Real Estate Information

Sure, there are plenty of environmental factors to blame when your company struggles, but a study of 12,000 CEOs shows that leadership is to blame for most business failures. "We found that managers of failed firms are less skilled than their peers and the consequences of their incompetence are economically significant," said the study's co-author. BusinessNewsDaily.com

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Prompt follow-up, preferably by phone, is the key to collecting on a debt that's past due, experts say. If the procrastinator misses another deadline, don't let it slide: You have tools -- such as collections agencies and small claims court -- to make sure you get what you are owed. Bloomberg Businessweek

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
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Being kept on hold for a long time and dealing with rude or inexperienced representatives were the top complaints in a recent customer service survey. To keep customers happy, business owners should strive to provide well-designed self-service options and deliver a consistent experience across all service channels, writes Marco Pacelli. BusinessWeek.com/Today's Tip blog

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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Merchants looking to belt-tighten shouldn't opt solely for e-mail marketing or social media -- instead, a combination of the two has the potential to strengthen customer relationships and result in the most bang for the marketing buck, writes one expert. Linking content between the two channels extends both the reach and the life span of newsletter articles, relevant blog posts, product reviews and other original content. iMedia Connection

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

Democrats and Republicans are set to do battle next month over the extension of Bush-era tax cuts. An increase in tax rates could hit small businesses and their owners especially hard and hinder their ability to grow and hire workers, some experts say. In addition, small-business owners are facing a series of complicated tax changes this year that may have some benefit if owners can figure them out. 

For about this extension go to The Wall Street Journal (8/23) ,Entrepreneur.com/Daily Dose blog

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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Despite tighter regulation, mortgage fraud -- including fake applicant data, identity theft and tampered-with credit reports -- is on the rise once more after a drastic reduction in fraudulent activity since 2006, according to investigators and lenders. Losses from mortgage fraud increased by 17% last year, compared with a 57% decrease in 2007 and 2008, according to a CoreLogic analysis of 7 million mortgage loans. "Fraud continues to be a pervasive issue, growing and escalating in complexity," said a report by LexisNexis' Mortgage Asset Research Institute in April. The Wall Street Journal

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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Smartphones are changing the nature of the elevator pitch, encouraging deeper interaction and understanding than was ever possible with just a 40-second verbal exchange, writes Michael Schrage. "It's no longer about what you say and how you say it; it's increasingly about what you hand over," he writes. Harvard Business Review online/Michael Schrage blog

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

The launch of Facebook's location-based service, called Places, creates a marketing opportunity for business owners -- and Tony Bradley recommends taking advantage of it. "If your business is a brick and mortar location that customers visit in person, odds are good that it will end up in Facebook Places whether you put it there or not," Bradley writes. He explains the process of claiming an institution as your own on Places, which he recommends doing in order to take control of your business' image instead of leaving it to anonymous Internet users. 

Read more on this article by visitng PC World Business Center/Tech Audit blog

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

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BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

States are starved for tax revenue, and the solution could be taxing sales from the Internet, where cash is flush. That's the thinking in many states, Rieva Lesonsky reports, and some business groups support the move, arguing that big Internet retailers have an unfair advantage over Main Street businesses. To make the change more palatable, one bill in Congress would require states to streamline their sales-tax structure before taxing out-of-state businesses. 

Read the rest of this article by visiting Small Business Trends

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau -
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

The very essence of life is that it can change abruptly. And, clearly what happened in the real estate, mortgage, credit and stock markets in the past years falls into the “abrupt” category. In addition to the tremendous stress that it presented, the changed financial circumstances brought new choices to evaluate.

One place where it’s always safe to boldly move ahead is in the arena of planning. And, the three Rs are still relevant today. However, they’ve been changed to represent some of the key components of a personal financial strategy: Retirement, Returns and Real Estate.

• Retirement: In the the past, many people have thought that maxing out their 401(k) plan was sufficient to fund their retirement. It’s best to reevaluate that approach and determine if that strategy will produce the expected results.
• Returns: The returns we’ve seen this decade have been very different from the high returns of the previous two decades. Now is the time to determine what returns are expected going forward and to position one’s portfolio to achieve that. What returns are needed to generate an appropriate retirement income?
• Real Estate: Many people in the Bay Area, have 50% of their net worth tied up in their home (real estate – including a primary residence home – is an asset class), which means they also have a 50% exposure connected to that single asset. Is there a strategy in place to manage that asset?

There are many questions to consider regarding a home purchase, a refinance decision or managing investments. A comprehensive financial plan helps to avoid actions that could negatively affect one’s overall financial situation, taxes, future wealth and retirement plans.

Opes Advisors provides integrated personal finance services encompassing stocks, bonds, real estate and real estate financing. We regularly create personalized wealth building strategies for our clients by reviewing all of their assets and liabilities, as well as their commitments and long term goals.

Having a valuable plan in place takes away the insecurity of wondering where you stand. If you, or someone you know, needs to create or update their financial strategy, please contact me.

 

Andy Block - Mortgage Advisor & Financial Advisor
Opes Advisors
Email Me
Direct: 650.931.0605
Fax: 650.931.0601

License #01096311
400 S. El Camino Real
Suite 250
San Mateo, CA 94402
Fax 650.931.0601

Opes Advisors is licensed as a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is licensed as a Residential Mortgage Lender by the CA Dept of Real Estate.

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