For anyone who’s been to Europe and fell in love with those charming little cafes that are sprinkled throughout cities like Paris, Barcelona, Zurich, Florence, etc.; there’s always that yearning inside to find that authentic look, feel and ambiance back here at home. Cafe Madeleine in South Park, will give you that fix. It’s a cozy and charming little cafe, but don’t let the diminutive size fool you. The coffee is spectacular and food is authentically European and tasty.

Many first time real estate investors never  realize their dream of investing in real estate due to the fear of the unknown. Howeverm the majority of those that don’t ever buy their first investment property, don’t do so due to lack of capital. Home Path financing can be the answer to many rookie investor’s worries and doubts.

Home Path allows for investors to purchase a Fannie Mae Owned property designated as Home Path (found on www.HomePath.com) , with only 10% down payment (on Single Family Homes or Condos) opposed to the traditional 20%-25% down that is required. Along with other cost savings like: No up front mortgage insurance premium, No monthly mortgage insurance payment, NO Appraisal cost or requirement and No Condo Cert requirement; Homepath is an ideal program for a rookie investor that would like to get into some income property but has limited cash to meet down payment requirements. View the video to learn More…

A few years ago I ran blog titled “Miguel’s Monday Mojo.” The theme and idea behind the blog was to inspire, motivate and provoke positive action. After some time I gave it up- although it was a creative outlet for me, it became exhausting. Someone once asked me,” how do you always remain so positive?” I responded, “…I don’t know, I am just wired that way…but sometimes it does tire me out…it’s easier to be negative and complain…” Along the way I had multiple lovely children that take up more of my time and focus, I’ve maintained a sales business thru one of the harshest economic eras in our country’s history… I got tired, I gave up writing. But, something interesting has happened to me recently- I have had quite a few individuals ask me about Monday Mojo and if I was ever going to bring it back. Well, I have decided to bring it BACK! And here it is, renamed simply “The Grind.” My goal is to write with authenticity as I observe the world around me and post at the very least, once a month. Some may disagree with my opinions, and I welcome that, because my goal is to initiate dialogue and create positive change in our awesome world…my only request is that you share your thoughts with me, that you participate and interact…. Don’t mind the grammar… So here goes…

The Grind #1

One of my most favorite things to do in the world is watch movies. As a former thespian, I often times envision myself on screen portraying interesting characters. One thing I have come to understand is that we can sometimes find the answers to life in art, and some movies are art (we can agree to disagree).
Over the holiday I saw the film The Dark Knight Rises (Batman). It’s an intense and dark film which I highly recommend. One scene made me think deeply about success and failure. The character Bruce Wayne/Batman has been tortured and trapped in what seems to be an inescapable prison located in pit several hundred feet below ground. It’s full of prisoners who have been locked up for decades, and there is only one known escapee. The only exit appears to be an opening similar to a well. Almost daily, a prisoner attempts to climb up the treacherous walls, tying themselves securely around the waist to a handmade rope used as a makeshift safety harness. The harness is used to secure that these prisoners do not plummet to their death. Prisoner after prisoner attempts to exit- they climb with success to a certain altitude, to the one spot where they have to leap clear across the wall to what a appears to be a remnant of a step/stair that may lead them to triumph and freedom. Each prisoner gets to that one spot, makes certain the harness is secured, takes a breath, looks up, leaps and knocks themselves out as the harness breaks their fall and swings them across , slamming them head first into the opposite wall- FAILURE.

Bruce Wayne, finally musters the strength and courage to attempt the climb. He secures the harness around his waist, looks around as the entire prison is cheering him on. He climbs, reaching that one spot, he takes a breath and … FAIL! He knocks himself out. He tries again and again without success, his frustration mounting; he is ready to give up.
Once Wayne reaches his maximum frustration, one of the elder prisoners explains to him that he (Wayne) must climb as the only escapee did- WITHOUT the harness. The elder prisoner expresses how having the harness on is keeping him from success, not because it is not long enough, but rather because it is psychologically keeping him from SUCCESS. Wayne is playing it safe, the elder says. Not having the fear of dying is keeping him from reaching the other side. The fear of dying , the idea of putting it all on the line, diving with the intent of LIVING and NOT DYING is what will get him there. So Wayne decides to climb without the harness, knowing that if he fails, he will fall to his certain death. He gets to the spot, with the look of fear, he leaps and…SUCCESS! He climbs to his freedom.

I am nearly 100% certain that none of us will ever find ourselves in a similar situation to Bruce Wayne, but I do know that most of us create our own little prisons of fear right in our heads; we place a safety harness around our minds and hearts to keep us in our safety zone (aka COMFORT ZONE). We’re so afraid of the results being negative, that we don’t put ourselves completely out there. We attach ourselves to the outcomes and become unhappy, dissatisfied and many times perfunctory in our daily lives. What this scene showed me is that if we play it safe in our approach to living life, we will always have a “small life”, never living to our full potential and fulfillment. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to lead an abundantly happy life, and I know that in order to do that , I have to put myself out there and chase those dreams…even if I don’t reach them, at least I’ll make progress… progress is laced with failure along the way. So get out of your comfort zone, get out there and do great things!
I will close with a quote from Russell Simmons.

