Blog
What makes a Good Loan Broker? Is it the interest rate?Is it the fees?
What makes a Good Loan Broker? Is it the interest rate? Is it the fees? Is it the person? This post was inspired by a great article in the Los Angeles Times about lenders. The LA Times wrote http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi–lew-20121104,0,1612782.story thatmore than 30 per cent of potential buyers would be willing to pay more to get superior service. These made me think, if you are a buyer, why not get both, good service and low fees, because you can? Hence I suggest the solution is easy: contact your Realtor with whom you are working with and that Realtor will introduce you to a great Loan Officer. There is no payback or gifts from the Lender to the Realtor. There is no ulterior motive. There is only one incentive: The Realtor wants to make sure that you get the best possible loan for your situation and it will close on time, because only then will the Realtor get paid. Once the buyer closes on the transaction and the buyer is happy that will than insure future referrals from the buyer’s circle of influence? So what makes a good Loan Broker? In my opinion it is one who stands out from the crowd? To me a good Loan Officer is one, who provides you with the best possible service on a consistent basis throughout the Escrow Period. That means someone who is available for your questions with professional and fast answers. A good Loan Officer, just like a good Realtor can be reachable weekends and weekdays including off hours to answer your questions. Let’s face it most of the programs are available to most lenders with the exception of the Bank’s Loan Officers. (Their product is limited to what that Bank has to offer) On the other hand, what you need is someone who can give you good advice based on understanding the Political and Economic lay of the land. A good lender can give you good advice of what program will best suit your needs and in addition can advise you when to lock in the rates and when not to. Word of caution: If a buyer does not listen to their Realtor’s recommendation and goes with some other lender, they might be doing a huge disservice to themselves and it could cost them more than just higher fees. I t could cost them missing out on the property and or getting a loan program that might regret receiving later. If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreNo Easy Day, the autobiography of a Navy Seal from Seal Team Six!
No Easy Day, the autobiography of a Navy Seal from Seal Team Six by Mark Owen Since today is Veterans Day I thought this would be a good time to thank all the Veterans and in this particular Blog Post I wanted to send out a Special Thanks to The United States Navy Seals and in particular to Seal Team Six. As Realtors we always mention in our Blog Post that “today was not an easy day” well compared to what Seal Team Six did on May 1st 2011 all our days are “Easy Days”. When I was in Ranger School a hundred years ago, I had the honor of being in the same class with two Navy Seals. I have learned to respect their skills, physical fitness, mental strength as well as their military skills and I was proud to be in the same class with them. They motivated me and thought me lessons in life I will never forget! Recently as I was on my way to Boston, MA for a mini Vacation, I saw this book at the Airport “NO EASY DAY” the firsthand account of the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden, by Mark Owen a pseudonym for the real Seal Team Leader of the mission. Thought there was a familiarity with the author’s name Mark Bowden of Black Hawk Down and Killing Pablo’s fameJ. Well when we got home from our vacation I immediately jumped in and read the book. Keep in mind this is Non Fiction, I am not a big fan of reading Non Fiction, but this book read like Fiction! Fast paced and very accurate from my perspective as having been involved with the Military in various capacities! I was sorry that I had “real work” to do and could not just read the entire book in one sitting. If I did not have to eat, sleep and work I would have read the book in one sitting. It was hard to put it down. Three evenings later I finished. If you want to know what our military does to keep us safe, than this is a must read for all Active Rainer’s, Civilians and previous military? So I want you to know, that if you do not read this book, you are doing a disservice to yourself. I will sign off with the Traditional RLTW! (To my brothers they know, for those who do not RLTW= Rangers Lead The Way!) FYI the Navy Seals Motto is “Yesterday was an easy day”! If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreVeterans Day is this Sunday November 11th,2012: Thank a Veteran !
Veterans Day is this Sunday November 11th, 2012: Thank a Veteran for their Selfless Service to our Country! Veterans Day is usually observed on November 11th, if it occurs on a Sunday like this year then the Monday following it, is usually designated as a Federal holiday. Hence to many people this year it is considered a long weekend. The President of the United States usually lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and is followed with a parade with the Colors. The Ceremony ends honoring and thanking all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces! The actual origin of Veterans Day goes back to November 11, 1919; it was the first anniversary of the end of World War I. It was actually called “Armistice Day” and only in 1954 was the name changed to Veterans Day to honor all those who served in all American wars. Just a small trivia I would like to share with you: according to the Census Bureau there approximately 21.5 million living veterans in the United States. That is less than 10 per cent of our population. These brave men and women protected and are protecting our liberties and freedom to enjoy free speech. I am proud to be a member of this small minority group! So all I ask of you is to either salute or thank a Veteran for their Selfless Service to our Country, and do not just thank them this weekend, but whenever you get an opportunity! They will appreciate it and will realize that their service is not forgotten! If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue...
