Don’t let your reality “check” bounce

Self reflection is HUGE part of someone’s success.  You either realize it or you don’t.  Those that are successful do, and those that aren’t… well don’t.

Work ethic is something that most people would like to think they have.  They tell themselves how hard they work, how smart they work, how well they manage their time, how well they prioritize their tasks, what they do all day and what they are going to tomorrow.

The problem is today is over and they are still “talking” about what they are going to be doing.  Eventually tomorrow becomes today and many people find themselves sitting in neutral while others in their industry are in 5th gear and are passing them by.

Vision without action is merely a dream and action without vision just passes the time. Every single day I see people that have this great plan, these big dreams, lofty desires but, no action.  I also see people that are constantly “in action” trying new things, they jump on to the latest trends, try the newest phenomenon and forget to do the basics and really form a business plan. ( I know what a concept right).

When you yourself are passionate about life you will begin to instill positive thoughts and energy in others.  Drive is infectious, contagious and inspiring.  You have no idea how many lives you can change for the better by simply changing yours.  Push yourself to another level and watch those around you start to make positive changes as well.

Don’t be afraid to dream big, but don’t forget to formulate a plan when you wake up from that dream to help you attain everything you desire.  People are capable of so much more than they give themselves credit for BUT until someone can look themselves in the mirror and be honest with themselves about their plan, work ethic, path, strengths, weaknesses etc… They will simply be living in a fantasy land.

Be smart, be healthy, eat right, don’t drink too much, get enough sleep, work hard, play hard, love hard, hold yourself accountable, hold others accountable, demand a lot from yourself and others.  Set goals, write them down, look at them, verbalize them to others around you that you trust (it makes them real and now people can hold you accountable).  Cherish the victories, learn from the losses.  Be honest with yourself.  You will take steps back which is OK as long as you sprint to catch back up… and don’t ever give up.  You have so much more in you kid, and you were built for this.

Reality check.  Will yours bounce???

Born to live

Well a year has gone by since the twins (Charlie and Reese) were born. Totally easy for me to remember because 8/24 is Kobe Bryant day in Los Angeles!!! Whoop whoop!!!   It is also a year that has gone by since the day that I almost lost my wife and our four kiddos almost lost their momma.  Life is completely full of ups and downs, twist and turns and so many expected and unexpected events.  Mommy and the twins are doing great but it has been a challenge FOR SURE…

One thing we have learned is that the comments you get when you are the parents of twins from those who do not have twins are completely and utterly opposite of those that you get from parents who actually do have twins!

Not Parents of Twins:

• “OMG you have twins?!?! You are so lucky!!!”
• “OMG my dream is to have twins when I get older and have kids!”
• “OMG that must be SO. MUCH. FUN!!!”
• “OMG are they identical?”
• “OMG do they do everything the same?”

Parents of Twins:

• “OMG, it is so hard having twins!”
• “Don’t worry, it gets a little easier when they hit 2 years old” (holy shit we have another year of this????)
• “Other parents just don’t understand”
• “This is the hardest thing in the world…”

The last year of our lives was probably the hardest year of our lives and ultimately I wouldn’t change a thing (except for my wife being on an emergency operating table for 8 hours).  Social media has a way of making life look like romantic dates, mornings sipping on coffee from a perfect oversized mug, cuddling in bed every morning, gourmet meals for every meal and perfect outfits each and every day for every event imaginable.  The reality that we all live is actually quite the contrary… day in and day out my house is chaotic, hectic, frustrating, messy, and exhausting.

