Elections, Families — and Thankfulness As the month (and the year) come to a close,

it is time to sit down with our families and re-

member why we are thankful.

At this writing, we don’t know who the new

President will be. We don’t know the outcome

of many political and economic issues. But

whatever the results, I can still see families all

over America gathered together for fun, food,

football, and, I hope, a moment of thankfulness

for what we share as families and as a nation.

If you look at the political polls, you have to ex-

pect that half of the people who sit down to dinner

this year will be disappointed in the election out-

come. Half will be elated.

But I hope we can say that all will be Americans

just striving to create happy, healthy families and

homes. Oh, and speaking of which, if there is a

home in your future (and there are so many great

deals today!), call me. I’d love to help.

Linda Lane-White (626) 786-1231

Investing in Real Estate Now? Why, Yes!

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER BY LINDA LANE-WHITE—KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY

SERVING MY HOMETOWN OF ALTADENA/PASADENA AND OUTLYING AREAS

Your picture

here

DENA LAND NEWSDENA LAND NEWSDENA LAND NEWS

According to the news media, the world has

ended. Sorry folks, everything crashed,

there’s no more real estate. Banks are no

longer issuing home loans and no one is

buying anything any more. It’s over.

Back here on planet Earth, however,

things aren’t as gloomy as in TVLand.

Sure, the real estate market isn’t what it

was a few years ago, but homes are being

bought and sold every day. Banks are still

issuing loans believe it or not, and great

deals abound for those looking to buy.

Buy now? Why, yes. You are no doubt

familiar with the most basic rule of invest-

ing— “buy low, sell high.” Well, the “buy

low” part requires a period of time when

prices are low, and that would be right

about now. Waiting for the market to im-

prove before jumping in? That’s when the

prices will already have increased, and buy-

ing then would go against the simple rule

we just mentioned.

There is no doubt that the market will go

up again (because, historically, that’s what

the real estate market always does), we just

don’t know when that will happen. What

we do know is that now is a pretty good

time to get started investing in real estate,

so for anyone thinking in that direction let’s

review the five most important steps in get-

ting started:

Have a clear plan. Real estate investing is

a business and should be treated as such,

not as a hobby. Sit down and make a plan

for it then. Will you be investing for the

long-term (renting) or short-term (fixing

and flipping)? How much time can you set

aside for your business every week? What

work can you do yourself and what work

will you need help with? What are your

overall goals for real estate investing? Re-

member, despite what late-night infomer-

cials say, getting rich “overnight usually

takes years, so having realistic expectations

is very important,

too.

Line up financ-

ing. Getting pre-

approved for a

loan before you

find a property is

a must. Talk to

several lenders,

talk to your Real-

tor and ask for

recommendations. When you complete this

step you will know exactly how much

money for the down payment you will

need, what the rules for seller-financing are,

and what you can expect the loan process

will look like. If you plan on purchasing a

property to rehab, ask about loan programs

that provide money for that, too.

Line up your own cash. I have to bring up

the late night “real estate gurus”

again…”You don’t need any cash to buy an

investment property,” they like to exclaim.

Yeah right. Even if you can find a property

that can be purchased for no money down

(not as easy as it sounds), you still need to

have cash in the bank for other costs. Like

repairs. Or unexpected expenses. Or for

mortgage payments when your tenant sud-

denly leaves and you are unable to find

another one right away. Not having enough

cash reserves is perhaps the biggest mistake

rookie real estate investors make, and it’s a

mistake that can cost you dearly. So how

much in cash reserves should you have?

There’s no definitive answer to this ques-

tion; you have to consider the property you

plan on buying and try to determine what

expenses you may have to deal with (New

roof soon? Water heater? Flaky tenants?).

Three-to-six months worth of mortgage

payments and expenses is a good rule of

thumb, but again, your situation may vary.

