In today’s day and age wearing shoes seems entirely logical and comfortable, however a January 2010 study published in the Nature International Weekly Journal of Science argues that running barefoot may actually reduce injuries. This makes some sense when you consider that for most of human history, runners ran barefoot. The Nature article notes that when wearing running shoes, one tends to hit the ground heel first. This is because a shoe heel has an elevated cushion. However, with barefoot runners, it is the mid-foot or forefoot that strikes the ground first. This more-natural foot strike is believed to cause less impact and thus fewer impact-related running injuries. Of course, running barefoot is hard on tender feet, especially when on rough surfaces. If you’re interested in trying barefoot running, first consider minimalist shoes such as Vibram FiveFingers.

Five Finger Vibram

Split toe shoes, like Vibram’s “FiveFingers” running sneakers, are most popular amongst athletes. “FiveFingers” sneakers are designed for optimal free running and cover the foot like a glove. They are made of a thin, abrasion-resistant polyamide stretch fabric with individual toe slots that look like your foot. They are designed to fit the contour and shape of your foot and let it move naturally. They are worn directly against the sole of the foot. Customer reviews on REI.com have been overwhelmingly positive. The $90 shoe allows runners to feel the freedom of running barefoot without any damage to the feet, as each toe is wrapped.

Peculiar in design, It has been seen on the feet of Hollywood stars like Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Hudson, according to The Daily Mail. The Five Finger, separate-toe design improves balance, enhances blood circulation and provides a more natural “barefoot feel” when performing outdoor activities such as walking your dog, gardening, playing sports or basically any time you’d wear regular shoes or sneakers. For those new to barefoot running or minimalist shoes, Vibram advises to start out slowly, then gradually increase your time and distance so your feet get used to using different muscles.

For more information visit Vibram’s website at http://www.vibramfivefingers.com.

Continue to committ to be fit!

Gina Martinez

805-598-4423

www.bootcampwithg.com

Life can get busy and before you know it the hour rolls around before workout time.  You still have a few things on your to do’s and your stomack is growling at you!  Has this ever happened to you?

Question: What should I eat or drink if I only have an hour before a workout?

Answer: What to eat before you exercise should be largely determined by timing and personal preference. Generally speaking, a large meal takes 4-5 hours to digest, a smaller meal takes 2-3 hours, and a large snack takes 1-2 hours. If you don’t digest food well enough prior to an activity, you can end up with a stomachache and cramping. This often occurs because blood (which plays a key role in digestion) is shunted to your arms and legs during activity, thereby slowing down the digestive process. Therefore, if you only have an hour to fuel yourself, it would probably be best to stick with a liquid carbohydrate/ protein shake. Liquids are processed faster than solid foods and will provide the energy you need in a shorter timeframe. Keep in mind, we’re not talking about those ice cream-based shakes from fast food restaurants. We’re talking about a sports nutrition shake that is designed for active individuals and athletes. If you want something lighter, a traditional sports drink would be a viable option as well. There are a number of products on the market in each category, so do some taste-testing to see which ones work best for you.

Helping you to commit to be fit,

Gina Martinez

805-598-4423

www.BootCampwithG.com

WILL 2012 BE BETTER FOR THE HOUSING MARKET ?

All Consumers seem extremely cautious these days in our economic climate and with all the foreclosure woes taking place. Is now a good time to buy or sell? What will 2012 bring.
Here is what I have seen and the things that effected our market in 2011….
2011 was “supposed” to have been a start to housing recovery. But in reality, the US economy was hit hard by many factors. These events in 2011 have left homeowners scratching their heads in hopes for better home prices. Will the prices continue to plummet? Who has that crystal ball??? Certainly no one has been right yet.
2011 was certainly a year of new adventures. Japan’s Earthquake & Tsunami, Oil Price Hikes,
Political Change on Capitol Hill, Debt Limit Ceiling & Downgrade of US Debt, the Stock Market Volatility, and the European Debt Crisis. What else could go wrong??? We have seen uncertainty and a lack of urgency put a damper on the housing market in 2011. Hopefully 2012 will be less uncertain and will show signs of urgency to buyers as current prices and mortgage rates are phenomenal and will not stay this low forever.

