Chinatown, San Francisco

Before I moved to Elk Grove, I lived in San Francisco for several years. The famous Chinatown in San Franciso is not necessary my favorite hangout, but it's a must stop to do your shopping for food and other Chinese goodies. Once in a while I will drive back to San Francisco and have tea & dim sum in Chinatown with friends. If you are interested in learning more about Chinatown in San Francisco, I foud this cool video which will give you a good view of what Chinatown is like, simply click on this link to view the video:
http://www.inmanstories.com/movies/newplayer.cfm?name=chinatown.

Just Listed - Nice Home For Sale!

This lovely home is located at 1358 Grendel way, Sacramento, CA 95833. The listing price is $365,000 which is the best in the neighborhood! But wait till you see the upgrades with the remodeling:

Newly remodeled w/Pergo floor throughout the house; tile floor in the kitchen, laundry room & bathrooms; granite counter top in the kitchen; New front yard landscaping...too many to list here. Must see to appreciate.
The house is Better than new. Very desirable location, close to school, shopping & freeway. Won't last long!
Take a picture tour now by clicking on the picture of the house!

Once in a while, a few visitors left comments on my postings. The last comment is left by the owner of http://www.softlandings.com/. I really appreciate the encouraging positive comment. I visited the website and found it has very useful information & service for people who want to immigrate to Canada. As the website claims:"The Soft Landings Immigration Center has all the information and resources you will need in order to successfully immigrate to Canada." So, if you need information and service in regards to immigrating to Canada, please visit the website.

Only $315,000! Possibly The Best Price In The Neighborhood!

The seller reduced the price again! Only $315,000. Please compare the prices in the neighborhood, this house offers the best value. It has 3 Bed Rooms, 2 Full Bath Rooms and a 2-Car Garage. The interior is about 1,332 Sq Ft, Lot Size: 0.159 Acre (6921 SQ FT). A good decent size backyard - it's hard to find in the new constructions nowadays!

Newly painted exterior, relatively new composite shingle roof, which is better than the wood shake roofs most neighboring houses have. It has tile floor throughout the living room and kitchen as well as the bath rooms. The house is located near major shopping centers. Very close to Wal-Mart on Florin road yet is away far enough from the noisy, busy streets. Did I mention the hosue comes with a free one year home warranty too!

To see more pictures of the house, please Click Here! If you would like to personally visit the house, please give me a call at 916-271-9166, I will be glad to show you. Or if you are working with a Realtor, he or she should be able to show your the house inside. It's still a good time to buy a house while the interest rate is still low, which will definitely rise in the near future. It's great for the 1st-time home buyers or investors.

Victims of Hurricane Katrina Need Your Help!

You all heard about the tremendous tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina to the residents of New Orleans. I don't need to repeat that here. You can help by donating to the American Red Cross. With the convenience of the Internet, there is simply no excuse not to do something to help. Of course I want to help too, that why I signed up for the Red Cross website banner to put on my website. Simply click on the banner below to donate money. To me, the amount doesn't matter as much as your spirit & the willingness to help. I am not trying to be noble here, I am just wondering what if someday I run into a similar situations and need help too?

The Best Chinese Restaurant In Sacramento

After closing for about two weeks for remodeling, New Hong Kong Wok re-opened for business on Friday. When I heard the news I invited two best friends to have a nice dinner there. They are also loyal customers of the restaurant. They complained about how bad the other competing restaurants' food tasted. They are relief that New Hong Kong Wok is re-opened again.

While New Hong Kong Wok isn't the biggest & doesn't have the fanciest interior setting, there is no doubt that it offers the most authentic & the best Chinese food in the Sacramento area. I have recommended many clients & friends to try out the restaurant, so far I haven't received any negative feedback yet. I am not doing this to return the favor of letting me to post my business cards at the restaurant. If you don't believe me, why not go give it a try yourself.

