Ken Hall

How to receive a larger IRS Tax Refund!

2012-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

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I’ve been in the mortgage and real estate industry for more than 20 years. Wow! How time flies!

Perhaps the greatest benefit of my profession is I get to deal with clients from every profession and occupation imaginable and many of these good folks prove themselves to be not just competent, but absolutely great at what they do for their livelihood.

So with tax season fast approaching, I would like to give you another valuable gift … The Best Tax Preparation Service I’ve ever used: Hazboun Tax Service.

Here’s the deal. Clients are always asking me for advice regarding … well, you name it: tile installer, carpet installer, attorney, plumber, handyman, dentist, etc. And I’m always happy to oblige because I almost always know someone I know personally and am proud to recommend.

So with Tax Season approaching I thought I should be proactive.

I realized over the last few years I’ve been asked by several clients if I knew of a good tax preparer I could recommend. I gladly recommended Al and Rima of Hazboun Tax Service and didn’t give it a second thought.

But an interesting thing happened. Each and every time, the client I referred called me back later and thanked me for it!

Why?

Because they received either a larger tax refund or larger tax savings than they had ever received before! … or they successfully resolved a problem or dispute they were having with the I.R.S.

Put simply, Al and Rima are the best! You can call them at 951-246-0497, or email at Hhzbntax@yahoo.com.

And by the way, I don’t just recommend them, I also use them for my own individual and business tax preparation.

Hope your new year is off to a great start!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

www.KenHallProperties.com

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Why some credit cards shouldn't be "in your wallet"!

2012-01-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

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As I have shared in the past, your credit score effects how much you pay for car insurance and homeowners insurance, and it determines the interest rate you will have for your car payment, your mortgage, credit cards and the list goes on and on.

As you can see, having a great credit score can save you money in so many ways. So any secrets that teach you how to optimize your credit score are certainly good secrets to know.

Did you know that if you are "maxed out" on your credit cards it hammers your credit score almost as much as if you had a late payment? (Maxed out is when your credit limit and credit balance are real close to being the same.)

Did you know that some credit card companies do not report to the credit bureaus what your maximum credit limit is? Now you may think that's a good thing, but it's not. You see, if there is no maximum credit limit reported, the credit bureaus assume that you are "maxed out" and this mis-information hits your credit score almost as much as a late payment does.

So a key strategy for raising your credit score is to make sure that your credit card company publishes your maximum allowable credit limit to the credit bureaus so that you don't get falsely accused of having reached your limit.

If you need help figuring out which companies may be using this or other dirty little secrets against you, give me a call and I'll be happy to help!

Now I have a quick favor to ask of you. Would you please be my ears for me? If you hear that any of your friends, family members or co-workers are even thinking of buying or selling, their home, would you please share my information with them so that I can help them too? I promise to take great care of them. Thanks so much, I appreciate and honor your trust.

Feel free to forward this tip to your friends so that they can take advantage of this key service also. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

www.KenHallProperties.com

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What is the Biggest Mistake Sellers Make in Today's Real Estate Market?

2011-12-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

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I was speaking with a nationwide top real estate agent the other day. During our conversation, I asked him, "What is the biggest mistake that you see sellers make in today's real estate market?"

His answer blew me away because it seems so easy to avoid. He said the biggest mistake he sees people make is not making a counteroffer on purchase offers they deny.

He said it is critical for sellers to not take offense to a buyer's offer and completely forget about them.

Instead, try to come to an agreement with an offer of your own that is below what you are asking and above what they offer. While this seems like such an obvious answer, he said many people just ignore a real low offer. That is a HUGE MISTAKE!

Frequently a buyer comes in at a low price on the first offer just to see what will happen, even if they are prepared to pay full price.

It is so important to keep the lines of communication open. Communication is the secret to success in all relationships.

Just remember that you have somebody that has seen your house and wants to buy it. Obviously they want to pay as little as possible, you want them to pay as much as possible, and that's why they call it negotiations. Counteroffers can be a great way to sell and buy a home.

Don't forget, if you are thinking of buying or selling a house, it's critical that you have the right real estate agent working for you. There are so many rookies out there that talk the talk, but if you ask them how many deals they have actually done in the last 12 months, most have pathetic numbers to report.

Is that who you want working on what is likely to be the biggest transaction you will make? Of course not!

Give me a call, I have years of experience to direct you and help you along the way. In today's economy, you just can't afford to make a financial mistake.

You have my number and my email address; I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833
www.KenHallProperties.com

CA DRE License #01418440

My Client Dave Just Saved $1,300!!

2011-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

I just got this email from my client, Dave:

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Dave J to me
show details 1:35 PM (13 minutes ago)

Hi Ken,

I took the advice of your client newsletter of a few weeks ago about getting a lower rate on my credit cards. My first attempt a couple of weeks ago was contacting U.S. Bank who wouldn’t budge on their 12.00% APR. That told me I was probably getting their best rate possible. Just a few minutes ago, I called Citibank about my rate which had increased to 19.99%. This sudden rate increase was after a 0% APR offer had expired.

The first person that I spoke with, located in their Kansas City office, was only able to lower my rate to 18.99%. However, SHE OFFERED to transfer me to a supervisor for further review of my account. In that subsequent conversation I referenced my relationship with Citibank that dates back to 1992. Also, I stated that the other credit cards in my possession were offering 8% and 12%. That Florida based supervisor quickly reviewed my account and immediately offered an 11.99% rate for the next 6-months (which is prime rate of 3.25% plus 8.74%.)

Assuming that I will pay off my card balance in the next 6 months this rate modification will provide a savings of over $1,300. That is money that I would have lost if I had not closely read my statement for the rate change and made a phone call. Not a bad return for a 5 minute investment.

Thanks for the sound and practical financial advice. Keep up the great work. I actually look forward to receiving your emails every Saturday morning!

Regards,
Dave J
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By the way, Dave owns "Roadside Advertising" in Temecula. If you need any type of advertising signage, he's your man.

43040 Rancho Way
Suite 300
Temecula CA 92590

951-506-6633

http://www.RoadsideAdvertising.com
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I'm Spilling The Beans Today!

2011-10-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

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I'm going to spill the beans today!

As many of you know, I do a lot of reading. I typically read about 2 or 3 books a week. I do this to stay well informed for my benefit as well as yours.

I'm often asked how I do it. Where do I find time to do that much reading? Well, if the truth be told, about 90% of all the books are audio books. This allows me to listen during all those down times throughout the day. Like when I am driving, during my walks, waiting in the checkout line, getting my oil changed, and so much more!

About 5 years ago, I found this great website called Audible.com. They have thousands of books that I can download right off the internet, onto my computer.

From there, this easy to use program allows me to listen from my computer, burn to a disc so I can listen in my car, or download directly into my IPOD.

Most of the books I choose have to do with business and financing, however, they also have fiction novels, travel books, self help books, radio shows and periodicals, you name it. There are best sellers by top authors like Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Stephen King, Dan Brown and more. There are also audio magazines like Forbes and Scientific American; audio newspapers like The New York Times Audio Digest; and even radio shows like Car Talk and This American Life!

Listen on your commute, at the gym, or anywhere you go. It's a great way to learn, and be entertained at the same time. I find I listen to subjects that I normally wouldn't think about.

So now you know one of my best kept secrets about how to stay informed and educated. Statistics say that if you spend 1 hour a day reading in your field, in three to five years you will be a national expert. So I strongly recommend this service. The plan I use is about $23 dollars per month.

The amount of knowledge you will gain, the time you will save and the fun you'll have doing it will likely make this the best $20 purchase that you'll make each month.

Thanks for letting me share with you. Don't forget, whenever you have real estate questions, give me a call or shoot me a quick email. If I don't have the answer, I know where to find it. I stay informed, and will always give you honest answers. But then, you already knew that, didn't you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

CA DRE License #01418440

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How To Make A Grown Man Cry!

2011-10-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

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Most of the time, the tips I provide are great FREE services that bring you HUGE benefits.

Today's tip could save you thousands of dollars and countless working hours, but will cost you only $2-$10/month.

A friend of mine just lost what seemed like his whole life, when his laptop fell in the water last week. He said he nearly cried!

We have all heard horror stories of computers crashing and people losing all of their data, hard work, not to mention perhaps all of your vacation pictures. This only has to happen to you once before you become a believer in this tip!

We all know we should back up our computers daily, but let's face it, it probably doesn't happen even once a month, much less daily.

Here is a great service that will back up your computer automatically for $2 per gigabyte. It stores the information on a secure online server via your internet connection every time you are away from your computer for more than 30 minutes or so.

I just signed up for this myself and it was so easy to set up. Just go to www.DataDepositBox.com.

Trust me; if you don't have something like this in place to protect you and your valuable information, you are taking a huge risk.

Thanks for joining me; I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

CA DRE License #01418440

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Secrets To Raising Your Credit Score!

2011-10-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

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Today's tip will help you whether you are buying a new house, a new car, a cell phone, or applying for homeowners insurance!

With the rapidly changing conditions we've seen in the real estate and mortgage industries, it's critical to keep your credit score as high as possible.

Some employers pull credit reports on job applicants, so it will even help there.

These quick tips will help increase your overall credit score.

First, never cancel a credit card that is more than 2 years old. Having a "seasoned" account, one that is more than 2 years old is a big plus for you.

Next, increase your maximum allowable credit limit. In other words, if you have a credit card that is close to its maximum balance, call the credit card company and ask them to increase the credit limit.

The credit bureaus don't like to see "maxed out" credit. Tell them you would like them to do this without pulling your credit.

In addition to this, spread out your balances among your cards trying to keep the ratio between card balances and credit limit to 30% or less.

For example, let's say you have 3 credit cards and $3,000 in credit card debt. If all the cards have limits of say $4,000, it would be best to put $1,000 on each of the cards than to have just 1 of those cards with the full $3000 balance.

Finally, be sure to pay your bills on time. The number one reason for a low credit score is late payments.

And here's a scary fact. Studies show that 79% of all credit reports have errors on them. 79%!!! That's almost 8 out of every 10 reports. That almost sounds criminal, but it's true.

If you are even considering buying a new home or refinancing, let's take a look and see if we need to do some "homework" to build your credit score up to its highest possible point. Since lower scores mean higher interest rates, even a few lost points on your credit score could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in wasted interest payments.

Don't wait, give me a call soon to talk about your options.

You see, our relationship doesn't end when I help you find a beautiful home for your family; that's really just the beginning. Although I am here to make sure you get to the closing table with no surprises, I also want to help improve the quality of your life and to save you some of your hard earned money. And when your family grow's, or you decide to invest in another property, I want to be there to help you then too!

Thanks again for letting me enter your world each week and thanks for the referrals of your friends and family members. I appreciate it and so do they, I promise you that!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

CA DRE License #01418440

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Should Your Credit Be "Re-Aged"?

2011-09-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

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Here's a little known credit secret. Let's say that you or someone you know got into a bit of a bind some months ago and you have some credit accounts with late fees and over the limit charges. These "lates" affect your credit score.

The good news is that you can improve your credit score and get rid of the history of late payments by asking your creditor to "re-age" your account.

What is re-aging you ask? It's when your overdue credit card account gets zapped back to current. It's like starting the clock over. Say you're three months late on your credit card payments. If the creditor agrees to re-age your account, those three months are wiped out. Missed payments are forgiven. Late fees stopped.

You still owe the same amount of money, but you are no longer delinquent. You get a fresh start and your lender has one less delinquency to report.

