Spotlight: Angel Flight West

 A cause close to my heart is Angel Flight West.  This nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization arranges free, non-emergency air transportation for people who need to access to health care and other critical services. Angel Flight West's volunteer pilots donate their time, talent, airplanes and fuel to make it happen.

My husband, Alan, joined Angel Flight West as a volunteer pilot in 1993 and went on to serve on the board for six years and as the Southern California Wing Leader for four years. I have also served on the board.  Alan is currently Angel Flight West's executive director.

Angel Flight West provides more than 4,000 flights each year in California and 13 other Western states. Besides flights to access health care, AFW arranges transportation for other needs as well -- individuals and families escaping domestic violence; injured military personnel taking part in therapeutic programs; prospective parents hoping to adopt a child; and flying youngsters and teens to special needs camps like those for burn survivors or kids with cancer.

And it's all free. Since the organization started in 1983, AFW has completed more than 50,000 flights -- flights for passengers like Michelle, who was a cancer patient. In a letter to the organization, she wrote, "

“Angel Flight West has helped to give me the one thing I’ve learned to cherish the most: time.  Time with friends, time to fight my disease, and most importantly, time with my three beautiful daughters.  One more hug, one more kiss, one more I love you Mommy.  I embrace each moment with appreciation and love in my heart for the wonderful people at Angel Flight West who helped give me . . . a little more time!"

For more information, please visit http://www.angelflightwest.org/

International Home Buying Activity in 2011

            Realtor.com the official website of the National Association of Realtors will soon go global.  They will feature listings from all over the world, translations for all listings in eight languages and currency and measurement conversion services. 

            According to NAR’s 2011 Profile of International Home Buying Activity, international buyers were responsible for 82 billion worth of purchases of US residential real estate, up from 66 billion the previous year.  Realtor.com president Errol Samuelson attributes it to the strength of the dollar and the value and desirability of US real estate.  Also homes in the US are viewed as secure long term investments as rentals or for the buyers own use. 

            Last year 62% of the foreign buyers paid cash, versus 8% of domestic buyers.   This makes the foreign transactions more streamlined and even more desirable, especially when so many domestic buyers are struggling at times to get financing.

            Realtor.com receives 900,000 hits from non US buyers each month and of the 82 billion in sales last year, 70 countries accounted for those sales.  This also means that there is a huge market sitting there for realtors, with 4-5 billion in commissions in the last 12 months alone.

I am currently updating my website in order to have a page dedicated to overseas buyers and ex-pats returning to the states.  Do you have any thoughts on information I should include?  What would you be looking for in a Realtor if buying in another country?