Interview with Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Part 2

Interview with Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Part 2

Yesterday, we sent you the first part of our interview with Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Company.

Today, we have continued our interview with Maria. Watch part two of our video to learn more about the terms and conditions of the “Natural Hazard Disclosure Report.”

 As always, if you ever know of a friend, co-worker, relative or even a member of your social communities like Facebook, interested in buying or selling property, connect with me today!

AND REMEMBER-"MONICA MAKES IT HAPPEN"!!!'

Interview with Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Part 1

Interview with Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Part 1

Today, I would like to introduce you to Maria Howard of First American Natural Hazard Disclosure Company. Watch part one of our interview with Maria to understand how it affects you as a buyer or a seller!

As always, if you ever know of a friend, co-worker, relative or even a member of your social communities like Facebook who is interested in buying or selling property, connect with me today!

AND REMEMBER-"MONICA MAKES IT HAPPEN!!!"

Why a Trust?

Why a Trust?

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to my video blog! Today, I wanted to talk about trusts and why they are preferred over wills.

So, what is a trust? A trust divides ownership of a property into two parts.
1.    Trustee. The trustee holds ownership and control of the property.
2.    Beneficiary. The beneficiary holds the soul right of the enjoyment of the property.

Did you know that often trusts are preferred over wills when ensuring the orderly transfer of property in case of a death? Trusts can be executed immediately and can handle a variety of different circumstances. If you are injured or become incapacitated, a trustee can take over your finances.

Another great thing about trusts is the assets such as personal property are not subject to probate proceedings. This is a HUGE relief in avoiding expensive fees from both attorneys and probate court.

Trusts can also be changed much easier than a will. One simple notarized page from both the trustee and beneficiary is all it takes!

The BEST part about a trust, though, is getting favorable tax treatment! If you have a personal net worth of $100,000 or more, a trust will maximize your estate tax exemptions. It will also ensure at the time of your death, your heirs can inherit the estate and avoid any penalties and fees from our good friends, the IRS.

Take it from me. You don’t want your loved one to lose their home at the time of death to the state due to lack of estate preparation.

As, always if you ever know of a friend, a coworker, relative or even a Facebook friend that is interested in buying or selling a property, connect with us today!

And remember, MONICA MAKES IT HAPPEN!

The Truth About Interest Rates

The Truth About Interest Rates

Hello it's Monica Diaz!  Welcome to my video blog.  Today I want to talk about interest rates and their relevance to the current market.

As you have likely heard recently, rates moved up a bit from the historic lows of early spring.  So what does this actually mean to the average home buyer or someone thinking about a re-fi?

In the overall scope of monthly payments and lifetime cost of the loan-NOT MUCH AT ALL.  It's important to look at everything from this macro viewpoint.  If any of my viewers can remember the market from 10 years ago, (where a 6.5-7% interest rate was something to be really excited about) we should all feel ECSTATIC about current average rates which are anywhere from 4.25-4.75% for 30 year fixed loans.  Doing the math, you are still saving more than $500/month on a similar loan of equal value based on rates from the mid-2000's.

So it's important to keep this is mind when attempting to decide whether you should buy/sell now or wait.

I am very confident if you choose to purchase or Re-Fi with Team Diaz, you will receive the lowest rate possible via our exclusive Lender friends at American Financial Network.

As always, if you ever know of a friend, co-worker, relative or even a member of your social communities like Facebook, interested in buying or selling property, connect with me today!

AND REMEMBER-"MONICA MAKES IT HAPPEN"!!!

Six Steps to Represent Your Client with Precision and Efficiency!

Six Steps to Represent Your Client with Precision and Efficiency!

Hello it's Monica Diaz!  Welcome to my video blog!

In a recent video, I discussed why it's such an amazing time to be involved in the Real Estate market in So Cal. Today I wanted to try and help 'pay it forward' by offering some advice to new agents as they navigate this highly competitive marketplace.

For the purposes of this video, I offer 6 steps any new agent can utilize to represent their clients with precision and efficiency. (All of my network should view this so they too can be aware and informed regarding effective agent strategy)

First, make sure you send well written email and text messages to your professional peers.  I can't stress the importance of this enough especially when communicating with clients or other agents when submitting or responding to offers.  Well-constructed and articulately written communication will set you apart 100% of the time.

