Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

12
1 Arcadia REALTOR® e Official Publication of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® VOL. 16, NO. 11 WWW.THEAAR.COM NOVEMBER 2012 See page 9 & Business Meetings

description

The November issue of the Arcadia REALTOR Magazine publication.

Transcript of Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

Page 1: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

1

ArcadiaREALTOR®The Official Publication of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®

VOL. 16, NO. 11WWW.THEAAR.COMNOVEMBER 2012

See page 9& Business Meetings

Page 2: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

2

Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First Avenue

Arcadia, California 91006626.446.2115

626.446.4072 FAXwww.TheAAR.com

2012 ASSOCIATION OFFICERSRyan Asao {President}

Andy Bencosme {President-Elect}Mike Vachani {Vice-President}

Jill Nelson {Secretary/Treasurer}

2012 ASSOCIATION DIRECTORSMargaret Garemore

Jeanne KeatingJohn Lee

Paulina LeeGeorge MonteJoseph PacilioSylvia Ramos

Irene YamagataNick Zigic

2012 C.A.R. DIRECTORSRyan Asao

Andy BencosmeJeanne Keating

Paulina LeeGeorge MonteRichard StoneRandall Traw

Mike VachaniKelvin Wong

Nick Zigic

ARCADIA ASSOCIATION STAFF We are here to help you with your needs! Office Phone 626.446.2115

Robin Allen Ext. 307 Director of Finance / Office Manager [email protected]

Michael Beltran Ext. 302 IT Director / Webmaster [email protected] Brenda Faltes Ext. 304 Director of MLS Data Integrity, Supra & Social Media [email protected] Stephanie Maertens Ext. 303 Director of Education, Publications & MLS Caravan [email protected]

Maria Roberts Ext. 305 Director of Membership & Professional Standards [email protected] Jane Shriver Ext. 301 Director of Association Services [email protected]

Andrew Cooper Ext. 308 Executive Vice President [email protected]

{ Arcadia REALTOR® | November | Two Thousand and Twelve | Volume Sixteen | Number Eleven}11.12

ArcadiaREALTOR®

November 2012

REGULAR FEATURES

4 Events Calendar

4 From the EVP’s Desk Andrew Cooper, Executive Vice President

5 Attorney Comments Dave Freeman, AAR Legal Counsel

6 Market Matters

10 Through the Lens A Look at What’s Happening Around the AAR

11 Affiliate Corner “The Cost of Dying - Probate Fees and the Estate Tax” Romy Rahmanian, Attorney at Law

Page 3: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

3

ON THE COVER9 C.A.R. Expo & Business Meetings - Anaheim For a look at what was covered at the recent C.A.R. Business Meetings in Anaheim, visit www.TheAAR.com and click on N.A.R./C.A.R. Director Reports under “Member Services”

ADDITIONAL CONTENTS3 Nominations Now Open for REALTOR® and Affiliate of the Year Awards. Do you have someone you would like to nominate for these prestigious awards? Deadline to submit is Friday, November 2, 2012.

3 “Economic and Real Estate Forecast” The AAR invites you to join us for this annual forecast. It is sure to be a fantastic event. We welcome Robert Kleinhenz, Chief Economist, L.A. County Economic Development Corporation (LACED) as our keynote speaker.

5 PEPster Luncheon The Local Government Relations Committee recently held its third luncheon of the year.

7 AAR Joins in the Taste of Arcadia A look into the AAR’s participation at the recent Arcadia Chamber of Commerce fundraiser.

8 AAR Hosts CIPS Designation Courses The AAR recently offered a CIPS Institute of courses. A total of 18 attendees are now on their way to becoming CIPS Designees!

12 Save the Date! Annual Installation Gala We hope you join us for our annual installation of officers and directors. This year it will be at the Altadena Country Club on December 7th.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine3

411 E. Huntington Dr. Suite 101 B, Arcadia CA 91006 Phone: 626-446-2401 Fax: 626-446-2362

Ready for a Stress-Free Closing????

