A special message from Pam Giusto

Our PMZ & Friends golf tournament was a great success. We are sending Make A Wish Foundation a check in the amount of $5105.50. If anyone is interested in a golf Ball Marker with our PMZ logo – I have several left over from the tournament. They are $7.00 each – call Pam Giusto if interested in owning one (209) 544-1199.

Thanks to PMZ Agent Dan Freggiaro from the Merced area for this article from today’s Merced Sun Star.

Read the entire story >> here.

By LESLIE ALBRECHT, Merced Sun Star

The freshly painted interior of Mike and Sharon Southern’s Atwater house looks like something you’d see on the “after” segment of a home makeover show.

The burgundy dining room and goldenrod living room are accented by white crown molding, a look that’s generated plenty of compliments.

But the Southerns don’t want flattery —— they want buyers for their house, and the stylish colors aren’t doing the trick.

“Everyone that looks at it loves it — it just doesn’t seem to ever pan out,” said Sharon Southern.

After almost nine months on the market and two price reductions, the Southerns are still struggling to sell their house on Sextant Drive.

They’re not alone. In fact, they’ve got lots of company enduring a moment in Merced real estate history they’d rather not have to go through — the market correction that follows a boom. Moreover, it’s likely that falling prices haven’t yet bottomed out.

Although prices have tumbled in the last year, Merced still has one of the most overvalued real estate markets in the country, with the median price about 63 percent above where it should be, according to a new study by Cleveland-based financial services firm National City and research company Global Insight. Read the rest of this entry »

When I started my career in the “professional world” I took over the position of creative marketing and design at a title and escrow company here in town.

The computer I sat down to on my first day was the computer that had been used for 5 years to put together this companies marketing tools, fliers, brochures, graphics, website designs, and more.

Trying to find a file I needed, on a computer I’ve never used, and trying to parse through the massive amounts of folders and pictures and Word documents, etc, was no easy task. Especially when I needed to find it “RIGHT NOW!”

So, being a tech savvy nerd, I turned to Google. Google has an AWESOME application you can download for free to your personal computer that indexes all of the files on your computer, including the content inside the files. It’s called Google Desktop.

Google Desktop basically acts like a search engine for your computer. Imagine putting the power of Google Search onto your personal computer. Well, now you can with Google Desktop.

Say, for example, I was looking for a Word document that included the words: Real estate, transaction, mchenry, 2004. After installing Google Desktop, I hit the “CTRL” button on my keyboard twice. Google automatically pops a search box into the middle of my screen. From there I type in the keywords and Google immediately returns a list of any documents, files, etc. that matched my keywords. Whether the keywords are in the filename, or inside the actual file, it makes no difference. Google will still find the file I need and save me!

If you’re like me, this might be a useful tool for those of us who have massive amounts of files on our hard drives, but not enough time (or energy) to organize them everyday. To download it, visit the Google Desktop website.

If you are in the market to buy or sell a house, refinance your mortgage, or if you are considering investing in the real estate world, beware-there are scams out there that the smartest of people fall for. Here some of the classic real estate scams and tips on how to avoid them.

1. Who is the ideal Con Artist? The most savvy of con artists are those who have already attained some level of trust in your life. People you deal with daily, even family members, prove the most successful of con artists. When we “go along with others” our brains’ defense mechanisms soften, and our skepticism is reduced. Con artists use this neurological trick to get you. It is ok to place trust your friends, family, and co-workers, but be skeptical about any business pitches they may give you. Always seek the advice of two or more financial advisors or confidants before proceeding. Read the rest of this entry »
   

We juggle our jobs, children, marriages, aging parents, and household chores. We pay bills, do laundry, clean the house, and mow the lawn. We battle traffic, buy groceries, and negotiate with associates.

And in the midst of all this chaos, we convince ourselves that none of our varied obligations is so pressing as to require our time right now. In other words, procrastination’s short-term benefit is a feeling of control and peace. We tell ourselves, “I’ll do the laundry tomorrow. Right now, my life is right as rain, and I’m taking a break, thank you very much.”

So take a break. There’s nothing wrong with taking time to read a book, watch television, or chill in your favorite chair while the sun sets outside your beautiful picture window. Just be aware that the feel-good benefits of procrastination can quickly erode into panic.

You’re looking for the sweet spot between procrastination and frenzy, the magic pace at which the assembly line of your life runs smoothly.