There is a little catch though. You see, the length of your credit history is one of the five factors that affect your credit score. When an account is re-aged, it is reset in your credit report back to "zero" years. So, if you've had a credit card for 4 years, you lose those 4 years of credit history. This means that re-aging your oldest account may actually take away points on your credit score, but getting rid of several late payments that were made in the last 12 months or so should more than off-set that.

To be considered for re-aging:
- You must demonstrate a renewed willingness and ability to pay.

- The credit card account should be at least nine months old.

- You should have made at least three consecutive minimum monthly payments or the equivalent sum.

There are also limits on the number of times an account can be re-aged. A creditor may re-age an account only once in a 12-month period and twice in a five-year period for open-ended accounts such as credit cards.

Here are some tips for getting the ball rolling. First, be sure you ask nicely. Re-aging is not a requirement, it's a favor.

Next, if they haven't agreed yet, use this phrase: "The specifics of re-aging are set up by the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council, outlined in its Uniform retail Credit Classification and Management Policy. Could you please check the guidelines to see if I qualify?" Quite a mouthful isn't it?

I also want you to know that when you are buying or selling your home, you could be missing out on a great opportunity. Please, if you haven't already; call me to get accurate information before making a decision.

Don't wait; call me soon to get informed, educated and empowered to do what is best for you and your family. Don't you owe that to yourself?

Thanks for allowing me in your life every week, I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

CA DRE License #01418440

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Avoid This HUGE Problem!

2011-08-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

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Lately I've been getting a lot of phone calls from my clients telling me about mailers they are getting almost daily from their current mortgage lender and a bunch of others with offers to refinance their homes.

All of them want to know if these deals are real? So let's start from the top. About 99% of the time that you think it's your current lender sending this stuff to you, it's not.

Your name, your address, your current loan amount and interest rate, whether it is adjustable, when a prepayment penalty expires, and the lender that you are currently with, is all public information and big direct mail companies buy the lists right from the courthouse and trick you into thinking that they are your current lender.

They also throw in some scam phrases that make you think you have already been approved, but if you look at the fine print it says "may be approved", or "may decrease your payments", or "may be eligible".

Another trick they use is they put "file numbers" or "case numbers" on the mailer to make you think it is tied to your loan. In reality, each set of mailings they send out have the exact same file number. This is so they can track which letter you respond to. This allows them to know which letter to re-use in the future because it tricked the most people.

I saw one the other day that used the phrase "entitled homeowner". This made it sound like it was some special government program.

Other letters may say that there are only a certain number of people who are eligible and that the offer "expires" in two weeks.

There are no programs that only allow a certain amount of people in, and no programs that have some sort of magic "window of opportunity" date. These are all deceptions and lies.

You see the problem with all these letters is that your letter could be one of many scams with all these hidden fees and one that is doing what is going to put the most money in the mail marketer's pocket, and not what is in your best interest.

But, if you just throw it away, you could be throwing away something that is a real honest offer - one that would be in your best interest.

So what would I do? Well, to help you decide if what you are being sent is right for you, give me a call and I'll take a look at it with you. We can do this right over the phone. Feel free to fax, email, or even snail mail it to me.

I will review it with you and find out if this is something that will benefit you, or just another one of the many scams. This will cost you nothing, will take about 10 minutes of your time, and you are getting an expert's 2nd opinion.

Would you go have surgery without a second opinion? Don't make a huge mistake on what is probably one of the largest financial decision that you will make in your life, without a 2nd opinion from me, somebody you can trust!

Well thanks for letting me come into your life today. Make sure you let me know when you or your family are getting the "itch" to begin looking for a new home. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

CA DRE License #01418440

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What I Learned From a 6 Year Old?

2011-08-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

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I just got back from a family gathering and I had a great idea while I was there. Now I don't know about you, but I always enjoy looking at pictures of friends and family members at parties, I'm just not crazy about being the one who has to go around taking them.

So I was thrilled when I got this great idea at the reunion. At the very beginning of the party, I recruited my very cheerful and outgoing niece. I told her that I was designating her to be our official family photographer.

Her job was to go around and take everybody's picture. She gladly accepted this role, and I was relieved of my photographic responsibilities and was now free to enjoy my day but I had some very pleasant, unexpected surprises.

First, everybody was happy to smile and say "cheese" for this little secret weapon of mine.

Plus, I got to see a side of my friends and relatives that I don't normally get to see. Adults tend to let their hair down and act kind of goofy with 5 or 6 year olds.

I got some fabulous pictures of my more distinguished family members making some very unusual faces in their attempt to entertain this little girl.
Now I have some great pictures that will be tucked away for future blackmail.

But more importantly I got to experience life through the eyes of a 6 year old. As you would expect, the vantage point from 3 foot tall brought a whole different perspective! It reminded me that sometimes we just have to look UP.

I also got to see what was important to a 6 year old, which was quite amusing too. I had pictures of dogs and cats and the family spread.

I found the whole experience brought the kid out in my family and friends and it also did the same for me.

As the Holidays approach with their never ending parade of parties and functions, I urge you to consider "loaning" your inexpensive digital camera to one of the smaller kids in your family and be prepared to see a different view of the party!

I'm sure you'll get pictures you will treasure for years to come,and that may be the best tip I have ever given you.

Speaking of fresh viewpoint's; perhaps it's time to start thinking about finding that house in the country, closer to work, or on the lake that you've always talked about?

Seriously, if you haven't heard, it's really a great time to buy! Guidelines for lending are changing on an almost daily basis and what is available today may not be available tomorrow. Many doors are shutting; let's make sure you are in the right home before the door shuts.

And, I would love to see some of your party pictures! Trust me, when you see the results you are going to thank me for a long time.

Thanks for joining me today; I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833
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How a 10 Year Old Broke Into a Home - Is Your's Next?

2011-08-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

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My eldest, Dillon, yesterday setting up for a block in his first scrimage for this season's Temecula Titans.

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I just saw a video that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!

It's about a well known trick thieves use to break into your house. In just a minute, I'll give you the link to click on so you can watch the video for yourself. You are not going to believe this!

A friend of mine who works for the local police department confirmed that all the bad guys already know this trick, so I thought the good guys should too!

The special keys used for their scheme are readily available on the internet for just a few dollars.

In the video you'll see a 10 year old child, with no prior experience, break into a house in 10 seconds with only 30 seconds of training on how to use these "bump keys".

I'm letting you know so you can get the special locks that are required to prevent this intrusion.

Before I give you the link, I wanted to spend just a few moments talking about the major changes in mortgage lending that you may be hearing about.

Over the last several months, literally hundreds of lenders have gone out of business. With all of this, huge changes in lending guidelines have resulted in a stricter qualification process for borrowers.

If you have been sitting on the fence, wondering if you should begin the adventure of finding a new home; NOW is the time to act!

The time to get everything in order is here while today's low rates and flexible loan programs are still available. Once the door is shut on some of these programs there will be no going back.

I want to assure you that I will continue to be here for you. I will provide you with everything that you need to get exactly what you are looking for!

You can pass this invitation on to your friends and family members as well.

So give me a call right after you watch the video. Just click on the link that says BUMP KEY Report. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM

This story will shock and amaze you! Go check it out! Thanks for joining me and giving me the opportunity to help protect you and your family!

P.S. - The names of the lock companies are: Medeco and Schlage Primus. For two more videos on lock bumping, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwTVBWCijEQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQDR-DBQRfI&mode=related&search

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833

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A Real Lifesaver!

2011-07-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

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Over the weekend I was reading the paper and was amazed by how many people were injured in car accidents.

There was one story where the hospital couldn't identify the injured person and didn't know who to contact.

It reminded me of a tip that I have been meaning to pass along. So, here's the tip. Grab your cell phone and program in the most important person to notify in case you are hurt or in an accident. But instead of putting their name with that phone number, put in the following 3 letters: "I.C.E." This stands for "In Case of Emergency".

I have verified this information with several emergency room nurses and ambulance paramedics, even the captain of one of our local fire departments. All reported that once a patient is stabilized, they look in the cell phone for an "I.C.E." entry if that patient is unable to give them a contact person.

The medical personnel can then notify their loved one, let them know there has been an accident and what hospital to come to.

We all like to think it will never happen to us, but the truth is, it does happen. So get your cell phone out right now and program in your "I.C.E.". If your kids have cell phones, do the same for them.

Speaking of "life saver's", if your outgrowing your current home, downsizing, or getting ready to buy your first home, don't forget to call me! I've just listed some amazing properties and hope to share them with you soon!

Hope you have a great weekend and call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken
951-760-3833
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Congratulations, Lynnette!!!

2011-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

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I just attended the retirement ceremony of my client and friend, Gunnery Sergeant Lynnette Glover. Lynnette proudly served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years.

Congratulations, Lynnette. Your service and sacrifice are greatly appreciated!

The next time you pass by a man or woman in uniform, tell them "thanks"

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How Can You Get A 23% Raise?

2011-07-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

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I just finished reading a fascinating study that really emphasized the importance of appreciating the people we come in contact with.

The author was a Doctor in Human Behavior. He started his research by measuring the average tips of a waitress.

One night he instructed her to do everything the exact same way as normal, but this time she was to include a single mint candy for each person at the table when she handed them the bill. Her tips went up 3% overnight. Big deal you say. Well don't take this lightly, remember, most people get about a 3% cost of living raise each year.

But the study didn't end there. The following night she was to do everything the same again, but this time she was to include 2 mints for each person sitting at the table. Her tips increased by 13%! That's a pretty nice little raise.

The study gets really interesting now. For the next night he instructed her to continue with her normal service, but to go back to one mint for each person at the table. However, as she started to step away from the table she was to stop, turn back to the customers, grab an extra mint from her pocket for each person and say "For you fine people, here's an extra mint".

Guess what happened? Her tips increased by a whopping 23%!!! Wow!!
All that extra income came from just letting her customers know how important they were to her by showing some appreciation. A two cent mint and a little bit of gratitude brought a 23% raise. Not to shabby.

Please, don't take this study lightly. Remember, it's not about fooling someone, or just telling them what they want to hear, it's about a sincere acknowledgement of thanks.

In this case, the waitress really did appreciate her customers, because they were helping her feed her family and put her kids through school. This made her customers very special to her.

After reading this story, I started applying it in my own life, with my friends and family. Now I simply stop and let them know how important they are to me. It has made a huge impact on my relationships.

I also want to say that I appreciate you! I am grateful that you let me come into your life each week.

I also appreciate the trust you place in me when you refer your family and friends to me. As my way of saying thanks, I would like to give away some mints. No! For you fine people, something even better!

How about for the first 5 people who email me back, I'll send you a $10 gas card. Just reply back to this email to get your free gift as my way of saying "Thanks, I appreciate you!".

Oh, and one more thing. Congratulations to all those who have caught this recent wave of low interest rates! It's a great time in the real estate market, so don't miss out on this opportunity to grab a piece of the American Dream!

Give me a call soon, so I can update you on what's recently become available in your area.

Thanks again for allowing me into your world; I look forward to seeing you right here next week with another great weekly tip!

Sincerely,

Ken
951-760-3833
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Regarding the Youtube video box on the home page of my website

2011-06-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

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If you have visited my website in the last two days, you were no doubt surprised by the Youtube video on my home page.

Please allow me to explain. I contracted with a company to revise and update my website design. The name of this company and their website is www.atozwebsuccess.com.

I instructed them to create a video box that would allow me to insert my own videos. Basically creating my own video blog that could be changed and updated whenever I wanted.

The initial video this company used as an example in the re-design stage just happened to be an idiotic homemade youtube video where the two guys in the video used extreme profanity. How this company could be so unprofessional/incompetent is beyond my understanding.