Let the Contempo Escrow Team show you how easy it can be!! Short Sales Bulk Sales ABC License Transfers Commercial Residential Refinance Mobile Homes Contempo Escrow’s educated, friendly and proficient team will provide the best escrow services available to you and your clients! Open your next escrow with us, and experience the

Contempo Difference!!

Amy Choy Escrow Officer

Teresa L. Shaver Certified Sr. Escrow Officer

Economic and RealEstate Forecast

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

KRIKORIAN THEATER410 SOUTH MYRTLE AVENUE

MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA 91016

TIME: 9:00 A.M. TO 10:30 A.M.CHECK-IN BEGINS: 8:30 A.M.

REALTOR® Members and AAR Afffiliates:FREE (a credit card is required to secure your registration)

EVENT SPONSORED BY:

A continental breakfast will

be provided by W.J. Bradley

To register for this event, please visit www.TheAAR.com andclick on the event title under “Upcoming Events”.

Chief Economist, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LACED)

Robert Kleinhenz

FEATURING:

Michael Sohl

In lieu of charging admission, the AAR

suggests you bring an unwrapped toy that will

be given to a child in need for the holiday season.

Nominations Now Open for REALTOR® and Affiliate of the

Year AwardsThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® is now

accepting nominations for the coveted REALTOR® and Affiliate of the Year Awards. Nomination

forms are available at the AAR or on www.TheAAR.com. Nominations are due no later than Friday, November 2, 2012. For questions, please

contact the AAR at (626) 446-2115.

Page 4: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

4

FROM THE EVP’S DESK

Thankful To Be Able To Give Thanks

In these days of rushing through life, especially this time of year around the holidays, it’s all too easy not to appreciate everything that we already have. As

REALTORS®, Affiliates and independent business owners, we are goal-oriented by nature and as such, we tend to live in the future by constantly looking on the horizon for new business. This is perfectly natural because that’s what we’re supposed to do as entrepreneurs. However always looking to the future will oftentimes cause us to lose sight of where we are today including not being thankful for everything we already have.

The automatic response to that is “But I don’t have an escrow” or “I don’t have a listing, so what do I have to be thankful for?” If you are reading this article the chances are extremely high you are STILL active in the real estate industry and by still being in business we have the ability TODAY to make positive business decisions that will lead to a profitable future. Decide to join networking groups to interact with more non-industry people, decide to make many more additional contacts to prospective buyers and sellers, decide to wildly expand your book of business/sphere of influence. The decisions to be made are endless and bountiful – we just need to MAKE them. Despite our degree of success (success is relative) we should be thankful we are still in business to be able to make smart decisions and in turn we should be thankful for those in our lives who have supported us as REALTORS® and Affiliates.

In closing, while we can’t be certain of our future, we can better predict it by the smart decision we make right now (and by the decisions we don’t make). And likewise if we learn to appreciate more of what we already have, we will find ourselves having more to appreciate.

I am truly thankful to all our members for being an integral part of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® and I wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Andrew CooperExecutive Vice-President

1 9:30 a.m. - Commercial Committee Mtg. 11:00 a.m. - Commercial Marketing Mixer

2 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

5 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) Certification Course

6 10:00 a.m. - Global Real Estate Committee Mtg.

7 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Events 4 Charity Committee Mtg. N.A.R. Expo & Business Meetings - Orlando, FL (Nov. 7-12)

8 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - “10 Reasons REALTORS® Get Sued” 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Listingbook Training

9 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - CRMLS Training

10 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - “Business Opportunities 101”

12 AAR Closed in Observance of Veteran’s Day 9:00 a.m. - Events 4 Charity Golf Tournament - Glendora Country Club

13 11:00 a.m. - Tech Committee Mtg. 1:30 p.m. - CRMLS Operations Mtg.

14 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 8:45 a.m. - Affiliate Committee Mtg. @ Masonic Center 9:30 a.m. - MLS Committee Mtg. 3:30 p.m. - Equal Opportunity / Housing Affordability Committee Mtg. 4:00 p.m. - Global Networking Mixer

15 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Learn Series “Oh No He Didn’t!...Deal Killer’s and How to Avoid Them!” 1:30 p.m. - CRMLS Finance Mtg.