When I wake up in the morning I am usually out of the house before the troops wake up but my wife’s day is usually somewhat documented for me on social media… We get the videos of the babies playing, the babies dressed up in cute outfits and things like that, but you want to know what is not documented.  The shit that happens when both twins are screaming because they are teething, you don’t see when both babies are crying uncontrollably because they are tired yet they won’t nap.  You don’t see when both babies poop and throw up at the same time.  You don’t see both babies needing to be held because they want mom but when she is holding them they pull each other’s hair and gouge each other’s eyes.  You don’t see Elliott or Peyton wanting to go outside and play with mom but she has to tend to the twins. You don’t see Elliott climbing in the pantry, grabbing the scissors and trying to sneak off with them to cut God knows what. You don’t see Peyton throwing attitude because she most likely just wants attention. You don’t see Peyton and Elliott fighting over any and every toy that is God’s gift to toys right now but neither one has played with for months until the other one picked it up. There are no oversized coffee mugs here… (Well there is but the coffee is getting cold and definitely not getting sipped on).

When I get home I never know what I am walking into. I usually get home about 6:15-6:30pm… Did the twins nap at all during the day? Did Elliott nap or is he cranky pants? Who’s fighting? Who is screaming? Who didn’t listen to mom throughout the day? Have the kids been fed? Who needs a bath? Does Jenny need a break? The twins need to get into pajamas about 7pm and get fed but Peyton and Elliott want daddy time also now that I am home. Peyton has homework, Elliott wants to wrestle, Jenny needs help with the twins… The twins are in their jammies, I watch one, Jenny feeds one, I play with Peyton and Elliott at the same time, Jenny comes out switches babies and feeds the other one. She is done feeding now off to bed for the twins… We put the twins down. Get Elliott’s teeth brushed, Peyton’s teeth brushed and fight with Elliott for 10 minutes as to why he has to go to bed but Peyton doesn’t (yes this is every night). We put him to bed and immediately he is “hungry”… We bring him a snack and walk out then hear “daddy, daddy, daddy, mommy, mommy, mommy… I am thirsty”. We bring him water and walk out… then we hear “daddy, daddy, daddy, mommy, mommy, mommy… I need to go potty”. So he is finally down about 8:30. Then it is Peyton’s turn and she has mastered the art of keeping me and Jenny in the room each for at least 15 minutes so about 9:00-9:15pm all the kids are down… If we are lucky (or Jenny) we make it to 10pm without one of the twins waking up… We usually are in bed about 10:30 and the twins are almost always up about 11pm and then Jenny is on their schedule. Day in and day out Jenny and I get to converse here and there while kids are vying for our attention as well… just hit repeat and do it all again tomorrow.

Having twins is definitely unique, it is definitely “fun”, it is cool, and awesome but it is the hardest thing ever.  My wife has not slept an entire night in a year and she has done it gracefully and willingly.  We had a night nurse for 7 months that helped from 7pm- 6am and this shit was still incredibly hard.  One kid now seems like a breeze and Jenny and I have had a really hard time figuring out or trying to guess when it gets easier. The truth is we don’t know… we have never had twins before so we have nothing to go off of and no two sets of twins are alike but one thing I do know is that we will push through and figure it out as we go… So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Charlie and Reese, we love you!

Cheating Death and Gaining Life

So for the past 3 months I have been exhausted and I haven’t been able to figure out why.  For those of you who do not know my wife and I recently had identical twin daughters but don’t feel bad for me… we have a night nurse that comes in at 9pm and stays until 6am so my sleep is okay.  My wife is super mom and take care of all the kids throughout the day so really nothing has changed for me.  I go to work, hustle, create, manage, etc… I have been doing that for 10 years and love it.  So what changed?  Why can’t I wake up in the morning to workout?  I used to spring out of bed for crossfit at 4:45am… All of this got me thinking about what it could possibly be.

If I am like everyone else in this world I think I take for granted my significant other and just how significant she is.  So let’s back up here a little bit….

My wife and I have been married 8 years.  Now have 4 beautiful children, a great life and can do pretty much whatever we want when we want. My wife stays at home with the kids and raises them to be incredible little humans.  For the most part everything went great with my wife’s last pregnancy.  Twin girls!!!  Identical twin girls!!! Holy shit am I in trouble in about 15 years… We went into the hospital to induce her and have the twins (on Kobe Bryant’s birthday FYI but she screwed that up)… I never would have thought that 12+ hours would pass without the twins arriving.  Our other two kiddos were born within an hour from the time we got to the hospital so this one was different from the get go.

