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Alisha’s Like-Minded Quotes

  1. “Common sense is the foundation for hope, justice, and sustainability.” ~Alisha Chen
  2. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” ~William E Gladstone
  3. “If we stand for nothing, we fall for anything” ~Alexander Hamilton
  4. “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.” ~Albert Einstein
  5. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ~Albert Einstein
  6. “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.  You need experience to gain wisdom.”     ~Albert Einstein
  7. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.  Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”     ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
  8. “Everyone knew it was impossible, until a fool who didn’t know came along and did it.” ~Albert Einstein
  9. “A trustworthy person is one who tells you the truth despite potential negative consequences to him or herself.” ~Alisha Chen
  10. “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” ~Albert Einstein
  11. “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” ~Benjamin Franklin
  12. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” ~Albert Einstein
  13. “Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” ~Albert Einstein
  14. “Various people can be at the same place, same time, same event, but personal insights gathered usually determines the value and degree of vision of each person.” ~Alisha Chen
  15. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” ~Albert Einstein
  16. “Everything that exists in your life, does so because of two things: something you did or something you didn’t do.”     ~Albert Einstein
  17. “Men marry women with the hope they will never change. Women marry men with the hope they will change.  Invariably they are both disappointed.”     ~Albert Einstein
  18. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ~Albert Einstein
  19. “Kindness and justice are not synonymous. Be kind and advocate and work for justice.  Lives depend on it.”     ~Bernice King
  20. “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”     ~Albert Einstein
  21. Don’t listen to the person who has the answers; listen to the person who has the questions.” ~Albert Einstein
  22. “Assumptions and judgments without diligent verifications are often the root of problems.” ~Alisha Chen
  23. “The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.” ~Albert Einstein
  24. “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” ~Albert Einstein
  25. “We usually base our decisions on tolerance or principle.” ~Alisha Chen
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Basic Truth About the Real Estate Industry

#01 – BASIC TRUTH ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

The field of real estate brokerage and agents by law and common sense should be one of the higher requirements and security careers.  Some of the most valuable, personal, and confidential items are stored and displayed in homes.  Yet over 20 years in my real estate career, the basic agent property etiquette has been violated repeatedly.  In fact, this basic etiquette has gotten worse and worse each year.  This means a severe lack of ethics has been viewed as important.  While the society in the U.S. industry has overemphasized creating conflicting laws and guidelines, not much has been done to teach children from a young age about common etiquette.  If we investigate the root of most problems in society and workplaces, the cause has been the deterioration of ethics disguised by many other branch issues such as knowledge, experience, communication, and training.

