Nevada Real Estate >> Las Vegas Real Estate Specialist: March 2010

Welcome Home To Summerlin NW Las Vegas Community:  Calavera!

• 167 Single Family Detached Homes
• Ranging from 1316-1895 Square Feet
• Built from 2005-2007 by Richmand American
  

Calavera Community Amenities Include:  Lush Landscaped Common Greenbelt Areas with Jogging/Walking Paths.

Located in the heart of the popular Master Planned Community Paseos Village of Summerlin!  Close to Summerlin Hospital, Red Rock Casino & Resort, Retail (Best Buy, Costco & More), Restaurants (BJs, Olive Garden & More), Professional Offices, Local Gaming, Several Major Golf Courses.

Also Close to the 215 Freeway and Summerlin Parkway.  Summerlin Parkway turns into the 95 Freeway going east which provides Good Proximity to Downtown Employment & Entertainment Centers.  The 215 Freeway South (and then East past the Durango Curve) makes getting to UNLV, McCarran Airport and South Las Vegas Strip Employment & Entertainment Centers Easy.

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Southern Nevada was hailed as the boomtown USA just a few years ago. Those days as many as 54,000 people annually moved into the area from all corners of the country. They came here for jobs and the climate and the good old-fashioned excitement of being able to live in Sin City dominated by the gaming industry and everything that comes with it. The phenomenal growth was partially fueled by affordable housing which was soon followed by more relaxed mortgage underwriting standards that eventually opened the floodgates to an unsustainable real estate boom. And then came the bust.  

The effects have been spectacular, rivaling the oohs and aahs the many colorful and exotic Strip shows manage to elicit from their thrilled patrons. It's just that they are now growled through gritted teeth, with the words mortgage foreclosure, short sale and underwater generally dominating the conversation.

And that has actually reversed the steady in-migration Las Vegas has enjoyed at least hundred years. Census data just released shows that from July 2008 to July 2009 the city lost almost 1,300 residents. It's not much on the surface, but when it's compared to the in-migration of 54,000 during the best growth year a few moons ago, then its importance becomes quite clear. In a little bit over a two year period to beginning of this year 130,000 jobs have vanished into the thin desert air. Real estate prices have spiraled down without much resistance, prompting many underwater mortgage borrowers to either do a short sale, pull a strategic default or go into foreclosure. Whichever, they still tend to leave the area in search of a new start.

The chances of Vegas bouncing back are good. The climate won't go anywhere, nor will the desert beauty all around, nor the Strip and its universal appeal. They are important parts of the foundation. The job outlook, though, needs to improve before a sustainable rebound can take hold and that can be a while. One thing local governments ought to do is widen the economic base in Southern Nevada, being so dependent on one industry - gaming - leaves few options when a major recession comes knocking on the door. This has been discussed and written about for years among local and national economic observers, but progress has been slow. Now that this severe downturn has totally exposed Vegas' vulnerability, action might be forthcoming.

 

GUESS HOW MANY ACTIVE LISTINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN LAS VEGAS METRO AT 9 AM APRIL 15, 2010

As of March 28, 2010 @ 9 AM there were 9552 Active Listings.

Post ONE Entry Here! (for Active Listings)

GUESS HOW MANY LISTINGS WILL BE CONTRACTED (CONTINGENT OR PENDING) IN LAS VEGAS METRO AT 9 AM APRIL 15, 2010.

As of March 28, 2010 @ 9 AM there were 15384 Contracted Listings

Post One Entry Here!  (For Contracted Pending or Contingent Listings)

HOW I PULL MY STATS:

Greater Las Vegas Valley Only:  From Mountain to Mountain.  Includes North Las Vegas, Henderson, Las Vegas and Townships within the Greater Las Vegas Valley Region.  It does NOT include outlying areas such as Pahrump, Boulder City, Mesquite, Laughlin, etc.

GOOD LUCK!!

Contest Rules:

Must be a Fan of Las Vegas Market Reports on Facebook.

Contest Ends at 11:59 PM on April 7, 2010.

Stats will be Pulled around 9 AM on April 15, 2010.

Must be 18 Years of Age or Over to Participate

Cannot be a Member of GLVAR (Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors) or a Spouse or Child of a Member of GLVAR.

Ineligible to Participate for 180 Days after a Winning Entry.

