Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Real Estate Appraisal, Los Angeles, California, Mary Cummins.

Mary Cummins is a real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California with 38+ years of experience. Cummins provides real estate appraisals for banks, lenders, mortgage brokers, Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), lawyers, Courts, factors and private parties for lending, lawsuits, probate, estate planning, divorce and all types of litigation. Cummins provides 1004, 1073, 1025 and other form reports, narrative reports and historical appraisals besides real estate research and appraisal advice.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Mary Cummins, Cummins Real is a 100% green organization - Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser

Mary Cummins, Cummins Real Estate Appraisals, green, reuse, recycle, reduce

Cummins Real Estate Appraisals has been providing appraisals for AMCs, direct lenders, lawyers and private individuals for over 30 years. We are a 100% "green" organization which follows the three main principles to lessen our impact on the environment and animals. Reuse, Reduce, Recycle!

REUSE. We use refurbished computers, digital cameras, phones and office equipment.

REDUCE. We reduce the amount of gas we use by driving a Prius. We also reduce the amount of driving by effectively planning property inspections. We reduce waste with paperless billing, communications and appraisals.

RECYCLE. We are a paperless organization. What products we do use are recyclable and recycled. These are but a few of our many programs to reuse, reduce and recycle.

Cummins Real Estate is also trained in LEED "green" building practices and valuation. We are trained to evaluate and appraise the six elements of green buildings. We are knowledgeable about the various types of solar power, insulation R-Values and window ratings.

The President of Cummins Real Estate Appraisals Mary Cummins is vegan which helps save animals and the environment. A portion of all appraisal fees is donated to non-profit Animal Advocates. Animal Advocates rescues ill, injured and orphaned native wildlife for release back to the wild. They are also a 100% "green" organization.

Mary Cummins
Cummins Real Estate Appraisals
http://www.MaryCummins.com

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Friday, March 2, 2012

Mary Cummins volunteer activities, Beverly Hills Church, Charities, Sports

I found an old list of my volunteer activities up to 1982. I decided to update it to the present and post it.

Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills

1977-1980 Volunteered with the Shepherdaires to serve food to the elderly

1977-1978 Christmas boutique sale. Collected articles to sell, sorted, displayed and sold.

1977-1980 Bake sales. I helped serve the Sunday coffee hour in the Parish Hall

1978 Bike-a-thon to raise money for the church

1977-1980 Corporal Works of Mercy. Under Father Priebe I helped the sick, elderly by visiting them, cleaning, making food and changing linen.

Good Shepherd Catholic School in Beverly Hills

1973-1978 School raffle sales to raise money for school

1973-1978 Rummage sale. Picked up articles to sell, cleaned, sorted, displayed and sold.

1977-1978 International Dinner. Helped set it up in the Parish Hall, decorated, cleaned.

McKinley Home for Boys

1972-1980 Volunteered to serve food for banquets

Handicapables of Greater West Los Angeles, California Handicapables

1979-1981 Helped set up the annual luncheon in the Parish Hall, served, cleaned.

Culver City Swim Team, Roadrunners

1977 Raffle ticket sales to raise money.

1975-1978 Host team, ran scores, helped time events, sold refreshments.

1975-1978 Swim-a-thon. Collected funds per lap to raise money.

1976 Host Olympians. Helped serve the Olympians when they used our pool for workouts.

Beverly Hills YMCA

1974-1975 Cartwheel-a-thon to raise money.

1974-1975 Sold toffee covered peanuts. Half went to Y, rest went to YMCA camp

1971-1977 Swim-a-thon to raise money.

1976 Volunteer of the year dinner hostess

1976 Gymnastics Fantastics show to raise money, sold programs, refreshments

1976 Half-time show for Lakers game to raise awareness and funds.

Beverly Hills El Rodeo School

1977-1978 Helped during lunch time to make the sets for the drama department. Designed the Spring Fling main backdrop of an angel on a cloud.

Century City Hospital

1981 Volunteered to serve food to patients, ran errands, filed medical records.

Brotman Medical Center

1981 Worked in the ER as an EMT. Took vital signs, assisted doctors in trauma room, updated medical files.

University of Southern California

1982-1984 Worked on the suicide hotline

1982 Volunteer VP of my dorm the International Hall

1983-1984 Volunteer at the Spastic Children's Foundation as assistant to the aquatic therapist

1983 Tutored mentally challenged children as a volunteer

Westside Children Center

1990-1991 Volunteered with abused children newborn to age five.

Animal Match Rescue Team

2000-2002 Took photos of shelter animals and posted them on the Internet

Los Angeles Animal Services

2006-2007 Designed and built a new website for the Department, added the "Pet of the Day" feature.

2000-2006 Volunteered in the shelter

2003 Spay/Neuter Committee

2003 Volunteer Task Force

2003 Wildlife Committee

2003 Spanish language committee

2003 Wildlife presentations

2003 Free nuisance wildlife control

2004 Adopt-a-thon Committee. Ran adopt-a-thon for WLA shelter.

2004 Was Mrs. Santa for Christmas photos with pets at PetSmart

City of Los Angeles

1981 Skate-a-thon to raise money for leukemia.

2006 Coyote Task Force

2006 Proposition F Animal Facilities Bond Committee

Cummins Real Estate Services

1984-present. Pro bono real estate consulting, appraisals and brokerage.

