The PIN Magazine Special Edition February 2014

February 2014 Vol. 01 | Issue 3

the PIN magazine

IN THIS ISSUE: Eric Frazier MLK Day & Black History month

jamil atcha Arthur Ashe: African American Hero.

Paul Lejoy The Africa I

dit lE cia

The Good Old Days … or Were They?

Sp e

Alex Perriello

ion

Know… First: Cameroon

PUBLISHER’S NOTE Esteem Readers, Welcome to the very first special edition of The PIN Magazine to celebrate February Black History month and the Jubilee Year of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The PIN Magazine and The Power Is Now Radio are divisions of The Power Is Now Inc., an African American own media company. As the President and CEO, it is a privilege and special honor that The Power Is Now Inc., can devote its resources to celebrate and recognize the contributions of African Americans in the US and celebrate the Jubilee Year of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. I was born in 1962. I have read about the struggles of African Americans and have watched documentaries about the brutal violence and death suffered by African Americans. At the tender age of 2 when the 1964 Civil Rights Act law was passed I could not have known the impact it would have on African American life and all people of color today. I am a beneficiary of the works that was done, the price that was paid and the sacrifices that were made so I could work anywhere, live anywhere, and achieve any dreams that I had for myself and my family.

One only has to read our history to see the humiliation and degradation of African American people in the US prior to the passing of the 1964 Civil Right Law. I can say today that racism and any conflicts that I have experienced as a black man is not comparable to what those who have come before me experience. This is not say that racism and discrimination is no longer a problem in America but we have come a very long way.

The Power Is Now Inc. would probably not exist if the racial barriers were not torn down by the incredible and courageous black leader of our past. There are so many people we could recognize for their contribution to freedom and the culture of African American People that it would be impossible put them all down in one article, magazine or book. So we decided to recognize individuals who in our view deserve special recognition in this year’s Special Edition for their contributions. It is our plan to be around for many years to come and so we will eventually get to everyone.

I am happy that black History month exist and they we have an opportunity to say thank you Black People for helping build America to be the strong country and beautiful she is. The ugly scares of our past cannot and will not diminish the beautiful and radiant view of our future as a nation because of the wonderful contributions that have been made by African American men and women since the day we landed in America.

We have so much to be thankful for today and I believe we would lose sight of how bless we really are if we didn’t take time out and say thank you to our forefathers. Everything we see and enjoyed today as African Americans and persons of color came with a price. The price that was paid for freedom is so precious that its value could never be calculated. How can you put a value on a man or woman’s life? How can you put price on freedom? I believe you cannot put a price on freedom, but you can celebrate the lives that were given and say thank you for the life we enjoy today.

Happy Black History Month.

Eric Lawrence Frazier, MBA President/CEO of The Power Is Now Inc. www.thepowerisnow.com

CONTENTS:

Page 6

Page 60

INDEX

Challenges (page 42)

Mission and vision of the PIN Magazine (page 6)

Leading Field Services Company Minimizes Risk Exposure for Lenders and Servicers esponsible Homeownership (page 16)

THE CEO’S CORNER The Good Old Days …or Were They? (page 8)

REAL ESTATE There’s strenght in the struggle (Page 10) Current Housing and Economic

THE POWER IS NOW INC. Eric Lawrence Frazier, MBA President and CEO Office: (800) 401-8994 Ext. 703 Direct: (714) 361-2105 Eric.Frazier@ThePowerIsNow.com www.thepowerisnow.com Blogtalkradio: www.blogtalkradio. com/thepowerisnow

EDITION TEAM Eric Lawrence Frazier Editor in Chief (800) 401-8994 Ext. 703

Zillow, REALTOR.com, and Trulia: Why Do Agents Hate Them? (page 50) 7 Traits of Highly Successful Short Sale Agents (page 24) Strategies for Success in 2014 (Page 28)

Page 58

Important tips for selling your home (page 34) Celebrating Black History Month (page 39) 1964 Civil Rights Act: 50 years later (page 40) Alex Haley (page 42) Barack Obama (page 44) Frederick Doulas (page 46) George Carver (page 48)

Erica L. Frazier, MBA Assistant Editor (800) 401-8994 ext. 710 erica.frazier@thepowerisnow.com El Princess Eclar Digital Media Manager (800) 401-8994 ext. 702 elprincess.eclar@thepowerisnow.com Goldy Ponce Arratia Graphic Artist and Design Manager (800( 401-8994 ext. 711 goldy.ponce@thepowerisnow.com D’Adrea Davie Assistant Editor

(800) 401-8994 ext. 704 dadrea.davie@thepowerisnow.com Celeste Davie Copywriter (800) 401-8994 ext. 706 celeste.davie@thepowerisnow.com Rachel Bacol Relationship Manager (800) 401-8994 ext. 701 rachel.bacol@thepowerisnow.com Eric Egana Staff Writer (800) 401-8994 ext. 701 eric.egana@thepowerisnow.com

Page 88

Page 106

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (page 50)

Sovereign (page 68)

Gwendolyn Brooks (page 52)

HEALTH

Oprah Winfrey (page 54)

Vitality and you (Page 72)

Sojourner Truth (page 56)

LAW

Arthur Ashe (page 58)

Genius Waiting to Heppen (Page 74)

MLK day & Black History Month 2014 (page 60)

LAW Bankruptcy: It’s not a Dirty Word (Page 64)

ENTERTAINMENT It’s Impossible to be Poor in America...Except it isn’t (Page 76)

The Wolf of Wall Street (Page 78)

CONTRIBUTORS Alex Perriello Anita Jones Bob Irish Bubba Mills Jill Rand Donell Spivey David Allen Antonio Perez Andrew Jones Eric Egana Eric Frazier P.S. Perkins Gwendolyn Wynn Michelle Kristie Michael Totaro

Linell King Lynn Effinger Paul Lejoy Michael Green Jamil Atcha Jim Carr Nancy Braun Nathan Froelich Zna Portlock Houston

Page 108

TRAVEL Travel Mention...Convicted by his Convictions (page 80) The Africa I know ... First: Cameroon (page 82)

POETRY Black Beauty (page 86) I believe in me (page 89)

Mission and Vision of the power is now MAGazine Mission

Vision

The Power Is Now e-Magazine is a national real estate and lifestyle magazine, bringing together consumers and the real estate, banking, insurance and investment professionals who serve them, through smart, fun, and timely editorial content, compelling photographs and quality advertising.

The Power Is Now Online and e-Magazine will be the premier Real Estate Magazine serving consumers, real estate and business professionals nationwide in all metropolitan markets. The Power Is Now Online and e-magazine will be viewed as the most effective medium for real estate and business professional to get exposure to consumers and to share their knowledge and information that will empower them to take action.

Each issue will feature a blend of articles from business and industry professional leaders, on residential and commercial real estate, default services, REO and short sales, finance, banking, insurance, dining, fashion, home design, travel, health/fitness, Book/Movie reviews and more. The Power Is Now e-Magazine will be a free subscription magazine available on www.thepowerisnow. com. The Online version will be a paid subscription with more content, video, radio interviews and commentary from news makers and the writers.

Cover and Feature story profiles: The cover of each issue will feature our visionary Eric Lawrence Frazier MBA, publisher of the Power Is Now Magazine and founder and executive producer of the Power Is Now Radio. Each issue will also feature a Power Player Centerfold of an extraordinary business professional who is an exceptional leader in the business, insurance, banking, the real estate and other industries.

The Online and e-Magazine will have 26 sections for various articles under the Power Is Now theme: The Power Is Now Real Estate, Real Estate Resource, Real Estate Agent Spotlight, Headline News, Technology, Politics, Community, Health, Medicine, Ministry, Literacy, Education, Entertainment, Cuisine, Music, Youth, Social media, Research & Reports, Business, Energy, Economics, Life Coaching, Publishers Note, Power Player Centerfold, Art and Sports. The writers for each department will all be industry professionals who are practitioners in their field of expertise. We are bringing the best practitioners in the industry to share their knowledge and experience in their field of expertise. They are industry professionals who can provide advice, and information to make decisions that will enable consumers to navigate through the challenges and opportunities of life.

6 | TPIN MAGAZINE

©

CEO & Publisher Eric Lawrence Frazier, MBA 3739 6th Street Riverside, CA 921506 Ph: 800-401-8994 x 703 EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Eric L. Frazier, MBA Associate Editor Dadrea Davie Associate Editor & Writer Eric Egana, MA Associate Editor Erica L. Frazier, MBA Staff Writer Celeste Davie Transcription Gail Valeski ONLINE Managing Editor/Online El Princess Eclar Web Designer & Manager Rahul Patel DESIGN Art Director & Design Manager Goldy Ponce Graphic Artist Jaime Daniel Costico

ADMINISTRATIVE Executive Assistant El Princess Eclar Relationship manager Rachel Bacol SALES Sales Manager Perry Frazier HEADQUATERS The Power Is Now Inc. 3739 6th Street Riverside, CA 92506 Ph: 800-401-8994 Fax: 800-401-8994 Email: info@thepowerisnow.com www.thepowerisnow.com www.magazine.thepowerisnow.com PUBLICATION AND SERVICES The PIN Magazine The Power Is Now Radio The Power Is Now Publications The Power Is Now Radio Guide The Power Is Now VIP Agent Program The Power IS Now Power Consulting/Coaching The Power Is Now Association Management The Power IS Now Event Management

STATEMENT OF COPYRIGHT: The PIN Magazine™ is owned and published electronically by The Power Is Now Inc. Copyright 2013-2014 The Power Is Now Inc. All rights reserved.

“The PIN Magazine and distinctive logo are trademarks owned by The Power Is Now Inc. “ThePINMagaizne.com” is a trademark of The Power Is Now Inc. “Magazine.thepowerisnow.com “ is a trademark of The Power Is Now Inc. “Thepowerisnow.com “ is a trademark of The Power Is Now Inc. “The Power IS Now Event Management” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power Is Now Radio” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power Is Now Publications” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power Is Now Radio Guide” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power Is Now VIP Agent Program” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power IS Now Power Consulting/Coaching” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. “The Power Is Now Association Management” is a trademark of the Power Is Now Inc. No part of this electronic magazine or website may be reproduced without the written consent of The Power Is Now Inc. Requests for permission should be directed to: El Princess Eclar at elprincess.eclar@thepowerisnow.com

TPIN MAGAZINE | 7

THE CEO’s CORNER

The Good OLD DAYS … or Were They?

My real estate career began in 1977 in central Arizona. As a rookie agent, I was still learning the business and took every available opportunity to better understand the business that would later become my career and passion. That diligence included reading every real estate-related document that came across my desk. Within a few weeks of getting my license, I made my first sale and, as required in the purchase agreement, ordered a title report on the property from the local title agency. When the report came to my office I proceeded to read every page of the report, including the copy of the original grant deed that was issued back in the 1930s.

What I saw shocked me.

Printed on the original deed were specific restrictions as to who the property could not be sold to in the future. In addition to certain religious persuasions, the list also included; African-Americans, Asians, Mexicans and Native Americans. I must admit that reading those restrictions gave me goose bumps, and not in a good way. What concerned me the most was that these restrictions were written in the same century that I was living in. People

8 | TPIN MAGAZINE

who wrote those restrictions were most likely still alive in 1977 and more importantly, may still feel those restrictions were warranted. This was not the America that I believed in and I was quite frankly appalled by the overt racism and bigotry that existed in this country before I was born.

From that day forward, when I hear people say; “Remember the Good Old Days?” as if things were better in this country back then, I think, well they may have good for some people, but certainly not those people on that deed restriction list.

Today, we look at homeownership rates in this country and wonder why the percentages belonging to certain races and ethnicities are well below the national average. Is it that these segments of the population don’t aspire to be homeowners? Or, is it the fact that homeownership was not available to them until the mid 1960s, or at best, “socially” unacceptable up until then?

You need to look no further than Germany for the answer. Yes, Germany. The homeownership rate in Germany today is 43%, the second lowest rate in the developed nations around the globe.

THE CEO’s CORNER

Why, you may ask? Immediately following World War II most German cities were in ruins.

Unemployment was high and people were forced to live in shelters or on the street. Their government, fearing another Fascist takeover, put people back to work building affordable rental housing for the masses. Since there were so few properties available for sale at the time (most of the housing stock had been damaged or destroyed) and little or no mortgage financing available, the population became accustomed to renting and that proclivity to lease rather than own remains to this day.

My point in all this is simple. If your grandparents owned their home, the likelihood is that your parents did. If your parents did, the likelihood is that you do now, or will at some point in your life.

In other words, homeownership becomes a family tradition. If your grandparents were on that deed restriction list, you may have some catching up to do.

As we celebrate Black History Month and the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, we should all give thanks to those brave men and women, of all races and creeds, who fought and in some cases gave their lives, for equal rights and Fair Housing Laws in this country. Thanks to them, the “Good Old Days” will soon belong to everyone.

Alex Perriello is president and chief executive officer of the Realogy Franchise Group, which includes the esteemed global franchise brands Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA Real Estate and Sotheby’s International Realty.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 9

REAL ESTATE

THERE’S STRENGTH IN THE

STRUGGLE

By Donnel Spivey

B

lack History Month serves for most of us as a time for reflection, recollection and recognition. We take time to applaud our individual achievements and positive societal changes. At the same time, we know that our struggle to gain full and equal treatment as Americans has not fully been realized. It is this juxtaposition of current circumstances and societal positioning that necessitates our vigilance and preparedness to carry on the struggle for equal rights and the end to any form of discrimination.

soldiers, freshly decorated and discharged from valiant military service, could not purchase homes in certain communities, nor easily secure mortgage financing even with the availability of better paying jobs.

The 12 founders of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers knew all too well that there was strength in coming together to attain equal rights for African Americans to own a home of their choice, and to succeed in the profession of their own choosing.

The founders knew from experience that the real estate profession did not welcome participation by people of color.

Courageously, considering the separate and unequal social and civic challenges of the late 1940s, NAREB’s visionary founders joined together standing on the principled belief that there should indeed be “Democracy in Housing” for every American regardless of race, color, creed, religious belief, gender or country of origin. The founders steadfastly held to the belief that the principle was well worth a fight, no matter the struggle.

No matter the strength and power of their adversaries. No matter the amount of time it might take to achieve the goal.

Together, those ordinary people with extraordinary vision set a movement in motion and found strength in the struggle for equal rights under the law.

Post-World War II America posed any number of barriers for African Americans. Public schools were still segregated and equal housing opportunity had not been legislated. Our

Now, nearly seven decades later, NAREB still stands firmly on a foundation set by the 12 pioneers working for justice in the homeownership marketplace.

The 2014 challenges may appear

10 | TPIN MAGAZINE

less daunting and obvious than barriers faced in 1947. But let it be said, that legislative and public policy obstructions remain.

NAREB’s mandate to “stand against inequality and injustice” also remains and gains strength each time a new member joins or a new chapter becomes active, or a public policy changes due to our concerted and focused advocacy efforts.

Our charge, issued many years before, guides NAREB as we give voice and offer solutions to policy makers ensuring African Americans equal justice, fairness and opportunity in the homeownership marketplace.

Our Black History is a living history upon which we stand and upon which we go forward. There may be setbacks and there are sure to be victories. Our confidence and steadfastness stems from knowing that there is strength and meaning in our struggle to ensure sustainable homeownership for African Americans. History has been our teacher.

Donell Spivey President NAREB donnell.spivey@nareb.com donnell@exitspiveypros.com

REAL ESTATE

(Part 2 of 3)

Current Housing & Economic Challenges

by James Carr

Current state of housing reform legislation Lack of public engagement to improve the functioning of the housing market may help explain why the predominant proposals to restructure the housing finance system are both far off track. The major legislative proposals before the House of Representatives and Senate are the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners, or PATH, Act—introduced by U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)—and the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013, a bipartisan bill introduced by Republican Sen. Bob Corker (TN) and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner (VA), also known as the Corker-Warner bill.

