As most of you know, it has been implied that I am a conference junkie.  My defining business statement for decades has been: Integrity...Knowledge...Success!  I seek it out, then I try to figure out how best to implement so that the client gains from my new, or renewed, knowledge.  So, I go schlepping off to the best courses I can find.  This year started in Orlando, moved through Palm Desert, Austin, Las Vegas, Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, Charlotte, San Francisco, Phoenix, and I don't even remember all the places covered in 2011.  And they, each and everyone, have been fantastic.  So, it was a surprise.

What? 

Having just completed both the NAHREP and AREAA conventions in a 2 1/2 week timeframe, I was tired and had a mountain of work to catch up with at the office.  Yet after 1 week of being back in the office, off I go to...  Reno?  I had made my commitment to be here, and I wasn't going to back out.  But boy, I was not excited about a 3rd conference in about the same number of weeks, surrounded by 1000's of other agents, trying to find the nugget, eating hotel food, and the hotel beds???  Get the picture?

So, what was the surprise? 

Amy Stoehr has hit a home run with Real Estate Masters Guild (REMG), and I am having a ball!  Serious. 

I have really loved and appreciated Amy for many years as she served the industry from a totally pure heart.  Always a smile.  Always the positive.  Always a solution.  She promised a special experience; she is delivering.

Not 1000's of people, with multiple motivations, but under 100 sharing a common thread... to grow that they may serve.  WOW!  And their promise of being Guru-Free, something I was not familiar with, has been an eye opener.  

Yep, I even called Donna, my wife, to tell her how glad I am that I came.  The message here?  This is one cool, fresh event that is now on my Do Not Miss list.  If this type of a learning format sounds  like you, I can say you too might be surprised, but you won't be disappointed.

So, in doing my little part to correct his misinformation I am posting below, a snipit from Fannie Mae's website showing the facts are completely different. 

Why is this important? 

In San Joaquin County, greater than 1 in 5 homes are in trouble!  Shortsale is one, frequently the BEST, solution to that owners challenge.  And the reality is after some 'time' has passed, that SAME OFFENDING party can reenter the home buying market, at prices that currently are from the last century, and with some proper guidance, (please please please see me on that subject!) they will have the stability and hope that all Americans look for with their home.  A second chance, a new beginning, a Genesis!  (that was my shameful plug :) )

So... what did Fannie Mae say?

Fannie Mae’s most recent bulletin states that Deeds-in-Lieu of Foreclosure, Preforeclosure Sales, and Short Sales all have waiting periods as follows:

• 2 years – 80% maximum LTV ratios
• 4 years – 90% maximum LTV ratios
• 7 years – LTV ratios per the Eligibility Matrix (https://www.efanniemae.com/sf/refmaterials/eligibility/)
• (Extenuating Circumstances): 2 years – 90% maximum LTV ratios

This bulletin was released in June 2010, and Fannie Mae has confirmed with us today that this is the most recent bulletin.

The subject of should you or should you not enter into a shortsale is quite emotional.  Here at Genesis, we understand and always remember... we are talking about your 'home' not a house. 

I thought this might be a bit of good news as we enter the final days before Christmas.  Hope so.

And hope is also that your Christmas will be blessed, full of wonderful memories, those new and old.  The future is a choice... choose to enter it without the negative baggage of the past, and all the hope for the new!

Merry Christmas!

Darrell

 As a child a part of the magic of Christmas included writing to Santa with my ‘Wish List’ and going downtown after Thanksgiving for the official Lighting of the public Christmas decorations.  In our fast paced society we have lost a bit of the magic.  So, to recapture some of that magic we would love to arrange for Santa to write your child, or grandchild, a personalized letter.  Details are below. But hurry, Santa is on his way! 

Success! 

Darrell

 -----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

          In the spirit of the holiday season, we will be sending

Personalized letters from Santa to any child and/or grandchild!

          If you know of anyone who would enjoy receiving a letter from

Santa, send me their name(s), address(es), and if a Boy or Girl.

Emailing the info to my Team is the fastest most sure way of

Meeting the deadline. Please submit by December 13^th to ensure timely

Delivery.

        You can also fax at 209-244-7171.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

The Darrell Isaacs Team

Integrity...Knowledge...Success!

"Did you know your brain is NOT designed to make you happy? I know this might be alarming to you, but brain has only one primary responsibility—to keep you alive. Thus your brain is constantly on the lookout for danger and attack warnings. Your brain is programmed specifically to seek out the negative.

