Dena Land News

October 2008

A M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R B Y L I N D A L A N E - W H I T E – K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A L T Y S E R V I N G M Y H O M E T O W N O F A L T A D E N A / P A S A D E N A A N D O U T L Y I N G A R E A S

5 Ways to Save Time 1

Ceedub Construction 2

Recipe of the Month 2

Tame the Clutter Tiger 2

Active Adults Corner 3

Ask An Expert 3

Victor Wright 4

October Home Decorating 4

Augusta Financial 5

Recent Area Sales 5

Professional Organizer 5

October in Dena Land 6

Inside this issue:

445 S. Fair Oaks Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91105

Phone: 626-786-1231

Fax: 626-296-1979

www.lindalanewhite.com

In Tune With Your Needs

Linda Lane-White

“Singing” Realtor ®

CA Lic #01091347

Notary Public

Finding yourself running

out of time every day? Feel-

ing stressed and disorgan-

ized? You are not alone!

Lacking enough hours in a

day is something all of us

face from time to time. Here

are a few strategies for free-

ing up some time (and re-

gaining some sanity):

Planning Your Day

“If you fail to plan, you plan

to fail” said the wise Mr.

Unknown to whom so many

insightful adages are attrib-

uted. This adage holds true

for both big tasks and

small ones - such as plan-

ning your day. A hectic,

stressful day, where little

gets accomplished is of-

ten the result of a no clear

plan as to what needs to

be done. Spending just a

few minutes the night be-

fore to write down a list of

things you need to ac-

complish tomorrow will

go a long way towards hav-

ing more productive and

less stressful days. Time

management gurus recom-

mend setting one top-

priority item that must be

done even if you don’t do

anything else. Then priori-

tize the rest of the items,

leaving at the bottom of the

list stuff that can even spill

over to the next day. Keep

the list realistic though; you

want to feel good at the end

of the day that you’ve ac-

complished what you set

out to do.

The Extra 15 Minutes

How much can a person

accomplish in 15 minutes? A

lot in fact, if we are talking

about getting up 15 minutes

earlier every morning. Hit-

ting the snooze button for

just a little more sleep often

translates into a more hec-

tic morning because then

you are forced to rush

when you finally get up. But

what if you get up 15 min-

utes earlier instead? More

time to get ready, less rush-

ing and less stress will

translate into a better day

altogether. Try it.

Fight Procrastination

Procrastination saps both

your productivity and free

time, and therefore it is

something we should try

hard to eliminate. First,

here is a simple 2-minute

rule: if you are faced with a

task that will take less than

two minutes to complete,

don’t put it off for later—do

it right away. The next sim-

ple rule is called OHIO—

Only Handle It Once. Do

you normally go through

your mail quickly picking

an item or two that interests

you, then leaving the rest of

the mail to go through for

later, only to come back to

sort through it again look-

ing for something else?

Well, that’s a waste of time.

Only handle it once—pick

up an item and decide right

away: pay, keep or trash.

No point in sorting and re-

sorting items ad nauseum.

This applies to your inbox,

Five Ways to Save Valuable Time

Home Office: 519 Alameda, Altadena, CA

too. When you take something

out of your inbox, don’t put it

back—take care of it while it’s

still in your hand.

Prioritizing is another way to

fight procrastination. Have

multiple tasks of the same pri-

ority on your plate? Do the

easy stuff first. This gets you in

the working mood, which of-

ten means tackling the hard

task will become easier.

Checklists and More Check-

lists

A great time-waster: forget-

ting things. A great way to

avoid this: write things down.

Checklists are the secret of

success of many super-

organized people, and they

often keep more than one

checklist. For example, one

checklist for work-related

tasks, another for the family

obligations. A running gro-

cery list on the fridge is yet

another kind of checklist that

can save you time.

“Bulk” Tasks

Just like shopping in bulk can

save you money, doing things

“in bulk” can save you time.

Preparing meals is one exam-

ple. Consider cooking once a

week for the whole week, and

freezing the food in meal-

sized portions for conven-

ience. Another example is

grouping different tasks to-

gether. Instead of going to the

store, coming back home,

then the next day going to the

dry cleaners, try grouping

your errands together. Saves

time and gas!

And those are my five quick

tips for this month. Implement

them all or only one, and

watch your time get magically

freed up!