Must Be The Closest Number to Actual Number Without Going Over.

May Enter Each Contest Only Once For the Duration of the Contest!

 

What is the best mortgage program for me?

 

When shopping for a mortgage, it can be confusing at times, depending on where you get your information.  You should not always base your information on such terms as Expert, Mortgage Expert, FHA Expert, etc, etc.  Just because someone says they are an Expert doesn't always mean that they are an expert.  There are so many variables to what mortgages are good for a borrower.

How does a borrower determine what is good for them?  What things should be important? Make sure ....

  --  you understand your finances first, that you are not forcing yourself into the mortgage payment. Have a comfortable mortgage payment in mind.

  --  you have some cash reserves after you would go to settlement on your new home. In my opinion, you should always have some type of cushion for many reasons.

  --  you have goals for the near future and distant future, prior to speaking to a loan officer. Such goals as having kids, schools, saving money, career changes, etc, etc.

 

 

 

Before you shop for a home, know what you can qualify for. Shopping for a mortgage first can be so critical.

 

 

Basic types of mortgage programs

 

Important Basic Info - If you typically have a credit score of 680 or less and less than 10% down, you are usually better off with a FHA loan. Not unless you fit some of the requirements of the other loans mentioned below. Here is a good example of this :  A real comparison with 20% down - FHA loans vs Conventional loans  (series of down payments)

Conventional Loans - You need a 620 or higher credit score with typically 5% or more down. Important reminder : You still need to be approved by the PMI companies and not just your lender. (Private Mortgage Insurance)

FHA Loans -  Buyers & Sellers, don't always listen to your realtor if they talk negative about FHA mortgages.  There are so many good qualities when it comes to FHA loans as opposed to the other types of mortgages out there.  Less money down, flexible credit requirements, lower credit scores with less pricing adjustments, etc, etc. One Important Factor : You can still do a manual underwrite on this type of loan.  If the lender thinks it is a make sense deal with good compensating factors, then they can put their stamp of approval on this type of loan.

VA Loans - 100% loan program with no monthly mortgage insurance.  Important factor : No matter what part of the service, even if in the guard or reserves, as long as you served 3 months in a combat zone, you can be eligible for the VA loan now.

USDA Loans - 100% loan program with no monthly mortgage insurance.  This program is area restrictive and has income restrictions.  How do you find out if your property qualifies?  Property Qualifications  Important Reminder : As of now, funding for  USDA loans are becoming very low. Please read this announcement.  Important USDA funding information.  For more basic information on USDA loans, please read :  USDA loans

Stated Loans - This type of loan still requires a job, but you just state your income. Word to the wise though - Your income is still suppose to make sense in regards to the job that you have. This loan is more so for those self-employed or who have hard to improve income.  And these types of loans usually require higher credit scores and a higher down payment of 25% or more.

No Doc Loans - This is the no questions asked loan.  You don't need tp put down any job or income or to verify assets. Important Key Reminder :  You usually need credit scores of 680 + and with at least 30% or more down.

 

 

 

Summary :  It's very important to speak to a very qualified loan officer and not someone that just sounds nice and or offers you the best rate. Sorry, but anyone can do this. Some important mortgage shopping tips so you aren't caught with your pants down.  Mortgage Shopping Tips

 

Important Reminder : Your loan officer should be interviewing you in detail. These are some important questions that they should be asking you.  Jeff Belonger’s top ten questions when qualifying a borrower.

And be careful of what mortgage programs that some loan officers recommend. Sometimes they just give you the program that best suits the loan officer and not the borrower, because it's easier for the loan officer.  Sorry, but this is a reality and I have seen it happen.

 

 

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- FHA Loans - USDA Loans - VA Loans -

- Energy Efficient Mortgages - 

- Conventional Loans - 203 k loans -

- FHA Home Loans - Mortgages -

 

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

 

 

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For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags!

Important Information about the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit

 

Copyright © 2010 by Jeff Belonger of Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc

The Gardens Park in Summerlin is Located Near Town Center & Garden Mist Drive (Near the 215/Town Center Freeway Entrance/Exit).

Park Amenities Include:  Garden's Community Center, Playground, Lots of Greenbelt/Common Area, Tennis, BBQ Areas and an Abundance of Walking or Jogging Trails.

