Johnny's Blog

New Listing in Walnut Creek 2/2 Condo Only $276,450...What a great price!

2008-07-23T19:15:09Z

Johnny Huang | Keller Williams Realty | 510-682-5022

480 N Civic Dr #105, Walnut Creek, CA

The Keys! Resort living with 3 community pools, gym, tennis courts all in the Suburbs of Walnut Creek

2BR/2BA Condo

offered at $276,450

Year Built	1972
Sq Footage	1,023
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	1 Covered spaces
Lot Size	Unspecified
HOA/Maint	$465 per month

DESCRIPTION

Resort Living in Walnut Creek!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Living room
Refrigerator	Stove/Oven	Balcony, Deck, or Patio

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Covered parking	Guest parking	Laundry on-site
Fitness center	Swimming pool(s)	Tennis court(s)
Secured entry

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Johnny Huang

Keller Williams Realty

510-682-5022

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 23, 2008, 1:03pm PDT

REO assignments

2008-07-16T22:04:00Z

On 2/15/08 I wrote about going crazy signing up with BPO companies in hopes of getting any listings.

Read it here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/381206/BPO-stir-Crazy

on 3/18/08 I wrote my experiences doing my first BPO's...basically, I jumped in the pool and learned how to swim.

Read it here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/413473/BPO-Learning-Curve

Today on 7/16/08, I have my listing... http://activerain.com/blogsview/596268/New-listing-Walnut-Creek

My point?

Do BPO's like you mean it; the rewards will come, I guarantee! You are the eyes and ears of the market place for the lenders so do your best work.

New listing! Walnut Creek California

2008-07-16T17:18:51Z

Here's one for you all!

Johnny Huang | Keller Williams Realty | 510-682-5022

1089 Wesley Ct #6, Walnut Creek, CA

W.C. Condo, close to freeway, BART. Upgraded Kitchen and bath!

2BR/2BA Condo

offered at $304,000

Year Built	1980
Sq Footage	995
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	1 Covered spaces
Lot Size	Unspecified
HOA/Maint	$280 per month

DESCRIPTION

Upper End unit, Custom kitchen and bathroom. Very clean and move in condition. Priced to sell fast.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Dishwasher
Refrigerator	Stove/Oven	Laundry area - garage
Balcony, Deck, or Patio

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Covered parking

Swimming pool(s)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Johnny Huang

Keller Williams Realty

510-682-5022

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 16, 2008, 12:49pm PDT

Public links of Walnut Creek

City of Walnut Creek http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/

Walnut Creek School District http://www.walnutcreeksd.org/wcsd/site/default.asp

Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce http://www.walnut-creek.com/

Thank you for taking the time to view this, call me anytime!

Walk Away foreclosure looking for closure!

2008-05-16T12:41:59Z

From a recent article! Share with others please!

Thanks!

The country's two largest sources of mortgage money have a blunt warning for anyone thinking about joining the growing "walkway" trend, where homeowners stop making payments and months later send the house keys back to their lender: you will feel the pain.

In March, Fannie Mae sent out new guidelines to lenders intended for walkaways and other foreclosure situations. Fannie will now prohibit foreclosed borrowers from getting another mortgage through the giant investor for five years, unless there are "documented extenuating circumstances." In those cases, the mortgage prohibition is for three years.

Even after five years, borrowers with foreclosures in their files will be required to make at least a 10 percent down payment, and will need minimum FICO credit scores of 680.

Free Mac, Fannie's rival, counts foreclosures as major credit blots for seven years, and a senior official said the company is now aggressively pursuing some walkaway borrowers "to preserve our deficiency rights" where permitted under state law.

The walkaway trend is particularly noteworthy in former housing boom markets - including California, Florida and Nevada-where many homeowners find themselves upside down on their loans, owing tens of thousands more than the current market value of their houses. If they invested little or nothing in down payments, some owners reason, continuing to make payments -even if they can afford to - may be throwing good money after bad.