Page 2 Dena Land News

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS:

5 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon course salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

A pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

DIRECTIONS:

To roast your pumpkin seeds, do not

wash them first! Washing removes all

the natural flavor. Instead remove the

seeds from the strings and place a sin-

gle layer on parchment paper a cookie

sheet. Try to make an even layer. The

less they lie on each other, the better

they will bake.

In a medium bowl combine 3 table-

spoons of the sugar and the salt, cumin,

cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne.

Bake seeds at 250º until dry, stirring

occasionally, (usually about 15 to 30

minutes or until they start to turn a very

light gold). Heat peanut oil in a large

non-stick skillet over high heat. Add

pumpkin seeds (after baking) and 2

tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar

melts and the pumpkin seeds begin to

caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Transfer to bowl with spices and stir

well to coat. Let cool.

How to Tame the Clutter Tiger Is the clutter tiger running rampant

in your home? Let’s tame it!

It’s best to start with the clutter area

that bugs you the most. Prepare three

boxes: one for the stuff to keep, one

for the stuff to donate, and one for the

junk to throw away. As you go

through the clutter ask yourself about

each item: Have I used this in the past

year? Do I have more than one? Will I

actually ever use it? Can someone

else benefit from it more? Then place

in the appropriate box. Once each

box gets full, act on it right away?

Throw away the junk, and place the

“To Donate” box in your trunk to

drop it off next time you leave the

house. Then take the “To Keep” box

with you around the house, and find a

permanent “home” for each item in

it.

For your closets, professional space

organizers (yes, there is such a pro-

fession) recommend that you store

your clothes by category (shirts,

pants, dresses) and group them by

color. Frequently worn clothes could

be kept close at hand and seldom-

worn stuff stored away. And keep in

mind that clothes do not improve with

age—if you haven’t worn something

in a while, and it doesn’t seem like

you will

soon, con-

sider donat-

ing it—

s o m e o n e

else may get

a lot more

use out of it.

To help

keep the

kitchen tidy,

ask yourself

how many

plates and

glasses are used on a daily basis?

Keep what you use often on the easy-

to-reach shelves, and put away the

rest on higher shelves or deeper in

the cupboards. Same goes for pots

and pans. It is also helpful to organize

stuff by categories: canned food,

spices, and non-food items should all

have their own separate areas.

For the kids’ room, use plastic see-

through boxes of different sizes to

store toys. Make sure to place them

where the child can easily reach

them, and have the child create la-

bels (hopefully this will encourage

the use of the boxes!). Just like you

do with seasonal clothes, store away

seasonal toys; beach and soccer gear

can be stored during winter; ice

skates and hockey gear put away

during the summer. To keep the toys

from invading the entire house, con-

sider making a three-at-a-time rule.

Just like in kindergarten some teach-

ers have a one-toy-at-a-time rule, you

can encourage your child to use only

up to three

toys at a time.

If he or she

wants to take

out another

toy from the

box, one of

the three has

to get stored

away.

In general,

professional

space organizers recommend start-

ing small so that you don’t get over-

whelmed. You don’t have to get eve-

rything done in one day (the clutter,

after all, did not build up in one day

either) but, instead, spread and work

over a number of days and do it in 20

or 30 minute sessions. Set a time

limit, and don’t get too carried away

so that you don’t get burned out

quickly. And after a work well done,

don’t forget to reward yourself!

This is a great time to remodel,

add on or re-build.

CEEDUB

CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL & LIGHT COMMERCIAL

With over 30 years of experience, we

work with you to achieve your dream.

Call Today For A Free Estimate

(Licensed/Bonded/Insured)

(626) 786-1229 CHRIS WHITE, OWNER

Ca Lic #883002

www.ceedubconstruction.com

October 2008 Page 3

This pu blicat ion i s for in format iona l purpos es only and does not const i tu t e legal or f inancia l advice.

All information was obtained from sources deemed reliable, and while I do not doubt its accuracy, I cannot guarantee it. Some items provided by CAR Client

Direct and Fidelity National Home Warranty. If your property is listed with another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation.

Who do you know right now who’s looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? Give me a call or send me an E-mail. I’m never too busy for your referrals to friends or family.

Active Adults Corner—The Scoop on Reverse Mortgages

Q: A friend who sold her home recently had the property inspection performed before

even putting it on the market. Is this common?

A. A property inspection is usually thought of as something that the buyer needs and pays

for, so why would a seller want the house inspected before it is even listed? Most sellers don’t

go through this extra expense, but a seller’s inspection is certainly not a bad idea. For start-

ers, it offers the seller a chance to find out about any potential problems ahead of time. Since

the home is not under contract yet, there are no looming deadlines, and the seller can get the necessary re-

pairs done at a more leisurely pace. The seller also gets more time to obtain estimates and avoid overpaying

for those repairs. Sometimes when a problem is discovered buyers can get spooked and back out of the deal.

