Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 19, 2014

B3

 

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, July 19. 2014 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

 You recently read here about formulating your 
offer based on the information included in a 
CMA (Comparative Market Analysis). You can 
fine-tune that offer by applying current market 
trends. Trends may vary by region, state, city, and 
even the neighborhood, so do your homework.

 You and your agent can study a lot of available 
statistics - the CMA, local listings’ DOM (Days 
on Market), and list to sale price ratios. The 
CMA compares similar properties, while the 
DOM figure gives you an idea of whether you’re 
looking at a buyer’s market or a seller’s market 
(in which you’ll have more competition and less 
negotiating power). If possible, look at DOM for 
listings within a mile of the home you want to 
purchase - it’s that area-specific.

 Let’s move on to the average “List Price to Sales 
Price Ratio” (LP:SP). Like it sounds, it’s simply a 
percentage based on how closely the final sales 
price corresponds to the price at which the home 
was listed. A house that sells for the asking price 
has an LP:SP ratio of 100%. So a house that lists 
for $175,000 but sells for $160,000 has an LP:SP 
of 91%.

 Look at the these ratios for the homes on the 
CMA that most closely match yours, and you’ll 
have a sound basis for what percentage of the list 
price to offer.

BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF FOR SUMMER 
VACATION, TAKE ON THESE 5 TO-DOs


It’s no surprise that Americans spend more time planning their summer vacations than they do 
planning their estate. After all, a vacation is a trip you want to go on, while the “eternal trip” is not. 

However, wouldn’t you travel with more peace of mind if you knew you had taken the necessary steps 
to protect your family if something were to happen to you? That’s why you need to tackle these five 
important tasks before you go on that much-deserved summer vacation:

Guardians for minor children -- if you have children under the age of 18, you MUST name a legal 
guardian (or guardians) to ensure that they will never be put in the hands of strangers or people you 
wouldn’t want raising them. If you do not name legal guardians before something happens, you give 
up the right to decide who will raise your children if you no longer can. You should name short-term 
guardians in case of emergency, and then plan for long-term guardianship. A full Kids Protection 
Plan® will ensure there is no gap in your children’s care, ever, no matter what happens.

Beneficiary review -- if it’s been awhile since you updated your beneficiary forms for retirement 
accounts, life insurance or other assets, it’s time for a review -- especially if there have been any major 
changes in your life. And keep in mind, it is generally a bad idea to list minor children as beneficiaries 
on insurance and retirement accounts. These should be passed to children through a Trust.

Estate plan review -- if you have experienced a birth, death, marriage, divorce, property purchase, 
property sale, or other life-changing event since you last updated your estate plan, you need to be sure 
those changes are reflected by updating your plan.

Advance healthcare directive -- if you become incapacitated and can’t make your own health care 
decisions, have you named someone who you can depend on to carry out your wishes? If not, you 
need to execute an advance health care directive that includes a durable power of attorney and a 
HIPAA release so your medical information can be shared.

Insurance update -- is your life insurance still sufficient to meet the needs of your family? If not, or 
you’re not sure, then you should revise your policy before you hit the open road.

If you need to do any of these things, don’t procrastinate. It’s time to take care of business. We can help 
make it easy for you to get your plan in order so your family is protected and provided for, no matter 
what. Call my office to schedule a time for us to sit down and talk about your individual situation, 
needs, and goals. Call 626.355.4000 today or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more information.

Marc, a local attorney, father, and CASA volunteer (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children) is 
on a mission to help parents protect what they love most. His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. 
G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.

TIMING YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

When deciding on the best time to send an email campaign, consider 2 things:

 1. Studies show the majority of emails are read within the first 4 hours after sent: Even though 
someone can save your email and open it later, most people don’t. It’s important to consider the time 
and day you send your emails. For example, if you market to Moms, avoid sending emails between 
6am and 9am, Monday – Friday. Most Moms are busy taking kids to school, making lunches, etc. and 
don’t have time to look at your email. Get to know your audience and play around with timing. You 
might do a split test and divide your email list in thirds and test different days and times to find your 
sweet spot. You can also use social media and listen to your audience to find out what’s important to 
them and take note of when they are most active.

 2. Is there a current event or holiday you can leverage: I like to follow the big boys and see how 
they leverage holidays and current events. For example, I think Papa Johns does a great job with their 
promotions. If the Lakers are playing, the will send out an email announcing the game and start time 
with a coupon for 50% off game day. What current events can you take advantage of that fit with the 
flavor of your brand? Think outside of the box. We know a fun restaurant downtown that runs a 
promotion on Elvis’ birthday. Is there a quarky holiday you can play with?

 About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, a creative services business that specializes 
in Internet Marketing strategies and Social Media. They offer social media management services 
and help their clients build a strong on-line presence. “Like” them on Facebook for trending news in 
social media, internet marketing and other helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

Sign up for their upcoming classes, webinars and presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/
schedule 

 
* thecreative entrepreneurby Lori Koop, Business Coach
In my last article, I talked about a client who was 
feeling like a failure. She had traveled a number 
of career paths, and she was feeling bad. Her 
belief, “I am a failure,” was keeping her from 
moving forward in her new business, and she 
came to me frustrated.

 The power in the tongue! Words can either 
build us up or knock us down. They can energize 
+ inspire or deflate + defeat. If you are frustrated 
at your progress too, notice how you are using 
your words. Simply put…

 A negative thought can only produce a 
negative result.

 And a positive thought can only produce a 
positive result.

 That means that no matter how hard you work, 
if your words are not positive, your effort will be 
wasted. Therefore, before you step out to make a 
difference, get your words in order. Unload the 
negative ones and load up on the healthy ones.

 Entrepreneurship is a journey. It requires 
nutritious fuel to succeed.

 

LORI KOOP, helping creative entrepreneurs 
prosper. Schedule a complimentary session: www.
LORIKOOP.com or call 626-836-1667. (Location: 
49 S. Baldwin Avenue, Suite L, Sierra Madre 
91024) I write every other week.

 
Be the boss of you.
Start your own business.
Learn how...
www.LORiKOOP.com
200 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 320, Pasadena, California 91101 . (626) 792-2228 . www.cliffordswan.com 
Investment Counselors since 1915 
Providing Objective and Experienced Investment Counsel to Financially Successful Families 
LA Times via Facebook

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