Assemble your team. Once you are ready

to get started, you don’t have to (and

shouldn’t) go it alone. There are profession-

als that can help you along the way. First,

you will need a good Realtor (and fortu-

nately you already know one! Me!) The

Realtor’s job is not only to help you find

the right property, but also to answer ques-

tions and guide you through the process.

You’ll also need a good accountant who

can answer tax-related questions. Knowing

a good property inspector is also a plus, as

well as knowing a few loan officers who

are familiar with investment properties.

Acquire knowledge. Know the area. Know

what type of property you’d like to invest

in. Learn everything about it. ie. Taxes,

history, etc. Talk to your Realtor, talk to

other investors, read a book or two. Talk to

your accountant. The more information you

have, the better.

Linda Lane-White

“Singing” Realtor ®

CA Lic #01091347

Notary Public

November 2008

Election nominee Across

1. Bean counter,

for short

4. One of the Osmonds

9. Dashed

10. Best of the best

11. Europe's highest

volcano

13. Chess piece

14. Fixed

16. Surgery theater,

for short

17. By way of

18. "__ You Like It"

20. A row or line of hay

22. Feathery scarves

24. Quick and easy to

move

25. Merger

27. "__ better be good!"

28. Newspaper section

29. Scot's refusal

repairs.

For another thing, it can take some time

to negotiate a deal for an REO. You can

expect that after you make an offer, the

response will

take longer than

normal. How-

ever, you might

be able to find

some good bar-

gains on these

properties and

buying one can

be worth the

wait.

Down

1. Belief

2. Devonshire dad

3. "___ and the King

of Siam"

4. Pine Tree State:

Abbr.

5. "So soon?"

6. Brawl

7. "Am ___ be-

lieve ...?"

8. Startled cry

12. Consultant

15. Break a

Commandment

18. Heart line

19. Stockholm native

20. Hang around

21. Parade spoiler

22. Lazy person

23. Formula ___

26. "We have __

The headline is a clue

to the answer in the diagonal.

How well do you know your Presidents?

Dena Land News—Linda Lane-White • Keller Williams Realty (626) 786-1231 • www.lindalanewhite.com

Can You Use

Solar Power?

T hinking of install-

ing some sort of

solar power for your

home? Wondering

whether a home you

might buy would ac-

commodate solar?

One Web site can

help you evaluate

whether solar is feasi-

ble for your roof and

help you compare

costs.

Roofray.com clev-

erly uses satellite im-

ages to help users see

for themselves how

useful solar arrays

might be. The easy

solar modeling service

even lets you compare

utility costs over time.

Users

simply type

in their street

address and

nearly in-

stantly a

rooftop pic-

ture of their

home appears.

Then a few point-and-

clicks later you quickly

get an estimated per-

centage of potential for

solar, power per square

foot, the area of the

solar arrays you drew

and a total peak power

estimate.

Have your utility

bills for the year in

hand and you can get

an estimate of current

costs versus solar costs.

Launched in August

2008, the Web site is

up and running but

some aspects are still

being upgraded or even

under construction. At

this writing there is no

useful help section, but

check the blog link for

updates on what fea-

tures will be added.

What Is A REO?

Occasionally homebuyers will look at a

property listed as REO, a term that might

be a bit puzzling.

REO stands for Real Estate Owned and

refers to the inventory of real estate that

banks and mortgage companies own as a

result of foreclosure.

Since REO properties are those that the

lender has taken back, they often have

unique problems. For one thing, such

properties typically need repairs. Owners

who lose their homes usually go through a

period when they can't afford even simple

1. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log

cabin in which U.S. state? a-Kentucky, b-Illinois, c

-Tennessee, d-North Carolina.

2. Camp David's presidential cabin shares its name

with what kind of tree? a-Aspen, b-Spruce, c-

Larch, d-Redwood.