16 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

19 10:00 a.m. - CRMLS Association Executive’s Mtg.

20 10:00 a.m. - Zipforms Training 2:00 p.m. - Education Committee Mtg.

21 No MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Public Relations Committee Mtg. 1:00 p.m. - Ethics Video 1:30 p.m. - Local Government Relations Committee Mtg.

22 & 23 AAR Closed for Thanksgiving

26 12:00 p.m. - CRMLS Board of Director’s Mtg.

27 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - “Economic and Real Estate Forecast” @ Krikorian Theater 1:30 p.m. - Budget and Finance Committee Mtg.

28 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Young Professionals Network Committee Mtg.

30 8:30 a.m. - Board of Directors Mtg.

November 2012

November Events Calendar

4

DON’T MISSWHAT’S COMING!

For moreinformation on these classes and more, visit www.TheAAR.com and

click “Upcoming Events”

Page 5: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

5

Andrew CooperExecutive Vice-President

AttorneyComments

By Dave Freeman, Association Counsel

October 2012

1. CORPORATE MANAGER LIABILITY: “Failure by a designated officer of a corporate real estate broker to supervise an employee as required by Business and Professions Code Section 10159 cannot, without more, subject the officer to direct personal liability to third parties for harm caused by his or her failure to supervise, as the duty to supervise codified in the Statute is owned to the corporation, not to third parties. Corporate officer cannot, based on mere inaction, be held vicariously liable under traditional agency principals for the tortuous conduct of the corporate employees he or she is responsible for supervising.” This is an Appellate Court case, suing under the Business and Professions Code, and therefore law for now. The Department of Real Estate could, possibly, take action, and other responsibilities to the corporation may result, however. Therefore, managers and brokers should always be on their toes. But this is one case where the Courts did not drop the hammer on an innocent broker/manager.

2. APARTMENT/COMMERCIAL MANAGERS – LIABILITY: On the

other hand, a recent case pointed out the potential liability a manager may incur by not being aware of the law. After a great deal of damage and dangerous activity by children in a play area of an apartment complex, the manager closed the area down, had repairs done, and, upon reopening the area, placed a sign reading:

“Notice: Children under the age of 14 not allowed in this area without parental supervision.”

Of course, two knowledgeable and litigious families immediately sued, claiming punitive and psychological damage in the order of $200,000.00. Insurance will not cover all losses and costs, stating that they do not cover intentional acts, punitive damages or fraudulent acts. The matter will cost the apartment owner a great deal of money and sleepless nights. If you or your clients own apartments, keep them and yourselves knowledgeable regarding the current laws, and make sure they adhere to same. There are many seminars and apartment owner associations which publish frequent magazines containing many of the new and updated laws, as

well as having resources for previous, on-going, laws of which you may not be aware.

3. DEMOLITION – WASTE – FORECLOSURE: A recent Appellate Court decision held that the demolition of existing buildings could constitute waste under a Deed of Trust. Therefore, after the non-judicial foreclosure by the lender, the lender was not prevented by the Anti-Deficiency Statute from suing the borrower for the remainder of the loan for bad faith damage and waste to the property and destruction of the security for the loan. In this case, even though the borrower intended to replace the building with a new building, the removal of the building, without the permission of the lender, constituted bad faith damage to the security, and therefore allowed not only the foreclosure, but the suit for the deficiency (amount remaining unpaid by the foreclosure) by the lender. Be sure your clients do not cause major modifications or destruction of a structure on the property without the prior approval of the lender in writing.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine5

At the recent PEPster Luncheon, the AAR was honored to welcome Arcadia City Manager, Dominic Lazzaretto and Monrovia City Manager, Laurie Lile to the recent PEPster luncheon. We sincerely thank both speakers for lending us their time to speak to our AAR members and leadership. Would you like to become a PEPster member and be invited to four free breakfasts/luncheons during the year? Call Robin at the AAR at (626) 446-2115 to find out how!