A number of websites have popped up claiming to cut the hassles of bailing out of a mortgage. One company promises that clients "will be able to live in the home for up to eight months with no mortgage payments," after paying $995 for a customized plan. The same site says it will provide clients with "legal credit repair" to "improve your FICO scores."

Another website claims that "your credit can be repaired and (you will) be able to purchase a house in as few as two years"-after paying a $495 fee. Still another company says walkaways can expect "up to one year living payment free" as the lender goes about filing for foreclosure. That company charges $995 for its how-to-do-it kit.

Fair Isaac Corp. of Minneapolis, developer of the FICO scores used in mortgage transactions is unhappy at any suggestion that a foreclosure could be minimized or wiped away in a short period of time. Its scoring model counts foreclosure as a long-standing and severe events, nearly comparable with bankruptcy, with negative consequences for all forms of credit that walkaways might seek to obtain. That includes credit card applications, auto loans, student loans - and even insurance and employment.

FICO spokesman Craig Watts said that the impact of a foreclosure on an individual's score depends heavily on the payment history, length and number of credit trade lines in a consumer's file, but "It is always significant."

Robin Stout Migala, consumer outreach manager for Freddie Mac, said in an interview that "there are so many bad reasons for walking away" from a home loan. Not only are borrowers' credit standings wrecked - forcing them into excessively high interest rates on any credit they can manage to obtain -but they also face other potential problems including federal income tax liabilities.

Federal legislation enacted last year allows homeowners who negotiate loan modifications with lenders and have portions of the principle debt eliminated to escape income tax liability for the amount forgiven. Walkways borrowers, by contract, have nothing forgiven and the IRS may demand income taxes on the balance they never paid, according to Migala.

When they apply for a loan from either Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, she said, the standard application form asks whether they have ever experienced a foreclosure or handed over their deed in lieu of foreclosure. If applicants check "yes" the loan is immediately shifted to manual underwriting. Every piece of information is scrutinized by underwriters, who probe for the fact surrounding the loss of the house.

For borrowers who faced genuine financial hardships leading to foreclosures, underwriters are likely to be more sympathetic a few years down the road. But if you walk away, here's the deal: Don't expect to get a new home loan - certainly not one with favorable terms - for five to seven years.

That's no matter what some promoter promised you online.

Kenneth Harney

San Francisco Chronicle Real Estate

kenharney@earthlink.net

Just my 2 Cents!

2008-04-23T17:33:11Z

Well, it's really 1 cent...

On May 12, the First Class Postage rate will change to 42 cents!

Everyone, get your mailers out before the rate change!

For those who have a stash of 41 cent stamps, don't forget the buy 1 cent stamps for your collection :-)

Or better yet, buy the forever stamps and never buy additional stamps during rate changes ever again!

Visit www.usps.com for more information.

P.S. I don't work for the USPS, just providing useful information for you and your clients.

Take care and have a great weekend!

Having fun!

2008-04-09T17:57:56Z

That's right!

I'm having fun in today's market. I've made contacts, met new people, doing more golfing! Having fun! If you can't have fun in what you do, then it's not worth doing it.

Today, I saw some agents in a sales meeting, they aren't having fun working their job. I tried to encourage them, it's about mindset and positive thinking. Have fun at it, make new friends and contacts, and keep them in your database. Go out and talk to them, not about real estate, but about life, family, work, so on. They already know you're in real estate so have fun with them instead!

Most of all, you get to know them better and when the time comes, it'll all be worth knowing them.

Get out there, go do what you like to do. I like to golf, play softball, EAT FOOD!

What tickles yer fancy? What makes you tick? What gives you a reason to smile!

Active Rain Sponsors that flash before your eyes!

2008-04-04T13:05:01Z

I'm noticing that the activity level of the AR sponsors are increasing and changing to grab the attention of "the agents who blog here". Anyone have any stories behind these clicks?

Rather, I'm looking for positive or negative testimonials.

They look tempting to jump right in, but like people say, "if it's too good to be true..."

My thoughts...