The PATH Act was introduced under the banner of bringing private capital back to the housing market. The bill proposes to wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over a five-year period and replace them with a purely private mortgage finance system. Lack of an explicit federal role to support financing the more than $1 trillion of mortgage credit extended annually is justified as protecting the taxpayers from another costly bailout of the financial system.

Ironically, the lack of an explicit federal role leaves taxpayers even more exposed to another costly bailout. This situation exists because federal policymakers would certainly step in to protect the financial system from a potential collapse if losses by private firms were large enough to pose a systemic risk. As a result, the proposed PATH Act leaves the government implicitly insuring the housing finance system, as it did in the years leading up to the recent housing crisis, while

12 | TPIN MAGAZINE

leaving taxpayers on the hook for the full tab of another potentially costly bailout.

In fact, the last time the United States had a truly private housing finance system was in the years leading up to the Great Depression—when loans were typically of a five-year duration, were nonamortizing, and had a required down payment of 50 percent or greater. The modern finance system—in which Americans enjoy access to a 30-year, fixed-rate, self-amortizing mortgage with typical down payments of less than 20 percent—was created as a result of the inherent inadequacies of a purely private mortgage market.

Removing the federal backing for housing would likely result in the loss of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, eliminate the ability of borrowers to lock in an interest rate during the period their loans are being approved, require high down payments—most likely 20 percent or more— and leave the mortgage market vulnerable to dramatic drops in the availability of mortgage credit as private lenders retreat during periods of economic downturn.

Reforming the housing finance system must be based on fact, not fiction, and history, not nostalgia, about the role of private capital in mortgage finance—as well as the increasing diversity of America’s future potential homeowners.

The Corker-Warner bill proposes to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with an independent government agency called the Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation, or FMIC.

REAL ESTATE The FMIC will insure mortgage-backed securities issued by private financial institutions, similar to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Under this proposed legislation, the federal government would provide catastrophic insurance for the mortgage market that would pay only after private investors absorbed the first 10 percent of losses.

While the PATH and Corker-Warner proposals have initiated a fair amount of conversation about housing reform, most observers do not see housing reform occurring until possibly after the mid-term elections in 2014. Yet, while Congress fails to move forward on reform, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s role in the market continues to change.

The Corker-Warner bill would better protect taxpayers than the proposed PATH Act, yet it still fails to improve accessibility to mortgage credit. In fact, the bill, as introduced, would lead to an even more restrictive lending market than currently exists today.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, the current regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is already pursuing its own version of housing finance reform. FHFA’s actions are not likely to improve access. As Edward DeMarco, the interim director for FHFA, recently stated about his plans, borrowers who don’t fit neatly into Fannie and Freddie’s credit box should rely on depository lenders and the FHA.

The Corker-Warner bill establishes a minimum 5 percent down-payment requirement and fails to include an explicit duty to serve creditworthy borrowers protected by civil rights laws. And, as the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, or NCRC, has noted, the proposed law also inadequately funds the National Housing Trust and Capital Magnet Funds.

The proposed Corker-Warner bill’s recognition of the continuing and essential role of government in the mortgage market and its bipartisan sponsors are major reasons this bill is considered a more legitimate proposal than the proposed PATH Act. Yet revamping the housing finance system without meeting the needs of all creditworthy borrowers is a recipe for failure.

Finally, neither of these pieces of legislation adequately takes into account the critical role played by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the financing of affordable rental properties. Since the onset of the great recession, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have backed a very substantial portion of the multifamily market. Analysis by the National Housing Trust shows that close to 70 percent of the rental units financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2012 were affordable to lowincome renters. Any restructuring of Fannie and Freddie must simultaneously establish a reliable multifamily-housing financing mechanism.

In the absence of reform by Congress, FHFA is ‘reforming’ Fannie and Freddie

14 | TPIN MAGAZINE

But the overwhelming share of borrowers of color in the United States cannot fit neatly into a tight and rigid credit box, due to a history of discrimination and denial of economic opportunity. This history has resulted in those groups having very different credit profiles, as well as incomes and wealth, compared to non-Hispanic white households. As a result, disparate access to credit on the basis of race and ethnicity is literally designed into the new system.

Furthermore, FHFA, under its vision for the future, has already announced its intentions to begin scaling back on the backing of lending to support affordable rental-housing development, although there is no rationale for this curtailment. Fannie and Freddie’s multifamily businesses are both profitable and safe—with default rates of less than 1 percent. And the need for affordable rental housing is growing, not shrinking.

James H. Carr Housing finance, banking and urban policy consultant http://www.jameshcarr.com jim@jameshcarr.com 202-997-3839 P.O. Box 3732 McLead VA 22103

REAL ESTATE

LEADING FIELD SERVICES COMPANY MINIMIZES RISK EXPOSURE FOR LENDERS AND SERVICERS

By Lynn Effinger

As was clearly pointed out by various panelists and speakers at the National Property Preservation Conference recently in Chicago, exposure to risk is driving members of the mortgage default servicing industry to re-evaluate how they conduct much of their business, particularly as it relates to field services.

Extended foreclosure timelines in many markets around the country, especially in judicial foreclosure states, have contributed to conditions that have helped create a slow recovery. Increasing regulations, a greater focus on compliance, and local civic code issues continue to expand into every stage of the default cycle causing the industry’s exposure to risk to increase. In fact, Ann Thompson, a senior analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who delivered the keynote speech to open this year’s conference, indicated that lenders and servicers in this space have three main things to be focused on: “Risk, risk, risk.”

Developing effective strategies to reduce the high cost of exposure to risks is at the forefront of industry leaders’ minds, as was previously reported in the December issue of HousingWire.

Much evidence of this can be

16 | TPIN MAGAZINE

seen in today’s headlines, at mortgage industry conferences such as the NPPC, on blogs, and nearly everywhere one turns in the lending and default industries. This would seem to beg the question, “How can companies within these industries better protect their clients, assets, communities, reputations, and portfolios?”

With respect to field service providers, especially Assurant Field Asset Services, high-touch service and partnering with providers who offer cradle-tograve solutions is a trend that more and more lenders and servicers are turning to in order to help manage their clients’ portfolios. Meeting strict timelines and eliminating redundancies are crucial to successfully managing today’s field service requirements. Partnering with a proven national organization that has advanced capabilities through innovative technology,

superior resources and improved processes is a strategy that is attracting the attention of large and medium size servicers to help reduce risks.

Assurant Field Asset Services is distinctively positioned to offer solutions that support risk reduction strategies of mortgage lending and servicing companies. AFAS brings a new value proposition to the market. On October 1, Assurant Specialty Property announced its acquisition of Field Asset Services. We see this as a potential boon for our industry a win for Assurant, a win for Field Asset Services, and a win for our valued clients. Assurant has ability to leverage our existing resources with those of a wellestablished field service provider that can potentially deepen service levels and bring to market one of the industry’s most comprehensive approaches to reducing risk.

We understand the value of diversity.

As we celebrate black history month, we recognize the importance of different perspectives & cultural experiences.

At VRM and PCV, diversity starts at the top. Founded by Keith D. Murray, our companies understand that maintaining a diverse workforce and multicultural partners allows us to deliver more holistic solutions to the mortgage and real estate industries. It is those unique perspectives that help us drive performance for our clients and propel our industry forward.

VRM & PCV provide comprehensive solutions for:

Mortgage Servicing, Asset Management & Collateral Valuations To learn more about VRM Mortgage Services and PCV Murcor - visit us online.

TM

Mortgage Services

vrmco.com

pcvmurcor.com Copyright Š 2014 Vendor Resource Management, Inc., PCV Murcor, Inc.

REAL ESTATE

Today, as part of Assurant, Inc., a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange with assets of more than $29 billion and annual revenue of some $8 billion, Assurant Field Asset Services is a premier field service provider for the mortgage default servicing and single-family investment industries. By joining Assurant and Field Asset Services, AFAS now blends the financial strength and superior risk mitigation strategies of Assurant with the equally proven service excellence and innovative technologies of Field Asset Services to form a new kind of field service provider.

We see a real opportunity for growth through the combining of our people, skills, capabilities and technology platforms.

The united business will benefit from Field Asset Services’ service excellence and unique technology, along with Assurant’s strong financials and relationships across the lending and servicing industry.

Assurant Field Asset Services today is uniquely positioned to align with our many lender and servicer clients’ goals of lowering risks on billions of dollars worth of defaulted loans and REO properties across the county. As the provider of

18 | TPIN MAGAZINE

insurance on more properties and loans in default on behalf of financial institutions than any other provider in the industry, Assurant has a high focus on quality and risk mitigation efforts with respect to field services.

Other providers may not share that same approach toward risk management.

Assurant Field Asset Services manages exposure to risk by implementing proactive measures at every stage of the asset cycle, from first notice of default through REO disposition.

We utilize industry-leading data analytics, technology, and service excellence to change the way field services are delivered.

During the months and years ahead Assurant Field Asset Services is poised for leadership and growth in field services. Our market positioning and unique value proposition are decidedly different than traditional field service companies.

Lynn Effinger leffinger@hotmail.com (951) 514-5699 Lynn Effinger is a veteran of more than three decades in the housing and mortgage default servicing industries. He currently serves as business development manager for Assurant Field Asset Services.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Thursday, April 24, 2014 Riverside Convention Center

Mayor- Rusty Bailey- City of Riverside Congressman Mark Takano

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

For more information please call: (951) 682-6581 FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY, INC.

State Department of Fair Employment and Housing

www.fairhousing.net

Economist: John Husing

Attorney: Christopher Brancart

Levels of Sponsorship VIP Banner Sponsorship

$5,000.00

Banner Display – on the stage and at registration

Name/logo on all printed materials & advertisements Full page ad in the booklet Paid Registration for a whole table Platinum Sponsorship

$2,500.00

Banner Display- at registration table Name/logo of the sponsor on all printed materials ½ page ad in the booklet

Paid Registration for half a table Gold Sponsorship

$1,000.00

Banner Display- at registration table 1/8 page ad in the booklet

Paid Registration of One Guests $500.00

Silver Sponsorship Name on the list of sponsors Paid Registration of One Guest

***FHCRC is also seeking a diamond sponsor to co-host the conference*** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For additional information please contact Monica Lopez by email at: mlopez@fairhousing.net or by phone at: (951) 682-6581 www.fairhousing.net Tax ID #: 33-0533809

REAL ESTATE

Zillow, REALTOR.com, and Trulia: WHY DO AGENTS HATE THEM?

R

ead the comments from REALTORs on any social media website where you see the big real estate search companies advertising and you will experience a rare level of hostility. A recent Facebook advertisement targeted at REALTORs from the biggest of the three sites was titled “Become a Millionaire Real Estate Agent” and had over 100 comments—mostly from agents expressing their hatred toward the company. This post was a spectacle to say the least; most comments focused on inaccurate pricing data, bad leads, or shady business practices in general.

Inaccurate data and bad leads? Is this why REALTORs loathe these companies? I don’t

22 | TPIN MAGAZINE

think so. I don’t think inaccurate pricing data has interrupted our business much. As professionals, we’ve always had outsiders putting bad information into the eyes and ears of our buyers and sellers. We’ve always had to intervene with the facts and realities of buying and selling.

We’ve always had to be the local experts with our boots on the ground bringing order to the chaos.

Going broke on hope As for bad leads, these companies come from a long lineage of snake oil ... I mean lead re-sellers. Real estate agents need only to be in this business about 10 minutes to learn that there are a hundred and one ways to go broke spending

money on hope ... I mean leads.

This is not to say that there is no merit to internet leads, but to suggest that you could become a “millionaire real estate agent” with a lead subscription is clearly a disingenuous claim to most experienced agents.

So what is it really, and why all the frustration? I don’t think most real estate professionals have had the time to really process why they dislike these companies. They are busy with the task of managing one of the most challenging and rewarding careers in the world. They are busy helping people achieve the American dream, busy being small business owners, and busy providing for their families.

REAL ESTATE

Who’s doing the work?

Are agents wrong for being upset? That’s a tough question. On one hand you have a few enterprising companies who have really beat us at our own game. They saw a demand from the consumer to have access to property information at a whole new level and they built a better mousetrap. They were innovative and entrepreneurial, something real estate agents usually appreciate, and they raised truckloads of money. They hired talented people and created momentum, so much momentum it became difficult for the single agent and small brokerage (or big brokerage, for that matter) to compete.

On the other hand you have agents building meaningful relationships with buyers and sellers—relationships that take years to cultivate. The agent earns the trust of their customers, then invests countless hours and dollars earning the privilege to list the property. Let’s look at the basics of what goes into listing a property. We take beautiful (and yes, sometimes not-so-beautiful) pictures, create thoughtful descriptions, pay for virtual tours, stage properties, analyze the market for pricing, measure rooms, gather utility and HOA information . . . the list goes on and on.

Then after all of the blood, sweat and tears (if you think I’m exaggerating you haven’t sold much real estate) the listing gets syndicated to ZRT at relatively little cost to them and they sell the buyer leads to the highest bidder.

Yeah, I think that is grounds to be a little pissed off. I do believe they have the right to access the data but I think the scenario lacks equity, to say the least. If you’re reading this, I would suggest this is your reason for disliking the big 3. Maybe I’m way off base, and maybe the problem really is inaccurate data or bad leads.

Is there a solution?

So what do real estate professionals do about it? Honestly, I don’t know. That’s probably not the answer you wanted to hear. At the time of writing this the CEO of one of these companies

is meeting with President Barack Obama about housing. They are experiencing record gross revenue, record site traffic, and yet some are still losing money—one company to the tune of 10 million per quarter. Nevertheless, I think they are here to stay in one form or another.

If you think like me the best thing to do is ignore the distractions and chatter. Let them run their TV ads and hire more telemarketers, let them borrow a gazillion dollars. If you don’t agree with their business practices don’t subscribe to their services. Get involved in your local MLS and find out what their syndication policies are. Develop a strategy on your own or with your company for pushing web traffic to your local site. There is always room for the next big innovation in the home search process.

Maybe that innovation will come from you.

Meanwhile, continue helping people with the biggest decision of their lives. Continue to demonstrate the value of hiring a professional to find the perfect home. Remember that the big 3 need us more than we need them, and let that be your solace.

Nathan Froelich is the Co-Founder of BreakthroughBroker.com, where the mission is to provide real estate professionals with insanely simple free tools and information for success. Prior to starting BreakthroughBroker. com, Nathan was a top producing real estate agent and the Broker/Owner of one of Northern Colorado’s largest independent real estate firms, which was later acquired by ERA Real Estate. Nathan is still a licensed real estate agent in the state of Colorado.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 23

REAL ESTATE

7

TRAITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SHORT SALE AGENTS

There are identifiable traits and habits of highly effective short sale agents. These traits and habits allow the agents to close short sale deals quickly and efficiently.

Effective short sale agents have the ability to navigate their way at a lending institution and be able to get a short sale approval. They make this possible through a certain and unique skill set. A successful short sale agent is like the best juggler at the circus; he never drops the ball regardless of the distraction he’s facing.

Below is a list of the seven habits of highly effective short sale agents:

1. Excellent communication skills. In all aspects of real estate, it’s really an

advantage if you have strong communication skills. In short sale transactions, you need to be able to write clearly and concisely stating what you need and why you need it. You’ll need strong communication skills to get the job done.

2. Strong organizational strategies. You need to be well organized to ensure that

you have properly assembled everything necessary in a short sale package, especially those that the lender requires. A short sale package contains different things, which is why people are overwhelmed with the preparation of short sale packages. To get the job done, you’ll certainly need good organizational skills.

3. High attention to details. There’s only a small difference between getting a successful short sale and having a transaction with lots of problems.

Excellent attention to detail is certainly important, especially when compiling all the items necessary in a package. Missing even a small detail can slow down the transaction for a few days, weeks or even months.

