A Smile A Day

Show Him Your Badge!

 

 
An RCMP officer stops at a ranch in Iron Mountain, BC

and talks to the rancher. He tells the rancher that he needs to inspect the

ranch for illegally grown drugs. The rancher says, "OK, just don't go

in that field over there". The RCMP officer verbally explodes.

"Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me".

He reaches into his pocket and produces his badge. "See this badge?

This badge means I can go where I want, on any land. No questions asked

or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?"

The old rancher nods politely and goes about his chores.

Later, the old rancher hears screams and spies the officer running for his life,

and close behind is the rancher's bull. With every step the bull is gaining

on the officer. The old rancher throws down his tools and runs to the

fence and yells at the top of his lungs.

"YOUR BADGE! Show him your  ****ing badge!"

The House in the Middle

WHEN the last of their four children was about to leave home, my husband's parents decided to downsize and buy a smaller house in a retirement community. They called their trusted Realtor and she put a sign in the yard right away. A couple of days later, a second "For Sale" sign went up two doors away. "Soon you'll have new neighbors on both sides of you," my husband's mother remarked to the neighbor whose house was sitting in the middle of the two houses for sale. "We're thinking of putting up our own sign," she replied with a huge grin. "It would read: 'Was it something we said?' "

The Daffodil Principle

Have you heard the story of "The Daffodil Principle?" It is a story of Gene Bauer, a woman who lived in the lake Arrowhead, California region. In 1958 she started planting daffodils around her house and down the hill in front of her house. She planted five acres of daffodils over a span of 30-some odd years and created the most beautiful scenes using different hues and colors of daffodils so that in looking at the hill you saw majestic rivers flowing down the hill from her house.

If you were to walk up to her porch you would see a poster that read: "Answers to the questions I know you are asking."

Answer 1: "50,000 bulbs"

Answer 2: "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet and very little brains."

Answer 3: "Began in 1958."

And there you have it. The Daffodil Principle. Learning to move toward a goal one step at a time. Learning to love the doing and using the accumulation of time combined with small increments of daily effort. Someone said it best when they said, "Today's determination is tomorrow's success." Start working toward your goal by using the Daffodil Principle today. Start today. Plant deep... and in years to come you will surely be celebrating the beauty of your own success.

The Willow fire of 1999 destroyed Gene Bauer's home and daffodil garden. However the bulbs beneath the ground were left unscathed by the fire. Every year, the bulbs come into bloom and grace the hill in majestic beauty where Gene Bauer once lived.

   

Don't Stop Playing.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." J. Lee

My Dad is 82 this year. His eyes are still bright and his smile is wide. That's because he still knows how to have fun and play at 82. Dad is a WWII veteran and retired from the Navy after 23 years. As a child growing up he would wake my bother, sister and me up by calling "rev-ely" in the morning. He still gets a big kick out of teasing someone and his laugh comes straight from the belly. Dad doesn't play physical games, but he loves to play video poker in Las Vegas. He is also a big fan of horse racing. As long as I could remember Dad studied horses using the racing form. His mind is sharp and his wit is intact. He claims that when he was on the ship overseas he never had to cash his checks because he made enough money playing poker with his fellow shipmates. I pray that when I'm 82 I am still playing just like my Dad.

   

Who is a Fan of Fiamme Restaurant & Bar?

Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Lenders, Business Brokers, Title Reps, and Escrow Agents at Troop Real Estate were given a very special opportunity last Wednesday to taste some delicious food from Fiamme Restaurant. You should have seen the array of pastas, bread and Fiamme's special "fire sauce" for dipping. It tasted just like it came straight from Italy. Fresh, authentic and scrumptious! The special "fire sauce" that serves as a dipping sauce for the fresh bread was a HUGE hit! It is an Italian sauce with a KICK!

Fiamme Restaurant is located in the Paseo MarketPlace at 3731 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. Their menu consists of Italian dishes that are delicious. They have an array of traditional dishes such as meatloaf, barbecued baby back ribs and sirloin steak also. They serve fish, shrimp, chicken breast and panini specials as well.

Fiamme Restaurant & Bar, formerly Alessio's, is owned by Elizabeth Beddow and Jerry White Jr. The restaurant features a quiet, yet elegant environment ideal for personal or business dining. Small rooms off the main dining area provide an intimate setting for parties and club meetings.