Depending on where your marketing dollars, this may NOT be the right thing for you. As a Keller Williams agent, they teach Lead with Revenue meaning that every marketing dollar needs to be tracked. If you're starting out and have a small budget, start with prospecting. This is by far the cheapest way for you to get your name out. Once you've started to close deals, look for other sources of lead generation methods.

BUT always track your results. For instance, if you decide to buy leads, see where these leads "lead" you. If it makes financial sense, then keep the lead coming. If not, try something different. Not everyone will have the same results.

One way of marketing myself is to be able to get my name and links to my blog and website in my email. I found a company called www.mlxjet.com and used their email branding system which has been fantastic so far. Please use my discount code JH5024 for an instant 50% discount and see your response rate go up.

Motivation in regards to Buying and Selling

2008-04-03T13:43:11Z

Yesterday, in our team meeting, alot agents expressed concerns about the motivation on their clients whether to buy or sell their homes.

Some concerns are (for both listing and buying issues):

Will short sales be a good idea for me if I'm selling my home?
Where will the market be in a year, what can I expect to happen?
Homes aren't selling because there's too many, How can I sell my house?
I want to wait till the prices go back up (or down)
I want to time the market so I have the best price possible.

These concerns really boiled down to two key issues:

MOTIVATION OR PRICE (or we can call it pleasure or pain?)

If a seller needs to sell, why? Is it because of job loss? Divorce? Job transfer?

If a buyer wants to buy, why? Upgrade to new home? Investment? First home?

Do you REALLY know clients are interested in buying or selling???? People move away from pain or towards pleasure. What is the dream of your client? What pain are they experiencing that is driving them to go through the process of buying or selling?

Moving is not so much fun...why are they doing it? If you have a very clear picture of their motivation, then every discussion become easier because you understand Their Big Why.

Take Care

Johnny H-Real Estate

BTW, I found a cool way of marketing recently. It's called email branding and I've used it for almost 5 days in every email I send. Within the 5 days, I either got a few positive responses AND a referral just because I have a website-like page embedded in my email.

If you go to www.mlxjet.com and sign up, please use the discount code JH5024 for an instant 50% off the price.

Don't forget to mention who you are...

2008-03-31T17:39:51Z

This week, has been an interesting week.

I hosted a birthday party for my daugther and it was chilly, but people are grateful and we had a good time! I got to strengthen my relationship with people.

I received a lead on my phone from someone that had sent me an email through my website, now I'm on an email relationship with him.

I received another lead from a church member who wants to invest.

However...

Most importantly, my lesson this week was that if you don't tell people you are in real estate, you lose out!

To clarify, I've known my neighbors for over a year, granted I started practicing 3 months ago, I failed to mention that I was in real estate for those 3 months to this particular neighbor. Needless to say, they are selling their home with another agent and when they found out I was in real estate, They said, "I DIDN'T KNOW YOU ARE A REAL ESTATE AGENT, I would have listed with you!" /facepalm, /kickself...

Don't let this happen to you, let EVERYONE KNOW you're in real estate, you just never know...

Do you comment beyond 250?

2008-03-30T16:43:38Z

As I look at my commenting habit, I tend to over comment and go beyond the threshold of the "10 comments" a day.

Do you comment beyond your points?

I do, because as a community, I don't believe we should stop at 10 if time allows. Its the feedback that people seek when they ask for help, and I generally like to help. Also, there are posts that are simply inspiring and/or educating, and being a student of this industry, AR is a great place to absorb them. Some of you might say...why waste your time, you won't get any points.

I submit to you stop looking at points and look for pointers where you can grow as a professional.

Active Rain Insomniacs!

2008-03-29T02:48:11Z

Yawn!

As I log on at 12:42am, I noticed there's 628 people online, including myself. I can't sleep because I let my baby nap way too long today and she can't sleep either :-( We have a big party tomorrow to set up and now we're up late and most likely won't be up till around 10am tomorrow. The party preparations are supposed to start at 11am!

So you 628 AR people, why are you up? Is your deal closing soon? Can't sleep thinking about your next marketing efforts or lead generation process? Do you dream about negotiations, talks, even running your scripts while you sleep?