“Life’s goal? Enlightenment. Practice needing nothing, but if we pursue anything it should be freedom from attachment to results”

BE HAPPY!

I had an opportunity to sit down with Maureen Martin, a good friend and expert in home financing. We discussed the upcoming changes to mortgage insurance for FHA Financing.

Currently, when you purchase your home with an FHA loan, the requirement is to have mortgage insurance for 5 years and an accrued 22% equity. The changes are as follow:

if you are planing on putting less than 10% down for your home purchase you willbe required to carry mortgage insurance for the life of the loan!

if you have the capacity to put 10% or more down, the requirement will to carry mortgage insurance for 11 years

Click on the video to learn more…

With approximately 52 micro breweries in the County, San Diego has become quite the hotbed for craft brewers. On the National Level, San Diego sits atop the ranks for crafted beer and the culture and industry is growing quickly in our fine city….

This episode takes on the theme of “Things to do in San Diego.” I, along with some friends, decided to jump a brewery tour with Scavenger Tours! This is a fun adventure on a Swiss military vehicle.

The Tour offers a wide selection of brewery stops , most in North County. You will taste a wide array of brew ranging from Belgian style to German, and lagers to stouts. Most the beer is very high alcohol, so take the tour guide’s advice – ” The Tour is a Marathon, not a sprint.”

All of the breweries offer a fun environment and options for food, as many of San Diego’s most popular “Gastro Trucks” park just outside the breweries. Often times you will have an opportunity to roam around the brewery and observe their facilities to get a very notion of how and where their beer is made. The unique aspect of these breweries, is that they have created an awesome  pub-like ambiance in a full working beer factory! If you have an opportunity to visit Stone (the largest brewer in town), you will have an opportunity to take a very educational tour of their facility- perfect for novices like myself- I can honestly say I learned more about beer in that simple tour than I did my entire life!

Other than gaining knowledge about beer and the process of making beer, you will taste beers within a very broad spectrum of tastes to suit any pallet.  You will have fun, drink beer and witness one of San Diego’s growing industries in action. If you like beer,  brewery tour is a must.

Many tour companies offer “Brewery Tours”, Scavenger Tours is my favorite, you can find them on http://www.brewerytoursandiego.com

San Diego is home to some of the best Mexican food this side of the border, and we have a variety of options ranging from big corporate chains, to sit-down restaurants and small family owned establishments. I would safely say that “Tacos” and “Burritos” are two of this great city’s dishes… this week’s focus is on tacos, and we have selected Tacos el Poblano….

El Poblano was chosen partly because of its history, but mostly for having low-priced and simply delicious tacos.

When I was a kid, my father used to take my brother and I down to TJ to El Poblano’s original location; he swore then as he does now, that these are the best street tacos – I tend to agree with him. I hadn’t been there since my adolescence and I was excited to see them here in San Diego County. The meat is tender and has that authentic wooden charcoal taste to it that makes those trips south of the border so memorable. But, el Poblano is not just a one-trick pony serving “Carne Asada” only, they serve a mean dish of “Birria” (pronounced Beer-eee-ahh) which is a Mexican stew typically made with goat or lamb (sometimes beef) for festive occasions like family parties or holidays. Here,  you can have birria two ways:  in a traditional “soup bowl” or in form of a taco – I prefer the taco version. If you’ve never tried birria, this is a must. And, if you only want to get a taste of awesome street-style tacos, get your fill of asada and adobada tacos as well. To change it up,  ask for a tostada (of which ever meet you desire) or a “mula” (pronounced Moo-lah) which is a huge quesadilla stuffed with meet and all sorts of goodies. The prices are low, most tacos are less than $2 a piece and you can chase them down with “Mexican” coca-cola which uses cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Be warned, if you go there once, you will go back!  Go there and taste the flavors….

find Tacos El Poblano on  885 East H St. Chula Vista, CA 91910

]]> http://miguelsells.com/hole-in-the-wall/hole-in-the-wall-san-diego-tacos-el-poblano/feed/ 0 http://miguelsells.com/hole-in-the-wall/hole-in-the-wall-san-diego-crazee-burger/ http://miguelsells.com/hole-in-the-wall/hole-in-the-wall-san-diego-crazee-burger/#comments Sat, 11 Aug 2012 18:28:55 +0000 Miguel Contreras http://miguelsells.com/?p=385 Uncovering Our World’s Hidden Secrets

Welcome to Hole in the Wall San Diego. My goal is to inform, entertain and keep you up-to-date on those little know places, events, locations and happenings that have a cult following or are hidden gems that the masses have not discovered yet.

