Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO, on Genetic Testing

PamGrayBonaventureSeniorLivingGenetic Testing

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO, has noticed a distinct shift in how individuals go about tracing their family histories. For seniors interested in understanding their own unique legacies, Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO, presents the important elements of genetic testing.

ZRYLW: How has genetic testing changed in the last decade?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: In the early stages of genetic DNA testing, individuals were forced to build their own studies. This is still a viable option, though more tools are now available.

ZRYLW: Is there a better way to go about it?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Joining an existing project is more beneficial these days. Newcomers can be inundated with information, and this allows the first-time user to have assistance in their search.

ZRYLW: How does an existing process ease stress?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: By taking part in a project that’s already started, seniors have the ability to focus on names that appear throughout their family trees.

ZRYLW: Where does one begin?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Several options exist, but most of those involve the Internet. If a computer is not available at home, the local library will offer Internet services to visitors.

ZRYLW: What is a common website for these purposes?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: There are several options available online; one of these can be found at dna.ancestry.com.

ZRYLW: What are some other alternatives?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Public access databases are often searchable by surname and offer contact information for submitters. These databases include ysearch.org and familytreedna.com.

ZRYLW: Can an individual just use Google?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Many surname projects own websites, so a “surname DNA” query on the chosen search engine will display the desired result within the first few listings.

ZRYLW: What information is required to begin?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Information about the earliest known ancestor and the individual’s connection to this person through generations is necessary. Additional relations will increase the likelihood of success.

ZRYLW: Is genetic testing convenient?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Most websites feature a link for ordering a genetic testing kit right from the testing company. The administration will automatically be notified of the individual’s participation.

ZRYLW: What stipulations are in place?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: The individual must sign a consent form to release the testing company of any responsibility.

ZRYLW: How is one notified of a match?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Immediately after a match has been found, administration posts information directly on their websites for perusal by participants.

ZRYLW: What are the odds of a match?

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO: Results vary depending on the individual, but participants in genetic testing can discover nieces, nephews, cousins and other close relatives.

 

Pam Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living COO, started in her position in 2007. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the field of retirement living.

YORHealth Testimonial: Pablo Salas, Merida, Yu Mexico

YORHealth is a nutrition and wellness company founded in 2008. YORHealth offers a variety of health products, including meal replacement shakes and nutritional supplements. Customers from all over the world enjoy premium-quality YORHealth products that are uniquely formulated to support the body’s maximum nutrition absorption to build and repair organs, tissues, and cells. In order to ensure product quality and safety, YORHealth uses the highest standards of scientific integrity.

The YORHealth Weight Management Product Line consists of satisfying shake packs full of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants, as well as YOR CompleteBurn™, which is designed to support different individual’s weight-loss needs. Overwhelming clinical evidence demonstrates that a diet rich in antioxidants promotes healthier lives.  YOR SuperGreens consists of nutrients and antioxidants with the equivalent anti-oxidant power of approximately 24 servings of fruits and vegetables in every serving.

YORHealth products are designed to spread health and happiness. YORHealth also promotes fitness and physical activities for all ages. People across the globe have felt and seen the results of YORHealth quality products. Loyal YORHealth customers have increased their energy levels, gained muscle, lost weight, and improved their overall well-being.

YORHealth helped Pablo Salas reach his goals. Here, he shares his success story.

My dad is a doctor, my mom is a housewife and I have a sister 3 years older than me. When I was a kid my father was not doing well financially, he had just started working in his profession and we lived with many limitations.

When he began to earn more money, he and my mom wanted to give us a better education so they decided to move us from a public school to a private one. This left a lasting mark upon me. I didn’t feel I belonged to that new group of students, my schoolmates had nicer clothes, more expensive and cool shoes, and mine were ugly and old. I felt completely inadequate.

There was a time when a teacher did a group dynamics exercise, she wanted us to think we were on the other person’s side, it was about taking off our shoes and leaving them in the center of the room and taking someone else’s shoes. When I realized that someone else was going to wear my shoes, I was very ashamed. I didn’t want them to notice the holes in my socks, so when we finally had to use someone else shoes, I ran and grabbed mine back. A schoolmate gave me away to the teacher; she got furious and scolded me in front of everybody. I felt exposed when she yelled at me, “Get out!” Pointing with her index finger toward the exit with her arm extended. I walked away crying and feeling frustrated and angry.