We had the twins in the OR just in case we had to have an emergency C-section.  The other kiddos were born naturally without an epidermal so that was the goal here… Finally we were ready.  I was dressed in scrubs head to toe, we strolled into the OR and my wife began pushing and the only concern we had going in was if “Baby B” (Reese) was going to move into position to be born vaginally…  Jenny pushes and like a champ BOOM, Charlie is here… Now I don’t do well with blood so my face is in Jenny’s ear coaching here but mostly to stay awake and not pass out from goo and blood.  Everything is great with Charlie but now I am reading my Doctors eyes and something isn’t right… a few minutes pass, Dr. talk ensues and then…. “Crash”!  The one word I didn’t want to hear.  Crash means the baby is in distress and we go emergency C- section and I have to leave the room.

Charlie was born at 2am, I am pacing outside the office with my doula Kym for what seems like an hour but in all reality Reese was born at 2:12am.  I begin to follow the nurse over to the NICU while they get Jenny taken care of but then… The nurse tells me that “she hopes my wife can see the girls tonight because she had lost a lot of blood”?!?!?!?!?!?  What the F@#K???  So I run back and tell my doula something is wrong.  Jenny lost a lot of blood…. A head nurse comes out and I ask her what is going on.  She goes into the OR and comes back to tell me “there were some complications and they are still working on Jenny”.  Okay so what does that mean???  She checks again, and has the same update but this time I am reading her eyes and it doesn’t look good.  We talk about calling Jenny’s mom… I ask the nurse Karen (who had twins herself) “would you want to be called if you were her mom”… She looked at me, dropped her eyes down and just nodded yes.  My heart sank because at that moment I KNEW something was really wrong and they were just telling me the bare minimum.

I immediately called her mom and now its about 3am… Her mom hopped in the car and headed down.  I called my dad crying, he was at the hospital in 15 minutes.  I called my best friend Bobby, just asked if he could come he said “I am on my way” and hung up with no questions.  I called my buddy Garrett asked if he could come he said “yessir” hung up and was there in 20 minutes.   I received updates every 15 minutes while Jenny was on an operating table for 6+ hours.  Medical staff were sprinting the hallway for blood because Jenny was bleeding so bad from her Uterus and Bladder that she was on the verge of dying…  As a dad I was torn because I had two beautiful twin girls in the NICU that were supposed to have mom and dad snuggling them but I was so concerned about losing my wife.  At one point I was holding Charlie and thought to myself I am going to raise 4 kids on my own.  What am I going to do… I gave Charlie to a nurse at that point because I didn’t want that mindset even creeping in.  I slept on the floor in the hallway, I didn’t eat, I was trying to take in all the information the Dr.’s were giving me… After hours of trying to repair her uterus they came out and told me there were going to have to do a hysterectomy.  I told them I don’t give a shit what you have to do, take out of her, put in her, etc… I want her ALIVE.  The thought of having to explain to Peyton and Elliott that mommy didn’t make it was too much.  The thought of Charlie and Reese not knowing their mom was too much.

Jenny was fighting for her life on a table and I was praying for her life on my knees.  6 hours felt like 6 months.  She never gave up… I was so scared because I had zero control on the outcome of what happened.  A lot of people think that Jenny and I have the best life because we have money.  That experience only solidified in my mind that money is great but doesn’t (and cant) solve everything.  I always tell people more money, more problems and in this particular case I think it drained me.  My wife is my better half.  We get caught in ruts just like everyone else.  She is the most beautiful person inside and out and she is literally my everything.  She gave me my children who I love with everything in me.  There is so much of her in the kids and for that I am thankful.  I feel like I am still recovering from that scenario mentally and emotionally… I think it effected me more than what I even noticed or will ever know.  It wasn’t Jenny’s time to go and her mind, body and spirit knew it.  Her cheating death gave me everything I need.

