Tips for Buying Foreclosures

RISMEDIA, January 25, 2011—The McCarty Group, a Florida real estate team specializing in Marco Island properties, has released a “Top Tips” list for buying foreclosures.

Mike and Wendy McCarty of Keller Williams Realty say the tips apply to virtually all markets in the U.S. and that while many buyers have heard that there are many foreclosures on the market, most don't understand these practical rules they can follow to save money.

Here are some tips to consider:

1. Work with an agent who has access to foreclosure information.
Many home buyers assume that all agents have access to foreclosure listings. It's important to ask.

2. Bank-owned properties generally close faster than short sales.
While short sales can be bargains, they also can take a lot longer. Some banks will negotiate in a timely manner on short sales, but most will prioritize properties they have already repossessed.

3. Always offer less than the asking price.
Don't assume that banks are firm on their price. For example, asset managers responsible for liquidating bank-owned Marco Island, Florida condos are often willing to consider a lower offer.

4. Ask the bank to pay your closing costs.
The worst that can happen is that they say no. Sometimes buyers are surprised to find that banks can be quite accommodating when they want to.

5. Get pre-approved from the right bank.
When making an offer on a short sale, it's often strategically helpful to be pre-approved by the same bank. During negotiations, this may tip the scales in your favor.

 

 

Brought to you by and sponsored by

There's a world outside of Tori D. (on Current Events)

I know that most of my posts are self-centered, but I am quite aware of the things that are going on around me. I tend to use this blog more as a diary than an outlet to keep others abreast of current events. I tend not to talk about them for two reasons: 1. Sometimes I think I feel too strongly about certain things and believe it best to keep to myself, and 2. It usually takes me forever to really articulate what I feel in a way that pleases me. And that's partially due to the fact that I can see both sides of most things and have conflicting views.

Anyway, these are the current/recent events that are at the forefront of my mind.

Earlier this week, an Ohio woman was sentenced to jail, placed on three years probation and fined for sending her daughters to the wrong school district. Instead of sending them to the substandard school they were zoned for, Kelly Williams-Bolar said that her daughters lived with her father so that they could attend a better school. People do this every day, y'all. And if her kids had been excellent athletes, this wouldn't have even been an issue. But instead it's a poor black woman trying to give her kids better. Now I'm not saying she was necessarily right in her method; breaking the law is breaking the law. However, the punishment does not fit the crime. Instead of simply sending the children back to the correct district (or allowing her the chance to arrange for them to live with her father, therefor putting them in the correct district) and perhaps giving her a light fine, she now has a felony on her record, which will severely limit her opportunity to provide a better life for her kids. And has anyone stopped to think about WHY she had to send her kids to a different school district? These were both public schools, but clearly the school in the lower class section of town was not properly funded, staffed, something. There's no reason that there should have been a $30,000 discrepancy in tuition from one school to the other! The judge stated that she wanted to make an example out of her. We should make an example out of the judge. Please sign the petition for Kelly Williams-Bolar

In happier news, earlier this month the Scott Sisters were released. Gov. Haley Barbour suspended their sentences indefinitely on the condition that 1) they do not return to Mississippi and 2) Jamie Scott donate a kidney to her very sick sister Gladys. The sisters are now living in Florida with their mother and children. No word yet on whether Jamie is a match for Gladys. Many have speculated that the reason they were released was because the cost of Gladys' healthcare was becoming too much of a burden. I personally feel it was a move to help his chances at the presidency and to recover from his seemingly racist and white-washed comments a few weeks earlier where he stated that a well-known hate group wasn't all that bad when he was growing up. While his motives may be shady I do commend him for doing what was ultimately the right thing (I still ain't voting for him though). Y'all know what they say, God works in mysterious ways...

And speaking of mysteries, what is up with all of the animals dropping dead by the hundreds, sometimes thousands? Dead birds, dead fish, dead birds, dead crabs, and yes, more dead birds. Some accuse the government of secret testing that resulted in the mass deaths. Others say power lines and fireworks killed the birds. And more extreme folks are blaming everything from UFOs to the Apocalypse. No one is really sure of the cause of these events, but I like the possible explanations found here.