I didn’t want to go back to that school anymore. I endured the discrimination and denigration from the students for a whole year. They called me low-class, weird and poor. They all agreed to stop talking to me. The ones with better manners just ignored me, but the rude ones called me names, threw things at me, or pushed me and made me stumble. I was ashamed to be seen alone in the play yard. I watched from a distance how other students had friends, how they laughed, or how they teamed up to play basketball. I felt very sad and depressed. I would have given anything to have a true friend at that moment.

Years later, a co-worker gave me an invitation and introduced me to YORHealth. At YORHealth I found a group of people, who wanted to help me, they wanted me to succeed. My friends at YORHealth didn’t care about my past, they told me, “You can do it”, and they believed more in me than myself. They encouraged me.

I found a true friend in YORHealth founder Dennis Wong who is willing to sacrifice his life in order to change the world. My life has already changed because thanks to YORHealth I have my own business and I have achieved financial success. I’ve paid my debts and I own my time! I can spend time with my family. I have a new car and I can travel around the world. I can even take pictures at the Great Wall of China. I found true inner peace and I can be an example of values for which my parents are proud of.

Today YORHealth has helped me feel happy and fulfilled because I’ve been able to help bring out the best of many people. I firmly believe that YORHealth is going to change the world. Do you know why? Because YORHealth has already changed my world and it can also change yours!

Find out more about YORHealth by going online to yorhealth.com.

Wesley Upchurch Talks about the History of Arcades

Wesley Upchurch is a Certified Internet Web Professional and CIW Professional Designer. He is also the Columbia, Missouri-based visionary behind entertainment venues The Virtual Arena and Gunther’s Games. Recently, Upchurch chatted with the staff of ZRYLW about the history of gaming arcades.

ZRYLW: What got you started learning about arcades?

Wesley Upchurch: Well, I was seriously thinking about going into this business, and knew it would be worth my time to learn some more.

ZRYLW: How far back do arcades go?

Wesley Upchurch: Really, about as far back as carnival midways or boardwalks. As far back as you can think.

ZRYLW: What were some early arcade games?

Wesley Upchurch: Most of them were mechanical games—stuff like shooting galleries, pinball machines, mechanical fortune tellers, things like that.

ZRYLW: In what kinds of places would you typically find arcade games?

Wesley Upchurch: Really, about any place where people have time to kill—laundromats, bowling alleys, supermarkets, bars, truck stops, etc.

ZRYLW: So the games weren’t strictly for kids then?

Wesley Upchurch: No, not at all. It was recreation and fun for anyone, all ages.

ZRYLW: When did a new generation of interactive games start?

Wesley Upchurch: By the 60s, electromechanical games were starting—things like car-race games, flying simulators, gun games—all with projected film for backdrops.

ZRYLW: Were they well-received?

Wesley Upchurch: Yes, they were fun, but pretty limited. They also required a lot of maintenance. Not that many of them left anymore.

ZRYLW: What was the next advance?

Wesley Upchurch: Well, the earliest, really primitive video games came along in the early 70s.

ZRYLW: What were some of those games?

Wesley Upchurch: Computer Space and Galaxy were a couple of early ones, and Pong came along not too much later.

ZRYLW: And so things were off and running with video games…

Wesley Upchurch: Yes, they were. The whole industry of arcade video games really came into its own by the late 70s.

ZRYLW: What were some of those early games?

Wesley Upchurch: That second generation of video games included titles like Galaxian, Space Invaders, Frogger, Pac-Man—that sort of thing.

ZRYLW: Was that when places like Dave and Busters started, too?

Wesley Upchurch: Yes, places like that or Chuck E. Cheese.

ZRYLW: Those are great venues.

Wesley Upchurch: Yes, the idea is to combine restaurants with arcades. “Fun for the whole family,” as they used to say.

ZRYLW: What happened in the 80s?

Wesley Upchurch: Really, by the late 80s, we saw the market begin to drop off.

ZRYLW: Why was that?

Wesley Upchurch: More home game consoles were coming on the market, and it ate into the arcade video games.

ZRYLW: What do you see as the niche for them now?

