The HAMM Team

I've been busy

2011-12-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I did post on http://chuckhamm.wordpress.com/. I've been messing around with websites and figuring out what I want to do. If you're interested, join me on facebook.com/thehammteam. I usually update on my posts there or on twitter.com/thehammteam

This Next Thursday

2011-08-03T17:52:00.001-07:00

This Thursday, I might go to jail.

For the past year, I've been fighting to get my child support modified based on my decreased income. When it was originally calculated in February 2008, we used my 2007 income. Since that time, my income has dropped substantially and it shows in the requested financial documentation. Even without documentation, I think its reasonable to assume that real estate agents are making less money now than in 2007. In addition, my increased court ordered responsibilities also should heavily favor a decrease in child support payments.

But the County of Ventura, my ex-wife and her attorney all opposed me in my requests for modification of support. And since I'm behind on payments, the County takes me to court frequently with the threat of jail time for non-performance. So this time, after doing all I can do, I'm ready to go to jail.

I'm not ready to ask anyone for help with my payments, I'm not going to ask for a modification again, I'm not going to do anything except for show up. I'll answer their questions and let them put me in jail if that's where they think I should be.

It would be nice if the court could see through this kind of crap but the court is actually partially responsible. I provided all the documents the petitioner and County requested and instead of looking at how the documents (bank statements and tax returns) prove my case, the judge based her order on what I declared my expenses to be assuming that my declared expenses were my income. That's what the judge decided to order--the "judge" ordered this. I don't see justice here.

And of course, my ex-wife and her attorney are very hostile to me and seem to seek my total destruction. They could easily agree to lower my child support payments. So I believe my ex-wife and attorney have equal responsibility in this mess. I'm sure they'll laugh when I go to jail but I don't care. And if my kids want to know why I don't come back home on Thursday, I'll leave a note saying "call your mom and ask her."

Unsettled

2011-07-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

Its 2:14AM Thursday. I woke up after what wasn't supposed to be just a nap. I ate though and I can write some of the ideas I had as I was falling asleep.

Wouldn't it give us perspective if we knew that somewhere, there's total harmony? And wouldn't it change our mind a little about what we're doing here if we saw this life as a time to reconcile ourselves with that place? I do believe we're here in a process of building, reconciling, and adjustment to arrive to the conclusion that already exists--an established place (yes, I believe in God and for me this is God's place--but I won't try to make this religious--Just to make sense). The only conclusion that hasn't been made is where we end up because we individually decide that.

Sometimes I like to try to imagine that place where everything is settled--total harmony. Imagine a huge puzzle of interlocking pieces. Each piece is a life. Each piece is linked to pieces before it and pieces after it.

And then I try to imagine how it got settled. It takes me back to me, where I am now.

My decisions today are influenced by all things around me because I see possibilities and things as they can be. And I work towards my vision of things. I think I settle into a settled reality, perhaps one that already exists.

I think reality is the ended and landed result. I think it already exists but again, my place there isn't quite settled. I think this is a positive outlook. It gives you something to work for.

All things seem to settle. And my perspective is that I'm unsettled yet.

obesity--a happy lifestyle?

2011-07-18T19:38:00.001-07:00

Even without extra pounds, its hard enough to move, get out of bed, work on the yard, pick up your child, get a good cardio workout, or almost any physical thing normal people should do. Add the extra pounds and think about it. How hard is it to lift your child, mow the lawn, or even get out of bed? Do you really want to get off the couch?

I'm ready to help anyone I know (that really needs help) who seriously wants to lose weight--free of charge. But you have to be motivated. I know people who have been trying for years to lose weight and doing all kinds of diet but because they aren't willing to do a lifestyle change, they don't lose the weight. This offer probably isn't for you because my approach is to help you change your lifestyle.

I know some things about fitness and weight loss. I'm constantly evaluating my own fitness, body fat content, workout regiment, etc. I can help.

Looking around, I see lots and lots of unhappiness. Some of it is due to obesity possibly but I think obesity is just a symptom of other unhappiness. BUT....I think in this case, treating the symptom with good lifestyle changes, might help the cause as well!

Kevin Trudeau on Facebook

2011-07-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I first got acquainted with Kevin Trudeau through some real estate marketing I did in 2004/2005. He wanted to know the value of his home in Ojai. I let him know then never heard back from him. Then a year or 2 later I saw he was getting sued for his false claims of naturally curing cancer through the remedies found in his books. Now I see his ads for a new book on Facebook. If you ever watch his infomercials, you'll see what a quack this guy is.

HAMM Update: Epic year/Open House

2011-06-29T22:09:00.001-07:00

I sent this email out to friends, family and all today.

Married. I met Olie in November of 2009, we dated since that day, got engaged in 2010 and we were married April 22, 2011. She came to the United States a couple years ago on political asylum. She was a journalist in her country Belarus. In April this year, her friends and family came from all over, as far as Belarus and Russia, to see the wedding. Honestly, I didn't think I would get married for a long time but Olie has been perfect for me and I've been more than perfect for her. Pictures are available, most easily accessed on Facebook.com/thehammteam .

Business. I've been slowly growing my real estate business--staying busy with my own sales and hiring agents to work out of my office. My brokerage is called The HAMM Team which is also the name of the cycling team. I'm continuing to dove-tail the 2 businesses in a way that help each other grow. You might already know that I closed my bicycle shop Bicycles by HAMM but I've since partnered up managing 2 other shops which are doing very well--both in Oxnard. I don't make much $$ from bikes but it helps my real estate business and bikes are my addiction so its good for me. I'm now using the old Port Hueneme location as my real estate office. I did have some drama at one of the bike shops with an ex-employee (Mario R. if you have been to the shop). He sued me for some frivolous things that I could have avoided with simple paperwork--he obviously had it out for me from the beginning. So I learned that loyalty is often not reciprocated! My kids wanted to help grow the real estate business so we worked on developing a new product that you dog lovers might like--check out www.dogbuttsucker.com and click on the video. Believe it or not, the "dog butt sucker" is all about real estate and my business in general but the gist of it is--the Dog Butt Sucker is a product that helps eliminate the crap. Our approach to business is "no crap" so this makes sense I hope...anyways....

Team membership/clothing. here's a link to our soon to be ordered team clothing: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_aUVh-qbZVCZDNiZmNlMWItZjkzYy00NmI0LThiOTQtMjFkMmMzYTVjNWE5&hl=en_US
team members get lots of benefits, including major discounts on bikes, parts, service and nutritional product. Membership is open.

Open house. I hope things are going well for you. Please keep in touch. Join me on facebook for an easy way to stay connected. If you're in the area and interested in renting a bike, let me know and I'll work something out for you. Also....open house, I'll be having a little open house get together Saturday, July 16. If you're interested in coming, let me know and I'll give you more details.

Sincerely, Chuck HAMM, Broker
chuck@hammproperty.com | 805-258-2165
The HAMM Team | CA DRE 01455180

how did I miss it?

2011-06-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was at one of the bike shops I manage the other day and a cranky old man came in through the back door. I kicked some boxes out of the way and let him know we don't use the back door as an entrance. I started writing up his paperwork since Nacho was busy and as I was doing so, he said, "young man, I need to teach you a lesson about customer service". I thought to myself, I don't want a lesson about customer service. So I walked away from the computer, grabbed his bike and said, "I'll give you some customer service, let me load your bike up for you." I loaded his bike back into his car and said bye. He left. It was a good story. But then it got better.

He showed up at the other shop I manage and dropped off his bike. I guess we got his business anyways. When I heard he dropped off his bike, I wanted to be the one who called him to pick it up. Some how I missed it though.

Excerpt from my book

2011-06-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

***last party for gramma. It was her b-day. She was 90 and required lots of care. So much that no one knew what to do with her. So it was a weird vibe I got when I went to her birthday part, that somehow we were witnessing the last moments of gramma's life. It became more apparent as the evening progressed. They prepared the cake, she didn't blow out the candles. They sat gramma down and watched her eat her cake as we all ate, as we observed not just gramma, but the moment. And each other. I didn't know how or what was going on but the others seemed to know. She just turned off. And no one seemed surprised.

great weekend

2011-04-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

The highlight-Olie and I married. Everything worked out how she wanted: family and friends in town, beach wedding (great weather), etc.

The authority of a 4 year old

2011-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Its a weird but funny kind of authority a year old has as he walks to the bathroom at 5 in the morning. An authority you won't question because he controls the key to no-peed-pants. He walks hard and with authority and in straight lines. And are you going to question him or just let him go?
Each is a determined step. Never does that 4 yr old have more purpose in his actions than walking to the bathroom at 5 in the morning.

war break

2011-03-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

They should make it so when you have really special days where everything goes to hell, you can go to war and eliminate a lot of the enemies. And then be done and get back to your regular life.

Actually, I really believe that but on a more serious note, things around us don't get better unless someone expends the energy to make it better. Days like today motivate me like that.

Instead of letting you know about my whole day, just imagine how you'd feel if after your worst day, you take the last free 30 minutes you have during the day (not really that free--thanks for your patience Rob) to call Verizon about how their repair person didn't show up on Monday and after being on the phone/hold with them for 15 minutes they throw you back into the call queue. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just a glitch. It was one of those calls where you know that they know their day is almost over and they can't find your trouble ticket and they just throw you back into the call queue and by the time you get through the system again, the call center is closed.

This is the kind of frustration I used to have on a daily basis in the last years of my marriage. Back then my response was to work out so I got pretty damn fit. Those rides were my "war breaks" where I'd kill little angry parts of myself.

Reviews805, reviews in Ventura County California, www.TheHAMMTeam.com

2011-02-25T04:03:00.000-08:00

See this page after you fill out the form below: https://spreadsheets0.google.com/pub?hl=en&hl=en&key=0AiRbCVauDv1sdGRrd193VkhMWVRXWU1tN19STGtRSFE&output=html

its public so be careful!

Loading...

The POOP Eliminator: Dogg Butt Sucker?

2011-02-24T22:27:00.000-08:00

You might be glad to see my new ad coming soon....its funny but not really about dog butt suckers. And don't worry, no dogs will be injured in the making of this ad.

It will be a little promo for www.thehammteam.com

Quien recuerda Trinidad?

2011-01-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

En el zoológico de Trinidad hicimos uno de nuestros projectos de servicio cuidando, mantenimiento y limpieza. Trinidad ya es un lugar bastante salvaje cerca de uno de los principales ríos tributarios del Amazonas (Mamoré fue?). Así que usted puede imaginar cómo salvajes podria ser el zoológico.

En Trinidad, recuerdo haber seguido casi siempre por los enjambres de mosquitos, recibiendo poco tanto que con el tiempo (junto con todos los demás) desarrolló un poco de inmunidad a las picaduras, las hormigas casi del tamaño de mi dedo meñique, 3 meses de inundación de las lluvias, los cielos rojos de incendios previstas, paseos en camioneta a los pueblos (como Naranjito), la construcción de una capilla al aire libre con machetes y hachas para cortar material de troncos de árboles, ramas y demás. Puedo seguir y seguir.

Y hay un montón de gente que recuerdo, también. ¿Alguien se acuerda de Rosendo Aguilar y su familia? Nos hicieron "fritos" frequentemente.

Zoológico. Casi me quito la mano un puma porque me la meti por el agujero en la cerca de alambre de gran tamaño. Todos estábamos acariciando el puma. Pero creo que le hice cosquillas y se le trató de morderme la mano. Tuve la suerte.

Cosas no tan salvaje del zoológico. Pintar de blanco la parte inferior de los árboles, barriendo creo que ..?

Crazy Stuff del zoológico. ¿Quién recuerda el tanque grande que creo tenia 8-10' pies altura(?) para los caimanes y las tortugas. Nuestro trabajo consistía en vaciar el agua con los animales aún adentro. El cuidador del zoo nos dio dos escaleras, cubos y rastrillos. Los cubos fueron para sacar agua. Las escaleras eran de llegar a abajo como quitabamos agua llegando al final del agua. Los rastrillos para empujar las narices de los caimanes al lado para que no molesten. Por suerte les caimos bien a los caimanes, pero que todavía tenían los dientes grandes.

Eso es suficiente por ahora ... Podría escribir para siempre en ese lugar loco. Tengo que decir buenas noches a la novia.

Who remembers the zoo in Trinidad?

2011-01-24T22:42:00.000-08:00

One of our missionary service projects we did as a zone in Trinidad was zoo maintenance and clean up. Trinidad is already a pretty wild place near one of the major tributary rivers of the Amazon (was it Mamore?). So you can imagine how wild the zoo might be.

In Trinidad, I remember being followed almost constantly by swarms of mosquitos, getting bit so much that I eventually (along with everyone else) developed a bit of an immunity to the bites, ants almost the size of my pinky finger, months of flooding from the rains, red skies from planned fires, truck rides to the villages (like Naranjito), building an open air chapel with machetes and axes out of tree trunks, branches and such. I can go on and on.

And there are a lot of people I remember, too. Does anyone remmeber Rosendo Aguilar and his family? They made us "fritos" regularly.

Back to the zoo. My hand almost was bitten off by the puma because I stuck it through the hole in the large chain link fence. We were all petting the puma. But I must have tickled it funny and he/she tried to bite my hand away. I was lucky.

Boring stuff from the zoo. Painting the bottom of the trees white, sweeping I think..??

Crazy stuff from the zoo. Who remembers the 8-10' (?) above ground concrete pool for the alligators and turtles. Our job was to empty the water out with the animals still in there. The zoo keeper gave us 2 ladders, buckets and rakes. The buckets were to get water out. The ladders were to reach down as we got the water out. The rakes were to push the noses of the alligators away as we got the water out. Luckily they were nice alligators but they still had big teeth.

That's enough for now...I could write forever about that crazy place. Gotta say good night to the gf.

Just Listed

2011-01-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Immaculate spacious home in Summerfield. Recently installed custom wood flooring throughout bottom level of home (high quality flooring job). Open and spacious floorplan designed for comfortable living as well as formal entertaining. Lots of windows throughout provide for lots of natural light. Custom drapery, wood blinds and window coverings throughout home. The homeowners maximized use of this 9000+ square foot lot with professionally designed front and back yards with lawn, fruit trees, sprinkler system, large patio area perfect for barbequing. Formal dining room with spacious second level ceilings has its own sliding door and separate garden patio area which was professionally designed along with the rest of the landscaping. One of the bedrooms is downstairs with close full bathroom access. The master bedroom is upstairs with 2 other bedrooms. The #3 north facing upstairs bedroom is extra spacious with vaulted ceilings and extra high half moon shaped window.

Bicycles at Seabridge

2011-01-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

The newest bicycle shop in town! We're located at 1601 S Victoria Ave, Oxnard 93035. Our number is the same as the old Bicycles by HAMM phone number, 805-382-0574. We're now open for service. Full inventory coming soon from Specialized Bicycles and other great brands.