I have her, my four kids and our health.  We cheated death and gained a life…  We now have the opportunity to write our story book ending so stay tuned.

Success is …?

What is success?  I think the look, the feel, the smell, the taste and the drive for “success” changes over the course of ones life.

High school/ College… very few people ever think about life beyond tomorrow.  Most people of my generation (I am 35) went to college because their parents told them to and honestly I think we are seeing/living through a shift in that mindset right now (but that’s another story)… The thoughts/ideas of “success” did not go much further than “I just want to make a lot of money…”

After college (or in your mid 20’s because I am aware not everyone went to college) I think we are still soul searching.  What do we want to do?  Did we just waste 4 years of our lives in college studying something we will never utilize?  What did we really learn in college that prepared us for the real world??  I remember two things from college that my professors taught me that carried over with me… TWO THINGS.  Private college tuition upwards of $35,000/year… Do the math and see if you think it was worth it?  I did some growing up in college so I am not saying NOT going to college is the answer.  A lot of people choose to work, a lot of my friends went to the military (that I have the ultimate respect for)… But the early to mid 20’s is soul searching.

Hopefully by your mid 20’s you have some sense of direction… at 25 I found my passion.  Real Estate!!!  I fell in love with everything about it…  Investing, flipping, creating wealth through acquiring, market cycles, loans, etc… I also liked the money (loved the money). Fast forward, 27 years old, married (no kids) landed at a company and found my mentor… I was a punk ass kid ready to learn, ready to put in the hours and ready to GRIND.  I literally was just willing to outwork people. It led to great opportunities and now the money was flowing in… I could do whatever I wanted when I wanted (or could I?)  I worked and worked and worked and worked.  I literally took no time off but I secretly loved it.  My wife was supportive because she saw the fruits of the labor.  Cars got more expensive, I started buying rental houses, I was in meetings with multi-millionaires that I had no business being in (truthfully) and I was in LOVE with the process.

I hit 30 and BOOM… My princess is born. Shit changes but not really because I tell myself that she is a baby and won’t know if daddy is home or not but by the time she is 2 I will be… so, I keep grinding.  The money is getting bigger and bigger and bigger BUT so are the stresses and the time and the responsibilities.  Life is still good because I am still a baby in the business and the “success” still tastes good.  My mentor and I have a team, I am now somewhat managing people and truth be told, I was not ready for that.  I did not know how to show appreciation or guide people.  We all worked… and worked.  We closed loans and I did not even know our clients/agents and I started feeling calloused.  I did not like that…

33 years old and I open my own office closer to my house (same company just my own office).  I tell myself if I work closer it will eliminate drive time and therefore I have more family time when really what it did is put my office closer so I could work more…  Now i have two kids and I basically work 7 days a week because I love it… Balance has not become a “thing” to me yet and my wife is holding down the fort at home. I grind… but now I am observing.  I am looking at top producing agents, lenders, title reps, and people in other businesses… anyone who is at the top of their game and they are ALL miserable.  The facade that everyone puts on is amazing.  Like literally AMAZING… fancy cars, nice watches, nice houses, great spouses, money in the bank and yet LIFE was totally unbalanced.  I leave that company and going to a different, more well oiled machine and a light goes off… A fog is lifted… Clarity starts coming into play. WOW… clarity!!!

We live in a social media world where everyone is always trying to keep up with the Jones’s… I think it is important to define YOUR success.  Is it money?  If it is, what are you willing to sacrifice for it?   Is it family time?  Being a stay at home mom?  Getting that next promotion?   Driving nice cars? Having the best watches?  Being the top person at your company?  Building the biggest team?   Going on the most vacations?  Whatever your success is, there is no right or wrong at all just know that there is a “WHY” that needs to be clearly defined.  If your answer to these questions is “Because” that is not good enough… It is not good enough for you, for your family, your friends, or anyone that works with you or around you.  I am defining my why… I encourage you to start now rather than later.

That is my rant… I like I always say i never look back and spell check/grammar check any of this so for you grammar peeps out there… Kick rocks LOL!!!!

Taking the Toll Road in Life

I was driving today on the toll roads and I found myself thinking about how this concept correlate to our everyday lives.  They say the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.

Today my initial thought was that going this route comes at a price and not everyone is willing to pay that price.  Every single time I go on the toll road I make a conscious decision that the price I pay to drive it is worth the time it will save me.  Sometimes I will pay the toll just for the piece of mind of knowing there are less people and therefore I decrease my chances of an accident even though the other lanes are moving at the same speed.  I think traveling on this toll road allows us to clear our brain because we do not have to constantly be on the lookout for other drivers weaving in and out of traffic just to cut a couple seconds off of their commute… It allows us to sit back and focus on the one or two lanes in the toll road.  In a sense it brings a sense of calm and clarity because the chaos of other drivers is highly reduced due to the price.  It also makes you a lot more noticeable because driving in this lane you do not get lost in the shuffle.  You stand out, and therefore are very visible to those not in your lane and puts you in this theoretical spotlight.

I think this is pretty similar to life and business.  To try and create your own path is life/business typically comes at a price and in order to succeed you have to pay the toll…  Going on the road less traveled definitely opens you up for criticism because you are more visible to those around you and they can watch your every move.  Trust me when I say that there are many people watching from the outside to see if you get to your destination and what roadblocks you may incur.  Some people will root for your success and some will wait for you to fail.  Some people will spend an abundance of time wondering why you chose that path even though it does not affect them in any way shape or form.  It is human nature to watch and judge and you have to be able to work through that and keep telling yourself this is “your path”.

If you decide to pay this toll you can get in your lane and focus on what’s in front of you instead of all the chaos and noise on the road that everyone travels..  There is not a lot of traffic/distractions because quite frankly there are not a lot of people willing to pay the toll in business and life.  Everyone wants to make money and everyone wants to be the next big success story but when it comes down to it people choose to stay on the main road due to the fear of the unknown.

This road can be boring sometimes because there are not as many people around and you can find yourself scare and alone… It is at this time you have to trust the process.  You have to trust that you will get to your destination and if you just stay the course you will arrive!!!  It is not to say there are not drawbacks.  Think about it, if you get a flat tire on the main road your are more easily accessible for “help” to come rescue you.  If you get a flat on the toll road you are going to be by yourself.  There will be less people around to help but as long as you’re prepared to work through this on your own the journey is that much more enjoyable.

Without failure there is no success…  I think those of you that choose to pay the toll will unlock a lot of potential that you never knew existed.  #SeeYouAtTheTop

Solar Sucks in Real Estate

I watched a show today on this very topic and I wanted to get it out there to the masses because this has been a hot topic in real estate for about 2 years or so…  SOLAR IS STUPID!!! Before you get all worked up let me tell you why…   Number one they typically have you finance the investment for 20 years and statistics show that the average home owner stays in their house 13 years.   In the lovely state of California that number is actually lower and can you guess why??? Yup, divorce!  It is reality so let us just move along…

Think about this as well, the solar panels today are going to be completely outdated in 20 years and way less efficient than what will be out in the year 2035 and just as an example think of what satellite tv dishes used to look like way back when vs. what they look like today.

You also are going to have to find someone that wants solar when you sell your house (you will don’t even try to deny it) and therefore you have just shrunk your pool of buyers OH AND BY THE WAY it is hard to finance a home with them on there (and yes lender that reads this I know it can be done I am just saying it is harder so chill)…  Oh and if you want to refinance your house down the road once you install solar, the new “lease payment” will now be counted against you in your qualifying ratios and they may hurt you in qualifying.