This is a problem if you desire love, prosperity and happiness—those things beyond simply safety. Left unguided (as most do), your brain will stew in the negative all day, every day of your life. The conundrum is—what you think about comes about. Where your attention goes, energy flows, thus the direction your life takes.

This is where the power of gratitude comes in. If you want to direct your life in a positive direction, you have to redirect your mind towards abundance and what’s positive by forcing it to focus it on what you are grateful for. If you want to become great, you have to focus on being grateful. You can change any situation in your life by simply redirecting your mind to focus on what’s right about it versus what is wrong.

I have a Thanksgiving Challenge for you. Of the many insights shared in The Compound Effect, one repeatedly I am told has made a profound difference is the story of the Thanksgiving Journal (read the excerpt below). My challenge to you is to think of an area of your life you are having difficulty in and want to improve. For the next 21 days... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE "...

Any takers?  Happy Thanksgiving!

SUCCESS!

Darrell

Depending on where you are in the "food chain", times are hard or times are harder.  And if we are not careful we let life get swallowed by the details of each day. Which somehow seems to flow one to another seamlessly, until we look back and see that some substantial block of time has been lost.

So today is Saturday, a perfect day to shake yourself and say NOT TODAY!  Do something different, massively different. Ok, here's the soft-side of Isaacs, or to my DISC peeps, my "S"!  Find those dearest to you, invest some time with them. Teach the children that money does not always have to be involved to have a great time and build memories for a lifetime.

It is surprising how a game of "catch" can bring you and your child closer. Have you ever noticed the amount of talking that occurs while throwing a ball back and forth?  My dad will soon turn 90 and I have been thinking of the many days of fun I had when he would get off work and I could trap him into a game of catch. Now, at the time his being tired may have made him wish for his recliner, but he always played a while with me.   Years later while doing something else we loved, remodeling homes, we talked about it and both made withdrawls from the memory.

And if you do have the opportunity to spend a little extra (budgeted) monies for some time off, remember that talking, exchanging, and laughing are much more important than the souvenirs.  I know for me and Donna, we are tickled pink, almost giddy, to once again see the magic of the "Mouse" through a 4yr old and 22mo old tornado!  What a hoot. And thank God, they are still young enough to need a mid-day nap. Pops and Nana agree.  Yet it truly does seem like yesterday that Don(na) and I were standing in lines for Dumbo with Scotty and Karie, laughing and enjoying them and their excitement.  I am so looking forward to the day Kenzi will ready for her first Mouse-trip.   

The world is a bad place somedays, and there are bad people in it, that is certain. All the more reason to make sure you take the time to reconnect, feed into and make withdrawls from the only relations that matter. Your loved ones. Yep, today, I am blessed.        

SUCCESS!

D

"There are some smart cookies out there. I am not one of them." You can guess which is the Ah-ha on your own.

Sitting in Dallas, TX, at the 5 Star Conference, listening to panelist speak on the subject of Figuring Out FinReg, I am painfully aware of which club I am a member of.  The discussion is based on the new laws being passed or worked on right now, that will define the financial rules going forward.

Which side you take is really not the message here, but that the average American, like me, will not "get it".  Sitting here hearing rather political neutral summations, I think we have a financial octopus that probably would be better declared a centipede, except they are not scary enough.

So, what's "Mr & Mrs. J. Average" to do?

Protect yourselves from the damages that others can inflict on you. Whether new laws, bank demands, or credit merchants, move to a place where savings become important part of your monthly expenditures, take advantage of ways to lower monthly costs, long-term planning to ensure you have the best opportunity to have a future.  Wow. That was me, not the brainee's that spoke today.

So, how do we, who have no Master's in Government Double Speak, do these 3 simple tasks?

 1- Look at your income. Cut all nonessentials. Ouch, I know, but the subject here is  survival. Does cable TV really equal survival? Or Starbucks? Ouch, that one got me too! Is the Beemer really the best deal for you? Did you really make more money because YOU owned it? Did the trade in values payoff better than owning a car for 7-8 years with half that time having no payment? Get the picture? Remember the story of the ant and the grasshopper?  One stored, one bought Beemers.  Winter is coming.

