Q & A with Fred Wehba | Real Estate

Fred WehbaA Gathering of Experts: When are most residential properties listed on the market?

Fred Wehba: We usually see a rise in home listings in the spring when weather warms up.

A Gathering of Experts: How is today’s real estate market as compared to the big bubble burst of 2007?

Fred Wehba: I think we’ve pretty well recovered, with some places even hitting record high prices.

A Gathering of Experts: Do you think we are being set up for disaster again?

Fred Wehba: In some areas, possibly. However, most cities have seen steady gains of around 5% per year which is sustainable.

A Gathering of Experts: Do lower mortgage rates encourage buyers?

Fred Wehba: Absolutely and possibly more than any other factor.

A Gathering of Experts: But these rates can change so quickly…

Fred Wehba: That’s true. My best advice would be to lock in your rate when it’s at a comfortable number.

A Gathering of Experts: What is the difference between a buyer’s market and a seller’s market?

Fred Wehba: A seller’s’ market means there are fewer homes and they are selling for more money. A buyers’ market is just the opposite.

A Gathering of Experts: What’s considered a healthy supply-to-demand ratio in the real estate market?

Fred Wehba: Specifically for residential, a six month supply is about right.

A Gathering of Experts: What sells faster, turnkey properties or those that need work?

Fred Wehba: Move in ready homes are more popular for buyers who want to live on their property.

A Gathering of Experts: Are investors still buying the fixer uppers?

Fred Wehba: Always.

A Gathering of Experts: Do higher prices tend to drive investors away?

Fred Wehba: Usually, yes. It’s very difficult to turn a profit if price points are too high.

A Gathering of Experts: It’s been said that it’s cheaper to buy a home than to rent. Is that true?

Fred Wehba: For the most part, yes. Rental homes are in demand, and that drives up price.

A Gathering of Experts: How much more affordable is it to buy?

Fred Wehba: Month-to-month it is literally about half the cost.  Mortgage payments average 15% of a buyer’s income as opposed to 30% spent by renters.

A Gathering of Experts: Is credit still nearly impossible to obtain?

Fred Wehba: There are definitely more stringent requirements now, as opposed to before the economic collapse. However, many lenders are loosening up just a bit.

A Gathering of Experts: Are homes getting bigger?

Fred Wehba: Actually, no. Despite a steady economic recovery, the average new home size has dropped from around 2500 ft.² to around 2200 ft.².

A Gathering of Experts: Why do you think that is?

Fred Wehba: The new generation of homebuyer is more ecologically aware than their predecessors.

A Gathering of Experts: Does this affect home design?

Fred Wehba: Absolutely – it’s very difficult to sell a home now that isn’t outfitted with energy efficient appliances, windows, and plumbing.

A Gathering of Experts: Switching gears to commercial real estate. Are the supply levels consistent with residential?

Fred Wehba: Actually, commercial real estate is at an historic low.

A Gathering of Experts: Are investors still squeamish after all the losses the last few years?

Fred Wehba: Many are, yes, but some are hungry for risk.

A Gathering of Experts: Do you have any thoughts about how investors decide what in what area they want to spend?

Fred Wehba: That’s pretty simple, really. Investors follow jobs and people. The more an area is expanding, the more likely it is there will be a need for housing and commercial operations.

Stephen Edward Samuelian Explains Skilled Nursing Care

Stephen Edward SamuelianIn today’s question-and-answer session, Stephen Edward Samuelian offers insight on what it takes to provide proper skilled nursing care for senior citizens.

Q: Good morning. It’s wonderful of you to take time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.

Stephen Edward Samuelian: It’s no problem, I appreciate the opportunity.

Q: There are a lot of misconceptions about skilled nursing care. I’d like to clear some of those up today.

Stephen Edward Samuelian: I will be happy to answer any questions that you have.

Q: Let’s start with the most obvious: what specifically is “skilled” nursing care?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: A skilled nursing care facility is one that provides advanced nursing assistance to seniors 24 hours a day.

Q: What do you mean by “advanced?”

Stephen Edward Samue


lian: When we talk about advanced nursing care, we’re speaking of things that most individuals can’t do at home like intravenous medication administration, severe wound care, and rehabilitation services.

