I HEAR WEDDING BELLS

I'm so excited and happy, that I want to share the news!! My baby sister is ENGAGED!! Her wedding is being planned for May of next year.  As a baby and small child, she was very close to me, and I to her. Our mother and I were her main caregivers. I was 9 years old when she was born, and I will never forget the day she came home. I immediately took on the"big sister role" and was excited to help out in any way possible. We have had our differences throughout recent  years, but deep down, I understand it is not her fault that "things" are the way they are in our family.  I wish her nothing but happiness, and I am very excited for her and also because she asked me to help her with the plans. Here are some ideas I really like, of course she will be the final decision maker on all, but not without my input, *hehe*. Also, PLEASE I welcome any ideas, suggestions and/or advice with the wedding plans. Right now, I am in search of her invites. We have decided to print them ourselves. I am actually going to ask a very good friend of mine to help witht this. *hehe* Her colors are CORAL, GOLD with a touch of BLACK.

MYSTERY HOUSE -

Give up??? ........The house in my previous post is the actual house and movie set used in the 1978 movie "Halloween".  It is where young Michael Myers murders his sister on Halloween night. When the movie was filmed, it was located in a residential area of S.Pasadena, however, it was later moved and renovated to it's current location and condition. Today it is situated at 1000 Mission St. in Pasadena, CA. It is being used as an office building. The house is not open for showings or viewing, however there is a replica of the house in South Carolina if you are ever in the area. The house is shown by appointment only, for more information check out their site: http://www.myershousenc.com/



A scene from the movie.





The house at it's current location.



MYSTERY HOUSE - Can you guess who's house this is?

Since I'm into HOUSES, I came across this one while doing some research. It's not on the market or anything, but it has a very interesting story to it.  Does it look familiar to you? Where have you seen it before?

THE COSTUME MAKER IN ME

I have always had a love and interest for sewing. Some way or another I have un officially become my niece's personal costume maker. From her first Halloween to this year's, yours truly has created and sewn all her costumes, all three of them! (hahaha)  From Tinkerbell, to Snow White, to the this year's  Minnie Mouse! 

I love the bow, it's perfect.

Made with LOVE by her Tia Vero

This is Daisy, trying on her costume, isn't she cute?

Home Improvement Projects

Last weekend, my husband and I finally painted our family room!!! I've been wanting and waiting to do this for years (literally), and since most (ALL) home improvement projects in my home only happen if I initiate them, I decided to buy myself (meaning separate from my husbands heavy duty ones) a few tools that will help me initiate a few more I have on my list.  With freshly painted walls, the interior decorator in me came out, and new window treatments, among other stuff, were a must!! The tools have definitely come in handy.  I can't wait to get started on my, I mean OUR next project.  I can't believe I'm so excited over it, but I just can't help it.  The full force interior decorator in me has not been out in a while, so watch out! I want to re-do every room in my house now. I just hope I don't run out of steam.  Here are the tools I gifted myself:


Black & Decker 4.8V Pivot Point Screwdriver

$29.99 - Target



Black & Decker Laser Level with Wall Mounting Access

$15.99 - Target

Visiting Abuelito y Abuelita

This past August, Benny and I took a much needed, heartwarming trip to my mother's hometown of Talpa. Talpa is your typical Mexican little town or "pueblo", whose main attraction is Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, a "Sister Virgin" who is adored by many devoted catholic people from all over, including me!! Talpa has several "Fiestas" throughout the year, this is when thousands take pilgrim trips to visit the virgin.

We visited Talpa during it's "off" season, which I personally prefer. Being in Talpa was refreshing, physically, mentally, and spiritually. We stayed at my grandparent's home and spend lots of quality time with them. The lifestyle in Talpa is very different than here in L.A. It's much more laid back and people seem very friendly. Computers and cell phones are seldom used for communicating and socializing. It's a place of cobblestone streets and where everyone knows everyone, outsiders are easily spotted. Church bells tell you the time of day and call the next mass. 

This was Benny's first visit, and I was happy that we both were able to connect with our family culture and traditions.  I look forward to visiting again soon.