Bicycles at Seabridge
1601 S Victoria Ave Suite 120
Oxnard, CA 93035
805-382-0574
Mon-Fri 10-6, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-3

Mention this blog post (once per month max per customer) and I'll pay sales tax! (cash or debit transaction only)

The Bicycle Shop

2011-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

We opened about a year ago after The Bicycle Clinic closed. There's been a bicycle shop at this location for years and we're proud to keep bicycle service in the neighborhood. Service and sales is our specialty. Give us a call anytime at 805-308-BIKE (2453)...and please, dial all 10 digits!

If you need to reach someone immediately, you can email me through this site or leave a voicemail.

The Bicycle Shop
940 N Ventura Rd
Oxnard, CA 93030
MON-FRI 10-6, SATURDAY 10-5

Updates from "Charlotte"

2010-12-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

Since my last update, "Charlotte" continued to e-mail me under this same pen-name. After repeteadly indirectly threatening my business, he tried to bring my religion into this as well. I think its interesting and I am no longer concerned about hiding the identity of this individual. Previously, before I didn't suspect the identity of this "Charlotte", I willingly removed Charlotte's name per his request. I didn't realize that many people are aware of his socalmtbiking@yahoo.com and that this Charlotte is actually a CORBA President perhaps? I don't really know for sure, but I don't care either anymore. This individual tried to scare me for making innocent comments and is likely acting like my enemy, trying to hurt my business, just like they said the result of my comments would be. And one of his last comments was regarding what "our Bishop" would want. That to me seems like one last and extremely pathetic plea to remove my opinion from the public. A less pathetic individual would not hide behind anonymity and reason with me.

Read our remaining exchanges below:
SoCal Mountain Biking to chuck
show details Dec 3 (11 days ago)

My only comment to below..."Speed bumps"?, really Chuck? That's hillarious, on so many levels, I'll leave it at that.

I've recieved emails asking me about this "bozo", i.e. Hamm... after your copying our private communication to your blog. Your actions and words speak for themselves, there is nothing more I could add.

From: Chuck HAMM

To: SoCal Mountain Biking
Sent: Thu, December 2, 2010 5:03:29 PM
Subject: Re: Hi Charlotte

- Show quoted text -

again, I don't think anything I could say would change your mind. I'm
sorry you find my views offensive but they are based on my
experiences. I don't expect everyone to agree. I'm glad you've
enjoyed your experience with CORBA. When I see that CORBA stops
working on trail closure and stops making speed bumps and gets back to
the original purpose, I'll gladly renew my support.

From: Chuck HAMM

On 12/2/10, SoCal Mountain Biking wrote:
> Dear Chuck,
>
> Certainly when there is a group of "volunteers" most are not professional
> trail
> builders and certainly sometimes the volunteers will unwittingly do stupid
> stuff. CORBA has an incredible core group of volunteers that put in
> countless
> hours and work to better our biking options and experience.
>
> What the State did do on Backbone, I am not sure if you are aware of the
> situation. Last year the State drove a Sweco UP Backbone, rather than down
> Backbone as would be proper. Because it was in the wrong direction, Hans,
> who
> is a licensed professional trail building engineer and CORBA trail manager,
> took
> a group of volunteers to Backbone and fixed so much of what the State did.
>
> Last month on Rogers Rd., in Topanga State Park, the State bulldozed the
> first
> couple of miles or so, and completely trashed the trial. A group of CORBA
> volunteers took a day off of work and met with the principal players for the
> State on Rogers Rd. The State was intending to bulldoze (and ruin) the
> entire 6
> miles. Due to the action by CORBA, the State first agreed that the work
> they
> did was basically a disaster, and has agreed to stop. They will be working
> with
> CORBA and submitting a plan to hopefully make sure any trail remediation
> done on
> the trail is done right. Rogers is one of the only single tracks left in
> Topanga State Park, and the State was making it into a 10 to 12 foot wide
> fireroad!
>
>
> It is unlikely the State fixed the damage the volunteer did on Backbone that
> day, they do not have trail workers (just swecos and dozers.) Except
> for riders
> that only ride trails like Suicide or other non maintained trails, we have
> CORBA
> to thank. It isn't your comments as much as your conclusion that you can't
> support CORBA that I find so odd given you own a business,and in the
> industry. It remarkable that anyone would label CORBA, an entire
> organization,
> as tainted with motives other than keeping trails opened and maintained.
>
>
> If the president of CORBA was rude or ruined trails that is a different
> story.
> Just like you as a business owner, your comments and opinions are a direct
> reflection of your business and business attitudes. But if inappropriate
> comments or actions are made by someone, for example, on the Hamm Cycle
> Team, I
> guess people should stop supporting Hamm Realty or Bicycles by Hamm??
>
> Either way, best of luck, ride on.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Charlotte
>
>- Show quoted text -
On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 2:57 PM, SoCal Mountain Biking wrote:
Dear Chuck, Agreed, CORBA has great reps, they do awesome work on our behalf and are very thoughtful and deliberate with their actions on an off the trails. I could learn a bit from them, I guess we all could. A request. My comments to you were personal, and I would ask that you remove than from your public Blog. Whether you agree or disagree with my comments, this was a personal communication. I've lived in the county my entire life, I know tons of people. If I keep getting emails from people I know, I won't have a choice but to give the low down, and I doubt that's what either of us want. I understand you may have been annoyed, but would you please remove my personal communications? We can all go about being trail mates again. Sincerely, Charlotte

From: Chuck HAMM
To: SoCal Mountain Biking
Sent: Fri, December 3, 2010 12:18:01 PM
Subject: Re: Hi Charlotte

Luckily CORBA has some good representatives. I had a nice chat with Greg today and felt Steve's responses online were really reasonable. I hope you can pick up on their positive vibes.
Chuck Hamm, Broker | (805) 308-HAMM | CA DRE 01455180
TheHAMMTeam.com facebook.com/thehammteam
SoCal Mountain Biking to chuck
show details Dec 8 (6 days ago)

It's the holiday's we are all very busy. It wasn't about removing my name, but thank you, at least I don't have to be involved in your public blog.

Most people agree that it is inappropriate to copy a private communication on a public blog. The emails I've recieved from people who have read your blog have comments that are less than flattering to you, and from people thanking me, I don't think you realize how it reflects negatively on you. My point in my note to you about removing it altogether was also about preserving your credibility and was to help you.

Either way, your site reads that an "associate of Corba contacted" you. I don't represent Corba in any way and it isn't accurate or fair to Corba to suggest or elude to that. I contacted you as a person in our community who rides the trails and appreciates what Corba does and is doing. If you choose to leave it up, would you please correct that?

My preference and request would still be to remove my private communication to you altogether, I think our Bishop would agree it's the appropriate course of action but that is for you to decide.

Thank you,

Charlotte

>

CORBA stuff

2010-12-02T21:11:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog Reader, interesting exchange on the CORBAMTB.com website. I posted:

I saw some trailwork this weekend at Backbone/Sycamore canyon and was surprisingly discouraged at the negative attitude of the volunteers and the anti-mountain biking sentiment of volunteers working yesterday (Saturday). As a friendly mountain biker, I greeted the workers and not only got zero response from some older folks, I was yelled at. I wasn't going fast and I was respectful. I was just saying hi.
I am a local bicycle shop owner and cycling enthusiast. If I see more anti mountain biking sentiment from CORBA volunteers or if CORBA crews continue to create speed bumps and dangerous ditches, CORBA will not get my support at future events or fundraising. I was happy to see the trail work was "erased" by the following day.

An associate of CORBA contacted me through my website with the following:

Dear Chuck,

I read your post on the VC Star regarding the trailwork in Sycamore Cyn. I was shocked to hear you are a bike shop but are not aware of the critical work CORBA does, or the extensive trialwork that is done, or so it seems by your post. Have you ever done trailwork? I've been riding for 17 years, on all of the trails, and I can't imagine how bad Backbone would be without the work on it all of these years. As a bike shop owner one might expect that you would endeavor to be a responsible community leader, and not try to ream the reputation of such an important organization due to a random comment from a volunteer (one who is committing personal time to go work on trails!)

I responded:

> I received your comment about recent comments I made about CORBA.
> Either what you read isn't what I wrote or you didnt read carefully.
> Some of the volunteers were making the trail dangerous and weren't
> creating the usual erosion ditches. And my comments have effectively
> been ratified because the state reversed the trail damage that was
> caused that day. My negative experience that day was not simply about
> a volunteers' comment as you state but as I've explained but actual
> trail damage intended to do something other than prevent erosion.
> Hence the work to remove the damage. But unfriendly volunteers were
> definitely a bad ''face'' for an organization I used to donate to. To
> win my support back, i'll have to see that the CORBA is not tainted
> with motives other than keeping trails open and maintained. Until
> then, CORBA does not have my support.
>
> And to answer you, yes I have done trail work.

She wrote back:

On 12/2/10, SoCal Mountain Biking wrote:
> Dear Chuck,
>
> Certainly when there is a group of "volunteers" most are not professional
> trail
> builders and certainly sometimes the volunteers will unwittingly do stupid
> stuff. CORBA has an incredible core group of volunteers that put in
> countless
> hours and work to better our biking options and experience.
>
> What the State did do on Backbone, I am not sure if you are aware of the
> situation. Last year the State drove a Sweco UP Backbone, rather than down
> Backbone as would be proper. Because it was in the wrong direction, Hans,
> who
> is a licensed professional trail building engineer and CORBA trail manager,
> took
> a group of volunteers to Backbone and fixed so much of what the State did.
>
> Last month on Rogers Rd., in Topanga State Park, the State bulldozed the
> first
> couple of miles or so, and completely trashed the trial. A group of CORBA
> volunteers took a day off of work and met with the principal players for the
> State on Rogers Rd. The State was intending to bulldoze (and ruin) the
> entire 6
> miles. Due to the action by CORBA, the State first agreed that the work
> they
> did was basically a disaster, and has agreed to stop. They will be working
> with
> CORBA and submitting a plan to hopefully make sure any trail remediation
> done on
> the trail is done right. Rogers is one of the only single tracks left in
> Topanga State Park, and the State was making it into a 10 to 12 foot wide
> fireroad!
>
>
> It is unlikely the State fixed the damage the volunteer did on Backbone that
> day, they do not have trail workers (just swecos and dozers.) Except
> for riders
> that only ride trails like Suicide or other non maintained trails, we have
> CORBA
> to thank. It isn't your comments as much as your conclusion that you can't
> support CORBA that I find so odd given you own a business,and in the
> industry. It remarkable that anyone would label CORBA, an entire
> organization,
> as tainted with motives other than keeping trails opened and maintained.
>
>
> If the president of CORBA was rude or ruined trails that is a different
> story.
> Just like you as a business owner, your comments and opinions are a direct
> reflection of your business and business attitudes. But if inappropriate
> comments or actions are made by someone, for example, on the Hamm Cycle
> Team, I
> guess people should stop supporting Hamm Realty or Bicycles by Hamm??
>
> Either way, best of luck, ride on.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> ********

After she sent that, I wrote one more time:

again, I don't think anything I could say would change your mind. I'm
sorry you find my views offensive but they are based on my
experiences. I don't expect everyone to agree. I'm glad you've
enjoyed your experience with CORBA. When I see that CORBA stops
working on trail closure and stops making speed bumps and gets back to
the original purpose, I'll gladly renew my support.

Taxation

2010-11-24T06:47:00.001-08:00

It seems to me whichever politician redistributes wealth, is doing that to buy votes and power. And probably because they couldn't gain their own wealth and power in more conventional ways.

Fwd: port hueneme resident

2010-10-24T14:56:00.001-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fulton, Bill <bfulton@ci.ventura.ca.us>
Date: Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: port hueneme resident
To: chuck@hammproperty.com

Dear Chuck,

Thanks for writing. I understand your frustration.

Although 400 parking spaces on Main Street and the sidestreets are now paid, we still have more than 2,000 FREE parking spaces downtown, including all the spaces in offstreet lots and the garages and on many streets including Poli and Santa Clara. Most of these spaces are not time-limited in any way.

Most of these free offstreet spaces are actually closer to our stores than the typical parking space at the mall is to the stores in the mall. You don't have to walk nearly as far. And if you do choose to pay, you can park right in front of your store -- which you can't do at the mall.

Hope you see you downtown soon!

Bill Fulton
Mayor
City of Ventura, California
(805) 654-7827

www.cityofventura.net

www.fulton4ventura.blogspot.com
@MayorFulton on twitter

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck HAMM" <chuck@hammproperty.com>
To: Bfulton@cityofventura.net
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 6:27:00 PM
Subject: port hueneme resident

I don't go to downtown ventura anymore now at all due to parking fees. I can just go to the mall for free.

Chuck HAMM, Broker
805-308-HAMM TheHAMMTeam.com CA Dre 01455180
(sent while on apppointments)

Bicycle food delivery?

2010-10-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking about opening job position at my new 93035 location. Food delivery from all the restaurants in that Seabridge center to all 93035 addresses. Electric bike available for deliverer. Maybe I'll open the job up to a Hamm Team real estate agent!

Thoughts about choice

2010-10-02T18:51:00.001-07:00

Recently fascinated that our only real compelling influence is our self. How did our ''selves'' become so powerful to choose our way? In this environment I can't be a victim.

And in this environment there is no middle ground because I choose one way or another.

The rest either is or isn't one thing or another but you and I choose. And that's a god-like trait to have such power.

What is man, and who are you

2010-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

In Hebrews 2:6 Paul quoted "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

Have you ever asked yourself that same question, about man, or humankind. Why are we "sufficient" for God to care? I won't take my intuitive step back here and explain this is directed to those who believe in God, but I will say that all you have to do is acknowledge God in this universe and recognize how He has intervened either in your life or in the world in general. Ask yourself, do you believe in Jesus as the Son of God? Has God intervened in your or your family's life? Did God create this world?

If you can answer yes, then the next question could be, "what is man that thou art mindful of him?"

I hope more people ask this question because when we forget to recognize Him, we start to base on decisions, our societies, cultures on false premise--a loose foundation--that man is alone in this world, there is no god, there is no life after death and life has no purpose. Therefore, man can do whatever without consequence. And that seems like what people believe these days already.

I see God's intervention throughout history and in my life. I hope everyone that reads this will think about this and change something to more properly "center" their life. Think about what God thinks the answer is to the question, "what is man?" Because he answers this question when He intervenes.

Be thankful for loud bathroom farts

2010-09-13T15:19:00.001-07:00

Because loud bathroom farts could be stinky bedroom or kitchen farts!

New bicycle shop location!

2010-09-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

after about 1 year, my lease for the new shop by 24 Hr Fitness in Oxnard has been negotiated and plans are being submitted to the city to finish the inside (just basic stuff like getting the bathroom built, walls finished, etc.). Here are some bullet points that might interest you or customers. This information is public--share it.