Relaxed Hair Must-Haves

I think I've said this here before, but can't remember for sure. When I had a perm, I didn't know how to do a thing with my hair, and didn't know what products to use. The most I did was wrap it, roll it, or put it in a ponytail. My mom was gracious enough to oil my scalp with Sulfur 8 after I got it done. That was it. I think I washed my hair all of ONCE back then, and that was because it was an emergency. I was in college and used whatever shampoo sample I had lying around from one of the campus events. Had no idea what I was doing! LOL

Well, for any permies who come across this blog, this link's for you! The Anti Hair Slave has a list of must-haves for you ladies that relax your hair. I was slightly surprised to see the same products/tools that are recommended for natural hair, but then again I guess I shouldn't be, huh? Anyway, don't say I never gave you anything! LOL

The Return!

The last several months have been hectic, to say the least. In addition to working with an increased number of buyers and continuing my full-time job, I was finishing my last semester of grad school. Talk about pressure! Naturally, with so much going on, some things fell to the wayside. This blog, unfortunately, was one of them.

Now that I am done with school (I'm now Tori D. Whitley, MBA!) I have a bit more free time. That means I can dedicate more time to

• my marketing strategy (online via Facebook, Twitter, etc. as well as mailings, email and direct calling)


• consumer education through this blog and seminars for buyers and sellers


• continuing education to expand into different areas of real estate, including property management and commercial sales

There has also been another change since I last posted. Previously I was an agent with Keller Williams New Beginnings. I thoroughly enjoyed the training that KW offered and the people were a pleasure to work with. However, as of the beginning of this year, I have joined The Property Shop. TPS is a local real estate firm right in the heart of downtown Jackson. The responsible broker is Chassity Coleman, who sponsored me at KW and has been a great mentor to me from day one. She has a great vision for this company and I am excited to be a part of it! So expect to see more from me and more from TPS!

Confessions

Forgive me fellow naturals, for I have sinned...

Okay that may be a bit strong! LOL But there are some Dos & Don'ts that I tend to break fairly often. I guess I should change my ways, but for now, let me just absolve my guilt by confessing.

1. I don't detangle as I should. *hears audible gasps from the crowd* I know, I know: it's horrible! But here's the thing: When I do wash & gos, I don't really have time to sit there and detangle. Hello, I gotta go! And when I do a "real" wash complete with deep conditioning, I try detangling while the conditioner is still in my hair and then I have to do it again after I rinse. That's about 40 minutes each time. Who has patience for that? Nuh uh, not Tori D.! And the killer part? As soon as my hair dries, it coils and tangles right back up. >_< Maybe this could be helped if I tried a new tool, like the Tangle Teezer I've been reading about lately or had a product with more slip (I'm out of conditioner and open to suggestions!)

2. I have not done a protective style yet. Yes, I wore my french roll up-do for a couple of days, but considering the fact that I still had the front out, I don't think that was actually a protective style. I would love to do some, especially some of the cute flat twist styles that I have seen. They look so simple and elegant... Unfortunately my skill level is 0 when it comes to those flat twists, honey! I'm not sure if it's due to my length, texture, thickness, or if I just don't know what I'm doing, but the results of my efforts are not anything I would want the general public to see! And I planned on keeping kinky twists in for most of the winter, but time and a tight budget have prevented that.

3. I usually don't do anything to my hair at night. I throw the bonnet over my fro and hope for the best in the morning. Sometimes it's okay after I shower (the power of steam y'all; it works!) and put a little leave-in conditioner on it. Other times? The results make me wanna cry! But doing a head full of two-strand twists can be tedious (especially when you come home tipsy at 2:00 AM) and as I mentioned up there ^ I still have not figured out flat twists... Or cornrows, for that matter.

4. I don't co-wash that often during the winter. I did plenty of co-washing during the summer when morning wash & gos were my go-to style.But since the weather is all types of cold right now, that's not happening. So I spray my Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In on it daily, but honestly I don't think it does as well as a good thorough co-wash. Oh well, it is what it is until it warms up...

5. I still haven't figured out my hair type. Some naturals swear by hair typing, and there are products and tools that supposedly work better for certain types of hair.  However, my method of trial and error seems to be going pretty well--even without me knowing whether I'm a 3c or 4a or 5z. Besides, I have patches of hair that completely differ from other sections. It's not as if I'm going to put one product here, another there, etc. because it's been said that one is best for whatever type that patch is. Seems like too much work. I know it's kinky and coily. Good enough.

So what are the "rules" that you tend to break from time to time-- or all the time?

Natural Newbie Giveaway Winner!

Well the time has come for me to announce the winner of the Newbie Giveaway! I had some awesome submissions, and I'm thankful to everyone who participated. You all have some great stories, and I hope and pray that you all stay encouraged in this journey! Unfortunately, though, there can only be one winner (this time). And that winner is..... *drum roll*

Dawnica aka "Lady Hicks"!

I loved what she had to say about her decision to go natural and what she's discovered about herself in the time since deciding to transition. She writes:

My story started in September 2009. In route to my beautician to get a relaxer, I had thoughts in my head at this particular time where I wanted a change. At this point, my hair was down to my shoulders, so I was wanting some[thing] young and fun. I decided to get it cut into a long bob....but that not what I received. When I left, I went from a beautiful long tresses to a mushroom mess....not to mention I had a huge patch of hair "missing" in the back of my head.  Around that same time, I started reading Psalms 139 and begin to realize that God truly made me unique and here I was trying to be a copycat of what I thought I should be. That's when I decided to go natural...but unfortunately I received no support from family and friends. I got so much discouragement from people..which pushed me closer to what God truly thought of me. His Word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Since that time I have encouraged and  helped others to the natural side thru videos and information I have found on the damaging effects of chemical relaxer and natural hairstyles that a "non" professional can achieve.I had my BC in July 2010 and I love my hair. In becoming natural and loving it, I have inspired 6 of my friends to make the switch to become natural and embrace the way God made them. I have also created a Facebook page "For Nappy Girls Only" as a forum to swap hair tips, share hair journeys and offer encouragement to other transitioning ladies. I love my hair and will continue to encourage others to love themselves the way God designed us:
as a
BEAUTY- Be Exactly A Unique Type= YOU

Thank you for your submission Lady Hicks! You are a BEAUTY, inside and out! Be sure to email me an address to send your gift, as well as whether you'd like to receive a hair accessory or jewelry.

Who taught you to hate?

“Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the color of your skin? Who taught you to hate the shape of your nose and the shape of your lips? Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet? Who taught you to hate your own kind? Who taught you to hate the race that you belong to so much so that you don’t want to be around each other? ... you should ask yourself who taught you to hate being what God made you.” 

 

(Malcolm X – May 22, 1962, Los Angeles)

ghosts of exes past

It started again, as it so often does.

This time, it began with an innocent "Happy holidays" email.

Then it was an email to check on me, because he knows that this season is rough, considering what happened.

That lead to me looking him up on Facebook, just to see what he's been doing.

Then came the texts with the pet names....

Psycho Ex and I go through this back and forth periodically. It starts off like this, then we become friends again. I let my guard down and we get close. I realize he's trying to have his cake and eat it too--again--and tell him to kiss ass. We don't talk for months. Then an email....

Yesterday it was a "Thinking of you" text. After I didn't respond, I got this today:

I know u told me not to contact you again but i do still think about you and always hope you're doing well. Really impossible for me not 2 think of u.

*sigh* WHY LAWD?!

I want so bad to cuss him out and make him hate me, but something in me stops me from doing that. I can't say I still love him, but I did, and that truth is what makes it so hard. In some other relationships I realized that it was just infatuation so it was no big deal to say eff it. But even when I told him to lose my number there was still some hesitation. And this was almost a year after the big blowup that happened years after we were done!