I have been imploring this company to remove it for two days now. The problem is they are in India, I can only communicate with them via email, and their service and turn-around time is pathetic.

By the time I realized how bad they were, I was already too far invested in both time and money to start over with another company. Now, in hindsight, I should have pulled the plug on them.

I hope you understand the profane video was certainly not intentional on my part.

Thanks for understanding,

Ken

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So what to make of the housing market?

2011-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

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The news is abundant with reports of falling home prices. But what about locally, here in the Temecula Valley?

I've created a chart that tracks home prices in the Temecula Valley from January 2009 through April 2011. See the attachment to this email.

Basically, it shows home prices have remained steady throughout most of the Temecula Valley. Does that mean prices will remain steady over the next several months? ... Who knows. I dropped my crystal ball and broke it a long time ago.

Here's what I do know:

Local prices have fallen roughly 57% from their highs of Summer 2006.

The 'Affordability Index' is now higher (better) than ever, now over 70%, meaning over 70% of families in the Temecula Valley can afford the median priced home (in 2006, it reached a low of 17%!).

If you owned land free and clear, you couldn't build a home now for what you could buy an existing home for.

The rent -vs- buy ratio has just tipped in favor of buying throughout most of the Temecula Valley and in the few pockets where it hasn't, it's very close.

Financing - despite what you hear on the news - is abundant as long as you are a W-2 wage earner (most self employed folks have challenges to overcome in terms of proving their income through tax returns).

Down payment requirements are as low as 1% with minimum fico scores of 620-640.

I may be proved wrong but I really don't think prices can fall much more in the Temecula Valley. They're just so darn low already. So low that investors from outside California are beginning to stream into the area like the 49ers gold rush.

Just like in the 80's and 90's, the Temecula Valley has once again become ridiculously cheap compared to our San Diego and Orange County neighbors and we are a reasonable commute for both.

Also, keep in mind our housing crash started in August of 2007 so we're already four years into it while much of the rest of the country followed much later. Historically, California's economy always leads the nation out of recessions.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Hope you have a great weekend. Call me if I can help you with anything at all.

951-760-3833
KenAHall@gmail.com

P.S. My website is currently down while undergoing re-design and updates. Should be up by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. NOTE: If you ever need website design work, never hire the company www.A-Zwebsuccess.com. They've been a nightmare to deal with.

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How to Understand the Good Faith Estimate (GFE)

2011-05-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

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All lenders and brokers are required to provide you with a Good Faith Estimate detailing the services you may be required to get and pay for in connection with your loan. In the past couple of years, the GFE has undergone government-mandated changes.

In typical government fashion, it didn’t really work out so well. Most borrowers - as well as, Real Estate and Lending Professionals -have complained that the GFE is now more confusing than ever.

Hopefully, this report I’ve put together will help make it crystal-clear for you. It's rather lengthy, so I'm not posting it here. Just send me an email and I'll email it to you in easy to read PDF format, KenAHall@gmail.com.

Hope you have a great weekend. Call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken

951-760-3833
kenahall@gmail.com

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Austin Wins 1st Place

2011-05-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

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My middle son, Austin wins 1st place in the 5th Grade speech competition at Rancho Christian School.

The young man certainly has the gift of gab :)

Congratulations, Austin. Mom and Dad are proud of you!

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Now I Can Read Without Glasses

2011-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

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I turned 47 years old on April 15th.

For the last several months I’ve noticed it was becoming more difficult to read. A couple weeks before my birthday, I came into the office, booted-up the computer and finally it happened … I could no longer read the text on my screen (ditto books and newspaper).

I swiped a pair of my colleague’s drug store reading glasses (thanks, Jon Sheehan) and made do for a few days. It was very depressing. I already wear contact lenses for distance (since I was 18) and did not want to deal with also having to lug around a pair of reading glasses.

Then I remembered a conversation I had a few years ago with my Title Rep, Gary Matlock. Gary told me about a method of ‘eye exercises’ that strengthens the eyes and eliminates the need to wear reading glasses.

Long story short: I Googled ‘read without glasses’ and discovered a dvd product sold through Amazon.com called – appropriately – ‘Read Without Glasses’ by Dr. Ray Gottlieb. Cost: $39 bucks.

With a high dose of skepticism, I bought it. When it arrived I watched the dvd and began practicing the method.

Now, you may find this hard to believe but I’m telling you the absolute truth. The next day I could read without glasses! As I continued to practice daily for the next several days for about 5 minutes each morning, my close up vision became even better. Now I can read even fine print like food labels.

It’s amazing.

If you’re interested, here’s the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Read-Without-Glasses-Method-Gottlieb/dp/B000LMPFFW

Once you get to the point where you can read without glasses, you don’t have to practice every day. I’ve been practicing every 3-4 days or so for 5 minutes per day and I’m easily maintaining my ability to read without glasses.

As a matter of fact, I don’t even need the dvd any longer now that I know how to do the method so if you would like to borrow it, just let me know. You can come by the office and borrow it for a few days and try it yourself.

Hope you have a great weekend. Call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken
951-760-3833

P.S. I’ve discovered a service that allows homeowners facing foreclosure to remain in their home for an additional 6-12 months. I’ve researched it thoroughly and verified first hand actual homeowners who are in the program.

If you know anyone facing imminent foreclosure but are in need of additional time to:

•Complete a short sale

•Complete a loan modification

•Find a suitable rental

… please call or send them my way. I can help.

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Logan gets a stitch(es) in time

2011-04-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

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My youngest son Logan showing-off his battle scar.

Have you noticed how toys are packaged these days?! It's funny because I have been saying for years how toy companies are really creating a legal liability issue for themselves by their method of packaging toys.

Well, finally it happened. My youngest son, Logan, was using a swiss knife to open one of these 'bank-vault' toy packages and he cut his index finger. Needed three stitches at Urgent Care.

No, I'm not going to sue but I can't help but think this happens more often that people realize.

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The Real Estate Market is Heating Up

2011-04-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

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It's starting to look like the national media might have finally gotten it right!

CNBC reported that in January clicks to the major real estate websites (Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com) were up 13% over last year (without a tax credit) and that would be an indicator of a strong buying season.

But did that translate locally? Apparently so!

The numbers are in for March and closed sales in our "golden triangle" are up 36% (862 to 1175). Interestingly enough that is only 6% lower than March of 2010 when the first time home buyer tax credit was in full swing. Very impressive.

Every city in our area experienced an increase in closed sales (except Winchester which was down from 39 to 38).

Some of the big winners:
Temecula - +51% (124 to 187)
Murrieta - +61% (137 to 221)
Lake Elsinore - +56% (86 to 134)
Hemet - +33% (117 to 156)

The average home price only decreased $180 (triangle wide) and Hemet actually increased 9% ($106,410 to $116,064).

So what does it all mean?

The market is performing as it always has. Sales are down in January and February and then things start to heat up along with the weather.

Hope you have a great weekend. Call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken
951-760-3833

P.S. I’ll be hosting an open house again this Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm – 6 pm at 33052 Tulley Ranch Rd, Temecula (Vail Ranch).

The deadline for offers is Friday, April 22nd. Let me know if you know anyone who may be interested in this property. We just got the price from the bank: $199,000! That’s an awesome price for a fully remodeled home in the city of Temecula.

Ken Hall Properties

KEN'S BLOG

Ken's Credit Repair Testimonials

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Austin gets his first stripe

2011-04-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

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My middle son, Austin, getting his first stripe in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Pictured with his instructor, Black Belt and Pan-American champion Ricardo Guimaraes.

GRACIE TEMECULA

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It’s Official: Buying is now cheaper than renting throughout the entire Temecula Valley

2011-04-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

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This is amazing.

I’ve put together a spreadsheet that shows the rent – vs – buy comparisons for the cities that make up the Temecula Valley area.

The monthly mortgage payment is based on the state down-payment assistance program (Cal/HFA) which has a below market interest rate of 4.25% and requires a down payment of only 1% (and some closing costs).

The down payment and closing costs may also be ‘gifted’ to the homebuyer by parents, relatives or anyone else for that matter but it has to be in the form of a ‘gift’ not a ‘loan.’

To check it out, click on:

Click on RENT -VS- BUY

Hope you have a great weekend. Call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken

951-760-3833

Click on: KEN'S CREDIT REPAIR TESTIMONIALS

Click on: KEN'S PROPERTIES

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The Lurking Vampire … Mello-Roos

2011-03-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

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I have a client who has been pre-approved for $180,000 and is looking at two homes.

House #1 - He is considering an offer at $180,000

House #2 - He is considering an offer at $184,000

The difference in sales price is equal to only about a $20 per month difference in the monthly payment. But guess what? The actual difference in payment between these two homes is over $300 per month!

Do you know why?

One property has incredibly high Mello-Roos/Special Assessment property taxes and the other property does not … and these two properties are less than a mile apart!

This is something most agents and even many loan officers are completely oblivious to and never bother to check. They just tell the buyer, “Oh, the county property tax rate is 1.08%.”

Sure it is, but that doesn’t include the Mello-Roos. In my book, taxes I have to pay are … well, taxes-I-have-to-pay. I don’t care how they’re dressed-up or what name they’re called.

So for the misinformed and unsuspecting homebuyer: They buy the home of their dreams thinking their monthly payment is $X. Then, six months later they get hit with a supplemental tax bill for an additional $3,000!

Next, they get a letter from the mortgage company informing them that their monthly payment is going up by $250 per month in order to balance their impound account!

Not cool!

Moral of the story? I will NEVER let that happen to you or to those you refer.

Hope you have a great weekend and please call me if I can help you with anything at all.

Ken
951-760-3833
KenAHall@gmail.com

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Harvestion in Temecula! 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3,311 Sq Ft

2011-03-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

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This is our newest bank-owned property in the beautiful planned community of Harveston in Temecula.

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Bank-owned!! Harveston Community!! Cul-de-sac!! 5 bedroom, 4 full bath

Price: $329,000 - $359,000

Property Type: Single Family Residence/D
Bedrooms: 5
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 4,0,0,0
Sqft/Source: 3,311
Sqft Lot/Source: 7,405

Cross Street: Harveston and Margarita
Stories: Two Level
Year Built: 2005

Bank-owned!! FULL REMODEL IN PROGRESS! Fast close of escrow!! Harveston Community!! 5 bedroom, 4 full bath 2 story home on a cul-de-sac. Built in 2005, 7,405 lot square feet. $142 monthly HOA dues. 3 car attached garage with direct entry to home. Too many upgrades.

Harveston is a wonderful world of amenities including a large lake, boats, parks, walking trails, a sports park, splash park, community pool, banquet facilities, and more. Close to schools, shopping, both 15 and 215 freeways, casino's, golf, and more. It doesn't get much better than this! Hurry!

************ LOW CREDIT SCORE OK!! **************

********** I WILL ELIMINATE YOUR BAD DEBTS AND RAISE YOUR CREDIT SCORE!! **

************ BUY THIS HOME WITH ONLY 1% DOWN PAYMENT WITH HUD DOWN PAYMENT ASSISSTANCE PROGRAM!!! **************

************ OR 100% FINANCING WITH YOUR VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION ELIGIBILITY!!!

************ APPOINTMENT ONLY *************

************ NO AGENTS PLEASE! ************

Contact: Ken Hall at 951-760-3833

Check out a few of the many folks we've helped! Click on From Debt To Prosperity www.FromDebtToProsperity.com

My client just became a victim of FRAUD …

2011-03-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

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I was talking with a past client last week and he told me how he just recently became an unwitting victim of fraud.

Specifically, ‘check-washing’ fraud.