Here are 11 common causes of procrastination and corresponding tips to help you find the pace you’re looking for:

• Complicated-task anxiety: Break big, complicated tasks into smaller pieces. Complete a starter task, no matter how small.
• Fear of imperfection: Accept that perfection is rarely attainable and seldom necessary. You’re a person, not a robot. Use the 80/20 rule whenever appropriate.
• Indecision: Determine your decision-making criteria, then set a deadline for your decision. Ask a friend to hold you accountable.
• Priority confusion: Distinguish obligations from options. What are you really responsible for? List and prioritize tasks.
• Boredom from minutiae: Automate simple repetitive tasks whenever possible.
• Lack of focus: Minimize distractions. Check e-mail and voicemail only twice per day instead of every 5 minutes. Find a quiet room where you can concentrate. Resist the urge to keep taking breaks.
• Poor organizational skills: Clean your work area. Put tools and utensils in their proper place so you can find them when you need them.
• Laziness: Remind yourself of the consequences of procrastination. Resist the urge to be a couch potato. Try to complete several small tasks to provide a feeling of accomplishment. Reward yourself.
• Lack of energy: Maintain a regular sleep routine. Eat healthy. Exercise regularly. Do not skip breakfast.
• Early morning lag: Before you stop working each day, make a list of the tasks you want to begin first thing the following morning so you can hit the ground running the next day.
• Post-lunch fatigue: Before leaving for lunch, make a list of the things you plan to do when you get back so you can pick up where you left off. Avoid eating a heavy lunch.

You’ve heard the advice: “Think outside the box,” to find new clients. Well this certainly is outside the box. PMZ Agent Pete Schaber of our Turlock Office recently debuted his new YZ125 Racing Motorcycle decked out with PMZ pride! He started hand-building this bike three months ago and designed the custom graphics from scratch. So what’s this is all about, you ask? A great example of marketing to a niche audience - motocross racers, enthusiasts and their fans.

Pete has grown up in a racing environment - his family owns AMP Racing. They setup racing events throughout northern California, from preparing tracks to providing beginner motocross training - they do it all. Pete’s also a motocross racer himself (on other motorcycles that he has built, of course). He now displays this bike at regional events to attract business. “I set it out on display at the races and have a little sign that tells people that I can help them find property. I usually have a list of the top 25 properties that has enough room to build their own recreational race tracks,” said Shaber.

We post this example as inspiration for everyone. Pete has combined his love for motorcycles with existing opportunities for new customers and appears to have come out a winner.

According to Pete, the custom decals were produced by ZLTMXID.com. The bike was built by Pete - feel free to give him a call to find out more.

What three letters make bankers cry but can help industrious REALTORS® thrive when there is a prolonged real estate slowdown?

REO. That’s shorthand for “Real Estate Owned,” which is what lenders call properties they own following formal foreclosure proceedings against borrowers who have defaulted on their mortgages. Lenders truly dislike assuming physical ownership through foreclosure. When they do, they often turn to REALTORS® for help.

REALTORS® who were active from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s will remember neighborhoods filled with REO properties, particularly in inland Southern California and after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Because foreclosure numbers lag behind sales and price trends, the REO market didn’t peak until 1997—well after the market showed signs of the recovery that led to California’s most recent real estate boom.

Today, as the market slows and foreclosures rise, banks, secondary market institutions, and REO specialists are gearing up to handle the expected increase in REO properties. While banks are mum about the topic, some veteran REO specialists offered to share their expertise with REALTORS® looking for ways to diversify their business.

Click “READ MORE” below to view the entire story.

Read the rest of this entry »

Kelly Moody from PMZ Insurance Services has brought some important information to our attention. Allstate Insurance announced that it will stop offering new homeowners and landlord package policies in California. In what appears to be a controversial decision, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said,

“Allstate’s actions in California mirror its recent retreat in other markets such as Florida and New York, and in our free enterprise system, it is their right to choose where it does business. While the writing has been on the wall regarding its intent in California, I believe this is a short-sighted business decision. I expect there will be no shortage of insurance companies who will be more than happy to compete to serve more than 1 million Allstate customers.”

He’s right. And there’s an option right here at home. PMZ Insurance Services has a strategic alliance with Nationwide Insurance who will (in most cases) write a homeowners policy for you and your clients. It’s likely you’ll save some money in doing so. Contact Amanda DeRuiter at (209) 338-0385 or email insurance@pmz.com.

To read more about the Allstate decision and controversy, see links below:

Insurance Journal story | Allstate news release | CNN Money.com | L.A. Times story

The Lodi Association of Realtors will be hosting an event at Micke Gove Zoo in Lodi. Come out and show your support for the Lodi Association and for PMZ. The bigger presence we have at the event, the more it will show how successful PMZ Real Estate and our agents really are.

We’ll post another blog when the event draws nearer, but this little note will allow you to think ahead and save the date in your schedules. Plan on coming and bring your family!

August 8th, 2007
11:00 am

Mickey Grove Zoo
11793 North Mickey Grove Road
Lodi, CA 95240
Click for Map

Featuring:
Catered Food
Live Music
Carnival and Games

Click the button below to add this event to your Google Calendar: