7/28/2014

Zillow Dragon Merger?

















Zillow buys Trulia Active Rain. 

Wisdom of the ancients predicts the future?

Mergers are a tricky thing. It’s the same as a divorce but no one uses that nasty word. Executives will be fired, employee benefits slashed, and offices closed. Consolidation of this kind is aimed at increasing earnings. This merger makes Zillow a powerhouse of old Real Estate information. The combination of brands should capture more consumers. Why do I say old? Because the information presented is outdated. Zillow is not in the free real estate information providing business, company EBIDTA is based on advertising.
A brief history:   (history tells us everything)
Zillow is a Seattle based company with 817 employees. (I owned 200 shares- sold in June 2014 as a full disclosure but I hear insiders at both companies dumped shares in the past few days- someone is in trouble...) Today the price is down, but it has soared about eighty percent in the past six months.

Problems with Zillow:
1. They have been spending more on advertisements than earnings in the past sixty days. You've seen Adwords, television, Facebook, print, geez they spent on Warner cable…

2. They have a scummy sales force model that works as follows:
Zillow salesman tells Realtors to convince Lenders to pay for their advertisements (the right side banner shared with two other Realtors on listings that they have no direct contact but is implied they are perhaps the listing agent). Zillow salesman and Realtor tell the Lender to write the first check to the Realtor directly then use a credit card for the area(S) desired. A high net worth area may cost $400 a month, while a lessor one $290. Lender is told they are exclusive, but this is untrue, the same area is sold to twelve to sixteen other lenders. The assumption is Realtor and Lender will rake in leads and recoup the cost tenfold.

Zillow’s challenge now is to cut costs. Free user accounts on Active Rain, Trulia and Zillow will become less visible. Meanwhile they will promise a paid account to rise in rankings. 
Trulia and ActiveRain employees I hope you packed up the photograph of your son’s little league team, the sales trophies you have and the pen given to you by the CEO because your days are numbered. Work smart, volunteer to rescue market capitalization and become invaluable –it may or may not open a job for you in Seattle, but the San Francisco office is imploding as I type.
Consumers – Good news. The new Zillow powerhouse can withstand the lawsuits from National Association of Realtors (or others for copyright infringement) will add services enhancing user search for property. 
They will add better mapping, maybe drone photographs, maybe intuitive advertising directed at the consumer (much like Facebook farms all our traits and secrets). I see them adding referral sources for construction, remodeling, property management, title, and national escrow.
Consumers if you would like to get on the Multiple Listing Service live (rather than Zillow’s year old sold listings that appear open) please contact me.









These opinions are my own and not reflective of stock future price or loss.




Name in- famous merger game:
Google – Motorola
New York Central- Pennsylvania Railroad
Sears- KMART
My un-favorites are the financials.

Trulians in the Den in the Rialto building 
today I wish you well. Perhaps the reason
Mayan culture fell wasn't climate change?
Merger?


Dragon fruit

7/25/2014

LOW FICO FHA

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LOPhoto
Caroline Gerardo
Senior Loan Officer
NMLS #324982
Cell 949-637-8190
Office 949-784-9699
eFax 855-883-4303
CarolineGerardo@eaglehm.com
www.eaglehomemortgage.com/carolinegerardo
Committed to Seeing You Home.
Eagle Home Mortgage
8105 Irvine Center Drive Suite #500
Irvine CA 92618
LOLogo
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NMLS #849059 CA #813I609 Universal American Mortgage Company of California, dba Eagle Home Mortgage of California. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. RMLA #4130383, NMLS #252392. Certain restrictions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Applicants must qualify.
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7/21/2014

Erase Your IRS Tax Lien













Many Americans are struggling with getting back on their feet after the downturn, you know the Third Great Depression. Here is a tip that doesn't cost anything, but can greatly improve your credit and FICO score

The IRS will withdraw a federal tax lien after it has been released.
What?
You can clean up your credit and raise your FICO score by filing Form 12277
You do not need an attorney. You can file this yourself! You will have to follow up.

This greatly benefits taxpayers who pay the tax they owe after the IRS has filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) against them. Taxpayers who could not pay taxes due after notice and demand during this past economic downturn end up with a lien arising in favor of the United States upon all the property and rights to property of the taxpayer.
Unless the IRS “perfects” this lien by recording a NFTL in the public records, other creditors of the taxpayer, such as purchasers and holders of security interests, may obtain priority over the IRS. A NFTL adversely affects a taxpayer’s credit rating. Depending on the size of the paid lien and date paid it can reduce FICO scores by eighty to two hundred points. This more often harms taxpayers who own small businesses. Small business owners struggle the most with
the IRS, the State and regulatory agencies.
The program is called Fresh Start. There are terms and conditions to qualify. It takes 45 days minimum to complete and see your FICO score pop up.
You must have paid and they released the lien, and you filed
subsequent.
The IRS must release a tax lien, by issuing a certificate of release of lien, not later than 30 days after the underlying liability is fully satisfied through full payment of the tax, or is legally unenforceable (e.g., the statute of limitations for collecting the tax has expired). The IRS also has the authority, under certain circumstances, to withdraw a NFTL. If a NFTL is withdrawn, the tax laws shall be applied as if the NFTL had not been filed.
The circumstances that permit withdrawal are any one of the following:
Filing of the NFTL was premature or otherwise not in accordance with the IRS's administrative procedures.

Taxpayer enters into an installment agreement to satisfy the liability for which the lien was imposed.

Withdrawal will facilitate the collection of the tax liability.
With the consent of the taxpayer or the National Taxpayer Advocate, the withdrawal of the NFTL would be in the best interests of the taxpayer and the United States. The difference between a released or withdrawn NFTL is vital because of the way credit reporting agencies show withdrawals verses releases. Releases remain and lower FICO score, withdrawals disappear…erased from your credit history!

When a credit reporting agency receives a notice of the withdrawal of a NFTL, they delete any reference to the tax lien in the taxpayer's credit history. In contrast, when the credit reporting agencies receive a release of a lien, while they note the filing of the release in the taxpayer's credit history, the filing of the release does not operate to remove the references to the tax lien from the taxpayer's credit history.


In fact, typically a released NFTL remains noted in the taxpayer's credit history for seven years from the date of the release. (Credit reporting agencies are required to remove references to released tax liens after seven years under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.) - 


File the form - follow the directions - poof magic it is ERASED in about 45 days.


http://eaglehomemortgage.com/carolinegerardo/



In California and  you received a notice from your
County that they are increasing your property taxes?
You may only have weeks to file an appeal. Don't be hoping Howard Jarvis is going to assist you - you must file


7/18/2014

Curb appeal

Curbside appeal Laguna Beach
Hardscaping of bricks laid in herringbone patter, stones with light fixtures and simple privet hedge and grass is "nice"

Another home in the tract that used riverstone, picket fence and clapboard siding.
The classic car is terrific!
This house used stone veneer over stucco and concrete. This is not artificial veneer,
it is real.

Brick laid walk at curb adds a nice clean pattern to the curb.
Note the flag - hanging an American flag during daytime adds
a welcome appearance. Flags also add some color and movement
to the front entrance.

Arizona flagstone driveway entrance- The topiaries are well maintained. Geraniums in grey pots, lovely concrete fountain and teak bench now weathered to a silver tone.

 
Terrific use of traditional brick entry. Arching trellis over the gate has bower vine.
The vines continue to grow up above rain gutters and another pole trellis. The
used brick on the house is painted to tie in the whole. I love the white and light
naples yellow.