Before you jump on this bandwagon and invest in such a long term commitment which by the way does not start paying for itself for about… Oh 20 years, sit back and think about how “green” this option is and in this case how much green it is really costing you.  If you are thinking about solar, I STRONGLY encourage you to watch this video just to get the wheels turning…

http://thenationalrealestatepost.com/solar-panels-are-killing-real-estate-deals/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNationalRealEstatePost+%28The+National+Real+Estate+Post%29

The Real Estate Market 2015 for Buyers, Lenders, and Real Estate Agents

Two months into the year it is apparent that the government is once again involved in our industry trying to make things more “transparent” for the consumer.  I am 150% on board for this but the problem is that every time something new is implemented it actually makes the process a little more cluttered, a little more confusing, a little more tedious, and therefore a little slower of a process.

Now more than ever it is imperative that real estate agents (yes real estate agents) and loan officers set the proper expectations for the clients,with the complexity of the process behind the scenes on the loan side there is less and less time to make up time lost for little, insignificant errors made in the beginning because everyone was “rushed”.  I don’t care what any lender out there is saying, the overall industry standard for an escrow period will slow down.  Any lender that is not talking about the “compliance” issues, “respa” issues, etc… is just choosing to not talk about it, instead of sitting down with their realtors and clients and addressing the inevitable changes.

Realtors and lenders that address the changes, accept them, and figure out how to tweak their approach, their process, and their service will create longevity by still providing a great experience for the buyer even with a tad bit longer of an escrow period.  Buyers just want communication and service…  20 day escrow, 30 day escrow, typically it does not matter as long as they know what to expect.

Lenders need to educate their referral partners on the qualifying process.  Realtors are typically on the front lines and are the first to speak with the clients and they need to express the importance of completing a thorough loan application and providing all of the documentation upfront.  The good realtors are not afraid to have these conversations because #1 this is their business and #2 the good realtors perform time after time and have most likely created a business based on referrals.  All to often I see garbage put into escrow just to “get the deal” and then lenders and realtors wonder why they have pissed off clients.  WE are the professionals and sometimes we unfortunately have to tell clients what they “need to hear” instead of what they “want to hear”.  There is a saying that “no builds credibility” and it is so true.  Don’t you think if we could just tell you “yes, yes, ,yes” we would?  It would be so much easier, but we have to provide a service and the proper expectations.

Buyers need to align themselves with realtors and lenders they trust because they need to listen very closely to what they tell them and not always second guess who, what , where and why something is said.  Time after time I have clients call me to ask questions in regards to mortgages because they are going to look at a house and potentially put an offer in yet “they don’t want to be qualified right now”.  Trust me, I will say what every lender should say, but is scared to say because they are scared of losing the client.  Get qualified first because in the event you love the house you have just put yourself in a fire drill.   You will be rushed to do a loan application, you will be rushed getting all of the documentation, you will be rushed signing the offer, you will be rushed going over, down payment, closing costs, loan options, etc… and then you will be frustrated by the “home buying process” when in all actuality the client does it to themselves quite often.

The real estate market is changing.  The loan process is definitely changing.  That is fact.  With the changes that we will see rolled out for what will seem like the foreseeable future, the home buying process does not have to become more stressful.  Pick a creditable realtor that has a reputation for being a leader in their industry and align yourself with a lender that you trust because the real estate process is somewhat like an airplane flight.  In the beginning NO ONE can guarantee you that you will not encounter turbulence, you just need to know that you have a good pilot and co-pilot (lender/realtor) that will do their best to avoid the rough patches, and at the end WILL LAND YOUR PLANE.

Rates are still great, home prices are still affordable… It is a great time to buy, sell or refinance just choose your team wisely.  Happy real estate hunting in 2015!

If you have questions feel free to email me at nchabolla@wccloans.com

Meet your lending team

Meet your team:

Nathan Chabolla Sr. Loan Officer- is a college graduate from the University of La Verne with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. After graduating from ULV Nathan immediately went into the business field, but it wasn’t until he got involved in real estate that he found his passion. Over the better part of the last decade Nathan has established himself as not only one of the top loan officers in California, but in the nation as well. In 2013 he was ranked as the #9 lender in the nation for FHA closings, and #203 in the nation for total loan volume closed (FHA, VA, and Conventional). With a vast knowledge of the business and his client’s best interest in mind Nathan prides himself on providing his clients with Honest, open and transparent advice that best suits their needs. Nathan will do the initial loan analysis to make sure once you get into escrow that the loan will have no problem closing…