read moreThe Tourist, by Olen Steinhauer a Spy book that is a total page turner
The Tourist, by Olen Steinhauer, If you never heard of Olen Steinhauer, you must put him on your must read list. The important contingency is, that you must like spy novels, provided you like a good contemporary espionage novel you will be calling this a classic soon. The Tourist is a fast paced spy novel with characters that you learn to love, hate and feel sorry for. The twists and turns are unexpected, so it is not your typical story that you figure out the answers. Ironically when you are wrong you are not disappointed. The main Character is Milo Weaver a “retired Tourist” who wants to have a family life….the story starts in Budapest, Hungary and off we go…. The plot is very fast it has deceit, betrayal, trust, family and on an and on…. (I am not going to spoil it for you) All I can say, it is not a James Bond type Spy saga. The characters all have issues and challenges they need or want to overcome. I first read Olen Steinhauer’ second book, “The Nearest Exit”, and then I realized it was a Trilogy. I could not wait to get on the internet and try to find “The Tourist” (the 1st book and then get the 3rd “American Spy” ) All I can tell you is I could not wait to go read the 1st and then the 3rd book. My average time was about 3 nights per book. They are page turners and you cannot wait to get to the end. Ironically when you are finished you are sad that you read it and now you are done! Now if this did not catch your interest, let me share another nugget with you: George Clooney’s Production Company acquired the rights to make it into a movie. Like him or hate him you know the movie will be good tooJ my guess he will direct it and play Milo Weaver the main character! If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreThere are Marketing Slogans/Benefits which I find funny or just wrong!
There are some Marketing Slogans/Benefits which I find funny or just plain wrong! OK maybe it is just me, but you tell me if I am wrong. Look at this picture and do you see the Marketing Benefit “48 hrs worth of protection”?? I am sorry but I take a shower every morning before I leave our home and when I do not take a shower at night Diane complains. So let’s say I only take 2 to 3 showers in a 24 hour period where is my benefit with this deodorant?:)) Then again let me put it another way if you only take one shower every 48 hrs, how much business do you generate?:))) So tying this in with our business, what is your Marketing Slogan? Benefit and how effective is it? My slogan is “FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!” and I mean it, I sell land, condominiums, Single Family Residences and of course Income properties two units or more! Where do I sell it? I sell in the greater Los Angeles county and the Beach Cities! If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations....
read moreBest of both worlds united Cupcakes Couture & Manhattan Beach Creamery
Best of both worlds united: Cupcakes Couture & the Manhattan Beach Creamery As some of you know I have written about Cupcakes Couture a while back (http://actvra.in/LD ) as well as about the Manhattan Beach Creamery (http://actvra.in/CDZ ) Diane and I were heading to the “old location of Cupcakes Couture and we were so surprised that the establishment was closed, upon further investigation we saw the sign that they moved and consolidated with Manhattan Beach Creamery. We were a bit disappointed not having the intimate environment of the “old” Cupcakes Couture place that is life though. So we immediately headed to the corner and the place was mobbed not all for Cupcakes mind you. This was November and the Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt was flying out the door. Diane and I said we better keep coming back in the Winter and Spring, because there will be lines out of this world in the Summer. Anyway we both got different cupcakes, since Diane loves Vanilla she got the Glitz & Glamour and I love Chocolate hence I got the Chocolate Raspberry, turned out mine was a Vegan Cupcake and trust me you could not tell that it was Vegan, it was so good. I was wondering if they ever opened the Pastry Shop in Japan. I hope you will make the time and visit this great Cupcake Shop the next time you are in Manhattan Beach! http://www.cupcakescouturemb.com and http://www.mbcreamery.com If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreShrimp, Asparagus, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms & Harvest Grains Blend!