Wesley Upchurch: I think there will always be a niche for video arcades. They’re just fun places to be, and have a whole social/community aspect to them that isn’t a part of playing video games at home.

Federal Reserve Chairman Examines Economic Recovery

The leader of America’s central bank is hesitant to proclaim an end to economic trouble after examining recent trends. At the Federal Reserve’s Chicago branch recently, Chairman Ben Bernanke stated that current market conditions continue to be precarious even as many financial experts have declared a full recovery.

Bernanke made his remarks during a lengthy speech that described the Fed’s role in observing the successes and failures of the banking system. The speech was a focal point of the 49th Annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition, which brings together experts in technical, financial and academic research.

As a central thesis of his speech, Bernanke noted that participants in the financial market have been taking considerable risks in recent months. The extended run of economic stability in America reduced their desire to use reasonable provisions.

Securities lending endures as a major problem. Borrowers have proven unable to finance asset holdings and subsequently were forced to sell. This occurrence drove asset prices down even further, leading to extreme asset liquidation.

Money market funds are also susceptible to the unstable environment. Bernanke believes that risk is amplified because the Treasury has been stripped of its power to secure investors’ holdings in money market funds, which proved critical in halting the disastrous 2008 run.

To introduce the subject of income inequality, Bernanke said that wealthier households have made great gains in net worth, while lower- or middle-income households have declined in capital since the financial crisis. This reality is most apparent in the area of real estate. A number of homeowners are still “underwater,” with homes valued at much less than their mortgage balances. According to Bernanke, this fact alone indicates that the country’s financial well-being is more fragile than statistics might show. As a side note, he recommended that additional regulation should be installed in the repossession market—the wholesale market that financial institutions use for their daily funding requirements.

Bernanke stated that more preparation is required for both investors and market participants so that they can deal with any potential consequences. Leading research for this is the Office of Financial Stability Policy and Research, which educates both the central bank and the Federal Open Market Committee on policy decisions.

In closing remarks, Bernanke assured attendees that the Fed continues to identify threats in order to thwart future emergencies, and carefully monitor the activity of the nation’s financial institutions.

Margaret Suanne Bone Shares Her Love of Cooking

Margaret Suanne Bone first grew to love cooking while she was attending law school. Encouraged by her friend and fellow law school student Allison, she gradually got hooked on the hobby in her spare time. It’s been an enjoyable activity ever since, says Margaret Suanne Bone. In Allison’s words, if one can read, one can cook.

Margaret Suanne Bone began by grilling meats such as pork, chicken and beef, as well as fresh vegetables. Her best advice for beginners is to first rely on recipes that contain simple instructions. Newbies should choose recipes without a long list of ingredients, to keep the process easy and the grocery bill down. Starting with traditional cookbooks and sticking with well-known foods will also boost a new cook’s chances of success. In the early stages, meals can focus on typical staples of an American diet such as beans, pasta, eggs and lean meats. Rice and stir-fry dishes, which feature whole grains and vegetables, have become increasingly popular as well.

Margaret Suanne Bone was fortunate to have a family that enjoyed cooking a variety of different cuisines. To further influence her culinary pursuits, her mother gave her a treasure trove of dessert and casserole recipes. Margaret Suanne Bone gushes that both of her grandmothers were excellent cooks. Her paternal grandmother, Margaret Bone, had a reputation for creating delicious desserts with chocolate, most notably her Presbyterian sheet cakes. Margaret Suanne Bone also notes that her maternal grandmother, Susie Bond, had a special knack for tasty sweets. Another treat at Sunday dinners was creamed corn.

After learning the basic steps of cooking, Margaret Suanne Bone continues the tradition while experimenting with many tastes and textures. Some invaluable lessons have prevented her from a major kitchen catastrophe. When adding herbs and spices, she errs on the side of caution. When adjusting a recipe, she makes minor changes instead of completely straying from the instructions. Most importantly for Margaret Suanne Bone, her kitchen is a place for both fun and imagination. Inexperienced cooks should not stress out about mistakes.

Margaret Suanne Bone believes that cooking should be high on quality and flavor with as many healthy ingredients as possible. A homemade garden is a terrific way to grow food that contains none of the pesticides found in supermarket items. This summer Margaret Suanne Bone and her friend Melanie have decided to can okra grown in Melanie’s garden.