Sophie Harvey is our in house transaction coordinator. Once you are in escrow she is your main point of contact. Sophie is very detailed oriented and this plays a huge part in getting your transaction closed in a timely manner. Having worked for one of the largest lending institutions in the country for over 7 years she is an essential part of our team. She has been with WCC for almost 5 years and has helped take our company to new heights. Sophie will take the file from opening to closing assisting the agents, buyers, and escrow companies every step of the way. She is in constant communication with Nathan behind the scenes on every step of the process to help ensure complete uniformity.

Ryan Mier Loan Analyst is a college graduate from Cal Baptist University. He has been in the customer service field for over 8 years and with WCC for the past 4 years. Ryan has a way of making things happen and keeping the clients informed of what is needed. Ryan has assisted in the closing of well over 500 home loans and has worked on everything from purchases, refinances and new construction. Ryan will assist Nathan in the prequalification phase of the process and help gather all the necessary documentation needed to help ensure that we have a complete package and ultimately provide a smooth transaction.

Part 1 of: What do I need to know when buying a house?

In its truest form real estate is a beautiful thing.  It offers people a place to lay their head, call home, and create something where they can retreat from all of the chaos this world offers us…  It is a great investment tool as well, a place for people to generate income, provide tax shelter,have an asset that appreciates, etc…

What I have found is that people do not understand the process and how important it is to have a great team surrounding you so let’s break down the process and the key players involved in a transaction.

REALTOR:

• Buying- Choosing a realtor that is at the top of their game is essential when buying a home.  A top producing realtor has experience.  They are a top producing realtor for a reason and refined their skills to get them where they are.  A top producing realtor really listens when you are describing what type of home you are looking for.  If they really hear you when you are talking about your “wants”, your “must haves”, what you “don’t want”, etc… they will not waste time showing you homes that do not meet your criteria.  By doing this they eliminate frustration, confusion, and more importantly they are not wasting your time.  Typically a top producing agent is well connected within the industry.  What does this mean to you?  Well, people usually want to do business with them so they will sometimes have first dibs on a property before it hits the market and potentially save you thousands of dollars by avoiding competing offers.  Top producing agents are usually a top producing agents because of the amount of transactions they close (that is why they are a top producer)… This means that they have more scenarios under their belt than the next agent and therefore they are always refining their negotiation skills.  People tend to forget that real estate is a business transaction.  As a buyer/seller you don’t always remember that because to you it is personal and that is why you need a top producing agent that is constantly in negotiations.  If they are constantly negotiating they are never “rusty”.   I hear a lot of people that use a “family member”, “friend of the family” or an aunts, cousins, nephew that just got their license because the agent has agreed to “give up” some of their commission because of the “personal connection”.  Now is not the time for that.  What good does that do you if you miss out on your dream house because you have an agents that was not on top of things, or was not able to “negotiate the deal” for you??
•  Selling- So you have decided to sell your home for whatever reason.   Maybe you want to buy a bigger house, buy a smaller house, your job is moving you out of state, you’re getting a divorce (hey it happens), the reasons for selling go on and on but one thing stays constant… You want top dollar for your house.  A lot of the reasons you pick top producing realtor to help you buy a house carry over to why you would pick a top producing agent to help you sell your house but let’s recap anyways…  They listen to why you are selling, what you need to sell it for, how quickly you need to sell etc… They are well connected and people want to do business with them,  so this means more exposure for the house you are trying to sell and the law of numbers says that the more people that see your house, the higher the potential for multiple offers. Again, they are a top producer for a reason and have their negotiation skills dialed in and can help ensure you get top dollar because they won’t get “bullied”, or “out smarted” by another agent because remember to you this is personal but at the end of the day, it is a business transaction.  A top producing agent is always taking part in continuing education and that can mean a wide array of things such as technology and how to use it.  A few examples might be the internet… a top producing agent will list your home on an exorbitant amount of websites increasing exposure.  They might be up to date on tablets, applications that will simplify documents that you need to sign and therefore de cluttering the process.  They are constantly learning about what is “new” and “cutting edge” on photography, how to hold an open house… the sky is the limit.
• The process- again they are a top producing agent for a reason.  They have “been there before”, they know all the disclosures, they know the process and when “to do what”.  They most likely have a team of people therefore even if they are not available, someone on their team is helping ensure there are no delays in the process.