Shrimp, Asparagus, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms & Harvest Grains Blend I have not posted a good recipe in a while, therefore I felt it was time to do it todayJ. Do not be overwhelmed by my description this is an easy recipe. The most labor intensive part of this meal is the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms; once you make the stuffing the rest is fast and convenient. I recommend large mushrooms for easier stuffing (Large Crimini or baby Portabella mushrooms are the easiest way to make it) If you look at my pictures you see I did not have any, I just used plain brown mushrooms (takes more mushrooms and harder to stuff) Crab Stuffing: 1. Can of Crabmeat from Trader Joe’s (if you do not have fresh crab meat about 4-5 ounces) 2. 2 table spoon of butter (unsalted) 3. 3-4 table spoon of minced red bell pepper minced 4. About 2 table spoon of soy sauce (if none available use a bit of salt to taste) 5. Two or three table spoon of shredded parmesan cheese or any other flavor full hard cheese 6. If you like a kick, add a dash of hot sauce of your favorite sauces (I like Siracha Chilli sauce aka the rooster of Asian origin or if I want to make it milder than Tapatio of Mexican origin hot sauce) now it this is too spicy for you than black pepper to your liking) 7. Garlic & Onion sautéed in extra virgin olive oil (one or two cloves of garlic and about a third of a small onion also minced) Sautee the garlic, onions and red bell pepper add the butter soy sauce and crab meat. Wilted it add the shredded cheese mix together all the ingredients and Stuff the mushrooms with it. If it is too “loose” for you than add bread crumbs (Italian flavored, plain or panko bread crumb whatever you like or have at home) Take Asparagus clean & place it on a baking sheet add the stuffed mushrooms, you will have left over stuffing drizzle over the asparagus and the Mushrooms, bake for about 15-25 minutes whatever your taste is for level of crunchiness of the vegetables. Keep in mind after 15 minutes you need to watch and know how you like your food ( I like it around the 12-15 minutes ) What is Harvest Grains Blend? Trader Joe’s sells it in a bag, but if you do not have TJ’s near you, then you can make it yourself. It consists of: 1. Israeli Style Couscous, (about 70 per cent), Orzo (about 10 per cent) baby garbanzo beans (10 per cent) and Red Quinoa (10 per cent) I do not use their recipe when I make it. Instead of water, I use Chicken Stock for better flavor. I use the entire package, which is about 1 lb. 3.5 cups of Chicken Stock, 2 to 3 tablespoon of unsalted butter once it boils I add the bag (1 lb) bring it to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately or shortly after. —-hence I make the other items first and I try to time it so the entire meal comes together at the same time.( If you do not have...
read more1125 N. Beverly Glen Blvd, Bel Air, CA 90077, JUST LISTED $149,000!
1125 N Beverly Glen Blvd, Bel Air, CA 90077, Just Listed $149,000! THIS IS A VERY WELL PRICED VACANT LOT, FOR SOME ONE WHO DOES NOT WANT THE DRAMA OF GOING THROUGH A SHORT SALE. THIS IS NOT A SHORT SALE, NOR IS IT AN REO, JUST A WELL PRICED VACANT LOT IN THE PRESTIGIOUS 90077 ZIP CODE! NOT VERY STEEP, ALMOST FLAT SEE PHOTOS. BRING YOUR ARCHITECT. UTILITIES ARE NEAR BY AND IT IS ON A PAVED ROAD. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE NO REPORTS; BUYER NEEDS TO DO OWN INVESTIGATION. If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations....
read moreDark Clouds ahead Life, Politics, Business, Weather & the Economy !
Dark Clouds looming ahead: Life, Politics, Business, Weather and the Economy, what are your thoughts? I took these pictures as we were in Pasadena a day or two, before the storm which caused all the devastation on the East Coast around the 20th or 21st of October( Sandy of course). I did not have the heart to write this post as I saw what was happening on the east coast. The pictures were taken on the way to Vromans, my favorite independent Bookstore in Pasadena a day or two before Sandy made its devastating entrance on the east coast of our country. I felt as if I had a premonition with these pictures. From there we went to a new discovery, thanks to Michael Jacobs, the Pasadena Condominium Expert introducing me the Sprouts, I had a thrill. Great selections of various products at a reasonable price, OK it is not Bristol Farms, nor is it a Trader Joe’s ,but it is somewhere in between. Great value and good selections, but that is food for another blog. Then I started to say, well I will never post these pictures, because the Election is on. Dark clouds ahead in politics, which translates to dark pictures in business and I did not want to influence it one way or another with these gloomy pictures. Then I said, OK the Election is over, now only the Economy & Business is left…well I did not want to take the chance in case the economy and business was not going the right wayJ) so here we are check out these rare pictures of Sunny Southern California photos in Pasadena,CA. If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations....
read more2411 San Marco Dr, Los Angeles,CA 90068 Vacant Land! PENDING
2411 San Marco DR LOS ANGELES, CA 90068 : $117,000.000 Vacant Land! PENDING This lot is so exiting to be in Escrow. It was on the Market for less than FOUR DAYS! Agressively Priced and is in Escrow Above Asking! Just because you missed out on this one do not feel bad I have many more to choose from! Please reach out and ask for my inventory of Vacant Lots in the Santa Monica Mountain Range! This is just another great opportunity for someone to build their dream home! If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations....
read more