California Association of Realtors show the latest California median home prices as decreasing yet sales have increased in August and September. Existing sales in California a year ago were at 468,700 and the second quarter of this year, were at 487,940. Market time has only slightly increased from 50 days a year ago to 52 days this year. While for the same period, a 30 year fixed rate mortgage went from 4.35% down to 4.11%.
CAR expects sales to increase slightly in 2012 as compared to this year with a modest increase in median home prices. They expect we are albeit bouncing along the bottom for most 2011 and expect the same for next year.
So, with that being said, now is a good time to either buy or sale. Not much change expected and home ownership still proves to have an excellent tax advantage to renting. In fact in some areas, it has become easier on the pocket book to buy instead of rent and you can certainly own your own piece of California and begin building your personal wealth towards a brighter future.

If you are considering buying or selling a home in the near future, I will be happy to
explore the possibilities with you. I can be reached directly at (805) 448-1000.

Pat O’Brien
REALTOR®, e-PRO
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Valley
204 E. Enos Drive , Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 310-5113 office ~ (805) 448-1000 cell
email: patsobrien@aol.com

To search 1000’s of homes instantly go to
www.patobrienrealestate.com

Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, and far longer then typical incandescents.

Durable - since LEDs do not have a filament, they are not damaged under circumstances when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken. Because they are solid, LED bulbs hold up well to jarring and bumping.

Cool - these bulbs do not cause heat build-up; LEDs produce 3.4 btu’s/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. Common incandescent bulbs get hot and contribute to heat build-up in a room. LEDs prevent this heat build-up, thereby helping to reduce air conditioning costs in the home.

Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs.

More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-17 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL). LED bulbs used in fixtures inside the home save electricity, remain cool and save money on replacement costs since LED bulbs last so long. Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs.

Cost-effective - although LEDs are initially expensive, the cost is recouped over time and in battery savings. LED bulb-use was first adopted commercially, where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive. But the cost of new LED bulbs has gone down considerably in the last few years, and are continuing to go down. Today, there are many new LED light bulbs for use in the home, and the cost is becoming less of an issue.

Light for remote areas and portable generators – because of the low power requirements for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting in remote or off-grid areas. LED light bulbs are also ideal for use with small portable generators which homeowners use for backup power in emergencies.

I got this straight from the T Harv Eker site about the Millionaire Mind Intensive! Click Here to check it out! If you’re near LA during Oct 28-30, Come with me!

The Single Most Important Factor That
Determines Your Financial Future

You can be the best business person, the best negotiator, the best marketer, the best salesperson, the best communicator, the best manager, the best at your job…

You can know every new technique and the most current strategies for real estate and stocks…

But if your inner money thermostat is not preset for a high level of success, you will never amass a large amount of money. And if by some stroke of luck or hard work you do, you’ll somehow manage to lose it so your finances return to your internal set point.

Can I give you an example?

I’m sure you’ve heard of Donald Trump. Here’s this multi-billionaire who loses everything and more. And yet two years later, he’s got it all back again — and more!

Why? Because his money thermostat is set for high.

On the other side of coin, we’ve all heard the stories of lottery winners. They win $5 million, $10 million, $50 million, even $100 million dollars. Yet five years later, virtually half of them are right back to where they started.

Why? Because their money thermostat is set for low.

If you want to make and keep wealth, you must adjust your money thermostat.
What Determines Your “Money Thermostat” Set Point?

WHERE TO INVEST NOW:

Layout: This is the time to open the floor plan, tear out walls, add an island, and rearrange the flow. Having an open plan kitchen that can adjoin itself with another great room makes homes more sellable and attractive in today’s market.

Infrastructure:Get the framing, subfloor, windows, plumbing, and electrical right or all those new finishes and appliances won’t perform as expected. You never want to cut yourself short in the areas that will bite you in the butt later on. It is always easy to update or change the aesthetics of things, but never easy if the infrastructure needs work. For instance, if you are hoping to install a prep sink in your island sometime in the future, plumb for it right away because it requires running pipes through the floor.

Cabinets: Go for quality construction, premium glides and hinges, and as many cabinets as you can afford. Most quality custom cabinet lines promise a lifetime warranty on the finish and hardware. This is important to look for because no one wants to have to replace cabinets after just a few years. They should last a lifetime, especially when the cost of the cabinets is almost 50% of the entire remodel.