A seller’s inspection solves this, too. The only drawback is the cost. A property inspection can cost between

$300 and $500, depending on the size and age of the house, but it may be worth it in order to avoid unpleasant

surprises later. Have a tough real estate question? Call me or drop me an e-mail.

Linda Lane-White (626) 786-1231 or lindalanewhite@sbcglobal.net

Ask an Expert

Surviving on a fixed income is often

feared by those getting close to retire-

ment age. With the high cost of living

only continuing to rise, and retired peo-

ple living much longer than ever before,

it is no surprise that the mortgage indus-

try has creatively begun to address this

issue. The solution is called the reverse

mortgage and obtaining such a mort-

gage can help a retired couple remain in

their home without the pressure of high

mortgage payments.

In a reverse mortgage, you have

choices to make regarding the way you

want to borrow the money. The first type

of reverse mortgage is to obtain a lump

sum. This type of mortgage allows the

homeowner to take out a lump sum of

cash for a percentage of the value of

their home. Realistically speaking, a

home that is worth $300,000 will net the

homeowner about $190,000. Mortgage

lenders take into consideration how old

the borrowers are, where the home is

located and if the home needs any up-

grades or significant repairs when calcu-

lating a reverse mortgage payout. You

can even pay down your credit cards

through the loan.

A lump sum payment has the highest

interest rate for all types of reverse mort-

gages and unless you need a large sum

of money, this type of mortgage may not

meet your needs as other reverse mort-

gages can.

The second type of reverse mortgage is

technically considered a line of credit. If

your current mortgage is not completely

paid off, you will need to qualify for a

cash payment in order to pay off the

mortgage. Once your mortgage is taken

care of, you can apply for a reverse

mortgage in the form of a line of credit.

A third type of reverse mortgage in-

volves receiving monthly payments from

a lender, ensuring that you have extra

money every month to meet your needs

while on a fixed income. A home worth

$300,000 will roughly net the home-

owner $1200 a month in cash pay-

ments. The mortgage lender calculates

the payment amount based on where the

home is located, what the home is cur-

rently worth and how old the borrowers

are.

The final type of reverse mortgage is a

combination of the three that are cur-

rently available. You can opt to get a

small cash lump sum to pay off your cur-

rent mortgage, get small monthly pay-

ments and keep a line of credit open that

you can access easily.

To obtain a reverse mortgage, you must

be at least 62 years old. It does not mat-

ter what your current income is, only that

you own your home or you are able to

qualify for a cash payment to pay off the

current mortgage. People that own mo-

bile homes will not be able to obtain a

reverse mortgage for that property.

Borrowers that want to obtain a reverse

mortgage are required to meet with a

financial adviser that has been approved

by the Department of Housing and Urban

Development. This is to make sure that

the borrower understands exactly what

they are getting into and what they can

expect from a reverse mortgage.

It is important to understand that when

you obtain a reverse mortgage, the loan

is not paid back until you die, sell the

home, or move to a new location. The

loan is paid back once your home is sold

from the proceeds of the sale. If you

have money left over after the loan is

paid back, you or your heirs keep the

money. If once your house sells, there is

not enough money left to pay back the

lender, that was the chance the lender

took and the loss is theirs. Your estate

does not pay off the balance.

A reverse mortgage can help you stay

in your home that you have loved for so

long and that you are still able to en-

joy. There is no reason that just because

you are retired you should have to worry

about moving because you can no

longer meet basic expenses. Enjoy your

home and your retirement. A reverse

mortgage may be just the answer for you

to be able to continue to live your life as

you have been accustomed. There are fees

included...so consult your qualified lender.

Page 4 Dena Land News

Victor Needs Your Help! A message to my readers.

Victor Wright in 1976

Hollow out apples or mini pump-

kins and use as votive candle

holders. These are inexpensive

and look really great. You can

even carve or paint faces in

them!

Create creepy autumn center-

pieces by filling vases with

dried flowers, brown leaves,

and empty branches. Tie a black

ribbon bow around each center-

pieced for more flair.

Serve fresh veggies using a hol-

lowed out pumpkin as a bowl.

Cut off the top and clean out,

leaving the top in a jagged edge

design! Use mini pumpkins to

hold dips!

Ask your Halloween party guest

to bring a carved pumpkin to the

party. Set up a special table to

display them on.

October Home Decorating Tips

In 1976, while I was attending John

Muir High School in Pasadena a

classmate of mine, Victor Wright, was

participating in a football game

against St. Francis High. Victor was

known to us as “Bullet” because he

was so fast! During the game, he was

in a tackle situation and fell backward

where he received a traumatic spinal

injury. He became a quadriplegic

and in order to breathe and speak,

he’s been on a respirator ever since.

Doctors only gave him about 10 years

to survive, but, in spite of his condi-

tion, he has beaten the odds for over

30 years!

In 1989, Victor went on to earn an

associate’s degree from Los Angeles

Community College. He then went

on to be a co-founder of a non-profit

organization called Family of Friends

International where they mentor trou-

bled youth in schools. He encourages

the young people to stay in school

and not quit. He tells them “I wasn’t

always hurt. When I went to Edison

Elementary and Eliot Jr High I was

healthy and then I got hurt. I had

dreams of playing in the Rose bowl.

Instead, I graduated in the Rose Bowl,

which is just as good.” He continues

to be a guest speaker at many local

schools.

Victor has attended all of our high

school reunions and John Muir High

had a tribute for him last year. He

was also inducted into the John Muir

Hall of Fame for his contributions in

community service.

This year, Rebuilding Together

Pasadena and some volunteers (like

me and my husband) went to Victor’s

house to assist with some much

needed renovations. His home still

needs a bit more help—like new

flooring and finishing his exterior

ramp.

Our 30 year High School reunion

will be taking place next year and we

would like to hold a donation drive in

the mean time to help raise funds to

assist in Victor being more comfort-

able at home and in his surroundings.

His needs are:

A) Flooring for his home;

B) New Wheel Chair; and

C) Able bodies to help finish the

renovations at his home.

Victor’s faith and friends keep him

strong. He remains an inspiration to

all of us. You can help by making a

donation to: Victor Wright, 3379

Glenrose Ave., Altadena, CA 91001

or give me a call with any questions

or concerns you may have about how

you can help !

1999—20 year Reunion

Victor and his Mom, Dorothy, in 2008

October 2008 Page 5

When Buying or Refinancing...

Call Peter First Peter Cosfol

& Augusta Financial

Get Pre-Approved Senior Loan Officer

Augusta Financial is a service oriented mortgage company that specializes in residential financing. We

have many loan programs to help our clients with all of their mortgage needs.

Peter offers the best pricing with the lowest fees!

Peter will personally address all of your questions and concerns regarding the loan process!

Augusta Financial makes the loan process seem easy!

Augusta is both Broker and Mortgage Banker!

We offer In-house processing and funding!

NO MONEY DOWN - NO MONEY FOR DEPOSITS - NO PROBLEM!

Excellent customer service!

(661) 260-2970 Office · (661) 291-2234 Direct · (818) 281-1466 Cell

Recent Area Sales

Need a Professional

Organizer for your

cleaning chores or to

ready your home for

sale? A good friend of

mine from church,

Sherry Cavallo, works

in the San Gabriel

area. She’s also very

active with the Alta-

dena Heritage organi-

zation. You can con-

tact her at 626-372-

5948 or email her at

smc.organizer@gmail.

com She’s ready to

help YOU!!

