Mission District dangerously losings its heritage

LatinLife.com old blog — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:47:38 +0000

The Mission District has dangerously been losings its Latino identification. I have personally witnessed this sad transformation – for about the past 10 years. Can other Bay Area Latino neighborhoods experience this same fate?

On a personal note, I’e been dying to talk about this. Fortunately something cool ocurred today to help me start this controversial subject.

Today, a group of student journalists interviewed Mission District residents about 24th street cafe shops. I happily participated in the interviews.

My interview however changed from cafes to gentrification. Here I expressed how this Latino neighborhood is rapidly losing its heritage and identification. I mentioned how sad it would be if S.F.’s ethnic districts were also to lose its heritage; such as the Italians in North Beach, the Japanese in Japan Town, the Chinese in Chinatown, and so forth. The reporter quickly agreed.

Since the interview was about cafe shops on 24th street, I shared that almost all cafe shops are not Latino owned, where Latinos are rarely seen.

The reporter asked me why and I answered Latinos visit places they feel more comfortable in. I mentioned the cafe across the street ‘Sugarlump’ has no Latinos; it’s customers mostly whites. However, the cafe we were in ‘Ls cafe’ is 100% Latino owned; here we saw many Hispanic customers. She quickly saw with my point.

I shared that the neighborhood’s gentrification started in the ‘dot com’ era of the late 1990′s. When it was over, its new residents realized that the Mission District had the best weather. This created a huge demand in housing, where greedy property owners raised rents drastically, some almost doubled. Sadly its Latino population, who were unable to afford the increase, were forced to leave a neighborhood they helped build for generations.

The newly arrivals, called ‘hipsters’, are seen everywhere. Where old Victorian properties once housed the Mission District’s Latinos, its original habitants are now displaced almost overnight by new residents; a non-Latino trendy group known for their fashion and habitual bicycle riding.

So what’s the solution? Maybe nothing, since much damage has been done…

How to buy a used car

LatinLife.com old blog — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:57:39 +0000

Buying a used vehicle, instead of a new one, is a smarter decision. Why? You’ll save tons of money from the depreciation of a new car’s first years. However, buying a new vehicle may make sense if its total incentives (rebates + low apr) add up to a better buy. Nevertheless, the car buying process is different from a new car. Below we outline the best way to buy a used car, in 15 easy-to-understand steps. We’re proud to share that our research is the most complete on the internet. [if you want a new car please see: how to buy a new car].

STEP 1: DECIDE BUDGET: Find out what you’re willing to pay for your vehicle. It means seriously sitting down and thinking about 4 figures; 1) maximum price, 2) maximum down payment, 3) maximum monthly payments and 4) maximum auto insurance payment. Write down these figures and study them. Most important is that these figures should feel very comfortable to you. If they do, then it’s the right choice!

Make sure you add about 10% of the price for tax & dmv fees.

STEP 2: RECOMMENDED VEHICLES: This is the most important step because it’s the difference between buying a ‘lemon’ – or a reliable car that won’t give you problems, ahhh, doesn’t that feel good? With your budget in mind, look at our list of recommended used cars [coming soon]. They’re categorized by price so notate the vehicles that interest you, into a list.

* Fuel economy: As gas prices start to rise again, you’ll want to consider vehicles with good gas mileage. You can search for them at http://www.fueleconomy.gov

STEP 3: AUTO INSURANCE: Find out if the auto insurance payments are affordable, by getting quotes from various companies. [list coming soon]. You can either call or go online. From your list of cars, tell them the exact year, make and model. If some of those cars are too costly [not in your budget], then delete them from your list. Besides getting the lowest quote, you may also consider the ‘quality’ of the insurance company [list coming soon].

STEP 4: SEARCH OPTIONS: Find out all the available options & colors, from your list of vehicles. Why? There’ll be some options, from your internet search, that you gotta have (such as leather seats vs. cloth seats). Believe me, these options make a difference in the long run [such as, the feeling in a leather wrapped steering wheel]. To find those options, type in your vehicle choices [for example, 2003 Honda Accord] into auto classifieds websites [list coming soon], such as craigslist.org. You’ll notice various ‘equipments’ for each car. Write down the options you gotta have. [don't go crazy here okay?] In addition, you’ll see options that come in ‘packages’. Write down these packages. [for example, 2003 Honda Accord LX]

*Mileage: The ‘average’ miles driven per year is around 12,000 – 15,000. If you find vehicles above that, seriously re-consider because they’ll have more ‘wear and tear’. We don’t recommend those vehicles, unless it’s a super deal and you don’t drive that much.

STEP 5: BEST PRICE: Now it’s time to get the lowest prices. The goal here is to find out what dealerships might pay for your vehicle choices, if you were to trade them in. Why? Because they know the lowest prices from buying cars all the time, okay? There’s 2 websites; www.kbb.com (free) and usedcarpricing.consumerreports.org ($12). We suggest using both. On these websites, type in the vehicle’s information; year, make, model, options & mileage. Finally, click on ‘trade-in value’ to see the best price.

STEP 6: BEST FINANCING: The goal here is to find the lowest financing rate (unless you’re paying cash). The figure to focus on is the annual percentage rate (APR). First, look at the prevailing rates at websites like Bankrate.com, E-Loan.com, and LendingTree.com. Secondly, search locally for rates at various financial institutions; banks, thrifts and credit unions. Third, call your dealership choices for their; 1) low apr specials 2) regular rates. Now you’re armed with all the financing rates, yey! The final step is to get pre-approved, so apply at the lowest financial institutions. Get a pre-approved letter for the paperwork when you buy the vehicle.