The restaurant is located at 5019 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822. Their phone number is 916-454-2828. They open 7 days a week from 11:00 am to 11:00pm.

Incentives Available - From Centex Homes

The followng homes are available from Centex Homes. If you want me to be your buying agent, I will offer you a rebate if you can close escrow(COE) at the specified dates. Please feel free to contact me at 916-271-9166.

Monticello at Twelve Bridges
Lot 86 - 2919 Corriente Way, Lincoln, CA · Not listed in MLS · $1,002,864 Approx. 3,382 sq. ft. – Large Lot, Over 19,000 sq. ft! - 4 bd., 3 ba. – 3 Car Split Garage – Motor Court – Porte Cochere – Fireplace in Family Room and Master Bedroom – Chocolate Stain Beech Cabinetry – Media Center – Stainless Steel Appliances – 2nd Dishwasher, Trash Compactor, Wine Cooler – Jetted Tub in Master Bath – And Many More Upgrades! - COE 10-28-05

La Cima at Serrano
Lot 45 - 5704 Gelston Way, El Dorado Hills, CA · Not listed in MLS · $598,810 Approx. 2,457 sq. ft. – Corner Lot - One Story - 3 bed, 2.5 ba. – Oversized 2 Car Garage Plus Shop – Den – Courtyard – Elegant Circular Foyer – Tiled Entry and Kitchen – Black on Stainless Appliances – Honey Oak Cabinetry - COE 10-11-05
Lot 62 - 1090 Penniman Drive, El Dorado Hills, CA Hills · Not listed in MLS · $731,579 Approx. 3,177 sq. ft. – Two Story – 4 bed, 3.5 ba. – Front Courtyard – Upgraded Carpet and Tile – Home Theater Package – Stainless Steel Appliances – Cherry Stair Rail w/ Iron Balusters – Beautiful Cherry Cabinetry - COE 10-15-05

Wild Oak at Lincoln Crossing
Lot 4 - 1393 Keswick Lane, Lincoln, CA ·Not Listed in MLS - $512,693 Approx. 2,523 sq. ft. – One Story – 3 bd., 2.5 ba. – Study – 3 Car Garage – White Appliances – Natural Oak Cabinetry – Tiled Entry and Kitchen - Prewired for Home Theater - Garage Door Opener w/ 2 Remotes - COE 10-13-05
Lot 9 - 542 Longmeadow Lane, Lincoln, CA - Not Listed in MLS - $611,870 Approx. 3,206 sq. ft. – Two Story – 4 bd., 3.5 ba. – Loft – Craft Room – 3 Car Split Garage – Upgraded Carpet and Tile – Upgraded Black Appliances – Natural Cherry Stair Rail – Spice Stain Cherry Cabinetry – Cabinets in Laundry Room - COE 11-18-05

Ironwood
Lot 19 - 8410 Justawee Court, Elk Grove, CA · Not listed in MLS · $550,430 Approx. 2,647 sq. ft. - Corner Lot - One Story - 4 bed, 3ba. – 3 Car Tandem Garage - Honey Oak Cabinetry – White Appliances - Cultured Marble in Master and Guest Baths – Carpeting Throughout - Estimated COE 11-11-05

Monte Vista
Lot 18 - 1273 Renison Lane, Lincoln, CA ·Not listed in MLS · $554,395 Approx. 3,072 sq. ft. – Two Story – 5 bd., 3 ba. – Bonus Room – 3 Car Tandem Garage - Black Appliances – Maple Cabinetry - Cherry Stair Rail w/ Iron Balusters – Tiled Kitchen Countertops - Upgraded Carpet and Tile – Upgraded Air Conditioner and Furnace – Insulated Garage Door - COE 12-19-05

Quail Creek
Lot 40 - 1483 Regent Circle, Lincoln, CA ·Not listed in MLS · $456,543 Approx. 2,436 sq, ft. – Two Story - 3 bd., 2.5 ba. - Bonus Room - Oversized 2 car garage - Black Appliances – Birch Cabinetry w/ Autumn Stain – Upgraded Flooring - COE 11-21-05

ASK ABOUT THE INCENTIVES! All incentives are tied to buyer using CTX Mortgage. Homes Subject to Availability.