Answers: Email me to find out the answers or, if you

know the answer and you are the first to tell me, I’ll

send you a coupon for a pizza. lindalanewhite@kw.com

This is a great time to re-

model, 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

Cranberry Apple Sauce

This is a delicious accompaniment to turkey, pork or chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/4 cup sugar

One 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries

2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium non-reactive saucepan, dissolve sugar into

juice over a medium heat. Stir in cranberries and chopped

apples. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until

cranberries pop and sauce thickens.

Makes about 4 cups.

Active Adults Corner

Quick Fixes for Cooking Calamities

If you find you’re missing a few ingredients for your holiday festivi-

ties, don’t panic! These quick and easy substitutions can keep your

No buttermilk? Use plain yogurt or thinned sour cream or crème fraiche instead.

Or add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk and let stand 5

minutes.

No dry break crumbs? Just get some bread, tear it up into small chunks, saute

in a skillet with a little butter until browned.

No eggs? If it’s for baking, substitute /4 cup applesauce for 1 egg.

No cake flour? For 1 cup of cake flour, sift together 7/8 cup all-purpose flour

and 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

No sweet potatoes for a casserole, soup or gratin-type dish? Use butternut

squash or pumpkin.

No granulated sugar? For every 1 cup needed, use 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

or 3/4 cup honey.

No parchment paper? Use brown paper or waxed paper (not over high heat), or

just grease and flour the pan.

No kitchen twine to truss the turkey? Use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss.

In Loving Memory Of

Susan J. White May 17, 1941—Oct 22, 2008

You will always be in our hearts.

Holidays will not be the same without

you. We miss you. We love you.

Trust Linda Lane-White as your Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

Veterans’ Day Salute & BBQ

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

$5.00 for members $8.00 for

non-members

Make your reservation at the

Welcome Desk

or call (626) 795-4331

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thursday, November 27, 2008

12:00 Noon

$6.00 for members, $9.00 for non-members

Celebrate Turkey Day at the Senior Center

with your family and friends!

The menu will include a traditional home

cooked turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed

potatoes, vegetables, salad and dessert.

You will be treated as royalty as volunteers

will serve you at your table.

Pre-paid reservations need to be made by

Monday, November 24th.

Pasadena Senior Center Events for November 85 E Holly Street, Pasadena, CA 91103

Thanksgiving Day Events

Pasadena Union Station Potluck: Call

626/240-4550 ext 105 to volunteer or donate

International Institute of Los Angeles: 18th

Annual Dinner.Volunteer by calling 323/264-

6210

The Original Pantry Café: 877 S. Figueroa ,

Los Angeles. 12pm to 8pm 213/972-9279

Ritz-Carlton Pasadena: 1401 S. Oak Knoll,

Pasadena 5pm to 9:30pm 626/585-6218

Queen Mary:Sir Winston Restaurant 11am to

6pm 562/499-1657

Pie ‘N Burger: Pick up your holiday pie. 913 E

California, Pasadena 626/795-1123

La Canada Run For The Hungry: Memorial

Park, La Canada7am www.runforthehungry.com

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!

Excellent customer service!

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

Recent Area Sales (Derived from PFAR MLS)

T h i s p u b l i c a t i o n i s f o r i n f o r m a t i o n a l p u r p o s e s o n l y a n d d o e s n o t c o n s t i t u t e l e g a l o r f i n a n c i a l a d v i c e .

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.

Dena Land News—Linda Lane-White • Keller Williams Realty (626) 786-1231 • www.lindalanewhite.com