But this time, I'm ready to end this little back and forth. I haven't engaged in any conversation other than a "same to you and your family" to the Happy New Year/hope all is well texts. I just can't get sucked into the back and forth. Every time I see his (unsaved) number pop up, I think about his wife and have 101 questions. Does she know he still feels this way about me, still contacts me? Has she just accepted that that's the way it is? How does he rationalize his actions in his mind? If we were together, who would he be texting on the side? Would I be so blind?

The answers to those questions really don't even matter at this point. This is a chapter in my life that should have been over long ago. You can't run from the past, can't undo it. But he's a lie if he thinks I'm ready to repeat it.

On Marriage: An Epiphany

This? Eh... eventually.

I've realized something that I guess I hadn't really thought about recently. It wasn't a slap-me-upside-the-head a-ha moment... just a subtle realization.

I've always had this time line in mind about when I wanted to be married and possibly start a family. I wanted to be married by 25. I figured that if I decided to have kids, this would allow my husband and I about three years together, just the two of us. Pop the first kid out at 28, second at 29 or 30. Tubes tied at 31. Ya like how nice and neat I had that worked out, don't you?

But here I am, a few months shy of 26, and I've discovered that I'm okay with the fact that life has not gone according to my plans. In fact, not only am I okay with it, but I would be okay with not getting married until sometime in my 30s. I have so much I want to do right now, things that will require my time and attention over the next couple of years. And while I know it's possible to do the things I want to do while married, I don't think I want to. Instead, devoting myself fully to seeing my dream come to life is what appeals to me. Then I can make that lifelong commitment to my husband. And I've already pretty much settled in my mind that I won't be having kids. Although I had a laundry list of reasons not to have them, I said if the right guy came along in time, I'd be open to it. Well that window has passed! LOL Which means there's even less of a rush to get married.

Of course, if Mr. Right came along today and soon wanted to make me Mrs. Right, I wouldn't fight it. Like I said, it's not impossible to pursue my career goals and be in a serious, committed relationship. And yes, there is a little lingering fear about potentially missing out on marriage all together since this seems to be the ideal age to do it. But... it is what it is. Whenever it happens, should it happen, I'll be okay. Even if it's not today.

Natural Newbie Giveaway!

Hello everyone! If you're new to this whole natural thing,  have I got a goodie for you! Chris-Tia Donaldson, author of Thank God I'm Natural, has offered a copy of her book to one of my awesome followers! TGIN is a great reference tool at any stage of the natural journey, but I found it especially useful when I was just getting started. It's full of great tips, scientific info and product recipes. (You can find my review of her book here) In addition to that, I will also be giving away a surprise goodie: winner's choice of jewelry or hair accessory.

The rules for this contest are very simple:


1. Either a) be a transitioner, b) plan on doing the BC in 2011, or c) be a natural newbie--for the purpose of this contest, that's 12 months or less completely natural. Clearly this is on the honor system, but be honest! There will be other giveaways open to everyone, trust :)

2. Follow this blog through Google Friend Connect. Just hit that little button to the right.

3. Submit a short entry about your reason/inspiration to go natural. You may also submit a picture, whether it be pre-BC, post-BC or a picture of someone whose hair you admire. Submissions should be sent to toridblogs@gmail.com.

It's as simple as that! Entries must be submitted by January 18, 2011, and a winner will be announced on Friday, January 21, 2011. So hop to it natural newbs!

Psssst! Want another chance to win? Follow me on Twitter! (Leave a comment here so I'll know to count your follow as an entry). And for yet another way to win, tweet the following:

I entered @kinxnquirx Newbie Giveaway! Have you? http://is.gd/k5vyW

The Blowout

Two Sundays ago I finally got the time (and the nerve) to straighten my hair. It was a little daunting to me, as my hair hadn't been straightened since late February/early March. But I figured why not? The weather was cooperating, and it's not like I'd been keeping my hair in a protective style anyway. It was as good a time as any. I took to blogs and books, trying to determine what the best route would be. I finally decided on the following method:

1. Wash and clarify.
I washed with my usual Optimum Oil Therapy moisturizing shampoo. (I think it's sulfate-free, but I'll have to double check that...) Then I followed up with a lemon juice & warm water clarifying treatment I saw in Thank God I'm Natural. Let that sit for about 10 minutes, then rinsed. Honestly, I didn't notice too much difference between when I clarify and when I don't. However, from my understanding, the difference wouldn't have shown at that point anyway.

