COOL FLICS TO WATCH

THEATER:
Lost City Of Z
A explorer (Charlie Hunnam) discovers a previously unknown advanced civilization that once lived in the Amazon jungle, but is ridiculed by other scientists, so he returns to the jungle to get some evidence.

The Case For Christ
A journalist (Mike Vogel) tries to disprove claims of Christianity.

DVD:
Founder
True story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who turned the ideas of two brothers, who owned the very first McDonald's restaurant into a multi-billion dollar empire.

Walking With The Enemy
During World War II, A young Hungarian (Jonas Armstrong) disguises himself as a Nazi officer to save his family and thousands of others from a death camp.

THE VALLEY'S FUTURE

On March 17, 2017 our RE-41 classroom had the privilege to hear Mr. Don Scordino from Realty Concepts give a short lecture regarding his personal ideas on the current real estate market and its future possibilities.  According to Mr. Scordino, the central valley, which includes the city of Fresno, is running out of space for future housing development due to the speedy  uprising of our local population and the increase popularity of our lower housing cost compared to the inflatable prices of the bigger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, but we are now running out of space, which is added by the quality of our fine country living and aggressive growth of the vast luxurious acre-spaced ranches, where two story housing are being forced to take over single story residences to save time, space and money (especially in plumbing costs) because the generated expenses to build a regular home averages between  $60,000-$70,000, and for the home builder to make a comfortable profit, they would have to charge the regular consumer at least over $200,000 to buy a suitable home.  This is truly troublesome for the young first time home buyer, who is just starting off in their job where the normal yearly wage are roughly between $30,000-$40,000 a year, and let’s not forget the rising interest rates on home loans, which are speculated to be as high as 5% by the end of this year, plus, there is no certainty on the type of restrictions that the federal government will imposed on the general public, in regards to bank loans whenever they feel the need to tighten up their belt, which concludes the constant rising score of the consumer’s credit rating that makes them eligible or qualified for a business investment or personal home loan.  

Now with the proposed extension of the California speed rail coming through the Fresno area, there is a good chance that many big city residents will move into the central valley especially since they have the option to sell their highly expensive cradle back home and purchased a few valley residences with cold hard cash,(which will also relieve them of that persistent monthly mortgage), thus, sharing the enjoyment of our fresh country air unlike the polluted smog smell endured in the larger cities, and why not since they can still continue to get to work on time in the big city due to the quickness of the high mighty speed rail, unfortunately, this sudden surge of big city migration will not only enhance the central valley’s population, but it could also mean more housing projects, which will eventually lessened our valley’s space.  Now don’t get me wrong this is indeed fantastic news to every agent in the real estate market, but what happens when we run out of room?  Do we start to suffer the same consequences that lie behind a bigger city like L.A or San Francisco, for instance, with its attached big city problems, like a higher crime rate, increased rent or more pollution? Will the hourly pay rate in our Fresno job match the city government’s demand for higher taxation on limited goods and fuel that is inherited along with the supposably better benefits of becoming a larger city?   What about the increased job demand? Will there be enough work for everyone after everything is said and done!  Are we doing such a good job with this exact problem now?  Some people living in the valley really don’t think so...I guess only time will tell.  

REVERSE MORTGAGES

Just the other day, I ran into an old buddy of mine, who wanted me to sell his house because he needed some quick cash due to a upcoming divorce.  He told me that a loan officer asked him to consider about “Reverse Mortgage” which could possibly put some money into his pocket, but after several hours of explaining this process to him, my friend left his office more confused than he was when he went in. Yet there is a lot of people, who do not fully understand the concept behind reverse mortgages.  So I broke it down for him:

Basically, Reverse Mortgages, involves the elderly (age 62 and older), who have a certain percentage of equity build up in their primary residence (second homes and investment properties do not qualify) and they obtain a loan against that equity where no monthly payments are made until they either happen to die, sell or leave the residence, but (the owner(s) still have to pay for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance.  This FHA insured act was enacted by President Reagan in 1987 as a part of the Housing and Community Development Act also known as the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) to support the elderly Americans where approximately 48% of the nation’s population among the elderly complained of having financial difficulties after retirement and converted to reverse mortgaging.  