I do that! All of it, it's the jitters and it sucks energy from me in the morning. Tomorrow is the big day where I get to meet my database (and more) in one day's event! I'm thinking how can I connect with them, how will things turn out, will people eat too much, or will they get sick?

Who knows, only the Good Lord knows what's in store for me and my family tomorrow. In the meantime, for those 628 members that are up reading posts, let it go. It can wait till tomorrow. Get some sleep.

Good night! :-)

My weekend plans-think big and you will get big!

2008-03-28T17:26:36Z

I have a party to host this Saturday for my daughter's first birthday. I created a tribute blog for her already http://activerain.com/blogsview/442665/Today-this-blog-is but this party on Saturday probably will be bigger than I expect!

I sent out invitation to about 60 families and I think most of them will be there! I'm counting over 100 bodies, men, women, children...family, friends, co-workers, church members, neighbors! Whew...I think I may need a break after this :-)

I'm not complaining, but I'm really excited if the outcome is positive. This means mingling time, real estate chatting time, relationship building time, overall, visibility!

Wish me luck, and I hope things work out!

P.S. Please pray for sunshine tomorrow, thanks!

Today, this blog is a tribute to my daugther...

2008-03-27T19:23:38Z

Because one year ago, she entered our world and has been a joy in my life. From the first day of her breath till now, she will be my first little girl.

Happy Birthday Olivia Cristabel Huang and many more to come!

May God watch over your life and may He bless ours fully with you being here with us.

Web 2.0 Training at KW on March 27, 2008

2008-03-27T18:34:52Z

I just came back from a Internet Web 2.0 at my local KW office. I have to say, I had a big Ah-Ha...

We are all wondering how to get online, get presence in the web, blah blah blah....

It all really boiled down everything that we do, on Active Rain, Website presence, Facebook, Linkedin, and whatever social site you've been on is being registered in the spiders that runs the SEO.

So in other words, keep putting your 2 cents on those sites, keep plugging away.

The biggest thing that I learned is that you really don't need to relearn all the technology terms. Leave that to the professionals. Just access all the sites you already seen or read online and get on typing. I'm taking a few hours myself a week, that's all I can do myself.

Is it that simple? Yes! Does it take your time! Sure! Will it help you and I, I sure hope it would.

Thanks for reading!

Johnny

www.JohnnyHRealestate.com

Renting Versus Buying

2008-03-25T16:11:11Z

For my clients asking me why should they buy instead of renting...

RENTING.....

When the lease is up you can choose to move.

You do not gain or build any equity.

Less work in maintaining a rental home or apartment.

In most cases, smaller amount of initial "up front" cash.

You will never gain or build equity in an apartment.

Limited ability to personalize your living space.

No tax advantage to renting. Your landlord gets all the allowable tax breaks.

BUYING.....

If you want to move, the house must be sold.

Equity may go up, down or remain stagnant.

Work needs to be done by you or paid for by you.

May be a large initial investment. However, you can borrow this initial investment and pay it back with appreciation build up.

Over time, the mortgage balance decreases and equity increases, even if the value of the home doesn't increase.

Freedom to remodel and redecorate your home to match your needs and desires.

The interest and taxes portion of your mortgage are tax deductible.

Bottom line, when renting, your paying someone's mortgage, so why not pay for your own AND REAP THE BENEFITS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP?

Providing Service to clients

2008-03-25T16:03:10Z

As we all know, business anywhere is about service. Let's define service...

Dictionary.com has service defined as:

1.	an act of helpful activity; help; aid: to do someone a service.

2.	the supplying or supplier of utilities or commodities, as water, electricity, or gas, required or demanded by the public.

3.	the providing or a provider of accommodation and activities required by the public, as maintenance, repair, etc.: The manufacturer guarantees service and parts.

There's actually 37 definition's in total from Dictionary.com, but we will only touch up on the first few...

#1...AN ACT OF HELPFUL ACTIVITY; HELP; AID: to do someone a service.

I come from the hospitality industry and I knew first hand, that without service, your customers won't be happy and without customers, you're out of business. If you want repeat customers (in any business) you must have top notch service, no if ands or buts!