 2- With today's incredibly low mortgage rates, lowered home values and continuance of tax shelters, most can ‘own’ cheaper than rent, and here is the little bitty secret you probably do not know. As a renter, on month 361 you will have a payment! Whoa! Too simple to give much value or thought too but really, don't you plan on living???  So, you handled that secret so good so here is the next point.  Rent in 1980 for a 3br home was $395-410. Today, $1000-1090.  What will it be in 2040?  Oh yeah, and your mortgage payment was locked-in in 2010, and remained unchanged. 

 3- Set a clear picture, with rewards built in, that will guide your future spending/savings plan. You are not the 20-somethings any longer and it won't get any easier the older you get. Proof: look at how many 60-somethings are praying the social security system doesn't fail.  Don't grow up to be one of them.

Ok, back to the class, what did these 4 high-ranking government/banking fellows conclude? That they can't agree on the solution! Surprised? 

Place responsibility for the future where you can impact it...in your hands.

And, remember to vote.

SUCCESS!

Darrell

If you are like me, that statement is scary, and you grow weary hearing about this subject.  Yet it is something we as a nation have not dealt with.  And until we do… we will have more articles saying the same thing.  Case in point, per a recent article by RUTH SIMON and JAMES R. HAGERTY of the Wall Street Journal, “the proportion of U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than the properties are worth has swelled to about 23%, threatening prospects for a sustained housing recovery… according to First American CoreLogic.” 

“These so-called underwater mortgages pose a roadblock to a housing recovery because the properties are more likely to fall into bank foreclosure and get dumped into an already saturated market.  Economists from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. said Monday…”. 

“Home prices have fallen so far that 5.3 million U.S. households are tied to mortgages that are at least 20% higher than their home's value… More than 520,000 of these borrowers have received a notice of default…”

“Most U.S. homeowners still have some equity, and nearly 24 million owner-occupied homes don't have any mortgage, according to the Census Bureau”.  You read that right, no mortgage!

So, here is the QUESTION?  Can you complete the following adage:  ____ low, ____ high!  This is the defining separation between the speculator, investor, and wannabes.  Speculators think it is all about the ‘flip’.  Wannabes wait until the investors have made huge profits and then slide in while the media is still hyping the market so they can pretend to be investors.  But the investor, they know that greatest wealth comes from sustained planned ownership. 

Here is the one secret that have made my clients fortunes.  So, save your dollars, no shipping and no more late night TV telling you how to be rich with real estate.  Ready?

$165,000 x 10% down = $16500.00 invested.  Market increase of 10% means subject should sell for $182,000 in a year.  Meaning, your $16500 invested returned $16500, or 100% return on investment.  Not counting tax shelters.  Not counting rental income.  Can you get 10% in today’s market?  MLS statistics for YTY June 2009/2010 show the average increase in the market values were 10.3%.  Is that too good to be true?  What about 5%, for a 50% return on money invested?

While there is more to this, it really is this simple.   With minimal risk you can get rates of return today of 40-100% on your money invested.  Anyone want a cup of coffee and to chit chat?  Until then,

SUCCESS!

Darrell

I love being a father; even months before December 1, 1974 I could tell that I would love it.  And it is an understatement to say that July 1, 1978 life ratcheted up massively with birth of our 2^nd child, and I loved it.  Did I mention I love being a father?

To watch my son and daughter grow, to play a part in their development and now to stand back and bask in pride as I see who they have become, stand in awe at the decisions they make, and to top it off, to see them move into young parenthood!  Life is Good!  God is Good!

So when my friends Zenet and Carri sent me the following, I knew I had to get their permission to share with you all.  If we want a future for our children, and now our grandchildren, we might want to read, re-read and then take responsibility for making better decisions.  Oops!  Hope I didn’t go too far!  But don’t you agree that when we see 54% of our income going to taxes and interest, that, yeah, it means we must make better decisions?

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________ 

But there was something that happened today that made me want to shake it up a little.  You may remember that I am always loved being a resource to you, but have I done enough for my clients to provide access to me and information that might help them turn a decision into a good decision?

One of my bank clients sent me an order to confirm occupancy on a home that just had completed the foreclosure process and was now becoming REO.  The address sounded very familiar, and I verified with my past client file to find that sure enough I had sold this home to a wonderful couple at the beginning of the new millennium.  I have kept in touch with mailings, and whenever possible we would communicate by phone or in person on a Pop By.  Now they lost their home, and I never was aware of the difficulty they were in.

The reasons do not matter, whether they were caught up in the Refi for better rates, using the home for an ATM machine, or needing their equity for real emergencies, something had gone wrong and they couldn’t keep on going.  With this being so visible and close to home for me, I couldn’t just let this go without offering some insight and possibly some hope.