Some of the advantages of reverse mortgages are the ability for the elderly to consolidate or pay debt, fund age care, upgrade or renovate their home, help their family and grandchildren and pay for their vacation with the financial arrangement to receive their money either in a lump sum as cash, as an annuity, as a line of credit or any combination of the three.  The proceeds of the reverse mortgage loan are declared as “non-taxable” and do not directly affect Medicare, SSI or other public benefits, but if the owner was to receive a lump sum it could possibly be classified as a financial investment or “liquid assets”and deemed as a income test in regards to taxes, which includes sums over $40,000 and sums under $40,000 not spent in 90 days.  

Some of the dis-advantages or shortcomings of reverse mortgaging are the possible high costs depending on the loan-to-value ratio, higher interest rates than a conventional “forward mortgage”, and the interest compounds over the life of a reverse mortgage, which means that the interest from the unpaid monthly payment can balloon making it more than likely for the equity of the home to be completely depleted at it’s maturity, and many consumers have obtain this type of loan without fully understanding the terms and conditions where it has been suggested that some of the lenders have been taking advantage of the elderly, which is reported by consumer advocacy groups, although, a 2006 survey showed that 93% of borrowers indicated that their reverse mortgage deals had made a positive impact in their lives. (Closing costs, existing mortgages balances, other liens and property taxes or homeowner’s insurance are typically paid out of the initial principal and any additional proceeds available can be distributed to the borrower.)  On April 25, 2014, FHA revised HECM age eligibility regulation to extend certain protection to spouses younger than 62, whereas, under the old guidelines, if the older qualified spouse was to die and the unqualified spouse was unable to pay or refinance the reverse mortgage loan than they would have to sell their residence or face foreclosure, but now under the new guidelines the younger spouse can stay at the residence as long as they maintain the property taxes and homeowner’s insurance and if not than the loan is payable, which also includes maintaining the property and the loan is also payable if the title to the property is transferred to a non-borrower.  In 2008, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act was established where the proceeds of a reverse loan can be used to purchase a new primary residence as long as the borrower can pay the difference of the new sales price plus closing costs.  Well there you go my friend now if you still don’t understand my explanation about reverse mortgage...than don’t get it and let’s go sell your damm house! 

MIA'S REQUEST

It was 9:30 In morning and I heard a knock on the door, “Honey…it’s your mom” said my wife, Oli.  So I woke up and we had a friendly chat along with some coffee and pan dulce in the livingroom of our apartment.  During our conversation, my 2 year-old granddaughter, Mia woke up and came straddling in from the bedroom wiping her hair from her face and gave my mom a warm hug and sat right next to her on the livingroom couch.  “Oh…look how pretty…hello there beautiful” said my mother.  My wife got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen to cook some breakfast while Mia followed.  As we continued talking, Mia somehow got a picture of a holy saint that was used as a magnet on our refrigerator that was previously given by my mother a few years back, who is also a very devout catholic.  “Mommy…I want Jeezzus” said Mia to my wife (Mia always called my wife “mommy” ever since she was born).  My mom looked at me with a big smile and then said, “Did you hear that Oli…how cute she wants Jesus..por que Oli…have you guys been taking her to church?” My wife, who was equally surprised by the baby’s remark, said in Spanish, “No, but we have a big crucifix in the bedroom that is hung over our heads when we sleep…she must of stared at it or something when she got up and I do pray with her every night.”  “Oh how wonderful!” said my mother, “Oli you should start reading the bible to her ya que esta chiquita so that she could start learning…Mia…do you want Jesus?”  Mia approach closer to my mom, “Uh huh” she said.  My wife temporally stopped cooking and walked into the livingroom.  “Mama…do you want Jesus?” she asked.  “Uh huh” repeated Mia.  So my wife hurried to our bedroom and started searching inside our dresser drawers, “I know we have a small bible in here some place that’s just right for her.”  My mom got up and walked into the hallway toward our bedroom, “Si no…I have one in the car…Oli” she said and went outside to go get it. 

A few minutes had gone by and Mia went up to me, grabbed my finger and pulled me to go with her to the kitchen so here I go dragging my walker along to the kitchen while my wife and mother continued their quest for a holy bible to teach little Mia all about Jesus.  We stopped by the refrigerator and Mia pointed up and said, “Da Da…I want Jeezzus.”  I looked up and there sitting on top of the fridge was a brand new box of Cheezits located next to the boxes of cereals.  “Is this what you been wanting...Mama?”  I asked her giggling inside while I reached above and brought down the box.  “Uh huh” she answered.  A half hour later, my wife and my mother returned back to the livingroom both holding bibles in their hands and saw little Mia sitting next to me as we were busy popping Cheezits into our mouths.  My wife looked at the box of Cheezits between us and then at Mia, “Aww Mia…we thought you wanted Jesus..not Cheezits” she said, “And you made us go look for it…mama..you should of showed me what you wanted!”  Mia then pointed at the television with a big load of Cheezits in her mouth and said, “Mommy…I want toonies.”