-the address of the new place is 1601 S Victoria Ave Suite 120, Oxnard, CA 93035 (EVERYONE passes by it as your go through the round-about into the center)
-This shopping center is MUCH busier than Albertsons but during different hours, so our hours may change a little
-we will do bicycle rentals at the new location in addition to all of what Bicycles by HAMM (BBH) and The Bicycle Shop (TBS) do.
-The Bicycle Shop will remain (indefinitely).
-I don't have a name for the shop yet.
-My plans have been to move Jose and most of BBH over to the new place.
-BBH will continue to have basic shop things, basic shop inventory but I may not employ a full time mechanic there. I plan to be there a lot, Olie might be there depending on her availability. I still have over a year left on the BBH lease. I'll use that year to do a couple things--send business to the other locations (perhaps entirely phasing out the BBH location), and grow The HAMM Team (cycling and real estate).
-Right now I plan to improve the office/real estate function at the BBH location. If the location continues to be important, I may keep it.
-we'll be able to order more product and more often--benefit for customers and for shop as we'll get more quantity and freight discounts.
-For now, I will continue the one-man-band business plan with occasional part time back up employees as needed.

Burning Korans

2010-09-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

Not a good idea, but interesting irony. Our President defends freedom when many Americans objected to the Islamic Center/mosque at the ground zero area. But he doesn't defend freedom when the pastor wants to burn Korans on the anniversary of 9/11.

I understand the reasons for and against in regards to both events. At the very least, this is interesting irony.

I've got 2 boys

2010-08-27T09:14:00.001-07:00

I've got 2 boys that will be adults in 8 years and 14 years. When I look at our world politics and threats, I get worried that my boys will be going to war. So I think its my duty to do what I can now to avoid that.

We don't avoid war by sympathizing with our enemy. Our enemy takes advantage of our inability to react and defend itself--which inability is in large part by the sympathizers and politically correct. Our enemy has defined itself, not as a state declaring war, but still a pretty clearly defined group of people that we MUST obliterate. They are the ones that call us the great satan, the ones who attack us, and the ones whose religion and interests run contrary to ours. I welcome the peace loving muslims to stand up against their radical offshoot groups and define themselves as our friends. But those that don't should be regarded as an enemy.

If we sympathize with our enemy, they will take us down like they have. We have so many absurd sympathetical policies to water down the tools that will protect us. I thought Sept 11 taught us again that lesson but I hear sympathizers talk about how bigoted America is when we put these tools into practice and try to safeguard ourselves.

The scary thing is my own peers are sympathizing and they also have children around the same age as mine.

Fierce Sprint Tactics

2010-07-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this:
http://www.steephill.tv/players/versus4/?title=tdf-2010-st11-last-km&id=/erWCcKfbH8sbaW7DaoTyUS6g_72eJMgx/500/720/

Here's how Walmart Builds Bicycles

2010-07-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

I was solicited to build bikes for Walmart, but if you read below, you'll see why bicycle shops like mine are valuable to the community--we do professional assemblies!

WANT A JOB AS A BICYCLE ASSEMBLER?
NOTE:
I have this bulletin set to automatically repeat itself every 15 minutes until I find all the assemblers I need in many areas. If you already read it? Thanks ;)
Please watch for updates to these bulletins randomly for changes.

Bike techs are needed to contract services for WalMarts across the U.S. in several states.

At the moment bike techs needed in....

California (LA, Ventura, Riverside, and Orange counties)

Florida (various cities)

Georgia (I-95 corridor from St. Marys to Savannah)

You MUST meet the following to be hired and if this bulletin does not pertain to you then can you help your friends out that you know that have biking experience and tell them about this job offer. Maybe they will stop borrowing money from you if you do ;)

MUST get your own sub-contractors insurance. I was quoted several different pricing by local Jacksonville Florida companies. If you want to be hired you MUST have it FIRST, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!! Ask me who to go see about insurance. Expect to pay between $750.00 to $950.00 for the year. Payments can be spread out monthly with many insurance agents.

MUST be 18 or older

MUST have your own car

MUST pass drug test and background check

MUST get or have your own tools

MUST be ready for work when called.

Things to know about this job......

It is paid PER PIECE you assemble and it is NOT a per hour type job, so the earning potential can be very high. If you are good like me you can earn as much as $500.00 per day, let me explain....

I can build as high as 150 bikes in a 22 hour period at an average of $4.00 a piece. But I am a very hard worker who doesnt stop until the job is done, not too many are like me though and that was my best day ever ;)

My daily average sits between 50-100 so I still make decent money for that day.

So lets say starting out someone like you has assembly experience and their own tools, you can probably put together about 30 a day at the pay-rate of $4.00 each bike which means you earned $120.00 for that day.

Grill assembly pays per piece as well.
Most charcoal grills I will pay out $4.00 each because they are so simple to do and 6-10 can be banged out in an hour. Most gas grills I pay out about $10.00 because they are not as bad once youve done a few you really dont need instructions after that and they keep getting easier and easier with time and practice.

It is really up to ones caliper of work and what they can achieve for themselves. I can overbuild WalMarts entire inventory of stuff if given the opportunity for me to ;)

My yearly pay has averaged over the past 7 years between $40,000. and $80,000.
thats the least and the most I have made in this business. If anyone were to work side by side with me? You will be made into the building machine that I am and produce quality AND quantity of bikes and put a shitload of money into your bank accounts. If you have the drive like I have? You will succeed. If you fail? It is because you chose to fail. Up to you really ;)
If you are a pothead? Then this job is NOT for you at all. I have seen way too many idiot drug addicts try this job and they end up quitting after the 2nd day so do not waste your time or ours. Only experienced bikers that have knowledge with bikes will benefit with this job.

Write to me here in a message and keep in touch people because things change fast in this business and only the strongest self-motivated people survive.

Thanks everyone!

- Mike

NO minors will be hired but you may remain a friend on my MySpace if interested =)

SPEAKING OF THE PAY.....

I PAY EVERY WEEK AND I DO NOT HOLD YOU BACK A WEEK OR 2 LIKE OTHER COMPANIES DO. I KNOW PEOPLE NEED THEIR MONEY RIGHT AWAY AND ITS HARD TO LIVE WHEN PAYCHECKS COME AROUND EVERY 2 WEEKS SO THAT IS WHY I AM DOING WEEKLY PAY FOR MY PEOPLE AS LONG AS I RECEIVE ALL THE INVOICES COMPLETED TO ME ON TIME EACH WEEK AND CAN BE VERIFIED THEY ARE LEGIT AND NOT FRAUDULENT BOGUS INVOICES. (about 2 days to check on the invoices).

MORE UPDATES COMING SOON =)

Now about the insurance part.....

I am getting swamped with people wanting the job as a bicycle assembler. It seems some people only want to read what they want to and disregard everything else.

You can not work for my company unless you shell out money up front for liability insurance (depends who your insurance provider is).
I cannot risk anyone screwing up a bike and then a kid getting hurt and tries to sue my company over it, I am NOT that reckless. I am an educated business guy from Los Angeles California and we do things by the book and not half ass like others do.

I will help get you to a decent insurance company but in this business of assembly it does require people to spend money up front to do this kind of work, like....

Get you insurance FIRST before starting work.

Buying your own tools.

Having your own car.

Spending money for gas to travel each day.

So basically if youre a broke person then there probably is no job here for any of you. It takes money to make the good money.
If you listen to me I can guarantee you will be working plenty to get back what you put in to it in the beginning. This job is not for the average Joe off the streets, it is for people who bike or know how to build bicycles and have experience at it for years.
If you just want to build grills and furniture and stuff like that and NO BIKES? That can be arranged but you will still need the insurance.

Serious inquiries only!

I do not respond to people that say "GIVE ME A JOB".
You are wasting your time with statements like that.

READ MY BULLETINS FOR INFORMATION!

Thanks everyone! Mike =)

Real Estate Update for Buyers

2010-06-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

(email I wrote to a client today)

Be sure that when you're doing your research, you pay most attention to market data such as comparable sold properties and maybe even more importantly, what else is available on the market. That's what the owners and their agents are doing. Due to tight inventory, its really a sellers market and they know they have an advantage over buyers in pricing and negotiations.

Its a frustating market for buyers. I think most experts agree that our real estate market is dragging along the bottom. So unless banks do something drastic and start letting foreclosures go more quickly, which is NOT in their interest, then prices are going to just hover with probably minor deviations around this price level we're seeing. Banks want prices to stay where they are or increase if possible. They like that all the buyers are snatching up inventory quickly.

So keep all that in mind as you choose properties. There are very few real distress sellers out there--maybe distressed properties (foreclosures)--but very very few sellers that will drop their price any more than 10% at the most of a fair list price. Usually sellers price a property within 5 or 10 of what they're willing to accept. In this market, we're still seeing multiple offers on desirable or competitively priced listings.

Monsters

2010-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have agreed that the monsters are only where I am not. So if I'm in the kitchen, the monsters are in the bedrooms. And if I'm a bedroom, the monster is in the garage or kitchen or somewhere else. When we go where the monsters are, they magically go somewhere else. So far, I still don't have them convinced that the monsters are afraid of the dark, too. That's another reason we never see them--because the monsters are hiding, too.

What was not...

2010-06-13T13:45:00.001-07:00

Isn't it always defined by what IS?

Customer or Panhandler

2010-06-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

I was working at the Port Hueneme bicycle shop this week when someone who claimed to be an ex-customer came in and asked me for cash to buy gasoline for the ride home to Ventura. He claimed he didn't have his ATM card and didn't want to bother his wife at work. I asked him even if he didn't want to bother his wife at work, "why is coming to the bicycle shop even an option that you'd consider?"

This was a decently dressed guy driving a newer car. He had 2 cell phones, wore glasses and didn't seem at all to be destitute (or hungry). He claimed to be ex-military though I know a lot of people say that.

He offered to leave something valuable like his other cell phone in exchange for cash. I gave him $5 and didn't ask him to leave anything but I told him I expected him to do what he promised and return $5 after he got his ATM card back.

I regret that I asked him to bring the $5 back now because of course, he didn't and it pissed me off. Oh well, next time I'll punch him in the nose.

Me-Grumpy, mad

2010-05-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

Today I was closing the bike shop, looking forward to going home because I was hungry. Being hungry for over 30-45 minutes makes me grumpy. It was 5:55PM and I was about ready to lock the doors at 6:00PM when a big, fat, stupid, deaf black guy came in and asked me 20 questions about bicycles.

That was about 45 minutes ago. Now I can laugh.

Daniel saved me $$, fixing my puter

2010-05-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

I recommend these guys. They seem super skilled and have fair prices. They say they'll come to you, or you can go to their shop. I don't do video games but I saw they repair ps3's, xboxes for like $50 or $75 depending on the console and issue.
http://www.flatratecomputerpros.com/

6650 Crescent Street #5
Ventura, Ca 93003
805-275-2332

Close call

2010-05-20T14:17:00.001-07:00

This one scared me but I think the guy behind me was more startled than me. We were descending Mulholland at about 35 miles per hour at the section before you turn left to descend Decker. In that section there's a blind sharp curve to the left. As I was descending in the middle of my lane, cautious of the curve, gravel, etc., suddenly a large red garbage truck hauled through the curve half way into my lane--on course to obliterate me. I saw it in time to correct only about 3 feet to the right and missed the truck barely by about a foot. The wind that rushed me as I passed blew me a bit more to the right. It was definitely one of those moments where time slows down and you see details more vivid. It happened so fast that the adrenaline that came seemed to arrive retardedly late.

I will never ride a bicycle again.

Just kidding.

Anti-Incumbent

2010-05-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm anti-incumbent. Or at least I'm not sure there are any I'm going to vote for. http://video.foxnews.com/v/4190154/anti-incumbent-fever. I vote we vote out any career politician. It seems like the only way to make sure we get more representation is to take away the capacity politicians have to get rich through public office.

I like what Wiki had to say on politicians. "A politician who makes politics the source of their income, yet has to face re-election every few years can be less likely to make bold decisions or side with an unpopular bill"

Bomb threats and No Privacy in Public

2010-05-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

Because our legal expectation of privacy on public streets and in public places is much lower than in private places, I think ''bomb sniffers'' in large metro areas might be legal and warranted. Private industry should hopefully be working on some solutions to propose to law enforcement.

Team Clothing

2010-05-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Starting Monday next week, we're taking orders for team clothing at:

Bicycles by HAMM

305 w channel islands blvd

port hueneme, CA 93041

805-382-0574

Jose will have a team contract for you to sign and he'll have a price list. Please pay with cash or check. Order will be submitted first thing the following week. Feel free to forward this email on to anyone else you might be interested. The benefits of joining The HAMM Team are listed on www.TheHAMMTeam.com. We're also doing an order for nutrititon supplements and products again next week. Email me or to ensure you get on the order, leave Jose a deposit for the product you'd like.

Checklist for joining the team:
-signed team contract (http://www.thehammteam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=50)
-be ready to specify size and product and price (http://champ-sys.com/custom/cycling/price-list)
-Add $7.50 to your total for processing
-Jose will generate a receipt for your money paid and the products you have on order.

Email me with any questions!

Chuck Hamm, Broker | (805) 308-HAMM | TheHAMMTeam.com | CA DRE 01455180
(sent while out of office)

South American memories

2010-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I remember walking outside enjoying smokie red skies as the sun would set. Walking at that time of day usually brought relief due to a slight temperature decrease. Red skies, green jungle, blue water and lots of mosquitos gave me some hard days but colorful perspective.

Turns out paludismo is actually malaria. Resisting sex was more than that. It saved me from unaccidental pregnancy and from being controlled by a South Amrican woman (instead of an American--that comes later). My Spanish was good, but not that good.

I dove into South America head first like I had done on things prior and things since. And I don't have regrets.

Terrorists at large

2010-05-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

If I terrorize, does that make me a terrorist? No--im a criminal. If I wear a burka and and work at an Arco, I'm still not a terrorist--just a confused white guy UNLESS I join the Tea Party. That would seal the deal. Careful--terrorists at large.

Inmate Labor

2010-05-05T08:30:00.001-07:00

From what I understand, there are some pretty silly laws/policies in some states that keep us from exploiting the labor of prison inmates. Seems like a waste. Inmates should at least be paying their own way so as to not be a financial burden on taxpayers.

Better yet, maybe all the savings and income produced with inmate labor could create jobs and clean the community.

New rules for Short Selling real estate

2010-05-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

If you're a homeowner looking to sell but can't due to low market value and high loan amount owed, then we probably should "short sell" your home. Its better if you can hold on and pay down your principal, but if not, a short sale is better than abandoning or allowing a foreclosure to complete.

The Federal Government has made some policy changes to help some home owners. See Realtor.org for some more information on that and short sales in general.