Common Issues Encountered

  1. Real Estate System – the real estate test-taking programs have offered answers for test takers to memorize and pass the exam without understanding the contents.
  2. No need for transaction experience – being in 20 years of real estate, I am still in awe that the department of real estate still does not require a designated amount of in-person and hands-on hours of training before giving a real estate license. Real estate purchase for most people, is one of the highest asset purchases but yet, I can’t believe how many agents and even brokerage owners can’t communicate with daily English.  How can they understand contracts?  The root of the problem is the real estate oversight which allowed a highly professional career to deteriorate to a lowly public reputation.  It shouldn’t be this way.  The fact is, the more quantity of people regardless of quality benefits a salary-paid entity.  As a result, the entity that was supposed to protect the profession end up harming the profession due to the conflict of interest.  If the entity staff is paid mostly by the commission, this issue would easily resolve since it is in the best interest of the staff members to focus on the quality of the profession instead of quality.  By offering classes to promote ethical conduct while the structure of the system is the opposite gets no sustainable results.  It is the system structure that needs to be replaced.  If 100% commission agents/brokers run the real estate oversight department, there would be a great improvement for the profession and industry.  This concept is not new, it was the basic structure for America to rise above the world in as little as 150 years of inception.  Somewhere along the line, we have sidetracked the reason for a successful nation and started to deteriorate backward.  Truth and honesty is usually difficult to hear and accept.
  3. Part-time, temporary agents/brokers – whenever the real estate market is “hot”, lots of people get a real estate license and start representing clients without any experience. When serious problems arise due to these inexperienced and/or unethical agents, these clients found me, seeking to solve their problems.  Once they don’t know how to handle problems, they simply do not respond back to the clients anymore.  There is usually a reason why some Brokerages do not accept certain agents (quality).  At the same time, there are usually reasons why some Brokerages do accept these agents (quantity).  The more problems a client has experienced in the past, the more he/she learns the importance of a trustworthy and experienced agent/broker.  I get many calls for help when a transaction has already been closed.  From the stories I was told, most of the problems can be avoided during the transaction.  After a transaction is closed, usually, serious issues can only be handled with attorneys who will either decline the case or require upfront fees paid to take a case without guarantees of resolution.  As an experienced Broker, I can only be hired as a professional to provide information on the witness stand.  I had represented clients in small claims court that does not require an attorney license and so far, won all of the cases that I accepted to take on.
  4. Agents/Brokers do not read the MLS information in detail – Over 50% of agents/brokers call me to obtain information that has already been disclosed on the MLS. When I respond that they should have read the MLS diligently, they get angry and express how rude I am instead of being embarrassed by their own lack of professionalism.  There are lots of documents that needs to be read, written, carried out, etc. for each transaction.  Being detailed and diligent is a requirement for this career.  How would they perform if a transaction is in escrow with this type of attitude and mentality?  Many times, the quality of real estate agents/brokers hired by the clients causes more problems in a transaction than anything else.  Especially clients who prefer agents/brokers who sugarcoat things instead of desiring honesty and truth.
  5. Usage of Supra Lockbox with CBS Code – Over 50% of agents don’t know how to enter CBS code into Supra lockboxes even though I’ve indicated on the MLS showing description “please make sure you know how to use CBS Code to open Supra Lockboxes”. Any agent who read that and did not know how to use it should ask his/her broker.  It only takes 5 minutes to learn it, but yet, over 50% of agents did not seek help prior to showing the property to their clients.  As a listing agent, I then get calls that the Supra lockbox does not work.  Most of the agents then fabricate the fact toward their clients to avoid being embarrassed.  This is just an example of many other basic tasks that have to do with the mentality of work ethics.
  6. Quality versus Quantity – When real estate clients do not perform a basic level of research and interview to hire the right agent/broker, ultimately, they suffer. With today’s online presence, it is easy to research agents and brokerages.  When a conversation takes place regarding if a discount agent/broker is more important to a real estate client or an agent who is capable and seeks his/her best interest, just about everyone says quality.  What changes is when a real estate client encounters challenges that reveal the incapability of his/her agent/broker.  It is then that client expresses the required level of quality desired, not just “undefined quality”.  Typically, the larger the Brokerage, they rely on the quantity of agents, not quality.  Their concept is the more quantity of agents, the greater the income for the brokerage.  At the same time, the only way to deal with higher lawsuits caused by low quality of agents is by hiring their own attorney (grab what we can first and deal with problems later concept).  Smaller brokerages tend to focus more on the quality of transactions to prevent legal liabilities (doing things right from the start as much as possible).  Therefore, in my experience, I have better professional encounters with smaller brokerages.  Agents who are successful without being under a brand name entity most likely has individual capability.  Those who rely on high advertised name usually has less capability.  Most of my clients can’t remember the name of the brokerage I was with before.  They just remember me.  When I notify them that I’ve changed brokerage, they can’t even recall what brokerage name I was under.  This is a good sign for any person to be labeled as professional and capable.  Many things in life are opposite of what the majority presents or says to rely on.
  7. True Real Estate Professional is NOT Easy – There are many things that need the attention of real estate professionals. I have closed thousands of transactions and not one is exactly the same. A)  Just as a real estate client seeking a good real estate professional, good real estate professionals also only accept reasonable and cooperative clients. However, the process of searching for one often takes a lot of time, effort, and even pain.  Many clients believe agents are getting paid too much for such an easy job.  Well, first of all, agents/brokers risk his/her life daily out in the field meeting or serving new people not knowing who they are first.  There are too many examples of agents/brokers being robbed or killed performing tasks.  I remember as a new agent, some people pretend to be foreign investors only to use new agents to provide free transportation to places.  Even more, times when men pretend to be real estate buyers only to meet me and ask me out.  Most recent times, service providers and contractors pretend to be renters only to meet with me and ask me for business to give them.  How then can agents/brokers trust people without a true client representation agreement?  These are only a few examples mentioned and have to do with the ethical conduct of people.  All these encounters do cost time and money.  