What I Learned From a 6 Year Old?

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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?

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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!

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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!!!

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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?

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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

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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?

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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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