Discount business holiday cards

The holidays are coming, and if you own a business, it may be a good idea to send out holiday greeting cards to your customers and vendors. At Brookhollow they offer professionally done business greeting cards. They have the widest selection of holiday cards, calendars for the new year, chocolates, and much more. They have all this at great online prices. They even have a sale right now where you can save up to 50% on personalized cards for your business. Check out their website now and order your supply for this year. It is never too early to order. Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Manage your company’s waste

Do you own a business that needs help with waste management? Throwing your trash is not like it used to be, where you can just dump everything into the garbage bin. Trash needs to be sorted by recyclables, e-wastes, and other categories. Wastedge has developed a software to help you out with waste management. This simple to use software can provided invoicing as well as tracking features. All you have to do is pay for the low monthly fee. It is worth the investment. Whether you have a small or large business, Waste Management Software can help you get things under control with the click of button.

W.Torrance foreclosure $550K

This past week we went and visited a foreclosure in the West Torrance area. This was a 3 bedroom, 2 batch single family residence going for $550K. The price is not bad for the area, but like a lot of houses we saw, this one needed major work as well.

The windows, flooring, bathroom, and kitchen all needed to be replaced. The major work needed to done in the kitchen. If it was me, I would replace the cabinets with a darker wood finish along with a darker granite counter. I would use glass tile for the back splash and wood flooring. For the appliances, everything will be stainless steel. And this is just one of the many projects that needed to be done. You are probably looking at another $100K in costs.

We decided to pass on this one because of the additional cost needed to renovate the place. Luckily we did because my wife told me there were multiple offers on it.

American Interbanc Mortgage review

I have been shopping around for a mortgage. We are planning to purchase another house in the Torrance area for Brandon’s school. The current rates for a 30 year mortgage are less than 5%. I went to Bankrate.com to see which lending institutions offer the best rates. One that popped up was American Interbanc Mortgage. They offered a 4.75% rate for a 30 yr mortgage, with a $999 flat rate fee.

I applied online and sent them all the documents they requested on the form. I stated I need the approval letter right away because I was planning on making an offer that day. But they did not get back to me until the next day in the late afternoon. By then it would of been too late, especially if the property is hot. They said they needed additional documents: a copy of my driver license, a copy of my current’s house insurance, a copy of my previous 2 years 1040 (please note that I had already provided them with my last 2 W-2’s and copies of my paychecks), a copy of the offer contract, and they also requested a letter for why I was moving to a house that cost the same.

The problem I have with them is that I will send them the information and ask questions, but I will not get a response back. I will have to call them directly to get a response. I feel like they do not really want my business. It seems like as the customer, I am pushing more for the sale, doing more of the leg work. They knew my urgency, but they did not work with me.

So currently I am exploring other lending options. I may go with Aimloan.com. They offer similar rates, but I hope their service is better.

Dial Us Termite review

It has been a year since we had our house treated with Orange oil. With this greener method of treating termites, you do not have to leave your house, and no dangerous pesticides will be used. This was important to us because we have a small child in the house. The plan we signed up for included a free inspection each year for 3 years.

We went with Dial Us Termites, and they have been great so far. They have a friendly and professional staff that answers to your every need. We had called them earlier this year because we noticed some termite droppings by one of our vents. They immediately dispatched someone to come and treat it. Since it was part of the warranty, we did not have to pay anything.

We are very satisfied with their service and would recommend them to anyone with termite problems. Of course it is better to tent your house, but not many people like the idea of having to move out and pack all your foods. The cost is actually cheaper than tenting.

$390K Torrance Townhome

This past week we went looking at a Torrance Townhome in the Plaza Del Amo area. We love the location of this place. It is located walking distance to the Del Amo Mall and the Torrance Farmers Market. The square footage of the place was around 1100, but it seemed a lot smaller. There was a lot of wasted square footage with the stairs. And since it was a tri level, there were a lot of stairs.

The home was built in the 80’s, so it needs a lot of updating. The kitchen and bathrooms all needed work on it. But for the $390K price it was not bad. We did not choose this place becaue of the size. It was really small, especially in the living room area. It was the size of a small room. Another problem with townhomes, is some of them are dark inside because you are sharing walls. In order to brighten up the house, you will have to add like a wall sconce or additional lighting around the house.

The HOA fee was not too bad. It was about $250 in a gated community with several pools. I also liked that there was a lot of storage area in the garage for this house, including a large laundry room too. But in the end this was a pass for us.

Holiday Vegas deals

Every Christmas we have been going to Las Vegas. It is almost like a family tradition for us. With the current recession, there have been some great deals on hotels to try to get customers to come in. One such deal offered by casinos is to include a room with an all day buffet rate. Casinos like Mandalay Bay and MGM are offering this promotion, but with a 2 or 3 day minimum stay. But it is not a true flat rate. For example the room may cost $125 per night, but if you have an additional guest, it may be increased to an additional $25 for each addition person.

I am not sure if it is a great deal or not, but if you are eating 3 buffets a day, you better make sure you bring your best diet pills with you after the trip.

Loan Shopping

We have been shopping for a new house in the area. The one thing I have been looking for is a loan. With the recent mortgage problems banks faced, getting a loan is a lot more difficult than it use to be. I remember all I had to show in the past was my pay check stub and bank statements. But now they have been asking for proof of home insurance, letter for reason of moving, a copy of the offer contract, just to name a few. It has become a real hassle. The thing I do not like is a lot of this data is transferred via email or fax, and identity theft can become a problem. It makes me wonder if I should sign up with an identity theft protection just in case something happens.