Serving Others in Remembrance of 9/11 – Thanks KLOVE! My favorite radio station is encouraging all to make a difference in the lives of others to honor and remember those that lost their lives on 9/11. I think its a great idea!
So I sat down at my computer today to decide what I would do to serve others and came up with “hosting a Food Drive”. I went to the Alameda County Food 
Bank website, clicked on Food Drive, then “organize a Food Drive“. It was that simple. What next… I contacted my favorite local Coffee Shop, Coffee Ali to see if she would be willing to have a collection barrel delivered to her location and of course, she was thrilled and agreed! The form was simple to complete online including where I wanted the barrel delivered.
The Alameda County Food Bank supplied me with a list of the most needed items to assist people in knowing what they can provide. Our barrel will arrive the week of Sept. 12, 2011 (I’ll post an update when it arrives). The food collection will go through the week of October 24. Donations can be delivered to:
Coffee Ali, 3550 Bernal Ave #140
Pleasanton CA 94566
Between the hours of 7:00am – 4:00 pm daily
Here are some other ideas I came up with to ‘make a difference” in honor of 9/11:
Prepare a meal for someone in need
Visit your local senior center to put a smile on the face of a senior
Visit your local Red Cross to donate blood
Write letters of encouragement and thanks to our soldiers
Collect supplies to donate to our military
Contact a battered shelter for volunteer ideas
AND SO MANY MORE…
In Serving Others in Remembrance of 9/11, we can all once again come together to show our American pride and support of mankind just like we did on that horrific day 10-years ago. People helping people, that’s what this event is all about. Please join in. What will you do?
Originally posted: Activerain/rhondafee 9/10/2011
How Can I Use Military Benefits To Buy A Home? Pleasanton CA Realtor Rhonda Fee & Pleasanton Mortgage Consultant Neil Clifton are on a path to educate military men and woman, both past and present about VA loans to buy a home. VA benefits are available to those who currently serve or have served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or National Guard. To qualify, you must be active or have actively served for 90-days and received (if inactive) an Honorable Discharge. If you meet that criteria you are eligible to take advantage of the California Vet Program.
Active Members Must Provide these copied documents to their lender:
- Last 2-Years W2’s
- Your Orders to Respective California Base
- Your Service Statement
If your status is NON-ACTIVE, be prepared to provide the information listed below:
- Your DD214
- Your Last 30-Days Pay stub
- Proof of VA rated Disability (if applicable)
If you have a home chosen and have a purchase contract, that information is needed as well as the purchase price of the home. If you have not yet found the right home, this information will be provided to your lender at a later point.
Interesting VA Facts You May Not Know:
- The home you intend to purchase must be owner occupied. The VA loan is not intended to purchase homes for investment purposes.
- If you’ve previously had to short sell a property, your benefits allow you to re-purchase after waiting only 12-months~!
Having heard the question, ‘how can I use my military benefits to buy a home” so many times leaves me believing the information is not being provided or understood by recipients of the benefits. Imagine being able to purchase a California home with no down payment for a purchase price of up to $417,000? If you chose a home over the available loan amount of $417,000 you are able to do so, but must come up with a percentage of down payment.
With your military VA benefits, the rates are generally better that that of a conventional loan. If you were discharged with a disability, this too may affect your interest rate in a positive way. Your Realtor can even negotiate the closing costs to be paid by the seller!
You don’t have to wonder ‘how can I use my military benefits to buy a home‘ any longer. The answers are here. You just need to ask!
Originally posted: http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/write/2412297
Sometimes buyers don’t even know what they should expect from a Real Estate Professional. I think their hope is that they will be treated professionally, be shown all the homes that match their criteria and have a good negotiator representing them.
When deciding who you’d like to put your trust in, here are a few questions you can ask:
Are you a Realtor®? A new buyer may not even know the difference between a Realtor® and an Agent. Realtors® adhere to a strict code of ethics and pay an annual fee to belong to their local & state association. They are kept abreast of issues as they arise via CAR® (California Association of Realtors). Wouldn’t you like someone who adheres to a strict code of ethics and is continually learning about new challenges for buyers and sellers? Agents that do not belong to their local association are not allowed to call themselves Realtors®. Did you know that?
Do you have any Designations? Designations are earned by Realtors® that exceed the minimum standards required to pass the California real estate license exam. It is actually quite easy to cram for a test and pass, but it is another thing altogether to continually be studying and working the business from all angles. It is both costly and time consuming for the Realtor® to earn Designations. If you work with someone with Designations, you know they are committed to excellence.
What kind of experience do you have? It might help you to know how long your potential agent has been in the business. It is not necessarily a bad thing if they are new to the industry as long as they have a good mentor working alongside them.
In most cases, your gut instinct will not lead you wrong. My mom’s favorite phrase, “You Can’t Fool Mother Nature”, meaning that the feeling you get in your gut when something feels wrong will rarely lead you astray, is a valid barometer for you to check.
When you feel you’ve found the right professional for you, PLEASE be loyal to them. It is so very frustrating in this business to work diligently with your buyers only to find that they are “two timing” you, or worse. Working with multiple agents, and not committing to one is NOT in your best interest as a buyer. Please remember that it is time, effort and expense on the part of the professional representing you to locate properties, drive you around town and spend numerous hours with you and then learn you are not loyal to them. You may or may not be asked to sign a Buyer Representation Agreement. Either way, please be honest with the professional you choose and let them know if at any time you are dissatisfied.
As a resident of Shadow Cliff homes in Pleasanton and speaking as a Pleasanton Realtor, I can say our neighborhood is quite busy! There are currently 2 active homes on the market ranging size from 1,135 sf. up to 2,165 sf. and ranging in price from $509,000 to $699,950. In the last 35-days 3 homes in the neighborhood have gone pending. Two of these homes are priced at $559,000 and one at $569,000. Last year, all year long we didn’t have this kind of activity in the neighborhood.
As an original owner, I purchased my home in Shadow Cliff in 1988 and at the time had no children. Since then of course things have changed and have a daughter now in college and my son still at Amador High School. Many know Pleasanton is well known for its educational system and thus many people want to move here. Shadow Cliff is a wonderful community and very friendly.
Bank website, clicked on Food Drive, then “organize a Food Drive“. It was that simple. What next… I contacted my favorite local Coffee Shop, Coffee Ali to see if she would be willing to have a collection barrel delivered to her location and of course, she was thrilled and agreed! The form was simple to complete online including where I wanted the barrel delivered.