MASTERS OF COMMON SENSE

Someone once told me that they can never become a cop because they could never think fast enough on their feet to react to a emergency situation and then perhaps miss a step and make a fatal error along the way, but even though a positive fast reaction is definitely an advantage worth having, it is not the total answer to good police work nor to any other work similar to this type of scenario.  Plain common sense, pure and simple, is the avenue that leads toward development, ingenuity, innovation and creation.  Just think of it...let's say...a surgeon, for example, who operates on a damaged human vein where a insertion tube is needed to connect it to a heathy vein and, of course, a certified surgeon is more than properly trained to tackle that type of task, but let's just say that during the surgery process, the surgeon pulls in a stranger off the street and has him perform the same type of surgery...of course...this would probably end up in total tragedy.   Now let's say that the same stranger has common sense and continues to perform these same type of surgeries six times a day five times a week.  I could ensure you after several months to a year, that same stranger could probably out perform the surgeon simply by practicing and using good common sense to do that very same procedure.  Now if there's any doubt in your mind of this assumption why don't you give it a try yourself by taking on a special project that is totally foreign to you and then check out the results, but remember use good common sense to the best of your ability because a person with the notion of mastering good common sense could probably accomplish just about anything.  

RELIEVING THE STRESS IN REAL ESTATE DECISIONS

March 16, 2017

                                                                                                                                     Cruz Balderas 003227

RE-41-Practice (6p-9p)

Instructor-Gary Carter

Guest Speaker-Christine Cerda

Today our real-estate class had the privilege to hear Christine Cerda give her oral presentation regarding her client training manual entitled “The Power Of Real Estate-The 10 Steps To Buying and Selling! “ which is written by her, that explains or is design to help an individual reduce stress and access their inner resources while in the process of succeeding either in everyday life choices, managing other people, their surrounding environment along with the daily changes in life, for example, selling and buying a home, but at the same time, understanding the needs of their families while in this process.  She also added to her booklet that as human beings it is our natural extinct to experience stress, but by applying new reasoning and improving intellectual health, we can help defeat the battle against stress among ourselves.

The booklet emphasis on different principles involved in a real estate transaction that includes the buying process where you figure the purchasing strategy or finding access to financing by obtaining a pre-approval letter from a loan company of your choice always available in case you find a home that is to your preference because the real estate market is very challenging and there might be other individuals that might share the very same interest, therefore,  It is a good idea to have immediate access to a pre-approval letter, so that you can show that seller that you are more than qualify to purchase their property.  This also fully explains why it is best to use the service of a qualify real estate professional, who can help you in marketing, negotiating, monitoring and prepare the involved paperwork included in a real estate transaction.

Other aspects mentioned in Christine’s booklet are other important matters, for example, finding the dream home, writing the offer, inspections and contingencies involved in a real estate transaction, title insurance and escrow, which oversee hurdles like fire insurance, termite and pest control inspections, judgements, liens and holding title.  A final step after the closing process is how to preserve your home by knowing what to improve on your property in the future that will enhance its value.

In conclusion, I find both Christine’s lecture and booklet to be very beneficial and informative toward not only to the realm of the real estate market, but also to other types of employment where it’s concept can be utilized to ease the complexity behind human stress and other related health issues.  There is a interesting point brought up by Christine toward the end of her booklet where she states: “The home is the place where men go to seek refuge and truth.  The home is compromised of heart, opportunities, mind and embodies family.  With great responsibility comes great power and in the United States, it’s owning land.” 

                                 

