2008-10 dena land news
DESCRIPTION
October 2008 Dena Land News. A Monthly newsletter by Linda Lane White, Keller Williams Realty. Ceedub Construction 2 Recipe of the Month 2 5 Ways to Save Time 1 just a little more sleep often translates into a more hec- tic morning because then you are forced to rush when you finally get up. But what if you get up 15 min- utes earlier instead? More time to get ready, less rush- ing and less stress will translate into a better day altogether. Try it. Fight Procrastination Procrastination saps both your productivity and free time, and therefore it is something we should tryTRANSCRIPT
Dena Land News
October 2008
A M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R B Y L I N D A L A N E - W H I T E – K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A L T Y S E R V I N G M Y H O M E T O W N O F A L T A D E N A / P A S A D E N A A N D O U T L Y I N G A R E A S
5 Ways to Save Time 1
Ceedub Construction 2
Recipe of the Month 2
Tame the Clutter Tiger 2
Active Adults Corner 3
Ask An Expert 3
Victor Wright 4
October Home Decorating 4
Augusta Financial 5
Recent Area Sales 5
Professional Organizer 5
October in Dena Land 6
Inside this issue:
445 S. Fair Oaks Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-786-1231
Fax: 626-296-1979
www.lindalanewhite.com
In Tune With Your Needs
Linda Lane-White
“Singing” Realtor ®
CA Lic #01091347
Notary Public
Finding yourself running
out of time every day? Feel-
ing stressed and disorgan-
ized? You are not alone!
Lacking enough hours in a
day is something all of us
face from time to time. Here
are a few strategies for free-
ing up some time (and re-
gaining some sanity):
Planning Your Day
“If you fail to plan, you plan
to fail” said the wise Mr.
Unknown to whom so many
insightful adages are attrib-
uted. This adage holds true
for both big tasks and
small ones - such as plan-
ning your day. A hectic,
stressful day, where little
gets accomplished is of-
ten the result of a no clear
plan as to what needs to
be done. Spending just a
few minutes the night be-
fore to write down a list of
things you need to ac-
complish tomorrow will
go a long way towards hav-
ing more productive and
less stressful days. Time
management gurus recom-
mend setting one top-
priority item that must be
done even if you don’t do
anything else. Then priori-
tize the rest of the items,
leaving at the bottom of the
list stuff that can even spill
over to the next day. Keep
the list realistic though; you
want to feel good at the end
of the day that you’ve ac-
complished what you set
out to do.
The Extra 15 Minutes
How much can a person
accomplish in 15 minutes? A
lot in fact, if we are talking
about getting up 15 minutes
earlier every morning. Hit-
ting the snooze button for
just a little more sleep often
translates into a more hec-
tic morning because then
you are forced to rush
when you finally get up. But
what if you get up 15 min-
utes earlier instead? More
time to get ready, less rush-
ing and less stress will
translate into a better day
altogether. Try it.
Fight Procrastination
Procrastination saps both
your productivity and free
time, and therefore it is
something we should try
hard to eliminate. First,
here is a simple 2-minute
rule: if you are faced with a
task that will take less than
two minutes to complete,
don’t put it off for later—do
it right away. The next sim-
ple rule is called OHIO—
Only Handle It Once. Do
you normally go through
your mail quickly picking
an item or two that interests
you, then leaving the rest of
the mail to go through for
later, only to come back to
sort through it again look-
ing for something else?
Well, that’s a waste of time.
Only handle it once—pick
up an item and decide right
away: pay, keep or trash.
No point in sorting and re-
sorting items ad nauseum.
This applies to your inbox,
Five Ways to Save Valuable Time
Home Office: 519 Alameda, Altadena, CA
too. When you take something
out of your inbox, don’t put it
back—take care of it while it’s
still in your hand.
Prioritizing is another way to
fight procrastination. Have
multiple tasks of the same pri-
ority on your plate? Do the
easy stuff first. This gets you in
the working mood, which of-
ten means tackling the hard
task will become easier.
Checklists and More Check-
lists
A great time-waster: forget-
ting things. A great way to
avoid this: write things down.
Checklists are the secret of
success of many super-
organized people, and they
often keep more than one
checklist. For example, one
checklist for work-related
tasks, another for the family
obligations. A running gro-
cery list on the fridge is yet
another kind of checklist that
can save you time.
“Bulk” Tasks
Just like shopping in bulk can
save you money, doing things
“in bulk” can save you time.
