown." Hence, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist."

Consider the child about to learn the art of riding a bike. "I know I'm going to fall," proclaims the child - just before taking a skinned knee. After a week of practice, is the child still fearful? Once bike riding becomes second nature, i.e. once the child "knows" enough about bike riding, the fear (a.k.a. pessimism) disappears.

Just as the child's pessimism ("I'm going to fall...") precedes the skinned knee, our other pessimistic thoughts may precede our worst fears. By substituting a positive thought for a negative one, therefore, is it not possible that the action that follows might also be positive?

Add to that positive thought an extra measure of learning and knowledge, and it's highly unlikely there will continue to be room for either the pessimism or the subsequent negative action. From one optimist to another, heed this advice: "Don't worry - be happy!"

The recession may have damaged your credit, even if you thought you were doing everything right. According to Kimberley Lankford, author of "Rescue Your Financial Life" (McGraw-Hill) and "The Insurance Maze" (Kaplan), in a March 6, 2010 piece for WashingtonPost.com, "credit card companies have been lowering credit limits and closing accounts in an attempt to minimize their risk -- 13 percent of people surveyed in January 2010 by Credit.com said their card company had lowered their credit limit over the past few months, and 11 percent said a card company closed their account."

But regardless of what might have happened to you, you can improve your credit rating by doing a few simple things:

- Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get free credit reports from all three bureaus every 12 months at http://www.annualcreditreport.com, and it's worth getting all three reports because each can vary.

- Avoid "free" credit reports and scores that ask you to sign up for a pricey credit-monitoring program.

- Start paying down credit card balances. "It's the fastest way to improve your score," said FICO spokesman Craig Watts. The lower your balances, the better for your score.

- Pay your bills on time. This is the most important factor in your credit score. Late payments remain on your credit report for up to seven years, but have a smaller impact on your score as time passes

- Don't close accounts before applying for a loan. Closing credit card accounts can never help your score, Watts said.

- Avoid opening new cards in the months before taking out a mortgage.

- Pay off old fines. Parking tickets, library fines, late bills, can all hurt a score by as much as 100 points if the account ends up going to collection.

ON MY HONOR . . . !

The Boy Scouts have long espoused the same set of principles. It goes like this: "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." How simple life could be if we all practiced just that short list. Each in itself denotes a wonderful trait. When put into action, all can make the world a better place.

So, what happens between the age of scouting and age 30, 50, or 75? How is it that we turn from being a friendly 12-year-old to a suspicious, stand-offish adult? How do we turn the corner from being obedient to our elders to challenging the authority of our employers or government? Why won't we open the door for someone who can't? Did simple courtesy die with our youth?

Perhaps experience has taught us that others are not always friendly, courteous and kind. "Turn-about is fair play," we may respond. Why should we be thrifty, taking care to save for our future, when everyone around us has "maxed out" their credit cards? Reverence for all we know to be of value seems to have become the victim of political correctness. Why should we be any different?

The greatness of our country was built on the solid rock of "principles." The soft, easy life of an affluent society may be our undoing. Our forefathers had it tough. Most of us living today had a cake-walk, comparatively speaking. Our forbearers had to live their principles - or face the defeat of poverty, ill-health, and despair.

Our children can bring us back if only we will take the time to teach them those simple principles. More than teaching, we might help them practice those principles in their daily lives until habit makes them permanent. Begin while they are still playing in the sandbox. They will grow soon enough into men and women who live principle-centered lives!

Have a great week!

Rob

Palm Springs Real Estate

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me,  it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey,who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis,
who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job 

Protection for you and your home

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. 

I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.

Wasp Spray

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection.  She asked the local police department about using
pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray,
they have to get too close to you and could overpower you.  The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they
get to the hospital for an antidote.  She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from
people like a can of pepper spray would.  She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection... 
Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

On the  heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that
could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School.  For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes".  It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear.
If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

THE WAITING GAME!

The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase "Just do it!" Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words "just do it." The real key to the message is "doing it," a.k.a. taking action. Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.

Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the "tide." Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce's song say, "I'm WAITING for my ship to come in . . ." and then, "but all that comes in is the tide." That sounds like a victim's lament, as in, "Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited, waiting for my ship to come in, and I get dumped on by the sorry tide. Bummer. How unfair." Duhh! Helloooo!

It's easy to see that "action" is the opposite of "waiting." Yet, it's so easy to do nothing - waiting passively. Action requires energy, enthusiasm, movement, and objectives, while waiting requires not even a thought.

Whether your desire (your "ship") is a relationship, wealth, a healthy body, or a new car, you must be the captain, not the port - the "master of your fate," not a tide-washed, sand-covered beach ball. Life is great! On your next trip to the beach, buy a boat, a map, and a compass, and then choose your own port of call. You'll dine at the Captain's Table every day!

Palm Springs, California Real Estate Podcast

http://talkrealty.com/robzwemmer

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

Walk into a totally dark room. What do you see? "Absolutely nothing," you say. Now, turn on the light. Where did the darkness go? Really - where is it now? Hopefully you will agree that darkness cannot exist in the face of light.

During a lifetime, we experience many types of "darkness." It may appear in the form of discouragement, fear, hopelessness, grief, ignorance, or poverty. Yet, in every case, there is a "light" in which such darkness cannot exist.

Fear, for example, cannot exist in the face of courage. Education denies ignorance any chance of survival. Grief disappears in the presence of peace-of-mind. Discouragement ceases when hope prevails. Wealth denies poverty its chance.

No matter what form darkness takes, it cannot exist when faced with its opposite. That also means we have the ability to send darkness on its way at any point in time. No matter how overwhelming the darkness appears, it is our thoughts and our minds that ultimately control the outcome. How powerful is that?

In the words of several favorite authors: "Think you can, think you can't, either way you're right." "Your life is what your thoughts make of it." "We are what we think about all day long." Finally, in the words of Tom Bodett, from one of his Motel 6 commercials: "We'll leave the light on for you!"

Increasing Sales:

The market absorption is underway. Last year we clocked at 27% sales increase here in the Palm Springs area compared to 2008. Prices don’t have to fall further by a large percentage (as they already have from 2004/2005 high ) for sales to be generated. The window of “best opportunity” is closing.   

 Nothing - good or bad – lasts forever.

Sellers Are Starting to Get It! :

Seller are realizing more and more each day that proper pricing at time of listing is their best marketing tool. This is still a buyer’s market. Unless you are the lowest priced, best maintained, best located property on the block it’s not a fair fight. Buyers have more cash and time than sellers. Plus even if you are lowest and best --- the marketis still not on your side.

Buyers Are Starting to Get It! :

Banks/Lenders are not looking at first offer received. They are imposing waiting periods such as 5 or 10 days +/- , from the day the listing first hits the market to seek multiple offers. Buyers are getting the message: You may need your best offer up front – and all cash offers beats financing. The Banks / Lenders are more likely to choose one rather counter back and forth with everyone.

Lenders Are Starting to Get It:

The Process of getting a REO / Foreclosure / Bank Owned or Short Sale to closing is improving. Everyone is simply getting better over time at making these transactions work. It’s still slower than anyone would prefer – but if you do something enough you just have to get better at it.

HOW'S YOUR CREDIT?

Ever hear someone say, "I have good credit"? They are probably referring to their credit "rating" - a score bestowed upon them by creditors, banks or rating agencies. Simply stating, "I have good credit" changes nothing, nor does the statement merit the attention of creditors. Credit can only be given by others for service to them, i.e. paying them on time.

So, credit is the result of serving others - in many ways. You cannot claim education, victory, experience, success, reputation, or a suave demeanor. Each of these is a gift from others, as a result of your service to them. Friends recognize your courage as a result of your being cool under pressure. Your success is recognized by others only once you have served them well. Knowledge of your career field is recognized by others only after it's been applied to situations in the form of more service.

In the accounting world of income and expense, a debit is something paid out, while a credit is something received. Thus all credits are received from others - not by our own making. The debits - what we pay out - are our efforts, persistence, and service. How they are rated is not under our control, but is determined by those served.