I offer my clients some services to help make the process palatable and private. Contact me anytime about this.

TheHAMMTeam.com

Rainy Weather Savings (1/21/10)

2010-01-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

Blog

Take advantage of the time that you're not riding while its raining and get 25% off your tune up. This offer is good this week only (saturday included). We might offer it again on a rainy day when we're all caught up on service.

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

HAMMs' Christmas and Holiday Season

2009-12-07T19:05:00.001-08:00

TheHAMMTeam,

I hope things are going well for you. Here's a little update on me and the kids.

I've had a productive year. In March, I established The HAMM Team as an independent real estate brokerage. I hired one agent and plan to hire more. Business has been decent this year--plenty of business if you're willing to work (which I am). I did a lot of bicycle racing this year in the hopes of advancing out of category III but did not accomplish that goal due to stiff competition and a little bit of bad luck. I'm fortunate to only have had one broken bone this year despite 3 good crashes and a few close calls. I'm still riding pretty strong with 3 races on the calendar for early 2010. My goal is still the same: get a victory and advance to category II. The bicycle business is steady and growing. We haven't seen much decrease in sales due to the economy. I'm working on a new shop location--to be opened December 14th. Its actually the location of an old shop which is near my mom's house in North Oxnard. She has been wanting a project and investment to grow so she has some financial interest in this one as well.

Luke is looking more and more like a young man, growing quickly. He turned 10 this October. He's doing well in school BUT he just got his head shaved because he hasn't been improving his penmanship. I'm not sure how much a punishment that is anymore, but it's the least I can do. He is starting to mountain bike with me occasionally. I took him to Sulphur Mountain and to Sisar Road for some uphill/downhill on fireroads. He does well! Delia doesn't like mountain biking so much. She would rather hike so we arrange that for her. Delia does love art though. I attended an art show with her recently where she was able to show off a nice drawing. It seems like daily she's drawing beautiful pictures and reading big books. Delia turned 8 in September. I will be baptizing her on Saturday, December 12. You are invited to come--details below. We'd love to see you there on a special day for Delia and if you've never been to our church, its a great way to learn something new. Cy turned 3 in July so we went to DisneyLand. I think he had been there before but this time he had a lot of fun recognizing things from TV, movies and toys. Cy has a "push bike"--a bicycle without pedals--that he rides with us. He scared me (and I think himself) riding Sisar Road on the fast rocky descent. He handled his bike like a pro--head level, bike all over the place due to the rocky terrain, heading in a straight line. But the problem is his bike doesn't have brakes so he has to stop with his feet. Luckily, the descent levelled out a little for him to slow down.

The kids have handled the divorce pretty well. We have our routine and we stick to it. I pick them up from school on Mondays, Thursdays and alternating weekends during the school year and during vacation 7 days with me and then 7 days with mom. I hear a lot of grumbling about their new to-be step dad but he seems to be a decent guy. Delia seems excited to be a flower girl at mom's January wedding.

Some people ask me about my "lady situation". I usually respond that I'm having fun but trying to not let anything get too serious right away. My theory is that it will have to be really really really good for me to get serious with a lady so I'm just keeping it light.

Delia's Baptism is at 5:00PM on Saturday December 12, 2009

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

1190 Gary Drive

Oxnard, CA 93033

Sincerely, Chuck HAMM, Broker
chuck@hammproperty.com | 805-258-2165

Make An Offer! (9/30/2009)

2009-09-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

Blog

I've been getting a lot of new clients who are looking for an agent they trust. Many have already worked other agents recently but don't feel they're getting the best representation. Other agents seem to be avoiding "work" (haha) and explaining themselves out of having to write an offer. My attitude is usually, Let's make an offer! But before I sell myself as an agent anymore, let me say that it's still a tough market.

Even as Fall has started, our local real estate market is still experiencing limited inventory. We seem to have plenty of buyers who are getting loans. This makes sense because the government FHA loans are pretty easy to for most to qualify for since all you need is 3.5% down and if home prices are around $300K, then $10K down isn't hard. There are closing costs, but often I can negotiate that be paid by the seller. But again, the hard part is finding a home you like!

Nevertheless, I'm getting a lot of new clients who don't trust their real estate agent. They feel like the agent isn't making the best recommendations or their explanation for why they can't make an offer doesn't make sense. My new clients appreciate my work ethic, I'm easy to reach and I'm not an average agent. Unlike other agents, I'm a licensed broker--not just a sales associate. And, my "let's make an offer" attitude sells well. Call or email anytime!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles, Bicycles (9/15/2009)

2009-09-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Blog

2009 Stumpjumper Elite FSR (lightly USED) for sale, only $1750 or best offer--you have until this Saturday to make your offer! This bike was rented out a few times as a demo/trial bike. Come check it out or here's the link for specs: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2009&spid=39191

Sell your bicycle on consignment at Bicycles by HAMM. I've kept our bicycle inventory slim due to unpredictable sales this year. That mean's I have some space to sell a couple decent quality consignment bicycles. Bring us your bike and we'll help you determine what it will sell for and what our consignment fees are. You can also use the sale of your bicycle as a credit toward a new bicycle.

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles and Real Estate (HAMM, 7/29/2009)

2009-07-29T14:46:00.001-07:00

Blog

Bicycles. I've got a couple Carbon Epic FSR Marathon's in stock (medium and large)---ready to sell as we're expecting the 2010's soon. Check out the link and email me if you're interested. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39180&eid=99

Real estate. Selling houses has been tricky. Buyer's are motivated to buy because there's a nice Obama tax credit if you close your transaction before December of this year, loan interest rates are still low and home prices are low. But here's the catch: not enough homes for sale. And here's a twist on the catch: prices are still coming down! How do prices decrease with limited inventory? Because we're expecting a flood of foreclosures to hit the market. My recommendation to most of my buyer clients has been to wait a couple months (or mroe) because how frustrating will it be to overbid on a house (against 10 other buyers) and then see a better house for less money in 4 months? If you'd like to talk more about this, call or email!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

Hamm Team Clothing

2009-06-18T15:20:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Have you thought about joining the HAMM Team this year? Bicyles by HAMM is in the process of getting all suited up for summer and we want you to be a part of it. Membership is a great way to save on all your biking needs, wheather it's components,accessories,clothing or even LABOR, all HAMM Team members receive great discounts on everything. We have a new Team Kit which includes a newly redesigned jersey and short. To join ,all you need is to purchase one jersey and one short. That's it! Simple. You can start saving right away. We'd be more than happy to answer any questions.

Want to see what the excitment is about?

Follow the links to see the HAMM team kit.

http://docs.google.com/View?id=d2z4qg2_70fhp4kdc8

http://docs.google.com/View?id=d2z4qg2_68dmms7rhc

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM (6/3/09)

2009-06-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

Blog, hi. here are some bicycle thoughts.

-your bicycle most likely needs service

-you can save $ by riding a few places per month instead of driving

-you can give up your gym membership, and get a bike

-it cost me $50 to fill up the gas tank today. only a few months ago it was only costing me $40

-happy birthday mom

-i've been racing my butt off to get some podium results but I there are a lot of other like minded fools out there

-riding is fun, and YOU DO LIVE IN SO CAL....so ride

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

Ventura County Stage Race TOMORROW

2009-05-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Blog

I'll be racing in my category 3 races this weekend in the Ventura County Stage Race, but there is much more excitement in the Pro category races. Remember Floyd Landis? He's the American who won the Tour de France a few years ago and then was disqualified for doping (I have his book at the shop for dirt cheap--$6.75). He will be racing this weekend! All day Saturday there will be events in downtown Ventura. Floyd's Time Trial start time is about 10:45am. http://www.socalcycling.com/RaceAnn/2009/venturastagerace.pdf

Later Saturday is the criterium. The criterium is an exciting event to watch as you're able to see the racers do short laps through the downtown area at high speeds. My race is at 2:45pm but the exciting pro race is at 6:30PM.

Ventura downtown will be alive tomorrow--be there!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs
Level 1 Tune up, $79.50
Level 2 Tune up (adds a drive train scrub and lube), $99.50
and more.......

Chuck HAMM for 2009

2009-05-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

TheHAMMTeam,

Sorry if I haven't been in touch for awhile--I'm writing to say hi, and update you on me and the kids. I've been having a great year already doing the things that I enjoy: taking care of kids, bicycle riding/racing, and my work. Kids are doing well. Luke and Delia are about to wrap up their school year and start the summer, then next year they'll be going into 5th and 3rd grades. Cy is a maniac on his little 2 year old style bicycle. He rides off curbs, in the grass and dirt, and seems to love speed. I think he's more daring (or brainless) than I ever was. We're looking forward to the summer because there's no school and we get 7 days together at a time which means we can do some camping, maybe Disneyland, etc...

The divorce finalized this year which is a relief to me and the kids. Its good to have that over with but some things were left a little undone. But at least my ex's mood is no longer a determining factor in if kids get to spend time with me. I have become grateful to the court system for that! But I'm also grateful to not have to be at the court house so much anymore. Some people suggest that I should or ask if I'm dating--haha--not ready for that though I imagine if the right lady comes along I'd be interested. I'm pretty happy with life right now the way it is for the first time in years.

Real estate business is doing surprisingly well. During the tough 2008 market, I got my broker's license and am now operating independently. The 2009 market is interesting because it is now picking up in certain areas and certain price ranges. Home prices are low, interest rates are low and there are some extra incentives (hopefully) to buy a home. Selling real estate has become one of my passions in the last 3 or 4 years. I love "talking houses". It's also a very divorced-dad-friendly job. The bicycle shop continues to amaze me. Business is steady, though I haven't been sure how much inventory to stock the shop with this year due to "off" retail sales. Because mine is a small bicycle shop, it's easy for me to keep costs low and focus on what people always need--good service. I continually hear about the larger shops struggling to keep their high-dollar inventory moving. This combination of real estate and bicycle business usually translates into a very cool synergy that keeps me riding a lot and working a lot.

Keep in touch!

Sincerely, Chuck HAMM
chuck@hammproperty.com | 805-258-2165

Now hiring at Bicycles by HAMM (4/30/09)

2009-04-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

Blog

If you or anyone you know is a bicycle enthusiast, mountain biker, cyclist, whatever...let them know I'm interviewing for the next 2 weeks. I am willing to train the right person.

JOB details. Part time, 10-20 hours per week, must be able to lift heavy things (probably up to 50 lbs), must be willing to work alone, perform mechanical duties, bicycle repairs, get dirty, talk to people, sell things, basic math skills to run cash register, help clean and organize shop, know the basics about internet and email, test ride a bicycle and all other related duties.

Email or call me direct!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

PS....service specials
$10 lube and go. (chain lube, air tires, check it over, go go go)
$20 shift lube and go. (chain lube, air tires, minor adjustments to shifting, check it over, and go)
$30 shift lube flat fix and go (chain lube, repair 1 flat, air tires, minor shifting adjustments, check it over, and go)

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs
Level 1 Tune up, $79.50
Level 2 Tune up (adds a drive train scrub and lube), $99.50
and more.......

Chuck HAMM, Real Estate Broker (4/27/09)

2009-04-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

Blog

Bicycles by HAMM throughout this summer, we plan to stock a lean inventory of the bicycles we think we'll sell plus a little more instead of over stocking ourselves during this weird year. We will always special order at no extra cost for any customer. Most bicycles arrive from our vendors in 1-2 business days via ground shipping.

Real Estate It may not be a surprise to you that homes in the Ventura County and LA County areas under $400K are selling quickly. As much as I try to warn my a few of my clients, they still seem surprised when a property they are interested in sells for higher than list price. Its time to get real about the market because it truly is a great time to buy. Prices for homes $400K and below seem to have hit rock bottom. I estimate this based on my own experience where decent homes in this price range are getting multiple offers. For the past 12 months almost, every time I submit an offer on a clients behalf, I get word from the listing agent that there are multiple offers on the subject property. We need to face it--home prices are low, interest rates are low, and there's an added $8000 incentive from the Obama administration for buying a home this year.

If this is a good time for YOU to buy, I suggest you start by getting pre-approved for a loan and then getting acquainted with properties available in your area. With little effort, I can set up my MLS to email you automatically when new listings become available in your target neighborhood with target criteria. Let me know if I can help by replying here or calling!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs
Level 1 Tune up, $79.50
Level 2 Tune up (adds a drive train scrub and lube), $99.50
and more.......

Ride, ride, ride (3/4/2009)

2009-03-04T16:35:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog,

We have some rental bikes you can try out. Rental fees apply toward the purchase of the bike.

For ALL MOUNTAIN Riding, come check out the Enduro Expert Elite: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39199&eid=2 or

the Stumpjumper FSR Elite: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39191&eid=95

For Road Racing, check out the Tarmac Expert: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39248&eid=115

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs
Level 1 Tune up, $79.50
Level 2 Tune up (adds a drive train scrub and lube), $99.50
and more.......

The HAMM BICYCLE Team (2/6/2009)

2009-02-06T12:53:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog,

You don't have to race to be a member of The HAMM Team...but racing is fun...

Either way, check out the benefits here:

http://www.thehammteam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=50

Specialized team program deals (bicycles, parts and framesets at cost!)

25% discount on other parts and accessories from Bicycles by HAMM

Credit towards bicycles, parts and accessories at Bicycles by HAMM for real estate transactions referred to Chuck HAMM

Work on your own bicycle at Bicycles by HAMM free of charge (during designated hours)

50% off on labor at Bicycles by HAMM

TEAM BICYCLE ORDERS MUST BE SUBMITTED VERY SOON!!!!

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs

I regret this but....

2009-02-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

I regret this but I years ago I started chewing nicotine gum because it was on sale. now I'm addicted and I need cigarrettes. ( not really)

Chuck HAMM, Broker Associate (1/06/2009)

2009-01-06T13:48:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog,

its a great time to buy a home or real estate investment. Its the first time in years in our area that you can beat rent as a homeowner or as an investor, cash flow with minimal down payment. Without much searching around, I've found the following:

$339K, single family detached home on west side of Oxnard (decent area),

66 Single family homes with at least 3 bedrooms in Oxnard area for under $200K,

33 condos in Oxnard/Port Hueneme, 2 bedrooms under $125 and many of those are under $100K.

First time home buyers can get FHA loans with very little money down. Plan on saving 3% of the purchase price for a down payment. On an inexpensive condo like I mention above, you can easily get away with a $1000 payment with today's interest rates.

buy real estate through me, i'll give you a bike. its a good deal.