My sister's Roaring 20s Birthday Party

When the idea first came up, I asked myself, how the heck am I going to pull this off? Well, lucky for me, Adriana came to the rescue. Without her help, my sister's 30th party would not have been as AMAZING as it turned out. Thanks so much Adri!! Here are some awesome pictures taken by Adriana.

Adventures in Real Estate - Irvine Condo $339,900

Check it out, I have a listing:
2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms, 1016 Sq Ft. Beautiful Condo in the city of IRVINE, one of the safest cities in California. If you know of anyone who is looking for a great starter property, this is the one.

Click here for more Details: Irvine Condo

THEY WILL ALWAYS BE MY BABIES

Sometimes I feel like I'm letting time just pass right by me. My life can be real fast paced, so I have to constantly remind myself to stop and enjoy the present, and enjoy my children at whatever age they happen to be. I have to admit, I loved it when my boys were babies, being a mom was a little more simple then. Today, I look at my boys, and I just can't believe how much they have grown. I know it's such a cliche, but it really does feels like it was just yesterday when I was bringing them home from the hospital. No matter how old and grown up they get, they will ALWAYS be my BABIES.

Mikey

Joey

Benny

Real Estate Adventures- Chicks Rule!!

Ever since I became a Real Estate agent, my mailbox gets bombarded with all kinds of newsletters and magazines.  In the March 2010 issue of Realtor Magazine, I came across this interestesing and fun article regarding demographics.  We all know that throughout the years women have become more and more independent. Case and point: according the National Association of Realtors, single women make up 20% of buyers, up from 14% in 1995. Wow, that's a big chunk. The article also points out that women are very influential when it comes to buying a new home. Women directly purchase or have stronger say over men in the purchase of 91% of new homes. 91%!!!!
Since women are so influential when buying a home the company Design Basics gathered data and performed reseach regarding what women want and came up with 4 types of women buyers:
1. "MAGGIE" Looks for comfort and function. Maggie is adventurous and spontaneous and preffers less upkeep. She pulls toward the "green" design.

2."ELISE" Very family oriented. She wants a home that's easy to clean, low maintenance, and durable. Elise wants storage and a large laundry room.  Elise is more likely to go with a traditional design, such as a country kitchen.

3. "CLAIRE" Status driven. Claire likes brand names and quality products like crown molding and a gourmet kitchen. She also wants space for formal entertaining . Claire appreciates symmetry in design.

4. "MARGO" Work oriented. Margo likes modern design and clean lines. She likes geometric shapes and unusual features like a J shaped kitchen island instead of a traditional rectangular.  Margo prefers edgy, European trends. 

While not all women are easy to classify, and some women may have a combination of these personas, the idea is for this to serve as a sales tool or guide to help with marketing and customer service.

Joey

Last week, I experienced one of the most horrifying moments in my life. My son Joey went missing for about an hour and half. When I say missing, I mean I didn’t know of his whereabouts. Although I am a working-mom, and my kids all go to different schools, thanks to modern technology, I’m constantly in communication with them. I don’t allow them to hang out after school, I have someone pick them up and take them to their dad’s where grandma will keep an eye on them for me, until I pick them up. However Wednesday is a different story. Joey has band practice on this day, and does not get picked up by his ride. He instead goes to practice, and I pick him up when it’s over. Well, this week, I totally forgot to remind him about it when I dropped him off in the morning, and he forgot his cell phone at home that day. Needless to say all the “reminder texts” were not read, and Joey totally forgot about practice. I called his music teacher several times only to find he was not there, it was then I decided I leave work in search of him. I figured he would be waiting at our “safe-spot” after his ride did not arrive, or he might have remembered and went to practice after all. It takes me about 20 minutes to get to his school, however on this day it took me 30 minutes. Traffic was horrible. I look for him at both places, and nothing. I then comb the school campus in search for him. No one had seen him after school. I call all his friends and no one had any idea. I have the school page him to the main office, nothing. By this time it’s been more than an hour since dismissal. I was constantly speaking with Mikey, checking if he got a call from him. Nothing. I decide to drive around and thinking he must have walked home, even though I have told him, not to. At this point I’m freaking out, and call everyone, including his dad, who also freaks out and says we need to go to the police. I’m literally in tears because I’m a block away from home and didn’t see him anywhere, when just as I’m about to park, Mikey calls to say he’s home, he walked here. I was so happy to hear those words. I was imagining the worse case scenario. My son, even though big in size, is only 13. He is so gullible and naïve that who knows what could happen. I’m thank God and all that’s good that nothing happened and it was all a result of our distracted minds. My advice for all the moms out there with school age children is to always have a plan in case of these types of situations, and most importantly constantly go over these plans. Always remind them of what to do in such a case. Also another good tip I have always used, is I type up or handwrite on a small card with my child’s name and all emergency telephone numbers and contacts and keep it in the small pocket of their backpacks. Loose change to use a pay phone is also a good idea. Of course Joey didn’t think about any of these things, but I have to admit it is partially my fault because the last time we all went over our emergency plans was back in September. :o/