Days on Market

Date Sold

Sale Price Address City

Bed/ Bath

S.F. House

S.F. Lot

317 09/18/08 450,000 224 W Terrace ST Altadena 4/2 2190 8500

152 09/26/08 450,000 42 Marathon Rd Altadena 4/2 2061 9768

71 09/17/08 629,000 2542 Tanoble Dr Altadena 2/1 1231 8385

28 09/19/08 1,495,000 2391 Santa Rosa Ave Altadena 4/4 3373 26860

17 09/24/08 245,000 6220 N Galanto AV Azusa 4/2 1484 6000

6 09/26/08 250,000 337 W Hermitage Ln Azusa 3/2 1168 Condo

6 09/24/08 284,900 18550 E Petunia ST Azusa 4/2 1184 6262

211 09/19/08 258,000 15243 Mariposa AV Chino Hills 3/2 1208 4200

204 09/16/08 440,000 528 Sycamore AV Glendora 3/2 1693 9380

237 09/25/08 558,000 701 E Virginia AV Glendora 3/2 1537 9525

153 09/25/08 1,300,000 1270 Inverness Dr La Canada 4/3 2773 19900

87 09/17/08 151,000 24909 Madison AV #1714 Murrieta 3/2 1232 1232

95 09/30/08 252,500 23944 Corinth DR Murrieta 4/3 2300 6969

133 09/16/08 775,000 722 N Michigan Ave Pasadena 4/3 2785 8095

29 09/25/08 500,000 1103 Del Rey Ave Pasadena 4/2 1484 7047

90 09/22/08 445,000 326 E Juanita AV San Dimas 3/2 1446 8000

30 09/19/08 2,580,000 20 Mill Canyon Rd. San Marino 5/5 4246 19600

102 09/22/08 824,500 5018 Vista Del Vegas Torrance 3/3 1468 8700

40 09/29/08 429,000 9607 Alene DR Tujunga 3/2 1512 6970

My client’s Countrywide loan fell apart in the middle of escrow. Peter rescued it and funded in 9 short days!

Thank you, Peter…..LLW

October Happenings in Dena Land

October 18, 19th and every Saturday & Sunday through December 7th - 9am-

12pm. Help save Christmas Tree Lane by participating in “Lights Up”. Calling all

volunteers and Service Groups. This year will be the last lighting of Christmas

Tree Lane unless the community can come together and get involved with put-

ting lights up or serving on the board. Call me for details at 626-786-1231.

Oct. 5 12-5pm. Garfield Heights Tour. Obtain tickets at 11:45 on the 5th at 1247 N. Gar-

field in Pasadena. $15. 626-388-2174 or www.garfieldheights.org for more info.

Oct. 6 The 21st Annual Five Acres Invitational Golf Classic. San Gabriel Country Club.

Win a 2009 Audi A4 or a 2009 Jaguar XF from Rusnak Auto Group. Raffle tickets are $50.

the event includes 18 holes of golf followed by an exquisite dinner and live jazz by Pe-

ter Smith Trio. Tee time is 11:30am. Golfer fee is $495. Dinner is $100. Call Susan

Silverman at 626/798-6793 ext 2279. www.5acres.org

Oct. 11 8am.Wiggle Waggle Walk for the Animals. Enjoy a 3 or 1 mile loop around the

Rose Bowl. Sponsored by the Pasadena Humane Society. Free registration. 626/792-

7151 ext. 167. www.phsspca.org

Oct. 17 (Friday)7am—2:30pm Community Women’s Educational Health Conference

and Expo. Free. Pasadena Hilton 168 S. Los Robles. Call 626/796-1083 for more info.

Oct. 18 1pm. UCLA vs. Stanford. Rose Bowl. 310/UCLA-WIN

Oct. 25 9:30am. 14th Annual Kidspace Pumpkin Festival. Kidspace Museum 480 N. Ar-

royo, Pasadena 626/449-9144

Oct. 25 10am. Halloween Party. Ghost and monster stories at Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E

Colorado, Pasadena. Free. 626/449-5320.

Oct. 31 12:00pm. Vroman’s Bookstore presents Ray Bradbury. 695 E Colorado, Pasa-

dena. Free. 626/449-5320.

Oct. 31 4:00pm Trick or Treat at One Colorado. Go store-to-store for Halloween treats.

Free. 626/564-1066. www.onecolorado.com

Oct. Altadena Sheriff Department’s Haunted Jail. 780 E Altadena Drive. Details not

available at time of printing. Call 626/798-1131 for more information.

Nov. 2—Fall back one hour. Daylight Savings Time Ends.

Pasadena Market Center

445 S. Fair Oaks Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91105

Cell: (626) 786-1231

Office: (626) 204-3436

Fax: (626) 296-1979

lindalanewhite@sbcglobal.net

Home Office: 519 Alameda, Altadena

I n T une Wit h Your Needs

www.lindalanewhite.com

If You Would Like To Receive This

Newsletter on a Regular Basis for

Guaranteed Delivery (Snail or E-Mail)

Call me or send me an E-Mail...LLW

Linda Lane-White “Singing” Realtor® CA Lic #01091347 (since 1990)

Notary Public (since 1987)

Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated

Search the MLS on my web site!

John Muir High School

Alumni Association

Fundraiser at

The Pasadena Jazz Institute

Paseo Colorado

260 E Colorado Blvd. #206

(2nd level, West side) Featuring

Vocalist, Linda Lane-White Accompanied by the

JMHS Jazz Ensemble

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

8:00pm

$20 at the door www.pasjazz.org/www.jmhsaa.org

(626) 786-1231