STEP 7: SEARCH VEHICLES: Now that you all know your vehicle’s details [price, year, make, model, mileage, color, and options], search again on auto classifieds websites [list coming soon]. Here you’ll bookmark those that meet your criteria. [tip: you may find great deals on cities farther from you, so expand your 'city' search]. Look at your bookmarks and delete the vehicles too expensive or don’t have all the options.

STEP 8: CERTIFIED USED CARS: During your search, you may see vehicles called ‘certified pre-owned’ or ‘CPO’. Those certifications come in 2 types; 1) from the ‘auto maker’ [BMW or FORD], or 2) from the ‘dealership’. The best one comes from the ‘auto maker’ because of its very strict qualifications. These vehicles have an extended warranty that cover almost everything, up to 100 thousand miles. The drawback: you’ll pay about $1,000 dollars more. [tip: if your vehicle doesn't have 'excellent or very good' ratings, we recommend these vehicles; you'll get better assurance].

STEP 9: TEST DRIVE: With your list of cars, call the sellers and test drive (date) all of them. It’s like dating. You want to experience as many as possible, to find the right ‘one’. It’s also important that you drive the exact ‘model’ that fits your budget. Why? Because more expensive models will give you a different feel; different engine, suspension, seats, interior, colors, etc.

* Tip: Don’t rush this process, just take your time. Again, you’re trying to find the exact vehicle for you. Remember, this may be with you for at least 5 years!

STEP 10: DECIDE THE VEHICLE: After you test-drove your list of vehicles, pick 2 or 3 choices. This should be a fun process, so invite family and friends to your list. You may get feedback that’s valuable. [remember the more heads involved, the better]. After this feedback, try to narrow it down to 1 choice, okay?

STEP 11: KEEP SEARCHING: You’ll find the best deals this way. It always pays to be on the internet, sometimes 2 times per day, on the same websites. Why? Great deals get ‘snatched up’ very quickly (the early bird gets the worm) so be prepared to buy a car at a moment‘s notice, after you detected it’s a good choice (see next step). You want to beat other people calling on the same car, if the price is great.

STEP 12: DETECTING A GOOD CAR: Once you find a great deal [and you test drove it], you have to make sure it’s in great condition! There are 3 things you must do: 1) visual signs, 2) carfax, and 3) mechanic inspection.

1) Visual signs: 1 owner, older driver, nice neighborhood, pedal & seat wears, collision damage, etc.

2) Carfax: There’s websites that promise you a vehicle’s complete history, such as accidents and dealer maintenance. The most popular is carfax.com. However none of these website are 100% reliable nor exact. It’s very important to understand this. Use these websites only as a tool. It’s worth the $30 for 1 month of unlimited reports.

3) Mechanic inspection: If the vehicle passes the first 2 steps, ask the seller [or dealership] that you want an appointment for a vehicle inspection. [if they don't want this, ask why. They may be hiding something so be prepared to walk away]. We recommend inspection shops from AAA . You can also search yelp.com for ‘used car inspection’. Cost is around $125 but it’s totally worth it.

STEP 13: NEGOTIATE: If the vehicle passes the inspection, it’s time to negotiate. Get the lowest price of that vehicle from step 5. You’ll find 2 types of sellers; 1) dealership and 2) private party [a regular person]. Each one have their differences.

1) Dealership:
* Benefits: Buys used cars at the cheapest prices. If you negotiate correctly, you may get close to their cost. Also, they’ll do your DMV paperwork.
* Drawback: You don’t see the original owner, missing out on valuable signs about the vehicle. Also, an experienced salesperson and manager will try to prevent a lowest price.
* Timing: The best days to negotiate may be during the week and end of the month, trying to sell many vehicles to show a good month’s numbers.

2) Private party:
* Benefits: You’ll get better information about the vehicle’s condition & history. [make sure to ask for owner's manuals, original paperwork, all receipts, and other extra parts].
* Drawbacks: May attach an ‘emotional’ value to their car, so negotiating a lower price is tough. Also, you’ll have to go to DMV to do the paperwork.
* Timing: The best days to negotiate may be during the week, not weekend when many people car shop, or if there’s a hardship in the family.

STEP 14: PRICE ACCEPTANCE: After a dealer or private party accepts your price, the ‘paperwork’ needs to be done.

1) Dealership: Be prepared to show your driver’s license, insurance card, and the bank letter (if you’re not financing with the dealer). Make sure these figures are correct; selling price and the financing rate.

* Warning: Here they’ll try to sell you extras, to make up for their low profit. Don’t agree to any items like; rust proofing, fabric protection, and vehicle identification number (VIN) glass etching.

2) Private Party: You’ll need to do your own ‘paperwork’. This means you’ll both need to correctly fill out the ‘pink slip’ [ownership form]. In addition, a letter outlining the vehicle transaction is recommended.

STEP 15: EXTRA VALUES:

1) Dealership: After you sign the paperwork, ask if there’s any goodies for new customers, like service department coupons. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and if you were courteous like we suggested, they may be courteous back to you! [it always pays to be nice in life.]

2) Private Party: Make sure you get; owner’s manuals, original paperwork, all receipts, and other extra parts. Also ask for the owner’s recommendations such as mechanics, best stores for parts, maintenance tips, etc. This information will go a long way!

Congratulations and happy cruising!

Next reading:

* Send us your used car photo

* Maintenance tips

* How to buy a new car

* New vs. used cars (benefits & differences)

* Leasing: why it’s a bad idea

Latinlife.com old blog

Mission District dangerously losings its heritage

How to buy a used car