What caused this to end this way was embarrassment.  It was too embarrassing to this couple to let anyone know until it was too late.  Now added to that is guilt, what if, why, and a variety of other soul robbing questions.   Let me help.

1^st, if this is where you find yourself, or your family and friends, STOP, call, let’s meet and consider your options.

2^nd, if you are in the rat race of refi, refi refi,.. STOP!  The only one who wins is the lender, not you.

However, having said all that, this is not the end of the world.  Someday, if someone is interested, I will tell Donna’s and my story of what we went through in the 1980’s that nearly cost us our home, business and credit but at the end changed our lives.  Suffice it to say, ‘been there, done that, bought the whole T-shirt collection’.  In other words I know exactly what I am speaking of.

So to this couple and to any others you may know, get up, get in, and let’s get a plan to rebuild.  It took time to lose it, it will take time to regain it, but we will regain if we create a plan that works specifically for you.

But what could we have done differently had someone let me into their private financial affairs? 

One thing I believe every one of the more than 5000 clients I have personally served would attest I gave them my best:  advice, support, knowledge, and fought for them.  I would not have allowed this to happen without an all out assault to provide alternatives.  And there are some.  And in 75%+ of times, they work and stop the foreclosure losses!

We have all heard the terms Loss Mitigation.  This was always available for the seller to attempt to work with the lender to resolve the debt in some other fashion, i.e., rewrite the terms, recast the loan, put off the payments and add to the end of the loan, and other techniques.  While not wildly successful, it is a first step to other alternatives. 

Then there is the granddaddy of all solutions, the Short Sale.  While industry averages of success are around 47%, with our system, our team was able to maintain over 90% success rate in 2009.  As you will remember, I LOVE SYSTEMS THAT WORK, in fact, my whole 35 year career has been based on creating and improving systems that create success for my clients. 

Short Sales, in brief, allow for negotiation with the Lender(s) to accept as Payment in Full the current market price for your home.  There may be more detailed explanations out there, but the best summary is the bank takes what the home can now bring, as payment in full.  And the cost to the seller for commissions, etc., ZERO.  They are included in the loan payoff so there is no out of pocket expense for the fees.

What does this do for you? 

Allows you:

1-       To leave the home with dignity once it is sold, you fully participate in the selling process just as you would if you were a seller with equity in their home. 

2-      There is no strange signage to create embarrassment, no markings on the home targeting you as a troubled owner.

3-      Reduces the negative credit rating received if the home goes thru foreclosure

4-      Returns you to the market as a buyer in much less time (80% faster!)

5-      Did I mention dignity?

Had this young couple been able to face the embarrassment of speaking with me about their issues, I believe we would have had a 90%+ chance of granting them a gracious dignified exit while placing them on the road to ownership in short order.  Ownership that I know would have been handled differently.  Isn’t there an old saying that goes “wisdom is knowledge gained by experience”?  Their ‘case’ was poster perfect of what a lender looks for to see if someone qualifies for such a strong solution.  One similar transaction we just closed on had the 1^st and 2^nd trust deeds in excess of $394,000 with our final sales price ending up at $157,000 and the banks accepted that as payment in full.

So why am I writing to you?  1 in 8 families in America are behind in their mortgage payments.  In Stockton the numbers are nearer 1-6.  That means you may know someone who could benefit from a no obligation counseling meeting. 

How can you help?  Here are a few suggestions:

1-      Have them visit www.209-411.com as a starter

2-      They can then visit my blog on www.darrellisaacs.com and get to know me a bit.

3-      Let them know my CORE values of work, to serve the client, answer the questions and educate without obligation so as to build trust and how it helped you through the decision process that you went through.

4-      Encourage them to visit with me for 30-60min to ask me any question about the process.  Again, no obligation.

5-      Request some printed materials I can forward to you or your friends/family to start the conversation.

I really believe we are at a crisis in real estate and that there are few who can lead families out of this mess.  I am committed to aggressively doing everything within my power, using the knowledge and life experiences of 35 years in business and more than 5000 home sales, to ensure your family and friends have the best chance. 

Oh yeah, the young couple.  We are currently looking for an investor who will purchase in today’s market, enter into a qualified Lease Option that will benefit both parties fairly.  Total Win-Win.  Interested? J

If I can be of service, please do not hesitate to call or email.

SUCCESS!