2010 March Madness Office Pool

Presented by

Team Aguilar / Axia Real Estate Group, Inc

We are going to do our 2nd annual March Madness Office Pool. We have been doing an NFL pool for the last 3 years and it’s been a blast. Also, some of our contestants work for other companies we do business with and they are not allowed to accept the prize but we have donated the winnings to a charity of their choice. It’s been a lot of fun and a couple of the winners have donated their winnings to charity’s such as Best Friends.org, Oceanside Breakers and the Chelsea’s Light fund.

We have created a March Madness Office Pool for all to participate in. It’s similar to the NFL office pool. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 players. Picks can be made all at once or 5 minutes prior to the start of each game.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ACCEPT GIFTS BECAUSE OF YOUR EMPLOYER’S POLICY, WE WILL DONTATE YOUR WINNINGS TO THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.

First Game is March 18^th!!! It’s going to be fun!

Scoring System

1 point for each correct pick in Round 1
2 points for each correct pick in Round 2
3 points for each correct pick in Round 3
4 points for each correct pick in Round 4
5 points for each correct pick in Round 5
6 points for the correct Champion

1st Place $150, 2nd Place $100, 3rd $50, Gift Cards

LEGAL STUFF – THERE IS NO FEE TO PLAY, PLAYING IS 100% FREE. FOR SIGNUP INFORMATION, PLEASE POST A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I WILL FORWARD AN EMAIL TO SIGN UP.

Alex Aguilar
Team Aguilar
Real Estate Agent, Blogger!
Alex@TeamAguilar.com
www.TeamAguilar.com
Real Estate Blog

If your looking for real estate in San Diego, Riverside or Imperial County you have arrived at the right place. Please feel free to contact us and please read our Real Estate Blog and leave your comments.

I was going to write a post with information on the search efforts of Chelsea King but unfortunately it appears that our greatest fears were realized this afternoon when authorities identified a body found as Chelsea King. For those of you who don’t know, she is a Poway high school student who has been missing since last Thursday.

As I write this post I am really at a loss for words. I don’t have any children yet and still can’t even imagine how difficult this must be for the family.

There is a candlelight vigil at St. Michael Catholic Church for friends and family scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m.  It was planned previous to Chelsea’s body being found and it’s unclear if it will still take place.

I will post updated information as soon as it becomes available.  I would like to make a donation on behalf of one of our office football pool players. She asked that I donate her winnings to the family of Chelsea King. I am unaware of any fund at this point but as soon as I find something I will add it to this post and also make sure that we make the donation to the family on Chelsea’s behalf.

Here is a link to the Facebook page setup for Chelsea King.

UPDATE: 03-05-10

Chelsea’s family has set up the Chelsea’s Light Fund. People have asked about making donations and you can now make a donation to the Chelsea Light Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank. (Account #1838355913. Here is a link to the Facebook page for Chelsea’s Light Fund.

Alex Aguilar
Team Aguilar
Real Estate Agent, Blogger!
Alex@TeamAguilar.com
www.TeamAguilar.com
Real Estate Blog

If your looking for real estate in San Diego, Riverside or Imperial County you have arrived at the right place. Please feel free to contact us and please read our Real Estate Blog and leave your comments.

Did you know that you can grow a moustache, as well as help raise awareness and funds to fight male cancer, at the same time? Follow the footsteps of a man named Jay Thompson who is doing exactly that.

November also happens to be the month of “Movember”. That’s right. Every year, awareness and funds are raised during this month for male health through a worldwide moustache-growing charity event to fight depression and prostate cancer in men. Now on its 6^th year, the “mo” is being embraced once again.

In case you didn’t know, prostate cancer can strike 1 out of 6 men within their lifetimes, while testicular cancer happens to be the most common cancer that afflicts men aged 18 and up – definitely something you should think about.

Whether you’re a man who values his goods (what man doesn’t?) and understands how much other men value theirs, or a woman who appreciates movember and would like to support the same efforts, you can bring the look back and have some fun for two serious causes.

Even if Movember hasn’t been formally launched in your particular country, you can still help raise money and register at any of their charity partners through the internet. All of the funds raised are going to go to Livestrong (remember their bracelets?) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Any donations would be appreciated. So why not skip the barber and grow all of your hair out this month to donate your money for a good cause? A lot of men will be eternally grateful.