‘Check-washing’ is a process where low-life fraudsters steal your mail and erase the ink on a check using common household chemicals. Then, they rewrite the check to themselves. If that wasn’t bad enough, they typically increase the amount payable by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

My client has no idea how the fraudsters got hold of his check as his neighborhood mail box and it’s out-going mail box showed no signs of break-in. Regardless, they took him for over $2,000.

I first heard about this a couple of years ago and discovered if you use a ‘Uni-Ball Jetstream Rollerball Pen’ to write your checks, this “washing” procedure cannot be accomplished. This is a special kind of ink pen that contains tiny particles of color that get trapped into the paper you write your checks on.

Of course, if you pay all your bills online, then you’re ahead of the game.

You can find the Uni-Ball Jetstream Rollerball pens at any office supply store like Staples or Office Depot and you should store this particular pen with your checkbook so that every time you pay your bills you can use it.

Hope you have a great weekend and please call me if I can help you in any way.

P.S. I’ll be hosting an Open House today (Saturday) from 12 noon – 5 p.m. in the beautiful Harveston Community in Temecula. Beautiful bank-owned home, fully remodeled by the bank and will be listed in the mid $300’s. 28997 Williston Ct.

If you know anyone who might be interested, please call me or send them my way!

951-760-3833

KenAHall@gmail.com

www.FromDebtToProsperity.com

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After a short sale or a foreclosure, will there be taxes owed on the ‘forgiven debt’?

2011-03-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

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I have put together a Special Report that covers this important topic but please understand it is for "informational purposes only." I AM NOT offering legal and/or tax advice.

This is a question that should be discussed in depth with an accountant, CPA or tax attorney who can deal specifically with your particular circumstances.

It is a rather lengthy report so I am not posting it as a blog post. Email me if you would like to receive this information and I will send it to you as a pdf attachment.

If you have a friend or loved one who has gone through a short sale or foreclosure, please do them a favor and pass this on to them.

Have a nice weekend and please call me if I can help you in any way.

951-760-3833

KenAHall@gmail.com

www.FromDebtToProsperity.com

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"HOW LONG MUST I WAIT BEFORE I CAN BUY A HOME AFTER FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY?"

2011-02-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

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Dillon and Austin (my eldest and middle sons) winning 3rd place and 4th place in Rancho Christian School's annual science fair Friday night :)

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"HOW LONG MUST I WAIT BEFORE I CAN BUY A HOME AFTER FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY?"

This is one of the questions I'm asked most often. Many people who were burned early by the financial crisis and recession are now in a perfect position to jump back into homeownership. The difference this time is it's a 50% off sale compared to when they bought the first time.

As I've stated before, it's been generations since housing has been this affordable in the Temecula Valley based on price per square foot and mortgage interest rates.

Please note the parameters below are subject to change but I highly doubt we'll see them become any more strict than they are now. If anything, we may see them loosened in the near future to help facilitate re-sale of the large amount of foreclosure inventory that is still to come.

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BUYING A HOME AFTER FORECLOSURE AND/OR BANKRUPTCY

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
1) Foreclosure is 3 years
2) Deed-in Lieu is 3 years
3) Short Sale is 3 years - unless payments made on time thru closing
4) Bankruptcy is 2 years

Veterans Administration (VA)
1) Foreclosure is 2 years
2) Deed-in Lieu is 2 years
3) Short Sale is 2 years
4) Bankruptcy is 2 years

Conventional Conforming (FNMA/FHLMC)
1) Foreclosure is 7 years
2) Deed-in-Lieu is 4 years < 80% LTV and 5 years > 80% LTV for
primary residences. 7 years for second homes and investment properties
regardless of LTV.
3) Short Sales is 2 years < 80% LTV and 5 years > 80% LTV and 7 years >
90% LTV
4) Bankruptcy is 4 years

Conventional Non-Conforming (JUMBO)
1) Foreclosure is 7 years
2) Deed-in-Lieu is 7 years
3) Short Sale is 7 years
4) Bankruptcy is 7 years

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Another Billionaire says, “BUY REAL ESTATE NOW”

2011-02-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

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Dillon’s (my eldest) school photography class award winning photo, “Sunset in Temecula”

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Another Billionaire says, “BUY REAL ESTATE NOW”

In my January 13th blog posting, I told you about John Paulson, the billionaire hedge fund manager who switched from betting against housing to now telling people they should buy a house…or even two houses.

Bill Ackman, the successful hedge fund manager behind Pershing Square Capital Management, is another case in point. He, too, saw the housing bubble before it popped. He made a now famous argument as to why the stock of MBIA, which guaranteed the slop coming out of the mortgage factories during the bubble, was going to crumble. And it did, netting Ackman more than $1 billion. MBIA was, at the time, one of the five biggest financial institutions in the US.

But now, like Paulson, Ackman is bullish on US housing. He recently made a compelling case for buying real estate NOW!

First, housing is cheaper now than it’s been in a generation. The median income is now 78% above what it takes to qualify for a fixed-rate loan on 80% of the median purchase price. Mix that with housing prices that are 30% off their peak nationally and low mortgage rates and you get a cocktail of affordable housing.

The second key part to the argument is to look at the number of forced sellers. As a buyer, it is more favorable to you if you buy from people who have to sell. Makes sense, right?

In housing, about 30% of sellers are in foreclosure or approaching it. These are national figures, so in markets like ours in Riverside County, there are more forced sellers than others. “Buyers benefit when conventional sellers compete with distressed sales,” Ackman says.

Ultimately, this process is good for the home market. As Ackman points out, “Overpriced and overleveraged homes will be transitioned to new, stable owners at more reasonable prices and on more favorable financing terms.” From such stable bases, new bull markets are born.

Third, we look again at financing terms and costs. You can borrow at about 5% fixed for up to 30 years, putting down only 20% (3.5% for FHA loans). You have no prepayment penalties – so you can, if rates fall, refinance. But if rates rise, you can sit tight. And you can deduct the interest from your taxes. It's a sweetheart deal!

Rates, by the way, haven’t been this low since the Freddie Mac survey began.
This also makes for a great inflation hedge. Even small price increases multiply the equity in your house, assuming conventional 80% financing and a 10-year holding period.

People who are skeptical of housing think prices won’t rise anytime soon. But as this exercise shows, you don’t need much of an increase. Even a 1% annual increase over a 10-year period gives you 2.7 times your money. Anything better and your upside soars!

Paulson and Ackman – two great investors – made fortunes betting against housing, but now they’ve changed their views as the market changed. Maybe we should too.

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Credit Repaired * Debt Eliminated * GUARANTEED *** www.FromDebtToProsperity.com

2011-02-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

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My awesome dog, "Dash" ... truly man's best friend :)

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*** Credit Repaired ***
*** Debt Eliminated ***
*** GUARANTEED ***
*** www.FromDebtToProsperity.com ***

As a valued client and long-time sufferer of my Blog postings, you are probably aware that for many years I’ve been regarded as one of the top credit repair specialists in California.

In 2003, I wrote a book titled:

“How To Repair Your Credit and Qualify for a No-Money Down, Low Interest Rate Home Loan in 30 Days.”

The E-Book version became an internet sensation and turned me into an internet celebrity, albeit a minor one (I think you’re required to be involved in a Lindsey Lohan-esque scandal to be considered “major.”)

I’m excited to announce that I am now in possession of the knowledge and tools to take “credit repair” to the next level. The next level is actual and literal “debt elimination.”

Very long story short: I worked with (and paid a significant amount of money to) an accomplished attorney specializing in the Fair Credit Report Act. I now have in my possession the legal documents that make up the “Administrative Process” needed to actually eliminate bad debts (i.e., collection accounts and charge-offs) from your credit report.

It’s complicated and involves a great deal of “legallesse” and I would be happy to explain it to you in its most basic terms. But what’s most important for you to know is: It gives you the power to permanently repair your credit and eliminate old collection accounts and charge-offs that may have been haunting you for years.

If you or anyone you know is in need of this kind of help, please call or send them my way today.

I can be reached at 951-760-3833. Or email me at KenAHall@gmail.com.

www.FromDebtToProsperity.com

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The United States of America -VS- China

2011-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

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The relationship between the world's two competing superpowers, the United States of America and China, is a strange one.

One nation produces, the other consumes. One borrows, the other lends. One is a great capitalist wearing a communist uniform, the other preaches freedom and liberty even as the weeds of encroaching Socialism threaten to paint the Capitol of Washington DC red.
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IS NOW THE TIME TO BUY REAL ESTATE?

2011-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

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My middle son, Austin, and I went to the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, AZ, monday night. Awesome game and a great time. College football at it's best. Auburn defeats Oregon, 22-19 on a last second field goal. I shot the video just seconds after the winning kick.

Big thanks to my good friend John Sparkenbach for getting me the tickets!

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John Paulson is the man who turned the greatest trade of all time. Betting against the housing market, he netted a cool billion dollars for himself in 2007. That’s “BILLION with a B.”

Today, he’s saying it’s the best real estate buying opportunity of all time.

"If you don't own a home, buy one," Paulson said. "If you own one home, buy another one, and if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy a home."

Factoring in mortgage rates, housing affordability is back to where it was in September 1996. Then mortgage rates were 8% and the average price of a home was $171,600.

You can actually buy a home for a monthly payment that is not very many dollars different from the monthly payment one would have needed in September 1996, when rates were significantly higher.

Adjusted for inflation, the payment for an average-priced home today is about 30% lower than it was 14 years ago.

Essentially, real estate is a way to buy now and pay later. And the case for housing extends to other property types, too. Owners of quality real estate are getting deals on mortgages that we are unlikely to see for a generation.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!!
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Airport Screening Results

2011-01-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

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Attention: the first report on the effectiveness of the new “see-through-clothing” screening techniques at airports has just been released.

Year-to-date statistics on Airport screening from the Department of Homeland Security:

Terrorist Plots Discovered 0
Grandma Packin’ Heat 1
Transvestites 133
Hernias 1,485
Hemorrhoids 3,172
Enlarged Prostates 8,249
Breast Implants 59,350
Natural Blonds 3

Amazing! I feel much safer now!
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ATTENTION Homebuyers and Investors: Important underwriting guideline changes!

2010-12-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

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My beautful wife Jennifer and I and John and Shannon at the San Diego Charger's game.

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There have been yet more stringent changes in guidelines in regards to cash reserve requirements for conventional home buyers. Here are those changes:

Primary Residence:
Borrower(s) must have 6 months PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) in reserves regardless of whether rental income is used to qualify the borrower(s).

Second Home:
Borrower(s) must have 2 months PITI in reserves for subject property. In addition,
Borrower(s) must have additional 2 months PITI in reserves for each other financed second home and/or 1-4 unit Investment Property in which the Borrower(s) have an ownership interest OR on which the borrower is obligated.

Investment property:
Borrower(s) must have 6 months PITI in reserves regardless of whether rental income is used to qualify the borrower(s). In addition, Borrower(s) must have additional 2 months PITI in reserves for each other financed second home and 1-4 unit Investment Property in which the borrower(s) have an ownership interest OR on which the borrower is obligated.

These guidelines apply to the home buyers with the best credit scores, so you can imagine the scrutiny that less qualified buyers will have.

Every time I get these guideline changes, I realize that FHA, VA and the other first time home buyer programs are in fact easier.

Enjoy your weekend!

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REDUCED!!! From $279,000 to $239,000 - Murrieta, 4 BR 4 BA, 3,066 Sq Ft

2010-12-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Erin. We love you and miss you

2010-12-08T10:46:00.001-08:00

How to Understand the Economy in 2010

2010-12-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

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Mary is the proprietor of a bar in Chicago. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).