Here are some cool and helpful sights with lots of tips and advice for child safety:

http://www.kidsafeid.com/

http://safety-identification-products.com/index.html

Adventures in Real Estate

REO's and Short Sales

There are many good deals to get your hands on out there in this CRAZY real estate market.  Interest rates are low, prices are low, and there's a good amount of inventory out there, depending on your area of course. Remember real estate is very "local", especially here in L. A.

I've been working with some buyers and their price range is HIGHLY competetive, especially with cash offers, most of them, if not all , from investors.  Really unfair, don't you think? Here I have a young, hard-working couple, who have sacrificed and saved  their money and week after week they are being litterally out-bid by these big guys.  Very frustrating, and somewhat discouraging.

I keep reminding them to be patient, and stay positive all while reminding myself. This real estate thing is lots of work! I have to admit, I do enjoy it. I love helping people, especially with something so big, and meaningful. I feel like I'm dealing with making some people's dreams come true.

Since a lot of  our offers are for REO's and Short Sales, I thought I would give you a quick explanation of both:

Short Sale Property:  Typically the homeowner owes more to the bank than what their house is currently worth.  The bank, or banks in some cases, have to accept a less amount of money for the property than what is owed. The process of buying a Short Sale is longer than a standard sale. It can take anywhere from 2 - 6 months to close escrow on these sales.  Some of these Short Sales are listed very low, creating "auction like" bidding from multiple buyers.

REO's (Real Estate Owned): A property that goes back to the bank after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction is called an REO. The bank owns the property and will sometimes have to handle an eviction. Banks will typically make some repairs, and sometimes even give the house a mini-makeover. Fresh paint, new carpet will show well, and get them better offers.  The process of buying an REO is similar to a standard sale and a lot faster than a Short Sale.

Mi Abuelito

My grandfather is in his 80's and has recently started having some health problems; needless to say it worries me. My grandfather was the first positive male figure in my life. As a child I was fortunate to spend my entire summer vacations in Mexico with my grandparents. During my time there, my grandfather would take me along with him to work on his farm and tend to his animals. I was exposed to nature in a way many children I grew up with never did, it was amazing. I hold those vacations dear to my heart because I was able to spend lots of time with my grandfather, which was very meaningful to me, especially because my father has never been part of my life. Inside his tough and stubborn shell was a sweet, funny, and caring grandpa. He always had stories to tell and old folk songs to sing. I really miss him and my grandmother too of course. I can't wait to go visit them this summer. I pray that my grandfather’s health holds up. Till then, I love you Abuelito & Abuelita!!!

 This is a recent picture of my grandfather. I like this shot, because it captures him in his true essence. He is so stubborn about his work on the farm that he now has a driver take him there so he can see that everything is going the way it should. As you can see he also refuses to ride inside the truck. My grandfather is not supposed to be working anymore, but no one can stop him. Perhaps it's what keeps him going. All I know is that if he is happy doing what he's doing, well then maybe we should just let him be.

Blame it on the rain!!