When I heard that Mayor Jerry Sanders and Chargers President Dean Spanos were in serious talks about the possibility of a new stadium located in downtown San Diego, I was THRILLED by the prospect. No offense to the city of Escondido who have been courting the Chargers to move their team there for a quite few years now. It’s just that the Chargers are not Escondido or Chula Vista, and most certainly, not Los Angeles. They are San Diego!

For anyone who has been to Qualcomm Stadium, you fall in to one of two categories:  One type of person believes Qualcomm is an ill-designed cracking slab of concrete with narrow walkways and a cold, uninviting aura. The other type of person is one who has never been to another NFL Stadium to see just how big of a difference a nice stadium can be.  In fact, as far as I’m concerned, Qualcomm and Candlestick in San Francisco are on par with one another and both should be torn down. The Spanos know this and understand this, which is why they want to build a new stadium. But the fact that the city and its taxpayers don’t want to help pay for a new stadium, is the biggest hurdle the Chargers face.

Just because the taxpayers don’t want to help out however, does not mean they are not supportive of Mayor Sanders who is working with Dean Spanos to figure out where the money to build a new stadium can come from. According to Matthew T. Hall of the Union Tribune, one financing option that is being thrown around could come from “selling or developing the city-owned 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site, which the team would leave vacant.” This is an option where the city can help out without a tax hike. It also brings to light the fact that Qualcomm’s site is HUGE and the proposed site downtown would be much smaller.

The downtown site would be 15 acres directly next to Petco Park that currently includes the city-owned Tailgate Park, the Wonderbread Building, and the bus yard for the San Diego Transit Corp. The beauty of this site, is that the infrastructure is all in place thanks to Petco Park. There’s parking, public transportation set up, and a slew of bars and restaurants in the area that make a killing on game days.  In addition, Hall reports that Charger’s special counsel Mark Fabiani says the downtown stadium makes financial sense “because infrastructure improvements to accommodate a stadium of up to $1 billion elsewhere could cost $200 million, but they are a fraction of that downtown”.

Of course there are naysayers who don’t want to see a stadium go up downtown. Business owners that would have to move, nearby residents who don’t want a huge construction project going on in their neighborhood or the influx of crowds that would be present on game-days.  But I am not going to address such people or such issues, for this is an unapologetically biased blog in favor of a downtown stadium.

Yes, there are hurdles to overcome before this dream can become a reality, mostly of the financial kind. But the city needs this. It needs something it can rally around. Something to be proud of besides the weather, and a beautiful new stadium in the city’s up and coming downtown is just what the doctor ordered.  And can you imagine how much money a Super Bowl hosted downtown would bring into the city?  But all the benefits of a new stadium are light years away. At this point it’s just good to see that San Diego is once again the front-runner for the new home of the San Diego Chargers.

I would like to thank all of the Military men and woman who are serving and who have served our country. It’s hard for someone like me to understand the sacrifice they have made. I am a younger individual (29 years old) who has never had to live in an era with a draft. We have had the benefit of living our life without having to think about being drafted or going to war. It wasn’t very long ago when you may have been called upon and it was expected for you to go fight for your country.

I didn’t grow up in a Military family or have anyone in my immediate family who was an active Military member. I don’t know what it feels like to have a loved one deployed for 6-12 months at a time or know what it’s like to lose an immediate family member. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be.

I don’t think enough of our younger generation realizes the sacrifice our Military and Veterans have made to allow us the freedom to do many of the things we take for granite. Today is a day to thank all of our Military men and woman. I wish you all the best and can’t tell you how much we appreciate your service.

Everyone in my family and here at Team Aguilar would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for all that you have done.

Imagine if you will, a pleasant summer morning. You are out on your front porch getting details in order for the upcoming family reunion, to be held at the home that your father built back in the 50’s, just a few miles from where you now live. The home, though not currently occupied, remains a frequent place for family and close friends to stay and contains some of your family’s most precious heirlooms. Sipping on your coffee, the phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Yes, are you the owner of 11 Byrd Trail in Corrollton?”

“Why, yes, that was the home my father built. The home I grew up in. Who is this?”

“This is Larry Watts of Southern Environmental Services. I’m afraid there has been a mistake. That home was demolished yesterday.”

Al Byrd, of Carrollton, Georgia received what must have been a similar call last week, to be alerted to the fact that the house his father built; the house that still remained in the family was accidentally reduced to rubble along with everything inside. According to the local ABC News affiliate, “An Austin-based realty company, Forestar Group Inc., had contracted the demolition of a vacant one-story house at 3050 Highway 16 South, about 150 yards from Byrd’s house and on the opposite side of the road.”

