I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.

Marriage is like witness protection. You get a new identity and a new home, and you're not allowed to see your old friends anymore.

Money is the root of all wealth.

Money is the root of all evil. For more information, send $10 to me.

Man: A creature made at the end of the workweek when God was tired.

Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to. Mark Twain

Last year for Christmas, I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. I thought I'd put them in the same room and let them fight it out.

It's been so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom.

It's bad luck to be superstitious.

I'm having amnesia and Deja Vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.

If the world were a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.

If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?

Join us for LOL FRIDAY on The Optimist Group!

Fannie Mae announced Thursday it is launching a “Deed for Lease Program” which will allow homeowners facing foreclosure — if they qualify —to lease their homes for up to a year.

To get that option, homeowners have to deed the property to Fannie Mae.

“The Deed for Lease Program provides an additional option for qualifying homeowners who are facing foreclosure and are not eligible for modifications,” said Jay Ryan, vice president of Fannie Mae. “This new program helps eliminate some of the uncertainty of foreclosure, keeps families and tenants in their homes during a transitional period, and helps to stabilize neighborhoods and communities.”

The program is designed for borrowers who do not qualify for some other loan workout program.

Borrowers transfer their property to the lender by completing a deed in lieu of foreclosure, then the owner leases the house at a market rate.

*NOTE: Not my writing, but breaking news I wanted to share with you asap.  Here is the link to the story:

Fannie Mae Getting into the Rental Business

Fannie Mae launches 'Deed for Lease' program

Now that Twitter and Bing are married, your micro blogging can actually score you some major SEO brownie points.

I tweet my blogs to increase my web presence.  I simply go over to my outside AR blog roll on a regular basis, pull up an old post, shorten its browser address by using the bit.ly service, then Tweet it with an enticing by-line.  I go back afterwards and analyze my statistics (Bit.ly will show you exactly how many people have clicked on that particular link). It works!  Here is an example:  Price it Well. Stage it well. Watch it Sell! http://bit.ly/E2xqT #RealEstate #p2

Now that your Twitter presence gives you Bing exposure, it’s a shame not to use it to drive traffic to your ActiveRain blog and to your website.  BTW, if your blog roll is still called “Annie’s Blog” (or Suzy, or Stan), it’s time you change it to let people know what you do and where.  Mine is Myrtle Beach Real Estate by Mirela Monte.  Yours should certainly denote your area of expertise and your location.

How do I know this works?  For starters, you can “Bing” Myrtle Beach Connection and find me on the first page.  I got there by using this method.  Easy recipe: Blog on AR.  Tweet your blogs.  Watch your business explode.  Just today I got two new leads from my Internet exposure.  You want to know the best part about it?  It is the most cost effective marketing I have in my arsenal! 

For those of you still on the fence about paying the AR monthly dues to become a Rainmaker, think again!  For every hour you’re wasting, there goes another potential client!  No more excuses!   Become a Rainmaker NOW!  If you have no clue what Twitter is, here is a link to a blog where you can learn all about it.  Please come back here and let us know just how well this works! 

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection            Join The Optimist Group!

Do you know what car your dentist drives?

Do you know what car your attorney drives?

Do you know what car your Realtor drives?

Which one of these choices do you think most people know the answer to?  Exactly!  Real Estate Agents are the only ones whose vehicles are ‘out in the open’, sort of speak.  Realtors, what is your vehicle saying about you? 

Is your car a mess because you work all the time, or is it always freshly detailed, showing that you are organized and careful?  Is your car on its last leg, because finances are not quite what they should be, or is it an expensive vehicle denoting that your Real Estate business is thriving?  Do you drive a ‘green’ vehicle, showing concern for the environment, or do you loaf around in a gas guzzler? 

Whether you want to accept it or not, your car, as the extension of yourself and your business, can help you land that next deal, or nix it for you.  What are your thoughts on this subject?

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection             Join The Optimist Group!

My children have always been the most cherished part of my life, my defining moments, my love, my joy, my reasons for it all.

My son is leaving for war tomorrow.  As a little kid he used to move his plastic soldiers across huge maps of the World I had bought for him.  When he was a teenager he went to the Citadel Summer camp every summer and at 16 he became a counselor there.  He later attended The Citadel, where he was a Summerall Guard and had several significant leadership positions.  After graduating magna cum laude from the Citadel he enlisted in the Marines.  After six months at Quantico he was commissioned as an officer.  As he reminded me a few weeks ago, he is first a Marine, then an officer. 