A CHOICE FOR THE BETTER

It was 1994 and my third year on patrol, which classified me as a seasoned cop, and I had already worked two hours into my swing shift as I conducted a routine patrol check through the south-side section of Dinuba.  I was tickled-pink about these new pair of eye glasses that I had just bought that had costed me $300 out-of-pocket...titanium-made frames that were supposedly multi-flexable, which could withstand any type of abuse especially during a physical confrontation.  As I was heading eastbound on Magnolia Way, the passenger window to my patrol car was slightly opened and I vaguely heard someone yelled out  “Pinche motherfucker puto whey” when I passed by the Magnolia market located at the south-west corner of First and Magnolia Way and as I turned to my left, I saw a skinny short Mexican man, who I recognized as Martin Gil, wearing a large Mexican sombrero along with a sarape and drunk on his ass acting stupid as usual!  He was staring me down and even flipped me off as I cruised by as he went on telling me some more shit, in Spanish, that I couldn’t comprehend, but I’m pretty sure they were not very friendly remarks, so I just chuckled inside and continued driving eastbound since he had done nothing wrong and I was in no mood of dealing with this crazy motherfucker because previous experience had thought me that Gil can become very combative especially with cops when he was in that condition, but a hour later, dispatch came over the radio, “2117...Dinuba...R/p at 1125 Magnolia reports a disruptive male subject bothering customers at his store...1125 Magnolia Way...2118 is also enroute.”  “Damm it” I thought, “Why today of all days!”  I instantly knew who this disruptive male was.  “Fucking Gil...he just couldn’t go home...could he!”  I said out loud.

Upon my arrival, I saw Gil screaming at the store customers as thy entered inside, but he became completely silent as I stepped out of my unit and approached him.  “Good afternoon...Mr. Gil,” I said, in Spanish, “We got a call that you have been harassing Hajaj’s customers.”  “Me importa madre...pinche placa.”  he replied.  I knew at that point that there was going to be some trouble with this guy so I positioned myself at a angle where my handgun would be farthest away from this dumb ass and I noticed that he was concealing both of his hands behind his sarape.  I took my portable radio out and asked for Ronnie’s (2118) location while Gil kept yelling profanities at me and it was a good thing that I was keeping a eye on him because as I was putting my radio back into its holster, he made a forward thrusts at me with his right hand using the sarape as cover, but I quickly grabbed it before he can touched me and I immediately realized that he was holding a grape cutter and attempting to stab me with it.  Seconds later, we both ended up on the ground of the Magnolia market parking lot next to my patrol car and I quickly got on top of him holding on to the very hand that was holding the weapon.  Hajaj and his hoodlum friends approached us as we were wrestling around and I thought at the time that they were going to give me a helping hand, but instead they formed a circle and huddled around us as if they were about to watch a high prized boxing match.  I became concerned about my safety and I tried not to expose my handgun too much by shielding it with my right elbow then suddenly Gil was able to release one of his hands from my grip and attempted to strike me in the face, but I tilted my head back just far enough that he was only able to grab at my new $300 dollar glasses and he crumbled them right before my very eyes and tossed them onto the roadway.  He then rolled on his stomach as I tried to look where my glasses had landed and he started to crawl underneath my patrol car.  I grabbed him from the back of his belt and dragged him back toward me, but he quickly turned around and took a swing at me with his cutter barely missing my face and as I attempted to clasped his hands together to put the cuffs on, but he started hitting me in the face with his fist while the whole frickin neighborhood closely watched us in their front row seats.  Finally, Ronnie Pack and his newborn trainee, Brian Young, arrived, but they couldn’t see me at the time because I was too busy rolling around on the ground on the other side of my patrol car, so he called out my name and as I looked up to reply, the sneaky bastard slipped away from me and started to crawl under my patrol car again.