2. Deep condition and detangle.
I applied my coconut and olive oil conditioners and let that sit for about 45 minutes. My plan was to go for about 20 minutes with the conditioner under the dryer, but I was too lazy to pull it out. (Sad, I know LOL) After letting it sit, I sectioned off my hair and got to detangling. Fortunately, it was relatively smooth going with minimal shedding. The exception, of course, is that odd patch of hair on the crown of my head that defies all typing, regimens and logic. That section took a lotta time and patience that I just don't have. Eventually, I got through it and rinsed. My hair was feeling all kinds of soft, smooth and slippery.

3. Blow dry and flat iron. (I.E., turn it over to Momma)
I wanted to tackle this beast on my own. I figured I might as well learn how to do it for myself... But what I learned is that straightening is something best left to the pros. Or at least to someone who can see what the heck they're doing. After blow drying about half of my head, I turned it over to my mom. When blow drying, I sprayed each section with both Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In and Frizz Ease Heat Defeat. When flat ironing, my mom gave it another hit of the heat protectant. She also insisted on using a little bit of spray oil . I can't see where it hurt or helped.

I swear my mom was born to straighten hair. It did really well Monday and Tuesday... Wednesday the weather didn't wanna cooperate with me so it got a lil puffy. It was kinda down hill from there. By Sunday I had it slicked back with a phony pony attached.

the back after momma finished. why do the gray hairs always stick out?!

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

phony pony time!

 

I love the results, but it's not something that I'd want to do on the regular. I missed my curls too much!

Up-Do! French roll with bang

For several months now, I've wanted to wear my hair up. There are only so many times I could look at the puff, fro or twist out. I've attempted different styles but it just never really worked out for me. Sad, right?

Well, on Wednesday evening I was going through my blog roll and saw that Jenelle at Kinky Curly Coily Me! had done a YouTube tutorial on an up-do.



Of course I had to try it, so I got in the mirror and went to work. It took a little time and manipulation, but I finally got it. I figured out that I couldn't "roll" my hair to the left, though that's the way I've always tried it. Once I tried rolling/twisting it to the right, it was simple as could be. I also had to make a few minor changes.
I don't have any plain hair combs (how is that?) so I had to use a buttload of bobby pins. This was good and bad: good because I definitely had a secure hold, but bad because they had my head itching! Another change that I had to make was with the sides. I couldn't twist the sides; for some reason that just didn't work out for me. I ended up making a smaller french twist up top, then did some pulling, tucking, and pinning until I was happy with the look I had. And I definitely had to hit those edges with some Eco Styler.
Over all, my approach was a bit haphazard, but I was pleased with the results. I was able to wear it Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I couldn't quite get that roll going today. (I had to take it down before bed last night; the pins were killing me!) Here are the pix, but you'll definitely want to check out the tutorial to get a cleaner look. What's the verdict on this one? Although I didn't do a flower with this, I think I'll add my decorative combs to the french roll next time...

The back. Not the neatest or the best, but I was happy with it!

I wasn't aware that that part was so visible... oops!

Makes for an interesting side profile, no?

Close up of the front

31 Day Reset: Day 1

I am participating in Rosetta Thurmond's 31 Day Reset as a means of giving this year (and my life in its entirety) a defined purpose and direction. Although I am working on this daily, I will not be sharing all of the exercises here, as I feel some of it may be deeply personal. But those things that I am willing to share will be right here for the world to see.

For day one, we were challenged to come up with a personal mantra. It could be a scripture, quote, or something that we created. It simply needed to speak to us and be a theme for us to keep in mind during and after this challenge. For my mantra, I chose to paraphrase a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It says:

"What lies behind [me] and what lies before [me] are small matters compared to what lies within [me]."

This quote helps me to remember that I already have everything within me to achieve success, happiness, love, and fulfillment. Now whether I tap into it is up to me, but the potential is there just as it is in each of us.