I can’t even imagine how pissed I would be if that happened to me. How in the HELL does something like that happen???! Apparently, as ABC’s Sarah Netter reported, “Larry Watts told Byrd that “the crew that actually did the demolition had picked Byrd’s house to destroy based on GPS coordinates.” At this point, if I was Al Byrd, I would have just lost it. So tell me Larry, I’d say, when was the last time you identified which house was your friend’s house by using GPS coordinates? There are useful resources now-a-days for finding the precise home you’re looking, and they are much more reliable than Global Positioning Systems. They are called ADDRESSES!

Supposedly, the CFO of Forestar, Chris Nines told ABCNews.com that “his company gave Southern Environmental Services color photos and an address to work from and that he has no idea how they allegedly got GPS coordinates.” He then went on to say, “Certainly, we’re not happy about it and feel bad for Mr. Byrd.” Geee, that was nice of him to say. YOU JUST DESTROYED HIS HOUSE!  I mean, there was NOTHING left. One would think, that before you level a house, you’d at least have a quick peak inside, make sure there was nothing in there. One look inside and this wouldn’t have happened. And what about when the demolition began?! No one noticed that there was furniture and pictures being shattered and thrown about like shrapnel? It is infuriating to learn of such reckless irresponsibility. Byrd has obviously hired an attorney and compensation has yet to be determined. I think compensation should start with all the people involved lining up on the street so Al can slap them across the face one by one.

Unfortunately for all of us, accidents involving contractors are not that uncommon. Especially in a market that is inundated with foreclosures. Team Aguilar had one instance where they were helping a couple do a short sale on their home. As we all know, short sales take a long time and after a couple months of waiting, the couple had a knock at the door. There was a man saying that he had just bought their home at a foreclosure auction and he wanted to begin fixing the roof that week. The couple were so taken aback by this man’s certainty that he now owned their home that they believed him. They thought that somewhere along the line, the short sale wasn’t working and the bank foreclosed and just didn’t tell them. So they called Team Aguilar and due to the regular lack of communication between banks, asset managers, and real estate agents, even Team Aguilar wasn’t certain that the home hadn’t gone into foreclosure without their knowing. As it turns out, the guy who claimed he’d bought the home at the auction, had bought a similar home across the street. It’s scary to think that the couple were ready to move out of their home, and this guy was going to tear off their roof.

Thankfully, this accident was averted. But there is a responsibility we all have to keep an eye out for things going on in our neighborhoods. It is not nosey or uncalled for if you go inquire about what’s going on when you see some sort of construction going on, or ESPECIALLY if you see a demolition being prepped. Go over and check it out. Find out what’s going on, and if anything is a little fishy, don’t hesitate for one second to call the city and inquire. Every big job requires permits and the city will be able to tell you if permits were issued. If you’re a resident of San Diego and want to inquire about a project going on in your neighborhood, call the Neighborhood Code Compliance Department at (619) 236-5500. Don’t let someone’s home get accidentally destroyed just because a bunch of idiots have GPS and some bulldozers.

By Andrew Brentan

I went into a Ralph’s last week in a bit of rush to get a few groceries and when it came time to head to the checkout line I was faced with three frustrating options: 1) Wait in an express line behind 6 people, 2) wait in a non-express line behind 7 people, or 3) use the Self-Check-Out machines. Now, I’m not one to get too worked up about anything, but this really bothered me. There were two open lanes, SEVEN closed checkout lanes, and I counted 5 employees just standing around cracking jokes with one another. To make matters worse there was a manager who was walking around urging folks in line to use the self checkout lines. Have you ever used the self checkout lines? The only time you can actually checkout all by yourself is when everything you are buying has a bar code. Any produce requires the assistance of an employee. And half the time, the employee doesn’t even notice you’re in need of assistance so you have to go ask for help. Not much of a “self” checkout. So which option did I choose? I reluctantly went to the self checkout line with my bananas and oranges and lo and behold, had to ask for assistance.

I bring this up because the day after my sub-par experience at Ralph’s I read the blog posted by The Phoenix Real Estate Guy where he discussed his experience staying at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs and how it reaffirmed his belief that customer service should always be priority number one. “The bellhop knew I was there for a speaking gig (because he asked. And listened). He asked me if I needed my suit pressed…..My wake-up calls were personal, not some automated voice system. Every time they asked if there was anything I needed. Every time.”  What the Phoenix Real Estate Guy made clear, was that everyone, himself included, needs a good reminder every once in a while of the importance and value of rock-solid customer service. “I want every client, prospective client and even just the casual site visitor to go away thinking, “It can’t get any better than this”.” Well, I myself couldn’t have said it any better, so I thought rather than paraphrasing, I’d quote the man directly. It really is an important philosophy to have.