How does this pertain to real estate? Everything! We use our Sphere of Influence to market, prospect, advertise. All the things necessary to generate the lead, but if you don't provide the servicing aspect of the business, that lead will go elsewhere.

As a buyer's agent, we tend to forget that we are helping a buyer with their decision to buy by providing up to date listings, comps of recently sold, neighborhood info etc. We are their eyes and ears in the marketplace. Providing timely information, getting back to clients answers quickly, SOLVING THEIR problem promptly, and making sure they are taken care of should be your first agenda!

I submit to every Realtor out there. Show Service First, make your clients happy, over deliver on your promises...

Good luck and Be well.

Open house story...chronicles of an agent

2008-03-23T15:55:16Z

This is a story of a fellow agent who doesn't blog but something that I can share for a learning experience. This agent scheduled an open house for a listing agent in the same company. Everything was ready to go and signs were up prior to opening. The agent went into the house and to her astonishment, the place is not clean! There were dirty dishes, food on the counters, even the backyard was messy! The lesson... For the agent hosting the open house...preview the house and MAKE SURE THE listing agent tells the owner to clean up! For the listing agent...TELL YOUR CLIENTS TO CLEAN UP! Do they really want to sell their house? nuff said and go figure...

edit:Just found out this was a short sale. Maybe that's why the seller isn't cleaning up much. Also, when the agent opened the house, the master bedroom and garage area was locked with no ability for that agent to access it. Can I say it was really embarassing for the agent to show a house that can't be shown!

Mobile ActiveRain, a petition!

2008-03-22T16:28:17Z

I don't recall if there was a section on this site or anywhere that mentions if AR will have mobile technology format. If there is, I applaud the people behind the scenes to make AR a forefront for mobile bloggers. IF not, this is a petition to make AR mobile friendly! Uses of AR mobile can include faster blog loading without pictures and/or easier to navigate sections for the mobile screens without scroll bars. If you blog on your mobile, then this is for you! Let's get this going!

Not just an Real Estate Broker, but your advisor!

2008-03-21T12:55:40Z

I'm not just another Real Estate Broker...I'm also your advisor.

Real Estate was, is, and always be the vehicle that allows people to achieve financial freedom. Interest rates fluctuate however, over time, appreciation rates always goes up. Buy your first home (House, Condo, Townhome...what you can afford) now or make that move to buy your first CASH FLOWING rental.

Are you renting or making huge payments on a home, living paycheck to paycheck? I can help you plan out and make educated decisions.

NOTE: I will not advise you to buy a house that you cannot afford. I've never done it, I never will.

Johnny Huang, MBA

Keller Williams Realty

510-682-5088 cell

www.JohnnyHRealEstate.com

"At your service, for all your Real Estate and investing wants!"

P.S. Notice my stance on what you can afford. Please if you do buy real estate, do not over extend yourself. Clean up your credit, pay off debts (especially car notes), and make sure your income supports everything!

This week I've decided to hold 2 open house!!

2008-03-18T13:48:09Z

I'm excited!

I'm working hard to increase my database by holding 2 open houses. I'm not the listing agent for these homes, however the opportunity to find buyer clients are extremely good through this avenue in my market.

My approach, be myself as usual. People will like me for who I am and what I can offer as my Unique Value Proposition. Just be myself, I have a Masters Degree in Business and have a Broker's License and worked in the service industry since the age of 16. I can do it.

Like Ali says to himself before a fight that he's a champion, I say to myself, "I can do it, I can put you (the client) into your next home, I can work the best deal for you, I can and I will, I promise!"

I can do it. Lord willing, I can do it.

This blog is my cheerleader and I am the best agent for my clients.

Anyone want to share their own method of their game face? :-)

Lock Box location and codes

2008-03-17T00:11:49Z

I'm ranting because I think normal business practice should dictate, but it doesn't happen in the real world.

I wanted to see a house for a client. I pull it up on the MLS and a lock box is mentioned but no other information was provided. I call the agent on the contact phone and no answer on the office line and voicemail on cell phone, so I left a voicemail letting the agent know that I'm previewing the house. Regardless, the client wanted information quickly, so I hopped in the car.