AAR leadership members with the speakers are (L to R): Mike Vachani, Chip Ahlswede, AAR Government Affairs Director; Dominic Lazzaretto, Arcadia City Manager; Laurie Lile, Monrovia City Manager; Ryan Asao, AAR 2012 President and Andrew Cooper, AAR Executive Vice President.

PEPster Luncheon

Page 6: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

6

MarketMatters

Market Statistics for the San Gabriel ValleySingle Family Homes Condominiums SFR Only

City Zip Code

Sales of Single Family

HomesPrice Median SFR ($1,000)

Price % Chg from

September 2011

Sales Count

Condos

Price Median Condo

($1,000)

Price & Chg from

September 2011

Median Home Price/

Sq. Ft.Alhambra 91801 7 $600 32.5% 14 $352 4.9% $352Alhambra 91803 8 $400 -7.7% 3 $420 64.1% $305Altadena 91001 29 $415 11.7% 2 $918 68.7% $300Arcadia 91006 26 $880 12.9% 5 $670 5.3% $443Arcadia 91007 20 $1,198 31.8% 15 $485 -0.6% $436Azusa 91702 29 $250 0.0% 10 $171 -13.9% $195Duarte 91010 17 $296 22.4% 5 $250 -20.9% $250El Monte 91731 5 $260 -17.5% 1 $318 n/a $254El Monte 91732 12 $322 33.7% 10 $495 73.7% $228El Monte - South 91733 9 $324 8.5% 4 $254 3.7% $273Glendora 91740 15 $340 8.8% n/a n/a n/a $258Glendora 91741 23 $470 -1.1% 3 $426 -40.3% $255La Cañada Flintridge 91011 21 $941 6.9% 1 $678 n/a $465La Verne 91750 26 $450 34.3% 4 $345 50.7% $234Monrovia 91016 29 $454 0.6% 9 $360 38.5% $312Pasadena 91101 n/a n/a n/a 11 $350 -5.4% n/aPasadena 91103 6 $505 31.2% n/a n/a n/a $278Pasadena 91104 18 $468 -8.3% 4 $317 -8.3% $370Pasadena 91105 8 $833 5.4% 6 $629 15.9% $402Pasadena 91106 6 $754 -12.8% 13 $352 5.1% $385Pasadena 91107 28 $593 -2.7% 7 $362 9.0% $387Rosemead 91770 15 $345 2.8% 7 $287 n/a $271San Gabriel 91775 21 $500 -21.9% n/a n/a n/a $377San Gabriel 91776 11 $430 14.7% 3 $283 -40.7% $299San Marino 91108 12 $1,388 0.9% n/a n/a n/a $550Sierra Madre 91024 11 $766 -4.3% 1 $395 -27.1% $429Temple City 91780 18 $523 1.0% 5 $432 1.6% $379

Source: DQNews.com

September 2012

November 2012

Page 7: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

7Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

(626) 831-8862www.morrisoninspects.com 7

AAR Joins in the Taste of ArcadiaI recently had the distinct pleasure of attending the Taste of Arcadia to help work the AAR booth. Arriving early just to watch the hustle and bustle of all the happenings, people setting up booths, smelling the smells of fabulous food in the air and hearing the sound of the Arcadia High School drummers permeating through the crowd was quite an experience. Excitement was in the air with the opening of the event looming on the horizon.

It was my pleasure to work with Margaret Gandy at the AAR booth and talk with people as we passed out reusable cloth bags, pens and brochures on an array of subjects including the importance of using REALTORS®, various financing options, and much more. It was an outstanding experience speaking with the public about the great reasons to use a REALTOR® and how they are well represented when they do. Most people do not truly realize all the services a REALTOR® has to offer them.

In addition to all the excellent food and desserts, there was fantastic music, beautiful vintage cars and celebrities (several Von Trapp children cast members from the 1965 classic movie, “The

Sound of Music”)! This event was beyond what I had expected and I rate it as excellent! Although we live in a world of technology, it is remarkable how face-to-face discussion and time spent in sharing exactly how we can assist sellers and buyers has such a great success rate. It also gives these potential clients the opportunity to ask questions and discuss what is important to them.

