Relax

Happy Friday to Everyone

Yesterday I had the privilege of getting to play a round of golf with my best friend Ken.  We started the day by going and having breakfast. We had a great time just chatting about life.  Ken and I will usually try to play golf 3 times a month, but we are always paired up with some other people to fill a foursome.   Yesterday, it was Ken and I, our other playing partners were not available.

After a hearty breakfast, Ken and I decided to head out and take a look at a potential investment property that we have the inside track on.  After we did the "kicking the tires" look, we both thought it would be worth taking a shot at. So we are hopefully going to make a bid on the investment property next week.

We then headed out to Wild Horse golf course in Davis, about 15 minutes west of Sacramento.  The course was wide open, so Ken and I got to play as a two some.  Ken had one of his best rounds of the year! I asked him why he played so well and he said "I think I was more relaxed and was at ease." Ken will usually shoot in the mid to high 80s, a good score, considering he doesn't practice, but yesterday he shot an 80.   Same guy, same clubs, same weather conditions, same golf course and yet was 5-9 shots better.  I noticed he was not rushing, he was jovial, he was smiling, and he was relaxed! 

I shot a good score also, and I did feel like I wasn't rushed nor edgy.  After the round, we both said the same thing "When we golf as a two some, we play better, because we can relax, since we are such great friends...." We both need to work on taking this "relaxation" not only to every round of golf we play, but in all facets in life.  In retrospect, my best results in life seem to occur when I am relaxed and at peace with myself.  Not in a rush nor frenzy.  So let's all take a deep breath and learn how to relax and enjoy the journey.

It's July 31, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com

916-600-9495

Federal and State Tax Credits

Hello and Happy Thursday!

The federal government and the state of CA were offering tax credits to home buyers this year.  In an attempt to stimulate the real estate market, these tax credits were being offered as an incentive for those contemplating the purchase of a home.  The state of CA was offering up to $10,000 for a tax credit and the feds offered $8,000.

In some regard the incentive worked.  I heard that the state stopped taking applications for the tax credit in June. Reports were that there were over 12,000 applications for the tax credit and a budget for only 10,000 applicants.  Some will most likely not get this tax credit.  The federal government tax credit will cease in November of this year, so buyers need to get working on finding a home soon to take advantage of the credit.

Some drawbacks to this tax credit program.  In order to qualify, the buyer must have been a first time home buyer.  In regard to the state of CA program, the buyer had to purchase a new home (never been lived in before).  The intent was to help the builders move some of their inventory.  If a buyer went in to purchase a brand new home, and the delivery of the new home was past June, the buyer could have missed out of this program.

My feelings are this:  If you are going to offer and incentive to "kick start" the housing market, open it up to everyone.  If a current home owner sees an opportunity to move up, and may get an tax credit also, his motivation goes up.  These move up buyers generate movement in the housing market. They buy a larger home and also sell a home in the process.  The state of CA had to stop taking applications because they cannot afford to absorb more tax credits.  I think they should have offered less money, perhaps $5,000, and have twice as many applicants.

In this challenging economy, the incentives need to be offered across the board.  Real estate buyers are always not first time buyers.  We should not discriminate against them, we need them to move up.  By getting movement through out the "chain" the housing market could gain a little momentum.

It's July 30, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com 

916-600-9495

Exciting Things Coming Up!

Happy Wednesday!

I wanted to take this opportunity to announce some up coming things that I have planned in the near future.  Remember this blog is just not real estate motivated! I have lined some very impressive people who will be commenting here.  First, I have a young lady from Florida that I will be interviewing.  She is an up and coming music super star! I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I'll let everyone know when the blog will take place.  I'll also post pictures and videos (if I can) of her to accompany the interview.  She is vocally hot and also quite beautiful.  

In regard to our golf followers, I have a special treat.  I will be chatting with a top level executive with Titleist.  She will be commenting about their equipment, apparel, balls, and their tour players.  This will be so fun for me.  I may have to do this in a couple parts.  I will try and get the inside information of new stuff coming out.  I will accompany the interview with photos.

Also, I lined up a top notch attorney in Sacramento to comment on real estate and why it is important to use a Realtor to facilitate a transaction.  He has first hand knowledge about this and you will not want to miss this interview.  He is intelligent, a litigator, a seasoned vet in the court room, but had a tough time doing what I do - facilitating a real estate transaction so that my clients get a SMOOTH real estate experience.  

Soon, I will have some restaurants and other service providers reviewed so when you need something, check my blog to see if I can help you.