I went to the house, found the lock box, and lo and behold, it's a manual one! Great...now I've really wasted my trip.

Really, Why would an agent list a house with a manual lockbox if they aren't readily available to give to the code to access the house for a showing? Why do agents still use manual lockboxes when there's high tech ones available? Why do we as agents pay for a lockbox key (I have a Supra) but some agents have a darn manual one!?!?

/vent off

BPO Learning Curve

2008-03-08T16:57:49Z

Now I've done a some BPO's (Averaging 2 per week) and here's what I've learned.

1. READ the email and get instructions on what the asset company wants. This is important because not all of them want the same thing.

2. Have your camera ready. I made the mistake for not checking the batteries on my camera. If you don't have your camera ready, the trip is fruitless.

3. Have your lockbox key ready. See above for that mistakes. Extra trips to the subject property is wasted gas money.

4. Do your tax record search and MLS Comps in advance. Looking these up should be at the snap of your fingers. I like to print them out to review them, instead of browsing on my screen. It makes comparing and jotting notes easier.

5. Have an idea of the price before you go. Sometimes you can "see and feel" the neighborhood with comps, so get a sense of the area before you head out.

6. Bring a flashlight, jacket full of pockets, and a notepad or folder to write notes. Keep a tab on you photos and note anything you see that will impact your values.

7. Call in to a collegue or friend letting them know you are at the property. For security reasons, of course. You never know what you can expect in a property that's vacant and trashed.

8. Plan out an exit strategy. If you don't feel good, possibly get out. Some homes can be scary because it's trashed, vandalized, even burned. If you don't feel safe, don't do it.

9. Compile all information before you start inputting in the company's website. This saves alot of time alt-tabbing screens or paper shuffling.

10. Be patient for your check. :-) nuff said...

This is my learning curve, hope you all enjoy. Please don't comment on how BPO's are a waste of time for the money you get. This is not part of the discussion. Thanks in advance.

I have a relative that died in Europe with the same surname?

2008-02-27T17:48:04Z

You got it! I got one of this emails. Thing is, it's from an active rain comment! Oh boy I'm thinking to myself, there is actually someone that views our profile and spams through this site!

BTW spammers, my last name is HUANG and no I don't have a relative in Ireland that died! (Althought depositing millions of dollars in my bank account for a small fee is tempting...it's the devil's work!)

Thought this would be fun to post about and make sure you ALL are not getting doped by these spammers and con artists. When in doubt, hit the delete button.

Time to update the community

2008-02-22T02:35:38Z

It's time for a progress report. How am I doing?

Well, Februray is coming to a close, and I'm still learning. I've attended my KW classes, started with CAMP 4-4-3 and started Productivity Coaching. I have newbie Board training coming soon (takes all day!!). UGH!

My big question, where am I? I'm in limbo! I want to start, but there's so many places to go. I've gotten appointments with 13 Asset management companies for BPO's. I've got my letter to expired listings ready to roll, I'm doing lunch every other week (don't want to burn my wallet). But I feel empty.

Why? What is it that makes me do this? What is my BIG WHY?

Then I look at my wife and my daugther, the say...AH HA. That's why I do it.

I read somewhere that people sometimes think prayers don't work when something happens to them, and that when we pray for strength, and something difficult comes along, it's construed the wrong way or meaning.

If something difficult comes along, it's your chance to learn and be strengthened and gain the wisdom you need to move on.

I say, bring it on! BPO's, expired calls, meeting with people...BRING IT ON!

President's Day

2008-02-18T16:25:30Z

Well today isn't so great for me. I'm down and out with a cold I think. Body aches with no chills, stuffy nose, chest congestion for the past 2 days. I'm hoping to get better tomorrow for there's a bunch of trainings and appointments I need to keep.

Being at home though allows me to browse the web (bearing my headache is manageable) and keep up with all the Rainers :-)

Have a great week everyone, and word of the wise today...when your mother tells you to wear a hat, do it!