The park named appropriately as it is very lush and aesthetically pleasing with copious amounts of landscaping.  Located in the heart of the "Gardens" Village in Summerlin.

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Many Southern Nevada - including Mountains Edge, Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Canyon Gate and Spanish Trail - mortgage borrowers are still dealing with the effects of the great real estate meltdown. Short sale has recently become a more acceptable avenue for home loan banks to address the lingering issue of delinquency, giving people a somewhat more palatable way out of a tight spot. Despite that, high mortgage foreclosure filings continue clouding the sandy landscape of Las Vegas valley. The once in a lifetime housing upheaval is by no means over and done with yet.

Sin City's homeowners have watched in horror as property values have taken a perilous plunge over the cliff, slamming them so low that scores are now in negative equity. An altogether regrettable situation. They are now spending quality time wondering about the future of housing here. More specifically, when the underwater label would be ceremoniously blacked out from the local real estate vocabulary.

First American CoreLogic, a real estate research boutique, has taken the brave step of trying to answer that tricky question. It took a close look at ten markets, one of which was Las Vegas, in order to arrive at a time frame when the average mortgage recipient would break surface and again breathe fresh air. It used unpaid principal balances, short-term housing forecasts, a standard measure of long-term value trends, amortization and predictably some other exotic proprietary data to make it happen.

Las Vegas real estate market has a long way to go according to FACL findings. The average mortgage borrower in Southern Nevada will break even by 2020, ten years from now, it says. The valley's price erosion has been very uneven. Some areas have suffered only mild losses while others have seen multiple G-force dives. It's the latter category that will likely linger in the netherworld well past 2020. These subdivisions generally were built right in the middle of the bubble when new home prices in particular were shamelessly hiked just about monthly, if not faster, steadily hauling them to bizarre heights. Buyers were undeterred, as were mortgage lenders, feeding the frenzy that soon made the term underwater, or upside down, a household word.

For some Southern Nevada real estate owners it will unfortunately be a long road to salvation, for others likely under ten years. It's all about the location.

 

 

Mountain's Edge February 2010 Real Estate Resale Market Report:

• Listings (3/15/2010):  168
• Under Contract (3/15/2010):  406
• Sold February 2010:  59

Since Last Month:  Listings are DOWN -28, Pendings are UP +27, Sales are UP +4

Last Month's Mountain's Edge Real Estate Market Report

Mountain's Edge is a newer community so many of the listings are short sales or bank owned.

Welcome Home To Gated Summerlin NW Las Vegas Community:  Amber Ridge Condominiums!

• 241 Condominium Homes
• Ranging from 1236-1691 Square Feet (most have garages too!)
• Built from 2000-2002 by Westmark Builders 

Bountiful Amber Ridge Community Amenities Include:  Gated Entrance, Mature & Lush Landscaping, Pool, Spa, Clubhouse, Fitness Center, Waterscaping, Recroom, & BBQ Area!

Located in the heart of the popular Master Planned Community of Summerlin!  Close to Summerlin Hospital, Red Rock Casino & Resort, Retail (Best Buy, Costco & More), Restaurants (BJs, Olive Garden & More), Professional Offices, Local Gaming, Several Major Golf Courses.

Also Close to the 215 Freeway and Summerlin Parkway.  Summerlin Parkway turns into the 95 Freeway going east which provides Good Proximity to Downtown Employment & Entertainment Centers.  The 215 Freeway South (and then East past the Durango Curve) makes getting to UNLV, McCarran Airport and South Las Vegas Strip Employment & Entertainment Centers Easy.

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The housing market meltdown seems to be truly making life miserable for Bank of America. As things started unraveling in the residential real estate sector and pushed countless mortgage lenders to either bankruptcy or to the brink of one, BofA figured it'd buy one of them on the cheap and really grow even bigger just like that. It promptly acquired Countrywide and apparently got much more than it bargained for. The once dominant mortgage lender had plenty of bad paper in its books which then became BofA's headache. On top of that it may have had its own internal issues, but Countrywide certainly wasn't as clean as it seemed to be.

BofA has been snail-slow in approving short sales, argue numerous real estate agents, home sellers and buyers and anyone involved in these sometimes complex transactions. A lot of fingers are pointed at its incompetence, or calculated foot dragging. More of the same is evidently going on in its handling of HAMP, so much so that Washington state homeowners recently filed a lawsuit against it, claiming it "intentionally" and "systematically" frustrated their efforts to arrive at reasonable mortgage modifications to stop foreclosure. In addition, many states and Washington are pressuring it, and other lenders as well, to seriously and meaningfully help in foreclosure prevention. The heat is on.

Now it is coming up with a mortgage principal reduction program, obviously seeking to quell the rising furor over its inadequate actions. It'll be part of its NHRP, or National Homeownership Retention Program. Some of the basic criteria includes the borrower has to be HAMP qualified, certain subprime, pay-option and 2-year hybrid ARMs are eligible, the underlying mortgage is 120% over the property's current value and the loan needs to be at least 60 days delinquent. BofA likes to call it "earned principal forgiveness" and the word "earned" is the key here. The program works in stages over five years during which the mortgage borrower is expected to miss no payments and then can reduce the principal up to 30%. These are just some of the details how it works. According to the bank, it'll launch the program in May when it'll supposedly start contacting eligible homeowners to find out whether they'll make the grade.

Frankly, based on the information so far released the plan is quite complicated and the many requirements will greatly limit participation. Maybe it's more of the same, just labeled differently. BofA has taken constant flak for its lack of responsibility in helping mitigate the home loan foreclosure problem and this, if administered properly, could give it some breathing room. Only time will tell if it is serious this time about cleaning up its tarnished reputation.

 

Renters are becoming buyers finally as resale purchase prices drop and economic conditions in the valley are preventing high numbers of new incoming residents to move here.  This has softened rental prices slightly as many investors are buying all cash in the market currently and then renting.  More homes available for rent (higher supply) and less renters (lower demand.) 

Units Leased:

• February 2010:  2100
  
• January 2010 1784
  
• December 2009:  1713
  
• November 2009:  1691
• October 2009:  2015
• September 2009:  1849
• August 2009:  2011
• July 2009:  2029
• June 2009:  1853
• May 2009:  1760
• April 2009:  1677
• March 2009:  1825
• February 2009:  1702

 Average Monthly Rental Rates:

• February 2010:  $1731
  
• January 2010:  $1582
  
• December 1009:  $1313
  
• November 2009:  $1313
• October 2009:  $1264
• September 2009:  $1477
• August 2009:  $1255
• July 2009:  $1405
• June 2009:  $1299
• May 2009:  $1348
• April 2009:  $1348
• March 2009:  $1365
• February 2009:  $1419

Median Monthly Rental Rates:

• February 2010:  $1100
  
• January 2010:  $1100
  
• December 2009:  $1100
  
• November 2009:  $1100
• October 2009:  $1125
• September 2009:  $1150
• August 2009:  $1150
• July 2009:  $1195
• June 2009:  $1195
• May 2009:  $1200
• April 2009:  $1200
• March 2009:  $1200
• February 2009:  $1200
• January 2009:  $1200
• December 2008:  No Data

Las Vegas Area remains a Landlord's Market in the Rental Sector for the Las Vegas Valley. 

How to check to see if the home you are renting is in default

Last Month's Report 

If you own a home that needs to be rented out and would like to have a full time, licensed and permitted property manager contact you please fill out this form or call 702-966-2494 and press option 0

The demand for corporate debt and higher yields is luring away buyers of treasuries.  The purchase and sale of US Treasuries affect smortgage rates.  When treasuries are bought, rates stay stable or drop.  When they are sold rates increase.  There was heavy selling today causing the mortgage markets to respond by increasing interest rates.

I recommend that you lock your loans immediately.  Floating is way too risky as investors scramble to find higher returns on their investments.  Enonomic recovery are part of the reason and investors preparing for higher taxes in response to health care legislation that passed.  Investors are not buying the statement that the deficit will go down.  Wall street expects higher taxes to fund the health care reform.  Hard to determine if this caused the run up in rates today.

Tomorrow the 7 year note goes on sale but nobody expects many buyers.  We may see aother sell off tomorrow causing mortgage rates to rise.  The duration of this will be determined on te economic outlook.  If investors believe the economy is improving they will buy socks.  Mortgages are attractive in bear markets due to their conservative nature.

 

Lock 'em if you got  'em.

