Senator Ackerman Awards Michael Caruso with Legislature Resolution

Senator Dick Ackerman was a guest presenter at an Orange County Realtor Association event where he awarded Michael Caruso with a California Legislature Resolution to recognize the work Michael performed while serving as 2007 President for the Association of Realtors.

The Orange County Association of Realtors is the 16th largest Realtor Association in the USA. Michael Caruso served during a very challenging year for the industry. He remained focused and intent on member services and community involvement. While serving, Michael initiated 3 new committees to assist in facilitating the needs of the membership. One new committee is the “Media Relations Task Force” which is responsible for building a better bridge of communication between the Association and the media. Another important committee is the “Emergency Preparedness Task Force” which is responsible for facilitating safety measures and emergency strategy during times of natural disaster or local emergencies. The 3rd new committee is the “Past President’s Advisory” which is comprised from the previous sitting presidents within the past 10 years so as to offer guidance and counsel to the sitting president as well as develop success strategies for the Association of Realtors.

When asked about his service to the Orange County Association of Realtors Michael said “This is an experience I will cherish forever…and it is quite a huge undertaking and responsibility”.
Michael Caruso has been a real estate Broker owing his independent real estate office since 1994. Prior to that he worked for very successful franchise offices in the Long Beach area. He is committed to the real estate profession. Michael Caruso can be reached at 949-753-7900 or through his web site at MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com. Michael is an ardent community volunteer and also serves on the Executive Advisory Board at Cal State Fullerton. Feel free to contact Michael at any time with your real estate questions.

Broker Fights to Replenish OC Food Bank

Broker Michael Caruso has found a creative way to help rebuild the inventory at Orange County's Second Harvest Food Bank.

Caruso has successfully created and now tested a method whereby he requests that agents bring a can of food when they come to view his listings that are featured on "Broker Tour" in various areas of the county. Michael put this system into effect this week while serving lunch at his new listing located in San Juan Capistrano at 27492 Silver Creek and has gathered about $200 in financial contributions as well as filling a barrel with canned food and dry food items. "A can of food for the charity is their ticket to get in in order to view my new listing, then I feed them lunch while they are there at the home", Michael said.

Michael asked a representative from Second Harvest Food Bank to join him so as to launch this effort and help introduce the program. Representative Lorina Smith was anxious to put forth an effort to increase attention to this important cause. These items will no doubt be helpful as food bank inventories are hitting very low levels. Due to the current economic conditions, the number of families in need has increased substantially while the number of donations has diminished. The results of these two dynamics can be devastating.
Caruso said "We have initiated some momentum here. People have a better understanding of the challenge that faces us. Some Realtors have now agreed to place donation barrels in their offices and Affiliates have joined the effort to help increase attention at their holiday functions".

Michael Caruso has been the Broker/Owner of Orange County Real Estate Services since 1994 and prior to that he worked with several large franchise offices. He is an ardent community volunteer and has served on numerous C.A.R. and N.A.R. Committees as well as having just served the Orange County Association of Realtors (16th largest in the USA) as their 2007 President. He can be reached at 949-753-7900 or through his website: MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

"I hope we take this food drive campaign to new heights during the holiday season and throughout the New Year", Michael said. "This is a serious time in our lives and in history, and people need to think more about helping each other."

Cold and Flu-Like Symptoms? Blame Toxins!

Have you been suffering form sneezing, headaches and an upset stomach? While flu season is upon us, your body may be suffering the affects of immunotoxincants (toxic chemicals that weaken the immune system).

Here are some ways to limit your exposure:

*Use natural cleaners rather than common household cleaner, which are known to prevent the body from being able to effectively fight off germs and viruses.

*Keep your home and office well ventilated by opening windows and doors when possible

*Use untreated cotton or linen sheets. Most bedding is treated with formaldehyde, which can cause cold symptoms such as congestion.

*Rather than using pesticides, select herbal repellants to treat areas where pests are present in and outside your home.

Many skeptics balk at the thought of abandoning the use of 409 and Ajax instead of choosing green products…Can one have a presentable home while using eco-friendly, “safe” products? I say the answer is “Yes.”