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
we ride daily. join us.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs

Bicycles are good for you usually (12/29/2008)

2008-12-29T19:54:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog,

your bike is probably due for service so bring it by. We have funky hours this week--just closing earlier on days like New Year's Eve and a few others. Call first if you're curious: 805-382-0574.

ride bikes and you'll probably be:

happier skinnier healthier faster funner better looking

We have the following demo bikes available to rent:

SPECIALIZED TARMAC ROAD BIKE: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39247&eid=115
SPECIALIZED ENDURO FULL SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKE: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCExperience.jsp?eid=2
SPECIALIZED STUMPJUMPER FULL SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKE: http://specialized.com/bc/SBCExperience.jsp?eid=95

The rental fee will be credited to your bicycle purchase at Bicycles by HAMM at time of purchase.

ask about our comprehensive tune ups and overhaul jobs

SALE Items and Parade of Lights Bike Ride!! (Bicycles by HAMM)

2008-12-08T16:49:00.001-08:00

SALE!!! (see below....or email and I'll email an attachment to you)

Bicycles by HAMM | (805) 382-0574 | bicyclesbyhamm@gmail.com
305 w. channel islands blvd. | Port Hueneme | CA 93041

Chuck HAMM, (805) 258-2165
TheHAMMTeam.com
HELP-U-Sell County Properties

Bill Maher is an idiot

2008-11-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

On Jay Leno's Tonight Show (tonight) he was doing his usual idiotic political commentary. And as usual he was ripping on the Bush administration when he showed his ignorance stating that to win the cold war the US didn't tap phones and to win World War II the US didn't torture. I know the phone tapping statement is untrue through experience and I believe the torture statement is untrue.

What an idiot Bill Maher is!

Bicycle COMMUTERS? Bicycles by HAMM 11/5/2008

2008-11-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,

Bicycle commuting is pretty easy and can save you a LOT of $. And we know that the more you use your bike, the more you need specific bicycle services, but often you don't need a full tune up. So we've come up with a few while-you-wait service options for you bicycle enthusiasts.

$10 lube and go. (chain lube, air tires, check it over, go go go)
$20 shift lube and go. (chain lube, air tires, minor adjustments to shifting, check it over, and go)
$30 shift lube flat fix and go (chain lube, repair 1 flat, air tires, minor shifting adjustments, check it over, and go)

**not all bikes qualify for above rates but most will......

KID TRAILERS are fun, and they are easy!
KID TRAIL-A-BIKES are fun, too. We have both of these items in stock.
Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM (9/24/08)

2008-09-24T12:08:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog,

KID TRAILERS are fun, and they are easy!
KID TRAIL-A-BIKES are fun, too. We have both of these items in stock.
Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041
Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
we ride daily. join us.

Grocery Shopping on a bike club (8/5/08)

2008-08-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog,

Grocery shopping on a bike is pretty easy, but there's one problem--your bike could get stolen. Its easier when you have someone who can watch your bike. So...........if you'd like me to watch your bike while you shop, I'll do it! Be at the shop at 6:30PM tomorrow (Wednesday, 8/6/08) and we'll ride from the shop to Ralphs at about 6:45PM. I'll watch your bike and you can watch mine while I buy some bananas. If you dont' have baskets, bring a backpack to carry your groceries. I'll be happy to show you what baskets will fit on your bike to carry groceries. In the future, we can plan other trips to other stores-- 99 cents store, Vons, etc....let me know what you think.

Ride! (Bicycles by HAMM, 6/06/08)

2008-07-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog,

Have you seen any HAMM Team cyclists riding around town? I invite you to join The HAMM Team. To join, all you need to do is buy a jersey and short (top and bottom combination) Benefits are listed below. If you want to join, look at the clothing link below (Champion System), and tell me what style and size jersey and short you'd like. If you're interested in clothing other than a jersey and short, then you can email that to me and I'll check into it. ALL clothing is professionally custom sublimated with The HAMM Team logos. Clothing samples are at the shop. You do not need to be a racer to join, but the benefits are designed for enthusiasts.

Benefits of joining The HAMM Team include but are not limited to:

Specialized bicycles and parts (pro level) 25% off, team order AT COST (www.specialized.com)
Nutritional supplements and products at cost (like Accelerade, Cytosport, etc)
25% discount on parts and labor at Bicycles by HAMM
Work on your own bicycle for free at Bicycles by HAMM with professional support (at pre-arranged times)
Carpool to rides, races and other events
Cool clothing priced at cost (www.champ-sys.com)
Race support, team coordination
Training support and help with training strategies
Group rides (mountain and road)
Team training trips to Big Bear Lake during summer
The team is registered with USA Cycling.
See our rider contract on this website or this link: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d2z4qg2_27nssc72

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Divorce--it sucks!

2008-06-24T03:21:00.000-07:00

hi...
people have been asking so I wanted to get this info out to anyone who might want to know. the easiest way is to email blast everyone I know. sorry if you get this twice, and extra sorry if you didnt' want to read this.

In April, Shanna took the kids and moved out to Moorpark with her mom. She has since filed for divorce. It has been a rough few months, in fact, a rough few years. Throughout the years, we've been through counseling and tried different things. While I've been less than the model husband, I've made the effort of my life to keep the family together but Shanna's mind has been made up against me for a long time. At one point, I bought her a book called Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands thinking it would help us. She rejected it flat out. I've participated in the rough times--I take responsibility for a lot of things that went wrong in our marriage. But I never realized how little she accepted responsibility until now. I was just served today with the divorce papers she has filed and I once again realized how negatively she views me and how there really is no hope to keep the family together. In some ways I feel vindicated, like I did my best, like she's leaving a good man, good dad, and good husband. In other ways, I feel sad for the kids and like I wish we could keep it together for them. I know I could be happy. But I'm ready to move on.

If you've found me less than social or less than gregarious at times--now you know why. Keep in touch.

Chuck HAMM | 805.258.2165

An Efficient Economy

2008-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

I think our economy could be a lot more efficient if more people were more productive. The more our people become self sufficient, the less productive individuals have to compensate for non-productive.

I am not a proponent of illegal immigration, in fact, I do believe that illegal immigration causes a net economic loss. But my perspective about this economy does cause me to look at welfare systems and their recipients in a less favorable light than illegal immigration.

Of course, every community should have welfare institutions. And the law should always be enforced to prevent illegal immigration.

Typically in the past however, immigrants had been very productive people and burdened the economy very little. But it has become acceptable somehow that these same illegal immgrants are tolerated because of the supposed net benefit they provide our economy. However, illegal immigrant net effect has been calculated and has been proven to be a huge economic burden due to the drain on our welfare system, health care, education and law enforcement resources..

One of the first steps toward getting more individuals in our economy to be more productive, we must implement policy that purges us of illegal burdens.

CHEAP Real Estate DEALS (HAMM, 5/22/08)

2008-05-22T13:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog,

We have some AMAZING deals on real estate here in our area due to foreclosed bank owned homes. You probably know that in addition to running Bicycles by HAMM, I sell real estate. I'd love to sell you a home or an investment. I can email you some of these cheap real estate listings. I just need to know what kind of property you'd be interesed. You can email me areas you're interested in, max price, # of bedrooms, and so on and I'll send you the available listings. Also, one of the services I offer you (and all my real estate clients) is to set you up in my MLS system so that you receive real time listing updates and new listings via email on certain search criteria. So, if you're interested in knowing when the next 2 bedroom condo in Oxnard under $150,000 (yes, its true!) comes on the market, you'd get that email right away. You'd then email me saying LET'S GO SEE IT. I'd take you there, and you'd either say HAMM, its a dump! or, you'd say LETS MAKE AN OFFER....and I'd write it up and we'd get a transaction started.

COMFORT BIKES are COMFORTABLE.... http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32563 We have these in stock....lots of people are buying these because they rock.

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Awesome Bicycle RIDE This Weekend

2008-05-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog,

As part of May's Older Americans Month we offering the 2d Annual Senior
Legends Games. One of the acitivities is a bike ride happening this
weekend starting at Oxnard Beach Park. This is a ride for anyone with
distances from 5-50 miles with fully supported aid stations throughout
the course.. For the $20 registration you get a canvas tote bag with a
colorful bike graphic, tee shirt, energy bar plus and best of a free
pass to Southern California's best festivel. This pass is good for
either day. The ride is this Saturday beginning at 7:30 am. You can
pre-register at Bicycles by HAMM, 305 W. Channel Islands Blvd, or follow
the link on www.thehammteam.com or
at the city web site www.oxnardrec.org or stop by our Recreation office located at
555 South A St.
You can reply with any questions or comments.

Hope to see you there!

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

HAMM (4/11/08)

2008-04-11T12:25:00.001-07:00

Dear Charles,

Business at Bicycles by HAMM has about doubled in the past month, and we're keeping up pretty well. We're still getting most repairs out the next day or in 2 days. We'll always try to do your flat tires repairs for you on the spot--while you wait--to save you a trip since its usually only a 10-15 minute job at the most. If you ever have any service questions, please call or email.

Real Estate sales seem to be picking up surprisingly. I've been wondering when potential home buyers would feel like interest rates and home prices were at a level they could afford AND.....when people would have enough confidence in the market to buy a home. If you ever have any real estate questions, about loans, home buying, a specific property you're interested in, or the value of your home, call me up or email!

WE WILL HELP YOU SAVE $$$$$$$......fuel for bicycles does NOT cost $3.79 per gallon.

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com | 305 w channel islands blvd, port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM (2/25/08)

2008-02-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,

Check out Chuck HAMM in mountain bike action magazine (click on link and scroll down):

http://www.mbaction.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=7ABC033BC45E453DBAA4A122AE6FFF56

Cash flow REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS, finally.....finally, you can do a normal 10-20% down payment on a condo in Oxnard and cash flow on rent! I've seen low end condos in Oxnard selling for $140K. Assume total monthly expenses of around $1000 and your rent at around $1100. And------an investment that will appreciate. These condos in the $140K range were selling for $280-300K about 3 years ago and you can bet they'll be back up to that when the market starts to recover. Low end condos are one of the first kinds of real estate investments that will recover in price as renters decide they should be investing as well instead of throwing away their money in rent.

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

305 w channel islands blvd

port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM 2 YEAR Anniversary 2008

2008-01-31T17:33:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog -

Birthday! Join us from 5-7PM February 5th, 2008 here at Bicycles by HAMM for our 2 year anniversary get together/party. That day is Mardi Gras if anyone cares.....We'll have some snacks and soft drinks, talk about good times, and take care of you as always!

Ride leaders out there? If anyone is doing any riding and they'd like me to post their ride on TheHAMMTeam.com Calendar (http://www.thehammteam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=43), let me know via email. Email the date (s), time and location and if carpooling is available from a certain place. Road, mountain or leisure bike rides welcome. If you want to be a once per month ride leader, you get an automatic HAMM Team discount.

Oxnard Down Payment Assistance (REAL ESTATE). The City of Oxnard recently announced their new down payment assistance program. Federal, state and local level government all have cost savings programs for the purchase of a home. Interest rates are low, home prices are low and rental costs are increasing. And keep in mind--you won't know when real estate prices hit rock bottom until prices start to rise! So if you're thinking of buying, start looking and be ready!

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

305 w channel islands blvd

port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM 2 YEAR Anniversary 2008

2008-01-31T17:31:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog -

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

305 w channel islands blvd

port hueneme, ca 93041

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily. join us.

Bicycles by HAMM (1/23/2008), Good Grades?

2008-01-23T12:30:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog -

GOOD GRADES Partnership If you know a student that attends school at the kindergarten through 12th grade levels, you can partner with me in providing an incentive to that student to get good grades. Bicycles by HAMM will extend a discount on bicycles, parts and service when presented with a current semester/trimester report card. The discount is good one time per semester or trimester. The discounts work as follows:

3.0 GPA = 10% Discount

3.5 GPA = 15% Discount

4.0 GPA = 25% Discount

Some of you have might have students that get N's, P's and G's instead of A's, B's and C's, etc. If that's the case, let's shoot for a bunch of G's. We can count the G's as 4 points, the P's as 2 points and the N's as 0 points. Or we can devise a special plan if you can justify to me why that would be necessary.

Summary. Bring us your student's report card, along with your student and we'll take care of you!

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily

Bicycles by HAMM (1/4/2008), Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog -

Nutritional Supplements such as CytoMax, MusleMilk, Whey Protein powder, creatine products, power bars, Clif Products and MuscleTech products coming soon. I'm selling these products to The HAMM Team at cost and selling them to the rest of you customers at wholesale! Wholesale is below retail but still higher than my cost.

If you're curious about joining The HAMM Team, check out: www.thehammteam.com It has been updated.

Property management services now offered! I'll be taking my california department of real estate exam at the end of this month. I'm now phasing in many property management services into my real estate business. Call or email if you have any questions.

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com | RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors

we ride daily

Merry Christmas and Holidays (12/10/2007)

2007-12-10T19:13:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog -

The Hamm Team--join!. Training and racing will continue in 2008. The HAMM Team is not just for athletes. Its for any of you that want to join a group of people with similar fitness goals.

This year, there is no fee to join. You just buy the team clothing kit--short and jersey. The team is registered with USACycling. We will be attending many major local road and mountain bike races. Specialized (www.specialized.com) will be one of the sponsors this year. That means you can get high end Specialized bicycles and products at cost! Other benefits include 25% off on other parts, accessories and labor at the shop. Team members are allowed to work on their own bikes at the shop using our tools and getting assistance from us free of charge. This is usually after hours. See www.TheHAMMTeam.com

Holiday shopping ideas. Some of you haven't given us (or your significant other) a Christmas list so people have been asking me what to buy as a gift for you. If you think you're one of those people, email me your bicycle related shopping list right away and I'll make sure to keep it on file when your significant other or family comes in shopping for you! (I'm serious......)

Shop hours, holidays, etc. As always, we're closed Sundays. Our hours have changed slightly:

Monday 11-7

Tuesday 11-7

Wednesday 11-7

Thursday 11-7

Friday 10-6

Saturday 10-6

check out: www.thehammteam.com

Bicycles by HAMM (11/16/07)

2007-11-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog -

Holiday shopping ideas. We've got all our same stuff and more for holiday shopping. Water bottles, innertubes, sunglasses, bells, lightset for night riding, socks, gloves, patch kit, tire levers, water bottle cage, bicycles and more. Come in and we'll sell you all kinds of stuff.

Sunglasses--inexpensive and quality! Check out www.birdzeyewear.com to see some of the eyewear we're carrying. Most models are very cool and range from only $12-35! We have a few models on display and all models in stock.

Electric Bicycle. Bicycles by HAMM has continued to sell and install electric conversion kits over the past couple years. We have a couple in stock. We invite you to test ride our electrified Raleigh Retroglide 7.0. It's a cool cruiser with gears, hand brakes and POWER! You can cruise up to about 20-22 miles per hour for a couple hours or more with pedaling.

Shop hours, holidays, etc. As always, we're closed Sundays. Our hours have changed slightly:

Monday 11-7

Tuesday 11-7

Wednesday 11-7

Thursday 11-7

Friday 10-6

Saturday 10-6

Closed Thanksgiving Day. Open the Friday and Saturday that follow.

