EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE LOS ANGELES-SAN GABRIEL VALLEY JULY, 2020

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Ag e n t

M a g a z i n e

LA/ S a n

G a b r i e l

V a l l e y

Mercedes De La Cruz

E d i t i o n

Executive Agent of the Month

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Content

Try Vs. Do -Rory Aplanalpotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

July, 2020

E XECUTIVE AGENT

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PRESIDENT & CEO EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

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Fred Arrias

The Service Boomerang -Sheila Murray Bethelegotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

Create Your Own Support Team!

-Linda BrakeallNegotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

Why a Positive Attitude is Best for You -German Calvo egotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

The Secret to Winning -Jon Gordongotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow -Jim RohnNegotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

VICE PRESIDENT GRAPHIC DESIGN Garon Arrias

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EDITOR Trudy Vanderhoff PROFESSIONAL PROFILES H.K. Wilson

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Herbert Clark Charlene Gates John Harris Chris Richards Ronald Taylor Crystal Widen

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PHOTOGRAPHY iPhotography Studio Michelle Fairless Photography

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EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 297-8323 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com

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Zig Ziglar Quotes -Zig Ziglarotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

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© Copyright 2020 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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Cover Story

Mercedes De La Cruz Executive Agent of the Month Licensed real estate broker Mercedes De La Cruz personifies the American Dream. A first-generation American, Mercedes grew up inspired by her hard-working mother Maria who began investing in real estate shortly after arriving in the U.S.

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Melody Gomez Finance of America Mortgage Melody Gomez has devoted more than 17 years to perfecting her understanding of the mortgage loan process. Her clients and real estate partners have long relied upon her expertise in interpreting the latest market trends and innovations in lending programs.

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Sally Roldan Nationwide Real Estate Executives For more than 35 years, RealtorÂŽ Sally Roldan has called the city of Tustin home. It is the place where she came of age and then went on to raise her own children.

33 USA Homeownership Foundation USA Homeownership Foundation’s Housing Counseling Program is a no cost service open to Service Members and Veterans throughout the United States.

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40 Chris Carpenter Fidelity National Title Group According to Chris Carpenter, Assistant Vice President of Sales at Fidelity National Title Inland Empire, much of the work he does each day goes beyond the scope of title insurance.

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MELODY GOMEZ Finance of America Mortgage Sales Manager / Mortgage Advisor Written by H. K. Wilson

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elody Gomez has devoted more than 17 years to perfecting her understanding of the mortgage loan process. Her clients and real estate partners have long relied upon her expertise in interpreting the latest market trends and innovations in lending programs. She has successfully guided more than 2,000 families to home ownership over the course of her career, and she looks forward to helping many more achieve the American Dream.

Melody grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles and earned her degree in English from UCLA with a dream of attending law school. As a student, she worked part time as an assistant to a real estate agent, and upon graduation, she decided to remain in the industry as a loan officer.

Through her tenacity and outstanding work ethic, Melody has maintained high sales production and attained management status within several organizations. After eight years as a branch manager at a mortgage company in Whittier, Melody reunited with longtime colleague Gabriel Garza at Finance of America Mortgage in the City of Industry. As sales manager, Melody assists with recruiting and training loan officers while continuing to originate loans. “Ive known Gabriel since the beginning of my career,” Melody says. “I trust him and know him as a good manager. He is very knowledgeable about loan programs and always there to help.”

With so many years of experience and leadership to her credit, Melody says she enjoys motivating others to reach their highest potential. As she helps to expand the team at the branch level, she is focused on helping other loan officers refine their abilities as salespeople. “I’m always looking for someone who knows how to do loans but needs to work on the sales side. When you find that diamond in the rough, it’s inspiring to be able to help somebody. Sometimes, they know how to structure a loan, but they lack the ability to socialize and build

relationships. A lot of times that part is hard for loan officers to do, but to be successful, you have to have a little bit of both.”

Melody brought her personal production team along with her to Finance of America Mortgage, Diane Avina and Victoria Rojas. “Diane started as my assistant more than 15 years ago then obtained her MLO license, she also has a background as a Branch Operation Manager/processing, with all the knowledge under her belt she was promoted to my partner. Together we are able to accommodate more buyers & help them achieve the American Dream of Home Ownership. My wonderful assistant Victoria works hand & hand with the clients & provides the best customer service. Vickie is at the office every day, so Diane and I can be out of the office with clients. Someone on our team is always available to help 24 hours a day, whatever our clients need.

A lot of my success is because those girls are 100 percent reliable. I think any person working in the real estate industry needs to have a good team.”

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DELIVERING A SEAMLESS HOME BUYING EXPERIENCE Melody says that one of her most important objectives with clients is developing trust. She enjoys a challenging transaction, and she strives to always deliver on what she promises.

“A lot of my past clients call back because they say they remember that when they closed their deal before, whatever I told them is what happened. When I give an estimate, I try to set realistic expectations and then do better than what I originally promised. I just had a client who closed with a down payment assistance program.