 

Arlington Ranch February 2010 Real Estate Resale Market Report

• Listings (3/15/2010):  18
• Under Contract (3/15/2010):  58
• Sold February 2010:  7

Arlington Ranch changes since last month:  Listings UP +1, Pendings DOWN -1, Sold units DOWN -4

Click Here for Last Month's Report

For More Las Vegas Communities and Reports Click Here

 

 

 

Lie: A fiction; a fable; an untruth.

 

I’ve been told to lie to my clients, or else.  If I don’t lie, I  will be asked to pay thousands of dollars.  Lying is in the best interest of the consumer and is there to protect them. All honest mortgage loan officers must now lie about their loan charges.

The Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act or MDIA requires that we include "seller transfer tax" and the “sellers cost” of owners policy for title insurance in the annual percentage rate (APR) on the truth in lending disclosure and new good faith estimate, otherwise we have to pay for them. 

Some escrow companies refuse to close escrow unless seller charges are included in the buyers APR. Lenders and escrow companies define APR fees differently.  Therefore, to meet the requirements of the new policies imposed by the Fed I will lie to my clients on every truth in lending disclosure I provide by including seller fees that they don't really have to pay. 

The process of shopping a mortgage was confusing enough.  These new requirements make it near impossible to shop a mortgage loan. Trust is strained between a new client and their loan professional by these inconsistencies.  It's absurd to a client that we show them paying a fee they won't pay.

I applaud the Fed on the new good faith estimate.  It’s so convenient and easy to use with no signature required by either party. Hmm.. how does one know if the customer ever saw it?  The Fed trusts us to provide a good faith estimate without proof of receipt.  However they do not trust us to properly estimate fees.

It must be easy for predatory lenders to verbally quote low fees, provide a confusing truth in lending and then slip a higher than initially quoted good faith estimate into the file for underwriting. The customer is still victim to the old “bait and switch” tactics that the new good faith estimate was created to prevent.

 

The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of First Priority Financial Inc.

Cash or Credit for Your REO Purchase?

Cash is the obvious dominator with overall Las Vegas Area REO Purchases.  Cash not only dominates but CRUSHES financed purchases under $75000.  The primary reason is the stuff priced under $75000 is unhabitable and ineligible for financing or is condo ineligible for financing. 

Asset managers for REO also may choose cash offers that may be lower than financed simply because financed offers have exceeded their appraised price on the property or because there are less contingencies and they can close quicker (which takes the asset - or liability - off of their books quicker.)

Condo financing is currently a challenge in the Las Vegas Area.  Lenders want to see low investor concentration, low HOA deliquencies and no construction defect or other litigation against HOA or community.  To determine if a condo is eligible for financing, a condo certification may be ordered from the HOA (this does cost money) and have it run by an underwriter.

Whether you are all cash or a financed buyer, you can search Las Vegas Area (Henderson & North Las Vegas too) homes right here for free and no obligation!

View other REO Stats for the Las Vegas Valley!

 

www.lasvegasmtg.com Report: Home prices in Las Vegas, Nevada Year over Year shows on average a 23% decline in prices but for the 1st Quarter 0.0% average decline. This is god news that home prices are showing a bottom in pricing. The question still remains what will happen when the shadow inventory is released. Will we see a double dip in home prices until inventory is depleted?

Las Vegas Area March 15, 2010 Active Listings by Type

• REO:  1467 (15%)
• Short Sale:  4803 (48%)
• All Other:  3709 (37%)

February 2010 Sales by Type:

• REO:  1683 (57%)
• Short Sale:  694 (23%)
• Other:  592 (20%)

This is just a guide for consumers to see what types of properties are closing vs what is listed.  Currently we have the most closes in the REO sector and the least inventory in the REO sector and it is an extreme seller's market.

Click here to see last month's Listing and Sales Type Report

Click here to view the most recent stats (scroll to bottom)

When the notorious housing bubble was forming some years ago a lot of factors were aiding and abetting its run to those dizzying, unsustainable heights. One of them was mortgage fraud. Banks were so busy crafting new and glitzy home loan products and making money hand over fist with them that often they overlooked questionable mortgage loan applications. When opportunity knocks, it has to be taken full advantage of, seems to have been the going motto then.

But things have changed drastically in the mortgage world since the air rapidly hissed out of the bubble. Investors, who bought mortgage-backed securities, or MBS, have increasingly requested lenders take back fraudulent loans. That has prompted them to tighten their mortgage guidelines, as it really hurts their bottom line to buy back all sorts of wayward paper. Besides tougher guidelines, application information is also more carefully verified for a change.