4. Knowing the short sale process. As a real estate agent, if you have excellent

understanding about the short sale process, it’ll be easier for you to strategize and provide more appropriate advice to distressed borrowers. Understanding programs, policies, and laws is the key to become a successful real estate consultant.

24 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Speed, Accuracy and the LRES Way.

For bulletproof Valuation and REO Services, call on the LRES Team.

From Los Angeles to New York, LRES people leap in where others fear to tread. Behind their mild-mannered appearance beats the heart of a superhero—one that can solve even the most formidable valuation and asset management challenges with superhuman speed and accuracy.

For an unassailable real estate services partner you can count on nationwide, contact one of the superheroes from the LRES Team: 800.531.5737 or email sales@LRES.com.

765 The City Drive South ∆ Suite 300 ∆ Orange, CA 92868 800.531.LRES (5737) ∆ www.LRES.com

REAL ESTATE

5. Compassion. Homeowners go through a

lot of stress due to their inability to make mortgage payments. If you know the facts and you have empathy for short sale sellers and their personal situations, you will help make the transactions a lot easier for your clients.

6. Tenacity. Working with the lenders is among

the biggest challenges in short sale. Sometimes, borrowers and agents get misleading, contradictory, or confusing information that doesn’t lead anywhere. To help avoid such dilemmas and be able to obtain answers when others have difficulty doing so, tenacity as well as persistence is necessary.

7. Drive. Similar to any other real estate

transaction, a short sale agent who is passionate and eager to do whatever it takes to get the job done will truly become successful.

The good thing about these seven habits is if you practice by working short sales (especially over the last few years), you will face no problem with transitioning as the market starts changing. Any seller or buyer certainly wants to hire an agent who was able to successfully survive during the most challenging economy. Develop these habits while working with distressed borrowers and boost your real estate career this year and for years to come.

Visit Showcase Realty showcaserealty.net.

online

at

www.

To listen to Nancy’s radio show, How’s the Market, visit www.charlottemarketradio.com.

26 | TPIN MAGAZINE

REAL ESTATE

Strategies for Success in 2014 PART II | THE POWER IS NOW! conscious about the success you want in your life.

W

elcome to the New Year! 2013 is history and is full of great memories and even greater lessons learned. I thank God that He allowed me to see it come to an end and that I continue on ready, willing and able to seize all the opportunities that He has set before me. If you did not achieve your goals in 2013 now is the time to get back on track.

The Power Is Now . . . now is the time to reset, readjust, re-imagine, and rethink. Now is the time to realign, refocus and recharge. The Power Is Now to get pumped up and imagine the great things you will accomplish by 12/31/2014. Napoleon Hill said, “Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.” This is not the time to give up but to be

28 | TPIN MAGAZINE

The Power Is Now to set and achieve production goals higher than we originally imagined. The Power Is Now to redouble our efforts, to work smarter and to get the assistance we need. The Power Is Now to take what the market is giving us instead of whining about what the market is not giving us. In every market and in every economic environment there are winners and losers. Are we winners or losers? Make a decision because you are who you choose to be. Failure is not an option – it’s a choice. We must learn to adapt and capitalize on what the market is giving us. There are many market opportunities before us but we must choose to execute on what we are great at.

We must do what we have the most power and ability to accomplish because we do not have unlimited time and financial resources.

We have a plan. The Power Is Now to execute the plan.

We have a team of great people around us. The Power Is Now to maximize the individual talents on our team.

We have the money and/or resources to invest in ourselves and our company. The Power Is Now to operate with courage and make the investment in ourselves and our companies, and plan to succeed and not fail.

We have mentors to help us. The Power Is Now to be accountable to a coach/mentor/manager to guide us and keep us accountable to our plan, goals, tactics, and strategies.

There are 4 steps to exercising the power we need to win this year. In this article Part II I will address steps 3 and 4.

Step 3. Operate at the highest level of professionalism.

How do you want to be seen by the public or known by your peers? What is your trademark or the signature of your business? When your name comes up socially or professionally, do you know what people are saying about you? To operate at the highest level of professionalism means you bring your “A” game to work every day. You are always prepared for every meeting with a client.

You are always prepared to provide an intelligent answer to a problem or situation. You are always dressed professionally and never have an off day.

You always answer your phone or return phone calls in a timely manner. You never appear frustrated or angry, but are calm, cool and collected, as if you are the chosen one to lead in any situation. You are a problem solver, advisor, confidant and leader. To operate at the highest level of professionalism is to only do business with people who value the same things you do.

Step 4. Establish a daily routine and stick to it.

Warning: step 4 is only for disciplined people who want to guarantee that they will achieve their goals this year.

If we are going to succeed we must have a plan to succeed, and within the plan there must be an established routine that we accomplish every day. The routine must happen no matter what happens in life. The routine is comprised of nonnegotiable, immutable, and inexcusable activities that must take place every day and at the same time. If you cannot be a person of integrity and do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, then this may be the primary reason you are not achieving your goals.

People who lack integrity are typically not dependable in most things. They are never on

time and there is always something that prevents them from achieving some task or goal. We all know people like this and we try not to conduct business with them. If this is a description of you then just make a decision to stop doing it because you have chosen this way of being. It didn’t choose you and you are not a victim. You are just undisciplined and need a coach. The following is a suggested routine if you are up for the challenge. For some of you it is not a challenge at all because you are already doing these things.

Congratulations if you are doing the following: a. Live by the calendar and respect your time and the time of others.

Set appointments for everything that must be accomplished each and every day. This means every phone call you make or take must be by appointment. Even if you are cold calling you must block off the time. Rarely is anything done on a moment’s notice because your day is planned with personal activities, family activities, business meetings, business phone meeting and special projects. Voicemail exists for a strategic reason.

You must hire someone to answer your phone and check your voicemail frequently, so that time can be scheduled to speak to a client or team member requesting your time. Everyone deserves your full attention and you can’t give it to them if you are not working on a schedule or constantly answering your phone and reacting instead of being proactive. b.

Begin each morning with exercise and meditation/prayer.

Exercise for health and meditate to be in sync with God’s divine purpose for your life. We need balance in our lives. God, family and business are the balance we need. c. Eat a great breakfast so that your mind and body function at their highest level. Without great health you will not have a great business.

REAL ESTATE

d. Confirm your entire day before you start your day.

Make adjustments to your schedule if necessary but have a plan to handle your priorities first and to be accountable for every minute of the day.

Confirm your week and month to make sure that everything you are doing today will have a positive impact on the future. e. Review your production goals for today, for the month and the year. Know where you are at all times and what you need to do to stay on track. f. Start work. Spend 70% of your day (6.3 hours of a 9-hour day) generating leads, capturing leads and following up on leads. This is your highest priority. You can’t make money if you have no one to sell to. It’s just that simple. g. Spend 30% of your day ensuring that your current clients are receiving great customer service and that your marketing efforts are going to bring you future clients.

home at 5 or 6 pm. Be clear on what is a priority.

Some people put off the most difficult task to the end of the day and end up staying at the office all night. This is a person who needs a coach.

If we are going to succeed this year we must have a plan to succeed, and within that plan there must be an established routine that we must accomplish every day. Our routine must happen no matter what happens in life. The routine’s activities are non-negotiable, immutable, and inexcusable activities that must take place every day and at the same time. If you cannot be a person of integrity and do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, then rest assured that this is the primary reason you are not achieving your goals.

Take the steps to be a power player and achieve your goals in 2014. Operate at the highest level of professionalism and establish a daily routine and stick to it. You can do it! The Power Is Now!

This means tracking and following up on people and systems, meetings, planning sessions, strategy sessions and production planning. h. Take a 1-hour lunch at 12:00 PM. Not at 1 or 2 or 3, but at 12:00 PM sharp.

Breaks are important and you must eat to stay alert and energetic the whole day. Always bring someone to lunch that you can relate to and help out, or that can help you. Relationships are important in business and in life. g. Leave at the end of the day and do not take work home.

I know this is hard to do but it goes back to being disciplined. Your priorities must be handled first and should not take more than a couple of hours of your day. Even if they took the whole day at least they would be completed and you can go

32 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Eric L. Frazier, MBA, President Coach, Strategist, Leader The Power Is Now, Inc.

REAL ESTATE

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME

PUT AWAY THE CLUTTER! Less is more when selling your home. Consider renting a small storage facility or designate a small area of your garage to place knick knacks, toys and clutter. Rooms filled with “stuff” can make the area seem smaller than it actually is…staging your home may increase the appeal and value of your property by 5%!

Consider paint and/or carpet. These are relatively inexpensive improvements and SIGNIFICANTLY improve the appearance and desirability of your home. Your property will appear clean, new and smell like a new home!

MAKE YOUR HOME ACCESSIBLE! A lockbox is the most convenient way for Realtors to show your home. Appointment only showing instructions may make it difficult for buyers and their agents to coordinate a showing. A good compromise would be “Call Owner 1st, then GO

34 | TPIN MAGAZINE

DIRECT”. Remember, the more buyers that view your home, the more opportunities that you will have to receive offers! For every 10-12 showings, the average property will receive one offer!

SELLERS, DO NOT LIST YOUR HOME WITH UNCLE MILTON FROM OUT OF THE AREA! Of course family is important; however, your home is most likely your biggest asset. Do you really want to entrust it to an agent who is unfamiliar with the Santa Clarita Valley, possibly a part time agent, and/or an inexperienced agent?

I am always surprised when sellers opt to go with a friend or family member out of a sense of loyalty.

Full time agents and brokers eat, sleep and breathe LOCAL real estate. They know the market trends, the tracts, the areas that have mello roos (a supplemental tax), the local schools and local government compliance requirements. Another important benefit of using a local Realtor is that they know the other area agents!

REAL ESTATE

Most local agents and brokers share information such as “buyer needs” and upcoming listings.

HOLD YOUR REALTOR ACCOUNTABLE!!!

If you are not receiving showings within the 1st week, you are either overpriced or the MLS information may be inaccurate. Ask your Realtor to show you the MLS sheet. You should have several photos and a positive marketing description. MAKE SURE THAT YOU, THE SELLER ARE THE SHOWING CONTACT! While it may be more convenient for your agent to take the showing calls, having the calls go directly to you insures that all agents will have access to show your property.

DO NOT EXCLUDE YOUR LISTING FROM THE MLS!!!

This is probably the single most important tip. The MLS is a cooperative service, enabling an ENTIRE community of agents to sell your home.

Your home should be on the market for 5 days (including one weekend) before you review any

offers. Someone may see your home on day 2 and offer full price. Wouldn’t you always wonder if on day 4 someone would have paid $10,000 over your asking price?

Happy Selling!

Jill Rand www.JLMPropertiesInc.com Jill.Rand@JLMPropertiesInc.com Phone number: 661-510-2112 Fax: 661-284-7544 27201 Tourney Road, Suite 200E Valencia, CA 91355

TPIN MAGAZINE | 35

WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSWOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WO N OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWN USINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINE OMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESSWOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSWOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESSWOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WO N OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWN USINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINE FORMINGOWNED WOMEN SPECIALIZING OMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS I WOMEN BUSINESS WOM IN THE HOUSING ECONOMY WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSWOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WO N OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWN USINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINE OMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU ESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOM WNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS WOMEN OWNED BU b

15

PRESENTED BY nawr

M A:toSA create Q& have ount? 25 Do I acc a SAM ATE: UPD ite Housemen

VA MELGNEYeR Aer of the yar17 Wmb Twent

Wh Blue erican Wo & Am itics 13 In Pol

, NDES S, BLO NETTE S D BRUEDHEA uty in & Rional Bea 11

Me

The

icy

Except ss & Pol Busine VOL.

1 / ISSUE

6

ng

Roari

ISSION

RB.com

NTED

NAW

B.COM

9-9800

B • 949-55

IGHT

COPYR

2012

BY NAWR

• NAWR

• REPRI

BY PERM

1964 Civil Rights Act: 50 Years Later

by Eric Lawrence

The 1964 Civil Rights Act paved the way for a number of actions that helped to reduce discrimination and gave rise to a number of movements designed to end the institutionalized segregation of Americans. With 50 years now having passed since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, it is important to take a look back at what has changed and where we headed.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed as a result of American’s growing awareness of the institutional discrimination taking place primarily in the Southern United States but also more covertly in the Northern United States. President John F. Kennedy originally proposed the bill in 1963 but just months later he was assassinated. The next president Lyndon B. Johnson used the platform of Kennedy’s death to push the agenda further and get the bill passed into law in 1964.

The provisions of the Civil Rights Act effectively outlawed segregation in public places including parks, theaters, hotels, restaurants and sports venues. This ended the practice of forcing people to use separate facilities based on their race as was common practice prior to the passing of this law. No longer could people be discriminated against legally or denied access or service to these in this manner.

The Civil Rights Act also laid the framework for improving relations in the jobs sector because the anti-discrimination laws also extended to employment practices. The law provided a means for employees to file discrimination suits against their employers. A new commission called the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the power to file these suits was formed under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The act also prevented government funds from being used to fund programs that discriminate against individuals. The Department of Education was also given the exclusive right to carry out the desegregation of public schools. Segregation in schools was formerly ruled unconstitutional in 1954 with the outcome of the Brown v. Board case which ended up being decided upon at the highest levels of the US Judicial system in the Supreme Court.

40 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Another point of the Civil Rights Act gave additional authority to the Commission on Civil Rights to stop the unequal distribution of voting rights. This provision lead to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

While all of these laws did help bring an end to the legalized institution of discrimination in America, it was only the first step in the fight to force people to change their mindsets and practices. The discrimination did continue throughout the United States especially in the South by forcing minority groups to live in the worst neighborhoods and attend the worst schools. These discriminatory practices were addressed to some extent with the rise of affirmative action policies later on in subsequent decades, however the question remains as to whether the goals of all of these policies were actually truly achieved.

America has transformed a lot over the last 50 years but the question is still up in the air as to whether we have truly achieved the goals set forth in these laws. It is true that people today are no longer hindered by outright racial discrimination. However issues such as racial discrimination, gender discrimination, sexuality discrimination and disability discrimination still remain significant issues in our society.

Despite the fact that there are no longer institutions that outright promote discrimination, it is hard to argue that discrimination does not play a factor in hindering social mobility and the achievement of one’s true life purposes and goals.

Dealing with all of the issues of discrimination will likely take more than a single generation to resolve, but all in all it has been a journey towards progress as with any legislation that fundamentally changes the way that Americans must live their lives.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 41

Alex Haley “Racism is taught in our society . . . it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics.”

B

orn Alexander Murray Palmer Haley in Ithaca, NY on August 11, 1921, Mr. Haley went on to become one of the most influential writers America has ever produced, African American or otherwise.

His formative childhood years were marked by an extreme admiration for his father, who was a World War I veteran, a graduate in Agricultural Studies from the prestigious Cornell University in upstate NY, and an eventual college professor at several southern universities. Alex realized early on the racial obstacles that his father had had to overcome to accomplish what he did both professionally and academically in his life, and these immense feelings of pride would play a large impact on his later literary work.

“I look at my books the way parents look at their children. The fact that one becomes more successful than the others doesn’t make me love the less successful one any less.”

He joined the United States Coast Guard as a mess attendant in 1939 at the age of 17. Between his time cooking in the galley and cleaning bed linens, he wrote love letters for his shipmates who wanted to send amorous cards back home. With his portable typewriter that he brought onboard, he also began submitting short stories and articles to publishers back in the states. Though most were

42 | TPIN MAGAZINE

rejected, his spirits remained high. For he knew what his calling was in life, whether his submissions were being published or not: his calling was to be a writer.

“Beginning writers must appreciate the prerequisites if they hope to become writers. You pay your dues— which takes years.”

Like all aspiring writers, Haley struggled as a freelancer soon after leaving the service to make ends meet. He endured the early hardships, knowing, as most great writers do, that dues have to be paid before arriving at the big break.

It came in 1962, from a rather unexpected source: Playboy magazine.