I told her she’d have to come in with $2,300, but in the end, she got her deposit and appraisal back and came in with zero. She was super happy, and so was her agent.”

Outside of the office, Melody is a busy wife and mother of five children, including twin baby daughters. She proves that it is possible to have it all — with hard work and careful planning.

According to Melody, maintaining balance also means knowing when to give herself permission for self care without feeling guilty. “It’s important to recognize that you’re a person. My kids are just as important as hitting my numbers, and so am I.” With the diverse products, efficient systems and reliable team at Finance of America Mortgage, Melody is able to give her clients the best service the industry can offer. She says, “We work together to make the process as seamless as possible when buying a home.”

Melody Gomez Sales Manager / Mortgage Advisor Finance of America Mortgage 13200 Crossroads Pkwy., N. City of Industry, CA 91746 Tel: 213-926-5137 Email: megomez@financeofamerica.com Web: www.FOAmortgage.com/megomez NMLS 259837

“It’s important to be very organized with my time and productive when I’m at work. I want to let other women in our industry know that it is possible to have both. It’s about working smarter not harder.

When I’m at work, I focus on work, and I return calls and emails promptly. My team is available when I’m with my kids. I take time with my kids to volunteer at the mission in L.A. to help those who are not as fortunate, and I go to all of my sons’ basketball games.

Time is important to building humans. I tell them I can have all the degrees and awards, but at the end of the day, if my kids don’t succeed, neither do I. I’m proud that I’ve been able to balance it all.”

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ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Create Your Own Support Team!

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e Realtors® are inclined to use lots of different loan officers and lots of different attorneys. That, of course, is always an option, but is it the best use of your time?

Rookies and low producing Realtors® probably have time to deal with lots of different people, styles and personalities. They have time to check up on the process every step of the way and play Russian Roulette with their transactions.

The mid to high producers know that you get the best service from people who have a vested interest in your success. They also know that it is far simpler to deal with people you know and trust. They know that you get preferential treatment from people who get more of your business. They also know that they can sell more if they are sure that the sales in process are being handled correctly.

(Think of your own business. If you have a customer who buys a house from you every year for investment, don’t you handle him just a bit differently from the “Looky-Lou” who bopped into your open house?)

How do you choose your three or four loan officers and attorneys? Make a list of everyone you’ve worked with in the last year or so. Beside their name make columns labeled: • • • • • • •

Closed on time Easy to work with Kept promises Communicated well Met deadlines Enjoyed working together ......and whatever else is important to you.

Hopefully three or four of the loan officers and attorneys you’ve worked with will just float to the top of this list. In which case, you will have your support team. If not, ask for recommendations from people you respect who do the same sort of business you do.

Here’s the final piece of the puzzle. Call each one of the finalists and say this to them: “I’ve decided to send the bulk of my business to only three or four loan officers (or attorneys). My thought is that together we can provide better service for the customer. If you’d like to be on my team and be one of the 3 or 4 I usually refer, I will require the following from you: ....”

And tell them what you need to make you happy: A weekly report, unvarnished honesty, their presence at closing. Whatever it will take to make you more productive which will, in turn, give them more business. Don’t you deserve your own support team?

Linda Brakeall, GRI, CRB, is a nationally recognized expert in sales and marketing for Realtors® and Mortgage industry. She has been speaking professionally speaking, training and consulting since 1992. © 2008, Linda Brakeall. All rights reserved.

For information about Linda, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond. com; http://www.FrogPond.com.

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ZIG ZIGLAR W

hen I was in my early twenties, I got depressed and for a year or two after the ‘great depression,’ I felt down more often than I normally should.

Although it’s okay to feel a little down once in a while, it’s definitely not okay to stay down. Everyone is different and all of us have different ways of dealing with pain, but we all need a pick-me-up every once in a while. Zig Ziglar has plenty of wisdom to share with the world.

5. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”

– Zig Ziglar

Next time you’re feeling down, remember one of these quotes from Zig Ziglar:

Don’t go easy on yourself. When you have discipline, you will be able to handle life’s challenges.

1. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

7. “Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker.”

– Zig Ziglar

Even if you’re not the best at something, having a good attitude will get you further than you realize.

You should learn from your failures instead of allowing them to defeat you.

2. “Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.” – Zig Ziglar

8. “Don’t let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of going after yours.” – Zig Ziglar

Bringing positivity into the world is one of the best ways to make a change in someone’s life.

If you want to achieve something, don’t allow anyone to talk you out of it.

3. “You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to positive, life-changing content, and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.” – Zig Ziglar

9. “There is little you can learn from doing nothing.”

– Zig Ziglar

Even when things seem bad, you are the master of your own destiny. Positivity is something that you can create and bring into the world.

10. “Look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion, and up with gratitude.” – Zig Ziglar

4. “If you can dream it, then you can achieve it.” – Zig Ziglar

You are not defined by your failures. It’s something that happens to you, not who you are.

6. “When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.” – Zig Ziglar

If you don’t try, you’ll never learn.

Forgive those who hurt you, be hopeful of the future, allow compassion in your life, and be grateful to those around you.

