Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 7, 2015

B5

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 7, 2015 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

 When you hear that someone managed to sell a home without representation, it's likely that the sale 
was to a family member, close friend, or a tenant who was already renting and living there. These 
exceptional cases are not the norm, and there are powerful reasons why it is so difficult to make a sale 
"by owner."

 The biggest roadblock is that For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) aren't included in the Multiple Listing 
Service (MLS) that licensed agents and organizations use. A sign in the yard and an ad in the newspaper 
are no match for the widespread exposure gained from a listing visible on the MLS.

Since the FSBO has no listing agreement providing for a sales commission, many agents won't show 
these homes with no promise of compensation. Again, this greatly reduces the number of potential 
buyers exposed to the offering, not to mention the fact that buyers who do express interest will not 
have been screened by a professional to determine their qualifications.

 Perhaps the most hazardous aspect of selling “by owner” is the potential for legal oversights and 
complications. Real estate transactions are loaded with potential liability for unrepresented and unwitting 
sellers. One overlooked form or improper disclosure could generate an expensive lawsuit.

Just as you wouldn't enter the courtroom without an attorney, you shouldn't sell your home without 
professional representation.


PRESERVING YOUR DIGITAL LEGACY 

JUST GOT EASIER

As our lives become increasingly intertwined 
with the internet, more and more of our assets are 
developing in, or converting to, the digital world. 
We own email accounts, domain names, hosting 
accounts, blogs, social media accounts, cloud 
storage, apps, ebook libraries, and more. As such, 
a big part of my job is educating clients on how 
to preserve and manage the digital assets of their 
loved ones when they die or become incapacitated. 

 It’s no surprise Facebook also understands the 
emerging importance of digital assets and just 
released an exciting new tool to help friends and 
family manage the wall and profile of a deceased 
Facebook user. Before this change there were only 
two options: 1) Keep the page public, in which case 
anyone could post on the user’s wall, or 2) have the 
page “memorialized” so only “friends” of the user 
could post on the wall. But either way, without the 
user’s password loved ones could not accept new 
friend requests, update pictures, or pin important 
information on the user’s wall.

 Last week, however, Facebook announced they 
will begin to allow a designated agent to manage 
a deceased user’s page, wall, and profile. From 
now on all Facebook user’s will have the option 
to choose a “legacy contact” - a family member or 
friend the user wants to be able to manage their 
account after they pass away. Alternately, a user 
can opt to have their Facebook account deleted 
immediately after they die.

 This is what Facebook had to say:

 Today we’re introducing a new feature that lets 
people choose a legacy 

contact—a family member or friend who can 
manage their account when they pass away. 
Once someone lets us know that a person 
has passed away, we will memorialize the account 
and the legacy contact will be able to:

- Write a post to display at the top of the 
memorialized Timeline (for 

example, to announce a memorial service or share 
a special message) 

- Respond to new friend requests from family 
members and friends 

who were not yet connected on Facebook 

- Update the profile picture and cover photo

If someone chooses, they may give their legacy 
contact permission to 

download an archive of the photos, posts and 
profile information they 

shared on Facebook. Other settings will remain 
the same as before the 

account was memorialized. The legacy contact will 
not be able to log in 

as the person who passed away or see that person’s 
private messages.

Alternatively, people can let us know if they’d 
prefer to have their Facebook 

account permanently deleted after death.

If you are a Facebook user, you can make a loved 
one your legacy contact by following these simple 
steps:

- Log into your Facebook account and open 
Settings. 

- Choose Security and then Legacy Contact at 
the bottom of the page.

- After naming your legacy contact, you’ll have 
the option to send them a personal message. 

To you family’s health, wealth, and happiness,

 

 A local attorney, father, and CASA volunteer 
(Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children), 
Marc Garlett 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. 
Call 626.355.4000 to schedule an appointment to 
sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love 
and financial security for your family or visit www.
GarlettLaw.com for more information.

HOW TO ADD A LINK ON A FACEBOOK POST

One of the 
benefits of social media is that it can provide back 
links to our web sites. A back link is a hyperlink 
that links from a site like Facebook, back to 
your own web site, they are also called inbound 
links. They are important in determining the 
importance of your web site and help with your 
search engine optimization.

It’s important to add links to your web site every 
once in a while in your Facebook posts. Here are 
the steps:

Type or paste your link in the publisher, it doesn’t 
matter if it is a really long url, you can delete it 
after it populates. 

Once you see your link below the dotted line, 
erase it in the top part and write something about 
the link you are sharing.

You can upload a custom image to go with your 
link and it too will link to the url. 

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 and presentations at: www.
hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule 


Square Footage per Assessor: 7,313 Lot Size: 32,841 / .75 Acre 
5 Bedrooms / 7 Baths Year Built: 2010 
Guest/Pool House w/ Kitchenette & Bath: 500 Square Feet Taped 
Offered for sale at $4,688,000 
See more at www.3151EastCalifornia.com 
OWNED AND OPERATED BY NRT | Pasadena South Lake Office 
©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. 
Owned and Operated by NRT, Incorporated. Coldwell Banker does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage, lot size, or other information concerning the condition or features of property provided by the 
seller or obtained from public records or other sources, and buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information through personal inspection and with the appropriate professionals. 
Exclusive Listing Agent 
“tink” 
CHENEY 
Catherine “Tink” Cheney 
Previews Estates Director 
Cell: 626 233 2938 
tinkcheney@earthlink.net 
www.tinkcheney.com 
CalBRE# 01173415 
3151 East California, Pasadena