At a grocery store, the checkout is the most critical part of one’s shopping experience. A slow checkout ruins everything. At that particular Ralph’s, instead of using those self-checkout machines in a manner to ease the tension of long checkout lines, they were using them to pawn off the duties of the cashiers.  I suppose one could look at this as less of a customer service issue and more of a managerial issue, but they truly go hand in hand.  As a result of the manager’s decision to prioritize the self-checkout machines over getting people out the door faster by using a couple more cashiers, my shopping experience became a source of frustration and I am not heading back to that place any time. I mean, no one is leaving that place and thinking, “It can’t get any better than this” that’s for damn sure.

So go ahead and roll your eyes, I’m going to say it anyway. Customer service isn’t just about providing the client with a service or product. It is much more about going beyond what is expected so that that person wants to come back. I know, this is all crap we’ve heard a thousand times before…but sometimes it helps to see an example of really poor customer service and the effect it has on you. (In my case, I was just flat out pissed-off!) Then you can better evaluate how you are treating your clients and what you can do to improve.

By Andrew Brentan

For those that are coming to this blog for some thoughts on the Detroit debacle, the state of real estate in the San Diego area, or how to do a short sale, I’m afraid I don’t have anything for you today. For this is one of those days where, despite everything in the news, despite how our world continues to feel like it’s crumbling beneath our feet, I am in need of some good, positive vibes. And so, as I tend to do when the doom and gloom has rendered me sluggish and depressed as if I’d been dunked into a vat of tree sap, I will write about some simple things that always bring a smile to my face despite the harsh times that have been  pressed upon us all.

1) There are few things in this world that give me more joy than the trifecta that occurs every April: The start of the baseball season, the NCAA Championship, and of course, a tradition unlike any other, The Masters. I am speaking not just of watching these sporting events, but appreciating what they represent for me year in and year out. They represent the sun staying in the sky into the early evening, a warmer ocean, flowers blooming, lawns being mowed, the smell of cigars as you drive past a ball field, cold beers on your back patio, and bbq chicken on the grill. Ahhhhhh, good times.

2) The Local Farmer’s Market. Have you been to yours recently? I love me a weekend morning trip to the farmers market to sift through the freshest produce around and converse with some local farmers. The food is delicious, incredibly inexpensive, and always inspires me to cook. And my absolute favorite stop at the farmer’s market is the sweet old German woman who sells the most flavorful eggs I’ve ever eaten. Without fail, when I buy a dozen for $2.50, she’ll hand me over my eggs, smile, and remind me in her German accent, “Eggs are goot for you”.

3) And lastly, something to look forward to, as always, are the summer events that every village, town, and city put on each year. In San Diego, there are TONS of things going on every weekend. Street parties, outdoor concerts, Over-The-Line Tournament, boat races, the Del Mar Fair, the Taste of Downtown, and of course, daily fireworks after sunset over the bay at Sea World. And that’s just to name a few. So many things at  our fingertips to enjoy in this city, and I intend on making the most of my summer.

So there you have it. There are things that this crappy economy can’t take away from us. There are still so many wonderful things we can rely on to bring respite from the depressing news that this debilitating economy continues to spew forth. But it sure does help to remind one’s self that things aren’t all bad. In fact, I wrote this blog much more for my own peace of mind than anyone else’s. But I hope I was able to spread a little bit of good cheer. Keep the chins up out there.

By Andrew Brentan

I’ve got some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Let’s start with the bad news and end on a high note.

Bad News:

It is heartbreaking to think of all the people who reached the tipping point, after losing their job, losing their home, and running out of money, scrounged up their last bit of savings and bought a tent. Tent “cities” are popping up everywhere around the country. From Athens, Georgia, to Nashville, to Reno, Seattle, and maybe the largest of the burgeoning tent cities, Sacramento.

Katharine Q. Seelye, a writer for the New York Times reports on the conditions in Sacramento. “The primitive settlement sits in the shadow of the state capitol and is home to about 300 people who have no toilets or running water, creating unsanitary conditions that advocacy groups worry could promote diseases like cholera. With the downturn in the economy and more working-class people losing their jobs and their homes, the tent city is expanding.” Apparently the city of Sacramento is exploring all avenues for creating temporary housing, but like anything in a monster bureaucracy, this will likely take a while. It is also sad to think that, according to Seelye, in Sacramento, 10.4 percent of rental housing units are vacant and 4.8 percent of owned units are vacant. Shelter, running water, and electricity, all going unused while hundreds of people are permanently camping just a few blocks away. So in case you still weren’t convinced, YES, this economic crisis is very real. And it is getting more serious every day.