By Shelley Malicek, Design Escrow, Inc.

AAR volunteers at the Taste of Arcadia with celebrity guests are (Standing L to R): Debbie Turner (Marta Von Trapp, “The Sound of Music”), Romy Rahmanian, Charmian Carr (Liesl Von Trapp, “The Sound of Music”), Kym Karath (Gretl Von Trapp, “The Sound of Music”), Angela Cartwright (Brigitta Von Trapp, “The Sound of Music”), and Chef David Flood (“Flooded with Flavor”). (Seated L to R): Leonore Gama, PR Committee Co-Chairman and Sylvia Ramos, AAR Board of Director. Volunteers not pictured: Margaret Gandy, Scott Shimamoto and Shelley Malicek.

AAR PR Committee Co-Chairman, Leonore Gama (L) and Scott Shimamoto (R) stand with the shuttle bus that the AAR helped to sponsor for the Taste of Arcadia.

Page 8: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

8

First Cal is NOT your typical Mortgage Bank.

First Cal is:

➢ A Fannie Mae Direct Lender

➢ Home of Diamond Lane Lending offering same day approvals

➢ Second to none in marketing, training, and coaching

➢ Offering a new office opportunity in Arcadia where you can manage your own satellite office

➢ Offering Chinese speaking accounts

Please call me today for a confidential and opportunistic interview!

Are you ready for change?

You need to check out First Cal today!

Larry Davis, Area Sales Manager626.513.7955 phone 626.664.3106 [email protected] me online at www.firstcal.net/ldavisNMLS# 168532 l DRE# 01054182

November 2012

AAR Hosts CIPS Designation CoursesThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® had the honor of recently offering Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Courses. For a total of five days, instructors Fanny Chu, CIPS, SRES, TRC, SFR of San Francisco and May Wan, CIPS of Bellevue, Washington offered their expertise and knowledge to each of the attendees. This year, a total of eighteen students joined together in determination to gain their CIPS Designations and to learn all of the information required to conduct real estate business in various foreign countries.

In addition to these wonderful courses, students were also invited to a free Global Business Networking Mixer held one evening during the week. The guest speaker for the evening was LeFrancis Arnold, 2012 President of the California Association of

REALTORS®. While at the mixer, he took a moment to congratulate those who were working to complete their CIPS designation. He also gave an update on international Real Estate. The Arcadia Association of REALTORS® was extremely honored to have him attend and speak at the event.

CIPS Students with the course instructors are (Standing L to R): Rick Barnes, Shannon Miller, Catherine Jachin, Michael Allen, Sherrie Killion-Kuzmanovic, Alexey Blokhin, Timothy Wong, Fred Madjar, Kevin Le, Brian Lam and Ken Luong. (Seated L to R): Val Wong, Fanny Chu, Instructor; May Wan, Instructor; Melissa Wang, Susanne Fulton, Kate Joh, Sandra Yap, Sharon Chang and Lixin Durborow.

(Continued on page 9)

Page 9: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

9

C.A.R. Expo & Business Meetings - AnaheimMembers of your AAR Leadership team recently attended the C.A.R. Expo and Business Meetings in Anaheim, California. You can review their reports by visiting www.TheAAR.com and clicking on “N.A.R./C.A.R. Director Reports” under “Member Services”. The AAR also had a booth at the Expo with a fantastic prize wheel in which spinners would win free education classes, a chance to win an iPad, and much more! To view the complete summary of action items from the C.A.R. Fall 2012 Business Meetings, visit www.CAR.org and go to Meetings, C.A.R. Meetings, Summary of Action Items, 2012 Fall Summary.

The AAR coordinated a bus for members to take to the C.A.R. Expo.

Joe Pacilio won a CoolPix L810 camera during one of the drawings at the C.A.R. Expo.

Fred Madjar won a $500 certificate from Back At You Media to help build and engage his Facebook

referral business.

The AAR had a booth at the Expo that was extremely popular with attendees. With our

fantastic prize wheel, the booth was continuously packed!