Preparing meals is one exam-
ple. Consider cooking once a
week for the whole week, and
freezing the food in meal-
sized portions for conven-
ience. Another example is
grouping different tasks to-
gether. Instead of going to the
store, coming back home,
then the next day going to the
dry cleaners, try grouping
your errands together. Saves
time and gas!
And those are my five quick
tips for this month. Implement
them all or only one, and
watch your time get magically
freed up!
Page 2 Dena Land News
Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon course salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
A pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
DIRECTIONS:
To roast your pumpkin seeds, do not
wash them first! Washing removes all
the natural flavor. Instead remove the
seeds from the strings and place a sin-
gle layer on parchment paper a cookie
sheet. Try to make an even layer. The
less they lie on each other, the better
they will bake.
In a medium bowl combine 3 table-
spoons of the sugar and the salt, cumin,
cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne.
Bake seeds at 250º until dry, stirring
occasionally, (usually about 15 to 30
minutes or until they start to turn a very
light gold). Heat peanut oil in a large
non-stick skillet over high heat. Add
pumpkin seeds (after baking) and 2
tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar
melts and the pumpkin seeds begin to
caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds.
Transfer to bowl with spices and stir
well to coat. Let cool.
How to Tame the Clutter Tiger Is the clutter tiger running rampant
in your home? Let’s tame it!
It’s best to start with the clutter area
that bugs you the most. Prepare three
boxes: one for the stuff to keep, one
for the stuff to donate, and one for the
junk to throw away. As you go
through the clutter ask yourself about
each item: Have I used this in the past
year? Do I have more than one? Will I
actually ever use it? Can someone
else benefit from it more? Then place
in the appropriate box. Once each
box gets full, act on it right away?
Throw away the junk, and place the
“To Donate” box in your trunk to
drop it off next time you leave the
house. Then take the “To Keep” box
with you around the house, and find a
permanent “home” for each item in
it.
For your closets, professional space
organizers (yes, there is such a pro-
fession) recommend that you store
your clothes by category (shirts,
pants, dresses) and group them by
color. Frequently worn clothes could
be kept close at hand and seldom-
worn stuff stored away. And keep in
mind that clothes do not improve with
age—if you haven’t worn something
in a while, and it doesn’t seem like
you will
soon, con-
sider donat-
ing it—
s o m e o n e
else may get
a lot more
use out of it.
To help
keep the
kitchen tidy,
ask yourself
how many
plates and
glasses are used on a daily basis?
Keep what you use often on the easy-
to-reach shelves, and put away the
rest on higher shelves or deeper in
the cupboards. Same goes for pots
and pans. It is also helpful to organize
stuff by categories: canned food,
spices, and non-food items should all
have their own separate areas.
For the kids’ room, use plastic see-
through boxes of different sizes to
store toys. Make sure to place them
where the child can easily reach
them, and have the child create la-
bels (hopefully this will encourage
the use of the boxes!). Just like you
do with seasonal clothes, store away
seasonal toys; beach and soccer gear
can be stored during winter; ice
skates and hockey gear put away
during the summer. To keep the toys
from invading the entire house, con-
sider making a three-at-a-time rule.
Just like in kindergarten some teach-
ers have a one-toy-at-a-time rule, you
can encourage your child to use only
up to three
toys at a time.
If he or she
wants to take
out another
toy from the
box, one of
the three has
to get stored
away.
In general,
professional
space organizers recommend start-
ing small so that you don’t get over-
whelmed. You don’t have to get eve-
rything done in one day (the clutter,
after all, did not build up in one day
either) but, instead, spread and work
over a number of days and do it in 20
or 30 minute sessions. Set a time
limit, and don’t get too carried away
so that you don’t get burned out
quickly. And after a work well done,
don’t forget to reward yourself!
This is a great time to remodel,
add on or re-build.
CEEDUB
CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL & LIGHT COMMERCIAL
With over 30 years of experience, we
work with you to achieve your dream.
Call Today For A Free Estimate
(Licensed/Bonded/Insured)
(626) 786-1229 CHRIS WHITE, OWNER
Ca Lic #883002
www.ceedubconstruction.com
October 2008 Page 3
This pu blicat ion i s for in format iona l purpos es only and does not const i tu t e legal or f inancia l advice.
All information was obtained from sources deemed reliable, and while I do not doubt its accuracy, I cannot guarantee it. Some items provided by CAR Client
Direct and Fidelity National Home Warranty. If your property is listed with another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation.
Who do you know right now who’s looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? Give me a call or send me an E-mail. I’m never too busy for your referrals to friends or family.
Active Adults Corner—The Scoop on Reverse Mortgages
Q: A friend who sold her home recently had the property inspection performed before
even putting it on the market. Is this common?