Countertops:Conventional wisdom may say to phase-in upscale countertops, but demolishing the old and installing new can damage your cabinets and plumbing. Solid surface countertops like granite and quartz don’t come cheap either. Countertops are usually the next priority behind cabinets.

WHAT CAN WAIT FOR LATER

New appliances: Unless you’re changing their size or configuration, your old range and refrigerator will work just fine until you get your next tax return. Most appliances are easy to replace, and if you know you will be making that change in the future, make sure to allow for the needed space for the appliances, i.e. refrigerator, range, ovens.

Pricey light fixtures:Throw in cheap placeholders while you’ve got the electrician on hand. You can easily replace lights yourself once the wiring is complete.

Splurge-worthy faucet:You can get a decent faucet for less than $75.00 that’ll tide you over for months or even years. Just make sure the drill-outs in your countertop match the configuration of your future faucet. This isn’t always the best recommendation, but as long as the faucet is temporary it will work just fine.

Backsplash:Paint the walls above the counter with a scrubbable semigloss paint to protect them while you save up for that glass mosaic. Holding off also gives new cabinets time to settle, thus preventing grout and caulk problems at the seam where the backsplash meets the counter.

For more information and ideas for kitchen and bath remodels visit our website http://www.newlifehi.com/and feel free to contact us at

805.639.5433

Central Coast Area 2nd Qtr 2010 2nd Qtr 2011
Santa Barbara County 499 489 -2.4%

San Luis Obispo County 359 345 -3.9%

Statewide 70,051 56,633 -19.2%

Recently as reported in the Santa Maria Times, ( Aug 27, 2011 issue) there
is a small decline in default notices both in Santa Barbara County and San
Luis Obispo County. The decline statewide is much more significant,
however. Statewide the decline is slightly over 19% lower than the previous
2010 figures.

Could this mean the worst is coming to a close? Many mortgage, real estate and
construction industries are cautiously optimistic about the decrease, and all are
hesitant to say it’s particularly significant. There are many factors that might
have caused a reduction in the numbers. Even though the notices of default are
declining they are still really high. The numbers do however reflect a decline of
57% from what they were in 2009. The number of notices issued in Santa Barbara
County in 2009, were 10 times higher than the notices filed in 2004. In San Luis
Obispo County those numbers were about 8 times higher than in 2004.

Many in the Mortgage industry acknowledge the fact that lenders are
taking their time and being more diligent about paperwork. Banks are
reluctant to foreclose because they don’t want to increase their “shadow
inventories” of homes. This can have a good and bad effect on the
homeowner who isn’t in default and may need to sell with a “regular
sale” when placing their home on the market.

Recently a new state law was passed, (July 15, 2011) which prevents
lenders from collecting the difference between the selling price and the loan
amount from homeowners. More homeowners may be more willing to try
a short sale and more lenders are willing to accept them in an effort to
decrease their volume of defaults. Now you can go into a short sale
knowing what the outcome will be. Before, no one really knew what would
happened to the borrower who had the debt forgiven in a short sale.

Fewer distressed homes for sale would increase the demand for new homes.
If this (decline) is a trend, or the start of a trend, that could be really good
news to the housing industry as a whole. Most don’t anticipate anything
“normal” for the industry until around 2014. This doesn’t mean it still isn’t a
good time to buy. Interest rates are at a record low and even if homes
continued to decline slightly over the next year the rates may go up creating a
higher payment for the new homeowner who waits.

Investors who are not feeling stable with the stock market can use their
resources to purchase a home at todays low values and capitalize on the
demand for rental housing. At today’s low prices it is cheaper to purchase
than to rent and also still considered a good long term investment. Many
lenders these days are “fixing up” their foreclosed inventory for a better
return, but that creates a better value for you and lower repair costs after your
initial purchase.

If you are considering buying or selling a home in the near future, I will be happy to
explore the possibilities with you. I can be reached directly at (805) 448-1000.

Pat O’Brien
REALTOR®, e-PRO
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Valley
204 E. Enos Drive , Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 310-5113 office ~ (805) 448-1000 cell
email: patsobrien@aol.com

To search 1000’s of homes instantly go to
www.patobrienrealestate.com

Our scholarship is focused on students that have had to over come obstacles in his life and that could of been considered an “at risk” or had to overcome adversity in their lives.  I have included excerpts from this years recipients and would like to present this year’s recipients for the Business Enriched Network Scholarship, Thank you.

You can view a video from last year and the event it will be a fun event on Saturday great way to give BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND HAVE SOME FUN.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Maria Luis

On november twenty seventh, two thousand one my life changed completely I lost a best friend, a father and the man that I had looked up to for so long. How were things ever going to be the same I asked myself? I knew that they never would be< but this made me realize that you cant take life for granted; therfore you should always perservere and never let go of your dreams. Before my father passed away there was one thing I promised him; I told him I would follow my dreams no matter what challenges I faced.

Two years later we moved to santa maria, california to live with my grandparents. I am currently a senior at santa maria high school and in june I will be graduating. During my first years in high school I wasn’t the best student academically noe did I perform good conduct this caused me to almost get suspended. I started failing classes and began hanging around with the wrong people. People that pushed me into doing things that now I never would have done. I can remember those days In which I would show up to my math class not understanding the concepts that were being taught. During my junior year I began working hard bringing my grades up and taking extra classes to get back on track to grduate.

During my junior year I started getting involved I joined SOMOS a club I nwhich we inform spanish speaking students. Also, I jioned the junior varsity soccer team and when the season ended I was awared most valuable player by my coach. I am happy to be part of the good changes we have done in our community. In this clubs not only have we learned leadership skills, but we have also helped our community be a better place.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Thalia Reyes

All  I  remember  thinking  was:  I blew  it!  As  we  gathered  outside,  the  advisor  from  Escalon  came  up  to  us. He  said  to  us  that  we  did  well  all  season  long  and that  we  were  the  team  they  were  determined  to  beat.  At  that  moment  I  knew  that  we  had  earned  the  respect  and,  in  a  way,  the  admiration  of  one  of  the  top  teams.  I  realized  that  I  did  my  best  and  that  was  all  that  I  could  do.  Just  like  Emerson  said, “  You  have  done what  you  could…”.  Even  though  this  was  a  disappointing  day, I  cannot  just  forget  about  it.  I  learned  many  lessons,  made  memories,  and  gained  experience  that  will  last  a  lifetime  and  help  me  in  the  future.  Even  though  we  did not earn the title of a  State Champion, I  get  to  come  back  for  one  more  year.  I  now  realize  that  you  cannot give  up  because  something  goes  wrong.  In  the  end,  you  cannot  really  lose  because you  gave  yourself  the  experience  and  the  opportunity.  I  set  a  goal  for  myself  that  year  to  be  first  high  individual.  Unfortunately,  I  did  not  achieve  it,  but  I  have  a second  chance  to  come  back  and  be  stronger  and  better  than  ever  to  prove  what  Santa  Maria  FFA  is  all  about.

My  reasons  for  applying  for  financial  aid  is  mostly  due  to  the  fact that  I  come  from  a  low  income  family  with  an  annual  income  of  about $12,000.  My  parents  are  divorced,  so  I  live  with  my  mother  who  is unemployed  due  to  medical  disabilities  such  as  diabetes,  arthritis,  and osteoporosis.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Damian Juarez

My family faces all the same obstacles as most families face.  My mom went back to college after age 35 and obtained a Masters degree.  When she went back to college I saw how tough it was for her, studying all the time and carrying a full load, but in the it was rewarding.  Sadly my dad did not go to college.  As mixed thoughts circle in my mind, I realize that he did not graduate from high school.   This sole fact and watching my mom struggle to keep our family afloat has ultimately propelled me forward and forced me to strive to become a better person and to attend college.  My mom used to say that “not going to college is not an option.”  I would hear my mom, but at the time, I was not listening.  At first I thought, why go to college, my parents have good jobs and are doing fairly well?  But after the economy hit, and affected everyone, I saw how tough things really were; the struggles my parents were going through.  My dad, who had a decent job, lost that job during the recession and with no educational background he is now struggling to find a job.  It became painfully obvious that without a college degree I cannot hope to get far in life.