Days On Market

Date Sold

Sales Price Address

City Area

Bed/ Bath

S.F. House

S.F. Lot

6 10/24/2008 $ 367,000 560 W Loma Alta Drive Altadena 4/2 1462 6240

269 10/1/2008 $ 488,000 3164 Crestford Drive Altadena 4/2 1530 9100

8 10/23/2008 $ 763,705 985 E Poppyfields Drive Altadena 3/2 2286 8122

38 10/24/2008 $ 619,500 1284 E Loma Alta Drive Altadena 4/2 1635 7441

15 10/2/2008 $ 250,000 15611 Yorba Avenue Chino Hills 4/2 1548 6625

362 10/15/2008 $ 900,000 13910 Plumrose Place Chino Hills 4/5 3695 13939

303 10/2/2008 $ 374,750 1118 E Renwick Road Glendora 4/2 1723 7900

107 10/10/2008 $ 500,000 614 N Vermont Avenue Glendora 4/3 1791 9440

33 10/16/2008 $ 980,000 4621 Encinas Drive La Canada/Flintridge 2/1 1525 12792

160 10/13/2008 $ 406,000 3742 Montrose Avenue La Crescenta/Glen-Mo 2/1 951 5500

21 10/22/2008 $ 329,900 1815 El Sereno Avenue Pasadena (NW) 4/2 1616 12031

6 10/17/2008 $ 620,000 1500 N Mar Vista Avenue Pasadena (NE) 4/3 1701 5580

329 10/20/2008 $ 490,000 191 S Meridith Avenue Pasadena (SE) 4/2 1428 7729

85 10/15/2008 $ 2,850,000 587 S Hill Avenue Pasadena (SE) 7/7 6418 45050

19 10/24/2008 $ 582,500 2252 White Street Pasadena (SE) 4/3 1972 8304

27 10/10/2008 $ 1,775,000 1970 Sierra Madre Villa Ave Pasadena (NE) 4/3 2671 28612

62 10/23/2008 $ 425,000 1142 Deveron Court San Dimas 4/3 1758 10297

83 10/8/2008 $ 1,200,000 448 W Grandview Avenue Sierra Madre 5/5 3850 11000

Dena Land News—Linda Lane-White • Keller Williams Realty (626) 786-1231 • www.lindalanewhite.com

Q&A: 2008

Hope for Homeowners

Q How does the 2008 Hope for Homeowners legislation help

homeowners?

A Many homeowners trapped in high-cost, variable rate

mortgages are suffering because their payments are going

up and becoming unaffordable. Since property values are going

down, many of them have actually lost equity and they can't

refinance. Some of these people may now be able to cancel

their old mortgage loans and replace them with fixed-rate loans

for up to 90 percent of the home's current value. Not everyone

will be eligible for this because the banks that made the loans

would have to accept a loss on the old mortgage. Banks would

benefit by avoiding a costly foreclosure.

Q - Can you tell me who is eligible for this program?

A - The main eligibility rule is that homeowners must be able to

pay their new, refinanced mortgage based on HUD rules of

mortgage financing. Besides that, eligible borrowers are those

that have to spend more than 31 percent of their monthly in-

comes on their mortgages as of March 31, 2008. The loan must

have originated no later than Jan. 1, 2008. The homeowner

must show he did not intentionally miss mortgage payments.

Finally, the home that you want refinanced must be the only

home you own.

Q - When does the program start?

A - The law goes into effect Oct. 1 and runs through September

2011. But if you think you might be eligible for the program,

you want to have your eligibility assessed as soon as possible.

Contact your local HUD-approved counseling agency or Hope

Now Alliance (888-995-HOPE).

Q - What can homeowners do to increase the chance that they

will be eligible for the program?

A - Remember lenders can choose which loans to refinance.

You can check with the lender who has your mortgage, but

don't expect a quick response and don't expect a windfall. The

lender might take weeks to decide if it will choose your loan to

refinance.

One thing you do NOT want to do is get behind on your

mortgage payments. According to Dan Seiver, a finance pro-

fessor, "Turning yourself into a financial basket case is not

going to work. If you turn into a complete deadbeat, the ser-

vicer is going to just foreclose and dump (your property.)"

Another thing you can do is closely track your expenses and

income and project your cash flow for six months. This

should give yourself better control of your finances.

Q - What if I refinance and then sell my home?