A. A property inspection is usually thought of as something that the buyer needs and pays
for, so why would a seller want the house inspected before it is even listed? Most sellers don’t
go through this extra expense, but a seller’s inspection is certainly not a bad idea. For start-
ers, it offers the seller a chance to find out about any potential problems ahead of time. Since
the home is not under contract yet, there are no looming deadlines, and the seller can get the necessary re-
pairs done at a more leisurely pace. The seller also gets more time to obtain estimates and avoid overpaying
for those repairs. Sometimes when a problem is discovered buyers can get spooked and back out of the deal.
A seller’s inspection solves this, too. The only drawback is the cost. A property inspection can cost between
$300 and $500, depending on the size and age of the house, but it may be worth it in order to avoid unpleasant
surprises later. Have a tough real estate question? Call me or drop me an e-mail.
Linda Lane-White (626) 786-1231 or [email protected]
Ask an Expert
Surviving on a fixed income is often
feared by those getting close to retire-
ment age. With the high cost of living
only continuing to rise, and retired peo-
ple living much longer than ever before,
it is no surprise that the mortgage indus-
try has creatively begun to address this
issue. The solution is called the reverse
mortgage and obtaining such a mort-
gage can help a retired couple remain in
their home without the pressure of high
mortgage payments.
In a reverse mortgage, you have
choices to make regarding the way you
want to borrow the money. The first type
of reverse mortgage is to obtain a lump
sum. This type of mortgage allows the
homeowner to take out a lump sum of
cash for a percentage of the value of
their home. Realistically speaking, a
home that is worth $300,000 will net the
homeowner about $190,000. Mortgage
lenders take into consideration how old
the borrowers are, where the home is
located and if the home needs any up-
grades or significant repairs when calcu-
lating a reverse mortgage payout. You
can even pay down your credit cards
through the loan.
A lump sum payment has the highest
interest rate for all types of reverse mort-
gages and unless you need a large sum
of money, this type of mortgage may not
meet your needs as other reverse mort-
gages can.
The second type of reverse mortgage is
technically considered a line of credit. If
your current mortgage is not completely
paid off, you will need to qualify for a
cash payment in order to pay off the
mortgage. Once your mortgage is taken
care of, you can apply for a reverse
mortgage in the form of a line of credit.
A third type of reverse mortgage in-
volves receiving monthly payments from
a lender, ensuring that you have extra
money every month to meet your needs
while on a fixed income. A home worth
$300,000 will roughly net the home-
owner $1200 a month in cash pay-
ments. The mortgage lender calculates
the payment amount based on where the
home is located, what the home is cur-
rently worth and how old the borrowers
are.
The final type of reverse mortgage is a
combination of the three that are cur-
rently available. You can opt to get a
small cash lump sum to pay off your cur-
rent mortgage, get small monthly pay-
ments and keep a line of credit open that
you can access easily.
To obtain a reverse mortgage, you must
be at least 62 years old. It does not mat-
ter what your current income is, only that
you own your home or you are able to
qualify for a cash payment to pay off the
current mortgage. People that own mo-
bile homes will not be able to obtain a
reverse mortgage for that property.
Borrowers that want to obtain a reverse
mortgage are required to meet with a
financial adviser that has been approved
by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. This is to make sure that
the borrower understands exactly what
they are getting into and what they can
expect from a reverse mortgage.
It is important to understand that when
you obtain a reverse mortgage, the loan
is not paid back until you die, sell the
home, or move to a new location. The
loan is paid back once your home is sold
from the proceeds of the sale. If you
have money left over after the loan is
paid back, you or your heirs keep the
money. If once your house sells, there is
not enough money left to pay back the
lender, that was the chance the lender
took and the loss is theirs. Your estate
does not pay off the balance.
A reverse mortgage can help you stay
in your home that you have loved for so
long and that you are still able to en-
joy. There is no reason that just because
you are retired you should have to worry
about moving because you can no
longer meet basic expenses. Enjoy your
home and your retirement. A reverse
mortgage may be just the answer for you
to be able to continue to live your life as
you have been accustomed. There are fees
included...so consult your qualified lender.
Page 4 Dena Land News
Victor Needs Your Help! A message to my readers.
Victor Wright in 1976
Hollow out apples or mini pump-
kins and use as votive candle
holders. These are inexpensive
and look really great. You can
even carve or paint faces in
them!
Create creepy autumn center-
pieces by filling vases with
dried flowers, brown leaves,
and empty branches. Tie a black
ribbon bow around each center-
pieced for more flair.
