Presentation by Aki Sogabe

Golf – Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Playing in nature
• You can play alone
• Players can be a wide range of ages.
• You can play with people who are different ages and proficiencies
• Good for your health.
• You can improve your mental abilities.
• Playing golf allows you to build new friendships.
• Playing golf is a good business tool

Disadvantages

• It takes a long time to play a round of golf.
• Some equipment is expensive.
• Golf can be addictive.
• People can get injuries.
• Because you hit a still ball, golf looks like an easy game, but it is actually more difficult than people think.

Presentation by Jennifer Ackley
Insurance Specialist

Why is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist so important?

Uninsured Motorist coverage protects you when the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance, or has no insurance at all. Uninsured Motorist Coverage isn’t very expensive to add onto your existing Automobile policy and provides you with a huge benefit. If another driver is at fault for an accident and you are injured, the uninsured motorist coverage provides you with coverage for loss of wages, pain and suffering, additional expenses and mileage to doctor appointments. For just a few hundred dollars a year, this coverage is very beneficial and can make a huge difference if you are ever seriously injured.

Presentation by Ken Stone

Whether you are retaining an attorney, realtor, contractor, physician or other professional or if you are entering into a business transaction on your own, you can accomplish your own due diligence to avoid getting involved with the wrong person.

Here is a list of helpful resources to research people you deal with in business transactions.

Presentation by Mark Golchin
Certified Certified Mortgage Planner

• Current global market analyses and impact of Central Banks involvement to fix the so-called world economy and its impacts in our domestic mortgage rate, savings rate and Real Estate market.
• New loan programs that are available and programs that major banks will not do. Loan programs limitations.
• In this Real Estate market, if you are planning to buy a real estate property and need to refinance your existing loans either for primary residence or investment property, how to prepare yourself in advance.
• Since it is to the end of the year, it would be best time to prepare for your plans. I will tell you how.

AT TOP OF HILLSIDE WITH DEEP CAISSONS - AN ENGINEERING CASE STUDY

Presentation by Rick L Wright, P.E.

Abstract: Infrastructure Design Group specializes in providing economical solutions for deep foundations for hillside development projects. Hillside properties are typically the most technically challenging and most expensive to develop.

In this case study, Infrastructure Design Group is presented with a retaining wall that has been undermined from erosion and sits at the top of a difficult to access hillside. We will show how the elements of our project were minimized to save project costs, while meeting the requirements of the current building code.

Presentation by Al Baldwin

Al Baldwin spoke about email and spam. He started with a general outline of email and how spam is delivered along with the questions people ask themselves (or others) about what can be done to prevent spam. Al told us nothing can be done about spammers themselves, but he went over the various methods we could use to prevent spam from reaching our mailbox. He explained that good spam prevention is inherent in keeping us safe from virus and spyware. Why is that? Because email is the primary host in spreading these malicious codes. He discussed the two primary ways there are to prevent spam, software-based filtering and service-based filtering. He gave an account of how he, personally, uses email and how his method works, at least for himself. Every person has different ideas and needs. He suggested, as in his own case, to get a secondary email address at one of the various free sites, such as Yahoo and Hotmail. And use this email for everything that might put you on a list, including amazon.com, ebay.com, and other sites. They do share your info. Keep your business email safe from these sites and use it as a primary form of communication for business purposes.

He personally uses a service called Spamarrest and discussed the value of such service.

Presentation by Simon Mattar
Rock-N-Gold Creations specializing in custom Bridal n Jewels

We also can recreate new designs with your sentimental or inherited pieces that you no longer wear or are broken to make them into piece of jewels that you can wear for a life time. Quality Custom Jewelry has much more meaning in creating that special piece than just buying a mass production piece that has no quality or integrity put into it. Bring in your Gems n Jewels for Rock-N-Gold to create that special piece for you!

Presentation by Vincent Sullivan, Estate Planning Attorney

Vince Sullivan, our estate planning attorney and a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, spoke this morning on some of the problems he encounters in his estate planning practice.

First, people have to read the documents they sign. He gave the example of a trust that required distribution of percentages of the estate to four different beneficiaries. Unfortunately, the total given away was more than 100%.

Second, he discussed a case where a settlor had named three co-trustees to handle his estate after the settlor died. These three trustees barely knew each other, lived in different parts of the U.S., do not get along, and may end up in lawsuits against each other. In the meantime, a business wasn’t being run, and an expensive home with swimming pool was left vacant.

Third, Vince gave an example of an individual transmuting his home, owned before the marriage, from his separate property to community property with his wife after he was married. Unfortunately, the marriage is ending in divorce a few years later, and the individual is regretting having transferred his home into community property.

Vince’s talk was very interesting and very enlightening.

Presentation by Aki Sogabe

My background:

I was born in Tokyo and grew up in Chiba Prefecture, which is next to Tokyo. I graduated the Dean Reinmuth Golf School in San Diego. Dean Reinmuth is one of the top 50 golf teachers in the United States. After I graduated from the school, I became an assistant of Dean Reinmuth from 1997 to 1999. I have been teaching more than 10 years and thousands students.

Lesson Locations:

Presentation by Rick L Wright, P.E.

Infrastructure design group provides engineering inspection reports for structural, geotechnical and drainage issues. These inspections provide for a daignosis of the problem, a discussion of the general method of repair, and an order-of magnitude estimate for the cost of repair.

Infrastructure design group provides full service permit processing to services to obtain permits from the city for the recommended repairs.

Infrastructure design group also provides construction mamagement services to oversee and ensure the project is constructed in accordance with the recommended repairs.

Uses of structural inspection reports:

1. Identify constriction defects
2. Determine permitted status of residence
3. 3rd party independent inspection for disputes
4. Title insurance claims
5. Overall geotechnical & structural risk assessment

Typical structural inspection report findings:

• Minor footing repairs
• Post & beam issues
• Over-spanned floor & roof beams
• Drainage issues adjacent to house