AAR 2012 President, Ryan Asao, was part of a Mobile REALTOR® Success Stories Panel during the business meetings segment. Ryan is seated

second from left.

AAR Global Real Estate Committee Co-Chairman, Nick Zigic worked in the International

booth area during the C.A.R. Expo.

Intertwined with the CIPS Institute, the AAR hosted a Transnational Referral Certification (TRC) course offered by the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA). This certification provides benefits to both brokers and agents by assisting them in facilitating their transactions in the global real estate market. The training for this unique certification prepares Brokers and REALTORS® to work with real estate practitioners in other countries so that they might give and receive client referrals and grow their business to a global level. After a day of study and training, the Arcadia Association is happy to welcome fifteen new certification recipients!

AAR Hosts CIPS Designation Courses

New TRC REALTORS® are (in no particular order): Alexey Blokhin, Melissa Wang, Michael Allen, Kevin Le, Lixin Durborow, Kate Joh, Ken Luong, Sandra Yap, Val Wong, Fred Madjar, Brian Lam, Catherine Jachin, Sherrie Killion-Kuzmanovic, Sharon Chang and Shannon Miller.

(Continued from page 8)

Photos on cover (L to R): Row One: April Kass, Al Luna, Irene Yamagata, AAR Director; Dave Scarminach, Carol Kennedy, Jill Nelson, AAR Secretary/Treasurer; Ruth McNevin, Mercedes Collaso and Nancy Weckwerth. Row Two: Adelina Oyama, Fred Madjar, Mike Vachani, AAR Vice-President; Laura Thai, AAR Staff; Sara Gerhart and Stephen Gerhart. Row Three: Oscar Sosa, Vivi Hoang, Leena Sankary, Sylvia Ramos, AAR Director; Julie Muttavangkul and James Thompson. Row Four: Brenda Faltes, AAR Staff; Benson Lai and Stephanie Maertens, AAR Staff.

Page 10: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

10

A Look at What’s Happening Around the AARthroughthe lens

Global Networking Mixer

All-StAAR’s Toastmaster’s Charter Ceremony

“Boomers to Zoomer’s”

Panel

10November 2012

Education Classes

Page 11: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

1111Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

Affiliate Corner“The Cost of Dying - Probate Fees and the Estate Tax”

By Romy Rahmanian, Attorney at Law

There is a common misconception that only wealthy people need an estate plan. The truth is we all need one, regardless of our wealth. Estate planning is about protecting your loved ones, by sparing them the expense, delay and frustration associated with managing your affairs when you pass away or become disabled. Some of the major downsides to improper planning are being forced to pay probate fees and excess federal estate tax.

Probate FeesOne major source of hardship for family members dealing with a loss is going through the probate process. Probate is a court-supervised proceeding that is used to wind up a person’s legal and financial affairs after death. In California, probate proceedings are conducted in the Superior Court for the county in which the deceased lived, and can take at least eight months and sometimes as long as several years.California Probate Code section 10810 sets forth the fees the attorney and personal representative can each charge for probate (the attorney and personal representative are each entitled to the same fee). Higher fees can be ordered by a court for more complicated cases. This will give you an idea of what these fees look like:

If the Gross Property Total Probate Fee for Attorney & Value is: Personal Representative:

$300,000 $18,000 $500,000 $26,000 $1,000,000 $46,000

Probate fees are calculated as a percentage of the gross value of the estate. So if the deceased owned a house worth $500,000 with an outstanding mortgage of $400,000, the probate fees associated with that house would be calculated based on the $500,000 gross fair market value, and not the net value. In addition to these fees, the personal representative must pay, from the estate, all filing fees, publication costs, and all other costs of probate administration, which can total several thousand more dollars depending on the complexity of the case.

Avoiding probate court proceedings after your death can save your family time, money and stress. A revocable living trust is the only technique that allows you to avoid probate for virtually any property you own, such as: real estate, jewelry, family heirlooms, bank accounts, and much more. Our firm has helped families of all sizes and wealth levels establish revocable living trusts in order to avoid the heavy costs of probate.