Q: Services such as…?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: Speech therapy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy to help an individual regain his or her physical capabilities.

Q: Can you describe the atmosphere in a skilled nursing community like one of yours?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: We strive for a calm and comfortable feeling. The buildings are designed for resident safety as the utmost priority. All staff are carefully screened to ensure they are right fit for the community.

Q: Are there different levels of care?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: Absolutely. Residents may need different types of care at different times during their stay. Some skilled nursing facilities have units that are dedicated to residents with the most difficult memory care concerns.

Q: Such as…?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: A skilled nursing facility that specializes in memory care will cater to patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other degenerative conditions.

Q: Aside from skilled medical care, what other services to these facilities provide?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: As with any adult residential program, a skilled nursing facility provides laundry services as well as social and educational activities. Most are also inclusive of pharmaceutical and radiological services and hospice care for those facing terminal conditions.

Q: What is the difference between an assisted living community and a skilled nursing care facility?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: An assisted living community is a senior living arrangement where the senior lives in their own apartment.

Q: So they maintain their independence?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: That’s right. They do, however, have services available when needed.

Q: Like access to medical care?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: Yes, as well as a scheduled events, transportation, and many other support services. A skilled nursing facility is a more comprehensive program for individuals who can no longer care for themselves.

Q: Are there any resources for adults facing the decision to put their aging parents into care?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: Absolutely. Medicare offers a wonderful overview of facilities. As well, the American Health Care Association offers many resources. I would also suggest that anyone looking into care options visit multiple facilities in their area.

Q: Aren’t they all similar?

Stephen Edward Samuelian: Not necessarily but they will all have strict minimum levels of care. You want to make sure that the people and location are best suited to your loved-ones needs. They may feel more at home somewhere closer to family or in a location with a certain type of décor. It’s about personal preference.

Q: We appreciate your answers today. Hopefully, we can chat with you on this subject again sometime.

Stephen Edward Samuelian: It would be my pleasure.

Dennis Wong, “YOR Health YOR Repair Ultra Gives the Body an Advantage.”

Dennis Wong YOR HealthDennis Wong, YOR Health co-founder speaks about the newly-reformulated YOR Repair Ultra and how it’s helping people across the globe recover from muscle strain, maintain stamina, and improve athletic performance.

Q: How does YOR Repair Ultra boost the body’s recovery process?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: YOR Repair Ultra contains a powerful blend of enzymes along with antioxidants and muscle-repairing herbs.

Q: Does YOR Repair Ultra promote detoxification?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: Yes, antioxidants help the body detoxify by eliminating harmful substances. YOR Repair Ultra also works to support healthy kidney and liver function which boosts the immune system overall.

Q: What is the base of YOR Repair Ultra?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: We use only vegetable-based capsules. Our products contain no fillers and are full of naturally-derived health-enhancing ingredients.

Q: What ingredients are in YOR Repair Ultra?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: YOR Repair Ultra is formulated with Asian ginseng root, quercetin, rutin, grape seed extract, kelp algae, and Irish moss algae.

Q: How does algae help the body?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: kelp algae is considered a superfood for its effects on muscle function, bones, and blood vessels. Irish moss algae is an antiviral nutrients that works as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Q: Is Asian ginseng root an important part of the product’s formulation?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: Asian ginseng root promotes a healthy heart and mind and helps the body maintain its peak physical endurance.

Q: How is YOR Repair Ultra different now than previous blends?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: YOR Repair Ultra is four times stronger than the original. YOR Repair Ultra gives the body an advantage by providing it with highly-concentrated quality nutrition.

Q: Is YOR Repair Ultra all about the muscles?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: No, YOR Repair Ultra provides a perfect portion of vitamins and minerals to help athletes (and others) stay healthy and maintain optimal performance levels.

Q: How is YOR Repair Ultra taken?

Dennis Wong, YOR Health: One capsule twice a day on an empty stomach with water – preferably 8 ounces or more.

Q&A with Stephen Samuelian: New Grading System for Nursing Homes

Stephen Samuelian According to Stephen Samuelian, Nursing Home Compare has come under recent criticism with complaints that some highly rated nursing homes have had numerous problems and face fines.  Starting immediately, the federal government now requires nursing homes to do more to simply receive higher quality scores.  Below, Stephen Samuelian explains the new measures and what they mean for nursing homes across the country.