Therefore, there is a lot more to this industry than most people realize. B)  Taking time to understand client needs – is the most important before putting any actions into seeking financial and property needs. Sometimes there is only one decision maker involved and other times there can be a group of 10 people’s input involved.  I find myself taking on as a family counselor more times than being a broker.  Unless a certain level of acceptance is agreed upon, there will not be any success in a transaction. C)  Financial Readiness – Without obtaining a full picture of a client’s financial capabilities first, we will all be wasting time looking at properties without knowing if a real estate client has the capability to finance a certain property. Some clients also require a non-standard type of loan for their circumstances. D)  Title Issues – Various title problems can come up and experienced real estate professionals need to know how to deal with them. E)  Disclosures – It is important to know about the factors of a property as much as possible which may affect the value, health, and safety of the buyers. Disclosures are approximately 80% of a transaction and are growing in percentage as years go by. F)  Compliance with Laws – Laws changes often and can be several times a year. Most laws are established due to repeated conflicts.  Other times are due to being politically driven which may contradict common sense.  Knowledgeable professionals can best assist clients to minimize legal conflicts. G)  80% of Unprofessional Agents in the Field – For the past 20 years, I have encountered approximately 80% of agents categorized as “Unprofessional”. I am embarrassed to say that I am not proud of being labeled as an “Agent/Broker”.  Another 15% of my encounter as “standard/acceptable” and less than 5% of the agents are labeled as “preferred/desirable”.  Quality is also reflected in the pattern of cities and counties.  For example, from my own experiences, LA county usually has the worst agents with all types of unethical conduct, Orange County usually has better quality agents and San Bernardino County usually has lower ethics and knowledge of agents.  I have educated my clients regarding screening agents first and offers second.  Since we are not allowed to contact the cooperating agent’s client, that means the conduct of cooperating agent will be the most important aspect of a successful, pleasant, miserable, and even harmful transaction process.  With the deterioration of buyer agent quality year after year, buyer’s commission has also declined as a result of listing agents often needing to “clean up” after the buyer agent’s unprofessionalism.  As a listing agent, I would say for the past 20 years, I had to step in as a secretary for the buyer’s agent in order to successfully close a transaction.  While I, myself pay a secretary/assistant to conduct my own tasks.  Obviously, this does not make sense.  Since the Department of Real Estate and the National Association of Realtors has not made much progress in promoting professional quality as a system structure, professional agents/brokers can only seek other solutions in the meantime for the sake of our clients. H)  Above mentioned are only approximately 30% of challenges and difficulties in the field of real estate. It will take hours for me to state them.  In short, the current structure of the real estate field promotes unprofessionalism, inexperienced/temporary agents, unsustainable long-term careers, disloyal parties, and increased legal disputes.  As a result, good agents and brokers are becoming rare and almost distinct.  The interesting thing is that everyone (both clients and professionals) desires quality and loyalty; however, the current system, it makes it extremely difficult to get there; while third-world countries such as Taiwan rarely have these problems.
  8. License Revoked/Suspended/Disciplinary Actions – There are thousands of people and/or entities with their licenses revoked, suspended, and disciplined due to various reasons. Usually, it takes quite a few repeated serious offenses to get negative license consequences.  There are many more that are still out doing business in various unethical or illegal ways.  Just like any career or job out there, interviewing and hiring people is an extensive job itself.  Clients should perform research, and interviews before hiring.  The good news nowadays is that we have websites and technology to use, making it so much easier to get to know people before hiring them.
  9. United States Real Estate Market Standard versus Other Countries – Many Asian countries that are labeled as third-world countries actually have much better real estate systems than the U.S. Take Taiwan, for example, a seller or landlord researches a real estate brokerage and agent to list with.  Each seller/landlord and each buyer/tenant hire his/her own agent to work with.  The commission is paid by each side of the client according to the level of knowledge, services, experience, etc.  There is not much need for “ethical” courses.  Each agent naturally represents his/her client in the best possible way to earn the commission.  In addition, it is standard for every client to turn in his/her financial proof before agents offer any type of service.  A deposit and payment agreement is signed prior to any type of service being given.  This is a win-win for everyone.  Real estate clients are committed to the selected agent/brokerage.  At the same time, the real estate agent/brokerage is committed to the client.  No party wastes time or plays games.  Everyone understands the seriousness of getting the job done right.  However, in the U.S., the way the system is structured encourage disloyalty, wastes time, and discount agent to compensate for quality, professionalism, knowledge, and experience.  This system discourages the desire for quality professionals…and what is left gradually are the substandard agents/brokers.  Those who are more capable and ethical gradually seek other types of focuses and careers.
  10. Like-mindedness – What we appreciate is often what we cherish. There are reasons why some people purchase Kia cars versus Lexus versus BMW or Mercedes Benz.  Kia car buyers are usually looking for affordability, which means durability and re-sale value is usually not there.  Lexus car buyers usually seek durability, dependability, not many repairs needed, and a medium level of status and comfort while the re-sale value is quite good.  BMW or Mercedes Benz buyers usually seek to present a higher status and collusion protection, but the cost of maintenance and repair parts are more frequently needed and usually very high.  Similar to real estate, various clients seek various agents/brokers.  The cost of these agents/brokers also often reflects the type of services that the clients desire.
Conclusion – Lots of “undoing” of laws, guidelines, and structure needs to be performed at the government level.  At the same time, there are immediate changes that local residents and professionals can support as sustainable mutual benefits.  Imagine that ethical, knowledgeable, experienced agent/broker who is committed to a real estate client who is loyal and fully cooperative!  Let’s be honest, would you allocate quality time to uncommitted individuals?  When there are choices of people who give no commitment versus others who are willing to commit to you, who would you choose to give more help and time to?  This is a very simple concept but yet, but most people don’t take the time to understand it, which resulted in unnecessary problems.  More than 50% of time- wasting is eliminated, loyalty is devoted, mutual benefit is rewarded, and the entire transaction is smooth and pleasant.  Everyone desires this outcome.  Therefore, it is time that the U.S. learns from third-world countries to go back to the basics of being an enticing human being first to see a win-win result!  The best solution is to research and interview each other to ensure a good fit.  Sign an exclusive agreement to work with each other.  Treat others as how we want to be treated to transform communities and industries.
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Did you know…Right Time to Buy or Sell Your Home can save you thousands?

Many of us are very busy daily with work, family, friends, church, serving, activities and events that we forget to review our investment status. There are many laws and regulations that can benefit homeowners, but majority of people are not aware of them. Different market, economy, geographical location, lifestyle changes, career environment, financial status all play a part of factors to determine when to do what in order to best leverage out your financial gain.

Did you know that each person has up to $250,000 owner occupied equity gain tax free? For example, if you have purchased a home at $300,000 and today is worth $700,000 and you have occupied the property for your own usage within the last 2 years out of 5, you may be eligible for a $250,000 per person tax free when you sell for a profit! That means the average people would have to work at least 5 years to have a net of $250,000!

If you are married, you have up to $500,000 tax free gain for the same criteria. If you have exceeded that maximum allowable equity gain, you will be subjected to tax. For example, if you have purchased the property at $200,000 and today is worth $900,000. As an owner-occupied single person given $250,000 tax free gain, you will need to pay tax on the remaining $450,000 gain, which is very hefty. However, if we had planned this out a few years before on all of your properties, we can sell right above your maximum allowable tax free equity gain, purchase another home for you to live in and start accumulating the equity again to leverage out your tax free equity.

There are many more benefits that may benefit each person or family based on lifestyle, needs and goal. Most successful people in the U.S. invest into real estate because they can work years less by knowing how to leverage real estate laws. Real Estate is my passion and I enjoy helping people plan for the long term in order to best leverage and utilize their wealth by working smarter and understanding the tax laws.

Real estate is not just a career that I enjoy, but also my passion and investment. I have used my real estate knowledge to help many others already; contact me so I can also help you!  Please feel free to visit my Testimony page and see how many people I have already helped and continue to help!

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Why Am I Required to Have a Condo Insurance H06 Policy?

Buying a condo is different from buying a standalone home. Especially when it comes to insurance coverage. Buying a condo means you are becoming a partner with other owners. Plus, the common areas are insured by one or more master insurance policies. Most condo master policies do not cover the interior of the condo. Tiis is why condo “walls in” policies, also known as an H06 policy, exist. In the event of damage or a loss to the condo interior, this form of condo insurance covers the unit owner. A key point to remember when a mortgage is involved, the lender requires a certain level of H06 policy coverage.

What is an H06 Policy?

Master condo policies cover the buildings, common grounds, and even liability in case someone is hurt on the premises. But, many master policies stop their coverage at the interior walls of each condo unit. That means the unit owner is on their own when it comes to the interior and its contents. That is where an H06 policy steps in. An H06 or walls in policy is purchased by the unit owner through an insurance agency and for the most part, the owner decides on the level of coverage. One area of importance to remember is that these condo policies may not cover all perils. For instance, coverage for other areas such as flood or wind/hail damage may require an additional policy or riders.

Does the Condo Master Insurance Policy Ever Cover the Interior?

Yes, but this is not common. When considering a condo purchase, it is key to get a copy of the master policies. Plus, make sure to have a thorough discussion with the master policy insurance agent. It is key for a potential condo owner to understand the coverages and exclusions. At this time, it will be known if the master policy covers the condo interior and the unit owner’s personal contents. Keep in mind that if the master policy does cover the walls in, pay attention to the policy deductible. It may be a very large deductible. In this case, ask your insurance agent if supplemental coverage is allowed.

How Much H06 Coverage Does My Mortgage Lender Require?

If a buyer pays cash for the condo, then the unit owner may choose any coverage they choose. Even waive the policy altogether. Yet when a mortgage is involved, there are lender requirements. As a general rule of thumb, lenders will require coverage equal to 20% of the condo unit value. For instance if the condo is purchased for $200,000, the H06 condo policy must have at least $50,000 coverage. Furthermore, if your mortgage requires escrows for taxes and insurance, this insurance will be in the escrows. The master policy is typically included in a unit owner’s HOA dues. Although, condominium complexes with only a few units may handle this differently.
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A Day in Life

Last Wednesday, a passenger in a taxi heading for Stafford station leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments, everything was silent in the cab. Then the shaking driver said “Are you OK?  I’m so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me.” The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said, “I didn’t realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so badly.” The driver replied, “No, no, I’m the one who is sorry. It’s entirely my fault. Today is my very first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for 25 years.” ~ A reported true story from Manchester Evening Times
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Leveraging Your Needs Wisely

Leveraging Your Financial and Future Needs With the current U.S. system, it is important to plan for the future. Whether you have  limited income or high income, it is important to understand how to leverage your  financial future. Even through market fluctuations, people still have different needs.  Some people need to have more tax deduction from one year to another. Others desire to  focus on increasing monthly income. Every type of low and high market accommodates  the needs of people. Real Estate is considered a more stable investment than stock  markets globally. As long as there is a high population in the world, there will always be a  high demand for real estate. There are different types of goals and purpose in various  stages of a person or family’s life. There are also national and global changes in financial  and situation needs. As a result, it is important to view real estate, finances and investing  as long term annual planning goals to best accommodate these changes. There are many  people who have been Alisha’s clients over 10 years greatly benefited from the annual  financial planning with Alisha to leverage and meet their future goals. Contact Alisha  today for your annual personal and family financial planning at (888) 988-9867.
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COVID and the Future

Housing has been the economy setter around the world. However, has COVID-19 helped you evaluate what is working or not working with your choices and lifestyle? Let us take a  closer look at areas in your life in relation to this Global Pandemic. Do you see the direction going more positively or negatively for the year 2020 to 2021? What is going on regarding interest rates, housing, the stock market, and employment? How are you interpreting this outcome? In terms of finances, are you better or worse? In terms of quality people,  has ethics and morality deteriorated or improved? Are people in general more pleasant,  less patient, more caring, or careless? The quality and conduct of people are the foundation of how society and the future will be. Since people are the ones setting laws, structures, procedures, businesses, etc., this means how people are will set the tone for the future in every personal and business engagement. Therefore, how the future will be relying most heavily on each one of us. Alisha has countless experiences as a  relationship counselor. She has positively improved many lives of married couples, parents-to-children relationships, and internal company team relationships that are sustainable. 

The most common relationship killer is ignoring the problems which almost always escalate to deeper negative consequences. Join many others today to get help and improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. Contact Alisha for a counseling appointment for a better and new beginning at 909-438-3647. 

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Effect of Music

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Music is one of the categories that are difficult to explain or fully understand.  However, none of us can deny that it has a tremendous impact in our lives.  No matter which type of music you prefer or reject, music does impact us in more ways than most of us realize indirectly.  While many of us would agree that we listen to various types of music ranging from slightly different to extremely different depending on what we ‘feel like at that moment.  We also cannot minimize its effect on molding our character, thought process, responses, attitudes, and behaviors. (watch the video for more info)
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