What are your thoughts?

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real; Estate Connection.

Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CBR CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

MCREG Goes Green!

Nowadays, going green is not only a trend, it’s a new way of life. By taking time to evaluate ways reduce your carbon footprint, we help make the world a better place for our future.

Here are some great ways to go green in your office:

*Print on both sides of paper when possible
*Recycle cans, bottles, paper
*Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs which last ten times longer and use seventy-five percent less energy
*Utilize auto-shut off features for all lights, air conditioning and electronic equipment
*Purchase air purifiers to clean office air
*Donate or recycle old electronic equipment. For a list of charities who accept such donations, visit epa.gov


The Michael Caruso Real Estate Group is not only concerned with the environment, but we also are very interested in providing tips to help others adapt their offices as well.

Do you have any other ways that your office is being eco-friendly?

Your comments are welcome.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real; Estate Connection.

Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CBR CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Underwater Reef to Produce Real Results

This week marked the official dedication of San Clemente’s artificial reef.

The reef, which is composed of fifty modules (40 x 40 meters each) stretches from the San Clemente Pier to San Mateo Point and is located a little over one half mile off the coast. The project is funded by Southern California Edison in an attempt to offset the affect San Onofre’s Nuclear Generating Station has had on the kelp habitats in the ocean.

After calculating construction, research and testing costs, over $40 million was required to complete the reef project, which is hoped to promote diverse population. Southern California Edison has high hopes that the reef will produce 50 million fish annually.


Your comments are welcome.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real; Estate Connection.

Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CBR CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Where Were You in 2003?

Well, where has the time gone? Seems it's 2003 all over again except we've all aged 6 years.

Recent reports from October sales and value analysis indicate real estate values have hit the mark they were at in 2003. This week the stock market hit levels last seen in 2003.

So what are the key essential differences as we embark upon 2009 and important bench mark values are at 2003 levels? Pretty simple.

1) There was momentum in 2003

2) There was optimism in 2003

When things seem at their worst, they probably are. There is only one place to go and that is up! Think upbeat. Today, our President said..."This situation didn't create itself overnight and it won't be solved overnight" The key is...it will be solved. But people want immediate gratification, immediate cures, immediacy is a way in which we have been groomed during the past decade or so.

This is going to take a little more time. But expect fiscal stimulus that will rock your world and get things back on a positive track. It is important to stay on a personal positive track at the same time.

Your comments are welcome.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Bison Population Improving at Camp Pendleton Marine Base

The iconic American Buffalo resides in a very unusual place...the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. In the 70's the San Diego Zoo gave 12 of these Bison to the base. Since that time they have multiplied and currently the herd stands at about 150. They are simply left alone to roam about 38,000 acres of the 125,000 acre Marine base. These are the plains bison and they are genetically pure, larger than their counterpart the woods bison.

This elite group is one of three such herds nationwide. And they are healthy. They have been randomly tested and all are disease free with no heavy metals in their system despite living on an active base, and no signs of inbreeding. Oh yes, they get in the way at times during drills and everything stops for a few moments while horns sound to scare them off.
Because of over hunting the bison in North America fell from a population of millions to just a few hundred by 125 years ago. The majority of bison living today are privately owned in herds of less than 1,000 and are generally fenced in small areas according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which manages almost 7,000 bison in 7 national wildlife refuges and five national parks.

It's great to see these splendid animals survived the ravages of the 1800's.

Your comments are welcome...

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Utah to Send Anaheim "Green Power"

No, this is not a trade in the NBA...

Anaheim seems determined to honor their word and the state mandate that 20% of their power be "green electricity" for households by the year 2012.
After a bit more testing is completed the Utah power plant will send Anaheim 11 megawatts of power beginning in 2009 from the Raser Power Plant, which boasts zero carbon emissions. A spokesman from Raser said that 95% of the equipment they use to make geothermal green power is from machinery we've had for many years. They run huge air conditioners backward...only 5% of what they use to obtain this green power is new technology.

A geothermal generator uses heat from underground hot water to produce electricity.