The 5 JustFab.com Wedges Every Girl Needs

Wedges are quickly becoming one of JustFab.com’s star styles and for good reason; they’re flattering and elongate the leg while adding height. Plus, they’re comfortable and easy on the feet. The team at JustFab.com has sourced styles in an array of platform heights, materials, colors and more, and with so many options, JustFab.com is able to offer a wedge for every look. JustFab.com’s multitude of styles may make it hard to narrow things down, so the fashion experts at JustFab.com have identified their five top picks.

The Shanghai goes seamlessly from day to night. This JustFab.com wedge is sky high, giving the impression of long, lean legs. Its strappy lace-up silhouette features on-trend tassel accents, and JustFab.com shoppers can choose from classic black or soft nude. Pair with silk genie pants for a day at the office or a flowing maxi skirt for weekend brunch with the girls.

Keena is a casual, sporty sneaker wedge from JustFab.com that gets you where you need to go in style. With three color choices including black, navy and multi-tone, there’s an option to match all of your weekend wear. Just Velcro the straps and hit the park to walk the dog or conquer your errands while staying in fashion, thanks to JustFab.com.

Thebes is JustFab.com’s take on two styles in one. This cut-out, lace-up sandal features a demi-wedge and combines the comfy, easy-to-wear style of a flat with the lengthening look of a wedge.  JustFab.com offers your choice of black or brown; simply slip on with a pair of cutoffs for a summer music festival or wear them with a mini dress to dance the night away.

JustFab.com re-interprets the espadrille with Los Feliz. Made from cut-out canvas with an exotic black and white ikat pattern, JustFab.com’s take on urban chic will have you strolling the city streets in style. Pair with a full length black dress for a cocktail party or skinny jeans and a tank for an afternoon at the flea market.

With Doheny, JustFab.com has wrapped three of the season’s hottest trends into one fashionable wedge sandal. This shoe combines leopard-print detailing, an ankle strap and minimal design for the freshest in summer footwear. Available in orange and mint, the team at JustFab.com knows that a pop of color is just what the season ordered.

These JustFab.com styles are perfect for updating your summer shoe wardrobe, but don’t forget about the rest of your look. JustFab.com also offers accessories and clothing, releasing a new selection to members every month.

Scott Safadi Talks about His Love of Dartmouth College

Scott Safadi graduated from Dartmouth College in 2003. Soon after leaving Dartmouth, Scott Safadi moved to Saratoga, California and began working in property management.  Today, Scott Safadi holds a CCRM (California Certified Resident Manager) designation and is the President of Cal Bay Property Management located in Palo Alto, California.

Zrylw:  We’re speaking with Scott Safadi, Dartmouth College graduate and President of Cal Bay Property Management. Thank you for joining us today, Scott.

Scott Safadi:  My pleasure. I’m a big supporter of Dartmouth College and always enjoy talking about my alma mater.

Zrylw:  What about Dartmouth makes it so special to you?

Scott Safadi:  Dartmouth is a family. I think part of it has to do with how isolated the campus is. When you’re there, you’re there. Dartmouth is Hanover. You can’t say that Columbia is New York City or that Harvard is Boston. The campus is extremely isolated and as a result, the students come together in a very special way. It becomes your world and that unique experience bonds the alumni.  It’s like having all attended the most amazing summer camp together.

Zrylw:  What attracted you to Dartmouth?

Scott Safadi:  Initially, I was attracted by Dartmouth’s reputation for a work hard and play hard attitude. I work harder than most people I know because it helps me do the things I love outside of work. The Dartmouth student body knows how to have fun; a lot more fun than kids are having at other top-tier institutions.

Zrylw:  What exactly is it that Dartmouth professors have that set them apart?

Scott Safadi:  The professors are extremely generous with their time and dedicated to helping undergraduates recognize their strengths and then encourage them to pursue their academic passions.  They really instill that academics don’t just exist in the classroom.

Zrylw:  What did you most love about Dartmouth?

Scott Safadi:  The short answer is everything. The campus, the professors, the students—the activities! The friends I made at Dartmouth are some of the most fun and amazing people I have ever known. The Dartmouth experience itself was simply priceless; I created memories there that will last a lifetime.