If I had it my way, war would be fought with paint guns.  I am probably the least military person you’ll ever meet.  I wasn’t happy about his decision to join the Marines, but I encouraged him to follow his heart anyway.  God, that was hard to do!  As parents, that is our main job: to encourage each child’s individuality to blossom, in spite of our own proclivities and fears. 

My son is going to war tomorrow.  He will be joining the many honorable young men and women serving our country.  This is my son’s decision.  I raised him to follow his heart.  “I Hope You’ll Dance!” depicts exactly what I’ve always tried to instill in my children.  Follow your heart, dedicate yourself with abandon to your particular calling and allow your destiny to unfold.  I have to remind myself of this, as I swallow my tears and give my son a proud salute farewell.   

Mirela                                                 Alex &; Amanda = nucleus of my heart!

The Maximum Age allowed for persons serving in the US Military is 60.

The Maximum Age allowed for Pilots, according to FAA regulation is 65.

The Maximum Age allowed for Air Traffic Control Specialists is between 57 to 61.

Even Federal Park Rangers have an age limit of 57.

Why then, do we not have regulation in place for a Maximum Age limit of School Bus Drivers?  Are our children less significant than the animals in our National Parks?

Yesterday, the Myrtle Beach Academy of Arts, Science and Technology, lost a bright young student to an accident involving a school bus.  The driver of that school bus is 76 years old.  Why did Horry County School district entrust the precious lives of our children to a 76 year old driver?

Many school districts have maximum age limit requirements for their school bus drivers.  Some of them have been taken to court because of these requirements.  Are we afraid of litigation so much that we are willing to put our children’s lives in danger?

47% of public school students ride a school bus to and from school every day.   If we are recognizing the value of a particular maximum age for various jobs involving public safety, why are we leaving out the safety of 25 million children?  I believe the Federal Government needs to enact a law addressing this issue.  What are your views on this and what are you willing to do about it?

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                Join The Optimist Group!

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see…

My son is going to war in a few days.  This is no news; it’s been looming over me for quite some time.  The immediacy of this is now weighing on my shoulders like the ton of emotional baggage that it is. 

A deep sadness has descended upon my being, the kind of melancholy that penetrates into the very soul.  I lost my beloved grandmother this year.  Now my son is going to war.  I recently found out I have Hashimoto disease.  My five year relationship with my significant other has ended this year.  My business has absorbed every ounce of my energy lately.  Frankly, I am worn out.   I guess I could just retreat in a corner somewhere and be miserable, but that's just not me.   Instead, I choose to focus on all the wonderful things in my life and find the balance that will carry me through this, or any other hardship.  Of course, affirmations and motivational quotes can certainly infuse the right perspective:

“That which does not kill you makes you stronger.”  Nietze

"Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart, do not know how to laugh either."

"The bad things in life open your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before." Good Will Hunting"

“Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.” Carl Sandburg

“The Future belongs to those who Believe in the Beauty of Their Dreams.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them.” - Vincent McNabb

"Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces."

"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision."-Helen Keller

"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something." Jackson Brown Jr

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." — Eric Hoffer

While the weight on my shoulders is heavy right now, I choose to embrace my melancholy and weep my quiet tears, while forging forward with my Life, hopeful for the future.  I am grateful for the many blessings bestowed upon me.  I choose to look at the bright side of my tribulations:

1.     I lost my beloved grandmother this year.  While I am still mourning her loss, I am thankful to have had her with me for as long as I have.  96 years is a long time to spend loving life on this Earth.  Her essence has been distilled in me and my children and her loving heart has touched so many people in ways that will make her presence felt for many years to come...

2.     My son is going to war.  While I tremble at the mere thought of his departure, I am resolute in my belief that things are as they should be.  This is his Life’s journey and I have to respect his decision. I am hopeful that his involvement in this war will have a positive impact on other people and on the course of history.  I pray for his safety every night and I believe that he will return home alive and well.

3.     I recently found out I have Hashimoto disease.  My dentist's three year old son has cancer and only a 30% chance of survival.  My health problem is nothing compared to that.   I won't die and I'll most likely get better.  I am taking a holistic medication and I am already 50% better than I was four months ago.

4.     My five year relationship with my significant other has ended this year.  We meet and connect with people for various reasons.  Each relationship will get us to where we need to be.  I am thankful for the wonderful memories and hopeful that I have learnt from the experience.  When my heart mends, I will have a good relationship again.

5.     My Real Estate Practice has absorbed every ounce of my energy this year.  I am one of the Lucky Realtors, for I am still in business…  While dealing with these short sales and foreclosures is emotionally draining, I am training myself to keep my eyes on the good that I do on a daily basis and concentrate on how important it is to my clients that I am in their lives. 

I embrace Life’s yin-yang, the hills and valleys of the human existence.   Being an Optimist doesn't mean that you lead a charmed life, devoid of pain and hardship.  How could you possibly appreciate all the joys conferred by Life, if you don't have the sorrows as points of reference?   Yes, I cry the tears.  Yes, I learn the lessons.  Yes, I feel the pain...  Through it all, I hold my head up high and my spirit full of hope. 

 "Life's short; live it fully!"

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  Henry David Thoreau

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Connection                                Proud Optimist!

The Myrtle Beach Academy has lost a bright star today.  Marc Chaplin, a senior at the school, was killed within a short distance of the Academy, when his motorcycle collided with a North Myrtle Beach school bus at 8:10 this morning.

Marc’s death sent shock waves through the school, where he was well liked.  There was a lot of sobbing and hugging at the Academy today.   Many left school in the morning, unable to contain their grief. 

Tomorrow many of Marc’s friends will wear purple in his honor.  Marc and his buddies had a “purple shirt” day every week. 

The bus driver involved in the collision will be asked some hard questions and possibly prosecuted for manslaughter.  The details of the accident are not yet out, but one of my daughter’s friends, who used to ride the bus driven by him, stopped taking that bus because she was afraid of his driving. 

Marc’s friends have created a Facebook Group in his honor.  Marc was wearing a helmet, and he had a reputation for being a very careful driver, but a motorcycle is a dangerous thing…  If we can do anything constructive with this deep sadness, let it be spreading the word about how dangerous motorcycles are. 

My heart goes out to Marc’s parents.  Losing your child has to be Life’s most tormenting pain.  There are no words to describe the deep sorrow of our entire community for the loss of this lovely young man.  May he rest in peace!

Mirela Monte

Mirela Monte, Your North Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Condo Connection                         Wow North Myrtle Beach!

How has your job changed in the past couple of years?   My business card says Realtor Broker, but my job entails so much more nowadays: I am a social worker, general contractor, psychologist, loss mitigator, asset preservation specialist, credit counselor, short sale specialist, reo specialist, foreclosure counselor.  My days are spent solving problems.  That’s really what should be written on my card:

Mirela Monte, Problem Solver

Do I sell Real Estate anymore?  Yeah, and lots of it, but the quality of my life has deteriorated immensely.  I work 80 hour weeks, not for the money, but because I have too many balls up in the air.  Real Estate is not for sissies!  It is a full time, all consuming endeavor, more so now than ever before.

“God bless you if this is how you have to deal with more deals this year.  If so, you are in need of a vacation.”

These were the words of a builder on a project I am handling on one of my Bank Owned properties, a spec taken back by the bank right before it was completed.  We’ve had so many obstacles on that project that what started as the 100 yard dash has turned into the Boston Marathon - only at the ‘dash’ tempo!!!  In the past year and a half, I’ve sold that house seven times and I’m yet to close on it.   I could write a book about it and I just might, however the project in question will be a mere chapter, since I also have several others with various sized problems.

As I close them all, I get even more business.  Such and such person hears about my feat and comes to me to solve their problem.  I’m not complaining, it’s good to have business these days; I just want to know if the lifestyle I’m having right now is sustainable for long periods of time.  Am I paying the price for solving other people’s problems with my own life, or is this extraordinarily tenuous period going to propel my career into the stratosphere?

How many of you have changed gears and are now bearing down under a mountain of stress?  The way I figure it, I’d rather carry the stress, rather than the mountain of bills…  What do you think?

How has your life changed because of this Market?

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                     Join The Optimist Group!

You've worn the finish off your coffee table.

All your kids are named Joe.

Chuck Yeager thinks you need to calm down.

Instant coffee takes too long.

Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.

People can test their batteries in your ears.

People get dizzy just watching you.

Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.

The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.

The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.

The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.

When someone asks 'how are you' you say, 'good to the last drop'.

You buy milk by the barrel.

You can jump-start your car without cables.

You can outlast the Energizer bunny.

You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer.

You can type sixty words per minute with your feet.

You can't even remember your second cup.

You channel surf faster without a remote.

You chew on other people's fingernails.

You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.

You don't get mad, you get steamed.

You don't need a hammer to pound in nails.

You don't sweat, you percolate.

You don't tan, you roast.

You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.

You get a speeding ticket even when you're parked.

You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.

You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.

You have a conniption over spilled milk.

You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.

You have to watch videos in fast-forward.

You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.