My only question is why can't we do this locally and not ship it in from another state?
Your comments are welcome.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRBS CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Anyone Remodeling? The Space Station Is...

Money is tight. Contractors are looking for work. How far will they travel to get work? To the Space Station?

The International Space Station is set to get a facelift soon as astronauts prepare for an upcoming launch that will have them make improvements which will essentially double the crew capacity at the station. They will set in place a new water recovery system, a new fridge, set up extra sleeping compartments, add a work out machine capable of performing 30 exercises for crew members using it, and add a half bath. They will be setting up extra lap top stations, thermostats and most important...they are going "green". They will install an environmental system that is a closed loop - essentially recycling almost everything. Yes, if you were thinking what I was thinking...it will turn urine and condensation into drinking water.
If NASA wants to increase they crew size from 3 to 6 astronauts, these things must be done. And we are set to get them done in the next voyage, scheduled for later this week.

So wish them the best of luck and a safe return.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Mr. "Governator", Please Don't Kick Businesses When they're Down

In California, the Governor is faced with an $11.4 Billion budget deficit. Our "Governator" has proposed an economic stimulus plan that would have the state sales tax increased by 1.5% for a 3 year period. Ideally this would bring much needed revenue for the state...but wait a minute here. I said "ideally" it would do that. However, what if the increase in sales tax causes people to buy less and the result is more businesses closing? A very real possibility. It could create a further economic deterioration and downward spiral. I really don't want to go to any more "going out of business" sales!

Other ideas brought forward in the Governors package I can really get behind. They include calling for scaling back holiday pay to straight time rather than time and a half for all state employees. And by the way, we have nearly 235,000 state employees. And eliminating 2 paid holidays per year. That still leaves plenty more paid holidays. I don't get any paid holidays at all. Hey...I think people are lucky to be working in this economic environment and this type of payroll adjustment can save the state $1.4 billion per year.

Imagine if we had those 2 adjustments in place 6 or 7 years ago...we wouldn't have a deficit at all!

So please Mr. Governor, don't kick businesses when they're down...

Your comments are welcome.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Can Campaign Signs Get a "2nd Term"?

Do we all agree that by the last 2 weeks of a major election campaign signs everywhere are about nauseating?

Well, what happens to the signs after an election? Whose job is it to remove them from light poles, fences, greenbelts, intersections...you name it? Should they be removed at taxpayer expense? Well some cities have rules about the candidate removing the signs within 30 days of an election, other cities have crews that remove them and I'm told that some candidates remove their signs without having to be asked.

But what about giving signs a "2nd Term"? How can we re-cycle them to be painted over by upcoming candidates or stored to live another day as they are re-used by incumbents? Wouldn't that be better than filling up dumpsters with campaign signs of an election aftermath?

There must be a way to take this old fashioned campaiging in a "Green Direction"?

Your comments are welcome...

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Broker Michael Caruso Receives Award Recognition from Congressman John Campbell

It's not everyday that someone receives an American Flag flown on their birthday over our nation's Capitol from their Congressman. Michael Caruso, Orange County Real Estate Broker was awarded this distinguished honor in a ceremony marking his service as President of the Orange County Association of Realtors. Congressman John Campbell presented Michael with an American Flag which was flown over our nation's Capitol in Washington DC on Michaels' birthday.

"This recognition and award brought a tear to my eyes", Michael said. "I thoroughly enjoyed serving the Association in my year as President and made many friends in our Legislature and in the local political arena as well. But this type of farewell gift is astounding".

Michael has served the Orange County Association of Realtors on its Board of Directors since 2001. In 2006 he served as President-Elect and in 2007 Michael led the Association of Realtors (16th largest in the USA) through some very tough times in the most challenging market in the history of California real estate. "Throughout the year in 2007 there was one disappointing surprise after another, from declining sales to sub-prime melt down. Despite these challenges, we managed to increase our Realtor population, maintained a balanced budget and improved the standards of education for our Realtors with over 250 educational classes offered during the year. In addition, we instituted 3 new committees to touch on media relations, emergency preparedness for staff and visitors to our buildings and a presidential advisory committee to counsel our sitting president on macro and micro real estate dynamics."