You’re capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, as long as you think that you can.

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CHRIS CARPENTER Fidelity National Title Group Written by H. K. Wilson

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ccording to Chris Carpenter, Assistant Vice President of Sales at Fidelity National Title Inland Empire, much of the work he does each day goes beyond the scope of title insurance. He considers himself a true partner in his clients’ success. “I’m a connector,” he says. “People come to me when they have a problem with a real estate transaction. Often, it’s not my part of the process, but I know who to go to and how to fix it. From a title insurance standpoint, people know I’ll handle it, and if there’s a problem, I’ll take care of it. But I’m also on their team to help build their business. I take pride in doing a good job for anyone who is relying on me.”

Chris’s career in the real estate sector began more than 13 years ago at a national homebuilder. Following the housing crash, he spent a year working as a sales executive for Xerox. In that short time, Chris became the company’s top salesperson. Chris says he believes his success wasn’t really about being good at sales, but being good at understanding people. “If I know what you want, I don’t need to sell you anything. I can just explain why what I’m offering to you makes sense.”

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Recruited to Fidelity National Title in 2013 on his reputation for sales excellence, Chris says he has found his perfect fit in an organization where integrity and service are paramount. Now the go-to title representative for many of the region’s top-producing Realtors®, Chris is focused on creating value and results.

His relationships with members of his team are integral to Chris’s ability to deliver on these objectives. “When I ask for something, my team knows it’s because I’ve exhausted every other option. So often, I get it. They see I put in the effort, so they work even harder because they know I respect them and know what they do for me. My relationships with my customer service and title unit are what enable me to get more done.”

Clients often come to Chris with challenging problems that others could not solve. It is his ability to get the impossible done that sets him apart from

his competitors. “I’ve gotten a lot of business lately from people who have gone to other title companies and couldn’t get a deal closed. They came to me, and we found a way. The difference is our team. I have people I can go to. If I do the research and find a way to close the deal safely so it makes sense, we can save the deal. It’s shocking the amount of times we’ve been able do it.”

Fidelity National Title makes many proprietary tools available to its real estate partners. Chris says his favorite is FidelityAgent ONE, the industry’s number one closing cost app. “Our net sheet calculator does everything. One feature that I like is that agents can do iBuyer comparisons against places like Zillow that are trying to purchase a client’s home as an investor. The agent can show the seller where all the costs are that they might not be telling them about. The app breaks it all down so the seller can see what they will truly net.”

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A Partner in His Clients’ Success About five years ago, Chris says he went from “not athletic” to a distance runner. He won the Spartan Race at Dodger Stadium in 2018 competing against 8,000 people, and he frequently does a 14-mile run into the mountains after a day’s work. “When I started running, I found parts of me, limits that I never knew. When I’m in that pain place, I tell myself I’m gonna get through it by just putting one more foot in front of the other. Once I push through, I have a new benchmark. Then when I have a bad day, I go back to that moment. Nothing is as hard as that. It’s what I’ve poured into my business. I could go down the easy trail and not have the sense of accomplishment, or go the way of success, which is sometimes the harder road. In my personal life, I love running and competing. It feeds into my business side.”

“They are why I go to work. I work hard to have the time to play with them.”

What stands out most about Chris is his authentic connection with the people he serves. “No matter how big or small the deal, I care because I know there are people behind it. It’s never just another deal. Whether I make money or not, I care that their transaction is successful and that they’re happy.”

Chris also describes himself as a “family guy” who puts “tons of effort and emphasis” into his kids.

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Chris Carpenter Assistant Vice President of Sales Fidelity National Title 451 East Vanderbilt Way #350 San Bernardino, CA 92408 Tel: 760-447-0899 Chris.Carpenter@fnf.com http://www.highdeserttitleteam.com

Chris Carpenter Fidelity National Title Group

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The Secret to Winning

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ne weekend Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio shocked the sports world by announcing that they were releasing Byron Leftwich, their starting quarterback, and replacing him with David Garrard. Coach Del Rio stated that he not only thought Garrard was the better quarterback but that he also brought more positive energy to the position and team—and “positive energy is something we covet.”

Del Rio, like all great leaders and coaches knows an important secret. If you want to win, ironically, you don’t focus on winning. You focus on the positive energy and attitude and development of your people and team.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA Basketball Coach ironically never focused on winning. He focused on developing his players. He focused on improving their fundamentals, skills, character and team work. He focused on people instead of outcomes and as a result he won….a lot.

Of course all successful people and teams have a goal to win. But winning is just a goal and not the focus. Winning is the byproduct of great effort, leadership, coaching, teamwork and positive energy.

And just as you can win in sports you can win at work and life by knowing and living this secret.

My friend Skip Tague told me a story about coaching his daughter’s basketball team. In the beginning of the year they were like the bad news bears of basketball. They were blown out each game and the girls were dejected. So instead of having the girls focus on the points on the scoreboard Skip 20

devised a different point system. He gave the girls points every time they took a shot, or made a great pass, or got a rebound or played good defense. The girls grew more and more excited about this and over time focused more on how many points they could generate individually and collectively with the new point system rather than the scoreboard. “And then a funny thing happened,” Skip said. The girls started to dramatically improve because they were focused on improving their skills rather than the scoreboard—and they even won their last game. But the best part is that the following year Skip’s team was the best in the league.

Whether its football, basketball, work or life, winning doesn’t happen by focusing on the points on the scoreboard. It happens when we focus on the people, skills, positive energy and teamwork that generate the points.

Let us focus on these things, create a new scoring system and winning will come easy.

Jon Gordon is a leading authority on developing positive, engaged people, leaders, businesses, schools and teams and the author of the international best seller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy. Jon’s proven solutions are being put to use by thousands of executives and organizations including the PGA Tour and he has been featured in hundreds of television shows, magazines and newspapers around the world including CNN’s American Morning, NBC’s Today Show, Men’s Health, Forbes, and Positive Thinking.

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kinecta.org/construction-to-perm Membership requirements apply. NMLS (Nationwide Mortgage Lending Service) ID: 407870. Subject to credit and property approval. Rates, program terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all products are available in all states and for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. The actual terms of the loan will depend upon the specific characteristics of the loan transaction, the applicant’s credit history, and other financial circumstances that may apply.

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Mercedes De La Cruz Executive Agent of the Month

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Mercedes De La Cruz Standing for the American Dream

Written by H. K. Wilson - Photography by Ian Wiant

L

icensed real estate broker Mercedes De La Cruz personifies the American Dream. A first-generation American, Mercedes grew up inspired by her hard-working mother Maria who began investing in real estate shortly after arriving in the U.S. An entrepreneur who grew a fleet of catering trucks, Maria saved her loose change to put a downpayment on her first property in 1979. As her means grew, so did her real estate portfolio.

“She showed me the ropes and what it takes to qualify for and buy property,” Mercedes says. “She taught me her work ethic and the importance of remaining humble through the process. She still buys real estate and vacant land, and she eventually purchased a small store. She pushed all of us to build our credit and put together a down payment, and my siblings and I are all homeowners. She’s the reason I’m in real estate today.”

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After high school, Mercedes went to work as a real estate assistant. At 21 years of age she obtained her sales license, and by the time she was 24, she became a licensed broker. She had the good fortune to be mentored by two senior agents, J.J. Lopez and Dan Nevarez, who taught her how to succeed at selling bank-owned properties and short sales during the 2008 downturn.

Today, Mercedes is an award-winning agent at CENTURY 21 Allstars in Pico Rivera, the number one office in California for eight consecutive years. With the leadership and support of owner Joe Villaescusa

and general manager Richard Estrada, she has been recognized as a Top 250 Realtor® by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and as a Top Producer by the Downey Association of Realtors® (DAOR).

For Mercedes, real estate is truly a family business, as she works in partnership with her sister Angelica, who expertly handles the paperwork and administrative tasks for her real estate practice. “We also live together, so we’re always able to talk about the details and make sure everything gets done for our clients.”

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With more than 15 years’ experience in real estate, Mercedes remains a daily student of the market. It is her morning ritual to evaluate trends by tracking recent sales and new listings in her area. “It’s how I’m able to guide my clients with current information.

I wish I had a crystal ball to predict the future, but I can use these indicators to give people good advice.”

Mercedes was quick to respond to news about COVID-19 and create strategies to protect her clients’ best interests. Right before stay-at-home orders were put into place, she had the foresight to invest in a 3D video camera, drone and lighting equipment so she could shoot 3D virtual tours and aerial views of her listings. For buyers, she has a ready supply of gloves, hand sanitizer and booties. “My goals is to provide whatever I can to put people at ease and make it easy for them to buy or sell a property.”

Her willingness to go above and beyond is at the heart of Mercedes’ award-winning service. When a client’s needs takes her outside her home community of Southeast Los Angeles, Mercedes will make herself the expert in order to find them the ideal home.

She recently helped a client sell their family home of 39 years and successfully relocate from Whittier to Palm Desert. This is what her client had to say about the experience: “Ms. De La Cruz performs her craft in a professional manner and goes out of her way to achieve the utmost possible cash advantage for her seller and/or buyer. She demonstrates every aspect of high quality service along with the rest of her team.

I would highly recommend both her and CENTURY 21 Allstars to friends and family. This is my fourth transaction with this Realtor® and, once again, 100% satisfaction with services rendered.”

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Another satisfied client reported: “We had been looking at multiple properties, and out of all the open houses we had been to, Mercedes was the only one who took the time to ask questions, listen to our needs and guide us in the right direction in order to be able to purchase the best home for our needs. Mercedes was very patient with us and very helpful throughout the whole process, always going above and beyond to help and guide us in the right directions we needed to go in. I would strongly recommend Mercedes De La Cruz for home purchasing needs. As a matter of fact, we already recommended her to help my brother-in-law find his future home.”

According to Mercedes, the life she has today would not have been possible without her mom’s example and the loving support of her brother Albert.