There are so many intangibles that a top producing real estate agent brings to the table but these are some of the main things, that the average consumer may not think of when selecting an agent to represent them.

If you need a good real estate agent and would like a recommendation give me a call at (949) 500-1337 or email me at nchabolla@wccloans.com

Stay tuned for Lender, escrow, home inspectors, etc…

Iron Sharpens Iron! Marriages, work, friendships, the NFL and more…

On September 9th, a fellow member at my Crossfit box posted the following…  and since it was posted I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17  Surround yourself with people that make you a better person… and make you stronger both physically and spiritually. Too many negative people in this world that only want people to fail so they can be successful.

Now let’s start at square one so we know where this is all coming from.  I hardly know this person at my gym.  She is a newer member, and anytime she is there she is so laser focused that you do not get in her way 🙂  In no way shape or form is she rude unsocial, etc… She is merely doing her thing and training for something bigger than herself.  She is sharpening her skills so that when her number is called she can sharpen her teammates and help put them in a position to succeed…  I hardly know anything about her, but people are drawn to passion and integrity because watching someone perform with it is something that can fuel a fire within.

There are so many areas in which this quote can work wonders.  Marriages.  Work.  Gym.  Friendship.  Church.  Well actually, just life!  Just as the act of iron on iron sharpens, so the interchange of ideas among people makes them more alert in their thinking!

The meeting of the minds can help people see their ideas with new clarity and gain new insights. It pays to be around positive people. It pays to be around wise people. It pays to be around creative people. There is a mental sharpness that comes to those who are around such people.

This one above has been something I have learned first hand over the past few months.  I recently opened my own location for our mortgage company and people ask me all the time “how’s the new office?”  “How’s business?” Business is great, the new office is great but I do not have my co-workers around anymore to drive me, feed off their energy, bounce creative ideas off, etc…  That without a doubt has been the hardest part because I have had to find a way to be self motivated day in and day out… I guess you could say I have an “iron deficiency”.

I see/hear so many people talk about “your net worth is your network” and  “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” and I think more often then not these people spin these quotes directly to how much money someone makes.  I don’t think any of these are fair…  The reality of life is that some people will work way harder than the next person to make less money, AND THIS OK. Those very same people can add a tremendous amount of value to ones life you open up and allow them to because after all,  I think this is bigger than money… This is life!

As I type this I wonder if the leaders in the NFL were sharpening each other or were there just a bunch of yes men and women chasing the all mighty dollar and over time became “dull”.  Where was the integrity?  Did someone miss an opportunity to tell Roger Goodell to do the right thing for fear of losing their job??  Did someone have a moral lapse and dig an even deeper hole?

Are your friendships one sided?  What do your friends bring to the table and just as important what do you bring to the table?

Every knife is different, just like every person is different.  Before we go and try to sharpen everyone we know (with good intent of course) we need to look at each case separately…  What is the condition of each knife (person).  What type of stone should we use to sharpen that knife?  Medium? (love)  Coarse? (tough love)…  We are all different and have different pasts and are in different “condition”.

If someone came to you and needed some “sharpening” are you in a position to do so?  What can you bring to the table?  Just as important, do those people that you surround yourself “keep you sharp” or are you and your sphere merely dulling each other over time and eventually will lose your cutting edge??

All this stemmed from one person, who I hardly know Facebook post.  I think this is a perfect example of how in this day an age with social media people are always watching and observing even when you think they are not.  When people get you…. What are they getting?