Word gets around about Mary's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Mary's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Chicago.

By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Mary gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Consequently, Mary's gross sales volume increases massively. A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes that these customer debts constitute valuable future assets and increases Mary's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral.

At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders figure a way to make huge commissions, and transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then bundled and traded on international security markets. Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses.

One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Mary's bar. He so informs Mary.

Mary then demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Since Mary cannot fulfill her loan obligations she is forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and the eleven employees lose their jobs.

Overnight, DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS drop in price by 90%. The collapsed bond asset value destroys the banks' liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in the community.

The suppliers of Mary's bar had granted her generous payment extensions and had invested their firms' pension funds in the various BOND securities. They find they are now faced with having to write off her bad debt and with losing over 90% of the presumed value of the bonds. Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a family business that had endured for three generations, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 150 workers.

Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses and their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion no-strings attached cash infusion from their cronies in Government and the Fed.

The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers who have never been in Mary's bar.

Now, do you understand the economy in 2010?
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Pre-game at the Chargers Game

2010-12-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

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Got to hang-out on the field for a few minutes during pre-game warm-ups before the San Diego Chargers game on Sunday. Had a great time except for the Chargers losing to the Raiders

* VIDEO TOUR * 1 ACRE HORSE PROPERTY, BANK-OWNED, $279,000

2010-12-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

QE2, i.e., Printing Money Out of Thin Air

2010-11-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

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How Much Does It Cost To Employ One Worker? $600,000

Ben Bernanke is ticked off. The world is questioning his judgment, and that of the entire Federal Reserve Board. When $1.7 trillion didn’t work in terms of creating jobs, they threw more money on the fire, literally burning up value. When called on the carpet to explain why an additional $600 billion would help where $1.7 trillion didn’t, Ben’s defense was simple … he thinks that $600 billion might..MIGHT…create between 700k and 1million jobs over the next two years.

Ahem. Let’s do some basic arithmetic.

If Ben spends $600 billion to create 1 million jobs (let’s be generous, giving him the top of the estimated range), then that equates to $600,000 per job. I think we can come up with a better plan.

Instead of hoping that excess liquidity at banks will result in greater loans so that inflation is sparked in order to induce potential spending by consumers and businesses (yes, that actually is the hair-brained theory), just directly employ people. If we are bent on spending the money, then simply create a 3-year job program that pays $50k to $75k per worker, and hire 1 million people. The program will cost roughly $200 billion in income plus expenses of, say, an additional 30%, so $60 billion, for a total of $260 billion. This would save taxpayers $340 billion of printed dollars, thereby reversing the devaluation of the US dollar, and allow interest rates to rise to a natural level, thereby rewarding savers.

I’m against this, btw, but like I said, if the government is hell-bent on spending money they don’t have (they are), then why not do it in a way that actually puts people to work and saves (printed) money.

Sepsis Shock

2010-11-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

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This link below is an article in today's Californian newspaper about Sepsis or Sepsis Shock. This is what took the life of my Sister-in-Law, Erin, young mother of three, ages 6 and under.

Many people have never heard of it but it kills over 200,000 people per year in the US. It's not easily explained but this article explains it about as plainly as any other i've seen.

And almost everyone I know who knows about Erin's death were, well, dumbfounded (as we were) about this little-known agressive infection that kills so quickly and why we didn't have the chance to stop it.

Please take a moment to read it. If you recognize the early signs, it may save the life of someone you love.

http://www.nctimes.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/article_b6d2e90d-9d0e-58d9-bf3d-0d5293d5e04b.html

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"Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits

2010-11-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

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This week the financial world held its breath. It waited. It watched. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was hunched over...sweat on his brow...easing on his mind. Quantitative easing, that is.

Commentators, economists, and the public wondered if he could really create new money...new wealth...out of thin air? If this were true, it would be a giant step forward for humanity. Jesus Christ multiplied loaves and fishes. But He had something to work with. God.

The Federal Reserve multiplies zeros...creating money - out of nothing at all. If it can really do the trick, we are saved. Congress can go home. It no longer needs to worry about raising taxes or bailing out Wall Street and their other big corporate political donors. Government can now buy all the loaves and fishes it wants.

Will it work? Nope.
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1.04 Acre Horse Property in Romoland

2010-11-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

***BANK REO*** FABULOUS HORSE PROPERTY!! 1.04 ACRE HORSE PROPERTY CUSTOM BUILT HOME WITH UPGRADES GALORE - BUILT IN 2007 - REHABBED & TURNKEY, NEW DOUBLE OVEN, New paint, 24" travertine all common areas, granite counters & BACKSplash & gourmet isle & all baths & even laundry room!, upgraded cabinets, fireplace in family roomm, both full baths custom tile, master suite and second bath has jacuzzi tub, master bath has seperate shower, walk-in closets in all bedrooms,crown & base molding thru out... Fabulous Mountain Views!!

Email me for more virtual tour pics, kenahall@gmail.com

************ BUY THIS HOME WITH ONLY 1% DOWN PAYMENT WITH CALIFORNIA DOWN PAYMENT ASSISSTANCE PROGRAM!!! **************
************ OR 100% FINANCING WITH YOUR VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION ELIGIBILITY!!! ****************

Do you know anyone interested in a great horse property in this price range?

Call me! 951-760-3833
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Play of the Season

2010-11-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

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Dillon's head coach proclaimed this "The Play of the Season" so I have to brag a bit and share it. Temecula Titans defeat Rancho Penasquitos 48-18 on October 23, 2010. Dillon is #20 getting a sack and forced fumble.
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Awesome Pool Home for the Cuevas Family

2010-10-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

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We closed escrow last week on a 1/2 acre pool property for the Cuevas family in Murrieta's Old Town Historic district.

Congratulations to the Cuevas family. It was an honor working for you!
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Delinquency Facts

2010-10-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

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The Fam enjoying a day off at the Hotel Del Coronado.
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Nationwide average number of days between delinquency and foreclosure:
448 (one year and three months, so currently foreclosing homes are those that went delinquent July 2009).

Beyond the reality that there are many people in their homes not making mortgage payments, the facts above tell us that we have a long, difficult road ahead of us dealing with all of the delinquencies that have yet to make it through the system.
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New Bank-Owned Property in Murrieta

2010-10-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

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Gorgeous newly remodeled home in the prestigious "Veranda" community just off Winchester and Hunter road.

4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,066 square feet. Balcony off master bedroom and loft. It's a 50% off sale in our little corner of SoCal and there's never been a better time to buy property with interest rates nearing the high 3% range.

Property just remodeled by bank and will be priced in the mid-$200's.

Do you know anyone looking for a home in this area and price range? Call me now, 951-760-3833.
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The Chicken and the Egg of Real Estate

2010-10-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

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My eldest, Dillon (#20), making a tackle last Saturday. Temecula Titans win 32-6!

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The chicken and the egg. Which comes first? When a potential buyer calls and wants me to show them a home, one of my first questions I ask is are you pre-approved for a loan? The reason for this question is simple. If I don't know what you are qualified for, I will have no idea what homes I can show you.

Buyers, I know this may not be what you want to hear, but you MUST get pre-approved for a loan before asking to be shown homes. Your pre-approval letter contains very important information.

The maximum purchase amount - It makes no sense whatsoever to show you homes that are above the maximum purchase amount you qualify for, unless the home is overpriced. That I can determine by looking at comparable properties that have recently sold nearby.

Whether you have chosen a direct lender or a mortgage broker - If you are using a mortgage broker, I cannot show you HUD-owned homes. HUD requires a pre-approval letter on a direct lender's letterhead.

The type of loan (Conventional, FHA, VA) - If you are qualified for anything other than a conventional loan, buying a condo or a "flipped" home can be very difficult and time consuming.

Loan and/or Funding Conditions - We need to talk about your ability to provide documentation the lender requires on a timely basis.

I understand that you might not want to get pre-approved until you find the right house. Or maybe you won't want to buy a house at all if you find out that $xxx,xxx can only get you a home in need of TLC in a less than desirable neighborhood.

We won't know that until you get pre-approved. In Real Estate, the pre-approval letter must come first. Let's call it the chicken. After that, we can go out together and look for that perfect egg.
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NEW BANK-OWNED LISTING IN SAN JACINTO

2010-08-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

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Looks like the banks are beginning to release some of their foreclosed inventory ... FINALLY!!

We just received a new assignment on another awesome single-story home. This one was built in 2006, 2,367 square feet, 4 BR 3 BA, and it's in fantastic condition. We don't have the price on it yet, but it will probably be priced in the $160,000 range.

Do you know someone looking for a great deal on a newer single-story home in San Jacinto? Call me now! 951-760-3833
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NEW BANK-OWNED PROPERTY LISTING IN HISTORIC OLD TOWN MURRIETA!!

2010-08-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

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Just received a new bank-owned property assignment/listing in historic Old Town Murrieta.

This is a great property! 1/2 acre lot with large in-ground pool/spa. 1,212 square feet, single-story, 3 BR / 2 BA, low property taxes, no homeowner's association, $209,500.

Do you know someone who might be interested in this property? Call me now! 951-760-3833.
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Successful Short-Sale

2010-05-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

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I received a gracious compliment from my client J.V. regarding successfully handling he and his wife's short sale. We successfully closed it a couple weeks ago.

******

from: J.V.
to: kenahall@gmail.com

date: Fri, May 14, 2010 at 10:07 PM
subject: RE: congrats
mailed-byhotmail.com

Ken,

I talked to the escrow people today and all is well. Thanks for all of your work. We have heard some really bad stories about shortsales and this was quite pleasant because you obviously are very good.

Thanks again,

J.V.
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OOOOOPS! I'VE BEEN SLACKING ... AGAIN!!

2010-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

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Oh, Boy!!!!! I made a promise a couple years ago that I would be much more diligent in the frequency of my blog postings.

Well, I was doing great up until January of this year. Fortunately, 2010 started out with a bang and has been extremely busy ever since.

I want to thank my awesome clients whom I've thoroughly enjoyed helping and working with since January:

* John West & Valerie Stewart (now "Mrs. West" so congratulations to the newlyweds!).
* Keynon Carter
* Linh Pham
* Chris Hodges
* Jon Cenoz
* Max Skolin & Inna Petrova
* Roger Jaeger
* Charles & Leilani Brown
* Ben & Jennifer Walpole

The pics are from Sunday, hiking through the Santa Rosa Plateau.

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ROLL TIDE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

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Without a doubt, one of the best days of my life!

I took my two oldest boys, Dillon and Austin, to the 2010 BCS National Championship game in Pasadena on Thursday, January 7th.

My beloved Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns 37-21 to win their 13th National Championship. Our seats were on the second row, 13 yardline, Bama's sideline. It was just incredible.

My greatest joy, though, was being there with my boys. Watching their faces taking in the whole experience, seeing how happy they were will be something I'll remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

Big, big thanks to my good friend John Sparkenbach who got me the tickets.

And I must say this: The Texas Longhorn fans are the classiest, most gracious college football fans I've ever seen.
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TEMECULA BATTLING BRUINS WIN DIAMOND BOWL!

2009-11-23T12:20:00.000-08:00

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Here's Dillon (my eldest) and I after his Pop Warner team - The Battling Bruins - defeated La Costa in the "Diamond Bowl."

Although you wouldn't know it by the look on Dillon's face, they did actually win the game by a score of 12-0. It seems Dillon was cranky because he had missed an easy interception because he stumbled.

Ahhh, to be so young when "problems" really aren't problems:)
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NICE EMAIL FROM STEPHANIE REGARDING MY CREDIT REPAIR E-BOOK

2009-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

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Stephanie found my website and we corresponded regarding her efforts to repair her credit and raise her FICO scores.

She had done a few things correctly but had not quite 'broken the code' on how to repair her credit. I sent her my credit repair e-book, she read it, discovered what she was missing and took action.

************

From: Stephanie Moore
To: Ken.Hall@socalfunding.com
cc:
subject: RE: Help?

Ken:
I had done about half of what you listed, but had never heard of the triple-loan idea! That was brilliant!
I just finished 3 letters to the CRAs that took me four hours and a ton of proof to write. They are off certified tomorrow.

Next, a little trip to my bank!

Again, thank you for helping me. And everyone else who is lucky enough to stumble upon your wise words!

Stephanie
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BEAUTIFUL 2.5 ACRE HORSE PROPERTY IN TEMECULA'S WINE COUNTRY FOR THE STEWART FAMILY!!

2009-10-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

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We just closed escrow last Thursday on a beautiful property for the Stewart family. Michael is a Staff Sargent in the United States Marine Corps. An experienced martial artist and weapons specialist, Michael teaches our Marine Infantry how to fight.

Kerilyn is an outstanding horse trainer and now she has the perfect property to train horses and riding skills from the comfort of her own home. Having moved from a tract home with a small yard in San Luis Obispo, the kids are in heaven with so much room to run around.

They're already moved-in and Michael sent me a text this morning telling me they woke up to the beautiful sight of several wine country hot air baloons floating over their property.

Congratulations to the Stewart's! We're very happy for you all!
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BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!!!

2009-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

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Monday, August 31st, 2009.

Back to school for the Hall boys!

Dillon is going into 6th grade, Austin 4th, and Logan 2nd.

Mom is happy and says she's ready for a break!
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NICE EMAIL FROM MY CLIENT MARIA RODRIGUEZ

2009-08-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

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Really nice compliment from my client Maria Rodriguez after inviting me to a summer party:

That would be great and I look forward to seeing you, hopefully, on August 29th. Tell Jon he is invited too. You both really helped us getting into this home, and we absolutely love it. I am excited to show you all that we have done, and of course Jon has not seen the house yet.

I told my cousin to call you because she is in a home in Menifee that she owes more on it then it is worth now and I was hoping you could help her. I know if anyone can it would be you guys, you’re the best.

Have a good weekend

Maria

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FIRE!!

2009-07-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

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The big fire in Temecula last Thursday was a bit too close for comfort! The fire was approximately 500 yards from my house, just on the other side of a hill.

The airplanes and helicopters were nearly scraping the roof of my house. Water from the helicopter's giant bucket actually came down on my house and patio as it was flying over.

We began gathering the photo albums and important documents just in case. Luckily the fire fighters did a great job of containing it and the wind was blowing it in the opposite direction of my house.
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TESTIMONIAL FROM JASON WERNER & KRISTINA DRESHER

2009-06-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

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On May 20th I posted about an FHA 203K REHAB loan we did for Jason Werner and Kristina Dresher.

Kristina had maintained a blog for the many months leading up to the time she discovered us. She just emailed us her latest post and it's very gratifying.

I'll paste it here below, along with the link so you can check out the entire ordeal they experienced before finding us.

Thanks, Kristina! You've made our day!

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So CAl funding

More than just a shout out...

For those of you who have followed along, been a part of or just got curious how this whole deal was gonna go, thanks. Your thoughts, interest, love and generosity have been such a huge comfort to the Dresher/Werner Project.

We have just passed the one year mark on our project and for the past 7 months the house has sat looking _almost_ done. We, like so many others, were faced with the reality of a cruddy economy, banks so tight it was hard to get a phone call much less money and Bay Area job layoffs. (layoffs we managed to duck) For that whole period of time we were in desperate need of someone, anyone, to go to bat for us and get those last few dollars needed to complete the house.

If you have followed the blog, you would have seen our plea for help back in November. We were at our wits end. No hope I sight. So many poured out with offers of help but the one key piece was the loan. We were so sure we were going to be living in tents in the yard when an email came though. Dallas, my former boss’s wife, says, “Hey, I think I know someone who can help…” Boy did she.

One call, just one, to Jon Sheehan at Southern California Funding was all it took. He called me back after reading our story and said, “I know I can help you out.” Not “let me try” or “we will see”. Jon knew.

We, on the other hand, we just were not sure. We had been burned a few times by now. So, a trip to Temecula and we were on our way. Jon and his team went so far beyond every other lender we had talked to, finance companies we contacted and even our own bank. They knew from day one how to make it work. Never once did they let the state of the economy get them down. Our situation was not an easy one. House half done and no CO made finding a product that would work for us a real tough thing. But, Jon did it. Well, Jon and a whole lot of others over there.

So, Jon, Nicole, Kelly, & everyone, thank you. You stuck by us not matter how crappy the lender got. You never bailed on us when docs needed to be sent in over and over. You kept me calm and informed. You made sure the lender did not forget about our file when it really seemed like they wanted to. And in the end, those last hurdles seemed a little less ominous thanks to you. I can say, confidently, that the fourth times a charm. Cause that is how many times it took us to find a company and people that could make things happen for us. And you did.

Construction started a few weeks ago. Finally.

If anyone out there is in need of some help, I am confident Jon and his team can help you out, point you in the right direction or make sense of all the crap out there. Give him a call: 951.676.9640; Jon’s cell 949-584-5644; Ken’s cell 951-760-3833.

http://www.2124republic.org/RepublicRemodel/SoCalFunding.html

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What A Great Deal For Michele Ambriz & Ophelia Wells!

2009-06-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

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Michele Ambriz and her Mom Ophelia Wells scored big with their home purchase in Sun City. This is Ophelia with her granddaughters.

We just closed on May 26th. They purchased a bank-owned property that had water damage. The bank paid for the rehab and we got them a great deal for only $124,000.

Congratulations to Michele and Ophelia!

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IT PAYS TO HAVE A REPUTATION FOR GETTING THE JOB DONE

2009-05-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

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Here's Jon and I with the Final HUD 1 Closing Statement for our clients Jason Werner and Kristina Dresher. They used a mobile notary to sign their loan documents in Costa Mesa so we never met them face to face.

Jason and Kristina own a home in Costa Mesa that needed major rehab. They completed about half of the rehab with their own savings. They thought it would be no problem getting a new "rehab loan" to complete the rehab because they had plenty of equity, great credit scores and income.

They tried getting the FHA 203K REHAB LOAN Through both Countrywide and Wells Fargo. Due to lack of experience, incompetence or both on the part of their respective loan officers, their applications were denied by both Countrywide and Wells Fargo.

There they were, stuck with a house they could not live in!

The path that led them to us is still a bit fuzzy but basically, it was through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend who eventually led them to us.

We are experts at doing FHA 203K REHAB loans and were able to secure their loan approval and walk them through the process.

Lesson: Having a reputation for getting the job done - and especially the difficult ones - pays off.

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WHAT'S GOING ON?! THE THIRD HALL BROTHER ALSO WINS FIRST PLACE!!!!

2009-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

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My youngest, Logan, will turn 7 years old in a couple weeks.

Not to be outdone by his two big brothers, Logan also just won first place in the first grade speech competition at Rancho Community Christian School.

Way to go Logan! Very proud of you!!

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AUSTIN'S 9TH BIRTHDAY AND ANOTHER 1ST PLACE WINNER!!

2009-04-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

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My middle son Austin's 9th birthday was March 31st. Bowling and Pizza Factory was the order of the day.

Of my three sons, Austin is the Ham:) If there's an audience, camera or microphone in the vicinity, he's at his best.

I remember when that became abundantly clear at his kindergarten graduation program. All the other kids who walked up to the microphone had the "deer in the headlights" look.

Not Austin! He walked up to the microphone like a conquering hero with the biggest smile on his face and just hammed it up:)

So it comes as no surprise that he just won first place in the third grade speech competition at Rancho Community Christian School.

He now gets to compete in the finals with other winners from other schools.

Way to go Austin! I'm very proud of you.

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INCREDIBLE DEAL FOR CARMINE & THERESA OLIVERI!!

2009-04-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

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In this market, there are only two types of home sales: bank-owned properties and short sales. Traditional seller/buyer sales are few and far between.

We're 99% involved in bank-owned properties but from time to time I'll take a short sale listing. The challenge with short sales is they take a long time to get approved, however, the lenders are getting better and faster.

The Oliveri's purchased my short-sale listing on Corte San Luis in Temecula for an incredible price - $236,000! That's about $50,000 below the current comparables.

So I'll pat myself on the back a little bit for doing a good job negotiating the price with the lender:)

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DILLON'S 11TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

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My eldest, Dillon, just celebrated his 11th Birthday with a paint-ball war with his friends. Wow, kids sure do grow-up fast. Can't believe he's 11 years old. Dillon is wearing the white shirt.

They all had a great time. The other Dad's and I joined in, too, at the end. Of course, the kids were NOT allowed to shoot back at us:)! It was a lot of fun.

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TALK ABOUT AN EASY SLAM-DUNK!! ROB & CARRIE HOWARD BUY THEIR FIRST HOME

2009-03-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

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It's funny how the world works sometimes.

I mentioned in an earlier post how difficult the process was for my clients Brian and Maria Rodriguez.

Well, for my clients Rob and Carrie Howard, it was literally the exact opposite.

I went over-board cautioning them about needing to be prepared to make multiple offers and the inevitable emotional roller-coaster ahead of them.

So that's the way it went, right? NEGATIVE!!

Spent about two hours on a Saturday morning looking at homes in the absolutely beautiful Willows community in Hemet. What a gorgeous neighborhood: gated community, pool, community club house, lakes, walking paths, just a beautiful place to live. Check out the lake view from their back yard.

On our first offer, the bank accepted it and paid closing costs. Perfect!

Closed escrow on February 27th.

Congratulations to the Howard family!!

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DILLON WINS FIRST PLACE!

2009-03-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

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Isn't it amazing how proud your kids can make you feel?

My eldest, Dillon, is 10 years old, going on 21. Very grown-up, responsible young man. Thank goodness he took after his Mom :)

Dillon just won first place in the 5th grade science fair at Rancho Community Christian School.

He now gets to move on to the Riverside County finals.

Way to go, Dillon! I'm so proud of you!

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SUCCESS AT LAST FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER'S BRIAN AND MARIA RODRIGUEZ!!

2009-03-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

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This is without a doubt one of the most gratifying home purchases for me in a long time. We closed escrow on February 20th.

Brian and Maria Rodriguez are about the nicest people you could ever meet.

Started working with them several months ago to raise their credit scores because of medical bills that were no fault of their own. Took more work and time than it normally does but we finally got there.

We then began looking and making offers on properties and ended up making several offers before finally getting one accepted.

The lesson here is important:

Buying a home is often times stressful. Challenges almost always arise along the way. You must be prepared to ride an emotional roller coaster until it's over with. Patience and perseverance are at a premium.

Congratulations to Brian and Maria and their wonderful family!

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$$$$$ A SUITCASE FULL OF CASH FOR ERIC AND TAMARA TODD $$$$$

2009-02-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

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In tough economic times like these, CASH IS KING!

And who said cash-out refinancing is dead?!

It's not. And we just proved it!

Eric and Tamara Todd wanted to take advantage of the great bargains in bank-owned properties and purchase a couple of investment properties to fix up and rent out.

The Todd's purchased their house many years ago and never withdrew any equity. So even in this depressed market, they still had a lot of equity.

The challenge, however, was the current mortgage market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are drowning in red ink. They DO NOT want to buy loans where people have pulled-out their equity and the rates and points they charge are absolutely outrageous!

Thank Heavens for FHA! With FHA we were able to get them $126,000 in cash. That's $32,000 more than the maximum we could have gotten them with a conforming loan AND we saved them over $8,000 in points!

With all that cash they were able to pay-off about $20,000 in credit cards and installment loans, leaving them debt-free except for their home mortgage. And they had the $100,000 + to buy a couple fixer-uppers.

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NEW HOME FOR FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS MICHAEL & ROCIO GALVAN

2009-02-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

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This is a great story!

Michael and Rocio Galvin were trying to purchase their first home using Michael's Veteran's Administration (VA) eligibility.

Michael had been discharged from the Marines, worked at various jobs for approximately two years, then decided to re-enlist in the Marines.

He tried to get VA loan approval with a couple different "Big-Bank" lenders. They denied his loan application because of his previous two-year spotty employment history. Michael and Rocio thought that was it. They thought they would have to give up on their dream of owning a home for at least another couple years.

Luckily for them, a friend of a friend recommended they contact Ken Hall and Jon Sheehan before giving up.

Great Advice!

Why?

Because we have nearly 100 lenders whom we have great relationships with. We know how to do complicated loans. FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, we know them all.

Our lenders know and trust us because we do loans the right way. Always have, always will. We have so many years experience we don't even like bragging about it any more because it means we're getting old:)

We obtained a VA loan approval with a lender who applied "common-sense" when underwriting the loan. A lender who did NOT have an issue with his past employment history because he was re-enlisting in the Marines with a secure income for the next four years.

Escrow closed today. Everyone's happy. Congratulations Michael and Rocio!

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CROOKED BANKERS

2009-02-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

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A client asked me about my blog posting from December 3, 2008.

Her question was very relevant and deserves further explanation. I should have realized it when originally making the post but in the rush of the day it escaped me until she brought it to my attention.

The post was about a bank that had royally screwed-over a mentally and physically disabled woman.

Here's the exact wording of the paragraph in question:

"Patrick Paster's Mom, Barbara was in a horrible subprime loan with a balloon payment coming due on January 1, 2009. Barbara is disabled and was really taken advantage of by the loan officer for a bank that will remain nameless."

The question was, "Why should the bank remain nameless? If they took advantage of a disabled woman, why not call them out on it for all the world to see?"

The answer is: I've been down this road once before and was threatened with a massive lawsuit by the corporate attorneys of a very, very large bank whose name you are very familiar with if I were to name it here.

It was back in 2005 and involved my clients Jose and Andrea Sandoval. Long story short, they were receiving threatening and illegal letters from - yet another large bank whose name you would know - and I called them on it. I actually went to their local Temecula branch, confronted their branch manager and told him my client was going to sue them if they didn't back-off.

In the testimonial letter Jose and Andrea wrote me, they actually named the bank and I posted it on my website. About four months later, I not only received a letter but also a phone call from the banks corporate attorneys.

They threatened to sue my pants off if I didn't remove it from my website. I consulted with my attorney and he basically said their pockets were much deeper than mine. In other words, don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

So I reluctantly removed the name of the bank from the testimonial letter on my website, tucked my tail between my legs and moved on.

Likewise, that's why I didn't name the bank that took advantage of Barbara Paster.

I must say, though, that I'm tempted to do it again, given the nature of today's ongoing news headlines. After all, now everyone knows that they're all crooked. I bet I'd get a sympathetic jury!

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BONGIORNO'S NEW YORK PIZZARIA IS COMING TO TEMECULA!

2009-02-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

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Closed escrow Friday on the Bongiorno's bank-owned purchase in Crowne Hill, Temecula.

The Bongiorno's own a couple of absolutely incredible New York style pizzarias in San Diego. AND ... they'll soon be opening a new one here in Temecula. Can't wait:)

The Bongiorno's decided they wanted to take advantage of Temecula's great prices and buy the giant home of their dreams plus take advantage of the great schools and wonderful lifestyle that Temecula offers.

Congratulations to the Bongiornos! It was a pleasure working with you and we're all looking forward to your grand opening.

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3,472 SQUARE FOOT BEAUTY FOR LUCY GRANT

2009-01-27T18:24:00.000-08:00

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We closed escrow Monday on an awesome bank-owned home in Menifee for Lucy Grant.

A real beauty! 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 3,472 square feet, 8,712 square foot lot with incredible views from the back yard. Totally tricked-out with upgrades and only $245,000. Plus we got ALL her closing costs and impound paid by the seller.

Luckily, Lucy will be able to move in just before her knee surgery. Good luck, Lucy! Been there, done that!

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GREAT DAY OFF IN SAN DIEGO!!

2009-01-20T09:16:00.001-08:00

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Took the day off yesterday and headed down to San Diego. What a beautiful day. Sunny and the temperature was perfect.

We parked at Qualcomm Stadium and took the trolley downtown. Looked at the ships, hung out at Seaport Village. Then we took the ferry over to Coronado, had lunch and just had a great time.

The boys only whined about walking one time! Unbelievable! :)

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CREDIT REPAIR E-BOOK

2009-01-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

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I received a nice email from Misty.

I've never met Misty. Don't know who she is or even where she lives. She found my website and requested my FREE E-BOOK on credit repair.

She was very impressed with the information and wanted to thank me for it. I emailed her back wishing her good luck getting back on her feet and told her I hope I can sell her a house and obtain a mortgage for her some day soon.

Her email is below:

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From: Writer Writer [writingfreelance@yahoo.com]
To: Ken.Hall@socalfunding.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:45:37 AM
Subject: Credit Repair Manual

Hi Ken,

I would love to take advantage of your financial wisdom however, I am not in debt.

That would insinuate that I have money to spend! LOL I've got terrible credit and no income. I would rather be in debt with an income to work with! At least I would feel like I have a fighting chance! LOL

I spent the last year pouring my hard earned (worked 2 jobs) savings into caring for family members.

When everyone recovered and returned home, I was left unemployed, literally penniless, without a vehicle, no furniture, 3 months before I am homeless and two kids that need clothing, braces and glasses between them.

When I am back on my feet, I do want to become a part of your successful program.

Thank you for the book, it's awesome! I read it all the day I received it.

Take care,

Misty

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Giant Home for the Klock Family!

2008-12-31T12:33:00.000-08:00

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One of our recent bank-owned homes in Lake Elsinore was located directly across the street from the house the Klock family was renting. Their rental house was a very small, cramped two-bedroom and it wasn't an ideal situation at all.

When they discovered the large 4 bedroom home with double the square footage was up for sale, they called us to see if it were possible for them to buy it. They didn't think it was realistic that they could qualify for a loan, but they at least wanted to try.

Long story short: we worked hard to get them qualified for an FHA loan with only 3% down payment and was able to get them qualified using their parents as "non-occupant co-buyers."

They were surprised we were able to make it work and very grateful. Tara's my new best friend and never missed an opportunity to show me her seven Special Olympic Gold Medals.

Congratulations to the Klock family! It's very gratifying for us to have been a part of making it happen for you all.

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DREAM HOME FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS CHARMAINE AND SAMY!

2008-12-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

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First time home buyers throughout the Temecula Valley are pinching themselves over the incredible affordability of homes in the area.

Charmaine Tauanuu and Samy Tadrousse are no exception. For the last few years they thought they were locked out of the housing market for good; forever destined to rent as long as they lived in Southern California.

We had the pleasure of helping Charmaine and Samy make their very first home purchase their absolute dream home.

In the beautiful Tuscany Hills area of Lake Elsinore, Charmaine and Samy purchased a like new home on a cul-de-sac with a pool and the most incredible views of the mountains and Canyon Lake.

Congratulations Charmaine and Samy! We really enjoyed getting to know you and working with you.

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Horrible Mortgage Vanishes ... Great Mortgage Takes It's Place

2008-12-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

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The mortgage and real estate industry is much more difficult than it was a couple years ago. Most of the people I've known for years in the business are now gone.

All of the 'EASY' loan programs are now gone; underwriting guidelines are much more strict; stated income loans are extremely difficult to qualify for.

But one of the gratifying aspects of the industry that remains is when we're able to fix the past abuses of dirt-bag lenders and real estate agents and save innocent homeowners.

Patrick Paster's Mom, Barbara was in a horrible subprime loan with a balloon payment coming due on January 1, 2009. Barbara is disabled and was really taken advantage of by the loan officer for a bank that will remain nameless.

With some difficulty, we were able to get Barbara out of the crummy loan and into an FHA 30-year fixed rate loan with a much lower interest rate.

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One of the Best Gifts Ever ... San Diego Charger "Powder Blue" Jersey!

2008-11-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

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We just closed escrow for my clients Bill Gibbs and his fiancee Diana Babb. Bill is the Senior Field Manager for Qualcomm Stadium. The field you see on television the Chargers are playing on is his handiwork.

We had to practically go 'bare-knuckle-brawling' to get an incompetent escrow company to get his loan funded and recorded by Friday so he could move-in over the weekend.

To show his gratitude, Bill gave me this awesome San Diego Charger 'Powder-Blue' jersey. It truly is just what I've always wanted but have been to cheap to buy myself!

And Diana gave Melanie a beautiful scarf she made herself!

The house they bought is incredible. Three-story with it's own wine cellar. Very cool, very unique European Architecture style property.

Bill and Diana are the nicest people and I loved working with them.

Welcome to Temecula! You're gonna love it here!

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I Hereby Declare Today ... CHARLIE KIMBLE DAY!

2008-11-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

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My clients Charlie & Maria Kimble are THE BEST!

With all humility, we did a pretty awesome job on Charlie and Maria's recent home purchase. Worked through a few challenges and got him a great deal on a beautiful bank-owned property in Murrieta.

How great? $67 per square foot! To put that in perspective, if you owned the lot free and clear, it would cost about $130-140 per square foot to build the same house. That's about 50 cents on the dollar or 50% below replacement cost.

The lesson to be learned: We are living in a historic period. Unfortunately, there are both winners and losers in the current economy. But make no mistake about it, there may never be a better time in history to purchase real estate than right now.

Anywho, back to Charlie and Maria. Charlie works for Pala Casino and he was so happy with the the job we did, he hooked us up with Pala's Human Resource Department and now we're providing the same kind of great service to Pala's many employees.

So far, they include: Patrick Pastor, Lucy Grant, Charmaine and Sammy Tauanuu and several more folks we're just now starting to work with.

My flash didn't work when we snapped the photo, but left to right:
Melanie Davis (our Transaction Coordinator), Charlie Kimble, me and Jon Sheehan.

MANY MANY THANKS TO CHARLIE AND MARIA!

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Tom & Robbie Long, Congratulations!

2008-10-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Just delivered the keys this morning to Robbie Long and her son Alexander. She and her husband Tom closed escrow yesterday on a terrific 3 bedroom 2 bath property in Temecula.

Congratulations Tom, Robbie & Alexander and welcome to Temecula!

Financial Bail-Out

2008-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

I've received several calls over the last two weeks about the economic crisis and what I think about it.

Where do I start? First, I'm so disgusted with it all, I don't want to think about it at all. The picture above represents my opinion of the vast majority of our politicians in Washington (and Sacramento, too, for that matter).

As a tax payer, I'm against it. But since my crystal ball broke long ago, I don't know what will happen if it were not passed. Some say another Great Depression. Others say America will find a way to muddle through and be o.k.

I personally believe it can be done without the massive $700 Billion bail-out. Simply increase the FDIC deposit insurance to protect bank depositors but let fail the banks that are meant to fail.

For spurring the economy, that's an easy one. Simply cut the capital gains taxes to zero and entreprenurial money (the smartest money) will naturally find it's way to the most productive and profitable investment and business-building activities available.

And that will create economic growth without the politicians and beaurocrats pulling the strings (which only creates more corruption and waste).

But the politicians are NOT going to do that because it would take power and $$$$$ away from them and put it in the hands of the American people. Of course they're not going to do THAT!

After all, has government (at any level) ever proven it can run anything better than private enterprise (think Amtrak)?

In the end, any version of bail-out that passes will only delay the inevitable: the government will continue to print money, pile-up debt for future generations that can never be repaid and eventually our currency will be destroyed.

How's that for a rosy scenario?! So now that we all feel better about things, back to work:)

New Charger Cap from Bill Gibbs!

2008-09-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm just noticing that almost all my recent posts have something to do with football.

Maybe that says something about where my head is. Hmmm, perhaps it's also something I should be concerned about:)

Anywho, I'm with my clients Bill Gibbs & Diana Babb (soon to be "Mrs." ). Bill just gave Diana the engagement ring Saturday.

But he also gave me a very nice gift, too: The very cool San Diego Charger Cap I'm wearing in the picture.

Bill is the Senior Field Manager for Qualcomm Stadium. So if you watched the Chargers dismantle the Jets on Monday night football last night, the perfectly painted and manicured field they were playing on is the handiwork of none other than Mr. Bill Gibbs (ok, and the guys who work for him, too).

Bill and Diana are moving to Temecula. We just made an offer on a beautiful property off of Butterfield Stage so we're keeping our fingers crossed while waiting for an answer.

Offer Accepted! Nice Compliment from Robbie Long!

2008-09-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Got an offer accepted last Wednesday on a nice property on Corte Salinas in Temecula for the Long family.

Tom & his wife Roberta "Robbie" Long are professors at Cal State San Bernardino. They decided that our beautiful slice of Southern California called "Temecula" was THE place they wanted to settle down in and raise their growing family.

Robbie sent me a nice email ...

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From: Roberta Maxwell-Long
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:16 PM
To: Ken Hall

Subject: Thank You!

Hi Ken,

Thanks so much! You are the real estate Guru!

I would have never imagined they would go so low. Tom will fax you bank statements along with signed documents. Also he will get check to you asap. Need anything else just give us a call.

-Robbie

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Austin & Logan Play Football for the Chargers!

2008-09-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

My two youngest sons play flag football for the Boys & Girls Club. Their team name is the "Chargers" which is a very big deal for them since they're big San Diego Charger fans.

Here's Austin & Logan before the big game and Austin (Quarterback!) jumping up in celebration after throwing a touchdown pass. Chargers win 38-6!

Good Bye & Good Luck, Eric Parker

2008-07-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

My client and friend Eric Parker of the San Diego Chargers was released by the team yesterday after 6 years of being the Chargers' most productive wide receiver.

Even though Parker missed the entire 2007 season, his 170 receptions since 2003 rank third on the team behind Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson. Teammates consistently ranked him as the team's hardest worker.

But his high salary, a toe injury that kept him out all of last season and might hamper him further, and the Chargers' abundance of receivers conspired to bring his six-year career in San Diego to a close yesterday.

Back in 2004, I helped Eric and his wife, Nadia, fix their credit and got them into a property in San Diego.

Eric is a real nice, down-to-earth person. He was very grateful for what I was able to do for him and referred a lot of clients to me over the years since.

I'm sure he'll land with another NFL team and continue his career for a few more years.

Are you a football fan? ... Then you'll appreciate this

2008-07-20T10:00:00.001-07:00

Having lunch at Soup Plantation last Friday when one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game sits down two tables away from us.

I said, "That's Terrell Davis."

My mother-in-law, Stephanie, says, "Who's Terrell Davis?"

Jen and the boys knew because we're ... shall we say ... a bit fanatical about our football in the Hall household.

I went on to explain to Steph that Terrell Davis:

* Is one of only 4 running backs to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season

* 2 Superbowl Rings with the Denver Broncos

* NFL league MVP

* Superbowl MVP

Unfortunately, he had to retire after 8 years because of a knee injury (same one I just had surgery for).

Me, Dillon, Austin and Logan walked over and asked for his autograph. Very nice guy and we chatted for several minutes. He makes his home in Murrieta.

2008-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

I just received an email from my client, Jim Wentworth and I'm copy/pasting below along with a photo of Jim and I.

We just closed on Jim's purchase June 3, 2008. What he had to say was ... well, downright touching. I am very humbled by and appreciative of Jim's comments. It's a pleasure to have clients like Jim.

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To: Ken Hall
Coldwell Banker
Platinum Properties

From; Jim Wentworth June 14, 2008
29161 Promenade Road
Menifee, Ca. 92584

I want to take this opportunity to write a “thank you” for a “Job well done”. I had given up hope on finding a home period, and then to meet you and to find a home in the Murrieta/Menifee area was a blessing. I want to summaries the experience the best I can so you know how much I appreciate having you as my realtor and friend.

As you know I have owned homes before, but due to a divorce and a few bad stock investments I figured I would rent for many years or forever due to my age. Then the market took a turn for the worst for most investors. A friend told me about the housing market in the Riverside county and how you could buy a home for under three hundred thousand. I did not believe it, so I went on line and hooked up with some realtors. I was so excited to think that I may have a chance to purchase a home again.

As you know I was well qualified to purchase a home. Ten years on the job, a 750 credit score, ten to twenty percent down, no property to sell, never a bankruptcy, and so on. I was ready to buy the home that I thought I would never own again.

I worked with realtors for over three months making multiply offers on homes that I thought would be my dream home. After multiply offers, two short sale escrows and no response from all of my effort I became very depressed that my expectations of owning a home again was slipping away. The realtors keep saying that I had to keep making offers, but I told them that “if we keep doing what we have been doing, that we will get the same result”.

Then I decided to go out on my own, and that Saturday afternoon I meet you at the house on Promenade. Right off the bat I knew I finally meet the right realtor. You explained to me what a great relationship you had with asset managers of banked owned properties and that you could make this deal happen. Well, with my past experience I was a little skeptical, but within a week we were in escrow and I was actually buying a home again. The very first home I made an offer on with you Ken, the offer was accepted and every thing else is history. I found out what all of the other realtors were missing once I meet you, and that was your aggressiveness, your contacts, and professionalism.

Ken, sorry for the long letter, but I want to thank you for the opportunity to own a home again, not to mention a five bedroom, three full baths, on a golf course, and in like new condition. You walked me through the process with professionalism, you keep your word on every aspect of the sale, you and your office were there when I needed them, and I could not be happier with the experience.

Thanks Ken,

Jim Wentworth
Retail Customer Manager

Kraft Foods USA

Temecula Valley Economic Forecast

2008-07-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted an economic forecast last Thursday at Pechanga. The presentation was given by John Husing, PHD (http://www.johnhusing.com/).

I was really, really looking forward to attending this event, but unfortunately, my knee surgery was scheduled for that same morning. My partner, Jon Sheehan and our assistant, Melanie Davis, did attend. The photo is Jon and Melanie with Professor Husing in the middle.

If you would like a copy of our notes and hand-outs, email me at Ken.Hall@socalfunding.com and I'll email you a PDF.

In a nutshell, Dr. Husing said the next 18 months are going to bad for the Temecula Valley area. Continued home foreclosures and a net loss of jobs for the first time in over 40 years.

The good news: when the foreclosures are gone and the real estate market begins coming back, the Temecula Valley will boom like never before. The upside potential for the Temecula Valley is far greater than San Diego and Orange Counties.

Austin's Black Belt Prep Test

2008-07-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

My middle son, Austin, tested for his "Black Belt Prep" promotion last Friday ... and passed! All three of my boys have been training for about three years at Sunridge Karate http://www.sunridgekarate.com/.

Sunridge is an awesome Christian-based martial arts school in Temecula. Their curriculum is first and foremost Christ-based. Martial arts, second. That doesn't mean they're not a legitimate martial arts school, though. Just the opposite, in my opinion.

The training is rigorous and they're not "selling" black belts in 12 months like so many of today's martial arts schools are doing. At Sunridge, you can't test for a black belt until you turn 16. That's the way it used to be with most martial arts schools and certainly the way it should be.

If you're looking for a great way to build your kid's character and confidence, I can't think of a better way than Sunridge Karate.

Knee Surgery!

2008-07-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here I am, before and after knee surgery pics.

On Thursday, June 26th I had ACL Reconstruction and Meniscus surgery on my left knee. Trust me when I say it is NOT pleasant at all.

In the pre-surgery pic (where I'm wearing the stylish hair net), they had just given me my "happy shot" so I'm feelin' no pain. In the after-surgery pic, it's the same afternoon after coming home. I was still really loopy and don't remember anything from the rest of the day.

The good thing is, they don't "zipper-cut" the knee like they used to. It's all done arthroscopically with 3 small incisions and 1 bigger incision. For the ACL, Dr. Reiman removed 2 of my 5 hamstring tendons and used them to rebuild my new ACL. For the Meniscus, he just cuts-out the loose, torn part.

I have to wear the big brace for 2 solid months! The first month I have to keep it locked, straight-out. The second month I can unlock it so I can bend my knee. Can't do any kind of activity that requires twising or pivoting for 6 months because it takes that long for the new ACL graph to regenerate. So no, not really looking forward to the next few weeks!

But, hey, what's done is done, right? Only thing to do is grin and bear it.

My nephew, Ed Baldwin

2008-06-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is me, Jen and boys along with my nephew, Ed Baldwin. Ed is the worship director for his church in Montgomery, Alabama, and was out here for a convention in Lake Forest. If you're thinking Ed looks a bit old to be my nephew, you're right. I was only five years old when he was born! His Mom (and my oldest sister) is 16 years older than me (yep, I was a mistake:)

Hey, I'm back!

2008-06-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

O.K., my posting frequency has been very, very poor, I admit. Everyone keeps saying, "Hey, I clicked on your blog but you haven't posted anything in months."

Well, it's certainly not because I haven't had anything interesting to say, that's for sure. Lot's and lot's going on in my life and the real estate and mortgage industry. Just not enough hours in the day.

So, I'm turning over a new leaf and vow to post at least weekly from now on.

First of all, the photo is of my youngest son, Logan and I on Logan's kindergarten graduation from Rancho Community Christian School. You can tell he's a sweet boy, huh?! Just like Daddy:)

That black thingamajig you see on my left knee represents a painful story. I finally decided to get serious and lose weight and get in shape. Less than one month into my fitness routine I tore my ACL and Meniscus in my left knee. Surgery next Thursday.

Lesson: When you're 44 and not physically fit, don't try to do things the way you did when you were 24!

What I'm Reading NOW!

2007-12-08T13:55:00.001-08:00

This book is so good I keep coming back to it every few months and re-reading it. I've told several friends about it and the few who were wise enough to buy it and read it have thanked me over and over again for recommending it to them. You really can make your dreams and wishes come true! Check out Joe Vitale's "The Attractor Factor" and you'll see what I mean.

Ken

The Proud Papa!

2007-12-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Again this year, my eldest, Dillon, is one of three finalists in his school's spelling bee. Last year, Dillon won first place and went on to compete in the Temecula Valley finals. Good luck, Dillon! As always, I'm so proud of you!

Dad

Martial Arts Legend

2007-12-06T14:29:00.001-08:00

A few months back I had the opportunity to meet Martial Arts Legend Bill "Superfoot" Wallace.