Mercedes’ passion for the American Dream is reflected in her determination to help others become homeowners. “My mom’s examples reflects in my business. When I work with a first-time buyer, I always motivate them that buying a home is so much better than renting. Even if they’re afraid to make the commitment, I show them that owning a home is the key to financial freedom.”

Mercedes has instilled her family legacy of success in her son Leonard, who is a student at Arizona State University and on track for early graduation. She enjoys spending time with her dogs Bella and Goldie at local parks and hiking trails around Whittier.

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Mercedes De La Cruz CENTURY 21 Allstars 9155 Telegraph Rd. Pico Rivera, CA 90660 Tel: 323-493-3438 Email: c21delacruz@gmail.com Web: www.mercedes-delacruz.c21.com DRE # 01414738 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

CONTACT TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION! Melody Gomez Sales Manager NMLS-259837

o: (213) 926-5137 c: (213) 926-5137 f: (844) 530-9692 megomez@financeofamerica.com foamortgage.com/megomez ©2020 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | | NMLS ID #1071 | (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044 | (800) 355-5626 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071. This is not a commitment to lend. Prices and guidelines are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states. Subject to review of credit and/or collateral; not all applicants will qualify for financing. It is important to make an informed decision when selecting and using a loan product; make sure to compare loan types when making a financing decision. This document is provided by Finance of America. Any materials were not provided by HUD or FHA. It has not been approved by FHA or any Government Agency.

OUR MISSION P W R’S MI SSI ON To remain the preeminent real estate association in UPHOLDING PROFESSIONAL

STANDARDS, PROVIDING VALUABLE EDUCATION, and PROTECTING PROPERTY RIGHTS through political advocacy for our REALTOR® members and the public.

To Learn More About the Pacific West Association of REALTORS®, Please contact Lalaine Castillo at lalainec@pwr.net.

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Sally Roldan Welcoming Families Home

Nationwide Real Estate Group Specializing in Client Satisfaction Written by H. K. Wilson

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or more than 35 years, Realtor® Sally Roldan has called the city of Tustin home. It is the place where she came of age and then went on to raise her own children, invest in a home and build her 20-plus-year career in the mortgage and real estate sector. For Sally, her daily life and professional sphere are beautifully intertwined as she welcomes families to her community and helps them find the perfect home.

“I’ve been here for most of my life, and I don’t want to go anywhere else,” she says. “I want to help the community by bringing new home buyers here. I can pretty much tell them everything that’s going on.

Tustin has such a hometown feel. It’s just the right size, and I love the surrounding areas. The beach is only 15 minutes away without traffic, and in the same day you can drive to the mountains and go skiing.

We used to do that in high school. I especially love North Tustin. It’s a hidden gem. The lots are surprisingly huge, and it’s a great family community.”

great. She wants me to succeed and do my best.”

After two decades in the mortgage industry, Sally decided she was ready to move on from the corporate environment and become a real estate entrepreneur.

She joined Nationwide Real Estate Executives (NRE), one of the fastest-growing privately owned firms in the U.S., where the collaborative work environment and cutting-edge industry resources have allowed her to thrive as a professional. “What I like is the feeling of teamwork instead of being competitive. The support I’ve gotten from our broker Tara Walker has been

Sally is not only an expert on the local market, she is a friendly and approachable individual. These qualities put her clients at ease as they are making one of life’s greatest financial decisions. Since she also understands the mortgage lending process, she is able to prepare them for each stage of the transaction and ensure a seamless close of escrow.

Positive, detail oriented and a great listener, Sally inspires trust and gives her clients the security to invest in a home with confidence.

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With such deep roots in the community, Sally has nurtured lasting relationships with her clients, colleagues and neighbors. A client with whom she has worked for over a decade said this: “During that time, we have had many successes, as well as some challenges. Sally is a true professional and remained positive the entire time. She made sure that we recognized our accomplishments and helped motivate me when things didn’t go as planned. Sally was always prepared and very organized. If I ever needed an answer to something, Sally would do the research and keep me updated until she found an answer. Sally is a great communicator. I always felt like I knew what was happening and she made sure I understood the situation, even when it was not the best news. Sally works hard and puts 100% of herself into what she is doing. I highly recommend working with Sally — you will not be disappointed.”

schools, sports and community programs. While their children were attending Mater Dei High School, the whole family participated in the Monarchs for Marines program, in which student athletes volunteered to teach children of military families at Camp Pendleton football and dance skills. Sally and her family are also big animal lovers and are in the process of adopting a Chow to join their Husky-Spaniel and Persian cat.

In life and in real estate, Sally’s mantra is “be humble and be kind.” She describes herself as a nurturer who loves conveying warmth and love to others. In real estate, she has found a career that allows her to do just that. “I want people to feel comfortable and confident that I can help them with the purchase of their American Dream.”