Very exciting things coming down the pipe here!! Stay tuned, we are just getting started.

It's July 29, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com

916-600-9495

Old Friends

Happy Monday to All!

I received a call today from an old friend that I have not seen in a few years, and it's a shame, because Stan and I were very good friends.  We had a ritual of connecting a couple of times a week for golf and lunch.  A good friend who would always have "your back." 

Last week I decided to call Stan and say "hello." He was not in so I left him a message. When he called me back, I wasn't available, but today we reconnected.  After saying "How have you been.... how's your golf game..... how's the family" we decided to schedule a tee time for Wednesday and get back out on the golf course.  I am looking forward to getting out there with Stan.  Not only to golf, but to have him as a close associate.

After the call, I thought to myself  "A call only takes a couple minutes. And even I am so busy that I cannot golf or go to lunch as much as I want to, you could still find the time to call."  I am going to go through my "friend's list" and start calling and saying "Hello..."  It's a shame that I let myself believe that I am so busy to call my friends.  

After this Wednesday, I will dedicate myself to stay in touch with Stan and all my other "Old Friends" for their contributions to my life have made a big impact on what I am today.  It's time to start be proactive and less lazy.  Your "Old Friends" are such valuable pieces of a happy life. Include them in your life and watch the quality of yours increase!

July 27, 2009 and I am Bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34 Twitter

dwo34@aol.com

916-600-9495

Camping and Twitter?

Hello, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.  I just returned from a camping trip and I was amazed at the topics of conversations I engaged in.  I went to a place called Orchard Springs at Lake Rollins.  This camp site is about an hour east of Sacramento.  

After setting up camp, my fellow campers and I  started chatting about subjects such as the CA Budget woes, the furloughs, the weather, etc.  To my surprise, some one brought up Twitter.  When I heard "Twitter" my ears perked up and wanted to know where the conversation was going.  Apparently, the media has been talking up "Twitter" and some people have no clue what "Twitter" is all about.  I gave everyone a 10 minute tutorial on what "Twitter" was and my feelings about it and "social networking" in general.  Between the fire, the laughs, the drinks, the snacking, I continued to get more questions about "Twitter."  It's truly amazing the "buzz" that the media and people have generated about "Twitter."  I know have a couple of casual appointments to help a couple friends begin there "Twitter" life.

When I embarked on the camping trip, my furthest thoughts were: cell phones, emails, text messages, Face Book, and Twitter.  Funny how people have to stay "connected" even out in the wilderness at a camp site.  Twitter, I think I just signed up a few more people for you and I sold them on your site at a CAMP SITE. 

It's July 26, 2009 and I am Bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com

Prime Example of Bank Failure and Poor Customer Service

I am going to keep this short, because the final chapters are not complete yet.  On behalf of a client, I submitted about 80 pages of documentation to an address provided by a customer service person.  I was submitting all the requested documentation for consideration of a short sale.  

I sent the paperwork via priority mail to a P.O. Box in Jacksonville, FL.  After waiting for 3 weeks and no calls nor messages from the lender, I decided to call the lender and see what the status was on our file.  After 45 minutes of holding and transferring and holding, it was determined that the paperwork we submitted was "lost."  Simply vanished, misplaced, misfiled, or perhaps thrown away.  We were requested to resubmit all 80 pages via fax this time, which I did.  Along with this package was a "third party authorization" which allows the lender to speak to me.  After a week of waiting, I called.  The response was "we cannot talk to you because you need to be authorized, so please fax your authorization to us."    I re-faxed it over and over and over and over again. A total of 9 times by my confirmation receipts.

I got fed up with the poor attitudes of all the customer service people I spoke to. Some hung up on me or disconnected me after a long hold.  Mind you, this company is spending millions of dollars in advertising each month.  They are advertising to Realtors.  They have no clue that their customer service department is undermining the advertising department.

I have since filed a complaint against this lender.  The complaint raised some eye brows for a minute.  I can speak directly to a customer service manager, but the system is flawed and the service is terrible.  We should have had an approval a month ago.  Because of their lack of communication skills, we sit and wait.  If I don't get an approval letter by Friday, I will have to call out the manager and have him intervene.

My purpose in telling you this?  This was one of the savings and loans that failed.  It was "gobbled" up by another bank.  I can see why the banks are hurting.  They have some of the poorest customer service people and procedures around.  Maybe the banks should revamp their policy and procedural manuals.  Once this ordeal is over, I will identify the bank, I will be more specific, and I will definitely call the Sacramento branches and let them know not to ever solicit me for their loans.  Have a great day.