A - Congress has not created a windfall freebie for homeown-

ers in trouble. If you sell during the next five years, you have

to agree to share half the profits from the resale with the gov-

ernment. Remember, by refinancing under this scheme, you

refinance 90 percent of the value of the house. You could say,

therefore, that you have 10 percent equity. But this equity

must be repaid. In the first year after a sale, the homeowner

would have zero equity from a sale. The amount rises 10 per-

cent in each succeeding year and caps at 50 percent from a

sale in year five and thereafter.

Q - Where can I read about the housing bill?

A - http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/

HousingandEconomicRecoveryActSummary.pdf. The FHA's

Web site at http://www.fha.gov is a place to watch for updated

information. The entire 694-page bill is at http://

www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/

hr3221_bill_text.pdf

Ask an Expert

November Happenings in Dena Land

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

Marvin Neumann conducts the Crown City Symphony :(Mr. Neumann was my conductor when I played the violin years ago-LLW)

Saturday, November 15th at 2:00 at Villa Park, 2585 E Washington Blvd. near Altadena Drive

Saturday, November 22nd at 2:00 at the Altadena Senior Center, 560 E Mariposa, Altadena

Sunday, November 23rd at 2:00 at the First Baptist Church

November is American Indian Heritage Month

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

Nov. 4 VOTE!!!!

Nov. 5 10am. Free tour of Altadena’s Mountain View Cemetery, Mausoleum and Art Gallery. Sponsored by the Pasadena Foothills

Association of Realtors. Mausoleum is located at 2300 N. Marengo (north of Woodbury). RSVP for the tour to PFAR at 626-795-2455.

Nov. 6 Belated grand opening of Webster’s Fine Stationers. 2450 N. Lake Suite B. Join the community with a day of activities and a

benefit for the Quality of Life Center. 3:30 is the Ribbon Cutting and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce Mixer is at 5:30.

Nov. 8 9am to 12. Free workshop on Veteran’s benefits. Altadena Community Center. 730 E Altadena Drive.

Nov. 8 7:30—11pm Robert Kyle performs at Red, White & Bluezz in Pasadena on Raymond and Green Street. www.robertkyle.com

Nov. 9 10am Fall Art Festival. Pasadena City Hall,100 N. Garfield. Food court, fun zone, musical performances and art! Free.

Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day. Banks and post offices are closed.

Nov. 14 8pm Janet Klein&Her Parlor Boys(featuring Altadena’s Ian Whitcomb).Coffee Gallery2029 N Lake,Altadena$20 626/398-7917

Nov. 14 4:00 to 6:30. John Muir High Tailgate Party at Brookside Country Club, 1133 Rosemont, Pasadena. Music from the 60’s,

70’s and 80’s. $40 includes dinner, drink and admission to the Turkey Tussle game at 7:00 at the Rose Bowl. 626-208-1351 or

www.jmhsaa.org to purchase online must RSVP by November 7th!

Nov. 16 Team Five Acres Pasadena Inaugural Marathon. Runners, walkers and cyclists can join the team. Call Susan Silverman at

626/798-6793 ext. 2279 for more info.

Nov. 22 Grand Re-Opening of Macy’s West at 401 S. Lake Ave in Pasadena. Buy a $10.00 ticket from Five Acres and receive a 10% -

20% discount on almost everything in the store and Five Acres keeps 100% of the ticket sales. This will also enter you in a chance to

win a $500 shopping spree at Macy’s. Call Susan Silverman at 626/798-6793 ext. 2279 for more info.

Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Day. Banks, schools and government offices are closed. (Also see Page 3 inside for Nov. 27th events)

Nov. 28 4:00pm Old Pasadena Holiday Celebration. Located on Holly Street between Raymond and Fair Oaks. Kids can play in 30

tons of real snow, see live reindeer, ride a train, enjoy live music in the winter playground. Santa arrives at 6:00pm to light the Christ-

mas tree. Bring an unwrapped toy or book and receive a FREE photo with Santa at One Colorado from 6:30pm to 9pm. 626/564-1066

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

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

www.lindalanewhite.com

Search the MLS on my web site!