Say what you will about publications that revolve around the naked female body, but the staff at Playboy recognized that African-Americans were a very underexposed group of American society.

They assigned Haley to conduct an interview with legendary trumpet player Miles Davis, and after seeing how successful it was, contracted him to do a series of sit-downs with other prominent African-Americans. “The Playboy Interviews,” as they would come to be called, brought Haley face to face with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones, Martin Luther King Jr., and, as fate would have it, Malcolm X.

While meeting with Malcolm X, Alex Haley approached the famed civil rights leader about the idea of writing a biography on his life. Two years later, The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told To Alex Haley was published, cementing forever the legacy of Malcolm X’s contributions to the black movement, and signaling the arrival of writing star Alex Haley.

Still moved by the sacrifices his father had made for his family many years ago, Alex set out on his next project just 14 days after the publication of Malcolm X’s biography.

“I asked myself, what right had I to be sitting in a carpeted high-rise apartment writing about what it was like in the hold of a slave ship?”

It is often commented that the black experience in America has been characterized not just by a lack of rights, freedoms, and opportunities, but also by a lack of identity. Given the complete disregard of family ties exhibited by slave owners, mothers, fathers, and children were often separated through slave auctions. This led to generation after generation of black children growing up without knowing that most basic question of family history: who came before me?

Alex Haley turned this pressing question into the 1976 Pulitzer Prize winning novel Roots, which did much to catapult the still African-American subculture into the national conscious. During his research phase, Haley even experienced the overseas voyage from Africa to America in the cargo hold of a ship, wearing nothing but his underwear.

The gripping tale was extremely well received by all, garnering such high praise as the following review in The New York Times: “No other novelist or historian has provided such a shattering, human

view of slavery”. Television network ABC even adapted Roots into a television miniseries that attracted a record-shattering 130 million viewers.

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”

For the African-American community in particular, Roots resonated in a very personal way. Haley had made a connection with fellow black Americans, a connection that was rooted in their silent desire to know their ancestors’ history as well.

Haley died as a highly decorated veteran, but his most lasting contributions to the world will be the words he left behind. During President Obama’s second inauguration, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander took to the podium to introduce the returning President and Vice President with these words:

“Ladies and gentleman, the late Alex Haley, the author of Roots, lived his life by these six words: find the good and praise it.”

Given the unfairness and evil that Mr. Haley came across through both his personal life and his research, it is a testament to his character that the true nature of the world did not jade him into fullblown pessimism. His spirit, like his works, and like the nation that embraced him, was uplifting.

Haley died of a heart attack on February 10, 1992, at the age of 70. May he rest in peace.

Alex Haley. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:44, Jan 27, 2014, from http:// www.biography.com/people/alex-haley-39420.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 43

Barack Obama “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We are the change we seek.”

S

he did not know it at the time, but on August 4, 1961, a woman in Honolulu, Hawaii gave birth to a boy that would go on to become the 44th president of the United States of America: Barack Hussein Obama.

In the winter of 2008, the eloquent, charismatic, and affable Senator from Illinois would be swept into the White House behind the powerful campaign slogans of “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In.” Becoming the first black president of a nation with a poor historical record of how it has treated its black constituents, the Obama victory was a monumental event. Along with the race factor, Obama’s level of optimism and genuine concern for all Americans created a state of euphoria among the American electorate that had never been witnessed before.

Sadly, it did not last long.

“I think a good place to start would be for both Democrats and Republicans to say, ‘We are willing to experiment and invest on anything that works.’”

In hindsight, the level of disrespect that President Obama has had to put up with during his time in office should have come as no surprise, given the level of disrespect candidate Obama had to put up with during his campaigns, both in 2008 and again in 2012. His past work as a community

44 | TPIN MAGAZINE

organizer in Chicago was ridiculed. His Christian faith was challenged with the charge that he was in fact a Muslim. His American citizenship was called into question by a clamoring parade of fools who came to be known as “birthers.” He was even interrupted in the middle of a health care speech to Congress by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R), who yelled out “You lie!” as the president was talking.

Still, even with the fierce opposition he has faced from members of Congress from the opposing party, Obama has managed to accomplish a significant amount. Among the legislations that bear his name are the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (which provided stimulus to keep the nation afloat during the Great Recession), and Race To The Top (which enticed states to revamp their education systems in order to compete for federal education funding). In addition, he repealed the military’s policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” for homosexual members, expanded stem cell research, and ended the unpopular war in Iraq.

“When it comes to issues of security against terrorist threats as well as against infectious diseases, these threats know no borders.”

On the foreign policy front, however, his terms in office have been marked by some very unfavorable decisions. While his call to authorize

the raid which led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden Laden provided a temporary boost to his approval rating, his over-zealous use of drone attacks to take out suspected terrorists (and, all too often, innocent village bystanders) has brought him much criticism from all corners of the political and social sphere. He also has taken heat for the National Security Agency’s overly prying surveillance of American citizens, as well as for the spying and phone tapping incidents of leaders of American allies such as Germany and France.

that the purchase and sale of black human beings was still permitted, a practice that flew in the face of everything the United States of America supposedly stood for. But Obama’s legacy should also be defined by his never-ending crusade for fairness. Fairness for blacks, fairness for whites . . . fairness for all. He is a champion of the people, and it will be his titanic level of compassion, and not his color, that will solidify his place among the annals of beloved American Presidents from ages past.

“There is not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America—there is the United States of America.”

Yet through it all, Obama has remained steadfast in his conviction that the promise of equality of opportunity for all remain part of the American conscious, both on paper and in practice. His speeches recognize that the modern world is different from decades past, and that those without certain technical skills will find it harder and harder to advance given the pace of technological growth. But time and time again, he comes back to the idea that if you work hard and play by the rules, America should reward you with a better life for you and your family.

No doubt the history books will put his race front and center, highlighting the historic significance of America’s first black president. It makes sense, given that it was only 200 some-odd-years-ago

Barack Obama. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 11:36, Jan 28, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/barackobama-12782369.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 45

Frederick Douglas “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

A

round 1818, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland. From an early age, young Frederick

(who later changed his last name to Douglass) displayed a passion for words and education that foreshadowed the literary heights to which he would soar to throughout his life. At around age 12, he learned the alphabet from the wife of his owner, Sophia Auld, though it was illegal for slaves to learn how to read and write at the time. Even after Hugh Auld discontinued the lessons, Douglass continued his education on his own, learning from white children and others in his area.

As with many future leaders, the solitary time they spend reading and digesting ideas prove to be very significant components of their development.

With Douglass it was no different. Through reading newspapers and any other political writings that he could get his hands on, such as The Columbian Orator, his ideological opposition to slavery began to take form.

“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.”

Wanting to share his newfound knowledge with his kinfolk, he began to teach other slaves how to read at a weekly church service. Interest in

46 | TPIN MAGAZINE

his reading lessons on the New Testament grew so much that his gatherings would often attract crowds of over 40 people, all knowing full well that black literacy flew in the face of the law. Once local slave owners got wind of the congregation, they armed themselves with clubs and stones in order to disperse Douglass and his students.

But in Douglass, the human spirit’s desire to be free in all forms manifested itself fiercely. Through the printed word, his thoughts were now his own, yet his body still belonged to someone else. After two failed attempts to escape, he finally managed on the third try to make it to NY in 1838. After sending for and marrying Anna Murray, the free black woman from Baltimore who had helped him get away, he and his wife settled in Massachusetts. It was there that Frederick Douglass began to make the oratory rounds that would recognize him as one of the most eloquent speakers that ever lived.

“America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future.”

His reputation as an abolitionist speaker really took off after prominent abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison published an article on Douglass in The Liberator, Garrison’s weekly journal. Even in the free territories of the north and midwest, however, Douglass encountered racial opposition to the topics of his lectures. In 1843, he was chased and beaten by an angry mob until being rescued by a local Quaker family.

After the publication of his still-cherished autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845, Douglass became so well known that he had to flee to Europe to evade capture. He was, after all, still a fugitive, even if he was a best-selling author.

Ironically, it was in England, the nation that America fought to free itself from, where Douglass finally raised enough money to buy his freedom back home. He returned to America in 1847, finally a free man.

“Right is of no Sex—Truth is of no Color—God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren.”

Having experienced the cruelty of discrimination himself, Frederick Douglass was very sympathetic to any cause attempting to do away with injustice.

His publications, such as the abolitionist newspaper The North Star, and his speeches, reflected his ardent support of another hot-button topic of the times: women’s rights. So admired was he for his solidarity to the movement, that he was invited to attend the historic women’s rights convention of 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY. His verbal prowess served him well, as he wowed the convention with his statement that he could not accept the right to vote as a black man, knowing that women could not at the same time claim that same right.

“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.”

For all his triumphs, he found himself mired in controversy at various points in his life. He was an unfaithful husband to the woman who had risked her own safety to help him escape. And he disappointed many of his strongest fans when he supported the Fifteenth Amendment, an amendment that extended voting rights to blacks, but not to women.

Infidelities or not, Mr. Douglass has earned his place in the textbooks of the world. His story is compelling because of his drive to liberate first his mind, then his body, and then the minds and bodies of others. It was a drive that stayed with him throughout his life, from childhood, all the way through to his discussions with Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, with whom he met to discuss the treatment of black soldiers and, eventually, black suffrage.

“Power concedes nothing without a demand.”

Unfortunately, Frederick Douglass’ name will never grace the walls of the White House. While he could match any president in the speaking arena, he simply fell victim to being born too soon. His legacy, then, is not just about what he was, but about what he could have been. It is not a stretch to think that were it not for the bigotry still present in the American masses, Barack Obama would not have been the first black president when he was elected in 2008. That distinction would belong to a man who stared power in the face and demanded concessions. A man who lived a century and change before. A man by the name of Frederick Douglass.

He died on February 20, 1895, of a massive heart attack, and is buried in Rochester, NY. May he rest in peace.

Frederick Douglass. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 11:50, Jan 29, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/frederickdouglass-9278324.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 47

George Carver “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”

G

eorge Washington Carver was born to an enslaved Missouri couple sometime during the Civil War Years, most likely in 1864. A week after his birth, he and his family suffered an incredible hardship when he, his sister, and his mother were all kidnapped during a raid. After being sold in Kentucky, he was tracked down and returned to his previous owner, without his sister and mother.

“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”

Given the times, he was not allowed to attend the local school, since it did not accept black children.

His owner’s wife, Susan Carver, taught him how to read and write, and it became evident early on that he possessed a profound interest in learning.

His desire was so great that he traveled over 10 miles to the closest black school to continue his studies. After graduating from Minneapolis High School in Minneapolis, Kansas, he was accepted at Highland College.

In the eyes of Highland’s administrators, his aptitude and thirst for knowledge were not enough to overlook his race. When they realized that he was black, he was denied entrance. But he was not deterred. Instead of attending classes, he took up a small plot of land to homestead, so that he could conduct biological experiments

48 | TPIN MAGAZINE

and compile geographical records.

During this time, he also began to nurture his interest in painting and drawing, using plants and animals as his subjects. His innate talent for sketching the natural world was undeniable, and he was encouraged to enroll in the botany program at Iowa State Agricultural College, eventually becoming Iowa State’s first black student.

“I wanted to know the name of every stone and flower and insect and bird and beast. I wanted to know where it got its color, where it got its life—but there was no one to tell me.”

Realizing the opportunity he had, Carver took full advantage of the university’s resources, quickly making a name for himself as a top-notch botanist through his intensive work in plant pathology.

After earning his bachelor’s of science, he was requested to stay on as a graduate student. His time at Iowa State put him firmly on track to reach the success in the agricultural world that would come to define his life.

“Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible.”

Word of his collegiate accomplishments at Iowa State reached the ears of Booker T. Washington, head of the famed Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Seeking to build up Tuskegee’s agricultural department, Washington lured Carver to the school with a large salary and two private rooms on campus. Considering that at the time faculty members were expected to make do with at least one roommate, the offer George Carver received was a testament to his quality reputation.

Carver did not disappoint. His performance at Tuskegee was not driven solely by his interest in plants, but also by his deep desire to help out his fellow African-Americans, most of whom were stuck in economically unfavorable conditions in cotton-heavy regions of the South. He delved into the study of crop rotation and new cash crops that subsistence farmers could use to improve their well-being. To disseminate the knowledge he had accumulated, he pioneered the use of mobile classrooms that came to be known as “Jesup Wagons,” named after the wealthy financier Morris Ketchum Jesup, who donated large sums of money to the institution.

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”

George Carver was a very spiritual person, and his deep connection with God, and with nature, was evident throughout his life. He immensely enjoyed the work that he did, and the fruits of his labor paid off. Carver was instrumental in developing new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. Through the course of his research, he invented hundreds of new products, including plastics, paints, dyes, and even a kind of biogasoline.

His work made him so well known that he was asked to testify before Congress in support of a peanut tariff.

President Theodore Roosevelt sought his advice on agricultural matters, as did Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. And in 1916, the British Royal Society of the Arts made him a member, a very rare honor at the time for an American of any color.

“When our thoughts—which bring actions—are filled with hate against anyone, Negro or white, we are in a living hell. That is as real as hell will ever be.”

Though his exploits in science earned him all around respect and admiration, his views on race relations often garnered some criticism from members of the black community. He toured the nation speaking about agricultural innovation and racial harmony, even being invited to some white-only colleges in the South. But his message was often too timid for many African-Americans who wanted a more radical call to action.

Still, his success in the agricultural world did much to show white America that African-Americans had much to offer in all sectors of society. His life became a testament to the transformative power of education, a power that when harnessed, can be used to improve the lives of people of all colors.

“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”

Carver’s mind was rivaled in sharpness only by the nobleness of his heart. He lived a frugal life, wanting to leave his savings and his artwork to posterity. With his estate, he set up the Washington Carver Foundation at Tuskegee, with the goal of supporting future agricultural research. The acknowledgement of his generosity lives on forever through the epitaph on his tombstone, which reads, “He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.”

George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, at the age of 78. He is buried next to Booker T. Washington on the sacred grounds of Tuskegee.

May he rest in peace.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 49

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf “All girls know that they can be anything now. That transformation is to me one of the most satisfying things.”

E

llen Johnson Sirleaf was born in Monrovia, Liberia, on October 29, 1938. She quickly gained a lifelong appreciation for education, an appreciation which developed in her hometown of Monrovia at the College of West Africa, but also at top American institutions of higher learning. Sirleaf received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Madison Business College in Madison, Wisconsin, a degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Ivy League heavyweight Harvard University.

“The future belongs to us, because we have taken charge of it. We have the commitment, we have the resourcefulness, and we have the strength of our people to share the dream across Africa of clean water for all.”

Armed with sterling credentials, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf could have remained in the United States and carved out quite a tranquil life for herself in the wealthiest country on earth. Instead, she chose to return to Liberia to give back to her homeland, and to help see to it that all of its citizens prospered.

If only life had been so kind to her.

In 1980, then Liberian President William Tolbert was

50 | TPIN MAGAZINE

overthrown and killed by Sergeant Samuel Doe. Amid the uprising, Johnson Sirleaf was forced to flee, and found herself exiled in Nairobi, Kenya.

Over the coming decades, she would leave her country once more, and also spend time in prison for speaking out against the controlling military regime.

She failed to secure the presidency in 1997, but finally, in 2005, Liberia’s “Iron Lady” became Africa’s first ever elected female head of state, and the world’s first black female president. To top off her resume, she was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, which she shared with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman “for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”

“Women work harder. And women are more honest; they have less reasons to be corrupt.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s legacy, stemming from her unprecedented political success, will be based on the example she set for women everywhere.

In a continent that still lags behind the rest of the world in terms of providing equal opportunities for women in terms of education and employment, Johnson Sirleaf has shown aspiring girls everywhere that it can be done.

Her feats reflect the seismic gender shifts taking hold across the globe, as evidenced by rising college graduation rates and rising pay for females.

By and large, women seem to be outperforming their male counterparts in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the decision-making realm.