Sally and her husband have been married for 22 years, and they have two children. Throughout the years, they have been active supporters of local ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Sally Roldan

Nationwide Real Estate Executives 530 Technology Dr., Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618 - Tel: (714) 453.8279 Email: SallyRoldan@NRELiving.com Web: www.SallyRoldan.NRE.Cloud DRE # 02095511

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HELPING MILITARY & VETERAN

FAMILIES REALIZE THE

AMERICAN DREAM! 2,600 + VETERANS

EDUCATED ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP

1,500 + FAMILIES

WHO WE ARE Established in 2011, the USA Homeownership Foundation, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership, financial-literacy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity for the active-military and veteran communities.

WERE HELPED THROUGH VAREP CARES

OUR FIVE POINT PLAN

750 VETERANS PLACED IN HOMES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS

WHO CAN JOIN? Any individual regardless if you have served or not. VAREP and its members represent and work within all sectors of the real estate, housing and financial services industries...

WE WANT YOU!

1. Homeownership Advocacy – Advocate nationally to develop programs that reduce barriers to homeownership in the military and veteran communities.

2. Community Outreach – Foster responsible homeownership in the military and veteran communities by providing housing education and counseling services.

3. Professional Membership – Provide a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

4. Veteran Job Creation – Provide employment opportunities through posting on our military and veteran job board. We are also working on creating awareness among companies to include veteran-owned businesses in their supplier diversity program.

5. Affordable Housing – Provide affordable home buying opportunities for veterans and service members who have gone through VAREP’s homeownership education counseling services.

info@VAREP.net | w w w .VAR EP. n e t | 951-444-7363 VAREP IS A 501.C.3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE. USA HOMEOWNERSHIP DBA VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS TAX ID: 45-2458485

R

emember the expression, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” They want to know if you are willing to give of yourself, to serve their needs and wants.

They’re not interested in your title, your college degrees, or how much money you have. First, they want to know if you care about them as a person, if you care about helping them solve their problems. Then your knowledge and experience become important.

When you are considering the idea and process of giving “good service”, ask yourself, “What would I want if I were dealing with me?” That really brings it home.

When you think of service in personal terms you feel the accountability involved. It becomes a personal responsibility, not just a nice idea or phrase.

That kind of thinking turns into a philosophy about the service concept. And, that is where you find the real benefit, in both receiving and giving excellent service.

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We have intelligence quotients and personality quotients. If there were a service quotient, an SQ, how would you score? How would your organization score?

It is a very powerful concept to build a life, a career or an organization on the knowledge that good service always boomerangs.

Sheila Murray Bethel is a best selling author, television personality and globally acclaimed professional speaker. Sheila’s expertise is Change, Leadership, and Personal Excellence. She is the author of the bestselling book, Making A Difference: 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader, host of the new Public Television Specials, “Making A Difference”, and business woman.

Copyright© 2003, Sheila Murray Bethel. All rights reserved. For information about Sheila’s Leadership Seminars and Workshops, contact the Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com; http://www.frogpond.com.

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The Service Boomerang

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HOUSING COUNSELING HELP DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS We hope our VAREP family members are healthy and safe during these challenging times! As we all know, COVID-19 is not only a threat to our health, but for most of us and our clients, it is also impacting us financially. We hope you and your family members are healthy and continue to stay well during this unprecedented and challenging times. Recently our Housing Counseling Department put together and hosted an Online Workshop “Housing Counseling Helping Our Communities” for VAREP members to educate on how our housing counseling department can assist you and your clients during these unprecedented times.

As a member of VAREP, we all want to be of service and help our communities. We hosted this workshop to remind our members that our HUD Housing Counseling Services are here to assist our Veterans, Active Military Members, patriots and our communities with their credit and housing needs. This includes helping with creating a sticking to a sustainable budget, working out payment plans with creditors, and managing debts. We are also working with our lender partners to get the latest information on the CARES Act and various forbearance plans, loan modification and loan workouts for those who may have experienced income reduction or loss. Many lenders and creditors have announced new programs to suspended payments, foreclosures and evictions. We are here to assist during this unprecedented time and we continue to be available to provide these services throughout the county via phone and internet counseling. We encourage you to help us be the boots on the ground to spread the word that we are here and continue to help by providing the following services: •Budgeting & Financial Management •Credit Improvement & Debt Reduction and Management •Homebuying, Down Payment Programs and First Time Buyer Loans •VA Loans & Certificate of Eligibility •HUD Home Buyer Certificates – Ehome America Online & Individual Counseling •Foreclosure Prevention, Loan Modification, and Forbearance Plans We recorded the Housing Counseling Helping Our Communities webinar, so if you missed it or want to share it with others, please view it here: https://vimeo.com/402609698/fe826bdd17 We encourage you to refer your clients who need help to call us at 888-273-7267, or email Veronica Ramirez, our Administrative Assistant, at vramirez@varep.net. You can also visit www.MyHomeownership.org or www.VetHomeOwnership.com for intake forms, more information and success stories.

In the next few weeks, we will be launching another new online Workshop, “Mortgage Help During the COVID-19 Crisis” which will offer an opportunity to learn about the mortgage relief programs that are available, how to apply and programs to help during this crisis. We encourage our members to get the facts and help our clients get prepared before speaking to their mortgage lender. Look for this workshop invite coming soon! Stay well and let’s do our best to help and stay healthy during these challenging times.

Our Housing Counseling Department is Here to Help You and Your Clients!

USA Homeownership Foundation’s Housing Counseling Program is a no cost service open to Service Members and Veterans throughout the United States. Our HUD Housing Counseling Department is based out of VAREP’s Nation headquarters is in Corona but open to any Veteran, Service Member or Patriot living in the United States.

Our Housing Counseling Program currently offers prepurchase, home buyer counseling, financial capability, credit and budget counseling, foreclosure prevention and post purchase counseling.

If Veterans or Service Members need help accessing their VA Loan Benefits or Certificate of Eligibility, Thomas Griffin, our HUD Housing Counselor who is also a US Marine Veteran can assist them. We’ve successfully assisted over 500 clients this year alone with credit improvement, budgeting, homeownership and foreclosure prevention. Have a client whose credit needs work before buying a home, send them over to our Housing Counseling Department. Check out a few of our success stories on our website at: https://vethomeownership.com/index.php/successes/video-library

GETTING HELP FOR YOUR CLIENTS IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3

1. Contact Contact our Housing Counseling Department by visiting our website at www.VetHomeOwnership.com and download the client intake forms.

2. Call Call our toll free number 888. 273.7267

3. Email Email your request to Veronica Ramirez, Housing Counseling Administrative Assistant, at vramirez@varep.net.

TRY VS. DO

M

om and Dad were wrong about this one. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.”

Now I know that their motives were good, and the principle, in and of itself had value. They were teaching us to ease into what ever it was that we were struggling with. I know the lesson they were teaching us was pure and sound but when we get to be adults we should get away from the ‘try’ and get into the ‘do.’

There is one very important thing lacking behind the ‘try’ word. Commitment, anytime you use the word ‘try’ it lacks commitment. Here is an example most of us see at least once a week. How many times during the course of the week do you have someone come up to you and say, “Hey, I’m going to ‘try’ and get in touch with you sometime next week.”

Whenever I hear that I always reply, “What do you mean, try?” Does that mean if you’re in the mood, or if you remember my number, or if you’re by a phone and have 35 cents?”

Do you notice a difference between, “I’m going to ‘try’ to get in touch with you next week” and “Tuesday at 3:00 in the afternoon, I’m going to call you at this number. Are you going to be in?” Do you see the difference?

One is committed the other is not. Some people use the ‘try’ word just to get out from under the task at hand or to be polite. Either way, it lacks integrity.

Here is another example. How many of you out there have ‘tried’ skydiving?

simply went on a plane ride with a parachute on!” To this day I don’t know if he got the message, but the rest of the class did.

Do this, for the next week, stop using the ‘try’ word.

If you catch yourself or another person use it, ask yourself or them if that really was what you meant.

You see, I have more respect for someone who will say, “I’m not going to do that” and then tell me why, than someone who will say, “I’ll try,” and then not deliver. On the first hand, I know where I stand.

I’ve got to do it myself or get someone who will. It’s not hard, simply replace the word ‘try’ with ‘do’ and see if you notice the difference.

Here is an important question. Do you want to ‘try’ to be happy? Do you want to ‘try’ to be a good Father or Mother? Do you want to ‘try’ to do a good job at work? It is more than a semantics issue; it ties directly into our level of commitment.

Rory Aplanalp has impacted the lives of more than one million people across the globe. He then founded his own company, Human Resource Development, a leader in the sales training field. For more than fourteen years, Rory was affiliated with Franklin Quest/Franklin Covey and was distinguished as their top seminar and keynote speaker. Copyright© 2002, Rory Aplanalp. All rights reserved. For information about Rory’s speaking and training programs, please contact the Frog Pond Group at 800-704-FROG (3764) or Susie@frogpondgroup.com; http://www. frogpondgroup.com.

You know jumping out of a plane with parachutes on. I had one guy in my seminar say, “Well, I have.”

I stated that he didn’t ‘try’ he actually ‘did’ the skydiving thing. He countered with, “No, I tried it!” I asked him to explain. He proceeded to tell me how he went up in the plane and strapped the parachute on. When they came to the drop area and opened the door, he looked out and it appeared to be a lot higher than he thought it was going to be, so he asked them to close the door. I said, “You mean you did not jump out?” He said “No, but I tried skydiving.”

I countered by saying, “You didn’t ‘try’ skydiving, you

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Greater DAOR VIDEO SERVICE

STUDIO RENT VIDEO SERVICE GREEN SCREEN

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G

oing around with a nasty and sarcastic, all “theyowe-me-type-of-thing”, “it is their fault”, “it is the Government’s fault” and continually feeling victimised and negative just about everything, is not really sustainable. So the exercise here is to see whether we can change ourselves to gain a different kind of attitude: “A Positive Attitude”.

Dwelling in the half empty measures, the negative attitudes, the resentments about all things, on blaming everyone else and everything else for your misfortunes is not going to get anything in your life solved. But you already know that, so, trying the other angle, “the positive way” as many people would call it, seems quite a logical thing to do.