July 22, 2009

I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com

Recent Conversations

I recently met two friends/clients on different days to see how they were doing and how life was treating them.  Although, the two people have different jobs, different circles of influence, live in different parts of Sacramento, I was amazed at how their lives paralleled one another.

I met Randy for breakfast Wednesday morning. Although I have spoken to Randy on numerous occasions, I hadn't seen him in a while.  We chatted about his golf game, his video collection, and his job.  Randy is employed by the State of California and was now facing the reality of a third furlough Friday.  Randy has done quite well for himself working his way up from an assistant to a supervisory position.  Randy told me that the net effect of the furloughs was making things a bit tight for him.  He told me that extra golf clubs, fringe movies, spur of the moment trips to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, eating out 4 times a week, EBay shopping, and occasional nights out to the bar with friends had to be monitored.  Essentially the furlough had taken a "bite" out of Randy's lifestyle.  He told me countless stories of co-workers who relied on every single dollar they earned to make ends meet.  

Last Friday, I met with Grace at her restaurant to say hello.  Grace has a restaurant downtown that caters primarily to civil service workers.  She was telling me that the first furlough day had a minor impact on her business, but the second furlough Friday was devastating.  Her business dropped by almost 27%.  Now faced with a third furlough Friday, Grace did not even want to think about another decline in business.  Grace is advertising a "furlough" discount for state of California employees to assist her customers.  Grace told me that the decline in revenue has forced her to postpone some equipment renovations, cut some of her staff, be more price conscious, advertise specials, and cut back on her own personal budget.  She fears that further business declines will force her to sell her home.  A situation I hope does not materialize.

Although my two friends have different lives, have different friends, and have different jobs, their lives are parallel.  The State of CA budget woes effect so many.  Businesses, service providers, golf courses, EBay, etc. are all effected.  The CA legislature needs to get this budget problem fixed and implement a fiscal responsibility program, so that this current situation can be avoided in the future.

Randy and Grace, hang in there. I sense CA is going to rebound soon.  Maybe some of the law makers should have conversations with their constituents and they can gain a better idea of what's going on.   I certainly do.

July 22, 2009

David Ohara

I am "bullish" on Sacramento, CA

@dwo34

Team Work

In real estate, it is vital to have a great team of professionals to assist you.  There are many facets to purchasing/selling a home.  It's much more than finding a home and saying you want it, or putting a sign on the front lawn that says "For Sale"  

The real estate industry is going through some dramatic changes, changes that were mandated by the collapse of the mortgage industry and financial institutions.  If you are in the market to purchase or sell a home, you need to affiliate yourself with someone who was a "team" of top quality professionals to insure yourself of a "SMOOTH real estate experience"

If you are a Buyer looking for a home, it is vital to have a Realtor that can refer you to a lender who can: 1)accurately prequalify you, 2)explain the different programs that you may qualify for, 3)can get the loan funded, 4)is price competitive, and 5)is working in the best interest of you, the Buyer.  The Buyer will also want to have access to a home inspector, a pool inspector (if applicable), a licensed roofer, a chimney inspector, an electrician, a general contractor, and a plumber.  These tradesmen are important, for you the Buyer, may want to do some remodeling, some upgrading, and/or some room additions and it's important to get an idea if your plans work with the home you are contemplating.

Home Sellers, we are not in a market, where we put a sign out and snap our fingers and ten buyers make an offer on the home.  Your agent needs to be creative, understand the current market, price the home correctly, know the different ways to finance the home, know how to work with lenders in the event of a short sale, have comparable market information for appraisers, and have honest inspectors to call on.  In today's market, a vacant home may not show as well as one that is occupied, so agents may have to "stage" the home.  Staging consists of hiring a company to come out and furnish the home, similar to model homes at subdivisions, to best show the home and its features.

I don't want to ramble on and on about the importance of these factors in real estate, but it is vital to make sure that you align yourself with an agent who has a network of professionals behind him/her.  Team work is so critical in consummating a real estate transaction in this market.  Team work can be the difference in having your offer accepted, selling your home, or more importantly, closing the deal you have in contract.  Team up with a "connected" Realtor, your home depends on it!