Her words ring true, then: women do work harder, and women are more honest. Johnson Sirleaf has shown the greatness that could be if more of them were to reach positions of power. Positions that male leaders all too often seem to be abuse.

Liberia’s struggle to break free from its corrupt, violent past has not been as smooth as Sirleaf had hoped. Education and employment levels for girls remain poor, and sadly, violent attacks against women continue to be all too common.

But Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will not back down. She knows what she means to Liberians and women everywhere, and she will continue to push forward.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Rest assured that President Sirleaf will continue to help it bend until the day she dies.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 09:02, Jan 30, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/ellenjohnson-sirleaf-201269.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 51

Gwendolyn Brooks “When you use the term minority or minorities in reference to people, you’re telling them that they’re less than somebody else.”

G

wendolyn Brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917. Like many black families at the time that had grown tired of the secondclass treatment they received in the segregated South and Midwest, her parents joined the Great Migration North and settled in Chicago. For too many dream seekers, however, the experience of being maltreated was not something that their move North allowed them to escape.

Of the 3 high schools Brooks attended in Chicago, 2 were integrated. It was during her adolescent years where she acutely felt the sting of racial prejudice, and those feelings did much to form her literary work for the remainder of her life.

“I felt that I had to write. Even if I had never been published, I knew that I would go on writing, enjoying it and experiencing the challenge.”

Most writers feel the calling early on in their lives.

Brooks felt it very early on. At 13, she published her first poem, and by age 16, she already had 75 poetic works to her name. Much of her material appeared in the Chicago Defender, an influential newspaper in the African-American community, which was an integral part of the push for improving quality of life for black people.

The trials and tribulations of the writing profession did not pass over her, as it took her some time to strike it big. To support herself, she had to take work

52 | TPIN MAGAZINE

as a secretary. Her interaction with prominent African Americans proved very helpful, especially her conversations with James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes, who encouraged her to read modern poetry by the likes of Ezra Pound and T. S. Elliot.

Soon enough, her talent would garner her a mass audience. Her 1945 collection A Street in Bronzeville thrust her into the national spotlight and earned her a Guggenheim Fellowship, among other honors. Then, five years later, Brooks would become the first African American to be crowned Pulitzer Prize winner, for her book Annie Allen.

“Poetry is life distilled.”

Brooks’ bio is filled with a long list of awards and recognition that few other poets have attained.

At the behest of President Kennedy, she read at a Library of Congress poetry festival in 1962. In 1994, she was named the Jefferson Lecturer by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the highest possible award given by the federal government.

Her lasting legacy, though, will be her commitment to bring poetry to individuals of all walks of life.

Even through her fame, Brooks always made time for hosting the workshops and poetry circles for Chicago’s children that made her so loved.

Though originally from Kansas, she became a Chicagoan through and through. It was fitting, then, that her last moments in life were spent in the city that had given her so much, and had helped make her words come alive.

Gwendolyn Brooks lost her battle with cancer on December 3, 2000, at the age of 83. She died at her home in Chicago, Illinois. May she rest in peace, and may her spirit, like the literary gems she left behind, live on forever.

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:01, Jan 30, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/ gwendolyn-brooks-9227599.

This image was originally posted to Flickr by takomabibelot at http://flickr.com/ photos/38782010@N00/1305920589.

It was reviewed on 1 April 2008 by the FlickreviewR robot and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 53

Oprah Winfrey “I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.”

A

woman who needs no introduction, Oprah Gail Winfrey came into this world on January 29, 1954, amidst the small farming community of Kosciusko, Mississippi. While we often tend to view rural farming communities as calm, tranquil places, Oprah’s adolescence proved that her surroundings were anything but—she was sexually abused by several male relatives and friends of her very own mother.

Luckily, she was able to relocate to Nashville to be with her father, and she entered Tennessee State University in 1971. Her draw to the television and broadcasting industry was immediate, and after college, she found 8 long years of success in Baltimore, hosting the popular TV chat show People Are Talking.

The major media markets could hold out no more. She was lured to Chicago, made the host of A.M. Chicago, and within a few months took the show’s ratings room from last to first. In 1986, Oprah launched the nationally syndicated Oprah Winfrey Show, and has dominated the daytime talk show scene ever since.

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”

54 | TPIN MAGAZINE

It was apparent from the beginning that she had it. Displaying a unique package of charm, warm-hearted sincerity, and genuine concern for those who she was speaking with, Oprah Winfrey developed a magnetic appeal among her audiences and viewers at home. What’s so remarkable about her meteoric rise to the top is that it overlapped with a sad, sad time for the American talk show industry.

As most shows were taking cues from Jerry Springer on how to be as raunchy and debasing as possible, Oprah went in the opposite direction. Her shows were meant to be uplifting, not humiliating. While other hosts put strained family and romantic relationships on center stage for audiences to gawk at, Oprah put her guests on center stage so that they could heal—and in the process, help her viewers heal as well. What she offered was not embarrassment, but a confirmation that look, we are all human. We all suffer, just like you do.

Perhaps most appealing about Oprah is her willingness to put her own flaws on center stage as well. She waged a very public battle against her weight, and after losing 90 pounds, competed in the 1995 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., inspiring plenty of overweight men and women nationwide to look themselves in the mirror and say, “I can do it too.”

“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it.

Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.

This is your moment. Own it.�

Through ownership of her own network, the Oprah Winrey Network, Oprah has become one of the wealthiest women on the planet (if not the wealthiest). True to her compassionate nature, she has given away over $51 million to all sorts of causes, making her the greatest African-American philanthropist of all time.

In a time when pessimism on screen sold so well, Oprah will be remembered for bucking the trend.

Her message was and is forever one of optimism, of acknowledging the problem and tackling it head on, no matter how many attempts it takes to overcome. Regardless of race, devoted fans the world over cherish her dearly, as they know that in Oprah Winfrey, they will always have someone who genuinely cares.

Oprah Winfrey. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:35, Jan 30, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/oprahwinfrey-9534419.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 55

Sojourner Truth “If women want any rights more than they’s got, why don’t they just take them, and not be talking about it.”

B

orn in upstate New York around 1797, before the Empire state abolished the practice, Isabella Baumfree was the child of a slave couple of Ghanian and Guinean ancestry. In time, however, she legally took the name that has become synonymous with the abolitionist and women’s rights movements in America: Sojourner Truth.

Truth felt the hardships of slavery early on in her childhood. She was separated from her parents after the family’s owner died, sold at auction with a flock of sheep for $100, and then sold twice more in the coming years. The institution continued to tear apart her social ties when her new owner separated her from a lover she had taken.

“It is the mind that makes the body.”

Exhibiting the mental fortitude that would come to be her trademark, Truth escaped in late 1826 with her infant daughter, after her owner broke his word on a promise to set her free. But the chains of slavery continued to haunt her. Her son Peter had been sent to a slaveholder in the South before she had time to go back for him. To secure his return, she had to take the issue to court. Luck (and fate) were on her side, and her victory marked one of the first times in American history that a black woman had successfully challenged a white man in a United States courthouse.

56 | TPIN MAGAZINE

It was during the following years that she began to leave her mark on the abolitionist movement.

She spent time in a self-sustaining community in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she developed her ideas with well-known abolitionist luminaries such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass.

“Truth is powerful and it prevails.”

On June 1, 1843, she officially took the name of Sojourner Truth. How fitting, given that she would devote the rest of her life towards getting others to recognize the simple truth that we are all equal.

Rest assured that her words of steel will live on for generations to come, thanks to her popular memoir, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave, and transcripts of her speeches, especially her ubiquitous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech to the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in May of 1851.

Though she did live to see slavery come to an end, she did not have the joy of witnessing much advance in the way of women’s rights. Another of the items on her agenda, property compensation for ex-slaves, also did not make it through Congress.

But her conviction for these two failed propositions showed how deep her wisdom ran.

Women would eventually gain the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Constitutional Amendment in 1920. And the idea of “40 acres and a mule� to compensate former slaves would have done much to give freed blacks a leg up on the economic ladder. Current data showing blacks lagging in homeownership and overall wealth accumulation has roots in a truth that Sojourner Truth knew all too well centuries ago: they started with much, much less.

True to her spirit, Truth continued advocating for the causes she believed in until the day she died.

She passed away on November 26, 1883, at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan. May the truth always prevail, and may she rest in peace.

Sojourner Truth. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 06:13, Jan 30, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/sojournertruth-9511284.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 57

Arthur Ashe African American Hero

by Jamil Atcha

“Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you’re behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.”

Growing up playing tennis is was what gave me selfconfidence. Always being in control during a match or business situation shows your character. After being in the mortgage business for over 20 years, I have had to be in control of my emotions under many situations! Arthur Ashe has been inspiration in my life. His level of class and the way he conducted himself even in the face of death is inspiring.

a an

I am amazed at how quickly time goes by the older I get. Already, seven years have passed since the “mortgage meltdown.” During those early years, you had to be resourceful and nimble. It is very difficult to be an entrepreneur during these times, but as the old saying goes, “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” There were many sleepless nights wondering how to make the bills and get through the next month. Thankfully, in my case, I had the support of a loving wife and daughter that had all the confidence in me to make it happen. Since those days, I have become stronger in the sense I have learned more about the mortgage business in the past 5 years than the first 15 years. I had to in order to survive. That is what the The Power Is Now means to me; persevering in the face of huge adversity and finding the power and mental strength to figure it out while leaning on my business partners. As difficult a time it was during those years, my adversity seems trivial to what Arthur had to go through. Being an African American during that era must have been painful beyond anything I could imagine. Arthur is someone I could go to for inner strength knowing he had to really fight for equality and his trials were incredibly serious. Arthur paved the way for guys like me to have it easier.

I am glad to be connected to a man like Arthur Ashe through tennis. I am not into memorabilia but one of my prized possessions is an autographed tennis ball from the man himself! I will always be grateful for what the sport of tennis has taught me and the internal self-confidence (Power) the sport has given me. I know there will be more difficult times ahead in my business but I have the comfort to know that Arthur Ashe has cleared a path for me to make it happen.

Arthur’s accomplishments can be found at www.arthurashe.org .

58 | TPIN MAGAZINE

LAW

MLK Day & Black History Month 2014

by Eric Frazier

O

n January 20th America celebrated the incredible legacy and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am very thankful that our government recognizes Dr. King’s contributions to our country. This recognition did not happen without a struggle.

Believe it or not there are many who do not believe that Dr. Martin Luther King should have a national holiday. Jesus said that “there will always be the poor among us.” He should have added the ignorant also. It is only ignorance of the man, his contributions to the world and the results of what he has achieved, that anyone would believe a national day of recognition has not been earned and paid for in blood by him. This is not just a celebration for a black man, but for an American who is of African Descent who fought for the rights of all people of color, and for the conscience of this country that was built on great principles and even greater promises.

Dr. King made America keep its promise. He is now immortalized at 1964 Independence Ave

60 | TPIN MAGAZINE

SW, Washington, DC 20003 located in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., southwest of the National Mall. I have been there and have seen the beautiful statue and wall with exerts from his great speeches. It is an incredible site to see. Dr. King has earned all the recognition we can give him. I am proud to be an American and an African American because of great men like Dr. King. It is inspiring to have great examples like Dr. Martin Luther King and many others in my community that were willing to sacrifice everything including their life so that we could be free and achieve all the potential that freedom gives to everyone who embraces it.

In the month of February we will celebrate African-American history and the life of many great African Americans who have also given their lives for the freedom we enjoy. Black History Month and MLK Day both present a unique opportunity not only to honor Dr. King and the many others who have sacrificed and struggled, but they also provide an opportunity to examine how (and if) African

Americans are moving closer to achieving social and economic equality in America. The Civil Rights movement made it possible for African Americans and minorities to benefit from the promises of the Constitution and the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. This is the Jubilee year of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and many African Americans are still struggling to make their dreams of what those promises mean to them a reality. They have not seen the Promise Land that Martin proclaimed in his vision of the future. In addition, our civil rights are under attack with the recent Supreme Court decision regarding section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. National statistics about AfricanAmerican life in many important areas like education, wealth, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, single mothers as heads of household, sexually transmitted disease, health, the incarceration of young black men and crimes in our community are alarming. I will not go into the details at this time but the information and statistics are widely known, especially in the African-American Community.

LAW

What I can say now is that it is time for African-American community leaders to deal aggressively with challenges we face in our community before we lose our children as they continue down a path of destruction and cement a legacy of poverty and disenfranchisement.

We may have already lost an entire generation to drugs, gang violence and the prison system; not withstanding another generation of young people who have been heavily influenced by the rise of the hip hop culture that has undermined everything good in our community. What is bad for us is now good for us and what was wrong for us is now right.

The pursuit of excellence in education, personal development or self-improvement and the core values of our parents, grandparents and forefathers who were slaves have been overshadowed by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life wrapped in a neat bow of narcissism that is plaguing our young people and being glorified in just about every TV show or song on the radio. Have we lost them? I am not sure, but the evidence is very strong that we may have and that we must start with grades K

62 | TPIN MAGAZINE

though 6 and get to them before they become caught up in this tragic Shakespearian play in the African-American community.

Home ownership is diminishing rapidly in the African-American community and we are becoming a permanent class of renters, solidifying the legacy of poverty that already exists in our community.

As we watched the real estate market rebound and prices rise again African Americans will be priced out (again) and not able to participate. Unemployment is still very high in our community and to qualify for a loan to buy a home you must have a good paying job. Historically it has always been real estate that has lead minorities out of the grips of poverty. The National Association of Real Estate Brokers known as the Realtist® was started during the Jim Crow period in 1947 and participated in the struggle for equal opportunity in housing to help African Americans achieve the dream of homeownership.

It is real estate, and the many jobs it creates, and the jobs created in the automotive and construction industry boom that gave rise to the black middle class. As Realtists® we must continue to fight for the dream

of African Americans to achieve their best life possible, along with the American Dream of Home ownership. The Realtist® theme is “Democracy in Housing” and is still very relevant today. We must be about serving our community and doing our part to keep the dream of Home ownership alive, as well as Dr. King’s Dream alive.

A Dream, after all, which he gave his life for.

You and I may not be called to give up our lives for any cause, but people of all races all over the country participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, including the opportunities and parades in their communities, because they are inspired by his legacy.

In the month of February let’s all continue the oral tradition of our forefathers and tell the stories and talk about the legends who have come before us. They deserve our homilies, our praises, our dances, our recitations and our reenactments. Let the heavens open up to receive it because the work they accomplished was God inspired.

Let’s all be inspired by Dr. King and all the legends of our past to serve our community and do our part in helping someone live the American dream.

LAW

(Part 2 of 4)

BANKRUPTCY: It’s Not a Dirty Word!

By Michael R. Totaro, J.D., LL.M.

Proceedings under Chapter 7 There are a number of different types of bankruptcy proceedings but unless you are a government entity, a fisherman or farmer, you are only concerned with three: Chapters 7, 11 and 13.

Each has its own purpose and should be used to accomplish very specific goals. Let’s look at some principles that apply to all bankruptcy proceedings first.

When Should You File A Chapter 7: A determination of whether or not you should file bankruptcy depends on both a common sense and legal analysis of all of the following items. This is perhaps the key reason why you should consult with an attorney instead of a paralegal. Factors an attorney will look at are: 1. The type of debt you have, dischargeable v. nondischargeable.

2. The extent of your debt and whether there are other alternatives.

3. Your income and whether you have the ability to repay

64 | TPIN MAGAZINE

4.

5.

6.

7.

part or all of your debt over time.

What exemptions may be claimed?

Have all debts been incurred and have nonexempt assets been converted to exempt assets.

Has all non-exempt property been received?

An analysis of all trusts, life insurance policies, divorces within 180 days, pending foreclosures, and cash advances.

The Means Test: Another factor in determining if you qualify for a Chapter 7 filing is what is being referred to as the “Means Test.” This is actually very simple. The Census Bureau has established the median income for each state depending on the size of the household. If your income is under the median then you are not affected by the new law, except to the extent you have to produce documents and undergo credit counseling.