Troop Real Estate is a FAN of Fiamme Restaurant! You can become one too! Visit their page on FACEBOOK. Fiamme Restaurant offers live entertainment at Fiamme's "Club Inferno." Check it out on Facebook. For more information or to make reservations, call 805-497-9444.

The Key for Home Buyers is to Find the Balance

Regardless of the many articles about the real estate market, wether it is at the bottom should not be the main focus if you are in the market to buy a home right now. It is still not clear that home prices have hit bottom and nobody knows when that day will come. Regardless, the desire to get a home at the lowest possible price must be balanced with obtaining a favorable  mortgage rate and finding a home that will meet the buyer’s needs over a 5 to 10 year time horizon.

The California Association of Realtors declares that "the statewide median has remained at roughly $250,000 for four months running in what appears to be a bottom. If the flattening out of prices at vastly more affordable levels entices buyers off the fence, the median price could hold at its present level or even experience some upward momentum. However, the weak economy and an anticipated peak in foreclosures later this year may limit or more than offset that momentum and drive prices below their present levels sometime between now and early in 2010."

Finding the balance in buyer a home means this: If you find the house that fits your specific needs at the best price possible during this time AND you can obtain a favorable interest rate on your mortgage, then PULL THE TRIGGER! Even if home prices go down, interest rates will inevitably go up... and that event will likely price you right out of the market.

Find the balance, pull the trigger.

Real Estate Sales are Up!

April's sales report for California was just released and, from what I see, sales are up.

According to the California Association of Realtors, overall in California, homes sales in April increased 49.2 percent. Earlier reports related the fact that over 50% of these sales are attributed to first-time buyers.

Unsold inventory decreased in homes with prices ranging up to $750,000, falling between 3-6 months. Last year this price range was falling between 8-10 months out. Pricing between $750-$1,000,000 shows unsold inventory close to the same time frame as last year which is approximately 9 months. Over $1,000,000+ is where we see a drastic difference. Last year our unsold inventory was out approx. 11 months. This year it is sitting at approx. 18 months. So, it seems the 1,000,000+ priced market is taking the hit for the lack of good loan products and the downturn of the economy.

Locally speaking, here in Ventura County, while we read the median home price decreased last month overall in California by 36.5 percent, we see the number to be a 8.1 percent increase for this area. This could be due to the fact that there are less homes on the market now for buyer's to choose from and multiple offers on properties are beginning to force buyers to offer more to beat other buyer's to the property. The median price in Ventura County as of April 2009 is $394,540. It was $364,920 in March.

Entry-level housing affordability has reached 69 percent overall in California. Ventura County is reporting the local affordability index to be 65%. This is a huge improvement to the 45% from the first quarter of 2008. Many first-time buyers are taking advantage of the incredibly low interest rates and deflated home pricing. This is truly a fantastic time to jump into the market!

 

Sunset Hills Country Club Chamber Mixer ... Fabulous!

The Sunset Hills Country Club Chambermixer last night attracted chamber members and guests from all over the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. Business men and women gathered to take full advantage of the networking opportunities it offered.

Some business associates I had the opportunity to network with were Amy Baran, DataForce Professional Services, Eli Isenberg, 21st Century Promotional Products, Wendy Prindle, Creative Memories, Dave Mead,AtoZ Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, Maksim Avrukin, Gladius Technologies, Susan Walker, United Way of Ventura County, Mikael Gordon, Paychex, Carolyn Counnas, Secure Digital Systems, Inc., and Barry Clement, PFN. 

Never underestimate the power of meeting someone face to face and giving them a handshake. Networking opportunities are offered often by the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce. If you would like more information about the chamber, visit www.towlvchamber.org or call 805-370-0035.

As always, if you have any real estate needs don't hesitate to contact me at cclayton@troop.com or by phone at 805-750-8896.

I am experienced in short sales, bank owned properties, corporate relocation, first time buyers, getting difficult properties sold. The real estate market is facing many challenges and it is highly recommended that you use a professional to help guide you through the process of a sale or purchase.

I would be happy to discuss your goals or answer questions anytime.

Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/cl8tntweets

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FOR SALE: 487 Via Colinas, Westlake Village in Hidden Canyon

Check it out! 2+2, 1254 sq.ft. upper end unit. $370,000 Sellers are motivated!