First American CoreLogic recently released a study stating that one in 200 mortgages closed in 2009 was fraudulent. In money terms it added up to $14 billion. It sounds like a lot, but it is actually down roughly 25% from a historical high in 2007, now progressing steadily south. It's also predictable that this trend will continue in the coming years, at least as long as mortgage lenders keep hurting the way they do today.

Las Vegas mortgage fraud doesn't make top of list

According to First American CoreLogic's analysis - based on 80 million mortgages scrutinized by its proprietary national fraud data depository - California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina were among states with most fraud-tainted home loans. The first two were kind of expected to be there due to their overheated markets a few years ago and subsequent high foreclosure rates. In the firm's findings 25% of foreclosures display fraud at the time the original mortgage application was taken. Nevada, spearheaded by the populous Las Vegas valley, for once isn't included among top contenders on a list like this. It has definitely adorned many of them already, so being outside now is certainly cause to hoist a cold one for. Even though Nevada's foreclosure figures are the highest in the nation, it still didn't break into the top five here.

Mortgage fraud for now is decreasing, an entirely encouraging sign. Once lenders climb back on their feet one of these days, it's anyone's guess what will happen then. Will this crippling downturn teach them a lesson to last? Or will the lure of ever increasing earnings again push them into reckless behavior?

 

Las Vegas Area REO Inventory has FALLEN since last report (-670 units), Under Contracts have FALLEN (-96) units  Closing data has FALLEN (-867) units.  Low interest rates have spurred a flurry of buyer interest & activity this December and it continues.  

REO sales accounted for 57% of all Las Vegas Area Valley resale closings in January 2010.  REO listings account for only 15% of total resale listings.

Multiple offers are streaming in as banks continue to lower to fire and auction sale prices.

Current Listed Bank Owned Statistics:

• Listings (3/15/2010): 1467
• Under Contract (3/15/2010): 3192
• Sold February 2010: 1683
• Absorption Rate:  0.9 Months (THATS LESS THAN ONE MONTH = VERY LITTLE INVENTORY)

View Last Month's Report Here  

To find the most recent report, click here

Charleston Heights February 2010 Real Estate Resale Market Report:

• Listings (3/15/2010): 81
• Under Contract (3/15/2010): 141
• Sold February 2010:  33
  

Since Last Month:  Listings are DOWN -6, Pendings are UP +11, Solds are DOWN -8

Why Las Vegas Pendings Are Not Closing

Last Month's Charleston Heights Real Estate Market Report

For More Las Vegas Communities and Reports Click Here

It's 9:15 at night and you started your day at 7am.  Haven't had dinner,still have work to do and you're stuck on the phone with a chatty prospect.  In a hurry to get off the phone you roll your eyes as he/she continues to tell you their life's story which has nothing to do with real estate.

Tired of listening you finally interrupt: I hear ya. How about we speak about this in more detail tomorrow?  You basically told them: So what. Who cares? I don't want to hear it! 

Smooth move ex lax. You interrupted at the most critical phase of the interview. The life story is what it's all about, not the house or the interest rate. Showing properties, writing contracts or securing a favorable rate on a mortgage are key elements in our professions but it's not the reason we are referred business.

 

I collect a lot of intimate details: pay rate, bank account balances, credit history, divorces or bankruptcies.  Sharing intimate details with a stranger is uncomfortable so have some respect. Their life story is them giving you permission to know them on a more intimate level so don't blow it because you may only get one chance.

 

Relationships cannot be one sided unless you're Lynn Curtin trading a face lift for an eviction notice. They're hoping for some kind of relation.  Something, anything that you can all relate to regardless of age or background. When they're done share a similar belief or experience that you can both relate to.  Most of us don't listen very well which is why so many companies make money teaching listening skills and why so many marriages fail.

Here's a freebie I found for you compliments of mind tools.  Don't thank me now, thank me tomorrow- It's 9:24PM, I haven't had dinner yet, I have more work to do and thank god all I have to do now is  submit - proxy error, submit - proxy error and then a final submit instead of on the phone following my own advice.

After that I can do my own version of Chopped using an orange, chicken breast, peanut butter and gummy bears.