The Federal Estate TaxThe federal estate tax is a tax on assets transferred at death and on transfers made during a person’s lifetime. Currently, each estate has an exclusion from the tax of approximately $5 million dollars per person ($10 million for a married couple). This means, if the deceased leaves an estate worth $7 million, $5 million of it is exempt from any estate tax. The remaining $2 million in the estate will be taxed at a rate of 35%. Furthermore, if a spouse does not use his or her exclusion amount, the surviving spouse can use the unused exclusion amount if the first spouse passes away. Thus, today, the federal estate tax will not affect the majority of U.S. citizens, since most people have estates smaller than the $5 million exclusion amount.

The catch: The current estate tax bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2012. This means, if Congress does not take action before that date to continue the provisions of the tax bill, it will expire and the exemption for the estate tax will shrink to $1 million per person. All property in excess of $1 million will be taxed at a rate of 55%. Thus, if Congress fails to act (as it did in 2009), many more estates will be taxable on death starting in January, 2013.

A skilled estate planning attorney can help reduce, or in certain cases, even eliminate federal estate taxes by using advanced planning techniques which may include: revocable and irrevocable trusts, life insurance, partnerships, and plans to handle estate tax payments.

The Law Office of Romy S. Rahmanian is dedicated to providing high quality legal services in the areas of Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Business law and Commercial transactions. For more information, contact Romy at: (626) 869-8787 or [email protected]

Log onto: www.designescrowcorp.com

We have Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Mandarin speaking employees to assist you and your clients.

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

We are members of the:

arcadia association of realtors

California escrow association

escrow associates ofsan Gabriel Valley

american escrow association

National Notary association

Pasadena - foothill association of realtors

Specialize in:Bulks,

Short SalesCommercialShortpays

REO’sExchangesResidential

andLoans

esign Escrow is beginning our 20th year of doing business! Our staff of 6 escrow officers, a full time messenger and a supporting staff of 6, are

committed to the successful timely completion of your transaction.

“It’s our people that make the difference.”

Our team is expert in all aspects of conveyance including: Residentialand Commercial Real Estate Sales, Exchanges, Loans & Refinances,Business Opportunities & Probate Sales, Short Sales and R.E.O.’s .

D

We offer Five Languages &Full time In House Messenger

standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodman, Jojo Ongsitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass, Shelley Malicek

Design Escrow, Inc.

Standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodmand and Jojo OngSitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass and Shelly Malicek

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

20 Years of Doing Business and Providing Great Service!

We are members of the: • Arcadia Association of REALTORS® • California Escrow Association • Escrow Associates of San Gabriel Valley

• Amercan Escrow Association • National Notary Association • Pasadena - Foothill Association of REALTORS®

Standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodmand and Jojo Ong.Sitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass and Shelly Malicek

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

Known for the integrity of our intent and quality of our actions, we have the confi dence to do what is required, the courage to move the process along to

successful completion, and the compassion to listen to needs of all parties involved.

Design Escrow, Inc.

Page 12: Arcadia REALTOR Magazine - November 2012

12

www.DownstreamExchange.com

909 East Green Street, Pasadena CA 91106-2930

Phone: (800) 743-1031Fax: (626) 796-8222

C. Anthony Phillips, CPA President

We Provide A Complete Service To Successfully Accomplish Tax Deferred Exchanges

®

Pre-Exchange Tax Planning

Accommodation of Tax Deferred Exchange

Post Exchange Tax Planning

Call for your free Exchange Tax Analysis

Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First AvenueArcadia, California 91006

12

• Estate Planning• Trust Administration• Probate• Business Law• Commercial Transactions• Corporation, LLC & Partnership Formations• Business Contracts

Romy S. Rahmanian, Attorney

(626) 869-878737 E. Huntington Drive, Suite A • Arcadia, CA 91006

Call today for a free consultation

(626) 869-8787(626) 869-8787

[email protected] • www.RahmanianLaw.com

Dedicated to Providing High Quality Legal Services

(626) 869-8787

Call today for a free consultation

Save the Date!Annual Installation Gala

Friday, December 7, 2012Altadena Country Club

This will be an event that you willnot want to miss!