More Bad News:

No way…that’s enough for a month, let alone one blog. And there’s too much damn bad news out there. I’m going to stop there in an attempt to further prolong any need for a Zoloft prescription in my near future.

Good News:

Bernie “King Shmuck” Madoff is going to jail…probably for the rest of his life. I mean, the astronomical amount of gall this man must have to start a scheme and continued to grow it to the point where $64 billion dollars in other people’s money were totally lost. He ripped off Ellie Weisel for crying out loud! That is record breaking amounts of gall!  And when he addressed the court today, reports claim that despite his “deep apologies” to the people whom he robbed, his speech and tone remained unapologetic with a tinge of arrogance mixed in for good measure. “When I began the Ponzi scheme, I believed it would end shortly and I would be able to extricate myself and clients from the scheme,” he said. “This proved to be difficult and ultimately impossible.” Oh, well now that you mention that, it’s completely understandable. You wanted to stop it. You really really wanted to, but you couldn’t. Alright Bernie, all is forgiven.

So fine, Bernie’s going to jail forever. But what a bitter-sweet victory. Recouping the victim’s money will be difficult if at all possible, and what about all the other people who helped old Bernie in his scheme? And when can we see some more blame come down on the SEC who needs to share an enormous amount of blame for Madoff’s extended stay atop the International League of Rat’s (ILR) as The Ponzi Scheme Champion of The World.

_____________________________________________________________________

Looking back on it, was that even THAT good of news? Not really. So let me leave you with some truly great news: Opening day is in a few weeks and the Cubs are going to win the World Series this year. Wooohooo!

By Andrew Brentan

I’m sorry to do this. It is not my intention to add to the nonsense regarding steroid use in Major League Baseball, but there are a ton of things that infuriate me about this big circus of attention surrounding Alex Rodriguez and his use of steroids back in 2003. First and foremost, I hate (HATE) that again, steroid use is back in the headlines and on every damn TV and radio program in the country. It is so embarrassing to watch players deal with their accusations in different ways. Barry Bond’s and Roger Clemens’ full denials, Giambi’s full admittance, Pettitte’s admittance but only because it was for an injury…and now A-Rod’s half-assed admittance blaming it on baseball’s culture at the time. What a joke…you all used them, you all knew it was wrong, just come clean and feel devastatingly sorry for it. Look at Giambi. He fully admitted to it and after being booed for a year and a half, won his way back into the hearts of Yankee fans albeit the help of a handlebar mustache.

But the worst thing of all with this A-Rod deal is that it brings back to light the fact that we, by way of the media, hold baseball on this ridiculous pedestal where, god-forbid, anyone does anything to taint the sacred game. What is the difference between A-Rod and Sean Merriman of the San Diego Chargers? He got busted for using steroids and was suspended for 4 or so games last year, and yet everyone in San Diego LOVES this guy and will continue to love him. The hypocrisy is ridiculous.

Speaking of hypocrisy, why in the world is Bud Selig still the commissioner of baseball? This man is being hailed as baseball’s great savior because he’s brought to light the use and over-use of steroids in the sport. But this man became commissioner of MLB in 1992 and all the steroid use that has come forth in recent years took place on his watch as commish. A-Rod, though I think it’s a sorry excuse for what he did, makes a good point when he says that it was the culture in baseball in 2003 to be using some sort of performance enhancing drug. And who is ultimately responsible for a culture where steroids are almost the norm? The commissioner, Bud Selig. So does the fact that no one is speaking up about this revert back to the nonsense that baseball is up on a pedestal? I think that A-Rod is a joke; I think Roger Clemens is a joke, and Barry Bonds, and Andy Pettitte and Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, because they all take us for fools. But I feel that Bud Selig has created a McCarthy-esque era in baseball, where he’s got all these big name players being focused in on, their careers and images shattered, while he is sitting on his throne and declaring that baseball won’t stand for substance abuse, even though he fully allowed it to go on for well over a decade. Give me a break. Can we all just take some responsibility? This could all be over, and off our damn televisions a lot sooner if people would assume some responsibility for their actions. Seeing as there is no chance of that happening, I am bracing on having to hear about this until I’m 80 years old.

By Andrew Brentan