Serve fresh veggies using a hol-
lowed out pumpkin as a bowl.
Cut off the top and clean out,
leaving the top in a jagged edge
design! Use mini pumpkins to
hold dips!
Ask your Halloween party guest
to bring a carved pumpkin to the
party. Set up a special table to
display them on.
October Home Decorating Tips
In 1976, while I was attending John
Muir High School in Pasadena a
classmate of mine, Victor Wright, was
participating in a football game
against St. Francis High. Victor was
known to us as “Bullet” because he
was so fast! During the game, he was
in a tackle situation and fell backward
where he received a traumatic spinal
injury. He became a quadriplegic
and in order to breathe and speak,
he’s been on a respirator ever since.
Doctors only gave him about 10 years
to survive, but, in spite of his condi-
tion, he has beaten the odds for over
30 years!
In 1989, Victor went on to earn an
associate’s degree from Los Angeles
Community College. He then went
on to be a co-founder of a non-profit
organization called Family of Friends
International where they mentor trou-
bled youth in schools. He encourages
the young people to stay in school
and not quit. He tells them “I wasn’t
always hurt. When I went to Edison
Elementary and Eliot Jr High I was
healthy and then I got hurt. I had
dreams of playing in the Rose bowl.
Instead, I graduated in the Rose Bowl,
which is just as good.” He continues
to be a guest speaker at many local
schools.
Victor has attended all of our high
school reunions and John Muir High
had a tribute for him last year. He
was also inducted into the John Muir
Hall of Fame for his contributions in
community service.
This year, Rebuilding Together
Pasadena and some volunteers (like
me and my husband) went to Victor’s
house to assist with some much
needed renovations. His home still
needs a bit more help—like new
flooring and finishing his exterior
ramp.
Our 30 year High School reunion
will be taking place next year and we
would like to hold a donation drive in
the mean time to help raise funds to
assist in Victor being more comfort-
able at home and in his surroundings.
His needs are:
A) Flooring for his home;
B) New Wheel Chair; and
C) Able bodies to help finish the
renovations at his home.
Victor’s faith and friends keep him
strong. He remains an inspiration to
all of us. You can help by making a
donation to: Victor Wright, 3379
Glenrose Ave., Altadena, CA 91001
or give me a call with any questions
or concerns you may have about how
you can help !
1999—20 year Reunion
Victor and his Mom, Dorothy, in 2008
October 2008 Page 5
When Buying or Refinancing...
Call Peter First Peter Cosfol
& Augusta Financial
Get Pre-Approved Senior Loan Officer
Augusta Financial is a service oriented mortgage company that specializes in residential financing. We
have many loan programs to help our clients with all of their mortgage needs.
Peter offers the best pricing with the lowest fees!
Peter will personally address all of your questions and concerns regarding the loan process!
Augusta Financial makes the loan process seem easy!
Augusta is both Broker and Mortgage Banker!
We offer In-house processing and funding!
NO MONEY DOWN - NO MONEY FOR DEPOSITS - NO PROBLEM!
Excellent customer service!
(661) 260-2970 Office · (661) 291-2234 Direct · (818) 281-1466 Cell
Recent Area Sales
Need a Professional
Organizer for your
cleaning chores or to
ready your home for
sale? A good friend of
mine from church,
Sherry Cavallo, works
in the San Gabriel
area. She’s also very
active with the Alta-
dena Heritage organi-
zation. You can con-
tact her at 626-372-
5948 or email her at
smc.organizer@gmail.
com She’s ready to
help YOU!!