CALL OR EMAIL ANYTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bicycles by HAMM | 805-382-0574 | www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165
TheHAMMTeam.com | RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
we ride daily

The HAMM Team, Real Estate Update (10/17/07)

2007-10-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Real estate is not as negative as the media makes it out to be. Things could definitely be worse. I've been asked several times this month how my business is going so I'll tell you here. Its been a good year. Spring and Summer was a little slow but it turns out my Fall amount of business is catching me up.

Bicycles. My bicycle shop has been doing well. It seems like more people are riding bicycles now more out of their concern for the environment and traffic than concern for gas prices. That kind of confuses me, but I'm definitely okay with whatever reason people decide to buy bicycles!

I have a bicycle shop racing and riding team. We're expanding the purpose of the team to include more than just competitive cyclists. We're now accepting team members that would like to join for fitness purposes. If you think about it, we all have the same kinds of goals. We eat, ride and change our whole lifestyle in the same ways. Even if we do it for different purposes (competition vs. fitness), we benefit from training and working together. Team members get discounts at Bicycles by HAMM, train together, get coaching, etc. If you have questions about this or are interested in joining, email me!

My bicycle crash! This was three weeks ago. Here's a portion of the email I wrote to my bicycle customers on this subject soon after it happened:

This time it was me! I crashed Saturday morning only about 15 minutes into our Saturday morning training ride. Jon and I were heading up Victoria Avenue in Oxnard just north of Gonzales and then a freak thing happened--a stick got into my spokes. I don't remember anything about it but Jon says he heard the commotion and looked back as I face planted. The next thing I remember was trying to get up and feeling beat up and dizzy. My nose started bleeding and Jon was picking up my stuff out of the way. Not too long after a Gold Coast Ambulance showed up and then my family showed up and took me to the hospital. My nose is broken, I got a bunch of stitches in my lip, my neck is sore, 2 black eyes and I have an avulsion (hole) in my upper lip that might take some time to heal up. But I'm fine! I'm super grateful for that, too. In fact, I was able to get on a bike ride that same day which helped loosen my stiff neck and shoulders up. I went out for another ride today and feel even better. Here are a couple pics--i already look better than what you see here (except for my black eyes) http://picasaweb.google.com/chuckhamm/UntitledAlbum06 .

Chuck HAMM | 805.258.2165 | TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors | HABLO ESPANOL

Recovery from crash......Bicycles by HAMM (10/11/07)

2007-10-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog -

Crash. I'm still getting emails from people asking how I am so here's an update: I look almost normal. I feel fine except for when my one year old smacks me in the face. My lips and nose are still sore. But my black eyes and the swelling are both almost all gone. Thanks for caring!

Bikes. We have some new 2008 cruisers and comfort bikes (male and female colors and sizes).

Also, we've got a 2007 KingFisher in stock on consignment. This is a big free ride bike. Here's the link: http://www.fisherbikes.com/archive/model/284 You'll see that it retails for over $3000. We're selling it for MUCH LESS.....the tag says $2799 but come in and make an offer. This bike is a "small" but it seems big enough for most medium riders. See the geometry on the link provided above.

The HAMM Team RECRUITING. The HAMM Team is recruiting for the 2008 race season in time to begin an off-season training regimen starting this month. The team offers reasonable prices (cost) on team clothing, 25% discount on parts and labor at Bicycles by HAMM and 10% off bicycles. You'll also get to participate in our training rides, get advice from experienced riders and racers on training and technique. We also travel to races and rides together. In 2008 we're hoping to be giving some special discounts on bicycles (or framesets) through the Specialized Racing Team program. We're working on getting other sponsors as well.

You don't have to be an expert racer or even registered to join the team, and you can be part of any bicycling discipline to join such as mountain bike racing (downhill, cross country, slaloms, etc.), road racing, BMX, track, etc. Even if you don't compete, and all you want is the discount, join the team! The annual dues are only $25 for adults and $15 for juniors (under 18). You also must purchase at least 1 team clothing kit (jersey and short) which costs about $100. My real estate clients do not need to pay dues--you're automatic members but clothing still costs the same if you want it.

www.bicyclesbyhamm.com

Chuck HAMM | mobile 805-258-2165
TheHAMMTeam.com | RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors

Another bicycle crash, real estate news, etc. Bicycles by HAMM (9/24/07)

2007-09-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog -

You might have heard that the Fed lowered interest rates again. This is seen as a sign that the Fed is more concerned about the economy than about inflation. So keep that in mind but also keep in mind that it will help mortgage rates somewhat as banks and lenders respond to the rate cuts.

People continually ask me how the real estate business is going for me since the media reports are so negative. My response is good--as expected! I'm on target to complete the same amount of transactions as I did last year or more, but that's only half of what I was doing a couple years ago. I did sell my moving truck due to the shrinkage in my business but that's all I've had to do to adjust to this new market. Business is very good and very steady. I couldn't be happier and most of that is thanks to you!

New inventory, rides and more. Bicycles by HAMM (8/24/07)

2007-09-07T15:00:00.001-07:00

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TEL;WORK:
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Dear Blog -

Come in this Saturday and check out our new 2008 bicycles. We're in the process of building up some of them still....hopefully all will be done by Saturday. We'll be getting more throughout the month. Come see the new Specialized Expedition Comfort bike!

If you emailed me using a verizon.net address in the past 24-48 hours, I may have not received it. Please re-send....sorry....verizon messed up and I'm suffering for it--how do you like that!

Call or email if you're interested in meeting in Big Bear for some fun trail riding this month and next month....

Bicycles by HAMM Reorganizes Shop

2007-08-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Port Hueneme, CA

Bicycles by HAMM began reorganization of its inventory early last week and plans to complete the project by late next week. After weeks of complaints by the owner, Chuck Hamm that the shop was extremely unorganized, the owner and others started the project.

"It was too much to handle. We were losing sales just because we didn't know where to find our own inventory," said Mr. Hamm.

"Now we know where to go when we want spokes. I know where to get the headset parts and the wheels are even kind of organized. I can't wait to get the rest of the tires and rims off the floor," says Mr. Hamm.

Customers can expect a whole new experience at Bicycles by HAMM. Mr. Hamm invites the public to stop by his shop located at 305 W. Channel Islands Blvd. in Port Hueneme, California. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and the shop is closed Sundays. You can find more information on Chuck Hamm and his shop at the following websites: www.TheHAMMTeam.com and www.BicyclesbyHAMM.com.

Bicycles by HAMM (8/24/07)

2007-08-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog -

Lower back pain? Many people choose to not ride bicycles because of lower back pain. The bicycle industry has some improved methods for fixing this problem. One of them is adjustable bicycle stems. The stem is the part that holds the handlebar. An adjustable bicycle stem will not only raise your handlebars, it will adjust to find the right position for your riding style. An adjustable bicycle stem typically costs around $30 and the labor to install one is typically $40-50. Call or email if you'd like to set that up.

Real Estate Loans! The past couple weeks have caused substantial worry in the real estate industry due to mortgage companies' financial losses caused by foreclosures. Most of the mortgage industry has been damaged but many banks like Wells Fargo, Bank of America and others have insulated themselves by offering conservative loans to people who are financially qualified to pay the loan back. It is a myth that you cannot get 100% loans anymore. But you must have good credit and be able to document your income. if you have any questions about mortgages or buying or selling real estate, let me know.

Great buys in real estate--got cash? The recent hit to the mortgage industry has sellers worried about finding buyers. Their worry is if so few people can actually qualify for a loan, how am I going to sell my home? That makes people who are qualified and people with cash to buy valuable. If you can pay cash for a property, or if you can put 20% down, then we should talk. Now is the time to get into some great deals as prices are already low. And, sellers are giving up more and more to buyers that have money and legitimate pre-approvals.

Chuck HAMM mobile 805-258-2165
TheHAMMTeam.com RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors

Bicycles by HAMM 805-382-0574 305 w channel islands blvd port hueneme, ca 93041 bicyclesbyhamm.com

The HAMM Team (8/8/07)

2007-08-08T19:09:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog -

Do you have a mountain bike but mostly ride on pavement? Do what many of our other customers do: get some slick tires! The Specialized Armadillo Tire is slick and takes 80 psi allowing you to cruise much faster on the pavement. Some of our customers ride a lot both on dirt and on pavement so they have purchased a complete second set of wheels (complete with the gears). One set of wheels has the Armadillo tire and the other has their favorite tread for dirt riding. Having that second set of wheels makes it much easier and faster than removing and reinstalling tires. All you have to do is a couple of "quick releases" and you're done! If you'd like to do this, come by the shop with your bike and we'll be ready to get you all set.

Are you shopping around for a home loan? One of the services I provide my real estate clients is setting you up with a loan officer and helping you understand the various loan programs and options. I'll help ask all the right questions to ensure that you're getting the best deal, quotes, and all the information you need. I can help you discern which loan agents are bogus and which are legit.

Real Estate listings emailed to you. I can set you up to receive listings automatically as they become available in most of Southern California. If you're interested in receiving email listings in So Cal, email me back with some basic search criteria such as: city, max price, min bedrooms, etc.

Chuck HAMM
mobile 805-258-2165
TheHAMMTeam.com
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors

Bicycles by HAMM, 805-382-0574
305 w channel islands blvd
port hueneme, ca 93041
bicyclesbyhamm.com

Dreams Come True

2007-07-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Chuck HAMM
RE/MAX GOLD COAST
HAMMProperty.com
chuck@HAMMproperty.com
805-258-2165

"Dreams come true; without that possibility nature would not incite us to have them." John Updike

Have you met a house you liked? That may sound funny to you. But the longer I'm in the business, the more I find that homes have personalities. To really get to know a home, you need some background. You need a proper introduction to the area, the neighborhood, the features, the amenities, and even some of the challenges. Visit my website at HAMMProperty.com to get an early introduction to your new home. Be sure to check out the dream home finder.

In the meantime, as you search my website for homes, if there are homes on the market that you would like to 'meet', you can go ahead and schedule a showing. I'll look forward to making an introduction. Call me if you need me.

I'm a professional introducer. I've seen and know hundreds of homes, so as we clarify what you prefer it's easier to find a match. When you see the right home, there will be a reaction. You'll know the right home when you see it, right? That may be the time when your dreams come to life!

Regards,
Chuck HAMM

RE/MAX GOLD COAST
chuck@HAMMproperty.com
HAMMProperty.com
805-258-2165

Independently Owned and Operated

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Home Essentials Newsletter

2007-07-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

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July 2007

Home Essentials


Chuck Hamm RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors Phone: (805)258-2165 Email Chuck Hamm Need information right away? Simply click the button, add your phone number on the page that pops up, and the system will connect us immediately.	In This Issue: Best ways to attract fixer-upper buyers Moving out may bring faster home sale Best ways to attract fixer-upper buyers By Dian Hymer Buyers tend to want listings that are in move-in condition. For that reason, sellers often put a lot of time and money into prepping their homes for market to realize the largest profit possible from the sale. But, is it worthwhile to fix a property up before selling if it is in a dismal state? It's usually worthwhile to fix up a needy property in a good location that has great potential and that can be improved considerably with cosmetic improvements. The reason why it makes sense to go through the effort is that most people don't have good imaginations and can't envision what a house might look like with work done to it. They simply relate to what they see. For example, last year a grand old home sold in Oakland, Calif. Neighbors went directly to the sellers and asked if they could take a look at the house before it was fixed up for marketing. The sellers agreed and showed them the house. The buyers didn't like what they saw. The house was subsequently improved by removing wall-to-wall carpet and refinishing the original hardwood floors that were underneath the carpet. The entire interior of the house was painted in beautiful decorator colors. Light fixtures were updated; the yard was spruced up; and the house was staged for sale. The transformation was stunning. The property sold with multiple offers for considerably over the asking price. The buyers who had turned the property down before the house was fixed up were one of the four bidders; they weren't the ultimate buyers. HOME SELLER TIP: There's a tip to be gleaned from this experience that's relevant to all sellers. Don't let a prospective buyer look at your home until it has been prepared for sale. Buyers remember what they see, not what you tell them the house will look like when you're done with the prep work. You could lose a good prospect by showing your home before it is ready. Circumstances may not permit you to do much to a fixer property before you put it on the market. You might be short of funds or have a pressing deadline. In this case, the best approach can be to take advantage of the fact that the property you're selling is a fixer-upper. In other words, market it as a fixer. Some sellers bridle at the notion of calling their home a fixer-upper. But, it can make good marketing sense. A certain segment of the market is looking for fixer properties that can be improved to increase value. In fact, these buyers sometimes overpay for the perceived potential. Even though you might get lucky and sell a loser house for more money that you thought was possible, don't lose sight of the fact that you're marketing to a limited pool of buyers. Most buyers won't even look at a fixer because they don't have the time, expertise or resources to turn a property around. Listing a fixer at an enticing price is an important part of selling it for a good price. The list price should reflect concessions made for work that needs to be done. To attract a fixer buyer, make sure you get broad marketing exposure. It's also a good idea to have pre-sale inspections done. Make the reports available to buyers to review before they make offers. This will help to minimize the chance of a deal falling apart when the buyer finds out the extent of the necessary work. THE CLOSING: Even if you don't do fix-up work, the yard and house should be clean and free of debris so that the fixer buyers with vision will be able to see what the property has to offer. Dian Hymer is author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books.

	Moving out may bring faster home sale By Robert J. Bruss DEAR BOB: I plan to sell my home. Should I stay in my home while trying to sell it? We could move into our new home and leave the one we are trying to sell vacant. Which scenario will help sell our home faster? --Dana P. DEAR DANA: Your listing real estate agent is in the best position to advise you whether to stay or move during the sales process. The specific answer depends on whether your home shows well with you and your furniture still in the house. Or maybe it will show better if you move out, spruce it up with fresh paint and perhaps new carpets. As a buyer, I like vacant houses because then I can easily spot most defects. As a seller, I prefer to sell vacant houses after painting and cleaning them, usually installing new wall-to-wall carpet. Vacant rooms look bigger than rooms occupied with furniture. NO TAX DEDUCTION IF LOAN IS NOT SECURED BY YOUR HOME DEAR BOB: To buy our first home, my wife's parents loaned us $50,000. We have been faithfully repaying them monthly, including interest. As they are retired, they need the income. However, when we were audited by the IRS, our interest deduction for this loan was denied. The IRS agent said the interest is not deductible because the $50,000 loan is not secured by a mortgage on our home. Is this correct? --Gerry T. DEAR GERRY: Yes. For home mortgage interest to qualify as an itemized tax deduction, the loan must be secured by a mortgage on your property. To qualify for an interest deduction, you should give your wife's parents a mortgage or deed of trust to secure their promissory note. Then you can deduct the interest you pay each year to them. For more details, please consult your tax adviser. SHOULD HOME SELLER CREDIT BUYER FOR DEFECTIVE WINDOWS? DEAR BOB: I just sold my house. The buyer had it professionally inspected. All went well, but the buyer asked me to replace a couple of windows that have condensation, probably due to a bad seal. My home is 12 years old and in beautiful "mint" condition. I just put more than $20,000 into it with a new roof, siding, appliances, and professional paint job throughout. I feel the buyer is being unreasonable, asking me to fix the one and only thing wrong with my home. The house is selling for $350,000. Am I being unreasonable not wanting to pay for the windows? --Joe McC. DEAR JOE: If the buyer's purchase offer is acceptable, especially if the local home sales market is slow, why risk losing him over a few hundred, or even a few thousand, dollars? Better than replacing those windows, however, is to offer your buyer a "repair credit" at the closing, such as $500 or $1,000. Chances are the buyer won't even replace those windows, but then you won't risk losing the sale over a petty item. The new Robert Bruss special report, "Probate Property Profit Secrets Revealed," is now available for $5 from Robert Bruss, 251 Park Road, Burlingame, Calif., 94010, or by credit card at 1-800-736-1736 or instant Internet delivery at www.BobBruss.com. Questions for this column are welcome at either address.