Without service, there are few rewards. Yet, you've seen those who insist on getting more attention than they deserve. They feel they're being short-changed, that they are not appreciated, that they are always the victim. If you look more closely at their contributions, you are also likely to see the dearth of service they are offering.

With service, credit follows. It may be subtle or quite visible - but it always follows. Concentrate on what you have to offer and forget the rewards. Those who are served will pick up the tab!

Have a great day !

Rob Zwemmer

We are already at years end, and what a year 2009 was.  The beginning of the year we got off to a slow start because of lack of inventory and uncertainty under homebuyers. When the summer came around not only the temperatures starting to heat up but also the Home sales here in the desert.

More foreclosures, low interest rates, first time home buyers and a strong Canadian dollar where the causes for the high number of sales we have accomplished in the second half of this year.

In the last 6 months we have seen more buyers coming off the fence and taking advantage unbelievable opportunities here in the Palm Springs Area.

What will we see for 2010?

Interest rates will stay the same, the first time home buyer credit has been extended to mid next year, and a new wave of foreclosures will hit the market in the second and third week of January. We continue to get positive news on home sales. Real Trends reports that markets roared in October with the best year over year showings in all 4 years. The report shows that all regions were up in unit sales. Price declines are measurably less than they were than in the first 9 months of the year with every region showing improvement.

Much of this good news is the result of near record low interest rates and the federal and state first time homebuyer tax credit ...they are doing a great  job of assisting the housing economy.

The extension of the credit through next spring should have a positive impact on housing sales through the 4th quarterof 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. And...the tax credit extension to move up buyers should provide additional stimulus to keep the housing market on the road to improving results.

What this means to buyers is that it is a sweet time to buy and for sellers, this is the critical point to make sure your properties show their best. Ladies Home Journal magazine just published a great article advising sellers to Donate instead of dumping their home goods to local charities.  Streamlining the look of the property will help buyers, will help keep the economy green --and assist others in the process.

Let's talk about the new Extended Home Buyers Tax Credit.  It's NOT just for first time buyers

This program will touch a lot of people - it is very exciting!

Congress has extended the tax credit program to include current homeowners and repeat buyers, so expect to see some terrific opportunities in the months ahead. As you know, tax credits are a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your tax bill, so it's like getting free money from the US Government

Here are the  program details.

Between now and April 2010, first time buyers are eligible for a tax credit of 10 percent of a home's purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. And as I mentioned earlier, current homeowners are also eligible for a tax credit when they sell and purchase another home. The homeowner tax credit tops out at $6,500. I know a lot of people will take advantage of this program.

What's the catch?

Well, there are a few conditions that buyers need to know about, including a couple of income restrictions:

The full tax credit is available to buyers earning up to $125,000 a year, or $225,000 for married couples filing jointly.  If you make more than that, you may still qualify for some relief.

A partial tax credit is available to buyers earning between $125,000 and $145,000, or for married couples earning between $225,000 and $245,000. These increased limits allow more middle-income buyers to participate.

There are also a couple of limitations on the homes being bought and sold.  First, the tax credit is only awarded on homes purchased for $800,000 or less.  And second, homeowners who plan to take the $6,500 tax credit need to have lived in their current home for 5 of the past 8 years.  This is a limited program that runs through the end of April 2010, which is only a few months out.

Fortunately there is a grace period -- Under the rules, as long as a written binding purchase contract is in effect on April 30, 2010, the buyer has until July 1, 2010 to close.  So buyers and sellers need to get moving if they're going to take advantage. 

Folks need to strike while the iron is hot! Sellers - you have the best opportunity in years to attract motivated buyers! Price your home according to its CURRENT market value, not above it.  And make sure your property shows extremely well, especially during the holidays and winter months. 

To everyone who reads this:
May your holidays be filled with Family, Health, Love, Joy, and Football .

For those Men and Woman who are overseas and are not able to be with their families during this season.
Thank You for allowing me to do the things that I love so much.   Come home soon and be safe.

Rob Zwemmer