Days on Market
Date Sold
Sale Price Address City
Bed/ Bath
S.F. House
S.F. Lot
317 09/18/08 450,000 224 W Terrace ST Altadena 4/2 2190 8500
152 09/26/08 450,000 42 Marathon Rd Altadena 4/2 2061 9768
71 09/17/08 629,000 2542 Tanoble Dr Altadena 2/1 1231 8385
28 09/19/08 1,495,000 2391 Santa Rosa Ave Altadena 4/4 3373 26860
17 09/24/08 245,000 6220 N Galanto AV Azusa 4/2 1484 6000
6 09/26/08 250,000 337 W Hermitage Ln Azusa 3/2 1168 Condo
6 09/24/08 284,900 18550 E Petunia ST Azusa 4/2 1184 6262
211 09/19/08 258,000 15243 Mariposa AV Chino Hills 3/2 1208 4200
204 09/16/08 440,000 528 Sycamore AV Glendora 3/2 1693 9380
237 09/25/08 558,000 701 E Virginia AV Glendora 3/2 1537 9525
153 09/25/08 1,300,000 1270 Inverness Dr La Canada 4/3 2773 19900
87 09/17/08 151,000 24909 Madison AV #1714 Murrieta 3/2 1232 1232
95 09/30/08 252,500 23944 Corinth DR Murrieta 4/3 2300 6969
133 09/16/08 775,000 722 N Michigan Ave Pasadena 4/3 2785 8095
29 09/25/08 500,000 1103 Del Rey Ave Pasadena 4/2 1484 7047
90 09/22/08 445,000 326 E Juanita AV San Dimas 3/2 1446 8000
30 09/19/08 2,580,000 20 Mill Canyon Rd. San Marino 5/5 4246 19600
102 09/22/08 824,500 5018 Vista Del Vegas Torrance 3/3 1468 8700
40 09/29/08 429,000 9607 Alene DR Tujunga 3/2 1512 6970
My client’s Countrywide loan fell apart in the middle of escrow. Peter rescued it and funded in 9 short days!
Thank you, Peter…..LLW
October Happenings in Dena Land
October 18, 19th and every Saturday & Sunday through December 7th - 9am-
12pm. Help save Christmas Tree Lane by participating in “Lights Up”. Calling all
volunteers and Service Groups. This year will be the last lighting of Christmas
Tree Lane unless the community can come together and get involved with put-
ting lights up or serving on the board. Call me for details at 626-786-1231.
Oct. 5 12-5pm. Garfield Heights Tour. Obtain tickets at 11:45 on the 5th at 1247 N. Gar-
field in Pasadena. $15. 626-388-2174 or www.garfieldheights.org for more info.
Oct. 6 The 21st Annual Five Acres Invitational Golf Classic. San Gabriel Country Club.
Win a 2009 Audi A4 or a 2009 Jaguar XF from Rusnak Auto Group. Raffle tickets are $50.
the event includes 18 holes of golf followed by an exquisite dinner and live jazz by Pe-
ter Smith Trio. Tee time is 11:30am. Golfer fee is $495. Dinner is $100. Call Susan
Silverman at 626/798-6793 ext 2279. www.5acres.org
Oct. 11 8am.Wiggle Waggle Walk for the Animals. Enjoy a 3 or 1 mile loop around the
Rose Bowl. Sponsored by the Pasadena Humane Society. Free registration. 626/792-
7151 ext. 167. www.phsspca.org
Oct. 17 (Friday)7am—2:30pm Community Women’s Educational Health Conference
and Expo. Free. Pasadena Hilton 168 S. Los Robles. Call 626/796-1083 for more info.
Oct. 18 1pm. UCLA vs. Stanford. Rose Bowl. 310/UCLA-WIN
Oct. 25 9:30am. 14th Annual Kidspace Pumpkin Festival. Kidspace Museum 480 N. Ar-
royo, Pasadena 626/449-9144
Oct. 25 10am. Halloween Party. Ghost and monster stories at Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E
Colorado, Pasadena. Free. 626/449-5320.
Oct. 31 12:00pm. Vroman’s Bookstore presents Ray Bradbury. 695 E Colorado, Pasa-
dena. Free. 626/449-5320.
Oct. 31 4:00pm Trick or Treat at One Colorado. Go store-to-store for Halloween treats.
Free. 626/564-1066. www.onecolorado.com
Oct. Altadena Sheriff Department’s Haunted Jail. 780 E Altadena Drive. Details not
available at time of printing. Call 626/798-1131 for more information.
Nov. 2—Fall back one hour. Daylight Savings Time Ends.
Pasadena Market Center
445 S. Fair Oaks Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
Cell: (626) 786-1231
Office: (626) 204-3436
Fax: (626) 296-1979
Home Office: 519 Alameda, Altadena
I n T une Wit h Your Needs
www.lindalanewhite.com
If You Would Like To Receive This
Newsletter on a Regular Basis for
Guaranteed Delivery (Snail or E-Mail)
Call me or send me an E-Mail...LLW
Linda Lane-White “Singing” Realtor® CA Lic #01091347 (since 1990)
Notary Public (since 1987)
Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
Search the MLS on my web site!
John Muir High School
Alumni Association
Fundraiser at
The Pasadena Jazz Institute
Paseo Colorado
260 E Colorado Blvd. #206
(2nd level, West side) Featuring
Vocalist, Linda Lane-White Accompanied by the
JMHS Jazz Ensemble
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
8:00pm
$20 at the door www.pasjazz.org/www.jmhsaa.org
(626) 786-1231