The HAMM Team (7/12/07)

2007-07-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. Here's what you'll find in this email update:

-real estate market update

-hamm team services and perks

-marketing your home

-tour de france fan?

Real Estate Market. Its up in some places and down in others! Nationally, residential real estate has had a net decrease ranging from 2-20%. But there are places where real estate has remained very steady and has even increased!

Ventura County home prices have remained strong. New home prices continue to drop and that has affected our resale prices on the mid-high end homes. But the median sale price for single family homes has enjoyed modest increases in the past few months. That's no drop!

If you or anyone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate, feel free to call or email.

The HAMM Team, services and perks. There are some things I've done over the past few years to offer my clients more. I'll list them off briefly here and if you're interested, you just let me know. The HAMM Team moving van, free email listings/cma, deep discounts at Bicycles by HAMM, stay at my residence in Big Bear Lake, and more....

Marketing your home. In the past few years that I've been in the business of marketing homes, I've developed some strategies that can help you get your home sold in shorter time at a higher price. First, be sure the home is advertised to as many people as possible. And make sure your advertising dollars are "surgically targeted" to the people that are most interested in buying your home. My seller clients all benefit in particular from one marketing method I use: listing in 2 MLS's--not just one. Most local Realtors belong to Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors (VCCAR). I belong to it, too, as well as the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. This is the most important association in Southern California because of the number of member agents. When I list homes in this MLS as well as VCCAR, I usually almost double the number of times the listed home is shown. And the more showings we get, the better the chances we get sold sooner.

Tour de France. Watch it on the Versus Channel on cable. It's fun.

Chuck HAMM, 805-258-2165

chuck@hammproperty.com, www.HAMMProperty.com

RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors, The HAMM Team

Bicycles by HAMM (6/28/07)

2007-06-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog,

Here's what you'll find in this email:

-Shop hours
-Intro to cycling
-Intro to mt biking
-The HAMM Team (racing)
-Real Estate Market

Shop Hours. My shop is open 6 days per week: Mon-Friday 11-7PM, Saturday 10-6PM. Sunday we are closed.

Intro to Road Cycling. This is bicycle riding "skinny tire" style.
Starting in about 2 weeks, we'll be embarking on some beautiful rides within Ventura County as a group 1 time per week over about 4 weeks. The rides will range from 90-120 minutes and could go longer depending on the group. This is a great opportunity to get started in road cycling. We'll teach you the basics of road riding, we'll ride with you, talk about bicycle fit, basic nutrition, and pass on as much info as we can to help you enjoy road cycling. EMAIL if you're interested in joining this group.

Intro Mt biking. This is just like the intro to road cycling, except we'll be doing it on fat tires and we'll be riding on the dirt. Ventura County has great trail riding and I think you ought to know about it. So we'll be doing the same kind of program as described above, but adapted to mountain biking. If you're interested in this, please email!

The HAMM Team Racing and training update. We're mid-way through our 2007 season of racing. We're sporting our team clothing as we train and race throughout the region. Members of the team have been attending road races, mountain bike races and triathlons. We all train regularly together and individually. In case you're interested in joining, here's a few of the rides we do.
Mondays: 7AM shop ride, call/email first. we've been on and off due to race weekends, and needing a recovery day.
Tuesdays: 5PM at the Mission Parking Lot in Ventura. This is a pro level race. If you've been in the sport for awhile and want to try your fitness, I dare you!
Wednesdays: 7AM shop ride, call/email first
Thursdays: 4:30PM shop ride, ride out to Camarillo at a moderate pace, then intense Crit Practice workout. Crit practice lasts one hour, 6-7pm, then we ride back to the shop or home.
Fridays: 7AM shop ride, call/email first
Saturdays: 7AM shop or club (cibike.org) ride, call/email first

Real Estate. Interest rates are creeping up slowly due to the pressure of increasing foreclosures. At the same time, we're now entering the summer real estate season where buyers buy and sellers sell. We have lots of homes available so sellers have to be cautious on pricing because buyers have a lot to choose from. If you'd like listings emailed to you, just reply to this email and let me know what you'd like. If you or someone you know is ready to buy or sell a home or any other real estate, please let me know. I'm a full time Realtor with RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors--here to help.
Chuck HAMM
mobile 805-258-2165
The HAMM Team, RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
HAMMProperty.com

Bicycles by HAMM, 805-382-0574
305 w channel islands blvd
port hueneme, ca 93041
bicyclesbyhamm.com

Home Essentials Newsletter

2007-06-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

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June 2007

Home Essentials


Chuck Hamm RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors Phone: (805)258-2165 Email Chuck	In This Issue: Making an attractive home-purchase offer Microhood a must for any Kitchen Upgrade Making an attractive home-purchase offer By Dian Hymer, Distributed by Inman News It's easy to assume that negotiating is adversarial. You, the buyer, are on one side -- the side that wants to buy a property for the lowest price possible. The opposition on the other side is the seller who wants to sell for the highest price possible. You're locked in a tug of war to see which side will win. It's more productive to look at a negotiation as a problem-solving process. You and the seller may have different ideas about what price the property should sell for. However, you're united in a common goal of consummating a deal. The challenge is to resolve your differences through a process of give and take until you either reach your common goal, or decide to go your separate ways. Of course, you have to arrive at a mutually agreeable selling price for a sale to go through. Sometimes this will happen quickly; sometimes it's a drawn-out process that can last over days or even weeks. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Patience can be your ally. Sometimes rushing the process can quicken its demise. In fact, you may be better off waiting before starting the process if you think that the asking price is too high. For the first time in years, we are in a market where some home sellers -- typically those who bought recently -- won't be able to sell their home for a profit. But, they may need to test the market to be sure. If this is the case, the best negotiating strategy may be to offer nothing until the sellers are close to reducing their asking price. There can be a benefit to making an offer just before a price reduction is made. If you wait until the price is lowered, you could end up paying a higher price if other buyers suddenly become interested. In order to make sure you know that the sellers are contemplating reducing the price, ask your real estate agent to talk to the sellers' agent and make sure that the sellers are made aware of your interest. Don't be bashful about the fact that you are interested, but not at the current price. This way, you may receive a call when the sellers decide they'd like to see an offer from you. When you make an offer and there's no competition from other buyers, your initial offer price should leave you room to move up in price. But, it should not be so low that it's insulting to the seller. Otherwise he or she might not respond at all. An offer that's much lower than the market would give the seller the impression that you can't afford more, so there's no point in issuing a counteroffer. Buyers often think that if they start too high initially, they'll end up paying too much. Your initial offer price should be good enough to entice the seller into a dialogue. It's a price to get the ball rolling. From there, you can move up in small increments, if necessary. Don't get so caught up in negotiating the price that you overlook other opportunities for consensus building. Most good negotiations have a sense of fairness about them. During the process of your negotiation, you and your agent should brainstorm all the possible ways that you can accommodate the sellers. Do they need a quick close? If so, they might be willing to give more on price for a speedy close. However, you might want to hold up offering this information at the beginning of the dialogue. That way, you have something more of value that you can offer the sellers in exchange for a further price concession. THE CLOSING: When you get close on price, offering to split the difference can put a seal on the deal. Dian Hymer is author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books.

	Microhood a must for any Kitchen Upgrade By Paul Bianchina, distributed by Inman News Looking for a nice way to upgrade your kitchen and add both counter space and convenience? You might not need to look any further than replacing your existing range hood with a microwave/hood combination. Now known generically as a microhood, this useful appliance comes in a variety of colors, sizes and features to fit the requirements of just about any kitchen. Plus, it elevates the microwave to a more convenient height and gets that pesky little appliance off your countertop, freeing up valuable space. Microhoods are available in standard sizes and venting options that, in most cases, make them relatively easy to install in place of a conventional hood. When shopping for a microhood, look for a model that is the same width as your existing hood -- typically 30 inches to 36 inches wide -- and then look for the features you need. As with most appliances, features add cost, so concentrate on the ones you think you'll really use. INSTALLATION Installation is a relatively straightforward endeavor, and most units are well designed for the do-it-yourselfer. The unit should come with all of the brackets and bolts you'll need, along with a mounting template that greatly simplifies the placement of the necessary fasteners. The first step is to remove the old unit. First, shut the electricity to the hood, and verify that it's off. Locate the junction box on the underside of the hood, remove the cover and disconnect the wires. Remove the screws that hold the hood to the underside of the cabinet, and lower the hood. As the hood comes down, pay close attention to how the electrical cable enters the hood and how the hood is vented. You may need a second set of hands to support the hood while you carefully disconnect both the cable and the vent pipe. Unpack the new unit, and carefully study the instructions. The first step is typically to figure out how you are going to connect the vent, which is usually dictated by how the old hood vented. Most microhoods give you the option of venting through the top or through the back, and there is usually a metal plate over the fan that can be moved to accommodate which venting option you want to use. Microhoods have a rectangular vent outlet, usually with a damper, so if you have an existing round duct you will either need to install a rectangular-to-round adaptor or replace your old round duct with rectangular. The template that's supplied with the appliance will give you exact locations where to place the vent, and the dealer where you purchased the microhood can supply you with any pipe or transition adaptors that you might need. Another option with some microhoods is to make the unit recirculating, meaning that it does not vent to the outside of the house. While definitely easier, since it doesn't require ducting, recirculating hoods pump a lot of moist air back into the home, so avoid the temptation to use this option. Once you have the venting figured out, the next step is to install the mounting bracket. Place the template on the wall as directed in the instructions. Determine which mounting holes you are going to use -- the template will give you several options, depending on where the structural supports are in the wall -- and predrill these locations. Remove the template. The microhood itself mounts into a bracket or a box, which is supplied with the unit. The bracket is installed with lag bolts into the wall for support, along with fasteners that hold the bracket to the cabinet. Remember that microhoods are quite heavy, even empty, and that weight increases as you load it with food. Make sure that you install all of the necessary bolts and other fasteners supplied with the kit, and that they are seated into solid wood as required. Most microhoods have a cord with a plug, as opposed to the hardwiring found on most range hoods. If your old hood was hardwired and you now have an electrical cable to deal with, you will need to route the cable into an electrical box and install a standard grounded outlet that the microhood can plug into. If you are not comfortable with how to do this correctly, be sure and consult with a licensed electrician. The final step is to install the unit itself. Drill a hole in the bottom of the cabinet as specified, and route the electrical cord through the hole. Slip the microhood into the mounting box or bracket, and secure it in place. Plug in the cord, remove all packing materials, and you're ready to go. Each microhood installs a little differently. Be sure you read and follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly, that you comply with all necessary clearances, that you have a properly installed and grounded electrical outlet, and that you install all the required fasteners. If you have any doubts about any aspect of the installation, your dealer can help you arrange for professional installation.

Bicycles by HAMM (5/16/2007)

2007-05-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Want to do a 50 mile ride with lots of help?

The City of Oxnard invites you and the whole family to an organized bike ride to promote cycling as a healthy way for seniors to remain active. This is part of the city's Senior Games, celebrating an active senior lifestyle.
Saturday, May 19th, ride up the coast to the Bates Road exit and back. There will be full support consisting of 2 drivers monitoring the course, and 2 support stops between the start/finish area and Bates Road. This ride is approximately 50 miles, but riders have the option of turning around at any point for a shorter ride.
Bring your friends, family to enjoy a great coastal ride, get some goodies and lunch!
COST: Only $15 includes custom event T Shirt for first 50 registrants, custom water bottles for everyone, food and drink at support stops, LUNCH catered by Marianne's Italian Villa
WHEN: May 19, 2007 Register from 7:30AM to 8:30AM (registration closes at 8:30)
WHERE: Oxnard Beach Park off Harbor Blvd near Mandalay Bay (cross street: W Channel Is Blvd)
PRE-REGISTER at Bicycles by HAMM until Friday at 7PM, 305 W Channel Islands Blvd, Port Hueneme, CA 93041 (805-382-0574)
HELMET REQUIRED

Real Estate Update. Ventura County home prices are on the rise! For a free list of homes, or to find out how much your home is worth, call or email me here!

Bicycles by "HAMM"
(805) 382-0574, bicycles@verizon.net
305 w. channel islands blvd.
Port Hueneme, CA 93041

Chuck "HAMM", (805) 258-2165
www.HAMMProperty.com, RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
chuck@hammproperty.com

Home Essentials Newsletter

2007-05-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

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May 2007

Home Essentials


Chuck Hamm RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors Phone: (805)258-2165 Email Chuck	In This Issue: Secrets to Making a Lowball Offer Setting the Stage for a Successful Sale Secrets to Making a Lowball Offer As the property market cools down, it becomes a good time for property buyers. If you don't have that much money to spend on a house, but you're absolutely convinced that it's the right time for you to move (or if you've found an intriguing investment property) then you need to learn how to make a lowball offer and get it accepted. Generally, a lowball offer is 10% or more below list price. First and foremost, learn what types of properties you're looking for in terms of both the house and the seller. The House The properties you're interested in have been on the market more than a month. There's not necessarily anything seriously wrong with them, but they're just not generating much attention. Maybe they're unattractive, on a busy street, or in disrepair. The key is to find properties that maybe need a little repair work, but nothing major. Your lowball offer isn't worth much if you have to spend all the money you saved on structural or wiring work. The Seller The seller you're looking for needs to move ASAP. Perhaps they're relocating to a job in another city, or they've already bought another house but want to sell the old one before leaving town. Maybe they're selling the home of a recently-deceased relative, and they just want to get the whole thing over with. Maybe they've defaulted on their mortgage payments and the house is foreclosing. These are motivated sellers and they're more willing to accept a low offer on their property. The Secrets Get pre-approved for a mortgage before you start shopping. It'll make you more attractive to sellers. Shop at the right time one of the best times to look is during the week between Christmas and New Year's, simply because very few people are looking then. If you find the right house or the right seller at this time, it's a great opportunity for getting a low-ball offer accepted. Make an initial offer that's below what you want to pay, and prepare to be rejected. Let the seller feel that they're negotiating a better deal with you and they're more likely to accept your second or third offer. Note: in a competitive market this strategy isn't advisable, but in a slow market it's worth trying. Make offers on several properties. The more opportunities you create, the more likely you are to have a seller accept your offer. Hire a buyer's agent. The seller's agent is trying to get the best possible deal for their client and they're not going to help you get a low-ball offer accepted. A dedicated buyer's agent will, and they'll most likely have more in-depth knowledge of the neighborhood and current market prices, too. Don't use the list price as an indication of a property's true market value. List prices are often inflated, so do your own research. Get a Current Market Analysis for the area and find out how accurate that list price really is. Give the seller a good reason to accept your price. Offer to close quickly, offer to pay in cash, and be flexible on inspection dates. Accommodate the seller in every way possible, and if they're motivated to sell they'll be more amenable to your offer.