Bad experience with a Credit Card Company

Over the years I have owned many credit cards from various companies. Most of them provide pretty good customer service. However I have bad experience with a business credit card company - CapitalOne. When I received my first statement, I noticed there is a Payment protection charge which I don't remember enrolling. I decided to give them a call to clarify the matter or cancel. So I put down a reminder on the envelop and put it back to the "In Box". Guess what? due to my busy schedule I totally forgot about it and missed the due date and didn't noticed that until I received the next statement. Since most credit card companies I deal with would waive at least one late fee, so I decided to give customer service a call to see if they can waive the past due fee. Well, that's what upset me about their customer service. So far I have tried several time to talk to a live person without success, I was stuck with the endless loop of recorded options. I just can't figure out which key to press to get to a live operator and there is no option to handle the late fee issue. I expected a higher standard of customer service from a business credit card than a regular consumer credit card compay when I applied.

I had a business credit card with Wells Fargo Bank and I can talk to a live customer service rep. at anytime of the day. Anyway, May be I am worng about CapitalOne, but if you know how to talk to a live person with CapitalOne business credit card customer service, please let me know how. Otherwise I will definitely cancel the credit card as soon as I pay off the balance. This is just my owne experience with CapitalOne, I haven't heard from others regarding this issue.

I attened the WFG meeting tonight and all I can say is I learn a lot and there is absolutely no pressure to purchase anything or join. Well, I posted an invitation to this meeting in the SacramentoChinese Yahoo newsgroup and I got a very negative reply from one member. I posted a response to the reply but the owner of the newsgroup decided not to post it. I believe we should always look at both side of an issue so people can make a sound decision themself. Below is the excerpt from the newsgroup posting and my response to the reply.

The person who post the reply to my invitaiton wrote:

I did a google search about WFG, the first item is WFG offcial website:World Financial Group, Inc.World Financial Group; a financial services company dedicated tohelping you move from dreaming to doing.And the second item is about how WFG cheats money from innocent people:WMA/WFG Secrets (http://www.xwma.org)This site belongs to all those who have been unfairly treated ormanipulated by WMA/WFG and dare not to speak out or don't know what to do.Think about this: how did WFG generate revenue? It's a pure hoax.---

Below is my origingal posting:

In SacramentoChinese@yahoogroups.com, "klee110" wrote:

> Wouldn't it be nice to learn how money really works? More > importantly, would you like to learn how to make some of your hard > earned money to work for you instead of you always having to work for > it?

> > I can help you to learn how to win the money game. You can start by > being my special guest at this very important, no-obligation business > meeting presenting World Financial Group.
> > Date : Friday, September 2, 2005
> > Time : 6 PM.> > Address : 7210 Florin Mall Dr.> Sacramento, CA 95823

> > The meeting will be held by one of our experienced Senior Marketing > Director from WFG's office in Santa-Clara, Mr. Frank Yang. He will > share with us how to run your business to become successful in WFG.
> > As some of you might already know, I am a full time real estate agent > and I just learn about this great business opportunity a few weeks > ago. I am very excited about the possibilies & potetials. Even if you > don't want to join our company you will still benifit from the free > financial consultation we offer. Again, there is absolutely no > obligation.
> > If I can answer any questions for you, please feel free to contact me > at 916-271-9166 or email me at: kenny@s... Hurry, seating may > be limited.
> > Sincerely,
> > Kenny Lee

Here is my reponse to the reply that don't get posted:

Here is my opinion in respond to John's posting.

I visited the website John found on Google search.
As I see it, there is always someone complaining no matter what. There is always a few bad apples in almost any company or corporations, so I am not surprised that someone will complain. Since the entry to WFG is relatively easy, I am sure some unethical people were recruited. So, for those who are looking for easy money, do not waste your time.