Zrylw:  What else about Dartmouth would appeal to someone considering enrolling there?

Scott Safadi: It’s rare for an eighteen year old freshman to have their future planned with absolute certainty.  Dartmouth is structured in such a way that you can alter your path quite easily. For example, my original major was in genetics. Then I discovered philosophy. Despite having entered Dartmouth with genetics as my major, I was able to change my focus to philosophy without a lot of difficulty and red tape. And then, during my third year, I decided to pick up an engineering degree—again, without a great deal of stress.

Zrylw:  You said Dartmouth was a life-changing experience. What makes you say that?

Scott Safadi:  The Dartmouth professors opened my mind to new philosophies. Rather than conforming and going along with the crowd, I was encouraged to do my own thinking. The experience gave me the impetus to pursue new interests and the confidence to start my own company.

Zrylw: I know the company you founded is Cal Bay Property Management. What new interests are you referring to

Scott Safadi: As I’ve already mentioned, I gained an immense enjoyment of nature, which ignited my love of backpacking and mountain biking. The Dartmouth experience is enlightening on so many levels!

Zrylw:  How are you able to maintain your enthusiasm? What has it been—nearly ten years since you graduated from Dartmouth?

Scott Safadi: That’s what’s so great about Dartmouth. It is an exciting life-long journey.

Zrylw:  What makes you say it is a life-long journey?

Scott Safadi:  Dartmouth is an extremely tight-knit community and the strong bonds that are built on campus continue after you leave. We keep in touch through a network of alumni.

Zrylw:  You mean you go back to Dartmouth occasionally to socialize with former classmates?

Scott Safadi: Actually, the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Silicone Valley is a very active organization, not just an occasional get-together. I feel very fortunate to have also spent time serving on the DAASV board.

Zrylw:  Can you give us a brief summary of DAASV and its purpose?

Scott Safadi:  It’s the eighth largest regional alumni club. The not-for-profit organization was founded in 1968 with origins dating back to 1881. DAASV’s purpose is to organize social, professional, athletic, and educational activities in order to extend the Dartmouth experience through a variety of events and programs in the greater Silicon Valley area.  The club has amazing leadership and I would not be overstating if I were to say that it is the most cutting edge and forward thinking alumni club in the entire country.

Zrylw: Thank you, Scott. Do you have anything to add?

Scott Safadi:   Yes. I’d like to say that Dartmouth College has been rated the number one teaching institute in the country for undergraduate studies by U.S. News & World Report since the category was created. Of course, Dartmouth has always been rated #1 in the minds of its students, alumni, faculty, and staff!

Scott Safadi married his wife, Rachel, in 2007 and their daughter, Sophia, was born on February 29, 2012.  Rachel, Sophia, and Scott Safadi live in Saratoga, California. See more about Scott Safadi at his website: scottsafadi.brandyourself.com.

Identity Fraud in the Internet Age

When the term ID theft was first coined in the 1960s, it meant simply to pretend to be someone else. Now, with the Internet creating a world of faceless interactions, identities can be both assumed and created.

Clone and conceal

One way the tech-savvy persona thieves are crafting new “lives” is by cloning the image of another, thus concealing him- or herself from the virtual world. These people may, for instance, steal profile pictures from unsuspecting connections on social media sites like Facebook. Once they have enough “evidence” they are real-world friends with a select individual, they then befriend others with a mutual connection. These new acquaintances are typically subject to fraudulent newsfeed, solicitations for donations, or other manipulations, usually garnered from heart-wrenching posts, playing off their sympathies.

Criminal ID theft

Criminal ID theft can begin online using the “clone and conceal” methods to capture another’s personal information, photos and other data. In these situations, the perpetrator uses the victim’s name, address and other credentials when arrested for an unrelated crime. This type of ID theft can have long-lasting effects on the individual whose name was cited in official criminal records and, in some cases, on the Internet.

Synthetic ID theft

The main victims of synthetic identity theft are typically financial institutions and retailers. This variation of identity fraud often combines a real person’s Social Security number with a fictitious name and birthdate. The person creating this new identity will usually apply for credit and, when granted, intentionally default on their payments. In some cases, the person whose Social Security number was used can have his or her credit negatively affected.