Second, be informed about the properties you are selling or offering on.  Don't be the agent who can't answer questions about unapproved additions to your listing. And if you are making an offer in an inventory crunched market, do your homework before you call the listing agent.  Ask intelligent and informed questions.

Third, submit offers that stand out.  You stand out by sending an authoritative email or letter with an offer above asking in a tactful and cooperative tone requesting you be given notice immediately if your offer isn't "acceptable" at current terms/offer price.  Let the listing agent know your clients want the property and that you are willing to do what it takes to get it.

Fourth, read the Agent Notes in the MLS clearly and carefully.  Whenever possible AVOID CALLING and communicate via text message/email acknowledging you understand the notes clearly but have a specific question or concern not covered or mentioned.  It is OK to call but make sure when you do you are direct in your communication.  Be respectful of other agent's time ALWAYS.

Fifth, make sure your client is airtight from every angle-whether Seller or Buyer.  Vet them for every possible scenario which could arise.  Be prepared and plan for contingencies based on those scenarios.  Be prepared to go above and beyond for your clients at every opportunity.

Finally, it is absolutely imperative to keep your clients informed and to be honest and transparent with them through every step of the transaction.  It is CRUCIAL to be unattached to the outcome while allowing your client to decide what is best for themselves.

As always, if you ever know of a friend, co-worker, relative or even a member of your social communities like Facebook, interested in buying or selling property, connect with me today!

AND REMEMBER-"MONICA MAKES IT HAPPEN"!!!'

4 Bdrm-3.5 Bath Covina Hills Horse Property-Amazing Value @$798k

Don't Miss Team Diaz's Newest Horse Property in Covina Hills!

A Spectacular Single Level Ranch Style Home in the Prestigious Covina Hills Area! Situated on over an Acre of Flat Land! Fully Customized and Upgraded-Ready for IMMEDIATE MOVE IN! This is YOUR NEXT DREAM HOME!

4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bath, with Attached Garage converted into Mother-in-Law Quarters. Fully Upgraded Kitchen with Granite, New Tile and Custom Cabinetry. Brand New Carpet throughout includes Upgraded Bathrooms. Never Run Out of Hot Water with a state of the art Tankless Hot Water Heater! 2 Zone AC System and Recessed Lighting throughout! Home is also Handicapped equipped.

Tranquil Resort Like Back Yard with Professionally Landscaped Grounds, Saltwater Pool and Slate Tile Decking!

You MUST SEE to appreciate! Motorized Wrought Iron Gate Entrance. Also offers HUGE Parking Area for RV or Trailer.

This UNIQUE PROPERTY will SELL FAST-especially at this LIST PRICE! Contact us for a Private Showing! — at 20580 East Via Verde Covina CA 91724.

There will be an exclusive open house preview showing Sunday August 18th from 1-4PM.  Don't Miss It!

Viva Escrow Part 3

Hi everyone! Welcome to the third and final part of our interview with Juliana Tu from Viva Escrow and the author of “The Art of Escrow.”

We truly hope you found this informative and if you have any questions, please call me at 626.890.7187 or even Juliana; we’d love to help! Thanks for watching!

Juliana Tu

Like any other industry, we have a lot of competition. There are a lot of escrow companies out there. We like to differentiate ourselves from other companies in that we provide the great service.  We have staff members that speak a vast amount of different languages to help our different clientele. I have had over 37 years of experience and am a senior certified escrow officer; I feel experience is important when you are looking for a good escrow company.

Your transaction is important to you, so it becomes important to us. So all these years in the industry, I realized there wasn’t any type of book to explain the escrow process. When clients enter the escrow process, they find it’s like being dropped into a hole.

So, with all the information I had, I decided I was going to write a book. The book is call “The Art of Escrow” and it came out December 24^th, 2012. The book actually goes through what happens before, during and after the transaction. A good transaction starts with the buyer and seller both doing their homework before they initiate the process.  My book is written to educate and help my clients understand the process and what they can do to alleviate the stress that will come to them during the process.

The book is available on Amazon and I recommend buyers and sellers read it. It is not geared toward real estate agents; the real estate agents know the process. The book tells ‘war stories’, things that can happen during escrow.

If there is knowledge, there is less stress and everyone will be happier!