As for me, the reason I join the company is because I want to learn about life insurance and investment such as retirement plans and saving planning for kid's college funds. And WFG offers the training and flexibility for a person like me who also have other jobs or careers. There is no pressure to recruit, but with recruitment, you will make more money. But to me, money is not the priority. Money will come when I serve my client well and meet their needs.

If you are a real estate agent, you know that recruiting is a way for the broker to grow his or her business. Most of the time, a real estate agent will get commission over-ride on the newly recruited agent. So, to real estate agents, there is not thing new about recruiting. Some people tend to automatically think network marketing is a scam. I myself was skeptical about networking marketing schemes and still am. I don't join any network marketing opportunity just because someone tells me it's good to join. If WFG is a scam, shouldn’t it be charged and forced to shut down by the government? Also, WFG is different from WMA, the management realized there were things need be improved upon and this process is never ending.

Network marketing is not right for everyone. It required people skill, dedication and able to handle rejection. Those who failed and complained mostly likely do not have what it take to be successful and try to blame the company and others.

When I look at the website, I found it's quite laughable. For example, the Missing Persons Alert. What do the two cases have to do with the legitimacy of WFG? What's the blame here? Because they worked for WFG? There is nothing in the report saying about their misfortune because they join WFG. The report simply tell what their jobs or profession were before they were missing or murdered. I have heard real estate agents missing or murdered while they were in the field. Should the real estate companies they worked for to be blamed for their misfortune? How ridiculous this is. So, you can see how desperate some people are to blame others for their failure.

As for the lawsuits, in this sue-happy country, shouldn't you be surprised? Please tell me which insurance companies haven't been sued before? Just type, for example "prudential, lawsuits" or "New York Life, lawsuits" in Yahoo or Google, you will find lawsuits against the companies. So, why there are still many people working for the insurance companies or want to join as agents? Why don't they quit because the company were sued or being sued?
I agreed what is stated on the website: "For those agents who committed insurance frauds, your times will come". This is true for any agent working for any insurance company, not just WFG. Well, as long as you put your client's interest first and follow the rules, there is no worry about being sued.

Of course, I am not saying WFG is a perfect company to join. There might be issues relating to management, client service…etc. But these are all common to any other business. Since I have yet to get licensed and then be field-trained by my up-line manager, I don’t have definite answer to tell whether WFG is what it claims to be. But so far from the support I have been received, I am hopeful that it will work out great and I will be able to provide my real estate clients with additional services. For example, it’s highly recommended that a family should purchase some form of life insurance equals to at least the loan amount after the purchase of a home to protect the homeownership.

Lastly, even if WFG won’t work out as expected, I will still gain experience & knowledge in insurance & investment. And since the licensing & education part are independent of WFG as with any insurance companies (mandatory requirement by the States), I can choose to work for other insurance companies later if I like.

To be an agent requires you to sit in a classroom for the licensing education and pass the state exam. So, if you are interested in helping people and expand your knowledge - join; if you are looking for another get rich quick opportunity, don't bother.

The above is just my personal opinion and not those of WFG.

Here are some extra thoughts after the above posting:

I also found more attacking on WFG on anothor website which I found quite amusing. The attacker turn the matter into a witch hunt, accousing a WFG member who came from China has tie to the communitst party and being a spy. Incidently, many of the successful WFG members are Asians. So I am not surprise the attack aim at these people, making fun of their broken English. Hey, English is not my first language, and I bet the attacker can't even speak a word of Chinese, let along broken Chinese or other none-English languages. Anyway, United States is a free country, there is always different opioins on any single subject, just like the politics. You have to participate to truely find out if something is right or wrong. Even if there is something suitable for a person but not the other. Just like some real estate agents are successfu and some aren't.
Again, the above is just my personal opinion and not the views of WFG.