Of all things you can adopt for yourself, you would be hard-pressed to find something better than a positive attitude. If you believe you have a realistic approach in life and that is what must prevail above all others, perhaps some thoughts on a positive attitude and the benefits that can bring you, could persuade you to open your mind towards acquiring it.

If being resentful, blame full, uncaring, angry, boastful, impolite and provocative do not get us anything truly worthwhile and make us look negative in so many ways to others, why not make an effort to overcome little by little all those traits to start having a positive attitude and seeing a change in how we are perceived by others.

Sometimes we don’t realize why we go towards things that express frustration, anger, ill feelings about people, situations of family life, the government, the wife, the husband, the environment etc. all of which, if we allow them to persevere in our life, can change our perception of what reality is, simply because we see them from one angle alone.

All expressions of this side of seeing things is not a healthy way to be about in life. They can stop us from being resourceful and from seeking solutions to everything we see as problems that upset us. It is not very useful and encouraging for others to see us carrying this kind of attitude.

Imagine if instead, we present ourselves with ideas to overcome most things that clutter our judgment and project forward a resourceful way of dealing with things, like talking about other ways to see what is difficult, complex, hurtful, abusive, repulsive or hateful.

And what if we persist on smiling, on focusing our thoughts to find solutions, on giving plenty to others without reservation, especially on treating others in a more loveable way without fear of rejection.

Do you think if you took this way of behaving would attract a different response from others? I believe this other way of being not only will change your life, your health and your financial position but will also make you a more caring person to everyone around you. Even if you don’t believe it until you make an effort to deviate from taking the pessimistic side of things in life, and go onto the different side of reasoning, that lies in the resourceful state, the creative state, the solution-seeking state, it is extremely difficult to see gains in your life.

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Looks like by eliminating all those traits, you can begin to make small changes in your attitude, small enough steps to build a muscle of gradual improvement to overcome ingrained negativity. If you persist with this new way of behaving and make it sustainable, you will be, eventually, unstoppable. Nothing can resist your new level of positive attitude that is all conquering, charming and effective in just about any endeavour you care to take.

You will always be welcome by everyone and doors will be open to you because it is the new you with the all powerful attitude, “the positive attitude” that you so much wanted since the days of the “half empty glass” and the “partially cloudy skies” and the gloomy statistics of doom that you used to believe.

Now you are not sarcastic and nasty and do not have time for sadness, illness, abusive manners and provocation that so much hurt others and got you nothing but rejection.

No, you are now totally the opposite, the charming, kind, smiley, courteous, giving, always ready to help kind of person that others love to be with, help and admire.

How beautiful is that? To all those that knew you as a negative, stressful-type of person to be with , now they love you and respect you and want to help you because they want to reciprocate your changed positive personality.

Great news!

If you like this article and want to read others related to Personal Improvement and other subjects of Marketing, you can go here: http://www.GermanCalvo.com/blog where you can also get eBooks downloaded FREE to help you gain ideas of Internet Marketing and off-line marketing.

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Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow

T

he problem with waiting until tomorrow—to do anything—is that when it finally arrives, it is called today. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow, so the question is this: What did we do with its opportunity? All too often, we will waste tomorrow as we wasted yesterday… and as we are wasting today. All that could have been accomplished can easily elude us, despite our intentions, until we inevitably discover that the things that might have been have slipped from our embrace one single, unused day at a time.

Each of us must pause frequently to remind ourselves that the clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease.

Time is the great equalizer of all humankind.

It has taken away the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency.

When the game of life is finally over, there is no second chance to correct our errors. The clock that is ticking away the moments of our lives does not care about winners and losers. It does not care about who succeeds or who fails. It does not care about excuses, fairness or equality. The only essential issue is how we played the game.

the value of each and every moment of our lives— moments that seem so insignificant that their loss often goes unnoticed.

We still have all the time we need. We still have lots of chances, lots of opportunities, lots of years to show what we can do. There will be a tomorrow, a next week, a next month and a next year. But unless we develop a sense of urgency, those brief windows of time will be sadly wasted, as were the weeks and months and years before them. There isn’t an endless supply.

So as you think of your dreams and goals of your future “tomorrow,” take those very important first steps to making them all come to life… today.

Jim Rohn knows the secrets of success - in business and in life. He has devoted his life to a study of the fundamentals of human behavior and personal motivation that affect professional performance. He can awaken the unlimited power of achievement within you! Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine. Copyright© 2006, Jim Rohn. All right reserved. For information about Jim’s keynote presentations and seminars, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@ FrogPond.com http://FrogPond.com.

Regardless of a person’s age, there is a sense of urgency that should drive them into action now—this very moment. We should be constantly aware of

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start living the life of your dreams today not tomorrow ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTORÂŽ to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE

TO NOMINATE? I Nominate: Name____________________________________________________________________ Company________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________ Submitted By: Name____________________________________________________________________ Company________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________ Fax/Email nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com Tel: 949.297.8323

Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

800-826-HOPE

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WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/bmt

11/25/13 6:02 PM

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