Child identity theft

A recent but growing problem is the practice of tarnishing a child’s as yet unused Social Security number to establish lines of credit to buy expensive items or obtain a fraudulent driver’s license. The biggest downside of child ID theft is that it can go undetected until a child becomes of age and begins to apply for credit on his or her own. A study by the Carnegie Mellon CyLab estimated that more than 10 percent of children are victims of ID theft.

Aside from using the Internet to obtain information, criminals may also rummage through personal rubbish in a practice known as dumpster diving, obtain public records in a completely legal fashion, or actually follow a person to observe his or her password, credit card information, or pin numbers. While there is no guarantee that any particular individual will not become a victim of identity theft, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission stresses that guardianship of personal information is the most effective intervention strategy.

Real Estate Expert Travis Jones of Rush Properties Discusses Foreclosure

For many homebuyers, purchasing a foreclosed home may seem like a smart investment, but there are things a buyer must know before getting caught up in the foreclosure process. Understanding the different stages of foreclosure will help a buyer be successful at investing in a distressed property, says Travis Jones, Rush Properties’ former president.

Travis Jones of Rush Properties is an entrepreneur based in Olathe, Kansas with expertise in foreclosure real estate, remodeling and client relations.  In the past 15 years, he has focused on increasing home values through property improvements within the Johnson County area as well as assisting homeowners in foreclosure with their needs through various compensation options.  Recently he answered a few questions about foreclosures.

Q. Travis Jones, what is the main thing to remember when purchasing a foreclosed property?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties:  Many newcomers to the market believe that foreclosures can be bought for next to nothing.   While it is true that foreclosures are often purchased at serious discounts, the idea that someone can consistently find homes for 10 percent of market value is just not realistic.

Q. But are foreclosures still worth pursuing?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties:  Oh, definitely. RealtyTrac reports that over the last 7 months the average savings on foreclosure purchases is approximately 29 percent less than full appraisal.  That’s from a nationwide survey and is quite a significant savings!

Q. What else should buyers consider?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties:  Often people think that to buy a foreclosure is to take unfair advantage of a homeowner in distress.  Actually, if a buyer can find a seller in the pre-foreclosure stage as many realtors can help arrange, they can help the homeowner to leave with something to show for their equity in the property and avoid a major markdown on their credit report.   Even if the property is bank-owned the sooner the home can sell, the better it will be for home prices in the surrounding neighborhood, which affects everyone.

Q: Can you explain the different stages of foreclosure?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties: Yes, a foreclosure consists of few broad stages: Delinquency and Default, Foreclosure Suit, Judgment Sheriff Sale and Post-foreclosure

Q: What is the Delinquency and Default stage?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties: At this stage when the homeowner still owns the property but is aware that there is potential for foreclosure. The homeowner is basically warned by the lender that he or she is in default and needs to act, says Travis Jones of of Rush Properties. At this point the homeowner can sell the property. This is considered a grace period before the lender files a lawsuit. The length of the grace period varies by state. The best way to find a property in this stage is through a real estate agent or an attorney.

Q: What options does the homeowner have at this point?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties: The homeowner can sell the property or work out a payment plan with the mortgage company. For a buyer, it’s best to find a property at this stage through a real estate agent or an attorney.

Q: What happens in the foreclosure suit stage?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties: The best way to find a property in foreclosure is through the County Clerk’s office. Title insurance companies can also be helpful. According to Travis Jones and Rush Properties, the foreclosure process varies from state to state, depending on whether it is a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure. After this phase, the trying to obtain a judgment and receive a order to be sold at an auction. Publicized foreclosure auctions can be researched online, usually listed on websites dedicated to foreclosures. Typically, the auctions take place at a county courthouse, says Travis Jones and Rush Properties.

Q: Can you explain the Judgment and Sheriff Sale phase?

The best way to find a property in foreclosure is through the County Clerk’s office. Title insurance companies can also be helpful. According to Travis Jones and Rush Properties, the foreclosure process varies from state to state, depending on whether it is a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure. After this phase, the trying to obtain a judgment and receive a order to be sold at an auction. Publicized foreclosure auctions can be researched online, usually listed on websites dedicated to foreclosures. Typically, the auctions take place at a county courthouse, says Travis Jones and Rush Properties.