Animal Advocates non-profit

2002-present. All volunteer non-profit which rescues ill, injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild; wildlife education to children, elderly and community groups; humane nuisance wildlife control; pro-animal legislation.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the
Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Increased railing height would have prevented Ranger's fan's death by Mary Cummins real estate appraiser

Firefighter and Rangers fan Shannon Stone died after falling over a railing trying to catch a baseball. The railing was 33" tall. Stone was 6'3" tall. Was the railing too low? Should minimum railing heights be increased in sports arenas?

In 1999 a UCLA student fell over a 36" balcony railing and died. l wrote an article about this railing death because the railing was not high enough. l also wrote a letter to editor in the Times about legal roof top deck railings when they ran a story about making a roof top deck with NO railings at all. Besides being an expert witness in real estate cases such as these l put a roof top deck on a property l owned so l knew the railing requirements.

The UCLA student death made everyone rethink safe railing heights. This also brought up the issue of immediate and mandatory retrofitting of older buildings. Generally retrofitting is done upon sale or transfer only.

As of January 2008 California balcony, landing, porch and deck railings for residential properties must be a minimum of 42". California has the strictest building codes in the nation. In other states it is generally 36" to 42".

If you take a look at the video footage of the fall, it appears to me that there was no way he was not going to fall over the railing. Stone was 6'3", probably had a 33" inseam. His center of mass was easily over 36" off the ground. He had momentum as he was moving toward the railing with his arm out stretched over the 33" railing bending down for the ball. As soon as his upper body was over the railing and his body hit the round railing he was almost flipped over the railing. Things were made worse by the fact that he was only standing on his forward foot with his rear leg up behind him with both arms over the railing. He is not much taller than an average man. He was not doing anything that you wouldn't normally do at a ball park.

Here are some stills which show my point. His waist is quite a bit higher than the railing.

Here is the video. Obviously it's graphic because you see him flip over the railing. You do not see him land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aesp8ViZbro

City officials said that the railing was seven inches higher than required which they state is 26". 26" is the minimum between rows, not at the bottom of the aisles as in this situation. They are misquoting the 2003 International Building Code and the 1988 Uniform Building Code. The minimum height at the bottom of aisles is 42" according to the International Building Code.

I believe that if that railing were 42", he would not have fallen over it. I realize there are line of sight issues with tall railings but they can use clear material for the railings like they do at The Pond in Orange County. I bet there will be a lawsuit and the plaintiff's family will win. Hopefully these sports arenas will raise the railing heights. This tragic death could have been prevented.

UPDATE: Texas Rangers agree to raise the railing heights. Thank you!

Texas Rangers to raise rail heights in wake of deadly fan fall

By the CNN Wire Staff

July 19, 2011 4:37 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- The Texas Rangers will raise the height of the rails at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the team said Tuesday, after a 39-year-old fan fell to his death while trying to catch a ball.

"Even though all current rail heights in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington currently exceed code, the Rangers intend to raise the height of all rails in front of seating areas to the highest standard in the United States at this time," the team said in a statement.

As the rails are being refitted, the Rangers said they would take "interim" steps, such as posting new signs that will remind fans not to lean, sit on or stand against the rails. The team will also issue a warning prior to the start of each game via its public address system, the Rangers said.

The news comes in the wake of the death of Shannon Stone, a veteran firefighter and Rangers fan whose death prompted a national outpouring of condolences.

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate is a certified residential licensed appraiser in Los Angeles, California. Mary Cummins is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate appraisers and has over 35 years of experience.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary, Cummins, #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, certified, single family, condo, condominium, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, fha, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, brea insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, 1073, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls, historical appraisal, facebook, linkedin

Mary Cummins

McMansion is Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California by Mary Cummins real estate appraiser

The word "McMansion" was coined in the early 1980s in Beverly Hills. Related terms include "Persian palace","garage Mahal", "starter castle", and "Hummer house." An example of a "McWord," "McMansion" associates the generic quality of these "luxury homes" with that of mass-produced fast food meals by restaurant chains.

In Beverly Hills the larger estates are located on larger lots North of Santa Monica Blvd. Lots south of the Blvd are much smaller and have smaller homes which are proportionate to their lot size. The lots in this area are 5000 to 7500 max. The homes were 2-3 bedroom homes approximately 1,800 sf.

During the Iranian revolution many Iranians fled their country. Many moved to Beverly Hills first moving into apartments then later buying homes. Because land is so expensive in Beverly Hills and they generally lived with extended families, they would enlarge their home and remodel to their tastes. They would prefer to buy the cheaper smaller homes on smaller lots in Beverly Hills then enlarge them to fit their needs instead of buying the more expensive, larger estates on larger sites. They were putting 4,000 to 6,000 sf homes on 6,000 sf lots.

They generally would remodel to build the largest home they could legally build on a lot using the entire foot plan. This would most times be a square home with Greek or Colonial embellishments on the front. It would cover the maximum lot lines and top out at the maximum height limitations. Many felt these homes were tacky and tasteless.

These two story plus homes which looked a bit like gaudy apartment buildings would dwarf the smaller one-story Spanish and Traditional homes around them. They would also generally get rid of the garage and have a circular driveway in the front. On top of this more people would live in each home. As they got rid of the garages street parking became an issue. This bothered the original neighbors and did look a bit sightly.

Over time this spread to other expensive cities. The public finally put their foot down and demanded that something be done. Building and planning departments made changes especially in Beverly Hills. New homes had to go through a more rigorous approval process. Height limitations and maximum square footage were changed as were lot lines, set backs and styles. They would no longer allow homes to use the maximum foot plan of the site or maximum height limitations. They also would not approve homes which were just solid squares.

Here are a few McMansions in Beverly Hills which I photographed last week. I did not appraiser these though I have appraised a lot of these types of homes. These are south of Santa Monica Blvd north of Olympic. Notice on the side near the rear the house juts out again. That's because the set back changes at that point and they wanted to use as much land as possible. They also added basements to be able to add even more living space.

Below are the two original main styles of homes in Beverly Hills south of Santa Monica Blvd. The McMansions look like 8 unit apartment buildings next to the original homes.

Another criticism of McMansions and mansionization is people think they are a waste of space and materials. There are sometimes more space than a regular family would need with tall ceilings and open atrium entrances. The quality of the materials and workmanship were sometimes also an issue. They didn't always use the best architect ending up with a home which was a bit tasteless to the point of being obnoxious. Besides this the design and style of the homes seemed to be a jumbled mix of gaudy additions such as columns, multiple front balconies and statuary.

Over time new owners of the original "palaces" have toned down the front facades and color schemes. They've also replaced the acres of pink marble flooring with wood and removed some of the flourishes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the

Mary Cummins

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Mary Cummins was a top ten US swimmer - Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins was a top ten swimmer in the United States. Cummins started swimming at age seven at the Beverly Hills YMCA Dolphins swim club. She swam with Dara Torres who went on to become an Olympian. She then swam for the Culver City Road Runners with Tiffany Cohen who also became an Olympian. Cummins was on the relay teams with Cohen which made them top ten in the United States. Cummins swam with Cohen at Nationals in Arizona. They both swam at the Junior Olympics winning medals.

Cummins also swam on the Beverly Hills High School swim team, Water Polo team and the University of Southern California swim team. She has won numerous trophies, medals, ribbons and set many records which have since been broken. Cummins has been mentioned in Swimming World magazine over 150 times. She competed in the precursor to the modern day triathlon. She worked out with East German gold and silver Olympians at UCLA.

Mary Cummins, Swimming World, top ten US Swimmer, USC, YMCA, Beverly Hills High School, Los Angeles, California

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Mary Cummins named top ten swimmer in the United States - Los Angeles, California, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins, top ten US Swimmer, Los Angeles, California, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Los Angeles, top ten US swimmer

Top ten swimmers in the US, 400 yard Medley Relay - Tiffany Cohen, Mary Cummins, Tanya Evans, Kathleen Alexander - Culver City Road Runners, 1978

Culver City Medley Relay team named top ten in the United States 1978. Tiffany Cohen (Tiffany Cohen Lalonde), Mary Cummins, Tanya Evans (Tatjana Evans-MacLeod), Kathleen Alexander. I just realized we are ranked by stroke. IM is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. I think we also won the freestyle relay besides our individual categories.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Mary Cummins campaign contributions Los Angeles - real estate appraiser los angeles california

Mary Cummins

Campaign Contributions

City of Los Angeles Candidates

05/14/09

Mary Cummins
(Real Estate, Mary Cummins)
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Carmen Trutanich
City Attorney

1316351 - TRUTANICH FOR CITY ATTORNEY - GENERAL 2009

A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)

[Period:05/14/09 to 06/30/09]

$100.00

[Election:

05/19/09]

02/19/05

Mary Katherine Cummins Cobb
(Real Estate, Mary Cummins)
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Antonio Villaraigosa

1267602 - Villaraigosa for Mayor 2005

A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)

[Period:01/23/05 to 02/19/05]

$100.00

[Election:

03/08/05]

04/10/05

Mary Katherine Cummins Cobb
(Real Estate, Mary Cummins)
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Antonio Villaraigosa

1275257 - Villaraigosa for Mayor 2005 - GENERAL

A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)

[Period:04/03/05 to 04/30/05]

$250.00

[Election:

05/17/05]

07/10/08

Mary Katherine Cummins-Cobb
(Real Estate, Mary Katherine Cummins-Cobb)
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Dennis Zine
Council Member - District 3

1305620 - Zine 2009

A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)

[Period:07/01/08 to 09/30/08]

$500.00

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday, March 2, 2012

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tuesday, August 10, 2010