July 21, 2009

David Ohara

I am bullish on Sacramento, CA 

@dwo34

Great Friends

On Sunday, I attended a Baptism for one of my best friends. Although, I have been to Baptisms before, this one was extra special, because of my close relationship with the mother and father.  Not being Catholic, I never really understood the meaning of a Baptism.  The ceremony was performed at the beautiful Cathedral in downtown Sacramento. There were about 70 of us there to witness.  The Father began to speak and I paid closer attention and watched the family and friends (most were Catholic).  The ceremony lasted about 30 minutes and ended with the parents thanking everyone for witnessing their son becoming a Catholic.  It was quite nice.

After the ceremony, we headed to my friend's place for a get together.  About a 100 people showed up to eat, drink, chat, and catch up with one another.  Everyone had a great time.  I volunteered to be the "bartender" since it was a hot day in Sacramento.  I met new friends and visited with old ones.  Everyone was having a great time.

The food was catered by a mutual friend, and she did a fabulous job.  The beverages were provided by a close friend who owns that type of business, the photographer is a close mutual friend, and the tables and chairs were provided by yet another close mutual friend.  The place looked great.

After many hours of eating, talking, dancing, drinking, and laughing the party wrapped up around 9:00 pm.  Everyone had a great time!  One of the best gatherings I have been to in a long time.

The reason why I felt compelled to blog on this, is simple.  No matter if you are Asian, Hispanic, white, black, republican, democrat, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, female, male, American, Canadian, Mexican, young or old, we can all get along and co-exist in harmony.  "Great Friends" have no boundaries and yesterday's activities made it even more profound.  Learn to accept the differences in people and we can discover that there are so many "great friends" out in the world to experience.  Thank you G and D for letting me experience this wonderful day with you, our friends, and your families.

July 20, 2009

David Ohara

I am Bullish on Sacramento, CA

@dwo34

The Open Championship

As I sat and contemplated on what to blog on today,  I turned on the television to see who and what was happening at the 138th British Open in Turnberry.   For the non golfer, the British Open is one of the four major championships that professional golfers battle for every year.  With Tiger Woods, the number one ranked golfer missing the cut, and Phil Mickelson, the number two golfer in the world not playing, the Open had no clear cut favorite heading to the weekend.  

As I tuned in, my first thought was how far Tom Watson had fallen off the leader board.  Mr. Watson is 2 months shy of 60 years old.  In an era of fitness freaks with regimented work out routines, traveling with your own chef, and clubs built for specific frame, strength, and weather conditions, a 60 year old is supposed to be no more than a ceremonial golfer.  Just don't tell that to Tom Watson.

Heading to the 16th hole, Tom Watson was 2 over par for the day and 1 shot off the lead, tied for third.  After making a 20 foot putt on the 16th hole, he was now tied for the lead. Mind you, this is a 60 year old golfer! Challenging the young "suds" of golfing. for  a "Major!"  Up next a Par 5, 551 yards of rough, sand traps and wind. Watson casually hit a drive up the left side of the fairway and left him 250 yards to the green.  You guessed it.... a great second shot and now he has a chance for an eagle. Watson missed his eagle putt and tapped in for a birdie.  Now, Tom Watson was sitting on top of the leader board! A 60 year old leading a major championship.  The best fields assembled for golf! And a 60 year old is leading. Simply amazing!!  Watson went on to make an easy par on the 18th hole.

So the stage is set.  Mr. Watson has a chance to make history tomorrow at Turnberry.  The oldest documented golfer to win a major was 46 years old. Tom is going to be 60 in 2 months! Wow!!  As a golfer myself, I applaud Watson, for I know how difficult the game truly is.  Good Luck Tom, win one for the ages.

My reason for blogging this is simple.  Curtis Strange, the color commentator for the network coverage said "The ball doesn't know how old the golfer is...."  I think we can apply that to our daily lives.  Whether we need to make changes, implement new strategies, reconnect with a friend or family member, or start anew, the bottom line is to just do it.  For if Tom Watson had self doubt and never showed up at Turnberry, he would have never been able to have his ball do the magical things it's doing now.  Certainly, the ball does not care how old Tom Watson is and our lives can be just as special, we just need to do it!

It's July 18, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

Twitter @dwo34

Best Buy and Twitter

This morning on one of the local Sacramento area news stations, they put out a question to their viewers.  To paraphrase the question was "What do you think about Best Buy using Twitter as a qualification for hiring future employees?" Apparently Best Buy wants to make sure their future employees are "social" and have some sense of technology. In short Best Buy wants to have their future hires with a minimum of 250 followers on Twitter.