	Setting the Stage for a Successful Sale What's the best way to help your home make a glorious first impression on would-be buyers? Real estate experts agree that "staging" (also called "fluffing") your home to show it in the most favorable light is well worth your time and effort. Beyond the pre-sale cleaning and organizing you would expect to do, successful staging includes strategically arranging objects and furniture, adding decorative touches and more. Here are a few tips from the pros to help buyers make an immediate emotional connection with your home: Add a pot of fresh blooming flowers to the entryway (yellow is a very welcoming color) Open blinds to show off nice views. A vase on the window sill plays down less attractive views Add throw pillows, a soft lap blanket, candles and a candy dish for a cozy living room Use a soft bedspread, quilt, pillows and a throw rug to turn a bedroom into a relaxing retreat Set your dining room table with dishes, placemats, wine glasses, etc. Banish television sets, computers, kitchen and bathroom appliances from sight Don't forget the garage! Make sure surfaces are clean and neat. Store tools and gardening products to make room for cars. Whether you do the staging yourself or have your home fluffed by a professional, one Chicago-area expert confirms that homes that are staged often sell 75% faster and for 3%6% higher than the asking price!

check this out buy it, sell it, advertise, fun site, support diabetes

2007-05-02T07:57:00.001-07:00

check this out buy it, sell it, advertise, fun site, support diabetes

2007-05-02T06:27:00.001-07:00

Bicycles by HAMM (4/25/2007)

2007-04-25T13:35:00.001-07:00

Here's what you'll find in this email:
- New shop hours
- Shop mt bike race, cheap and fun!
- FBI at Bicycles by HAMM
- 25% discount for select few
- Earn a 4 day weekend in Big Bear Lake, CA
- Join the HAMM Team @ Firestone Mountain Bike Race, (Santa Barbara, CA)

Hours. Bicycles by HAMM will now open at 10AM on Saturdays and close at 6PM. We're still closed Sundays. Mon-Friday, we're open 11-7PM, Saturdays, 10-6PM.
Want to race? It's mostly a fun ride, but if you win you'll get a $50 Gift Certificate at Bicycles by HAMM. Your only cost is to make a $7 purchase at Bicycles by HAMM, and when you do, be sure to ask to register for the Bicycles by HAMM mountain bike ride/race on May 9, 2007. The races will be on the second Wednesday of the month at 6PM at Sulphur Mountain Road throughout the year during daylight savings. You do not need to register to ride/race unless you want to win the $50 Gift Certificate. I will be racing! Your $7 goes a long way to help the shop, enjoy riding, and measure your fitness on a monthly basis. The race portion of this ride will only last about 3 miles, uphill, to the first gate. First person to the first gate can win the $50 Gift Certificate. After that, we continue riding up the mountain and at about 7PM, we start making our way back down a very fun downhill!

FBI. Authentic hats and shirts available for sale...check them out soon before they run out!
Discount for real estate clients. Did you know my real estate clients get 25% off all their bicycle purchases, and get a free bike for real estate transactions? I've given away several bicycles now, and continue to give my best prices to my real estate clients.

Earn a 4 day weekend in Big Bear Lake, CA. All you have to do is buy a bicycle before May 5. I'm giving away 4 day weekends at my vacation house in Big Bear Lake for everyone that buys a bicycle costing over $400 before May 5, 2007. If you come in, you'll see that we mostly have bicycles worth less than $400 so we will most likely need to special order for you. We'll still give you our best price and best service! Just be sure that whoever is here at the shop when you purchase the bicycle, knows that you would like a free 4 day weekend in Big Bear Lake. Here are details on the vacation home: http://bigbearsaintmoritz.com. You must use this offer before the end of September, 2007.

Firestone Mountain Bike Race this weekend, Saturday and Sunday: http://www.ridesb.com/firestone.htm The HAMM Team will be there.

Bicycles by "HAMM"
(805) 382-0574, bicycles@verizon.net
305 w. channel islands blvd.
Port Hueneme, CA 93041

Chuck "HAMM", (805) 258-2165
www.HAMMProperty.com, RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
chuck@hammproperty.com

MLS update, Market update and more

2007-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Chuck Hamm
RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors
(805) 258-2165

Email Chuck Hamm

MLS update, Market update and more

The HAMM Team,

Here's what you'll find in this email:

-MLS Frustrations, solutions
-Market update, INTERESTING......
-Radio Show update
-Client appreciation party

MLS - I've had it up to my eyeballs with our MLS system updates. Apparently, all the data entry my assistant and I have done has NOT been complete and some of you have not received listings like you've requested. Luckily, a few of you know that the links the system sends out are "active" meaning they automatically update every time you click on them. Anyways, if you're worried, just email me. If not, we'll get around to getting your auto notifications up and running again this week.

MARKET - The market has taken an interesting turn in our county in the past couple months. This is mainly because prices are supposed to be decreasing. But surprisingly, re-sale home prices are on the rise. We've been watching volume of overall sales creep up for the past couple months. This has been encouraging. Condo prices still decreased in the month of February but they should start to rise again, too, due to the fact that re-sale homes are now on the rise. New home sales volume and prices have continued to decline.

RADIO SHOW - Todo Se Vale is a pet-project of mine. I do it for several reasons, but mostly to sell homes. I'm about to renew my contract with the radio station for another 3 months. The previous contract lasted 5 weeks. Those five weeks were extremely entertaining and encouraging. Apparently, I'm a likeable guy on the radio. Every week that passed by, the sponsors and the show would get better and better response. We'll soon be airing Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon on AM radio station 910, KOXR in Oxnard, of course, all in Spanish.

One of my friends and favorite auto insurance agents, Lisa Larsen, is throwing a client appreciation party. I asked if I could join in with her so I could also "appreciate" my clients and friends (that's you if you're getting this). She accepted, so you're invited! Here are the party details:
June 24th, 11-5PM at her insurance office/parking lot:
4587 Telephone Road, Ste 107, Ventura, CA

There will be FOOD, prizes, entertainment, food, free raffle, MUSIC, etc. You get the idea. Lots of fun. This will be quite the party!
We're looking for people who can contribute prizes, entertainment or other cool things to this party. Email me back if you have any ideas.

Sincerely,

Chuck HAMM
and The HAMM Team, RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
www.Casas805.com
Hablamos Espanol
(805) 258-2165
chuck@hammproperty.com

Bicycles by HAMM
305 W. Channel Islands Blvd
Port Hueneme, CA 93041
(805) 382-0574

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BICYCLE Riding Weather! (Bicycles by HAMM, 3/22/2007)

2007-03-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today is the day to get on your bicycle and ride!

This email has the following:

-Bicycles by HAMM SALE ITEMS
-Race Team Schedule
-Real estate Market Conditions
-Radio show update
-Senior Legends Bicycle Ride MAY 19 (easy ride)

BICYCLES BY HAMM
We've got some 2006 WOMEN's SPRING cycling clothing on sale for 25% off. Just mention the email for the discount--until Saturday at 7PM.
Also, if you purchased your bicycle at Bicycles by HAMM, you should bring it by today to get it ready for riding this weekend--remember, FREE minor adjustments, FREE "break-in" check up, and we'll be sure to let you know if we need to charge you! So get your bike here while its still MINOR!!! If you didn't buy your bicycle here, you've got time to get a tune up.

The HAMM Team, bicycle racing!
Cross country mountain bike race in Fontana this Saturday email if you're interested in carpooling.
Conquer the Canyons Stage Race, 4/21-4/22. The HAMM Team will attend this race in Westlake Village, let us know if you're interested in going, too.
Also, if you're registered with www.usacycling.org, you can now join The HAMM Team and ride as an "attached" team racer. We just registered the team. If you're interested in joining, reply and we'll get you the contract (coming soon) and get you on our next clothing order.

REAL ESTATE MARKET
This is the year to buy a home! Our inventory of homes for sale is well supplied, interest rates remain low, you CAN still get 100% financing if you need it, and home prices are the lowest they've been in a couple years. For financing, I recommend Ane Marie Barbetini at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (805-240-1490) since she has access to the cheapest government subsidized programs like CAL HFA: 100% financing, very low interest rate, 30 fixed! Foreclosures are at what might be an all time high. If you'd like a free list of foreclosures, email me and email it back to you. I don't recommend any foreclosure though--I recommend BANK OWNED (REO). REO properties are generally the best deals and a much more simple, normal transaction because the bank is the sole owner. visit www.HAMMproperty.com for listings, contacting me, etc.

Prices are very strong for selling but we're in a very average sellers' market--nothing too exciting. If you have to sell, I recommend calling me today (sooner than later) and let's get you listed before the Spring/Summer inventory of homes available for sale doubles. As you know, the more seller's you have competing to get their home sold to the next buyer, the lower the prices go!

RADIO SHOW
We're now on temporary hiatus after getting an amazing response. The audience is demanding more TODO SE VALE (Anything goes) on KOXR AM 910, so we're working on getting the show on the air 3-4 times per week at noon. If your business would like to tap into the local Spanish speaking market, and sponsor the show, email or call me, Chuck HAMM.

SENIOR LEGENDS BICYCLE RIDE, May 19 @ Oxnard State Beach, 7:30AM (easy bike ride for the whole family)
Bicycles by HAMM and The City of Oxnard is organizing the cycling event for Senior Legends. Senior Legends is celebrating and promoting health and activity in the month of May. The bicycle ride is going to be the best event (in my opinion). The course starts at Oxnard State Beach near Embassy Suites May 19 at 7:30AM and heads up toward Carpinteria and turns around. There will be support stops to eat, take breaks, etc. along the way. Its an out and back course for those of you who are not sure if you can make it all the way to Bates Road and back.

Bicycles by "HAMM"
(805) 382-0574, bicycles@verizon.net
305 w. channel islands blvd.
Port Hueneme, CA 93041

Chuck "HAMM"
(805) 258-2165
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
chuck@hammproperty.com

Bicycles by HAMM (3/6/07)

2007-03-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

21 days without a crash.....(but we're not counting) The HAMM Racing Team is off to a start this weekend at the Southridge USA mountain bike race in Fontana. We'll let you know later if its a good start...

THIS EMAIL:

Ride schedule
Real estate info for buyers and for sellers

Ride schedule. Saturday rides coming up but not this weekend. I'd like to once again get some response from people who'd like to ride, and when you're available to ride.
We currently have rides leaving the shop at 7AM Monday, Wed. Friday and most Saturdays. The easier Saturday rides will actually start at 8AM and most likely only last 60-90 minutes.
After daylight savings this Sunday, the weekly fast Tuesday night ride/race around Lake Casitas starts. I recommend this for categorized competitive riders.
hopefully this link works for our race schedule:
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=hammproperty%40gmail.com"><img src="http://www.google.com/calendar/images/ext/gc_button1_en.gif" border=0></a>
if not, try this:
http://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=hammproperty%40gmail.com

Real Estate Info for buyers:
Interest rates are currently low, but no one knows for how long. I recommend getting ready to buy if you've been thinking about it because experts are predicting that these rates can't continue for the long term.
BUYERS: Call Ane Marie Barbetini at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage at 805-240-1490. She has access to the government subsidized programs that make buying a home SO MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE. Here's an example:
CAL HFA is a 30 year fixed rate, 100% Financing, at a low interest rate (currently below 6% I believe). Major savings!
You can use this in conjunction with other govt subsidized programs, too.

SELLERS: Email or call about my listing programs along with marketing plans with associated fees. For example, I can list your property well below the standard 5% that most agents will request with a much stronger marketing program than they will offer. I'm not your normal real estate agent. I'm like you, fed up with most agents and I've developed a plan that I think will make you happy.

Bicycles by "HAMM"
(805) 382-0574, bicycles@verizon.net
305 w. channel islands blvd.
Port Hueneme, CA 93041

Chuck "HAMM"
(805) 258-2165
RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors
chuck@hammproperty.com

Considering Making a Move?

2007-02-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

Considering Making a Move?

Feb 28, 2007

	Dear The HAMM Team, When you're thinking about making a move, the first steps in the home buying process are: * Deciding when you want to make your move * Considering how much money you would like to spend * Thinking about what type of home you would like * Deciding where you would like to live The next step is usually finding out how much you can qualify for and deciding the type of financing that will work best for you. If you're in the "thinking about it" stage, you will want to speak with a lender about receiving pre-qualification. If you choose to become pre-qualified, the lender will determine how much you can borrow based on financial information you provide to the lender. Pre-qualification is useful for making preliminary decisions about how much home you can afford, but does not assess your creditworthiness. You will need to fill out a loan application and go through the lender's loan approval process at a later date. When you decide to buy a home, you will want to become pre-approved for a loan prior to beginning your home search. When you are pre-approved, the lender conducts a thorough credit check and verifies your employment and deposit. The lender's pre-approval is a commitment to loan up to a certain pre-determined amount. The only thing missing is the lender's appraisal of the home to confirm its value. Why is pre-approval important at the beginning of the home buying process? Pre-approval strengthens your offer and negotiating position. A home seller will often choose an offer that is pre-approved for a mortgage over someone whose financial picture is still in question. Please don't hesitate to call or email me for additional information about the buying process.. My goal is to provide you with practical information as you consider your next move. And, when you're ready to make your move, I'll help you find your dream home and handle all the details of the transaction, so all you need to do is pack! Sincerely, Chuck HAMM and The HAMM Team, RE/Max Gold Coast Realtors www.Casas805.com Hablamos Espanol (805) 258-2165 chuck@hammproperty.com Bicycles by HAMM 305 W. Channel Islands Blvd Port Hueneme, CA 93041 (805) 382-0574

Chuck Hamm
RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors
(805)258-2165

Email Chuck Hamm

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