In this issue, we  go back to North Park for some of the most unique and exotic burgers! San Diego has become quite the hub for hamburgers, anywhere you go throughout the county you are beginning to see  ”burger joints” pop up.  At Crazee Burger, in North Park, you can get your fill of Ostrich, Buffalo, Boar and even Alligator. And, if you are a vegetarian, don’t fret, because their vegetarian burger is delectable. Also, if you are a “Purist” the Angus burger is delicious. The burgers are large and the prices are small. But, the burgers are not the only thing you should come hunting for at Crazee Burger- should definitely try the  onion rings, sweet potato fries and their regular fries (my favorite).  Chase it all down with one of the many cold beers they offer, while you enjoying a soccer match on the big screens!

Find Crazee  Burger  at:

4201 30th St.

San Diego, Ca 92104

The current real estate market ( July 2012) has proven to be extremely challenging  for first time buyers utilizing FHA financing. There are many variables creating a highly competitive environment where it is not uncommon to get into bidding wars on properties with multiple offers ranging from 8 to 20 offers in hand. Part of the issue is that although we have a high level of properties on the market, we do in fact still have a housing shortage in San Diego. Adding to that is the high lever of short sales that comprise the large bulk of inventory on the market – and, if you know anything about short sales, you know that there is nothing  ”short” about them.  The short sale process is a long and drawn out process that is frustrating for the home seller, buyer and real estate agent alike. Thus, many of the buyers on the market wanting to take advantage of phenomenal home mortgage interest rates don’t wish to wait around for the property to be “short sale ” negotiated and are instead focusing on those limited properties that are not short sales  (distress sales)- creating the frenzy of offers.  You may ask, “What about all those REO (Bank Owned) properties?”  Many of those REO deals are in horrible shape which eliminate them from being able to be financed by FHA because FHA has property condition requirements. So  what should an FHA buyer do to beat out the competition?   An FHA buyer can focus on Fixers and those REO properties I just spoke about!  ”But you just wrote that FHA has condition requirements?” you may ask. The magic to making this work for you is FHA 203k financing. This type of financing allows first time buyers to purchase a property that needs rehab and finance the rehab- ideal for this market. Now you can be in the fixer game and not compete with 10,15 or 20 offers! You can finance the repairs minimizing your out-of-pocket expense, and minimize your down payment requirement as the downpayment requirement for 203k is the same as for a traditional FHA loan- 3.5% . This is a winning and competitive solution for many buyers that are exhausted by continually getting outbid on every property they have bid on!!! See the video above.

Showing properties 1 - 10 of 194. See more Real estate in the city of San Diego.
(all data current as of 5/21/2013)

1. $219,900 : 3611 Florence St, San Diego
   
   3 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 1,033 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,000 sqft
2. $300,000 : 8425 Innsdale Ln, San Diego
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,445 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,000 sqft
3. $289,000 : 4842 Auburn Dr, San Diego
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 765 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,617 sqft
4. $280,000 : 972 Alvin St, San Diego
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,240 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,200 sqft
5. $150,000 : 7533 Gloaming Ave, San Diego
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,883 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,700 sqft
6. $274,950 : 310 Cates St, San Diego
   
   2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 750 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,000 sqft
7. $180,000 : 762 Escuela St, San Diego
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,475 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,267 sqft
8. $299,000 : 4054 Hilltop Dr, San Diego
   
   3 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 686 sq ft

   Lot size: 4,429 sqft
9. $191,900 : 6785 Brooklyn Ave, San Diego
   
   2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 816 sq ft

   Lot size: 21,401 sqft
10. $300,000 : 5169 Arlene St, San Diego
    
    3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 1,200 sq ft

    Lot size: 6,500 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Welcome to Hole in the Wall San Diego. My goal is to inform, entertain and keep you up-to-date on those little know places, events, locations and happenings that have a cult following or are hidden gems that the masses have not discovered yet.

This week I venture into North Park and pay a visit to one of my most frequently visited holes in the wall- Mama’s Bakery. This micro restaurant serves up some delicious  Lebanese dishes that keep you coming back for more. The most popular plates are the beef and chicken Shawarma Wraps . If you have backpacked thru Europe, you will reminisce about those late nights after one too many drinks roaming the streets of Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, or London searching for something to put in your belly. Mama’s Bakery brings that flavor and vibe right to you here at home in sunny San Diego. The wraps are gigantic and filling, an inexpensive to boot! Additionally, Mama’s provide many eclectic drinks and tonics (non-alcoholic)  like – Arabic yogurt drink, Chai Tea Cola, Coconut Mojito Soda, awesome root beer and so much more…

Find Mama’s Bakery on 4237 Alabama Street San Diego, Ca 92104

One of the biggest initial concerns for many first-time real estate investors revolves around how much of a down payment they must have to begin investing.   Many believe that  a very large down payment is required and that may keep many a rookie investor out of the game. Traditionally, the requirement is for an investor to come in with 20%-25% down to be able to conventional financing.  However, if you use any of the following four simple strategies to minimize your down payment, as a rookie investor you will be able to get into the cash flow property investing game sooner than you think.

4-simple strategies:

1. Focus on Small Deals

 2. Homepath Financing

3. Pooling your Money

               4. FHA for 2-4 unit Properties