You help your dog chase its tail.

You introduce your spouse as your coffee mate.

You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit.

You lick your coffeepot clean.

You name your cats Cream and Sugar.

You short out motion detectors.

You ski uphill.

You sleep with your eyes open.

You soak your dentures in coffee overnight.

You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a lesson.

You speed-walk in your sleep.

You spend every vacation visiting Maxwell House.

You think being called a drip is a compliment.

You think CPR stands for Coffee Provides Resuscitation.

You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison.

Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup.

Your coffee mug is insured by Lloyds of London.

Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

Your life's goal is to amount to a hill of beans.

Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.

Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.

Your only source of nutrition comes from Sweet & Low.

Your taste buds are so numb; you could drink your lava lamp.

Your Thermos is on wheels.

You're so wired, you pick up AM radio.

You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.

You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.

Foreclosures increased over 80% in 2008.  The figures are no less scary in 2009:

The foreclosure rates in several states were up significantly lately: Arizona was up 36.1% for September.   Florida was not far behind with a 29.67% increase, followed by:  Texas 24.38%,  Michigan 18.22% and California with a 15.57% increase.   All 50 states saw an increase in foreclosures, but not all were as drastic.  For example, the increase in Kansas was only 3.65%.

The major increases were driven mainly by changes in urban areas.  In Arizona, the statewide foreclosure deluge was fostered by a massive 81.37% increase in Phoenix Foreclosures. Other cities with big increases included: Las Vegas, NV at 47.47%, Atlanta, GA at 39.96%, Chicago, IL at 36.27% and Houston, TX at 33.29 percent.

 

While the Federal Government is struggling with their impeded programs, states have started to take action to protect the fabric of our society. 

I am proud to say that my very own South Carolina was the first state in the union to take action against Foreclosures judicially.  In May the SC Supreme Court temporarily stopped thousands of pending foreclosure sales in order to give homeowners more time to take advantage of new federal programs to help them refinance mortgages. The injunction — which mortgage experts said appeared to be the nation's first court-ordered stop for an entire state — prevents judges in South Carolina from finalizing foreclosure sales on properties guaranteed by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or any other mortgage company that has signed on to a federal assistance program. 

In April, the South Carolina legislature has introduced House Bil 3952, which, if adopted during the '09-'10 session, will provide for a 6 months Moratorium on Foreclosures in this state.

Diametrically opposed, Geographically and otherwise, California implemented its own Foreclosure Moratorium in June.  Banks in California can no longer foreclose on a mortgage without either renegotiating the loan or giving the homeowner three months’ notice.  There have been more than 365,000 foreclosures in California since 2007, with many more already scheduled.

 “California is ground zero for foreclosures. We’re getting about 80 to 90,000 foreclosure filings every month. That’s one every 30 seconds, so until we start mitigating the number of foreclosures, our economic recovery is going to be hampered,” said Assemblyman Ted Lieu, the Torrance Democrat who authored the bill.

 

In Detroit, citizens are organizing a massive movement scheduled for November 7th, asking the state legislators and their Governor to impose a state-wide moratorium on Foreclosures and support Senate Bill 29, which provides for a 2 year moratorium on Foreclosures.  The People’s call to action urges:  Bail out the people—not the banks!

 

Meanwhile, Ohio’s legislators are in a heated debate over a 6-month Foreclosure Moratorium already approved by the House. 

 

What we are seeing here is National Movement of MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS.  By taking a stand on this incredibly important issue – Foreclosures – we are seeing increased autonomy of the individual states.  Add to the mix a general disgruntlement with our Federal Government and its BIG BUSINESS largess and what we have here is a precipitous movement towards the decentralization of power.  Just my two cents’ worth.

 

The following two movies provide the most thourough information on the Foreclosure Crisis.  The House of Cards made my skin crawl.  Please watch it and let me know what you think of it.  We need to be aware of how we've arrived at this juncture, this moment in history our children will talk about..

The Meltdown

The House of Cards

Here are a few other interesting sites to keep your finger on the pulse of this Foreclosure Crisis:

The Everything You Need Foreclosure Site - My gift to you

How to get your hands on some of that Obama Money for your Turf

Foreclosures 101 - Analyze Foreclosures by State, County and Zip Code

I am about to embark on my own journey to help those displaced by this crux.  Please stay tuned to my blog roll, for I will soon ask for your help in a very important undertaking, one that will allow us Realtors a unique opportunity to expose the very human factor so visible to us agents, yet so overlooked by the media.  There is an opportunity for us to take a stand and contribute to the solution. 

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Foreclosure Connection