These days, Michael Caruso is back at work while continuing to serve the Association as immediate past president. "It's nice to have 20 hours a week back for my office work and for my clients, but I enjoyed every moment of service to the Association of Realtors. Somehow, when serving you can still fit everything in to each day, so there was always time for client service while I worked as Association President. We have a big responsibility of serving the citizens of Orange County and connecting every day in every way with our communities. We take this responsibility very seriously.

Michael's real estate office is located in the heart of Orange County:

9891 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine CA 92618 and his main office line is: 949-753-7900.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Why, Why, Why, Another Ugly October…

Does that sound like “Wah, Wah, Wah”?

October as it pertains to the weather and October as it pertains to the business world are two totally different tales.

For weather…even in states where there are only two seasons, October marks a distinct change of season. More beauty and awe exists in states that enjoy four seasons…October brings crisp, clean air with an amber and gold leaf color to trees.

But whoa unto the business world…October seems to bring in the worst of times for business. Why does it always have to be such an ominous month? October brought us the 1929 stock market crash and the 1987 Black Monday. This year in October, despite ending on an up note, the stock market handed us the worst performance in some 21 years. This October handed us paper losses of between 2 and 3 Trillion dollars. So, what is it about October? Does anyone have any ideas?

Your comments are welcome…

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Towering Christmas Trees at Malls Don't Impress...They Hurt!

Here it is in "The OC". November is upon us and some (if not all) attention turns to Christmas shopping. Along those lines, we are home to several of the largest grossing dollar volume Malls in the USA.

But one of them...South Coast Plaza hurts me every year. No, not with the prices of items. It is with the delivery of their Christmas Tree.

This year, the South Coast Plaza Mall will hoist and decorate a 96 foot 60 year old white fir from Mount Shasta. Beautiful? Absolute YES! But it's criminal to kill a tree like this, then haul it 650 miles in the longest trailer truck allowed by law, just to position it at a Mall.

It will be seen by many and certainly enjoyed for it's grandeur and decorating...but they killed a beautiful tree. Maybe these are the places that should consider employing an artificial tree, assembling & re-assembling every year.

Am I being too environmentally conscious? What do Malls in your area do? Let me know your thoughts.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Santa Ana Winds Damage Your Trees?

Last week we had some intense winds that knocked down more than a few trees in my neighborhood. From branches and leaves creating a mess in front yards to entire trees snapping at the base, I thought it might be a good time to post some tips on how to help strengthen trees in order to protect your home:

*Avoid tying small trees up to tightly. Whether the tree is young or small in size, trees should be tied loosely enough so that they may sway with the wind which can prevent snapping.

*If you stake your tree, be sure that the trunk will not rub against the stake if high winds occur, as this can cause deep, unsightly “wounds.” Such wounds can invite disease, pests and can damage the tree.

*Remove any stakes a year after planting the tree so that the tree will be able to develop roots which will firmly anchor it in the ground. This way, when winds kick up, the tree will have a better chance of standing strong.

Your comments are welcome.
Thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.
Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

Home Sweet Home...and Safe Too!

Fall is a great time to take half of a day and reevaluate your home’s current safety level. Here are some ways to do so:

*Clear clutter from stairwells- This sounds simple, but it’s important to keep the stairs clear for a quick exit, and to prevent a possible stumble.

*Check heating equipment-Fires due to heating equipment are most prevalent during the fall and winter months, so double check to make sure all heaters are in proper condition.

*Guard against poisons-Examine cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms (and anywhere else you may keep substances of this sort) and move anything that may potentially harm a child or pet.

*Look out for slippery rugs-Secure rugs with materials such as double-sided tape to ensure that there are no injuries caused by this common household hazard.

It may not be your first choice while you have downtime, but taking time to make sure that your home is safe will provide security and comfort for those who live in and visit your home.

These are only a few ways to help make your home a safe place…Have any more good suggestions related to this article?

Your comments are welcome!

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.
Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors