To sell fast and get more, update the kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
Author: Manny Kagan
Do You Know How To Pray?
In March 2014, Pope Francis marked the first anniversary of his election with a typically humble message, “Please pray for me”. Reading this brought many thoughts to my mind—“How can we pray for others? Can a Jew pray for a Catholic priest, for instance? To whom do we actually pray? And how do we know if our prayers are heard and answered? (“Be Careful What You Pray For…You Just Might Get It” is the title of the book by Larry Dossey, M.D.) Tradition prescribes for Jews to pray three times a day, for Muslims—five, and for Christians—before meals and anytime.)
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
In the film Gravity, there is a tense moment where the heroine, played by Sandra Bullock laments, “No one taught me how to pray”.
Many of us pray, even if we’re not religious. I have a friend who uses the prayer of St. Anthony to find lost things. (I wonder if it would work for finding lost clients?) And then there is the “Ho’oponopono” prayer that I wrote about before:
“Please forgive me, I am sorry, Thank you, I love you.”
When I discuss interest rates with my clients and we cannot lock in the rate right away (in most cases), I ask them if they know how to pray and afterwards, we pray for the best rate together. If we pray to one God, regardless if it is called “Yahweh” or “Allah”, why is there a division among His children? Perhaps we are only praying for our own small world, our limited needs, and fickle desires?
There is a story about two men praying next to each other. One is asking God to give him $100 to feed his children, another asks for a million dollars to develop his project. After a while, the project developer reaches into his pocket and pulls out a $100 bill and gives it to the guy next to him, and tells him to get lost with the words “You are interfering with my deal with God.”
I believe that prayers are answered–my friend finds parking spots. I am sure that with your help and our prayers, the interest rates will stay low, and many old and new clients will call for our tailored mortgage solutions. And I will continue to pray for you and your well-being. The Jewish New Year 5775 began at sundown on September 24th. I spent two days in the “Synagogue” praying for my and your well-being in the New Year. Please pray for me as well.
P.S.
In Cuba, the socialist government does not encourage religion, but those who still have faith, find solace in praying in the most beautiful churches.
You can see more of my images of Cuba in my book Soy Cubano, I am Cuban. It is available as an e-book for $9.99 on BLURB or you may also purchase a hardcopy, on Amazon, or just call me. I will be grateful to you, if you buy one, and send it as a gift to your friends for Thanksgiving. I call it a book of gratitude.
Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!
Cheers,
Manny Kagan, Ph.D
President
Pacific Bay Financial Corporation
President
Pacific Bay Financial Corporation
DRE #00874630
NMLS #205637
Cell: 415-225-7920
NMLS #205637
Cell: 415-225-7920
Manny@PacBay.net
Wisdom of The Day
Friends and parents have one thing in common—unconditional love.
Tip of the Day
To sell fast and get more, mow the lawn.
Mortgage Solutions For You!
Peter was selling land and would net $250,000. To avoid paying capital gain tax, he wanted to buy another property using a 1031 tax deferred exchange. However, there were a number of issues connected to getting a mortgage. He was self-employed, his income was not high enough to qualify, his middle credit score was 696, and had some mistakes in the report, which would require time to correct.
As it happened, the next day after the real estate agent contacted us with the referral we “discovered” a new program which allowed a refinance and to get cash out loans for owners who own more than 10 properties, without showing actual income. We realized that though this program is unique and can replace private (hard money) loans which can have an interest rate up to 12%, the same program can be used for cases similar to Peter’s.
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Don’t Forget to Attend Our October MeetUP Event!
More Information Coming Soon!  Date: Thursday: October 9, 2014 RSVP on Facebook OR email [email protected] |
Cheers,
Manny Kagan, Ph.D / President
Pacific Bay Financial Corporation
Pacific Bay Financial Corporation
DRE #00874630
NMLS #205637
Cell: 415-225-7920
NMLS #205637
Cell: 415-225-7920
Manny@PacBay.net
Wisdom of The Day
Tip of The Day
Wisdom of The Day
A mirror only reflects what is in front of it. What we see in others is our own reflection.
Tip of the Day
To sell fast and get more, find the right real estate agent.
How To Celebrate Adam’s 5775th Birthday
“A yearly cycle has a beginning and an end, but it never repeats itself.”
On the eve of September 24th, Jews (and their friends) will start the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated for two days. Since Jewish holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar, this year, the holiday falls on September 25th and 26th. Jews who follow tradition, will spend time in the synagogues praying and listening to the blast of the Shofar—a rams horn, to commemorate the sound of the horn which emanated from the thick cloud on Mount Sinai, when the former slaves received their Ten Commandments.
According to tradition, this date also commemorates the birth of the first man, Adam, 5775 years ago. (Some might find significance in the year’s reversible number). But what size does the birthday cake have to be to fit 5,775 candles? To solve this problem and show that the year is round and is expected to be sweet, the event is celebrated by dipping slices of an apple into honey. There are other reasons for the apple’s symbolism on Rosh Hashanah; some of which I mentioned in last year’s “The Good News”. Last year to find images of apples to support my story, I went to the farmer’s market. This year, I wanted to have a different experience.
We were on vacation in Arnold, CA, in Calaveras County (also the topic of my past two newsletters), and I thought about this “small” problem and as it often happens in my life (I am sure in yours as well, if you pay attention), the solution came by itself. In the mornings, I would go for a walk. Our timeshare is located in an area called Mountain Retreat. It looks similar to the area surrounding Lake Tahoe, but with a much smaller lake. Our two-bedroom condo is located in front of a golf course, which is surrounded by huge, empty vacation homes.
It is beautiful and serene here and not too many people this time of the year. Walking along the road, I suddenly saw an apple tree with apples. Wow! As I approached it, there was another one with beautiful purple apples, which actually looked like big plums. After photographing these trees for a moment, I continued my journey and stopped to photograph something along the road. When I turned around, there was something which looked like an abundant apple orchard with trees covered with apples. Now I had more than enough images to choose from.
For me, it was a sign. The year 5775 is going to be an abundant year for all of us. We just need to have faith and have the desire to find what we want and stay on our journey to find it. Sometimes, there is a need to stop and look around.
P.S.
Enjoy my images, but please do not forget about the real apples dipped in honey. If you want to find more about Mountain Retreat, which has homes available for rent, give me a call, check online, or call 209-795-4447.
Have a sweet year full of wonder and “smell the apples”!
Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!