Q: What happens, post-foreclosure?

Travis Jones, Rush Properties: At this stage, the lender is in control of the property. The home is now in the lender’s Real Estate Owned department, which may be willing to negotiate. However, the price may be at market value based on the condition on of the property.

Travis Jones, Rush Properties former President, is a partner in Cherry Park Properties.  He is married and has three children. When not working, Travis Jones of Rush Properties likes to spend time with his family, work in his yard and spend time on the water.

Charles Brennan Shares History and Services of Las Vegas, Nevada Based Dollar Loan Center

Las Vegas, Nevada businessman Charles Brennan, whose career includes the music and financial industries, talks about his most successful business venture to date, Dollar Loan Center, in the following interview with Zrylw.

Zrylw: Thanks for joining us.  Please tell readers a little bit about yourself.

Charles Brennan:  From a young age, all I can remember is being an entrepreneur.  I knew I wanted to create a strong financial future for myself.  I started my first business in grade school and was working nights at Citibank while I was still in High School.  Music played a big part in my teenage life, as it does for most kids.  While I didn’t master an instrument, I found I had a knack for band management and concert promoting.

Zrylw:  How did Dollar Loan Center start?

Charles Brennan:  From my financial background, I knew there was a huge gap in lending between the typical Payday Loan Company and a traditional bank.  Short term lending was broken in my opinion.  In fact when I started Dollar Loan Center in 1998 I used my promotions expertise to build our brand. I promoted Dollar Loan Center as I would a rock concert and built our customer base on Rock Radio.  Our original location was in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Zrylw:  Where are Dollar Loan Centers located? Have you expanded beyond Las Vegas, Nevada?

Charles Brennan:  Since 1998 we have grown to 80 locations.  While the majority of them are still in Nevada, we also have several in Utah, South Dakota and most recently, California.

Zrylw:  What services does Dollar Loan Center provide?

Charles Brennan:  Dollar Loan Center offers short-term, installment, signature loans, which means that we provide help to the people that really need it and they chose the term length.

Zrylw:  Who is eligible to receive a short-term loan from Dollar Loan Center?

Charles Brennan:  Anyone can apply, either in person or online at dontbebroke.com.  Dollar Loan Center conducts credit checks and employment verification for each applicant.  It does not benefit us or the applicant to lend someone money that can’t pay it back.

Zrylw:  How is Dollar Loan Center different than typical payday loan centers in Las Vegas, Nevada?

Charles Brennan:  The biggest difference is that our customers can keep the loan out as long as they need it and are only charged interest for how long they need the loan.

Zrylw:  How is this helpful to customers?

Charles Brennan:  The product is less expensive than the loans offered through the traditional payday model.  We have no application, origination or pre-payment fees.  If someone only needs the loan for 2 days, they will just pay 2 days interest.

Zrylw:  Are there other differences?

Charles Brennan:  2 very big ones.  Dollar Loan Center does not require recipients to have a checking account and our loans are true signature loans with no collateral required at all.

Zrylw:  Is this new/alternative model popular with customers?

Charles Brennan:  Last year in Las Vegas, Nevada alone, Dollar Loan Center had nearly 100,000 repeat customers.  They were so pleased with Dollar Loan Center loan services that they came back for other loans, referred friends and stayed loyal to our product.

Zrylw:  Do loans alone keep customers coming back?

Charles Brennan:  We strive to have the best customer service in the industry.  Our locations are nicer than most banks with no bullet proof glass or plastic furniture.  But one of the big key’s to our success is pricing.  We are roughly half the price of the average competition!

Zrylw:  Tell readers about these additional supports.

Charles Brennan:  On the Dollar Loan Center web site, readers can find information about financial education and can ask financial questions at any time.  Dollar Loan Center supports local communities wherever we do business as well and has sponsored sports teams and youth programming.

Charles Brennan is the majority owner and CEO of Dollar Loan Center and co-founder and owner of Clark County Collection Services.  Charles Brennan is actively involved in the Las Vegas, Nevada community, playing a major role in impacting the Sioux Falls community where he was raised.  Along with his wife and children, Charles Brennan currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.