If your income is over the median, then there is a formula

for determining whether you qualify for a Chapter 7 filing. Only an attorney can do the analysis as each step of the process involves legal advice. Being over the median does not mean that you cannot file a Chapter 7 but you won’t know until the entire analysis is completed. It is possible that at the end of the analysis you will have to file a Chapter 13 and repay part of the debt.

Proceedings Under Chapter 13 The policy behind a Chapter 13 is to reorganize the debtor’s finances so that the debtor may repay at least a portion of the unsecured debts and the arrearage on any secured debt the debtor intends to keep. The amount of debt to be repaid depends on what property the debtor has that is not exempt and what disposable income the debtor has after deducting allowable expenses. The debtor must repay debts to the extent there is disposable income or equity in assets that are not protected (exempted).

LAW

The Procedure: Prior to filing the bankruptcy petition, the debtor and attorney work out a plan that they feel will be acceptable to the creditor, the Chapter 13 trustee and the court. Since the Chapter 13 trustee makes 11% of the monthly payment, there is an incentive for the trustee to look at the debtor’s budget very carefully to determine if the budget includes items the trustee does not feel are appropriate to someone seeking bankruptcy protection.

Once the Petition and Plan are filed with the court, the court schedules a meeting of creditors under 11 U.S.C. § 341 of the Bankruptcy Code (called a 341 hearing) and also a date for confirmation of the plan. In some areas the two hearings are held on the same day but in most jurisdictions there is a substantial amount of time between the 341 hearing and the confirmation hearing.

Each jurisdiction handles the period of time between filing and confirmation differently. In all jurisdictions any mortgage payment that comes due must be sent to our office in the form of a cashier’s check so that we may place it in the mail and verify it has been paid. In some jurisdictions the debtor must also send us any vehicle payment. As to the plan payment, some trustees want the payment brought to the 341 hearing and others want it paid on the anniversary date of the

66 | TPIN MAGAZINE

bankruptcy filing to a specified lockbox. The debtor is always advised in advance of what the particular trustee wants.

Once your plan is confirmed, you resume making your normal monthly payments on your secured debt. These payments are now due on the due date with no grace period. So if you mortgage is due on the 1st it must be paid on the 1st. Your plan payment will always be due on the same day of the month as your petition was filed. So if you filed on the 11th the plan payment is due on the 11th.

The Chapter 13 Plan: As part of the reorganization process, the debtor presents a plan to the Chapter 13 trustee and offers to pay back a portion of the unsecured debt and also any arrearage on the secured debt. The amount to be repaid is established in part by negotiation and in part by the Means Test which deducts allowable expenses from one’s gross income. This is where it gets tricky. The debtor may have many expenses that are not allowable but necessary to the family. For example, the debtor cannot provide support for an adult child, meaning any child over the age of 18 even if the IRS allows that child to be a dependent. This means you cannot pay for the college tuition for an 18 year old or any of their expenses if they are out of high school. This is just one example.

The plan gives the debtor a number of options. If the debtor is under the median income the payments may be made over 3 years. However, sometimes the arrearage on a home would result in too high of a payment if the term was 3 years and therefore 5 years would be better. In other cases 5 years may be chosen to keep the payment lower but the debtor may be entitled to pay it off earlier, but only if 100% of the unsecured creditors are being paid in full.

Once the plan is confirmed, the debtor simply continues to make payments under the plan for the plan period, whatever that may be. As noted the length of the plan is determined by the debtor’s income level and the percentage of debt being repaid. The plan must be approved by the court and once approved it is binding on all listed creditors.

Upon competition of the plan payments, and the plan period, the debtor is entitled to a discharge. All listed debts are discharged even if only paid a fraction of what is owed. (28 U.S.C. § 1409.)

Next issue: Proceedings Under Chapter 11 Michael R. Totaro, J.D., LL.M. Totaro & Shanahan, Inc. P.O. Box 789 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 310 573 0276 (v) 310 496 1260 (f) 310 948 6301 (Cell)

LAW MATTERS

SOVEREIGN The mortgage and real estate crisis of the late 2000’s led to unprecedented opportunities for scammers to exploit the real estate market. A unique subset of those scammers are the “sovereign citizens,” who seized on the overwhelming numbers of foreclosures in order to assert their unique view of property rights.

As a result, law enforcement has seen incredible numbers of forged and fraudulent documents, squatting and adverse possession scams, foreclosure defense scams, and other related crimes.

It is important for Real Estate professionals to recognize when they are dealing with a sovereign citizen and to use extra caution in engaging in any type of negotiation with one of these individuals. At first glance, their arguments and documents appear to be legal, but in actuality they are legal gibberish. This series of articles will attempt to summarize the origins, ideology, and common schemes associated with sovereign citizens.

68 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Part II – The Strawman Redemption Scheme Accept for Value Schemes Paper Terrorism In 1933 the US Government switched from backing the dollar with the gold standard to “the full faith and credit” of the United States. Sovereigns believe that this change was for the nefarious purpose of enslaving citizens. They believe that the United States pledged its citizens as collateral for foreign debt by selling their future earning capacity to foreign investors through the Federal Reserve or the World Bank.

They further believe that the government has created secret trusts as surety for that debt, represented by an individual’s name in capital letters, such as on a birth certificate. They believe that the birth certificate is significant because the baby’s foot is placed on it before it touches the land. The document is then recorded, signifying that the fictional capital letter entity has now been placed into commerce.

Sovereigns call this capital letter name their “strawman,” and they believe that their social security number

by David Allen

represents the account that the US Treasury assigns to that strawman.

Sovereigns believe that through the correct use of magical language and paperwork they can “redeem” their strawman’s account with the treasury. This involves filing UCC financing statements and IRS form 1099OID. They think that the account holds millions of dollars and that once they access it they can write personal bonds against the account rather than dealing in worthless U.S. dollars.

The Accept for Value Scheme After the sovereign has separated themselves from their “strawman” they believe they can discharge their debts by creating fake debt instruments that draw on their secret treasury account. This leads to the common financial scheme known as “Accept for Value.”

When a sovereign receives a bill from the IRS, a bank, or even the cable company, he believes he can write “Accepted for Value” along with a few other magic words on that bill and it will be paid by his secret Treasury Direct account.

LAW MATTERS Federal Courts have directly addressed the myth that the government maintains secret accounts that a citizen may access to pay their taxes1 , but nonetheless the scheme lives on.

At least one California court has found similar instruments used in sovereign citizen schemes to be meaningless. In McElroy et al. v. Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp. et. al., McElroy sent Chase Bank a “Bonded Bill Of Exchange Order” purportedly drawn on a “Personal UCC Contract Trust Account” with the Department of the Treasury along with instructions on how to redeem the instrument with the Treasury. The Court described the document as follows: “…a worthless piece of paper, consisting of nothing more than a string of words that sound as though they belong in a legal document, but which, in reality, are incomprehensible, signifying nothing.” 2 As the mortgage and foreclosure crisis swept across the country, sovereign “gurus” taught the “accept for value” scheme as a method to eliminate mortgage

debt.

The scheme begins when the sovereign offers to tender their homemade debt instrument as payment for their mortgage obligations to the lender. The lender will obviously refuse.

The sovereign will send a series of documents challenging the refusal to accept the homemade debt instrument.

When the lender fails to adequately address the pseudolegal arguments put forth by the sovereign, the sovereign will first send a “notice of fault in dishonor and opportunity to cure.” When that document is not addressed to the sovereigns liking, they will declare an “administrative judgment” in their own favor. The sovereign will give themselves power of attorney to file documents to remedy the “dishonor in commerce.” This typically leads to the filing of a reconveyance deed which purports to grant the sovereign a full interest in the title to their house. This filing clouds the title and is in violation of Penal Code section 115.

Sovereigns will use accept for value in a number of variations to attempt to discharge debts,

taxes, mortgages, and even criminal cases.

Paper Terrorism Oftentimes the sovereign citizen’s plans will lead him afoul of the law. The committed sovereign doesn’t respect the authority of the government to detain, arrest, or pass judgment on themselves or their “strawman,” other than by a contractual relationship under the UCC. As a result, they will take the offensive against the police, the courts, the prosecution, and anyone else involved with their criminal case. This comes in the form of “paper terrorism.”3 The paper terrorism strategy involves filing meritless lawsuits and liens against any government official involved in the prosecution of the sovereign, with the goal of wearing the officials down to the point where they decide it isn’t worth dealing with the case anymore.

Alternately, the sovereign hopes that by filing against the judge or the prosecutor, he can force each of them to disqualify themselves from the case.

See, e.g. United States v. Anderson, 353 F.3d 490, 500 (6th Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 541 U.S. 1068 (2004), superseded by statute on other grounds as recognized in United States v. McBride, 576 F.3d 726 (7th Cir. 2009) 2 (2005) 134 Cal. App. 4th 388, 393. see “Commercial Liens – A Most Powerful Weapon” <http://www.mind-trek.com/practicl/comliens.htm#chp6> 3 (as of March 27, 2012) for a sovereign citizen’s guide on how to use liens against government officials. “Faced with corrupt lawyers and judges, no litigant can expect to win in court by simply playing defense. To beat them, you must be able to scare them. You must be able to make them respect you, and that means you must be able to take the offense -- attack them personally.”

1

TPIN MAGAZINE | 69

LAW MATTERS The scheme can progress similarly to the above-mentioned “accept for value” scheme. The sovereign will “accept for value” the complaint in the criminal case. When the prosecution or the court fails to respond to this, the sovereign begins the process of demand and response. The difference, however, is that the sovereign’s ultimate goal can’t be accomplished by simply filing a reconveyance or other document.

If the “corrupt” judge and prosecutor fail to dismiss the sovereign’s case as demanded, the sovereign will create a “private administrative judgment” accusing the officials of committing various crimes and trespasses against the sovereign.

The sovereign will then declare the officials personally liable for an unknown amount, and attempt to file “common law liens” against the real and personal property of that official.

The sovereign will then attempt to foreclose on the lien and treat it as an accounts receivable.4 The California Legislature has recognized this problem and provided for up to a $5000 civil penalty pursuant to Government

Code §6223 and an expedited show cause hearing in the event a lien or lawsuit is filed for the purpose of harassing a government official pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure §725.010. Judicial Counsel Form MC100 was created for this particular issue. Penal Code §115 would typically apply to any fraudulent document filed with the county recorder’s office.

you encounter one of these individuals.

To be continued in the March Issue Part III.

Conclusion Real Estate professionals need to be aware of whether they are dealing with an individual with a sovereign citizen mentality.

These individuals do not respect traditional property rights or the power of the courts to enforce them, so actions like unlawful detainers and quiet title suits will prove ineffective. Attempts to negotiate or reason with a hardcore sovereign citizen can result in harassment of a personal nature up to and including the filing of fraudulent liens against your own property. Real Estate professionals are encouraged to contact the District Attorney’s Office Real Estate Fraud Unit if

David Allen is a Deputy District Attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit.

Complaints regarding Real Estate Fraud in Riverside County may be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office by going to http://www.rivcoda. org/opencms/resources/ consumerinfo.html and completing a Real Estate Fraud complaint form.

See, generally, Fleishman, Paper Terrorism, The Public Law Journal. <www.calbar.ca.gov/publiclaw> [as of March 27, 2012] 4

70 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Global is the New Local

Realogy: The Business of Real EstateÂŽ Realogy Holdings Corp. is a global leader in real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under our franchise systems as well as relocation and title services. Collectively, Realogyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s franchise system members operate approximately 13,500 offices with 241,700 independent sales associates doing business in 103 countries around the world.

www.facebook.com/realogy

HEALTH

Vitality

and

You

by Lionel King

Having just celebrated Martin Luther King’s birthday and currently in the middle of Black History Month, it is a great time to address how our culture affects our health. A lot of times we allow our culture to affect our health in a negative fashion rather than us affecting our culture in a positive fashion.

That’s why I decided to appear on The Power Is Now online radio show. With a background in internal medicine and being a vitality specialist, I want all The Power Is Now listeners to know how they can master their vitality.

I grew up in Alabama, and I grew up on Southern home cooking! Well, we didn’t really grow up on fast foods and we didn’t eat at McDonald’s or Burger King or Dairy Queen or all the other fast food joints. So in that sense, we thought we were living healthy. We thought we were eating all natural foods, no preservatives, but everything that we were eating was meat-based, fried, very greasy, highly seasoned, and not that great for us.

My dad actually passed away from pancreatic cancer. I’ve had very close relatives pass away from heart attacks, strokes, colon cancer − you name it. All of these illnesses are preventable.

We don’t realize that we don’t have to suffer with these preventable illnesses, nor do we have to lose our very dear loved ones from these preventable illnesses.

We don’t have to abandon out culture − not just an African-American culture, but the American

72 | TPIN MAGAZINE

culture. The American culture is one in which we want a lot of food and we want it fast. If you look at the obesity rates in America, it’s astronomical!

This is the culture that we live in, and instead of just accepting that culture, we must find ways to, while at the same time embrace our culture − no matter if you’re African American, if you’re Italian, if you’re Caribbean, Haitian, Jamaican, whatever your culture may be − that has imbedded in it unhealthy rituals, we can embrace our cultures while at the same time expanding them for the better.

That is what Martin Luther King did for the American culture. He embraced his African-American culture and he instilled a dream within not only the AfricanAmerican culture, but the American culture; not only the American culture, but the culture of the world! He infused this dream and changed it for the better.

This is what we must do when it comes to our health and our vitality. We have to change our paradigm of thinking of what is normal − change our paradigm of thinking of what our daily habits and rituals are, change our thinking about what is healthy for us and what our bodies are actually craving. And the first step to doing this is getting clear − getting clear on what you want for your health.

HEALTH

• • • • • • • •

Do you need to lose a few pounds?

Do you need to lose a lot of weight?

Do you want more energy?

Are you suffering from a chronic illness that you need to get under control?

Are you on medications that you want to get off of?

Are you suffering from chronic pain?

What is it that you’d like to change about how you’re living?

Are you living a stressful lifestyle?

These are things that you want to think about.

What could be better if you could wave a magic wand, and when you wave that magic wand, you could have exactly what you wanted for your health and vitality?

• What would that look like?

• What would your body look like?

• What would your skin look like?

• What would your energy level be like?

• How would that affect your productivity?

• How would that affect your career?

• How would that affect your relationships?

• How would that affect your loved ones?

• How would that affect your children?

• What type of an example would you be?

• Are you a leader in your community?

• Are you a leader amongst your family?

What examples would you be able to set: • If you were at your ideal level of vitality?

• If you were at your ideal body weight?

• Had unstoppable energy, unstoppable strength?

• What would that do for you?

• What would that do for your family?

• What would that do for your co-workers?

• What would that do for your employees?

• What would that do for your bosses?

• The level of influence that you would have, how would it influence your children?

Really, think about what would be possible, and once you get clear on what exactly you want for your health and vitality, then the next step is getting leverage—a topic that will be discussed on a future The Power Is Now Vitality Talk.

Remember, the most important thing in your life is not your house, or your car, or your money—it’s your health.

Dr. Lionel King is an internal medicine physician and vitality specialist, and the host of The Power Is Now Vitality Talk.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 73

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Genius

Waiting to Happen!

By P.S. Perkins Reprinted from Personal Development Magazine, Premiere edition 2007

How do you define genius? Do you know anyone who believes they are a genius? Would you consider yourself a genius? Wikipedia, the electronic encyclopedia, cites genius as “a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work.” Western culture has often defined genius as having an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of at least 140. The IQ test scores questions based on accuracy and speed of answer. A question type might be: “Eight chickens, three dogs, and four cats have a total of forty-eight legs (True or False).”

Who are your examples of genii? Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Madame Curie, or Nelson Mandela? When Albert Einstein wanted to attend the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology rather than complete his high school degree, he had to take an entrance exam. He failed the test.