My "healthy living, being active" routine started off really well, the week before last. HOWEVER last week was a different story. Nature decided to  provide us with what felt like years of rain all condensed into one week!  We even had tornadoes in some areas. I for one HATE the rain. I HATE driving in it, I HATE going out in it, I just HATE it.  My hair hates it too. It gets all mad and frizzy, more than usual.

So I fell off the wagon last week. I did not go to they gym or take any morning walks.  Yeah I know, it did cross my mind to pop in a workout DVD at home, but the rain also has this lazy effect on me.  To make matters worse for my  healthy living plans,  my husband was out of town all last week, and he usually helps out with stuff at home, which  makes it easier for me to take off and go to the gym for a bit.  I do want to say that I did not give up just yet, I took my morning power walk today and will be doing so tomorrow as well. I'm getting myself back on track.

On a related note:

I found this book while clearing up some clutter at my desk at work today:

Office Yoga , Simple Stretches for Busy People by Darrin Zeer

I received it in a gift basket over the holidays and at the time didn't really care for it, but today I thought, wow, what a great idea! This is just what I need.  Incorporating some yoga while at work is a great way to relieve some stress and keep active while cooped up in the office all day. The book has over 50 illustrated stretches and  techniques that are easy to follow. The stretches are designed to be used anytime, anywhere, so anyone can make good use of it.  I'm definitely going to keep this book handy. There are many times throughout my day when I could sure use some stress relief.

Healthy Living

 With the start of the New Year there is always talk about "resolutions" and such. Honestly I stopped making "resolutions" a long time ago and instead have made goals for myself, no matter what month of the year it is. One of many goals I've set for myself in recent months, has been to get back into shape and hopefully lose some of the excess weight I've managed to gain over the years. I'm done with dieting, only because I don't really over eat or eat a lot of "bad" things. I never have, I just think my metabolism has slowed down a lot these past few years. Also when I'm dieting I feel so deprived, and that's doesn’t do my mentality any good. I love food and I think that all of us could eat everything as long as we can portion control. I really just want to feel good, tone up some "problems areas" and hopefully get off blood pressure medication. That's my REAL goal, to get off the medication. I was diagnosed with high-blood pressure almost 2 years ago, and have been taking medicine ever since. It's something that runs in my family. My mother, my grandmother, my grandfather, my uncles...it's in my genes, but that's no excuse for me to sit back and just let it happen. My Dr. has always said that regular exercise can make a big difference. My current dosage is very low, and I really hope to keep it low or better yet, get rid of it all together. So....today, I made my first attempt to be more active. I met up with an old friend who I've known for a while takes morning walks right near my work. I can totally fit in 20 to 30 minutes each morning, so I did. I met up with her today, and will be meeting her tomorrow as well. Another attempt I've made today is that I am joining another newly found friend at the gym tonight. I hope to stay committed to this; it should certainly make a difference to exercise with friends. I've tried going on my own, and I just end up getting lazy. No accountability, that's what happens. So I'm going to try this buddy-system that I set for myself and hopefully get the ball rolling. I'm hoping it will give me a good start on adding regular exercise to my routine. Wish me luck! I will try and post updates. Maybe blogging about it will also serve as some kind of accountability.

Looking forward to 2010

This year began with a fun-filled New Year's Eve party. Lots of laughs, dancing, and great friends & family. I can truly say I had a blast. I hope all who attended did too.
This year has also started off good for my new career. As you may or may not already know, I recently decided to make a career change. I became a Real Estate Agent this past summer, and working part-time in this demanding career has been a challenge for me. I landed a couple of clients at the end of 2009, which means that if all goes well, I will be closing my first escrow within the next few months. I am so excited.
In addition to my new found clients, I was just asked by one of the top agents in my office, to consider working with her. I have to admit that this makes me very nervous but at the same time I feel flattered that she would pick me out of so many other more experienced agents. This is a great opportunity for me to learn and start making some real cash. This agent has a lot of experience and I know that I can learn a lot from her. I'm really looking forward to working my butt off. It's a lot of sacrifice and commitment, but I'm ready! Let the madness begin.