Most of the viewers who responded were against such hiring criteria.  The most famous reply was "I don't even have a Twitter account, so there is no way I can qualify for that job.... and I think this is discrimination"  I can understand the frustrations of those who would not meet that criteria, but I can also see where Best Buy is trying to "stay current with the times..."  Twitter is large and is growing. I can give first hand experience on this one folks.  A couple of months ago,  I thought Twitter was something that Ashton, Oprah, Shaq, and a few other celebs did to keep the public updated.  Since I have joined, I have seen how this thing can be beneficial, both socially, educational wise, business growth, and research.  I am an advocate of Twitter!

Best Buy can institute their own criteria for job qualifications and I think this is intelligent on their part.  Imagine having an army of employees with large follower bases.  Whenever there were sales, specials, new merchandise, announcements, and grand openings, the "army" could tweet this information to their followers.  The reach is staggering and potentially more effective than some other forms of advertising.

People of Facebook and MySpace, don't discount Twitter. Maybe open up your horizons and use Twitter as another means to stay "connected" to your world.  It could actually help you land a job!

July 17, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

Twitter - @dwo34

Twitter

Every time I clicked on the news, read the paper, looked at magazines, I always heard the word "Twitter" In late April, I decided to take a look at Twitter and what these 140 characters were all about.  I had a MySpace page, but never really used it as a way to stay in touch with people.  After a few days of Twitter, I became amazed at the reach of those 140 characters.  I started to meet some very nice and interesting people from all over the United States and abroad.  

In a social sense, Twitter is a powerful tool, for I can attest that lasting friendships and bonds can be formulated. I now have some new friends in Hawaii, Washington, Oceanside, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Las Vegas, Texas, and Canada.  These new friends were all met through Twitter.  

In a "connecting" mode, Twitter has helped a family member get reconnected with a long lost friend.  A friend in Hawaii and I were chatting about things and it just so happens that she lost contact with one of her best friends growing up.  Through the power of the 140 characters, I was able to get the two back together after many years of separation.  Twitter has the ability to get the "Six Degrees of Separation" down to one.

Twitter for networking and business, is also a great tool.  In my couple months of Twitter, I have met some potential clients and service providers that my clients can use.  But more importantly, I have been able to call on the knowledge, experience, creativity, and common sense of my peers.  I can pose a scenario, question, or problem I am experiencing and I will get numerous replies on how to tackle my issue. Yes indeed, those 140 characters can be so beneficial.  People from all over have generously offered marketing strategies, new programs, referrals, links to sites that are beneficial to clients.

Not to brag, because I like to be modest, through the help of some great Twitter people: @ModelSupplies, @krystynchong, @webaddict, @TamaraSchilling, @prodigybullies, @SamuraiStyles, @KrazeApparel, @OliviaWilder, @AlohaArleen, @MelissaKeyes, and others, I am ranked in the top 5 in Sacramento for Twitter. Although, that's not my goal, I certainly feel proud of that accomplishment and makes me feel good that I am reaching people.

I also want to start offering reviews of businesses, restaurants, service providers, movies, cars, etc. so that people can have first hand knowledge.  The power of Twitter has so many avenues to help people.

As my profile says "I am dedicated in providing a SMOOTH real estate experience" and Twitter will help me accomplish that goal.  You may find me on twitter @dwo34. Come on in and I'll introduce you to a lot of wonderful people.  You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with 140 characters.

Have a great Thursday

David Ohara

@dwo34 (Twitter)

Staying Positive

Sacramento is a city that is very reliant on civil service workers.  Many of my family, friends and clients work for either the Federal, State, County, or City government.  Many of these people I have sold homes to.  As we go through these challenging economic times,  we must remain optimistic and positive that things are going to get better.  Since I have been in the real estate business, I have seen many mood swings, some swings more violent than others, but we always rebound.  The current state of the real estate market is great for Buyers.  Interest rates are low, the inventory provides for many choices, and the prices are down.  If you are a first time home buyer, the Federal Government is still offering the $8,000 tax credit as an incentive to purchase now.  This tax credit will be offered to November 30, 2009.

As challenging as things seem to be, I will always remain positive and look for the good that these times offer.  Perhaps the governments can look at this period and institute a fiscal responsibility mandate, so that work furloughs, layoffs, canceling of summer school never happens again.  It's Wednesday, July 15, 2009, and I am bullish on Sacramento CA.  If you are feeling down, contact me, I am good at making things better.  In the words of Sonny Crockett, "It doesn't matter how hot it gets, remember there is always a cool breeze headed our way"  So stay positive and let's get Sacramento rolling in the right direction!

@dwo34 - David Ohara "Dedicated to a SMOOTH real estate experience"