That same year at age 16, he performed his first “thought experiment,” visualizing traveling along a beam of light. Leonardo da Vinci was the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary and a “peasant.” Madame Curie, born in 1867, was the first twice-honored Nobel laureate and still today the only laureate to win in two separate sciences.

Nelson Mandela was left to rot in prison for 27 years for political crimes against the government before becoming the first black, democratically-elected President of South Africa. All of them geniuses, in spite of the odds of birth and fortune!

What has our culture taught us about the gift and command of genius? Recent books such as “The Bell Curve” by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray and “The Mismeasure of Man” by Stephen Jay Gould, counter-argue the points of “nature”

74 | TPIN MAGAZINE

versus “nurture” when considering factors such as heredity, race, gender and other biological and/ or sociological determinants of intelligence. From Darwinism to Creationism, this topic continues to be highly controversial and affects every aspect of our culture, from medical advancements, to educational models, to insurance rates!

But the point of this article is - how do you define genius? Are you a genius in the closet? Have you given your genius over to the “spin doctors” of intelligence? I attest that we are ALL geniuses waiting to happen! Yes, you are a genius! You may want to respond, “Then where is it!?” It is waiting for you to awaken to your potential. I have a saying that goes, “The Universe is an Equal Opportunity Employer giving us all the exact same vocation – to create our lives!” Self-insight and selfknowledge are your greatest allies in the ascent to your full human potential.

Each individual is imbued with their own uniquely endowed gifts. Why were you born? To create your life and discover your co-creative power to actualize it. We are all but the breath of creative energy born to join the creative family. Behaviorist Abraham Maslow said, “What humans can be – they must be.” He also recognized, “A society or any institution in it can be characterized as fostering or hindering the self-actualization of its individuals.”

We live in a culture where genius has been assigned to some individuals and categorically denied to others based on cultural constructs of privilege, power and access. However truth, when sought and accepted, sets us free.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

It is the privilege of every human being to realize their unique value in the puzzle of life – to realize their genius.

cannot. No human can. So the question becomes, which comes first: the thought or the action?

Too many have been denied access and/or believe the lie of mediocrity, but this does not include you!

Genius starts in the mind where the seeds of creative power are planted, watered and bloom.

What’s in your garden? What are you growing?

How do you tap into your genius? First, acknowledge that genius is the birth right of every human, irrespective of man-made barriers.

Secondly, believe you are a part of that divine right and thirdly, understand that genius is a matter of connecting with your passion, your gift and taking it to its’ highest form of expression. Yes, your genius is as close as your greatest joy and the action you put behind it! Napoleon Hill, the great wealth builder, defined genius as the deliberate and purposeful use of the faculty of creative imagination. He describes this faculty as “the direct link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence.” In other words, when you link your creative consciousness with the all-seeing and all-knowing consciousness of the universe, you are able to take your creative intelligence to its highest level of fulfillment. You evolve into your genius. Your contribution to the planet - yours and yours alone!

Again, the dilemma lies in the sleeping masses of humans who have allowed others to define who they are. If you do not know who you are and whose you are, there are thousands lined up to tell you who you are not! The genius of Nelson Mandela is, “We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Understand, we are all materializing our lives through our thoughts and words that become our actions. Some of us are manifesting our lives through deliberate thought/words and purposeful action – what the Human Communication Institute practitioners teach as the Law of Deliberate Action™. This “law” is the essence of the Human Communication Co-Creation Theory → Conscious thought + deep emotion + subconscious energy (creative intelligence) = creation = life! Life gives you what you truly believe, according to your faith! Remember, you are creating, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The creative universe answers your deep-seated beliefs exactly as you believe – it does not judge between your positive and negative thoughts. “You reap what you sow.” Your genius is actualized by the belief that you are a child of creative intelligence!

Ponder this question, “Can you separate your thoughts from your deliberate actions?” No, you

Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Set yourself free to manifest the genius you were born to share with the world. It is theonly true path to both success and happiness. It is the only path to universal love.

American author Frederick Buechner expresses this clearly, “To find your mission in life is to discover the intersection between your heart’s deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger.” This is what the planet needs from you. This is what we are all waiting for – your genius to happen. Make it so!

P.S. Perkins Human Communication Institute, LLC www.hci-global.com

TPIN MAGAZINE | 75

ENTERTAINMENT

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE

To Be Poor In America . . .

t ’ n s I t I t Excep

By Eric Egana

I

f Paul Lejoy had simply titled his book something like “Great Tips For Building Wealth Through Real Estate,” I would not have any qualms with him.

Instead he chose the title, “It’s Impossible to be Poor in America: Wealth Solutions For The 99%.”

And so the qualms are many.

sociologist. Nor a historian.

It’s understandable how Mr. Lejoy, an immigrant from Cameroon, can feel some level of bewilderment at how there can be so many poor people in this great land of opportunity.

After all, he made it . . . why can others not do the same?

Mr. Lejoy does a splendid job providing tips on how to build wealth through real estate. In sections such as “TEN SHORT ‘N’ CLEAR STEPS FOR MAKING MONEY BUYING AND SELLING SHORT SALES,” he presents the reader with crystal-clear explanations on short sales and how to profit handsomely from them. In addition, he enlightens his audience with other real estate-related investment ideas, such as trustee sales, fix ‘n’ flips, and tax liens. With his articulate writing and thorough discussion of the subject matter, it becomes rapidly evident that the author is a real estate expert, through and through.

Paul Lejoy, given the level of education he has attained, the fact that he speaks Mandarin, and his accomplishment of writing a book, is clearly a smart guy. It’s hard to believe that he meant his title literally. But then he makes statements such as:

But a real estate expert does not an economist make. Nor a

76 | TPIN MAGAZINE

“Whoever is poor in this land is poor as a matter of choice.

Barring mental and physical disability, there is no reason why anyone should be poor in America. At some point in their lives Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, Lady Gaga, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods and countless Americans decided they were going to live a designer lifestyle.”

Is he really offering Bill Gates and

Kobe Bryant up as examples of how all you need to do in life is to decide that you are not going to be poor?

Mr. Lejoy, like most other critics of the poor, conveniently ignores the reality of our economic system: it provides extraordinary financial rewards for certain skills, and meager financial rewards for others. Bill Gates was born with an aptitude for technology that simply cannot be attained through any amount of hard work or formal schooling. Just as Kobe Bryant, being a muscular 6’7”, possesses a freakish level of agility and jumping ability that most people can simply not attain, regardless of how hard they work out.

Furthermore, his self-help style of writing reaches a level of idealism that is all too common in this type of book. “ . . . Jobs enslave you. A job is doing what you don’t want to do,” he says.

He may be right, but the very functioning of our society relies on people doing jobs that they don’t want to do.

ENTERTAINMENT Mr. Lejoy, like myself, like everyone else, depend on shelves being stocked when we go to the store, and on dishes being cleaned when we go out to eat. It would be nice to think that these low-wage individuals could one day just decide that they were going to become real estate investors (or computer programmers, or professional basketball players), but that isn’t realistic.

Becoming a real estate investor requires skills.

It requires the ability to research prevailing market conditions, analyze interest rates, and precisely estimate future rental revenues and expenditures; all skills that demand a high level of literacy and numeracy. Skills the author himself readily acknowledges, when he points out that “Trustee sales offer the savvy investor a great way to make money in real estate.” Unfortunately, not everyone in this world is savvy, through no fault of their own.

His incomprehension of how people can be poor is ironic, given that many of his get-rich strategies are predicated on the idea of there being poor people to get rich off of. The entire idea of a short sale revolves around a homeowner who is too poor to make their mortgage payments, thus providing an opportunity for an investor to secure a property at below market value (and then sell it at market value for a handsome profit, if they so choose), just so the bank can cut ties with the borrower. The

same is true of his advice to buy tax lien certificates, enabling an investor to profit from the financial inability of a homeowner to pay their property taxes.

I am heartened by the success of people like Paul Lejoy. He is the embodiment of the American Dream, a testament that the dream which has come to define the United States of America is alive and well.

But I worry that as time goes on, success stories like his will make it harder and harder to drum up support for individuals who, generation after generation, continue to end up on the same rung of the economic ladder as where they started.

On a micro level, some individuals clearly deserve a lot of the blame.

Countless studies show that if teens simply finish high school and do not have children out of wedlock, they have a good chance of avoiding poverty.

Yet countless teens continue to drop out of school and have babies at a young age, often with unstable and unreliable partners. I would leave it to the economists, the sociologists, and the historians, however, to continue to explore the reasons why, and hope that Americans everywhere continue to understand that not only is it possible to be poor in America, but for the low-skilled segment of our society, it is very probable.

To access the full interview of Paul Lejoy’s appearance on The Power Is Now online radio program, please visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ thepowerisnow/2013/06/10/ its-impossible-to-be-poor-inamerica

Eric Egana, MA Associate Editor eric.egana@thepowerisnow. com

TPIN MAGAZINE | 77

ENTERTAINMENT

THE WOLF

OF WALL STREET

The issue with The Wolf of Wall Street is that it doesn’t go further. Any old movie can be about sex and drugs, but Scorsese had an opportunity to do for stockbrokers what Michael Douglas and Wall Street did for the corporate raiders of the 80’s: attempt to justify them.

I

t’s hard to not give The Wolf of Wall Street a less-than-sterling review, given that it stars Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio (as the talented but rife-with-turmoil stockbroker Jordan Belfort), and is directed by directing legend Martin Scorsese (of Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas, and Casino, and Gangs of New York fame).

But after actually seeing the film, you simply have to.

It’s not because of the (predictably) large amounts of sex and drugs that are shown over, and over, and over again. The real world of high-finánce offers its participants (still mainly men) literally all that money can buy. Men of means can and want to buy sex, and they can and want to buy drugs. The film simply depicts what young men often do when piles of money fall on their head.

78 | TPIN MAGAZINE

One of the film’s early scenes sets it on track to do just that. Jordan Belfort, an ambitious 22-yearold who arrives on Wall Street via a middle class upbringing in Bayside, Queens, is taken out to lunch by senior partner Mark Hanna, played by Matthew McConaughey, on his first day on the job. While Hanna downs loads of liquor, he gives his newest recruit (and the viewers) a brief little summary of the stockbroking profession: we sell shares of companies we know nothing about to people we’ve never met, and since we get paid on commission at the completion of each sale, we make out regardless if the stock price plunges and our clients lose everything.

But the film doesn’t go beyond that. It doesn’t explain how even if 100 companies turn out to be a dud for investors, one of them might turn out to be Apple.

Think for a second what you would have done if a stranger had called you 20 years ago and told you that there was this hot new computer company that was going to make people forget about IBM. “Make people forget about established global giant IBM?” you would have thought. “You must be crazy.”

ENTERTAINMENT

In hindsight, though, you would have been crazy not to fork over a couple thousand dollars to the voice on the phone. And that’s the point. No one knows whether a company will ever live up to its potential. Not the analysts, not the brokers, not you—not even the guys running the company.

McConaughey even says as much.

What keeps stockbrokers in business, and why they bother cold calling strangers day after day in the hopes that out of every 97 that hang up the phone 3 will buy something, is that there is always that chance.

Left-leaning types might object to the amount that brokers and other finance individuals skim off the top, given that down in the moneyed canyons of Wall Street, nothing tangible is ever produced.

But the financial industry, and stockbrokers specifically, perform the most essential of functions needed in a capitalist economic system: they allocate capital.

involving a monster storm at sea that threatens to down DiCaprio’s yacht, he tells co-star Jonah Hill to brave the 3 feet of water below deck and to go get the Quaaludes, because “I don’t want to die sober.”

All in all, the film does a good job telling a personal story. Not to mention there is enough female eye candy to last for days. It’s just that you can see female eye candy in any of The Fast and the Furious movies. The Wolf of Wall Street had a chance to be different. It had a chance to be meaningful.

It just wasn’t. It depicted the rise of an ambitious young man, and the sex, alcohol, and drugs that eventually brought him down. Nothing more.

If you are interested in seeing a film about a life lived in the fast lane, then I would say allocate 3 hours of your life and go see it. But if you are looking for something with a bit more commentary on the American economy as a whole, I would say allocate your time to watching something else.

True, sometimes they allocate capital dishonestly, via misrepresentations and even outright lies. But if it wasn’t for the 22-year-old kid with the slick hair calling you out of the blue, trying to get you to invest in some guys in their California garage making computers, then the world would never have known about the guys in their California garage making computers. They never would have gotten the capital they needed to grow into the company they are today. Love them or hate them, stockbrokers are needed, so that money goes from your pockets into the pockets of the individuals who are going to do something special with it.

But Scorsese and DiCaprio don’t drive that point home.

Look. The film is entertaining. In one comical scene

Eric Egana, MA Associate Editor eric.egana@thepowerisnow.com

TPIN MAGAZINE | 79

TRAVEL

Travel Mention…

CONVICTED

BY HIS CONVICTIONS Pictures taken from http://www.sydweedon.com

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see!”

The infamous words of Heavy Weight Boxing Champ of the World Mr. Muhammad Ali, spoken with flair and confidence unlike anything ever heard in the 1960s.

To truly understand the iconic nature of Mr. Ali, one must visit the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville is not only the birthplace of Mr. Ali but it is quite a travel destination known for the Kentucky Derby, the Bourbon trail, and many historical sites. However, in my opinion, nothing compares to The Ali Center, a multicultural, interactive, and award-winning museum dedicated to the legacy of Muhammad Ali. The museum tells his story in a way that captures the mind and inspires the soul. The first stop is the Orientation Theater on the fifth level where you view an introductory film, “If You Can Dream” narrated by James Earl Jones and Maya Angelou.

The poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling is showcased in the film. Mr. Ali carried this poem in his wallet for inspiration. There are pavilions for each of the of six core principles that propelled him through life: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect and Spirituality. In every step taken through the museum one is embraced by his values. Despite the fact that I left temperatures of 80 degrees and warmer in Los Angeles, to travel to

80 | TPIN MAGAZINE

By Zna Portlock Houston, Esq.

28 degree weather in Louisville, I was warmed by the thought of Mr. Ali carrying the Olympic Torch in 1996 during the Atlanta Games. In the “Walk with Ali” pavilion, on display, is the torch. He was an artist and poet and the “Ali as Artist” gallery on the 5th floor exhibiting his work challenges you to be all that you can be. Diane Sawyer, another Louisville native and ABC News anchor is the voice you hear in the interactive “Journeylines,” a series of exhibits that allow exploration of Ali’s life through interactive exhibits. The Museum is a journey of the life of “The Greatest.”

One of my favorite places in the museum is “The Greatest” Pavilion where the film of the same name in projected on a full-size boxing ring one level below. It looks like the images are threedimensional and you see and feel the movement of the boxing scenes. The film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. You sense his power and strength through every part of the 93,000 square foot, six-story Ali Center.

A tremendous function of the museum is to educate and it is a tradition for the Center to show Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech. It was my honor to celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in Louisville and to celebrate Dr. King at the Ali Center. To my delight, the day of my visit to the Ali Center on January 17, 2014 was also the 72nd Birthday of “The Greatest!”

TRAVEL

Mr. Ali’s brother, Rahman Ali, and other family members were in attendance to celebrate and I was told by Rahman Ali, as he shook my hand, that “The Greatest” himself had been at the museum to welcome another year of life. Given the occasion, a free screening of Bill Siegel’s film, “The Trials of Muhammad Ali” showed in the Ali Center Auditorium. This film chronicles Mr. Ali’s transformation from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and his conversion to Islam. Now known as a global ambassador for peace, he rose from the ashes of exile, even receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

As an attorney, I could really relate to the tenacity Mr. Ali possessed to stay the course all the way to the United States Supreme Court. How many of us today would risk conviction, five years imprisonment, and our sole source of income to stand by our convictions, principles and morals and demand respect? The film retold the loss of Mr. Ali’s boxing licensing, the stripping of his Heavy Weight Champion of the World title because he refused to be drafted in to the United States military to fight a war in which he did not believe, the Vietnam War. It was an awakening moment to understand that “The Greatest” stood for his convictions in the face of persecution yet many of us flea when confronted with the slightest adversity.

Add The Muhammad Ali Center to your bucket list. This is one of the places that you must go see. Muhammad Ali’s history and life lived with

meaning and purpose has been well preserved for the ages. You do not have to agree with any of the positions that he maintained or the choices he made to respect the courage he exhibited to stand tall. The strength, and conquer all attitude that wells inside you is unexpected. His life allows you to believe again and to dream again. You will not accept that any dream is deferred once you walk along his global footprint.

Zna Portlock Houston is an attorney and entrepreneur in Los Angeles who loves to share the gift that keeps giving, travel. To contact Ms. Houston and learn more about her curated vacation experiences and how you can join her email: livingtheheirlife@gmail.com

TPIN MAGAZINE | 81

TRAVEL

The Africa I Know...

First: Cameroon

by Paul Lejoy region’s commercial hub. It was bustling with activity. A few hours later, we were in Bamenda. I had not read anything about these two cities; I just wanted to travel there before I left the country.

We arrived in Bamenda at night.

The city rests in a valley. As we approached it from the east, I couldn’t help but be awestruck.

If you have ever seen the San Francisco Bay Area from the hills of Oakland then you may completely understand what I am talking about. You are driving thousands of feet above as you approach Bamenda. The city is lit up, the view is magnificent, heavenly.

I

just came back from Cameroon, Africa. I was born there. When I was 18, I left the country to study in England. After my Master’s degree, I relocated to Taiwan where I spent another 7 years. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001 and have been here ever since.

1997 was the last time I was in Cameroon. That’s a whole 17 years since I saw my dear mother and other loved ones. That’s a long time, everyone would agree. The last time I went,

82 | TPIN MAGAZINE

I spent 2 weeks. This time, I spent close to 4 weeks and it was hardly enough.

Cameroon has 10 provinces or regions. I traversed 5 of them during this trip. It was my first time to the Western and North West Provinces. I really wanted to visit these provinces and I must say that though I spent less than 24 hours there, I was not at all disappointed. I had hired a driver throughout the time I was in Cameroon. We drove the streets of Bafoussam, the western

However, I was let down when we saw Bamenda itself. Like many other cities in Cameroon, Bamenda roads suffer from deferred maintenance. The city, like many others in the country, was bustling. Cars, trucks, motor cycles and people everywhere, and on the main road pot holes galore. That was discouraging.

The following day, we headed out to Buea in the South West province where I had people waiting for me. I wish I had more time to spend and explore the North West and the Western

TRAVEL

regions. The natural beauty I saw is matched by the 2 regions’ rich culture. The undulating hills reminded me of the western parts of California. I just wish I had had enough time to explore the cities and the villages, to meet with the locals and their fons (i.e. chiefs) and engage in interesting conversations. I wish I had witnessed legions of artisans and lavish palaces. I wish I had seen more of the magnificent scenery and rich traditional culture.

In a little over 2 hours, we hit the slopes of the Littoral Province.

This is flat country. Along the way, there’s an endless display of farm products: lush fruits and vegetables. If you are into BBQ, you won’t be disappointed.

I grabbed some roasted plantains, barbequed beef and a zesty local cocktail.

There’s very little sight of large plantations in the highlands of the West and North West provinces.

Not so with the Littoral and South West provinces, especially the latter. If you are into mechanized

84 | TPIN MAGAZINE

agriculture and enjoy the sight of lush plantations, you’ve got it made for you in the low lands of the Littoral and South West Provinces.

The team from Douala was waiting for me in Down Beach, Limbe. We arrived there at 8 p.m., tired. The place was alive with displays of local artifacts, fresh BBQ fish, fine music and a whole bunch of young lovers relishing the sights and sounds and enjoying the fresh Atlantic Ocean breeze. I wish I had been there with someone special. But I wasn’t. I had been invited to meet with business people who wanted me to hear them out regarding some very exciting projects that they wanted me to take part in.

Speaking of projects, Cameroon is certainly THE place that every entrepreneur should consider.

Whereas one finds saturation in America, a country like Cameroon offers immense opportunity. Those interested in real estate, agriculture and transportation stand the chance of making it BIG in Cameroon.

I met someone who told me that he knows of an uncle who owns thousands of hectares of land, portions of which are demarcated for African Americans for free. Imagine owning land for free! That’s all you need to get started and with your land title, you can get a loan from Credit Foncier at a very attractive rate. You can now build yourself a lovely mansion which you can use as a holiday home or as a rental property for corporate housing.

And if you are a BIG thinker, you can partner up with a developer or builder and develop mini cités for college students, create subdivisions and build American-style track homes for the Cameroon nouveau riche and expats. You can explore the opportunities in agriculture and animal husbandry or you can become a transportation mogul almost overnight. With a little bit of smart thinking, great connections and deep pockets from a backer or two, you can become an overnight success in Cameroon and achieve your American Dream much faster there than in America.

TRAVEL

The American Dream where you gain more impact than just a lot of money in your bank account. Your American Dream where you create jobs, create opportunity for others and live the kind of designer lifestyle you have always dreamed of.

The opportunities are simply immense, the possibilities are endless and every little challenge presents a unique opportunity to excel; the bigger the challenge the greater the excitement.

About Cameroon Cameroon is located in the west Central Africa region, bordered

by Nigeria to the west, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Compared with some other African countries, Cameroon appears to enjoy relatively high political and social stability. This has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, railways, large petroleum and timber industries. Often referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Africa in

miniatureâ&#x20AC;? for its geological and cultural diversity, its natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. It boasts the highest mountain in the region and is home to over 200 different linguistic groups.

However, French and English constitute its official languages. The country is well known for its native styles of music, most especially Makossa.

Having appeared several times at the World Cup, Cameroon is best known for its soccer prowess.

For more information, please visit these websites:

About Me I am a seasoned real estate broker and investor residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am the founder of Pacific Realty Partners, a real estate brokerage firm, and Community First USA, a real estate investment firm.

I am also a prolific writer, a motivational speaker and a radio show host. You can find me on www.paullejoy.com.

https://www.prc.cm/en/investin-cameroon http://www.camerouninfotourisme.com/ http://www. businessincameroon.com/ Paul Lejoy Pacific Realty Partners Lejoy@lejoy.net lejoy@prpbay.com (510) 299-0093 (510) 818-0500 (510) 479-4481

TPIN MAGAZINE | 85

POETRY

Black Beauty

by Eric Frazier

High yellow, brown sugar, dark plum, Carmel, honeydew, mocha, walnut and vanilla crème are some of the many colors and distinctions of black beauty.

Long and short, curly and kinky, straight and flat hair are some of the many styles of black beauty.

Voluptuous, skinny, tall, short, big and small boned are some of the many figures and silhouettes of black beauty.

Large and petite chest, small and large behinds, full and small lips, wide and narrow hips, round and narrow faces, high and low cheeks are some of the many peculiar features of black beauty.

Long and short arms, large and small hands, big and tiny feet, long and short legs, are some of the fine instruments of black beauty.

There is beauty you see in the blackness of thee that makes whatever God gave thee to be exciting to me.

When I see the black beauty in thee I am overwhelmed, When I hear the voice of black beauty I am comforted When I feel the embrace of black beauty I am moved I hear and I’m amazed, I feel and I’m amazed. I see and I am wonderfully amazed.

Amazed at divine creativity, and thankful to be a beneficiary of black beauty.

I try to describe what I see and say, lovely, beautiful, graceful, sultry, sexy, and pretty.

However, the limitation of language fails me miserably to truly communicate what I see in black beauty.

I am silenced by my limited perception and vocabulary, I am silenced by the reality that what God has made is indescribable.

I am silenced and can only speak with my eyes because my tongue has lost it way.

The creator has outdone himself and has molded from dust into flesh what language could never describe - the beauty of black beauty.

If only I could shout from the mountain tops the beauty I see.

As an admirer, and lover, of black beauty , I say thank you God for your gift of black beauty to me.

Black beauty is the image of you and cannot be described by the ramblings of a mere mortal as I. Nevertheless, black beauty gives me a glimpse of the essence of you.

The awesome beauty and love that must cover you.

Therefore I love the beauty in black beauty; because I love the beauty of you.

86 | TPIN MAGAZINE

POETRY

I Believe

In Me

by Eric Frazier

I believe in me Nappy hair, brown eyes and big lips, I believe in me Big Butt, short legs, and pot belly, I believe in me Black skin, no ends, and major sins, I believe in me Four eyes, nine lives, and talking jive, I believe in me Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God you see Who helps me to accept me To believe that I can be Whatever my minds chooses to be There is within me A desire that God gave me To see what others cannot see To be what others dream to be To run as far as I can see To climb every mountain that stands before me To love my family and people close to me To love those who hate me To help others who come to me Why because I believe in me and The power that lives in me He supports me to be all that I can be To strive in spite of what I see To live by faith that I can be Whatever I want to be because I believe in me.

TPIN MAGAZINE | 89

Real Estate Agent VIP Benefit Programâ&#x201E;˘

Aka: VIP Agent Program

TM

Trusted Real Estate Professionals Endorsed by Eric Frazier and The Power Is Now, Inc.

Name: Aaron Zapata Website: http://AaronZapata.com Email: Aaron@AaronZapata.com Phone number: 562-903-0088 x 112 Cellphone: 7149047877 Address: Zapata Realty, Inc PO Box 624 Yorba Linda, CA 92885

Name: Jonathan Anozie Email: janozie@realtyexchangefirm.com Phone number: 310-216-9077 Cellphone: 310-678-8138 Address: 1620 Centinela Avenue, Suite 203, Inglewood, California 90302

Name: Kiby Pearson Website: www.pearsonrealtygroup.com Email: kirby@pearsonreo.com Phone number: 773-325-2800 x 101 Cellphone: 312-805-0005 Fax: 3126409647 Address: 1000 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60642 Chicago, Illinois 60642 United States

Name: Lynetta Cornelius Email: lynettacornelius@earthlink.net Phone number: 925-759-8606 Address: 111 Deerwood Road, Suite #200, San Ramon, CA 94583 Name: Jonathan Burgess Website: http://www.code3realty.com/ Email: jonburg@code3realty.com Phone number: 916-455-5225 Ext. 6 Cellphone: 916-296-3645 Address: 11801 Pierce St. Ste. 200 Riverside, CA 92505

92 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Name: Nancy Braun Email: nancy@showcaserealty.net Phone number: 704-997-3794 Address: 1430 S. Mint Street, Suite 106 Charlotte, NC 28203

Name: Zoritha Thompson Email: zorithasellsreo@gmail.com Phone number: 916-870-4765 Address: 8211 Bruceville Rd. Suite 145, Sacramento, CA 95822

Name: Angelica Suarez Website: http://www.angelicasuarez.com/ Email: ANGELICA@angelicasuarez.com Phone number: (310) 802-2444 Cellphone: (310) 261-7700 Address: RE/MAX Estate Properties 23740 Hawthorne Blvd Torrance, CA 90505

Name:Ivery Summers Website:www.thereodiva.com Email: ivery.sells@verizon.net Phone number: 310-649-2711 Cellphone: 310-920-3455 Address: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Ste. 261 Los Angeles, CA 90045-3944 USA

Name:Justin Potier Website:http://www.boardwalkluxuryhomes.com/ Email: justin@boardwalkreo.com Phone number: (562) 424-0333 Cellphone: (562) 480-0684 Fax: (562) 513-1006 Address: 3948 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90807

TPIN MAGAZINE | 93

Name: Glenda Brass, MBA Website:www.ExitWithDignity.com Email: glendabrass@glendabrass.com Phone number: (310) 590-1235 Cellphone: (310) 345-9707 Fax: (310) 590-1320

Name: Wayne Wyatt Email: wayne@wyattrealtygroup.com Phone number: 909-945-0679 Cellphone: 323-445-6993 Office: 909-945-0600 Address: 8250 White Oak Ave. No.102 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Name: Arnold Ver Website: www.HouseValueMax.com Email: homes@housevaluemax.com REOTeam247@yahoo.com Phone number: 626-905-0919 Fax: 626-810-7620 Address: 1221 S. Hacienda Bl. Hacienda Heights,

CA 91745

17843 Colima Road, Rowland Heighs, CA

91748

Name: Kennedy Akinlosotu Email: kennedy@nationsrealtyllc.com Office: 253-945-0808 Direct: 206-423-9999 Fax: 253-945-0809 Address: 24860 Pacific Hwy S Kent, WA 98032

94 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Name: Jill Rand Website: www.JLMPropertiesInc.com Email: Jill.Rand@JLMPropertiesInc.com Phone number: 661-510-2112 Fax: 661-284-7544 Address: 27201 Tourney Road, Suite 200E Valencia, CA 91355 Name: Raquel Anders Email: Raquel@raquelanders.com Phone number:(714) 969-6100 Cellphone: (714) 414-2885

Name: Glenda Brass Website: www.ExitWithDignity.com Email: glendabrass@glendabrass.com Phone number: 310-590-1235 Cellphone: 310-345-9707 Fax: 310-590-1320

Name: Ruby Frazier, President /EO Address: 3739 6th street Riverside, CA 92501 email: rubyfrazier@fraziergrouprealty.com Office: 951-686-5261 Cell: 951-202-9075

TPIN MAGAZINE | 95

Name: Donell Spivey, President NAREB email: donnell.spivey@nareb.com donnell@exitspiveypros.com

Name: Mickelin Burnes-Browne Phone number: (424) 212-6718 Email: mickelin@soldbymickelin.com Phone number: 408-272-7645 Cellphone: 408-569-0978 Fax: 408-273-6470 Address: 2894 Mabury Court San Jose, CA 95133

Name: Dianne Langston Email: reo2448@gmail.com dianne@diannelangston.com Phone number: 707-580-1585 Address: 432 Jackson St. Fairfield, CA 94533

96 | TPIN MAGAZINE

Name:Raul Villacis Website:http://www.argct.com/ Email:raul@argct.com Phone number: (203) 964-3000 Cellphone:(203)249-1248 Address: 482 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06901

Name: Briana Frazier Cannon, MBA Broker/COO Address: 3739 6th street Riverside, CA 92501 email: Brokerbree@fraziergrouprealty.com Office: 951-686-5261 Cell: 951-809-9077

Name: Serina Lowden Realtor, Serina Lowden Real Estate email: serina@serinalowden.com Office: 916-405-5739 Address: 9250 Laguna springs dr #100. Elk Grove.

Name: Marguerite Crespillo Office: 916-580-0808 Address: 535 Menlo Dr., Ste. A Rocklin, CA 95765

Name: Alisha Chen Broker/Owner Address: 5400 Trabuco Rd. #130, Irvine, CA 92620 14271 Fern Ave. #28, Chino, CA 91710 Telephone: (949) 385-1588 direct (949) 313-5038 fax www.alishachenhomes.com email: alisha.chen@cs-rei.com

Name: Theo Cayenne Broker, Embarcadero Investment embarcaderoinv@msn.com 510-681-4147 6777 Embarcadero Dr., Suite 1 Stockton, CA 95219 www.embarcader-re.com

Name: Reggie Woodgett Email: RWOODGETT@realtracs.com Phone number: (614) 400-4173 Cellphone: (615) 562-1766

TPIN MAGAZINE | 97

Looking for just the right place to call home?

Ask a REALTISTb for help.

Realtists know that homeownership is a big step and you need the right team.

NAREB

We are trained real estate professionals who take pride in knowing your local market conditions and abide by a strict code of ethics. That’s what you can count on when you have a NAREB Realtist at your side.

National Association of Real Estate Brokers National Headquarters 9831 Greenbelt Road, Suite 309 Lanham, MD • 40212 (301) 552-9238 www.nareb.com

We’re the real estate professionals you can count on!