Q: Thank you for being here today, Mr. Stephen Samuelian.

Stephen Samuelian: It’s my pleasure.

Q: What exactly is “Nursing Home Compare?”

Stephen Samuelian: Nursing Home Compare is a government website to help consumers evaluate nursing homes. It rates more than 15,000 nursing homes in three broad categories. The website gives grades to nursing homes in the form of one- to five-star ratings. [Read more…]

Bath Planet Acrylic is Easy to Clean and Makes Any Bathroom Beautiful

Bath PlanetBath Planet acrylic products are made to be beautiful, according to the Bath Planet professional design consultants, and keeping them that way is easy. We recently sat down with Bath Planet remodeling experts who offered advice on how to care for the company’s popular acrylic bath and shower systems.

Gathering of Experts: Welcome and thanks for talking with us today.

Bath Planet: Always a pleasure!

GE: We’ve been hearing a lot about Bath Planet recently. We know the company sells bath and shower systems. But, what we’d like to know today is how difficult and time consuming these new bathrooms are to maintain.

Bath Planet: One of the main benefits of choosing our durable acrylic products is that they are easy to clean. All it takes is a wash cloth or soft sponge and plain tap water.

GE: Really?

Bath Planet: Yes, for daily maintenance. If for some reason one of our bath or shower products needs a deeper clean, a mild all-purpose cleaner will do the job just fine.

GE: Are all cleaners safe for acrylic?

Bath Planet: No! We can’t stress that enough. Only products that state they are for use on acrylics should be sprayed or wiped onto the surface.

GE: What about dishwashing liquid?

Bath Planet: That works well, too.

GE: So, what cleaning products should a proud new bathroom system owner avoid?

Bath Planet: Anything with ammonia, all abrasive cleansers, aerosol products, drain cleaners, and raw bleach. These harsh chemicals will not only cause irreparable damage, but will void the warranty, as well.

GE: You mentioned drain cleaners. Aren’t those a necessary evil?

Bath Planet: No, but the marketing campaigns they run would have you think so. Clearing a drain is actually not as difficult as they make it out to be.

GE: So what’s the best way to handle a hair clog, for example?

Bath Planet: Pushing or pulling on the clog is always the best way to remove the obstruction. This is accomplished with a simple plunger or plumber’s snake.

GE: If that doesn’t work, is it okay to pour the chemical drain cleaners in the tub?

Bath Planet: It’s never safe. Aside from the damaging their beautiful new space, drain cleaners are toxic and can harm the eyes and lungs. If the clog isn’t moving with manual force, it’s really best to call a professional.

GE: Let’s think again about cleaning a Bath Planet tub. Does the same care apply to wall surrounds and bath liners?

Bath Planet: Yes, of course.

GE: Do you have an approved list of cleaning products for those who feel water isn’t enough, or that have hard water buildup to contend with?

Bath Planet: Our approved cleaner list includes Simple Green Lime Scale Remover, anything carrying the Tilex brand, and KaBoom with Oxyclean. We provide a full list to our customers when they purchase one of our products.

GE: What about the popular Mr. Clean Magic Eraser?

Bath Planet: We’re afraid Mr. Clean and his Magic Erasers can dull the surface or, worse, cause chemical cracks. And there is nothing more disheartening than having a new spa-like retreat installed only to ruin it by trying to keep it clean.

GE: That’s really great to know. And we’ll leave our readers with that thought! Thanks again for spending time with us today.

The Caveat of Crowdsourcing

CrowdsourcingCrowdsourcing is a form of project management that pulls from the time, talents, and resources of a large pool of workers. Crowdsourcing has been utilized across the globe in areas such as software development, image tagging, and transcription. And while the relative low cost of crowd-completed work may be appealing to a business on a tight budget there are many disadvantages.

Poor workforce

A typical crowdsource platform is an online interface that allows anyone, regardless of actual credentials, to qualify to work on one or more parts of a given project. Users must simply complete a very limited test in order to gain access to work and rarely undergo any prerequisite training. [Read more…]