Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 9, 2014

B3

 

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 9, 2014 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

 
BENEFITS ON 

BOTH SIDES

 There are new rules regarding short sales 
meant to improve the experience for both sellers 
and buyers, but the legalities and legwork can 
overwhelm even the most savvy. Of course, that’s 
where the real estate agent shines, handling the 
paperwork and the phone calls, leaving you to 
focus on your move. 

 Keep in mind that if you’re expecting to buy a 
home on short sale, you can get a great deal, but 
don’t expect miracles from a bank that has agreed 
to accept a price lower than what the sellers owe on 
their mortgage. These short sales often generate 
multiple offers, and if a home has been approved to 
sell for $200,000, don’t expect to waltz in and offer 
$125,000.

 The real advantage of a short sale deal is that 
the home will likely be in much better physical 
condition than its foreclosure counterpart. Often, 
a foreclosed home will have been abandoned for 
months, and perhaps trashed before being vacated. 
A short sale property in better condition is in and 
of itself a benefit with real value that offsets any 
lower price you could offer on a foreclosure.

 And for sellers, a short sale preserves your 
dignity, reduces some of the stress, and won’t 
damage your credit history as much as a 
foreclosure. Whether selling or buying, consult 
an agent for the best results.

CASEY KASEM’S ESTATE PLANNING: 

Not in Anyone’s Top 40

 Casey Kasem, the celebrity radio host who 
counted down America’s Top 40 popular songs 
for decades, died on June 15 at the age of 82 and 
left behind an estimated $80 million fortune. 
He also left a family feud of biblical proportions 
between his surviving spouse and his three 
children from a prior marriage. And this is 
exactly why I do what I do -- to help keep your 
family connected in love, not conflict.

 Kasem married his second wife, Jean, who is 
22 years his junior, in 1980. Together, they had 
one child, Liberty Kasem. Casey also had three 
children from a prior marriage: Kerri, Mike and 
Julie. The family was apparently in discord prior 
to Casey’s death; in mid-May, Mike and Julie filed 
a missing persons case with the Santa Monica 
police department saying they could not locate 
their father. At that time, Kerri was fighting with 
Jean over control of his care.

 After Kasem died, news broke that his body had 
been taken from the Washington state funeral 
home and a judge awarded Kerri a temporary 
restraining order preventing Jean from removing 
his remains or having him cremated before 
an autopsy had been performed. Kerri hired a 
private investigator who says the body has been 
moved to Montreal, the hometown of a man that 
Jean has allegedly been involved with for the past 
two years.

 A mess, right? And they haven’t even gotten to 
the money yet! 

 A little advance estate planning could have 
helped prevent this scenario, which is not 
uncommon when an older man with children 
from a prior marriage takes a second, significantly 
younger wife. 

 A recent WSJ Marketwatch.com article 
outlined four estate planning tools that could 
have helped head off this disaster:

 Revocable trust. Placing assets in a revocable 
trust can help protect the trust owner’s wealth 
transfer wishes, and provides the flexibility to 
make changes as long as the trust owner has the 
legal capacity to make those decisions. Upon 
the owner’s death, the assets are dispersed 
as outlined in the trust without having to go 
through probate. A trust is also more difficult to 
contest than a will.

 Life insurance. A life insurance policy can 
be a good way to provide for a surviving spouse 
while leaving the rest of the estate to children 
from a previous marriage, or vice versa. 

 QTIP trust. A qualified terminal interest 
property (QTIP) trust is used to set aside assets 
for a surviving spouse’s benefit while that spouse 
is alive. After the surviving spouse passes, the 
remaining assets in the trust are passed on 
according to the trust terms. 

 Family meeting. Having a family meeting 
so that everyone knows their beneficiary status 
and what will happen to the estate after the estate 
owner dies is a good way to head off conflict. 
An estate planning attorney can mediate these 
meetings, which is usually advisable when there 
is a potential for conflict. 

 One of the main goals of my law practice is to 
help families like yours plan for the safe, successful 
transfer of wealth to the next generation without 
conflict or court involvement. Call my offices 
today to schedule a time for us to sit down and 
talk about your family estate planning needs so 
we can identify the best strategies for you and 
your family to ensure you provide a legacy of love 
and financial security.

 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.


Surveys

As business owners, it’s our job to get to know 
our customers. The better you know them, the 
better you can meet their needs. The best way to 
know what they like and need is to ask them.

 Surveys give you an opportunity to get feedback 
fast and they promote brand loyalty. 

 Our client, Palau Dive Adventures, sends a 
survey to their customers following a trip. They 
average 95-100% open rate and are able to collect 
valuable feedback and information about their 
customer’s experience. At the end of the survey 
they direct them back to a link with a special 
offer or other strategic web address. This is an 
important part of their customer experience 
and great way to follow up after a customer 
experience.

Tips for successful surveys:

Keep them short, no more than 5-10 questions.

Let people know upfont how many questions will 
be on your survey

Keep your questions simple and easy to answer 
(multiple choice)

Thank participants

Direct them to a page that rewards their 
participation (coupon etc.)

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 
Be the boss of you.
Start your own business.
Learn how...
www.LORiKOOP.com
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com