I was so fired up about my damaged glasses that I told the other officers to opened the back door of my unit while I picked Gil up from the back of his pants and flung him inside my patrol car and I must of threw him pretty hard because his head banged against the other side of my unit.  I started to clean myself up while Gil was kicking the shit out of my back seat, then Brian Young came up to me holding a pair of some damaged glasses in his hand and said, “Check this out Cruzer...I found his fucking glasses!” and he crushed them saying at the same time, “Let this be a lesson to that motherfucker!”  “What the fuck are you doing Brian!” I yelled, “Those are my glasses!”  Brian’s face turned red and purple as he looked on with total resentment on his face “Oops...I didn’t know.” Well there I go to the PD with my fuckin crooked glasses on because I couldn’t see without them while Gil kept kicking everywhere in sight with his cowboy boots and threatening that he was going to kick my ass when he got out jail.  “Titanium glasses...multi-flexable...my ass!  I kept repeating to myself as we pulled into the PD parking lot.  I waited for Pack and Young to arrive before I opened the back of my patrol car because Gil was still acting like a prick so I figured that we were going to have to hog tie his ass, but he must of felt something because all of sudden he sat straight up in his seat and became motionless.  “ Are you going to behave...Mr. Gil?”  I asked.  He nodded his head so I carefully opened the back door and escorted him into the booking room, but as I was unlocking the door, Gil took a step forward and grind the heel of his boot against the bottom portion of my knee, so I pushed him away and his head struck the corner of the PD’s intoxilyzer machine.  The impact caused him to dropped to his knees and then flat on his face where a large flow of blood began to ooze immensely from his head.  Suddenly at that exact moment, Pack and Young walked in, and upon seeing the large puddle blood, they immediately walked back out.  “Oh shit!” I thought, “I think I killed the poor bastard!”  In panic, I grabbed the back of Gil’s T-shirt and gently shook him around, “Gil...Gil..estas bien?”  He still had his eyes closed and appeared unconscious, but seconds later, he opened them back up and looked at me while blood continued to trickled down his forehead.  I instantly felt a rush of relief as I stood him up and I quickly yelled out for Pack to assist me.  “Hey we didn’t see nothing at all..Cruzer” was the first thing that came out of his mouth.  “Ronnie call the Sarge...will you.” I said.  “Hey the fucker asked for it.”  he replied “Just call the Sarge...will you Ronnie”  I said again.  I used several paper towels to try to slow down the bleeding from Gil’s forehead, but even though the cut was of small size it was fairly deep and widely opened.  A few minutes later, Sgt. Tully poked his head in and I explained to him all the details that led up to Gil’s injury.  “So...fuck him,” he said, “He’s still alive..isn’t he...just put his ass in the cell.”   I shook my head, “Naww...Sarge...I really want him checked out,” I replied. “I just want to make sure he’ll be ok.”  Tully rolled up his eyes and sighed, “Ok” he said reluctantly and left.  

Ten minutes later, Dinuba paramedics, Shawn and Rick Doyle, came waltzing in and started to ask a few questions.  “Mr. Gil...how did you get hurt?” asked Shawn in Okie Spanish.  “Gil looked at me for few minutes and then said, “I fell.” in plain English.  I was completely shocked from his answer.  “No..no..no..that’s not what happened,” I said, and I tried to explain the truth, but Shawn quickly interrupted me.  “Sorry Cruzer I have to put down what he said.” “But that’s not how it happened...Shawn.”  I said.  “Sorry...Cruzer..he’s the victim not you, if he said he fell..then he fell!”  he replied.  The paramedics then taped a few paper stitches on Gil’s forehead and left.  While I was rolling Gil’s fingerprints, we were both completely silent, but I couldn’t help, but feel guilty inside for what had happened between us and then finally I heard him say, “Why did you push me...Balderas?”  I raised up my pant leg and showed him a long red scrape that ran from my knee to my ankle.  “Oh” he said.  “You don’t remember...do you.”  I asked.  He then began to cry and gave me a long tale of a lost marriage, a life of poverty, hardship,and a broken down family, who lost respect for their father, but most hurtful of all was the shame of what he had become.  I told him a little bit of my life also of how I was able to overturn a life of gangs, hard drugs and excessive drinking to a man, who was now wearing a Police Badge and supporting a family by putting his faith in God and pleaded to him for mercy, love and forgiveness.  I then closed the iron door to Gil’s jail cell and as I was walking away, he called out my name, “Balderas.” I walked back to his cell and noticed that he had a stern look on his face and I thought perhaps he was going to yell some more profanities at me, but instead, his eyes looked down and I realized that he had stuck his hand out through the small opening of his jail cell gesturing a handshake, which I complied and shook it , but at the same time, I asked him, “Why didn’t you tell the ambulance guy the truth...Martin?”

He cleared his throat and replied, “Because you are a good man...and I didn’t want to mess anything up for you because of me.”

A few years later, I was in investigations driving a blue Malibu and working on a case that brought me to the Magnolia neighborhood.  After not seeing Gil for a few years, I was finally able to see him standing in the same corner of our confrontation from a few years back and he was still yelling at people that passed by, but I also noticed that he was holding something in his hand, which appeared to be a book, so I parked along the side of the roadway to see what he was up to and I realized that the book he was holding was the holy bible and he was actually preaching the word of the Lord to the public.  He spotted me, smiled and waved as I returned the same and drove away.  I later learned that Gil had turned his life around and got his family back on track including his wife and had become a devoted Christian.  I guess Gil finally made that important decision in his life that had placed a positive impact and found not only his true self, but also the pathway to joy, good integrity, gratitude and the humbleness of fellow man like I have done when I was younger....a choice that is not that difficult nor impossible...a choice that well complete you and give you high self-esteem... a choice that will give you your self worth and true understanding of life ...but ultimately and most importantly a very important and vital choice of overall self-improvement...a choice for the better.