My Motto

To Live, Laugh and Learn, and in no specific order



Friday, December 9, 2011

I'VE FOUND SOME GREAT APPS

Ive found some great APPS for the Iphone and Ipad I wanted to share with everyone.  I don't know about you, but I don't usually have that much time to look over all the new apps that come out, and usually only add one that I've either read about or someone else has told me about.  And the best part is that these are all FREE!!!!

DECORATING  APPS

If you are looking to update your home with a new paint color, but don't know what you want or how it will look,  you need to download the FREE app by BEHR (paint company) This is my very favorite app right now as I'm trying to decide on wall colors for the house we are building.    You can pick either a room from their library or upload your own picture and pick wall colors to see how they will look. You can find any color, shade and hue you want from their color map.    It is absolutely amazing how a rooms feel can change when you switch the colors around.  You can make one wall one color and add an accent color to another.   You can even change out the color of the bedspread from the bedroom pictures in their library of rooms.  You can save your favorite colors so you don't have to worry about trying to find them again.

Sherwin Williams also has a great app ( only for iphone right now) for picking colors and matching colors by using your phone to take a picture of a color you like.  The formula is on each color so you can take it straight to your favorite paint store. 

MagicPlan is also a free app that will actually draw out your room to scale and make a blueprint of its dimensions so you can design your furniture layout or flooring. 

FOR YOUR SAFETY

CrimeReports is a new one that I have recently added that will daily update any crime that is committed and reported in your area, as long as your local area offers this service.  You can find out about traffic accidents or if anyone in your neighborhood has been robbed etc... You can even set it up to send you alerts every time a new crime is reported.  Very easy to set up and use.  If you don't have a smart phone or Ipad you can even put this website on your computer www.crimereports.com

If you have any apps you think I or others might be interested in, please feel free to comment on this blog. 










I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama)please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

BE SAFE THIS CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS SUCH A BUSY TIME OF YEAR, and with everything we try to do to make sure everything is perfect, we sometimes just don't think about the hazards this season does present. 

There are a lot of desperate people this time of year, and theft is usually at its highest point, so be alert and extra cautious when you are out shopping, and in your homes.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

It's Not The White Picket Fence Anymore

It's not the white picket fence consumers are looking for today, it's the updated Kitchen and Master Bathroom or main bath if thats all you have to offer in your home. 
I'm going to focus today on the Bathroom. 

BOOST YOUR HOME VALUE ON YOUR BATHROOM

 I'm really not sure if it's because we  live such a hectic life style that we are all looking for that Calgon take me away room, but this room is very important to the sale of your home. 
From the popularity of the TREND to the ROI (return on investment) the highest area of importance in your bathroom remodel is the sink and fixtures.  That really surprised me, I thought it possibly would be the shower and or tubs or possibly flooring.  The counters and vanity where next followed by the floor then the tub/shower.
So if you go by this article, and it's from HGTV, and I believe they are on top of the trends, focus your efforts on the sink first.  This article I've attached is great because it will actually show you different products you can use, and even a "how to" if you want to tackle this your self.
BOOST YOUR HOME VALUE ON YOUR BATHROOM

Let me know how you like this article. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

CREDIT SCORE VS. MORTGAGE RATE

The Higher Your Score, The More Money You Save

Unlike the BLOGS I've written in the past, where I stated the importance of your credit score in being able to get a loan to purchase a home,  I'm now going to show the importance of why that score needs to be a high as you can get it.   The higher your score the less it will cost you at closing.
I know that in this economy many are struggling and getting someone to just qualify for a loan is a feat in itself, but i want you to think past just qualifying and work towards that higher score.

Your FICO score has always influenced the mortgage rate for which you’re eligible, and  In 2008 it began to change your loan fees.
 
In response to major mortgage market losses, in April 2008, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introduced something called Loan-Level Pricing Adjustments (LLPA). Loan-level pricing adjustments are “discount points” added to a mortgage rate, based on a specific borrower’s risk to the lender.
A discount point is a loan fee, paid at the time of closing. 1 discount point is equal to 1 percent of your loan size.

Assuming a 20% down payment, look at how discount points change based on credit score. Fees get massive for FICOs under 700.
  • 740+ FICO : There are no discount points required. This loan is “low risk”.
  • 720-739 FICO : 0.250 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $250 per $100,000 borrowed
  • 700-719 FICO : 0.750 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $750 per $100,000 borrowed
  • 680-699 FICO : 1.500 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $1,500 per $100,000 borrowed
  • 660-679 FICO : 2.500 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $2,500 per $100,000 borrowed       (copied from Trulia.com)
Now, not many new home buyers just have that kind of extra cash just laying around. Therefore, as an alternative to paying discount points with cash, many choose to “roll up” the fees into their respective mortgage rates. In general, 1.000 discount point can be “traded in” for a 0.250 increase to your mortgage rate.
Example : A consumer with a 680 FICO score is required to pay 1.500 discount points at closing, or can alternatively accept a mortgage rate increase of 0.375%.
This is why it’s important to keep your credit score high. There are real dollar costs for having scores under 740.   

If your not quite sure what makes up a credit score, or what you can do to improve it,  email me and I'll forward you some articles that help to explain this.  Our mortgage department here at ERA King would also be happy to help you.

Until next time, start working on improving that score, you really never know when you are going to need it, and improvement doesn't happen over night.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Short Sale/ Foreclosure and your Credit Score

I'm always getting asked the question does a Short Sale hurt your credit score as bad as a Foreclosure, and while I have always received different answers to this question, Here it is in Black & White straight from FICO.
If you do a deed-in-lieu or a Short Sale with no defiency balance, it doesn't hurt as bad as a foreclosure, but if there is a defeciency from the Short Sale, it hurts your score the same as a Foreclosure.


Everybodies situation is different, and there can be underlying circumstances to each case, so if you are one of those many American's that have landed on rough times during this economy, don't fret, with some help and guidance you can own a Home again.  When, is the question you need to find out the answer to, because no one answer is going to be the same for everybody.
Get lined up with a Lender that will help you with this process and guide you so that your future will have a mortgage in it again someday.
We have a great Mortgage department at ERA-King Real Estate, and any of our staff can help you get on the right path. 
Drop me an email or give me a call and I'll help you get  an appointment set up to see what we can do to get you in your own Home again.

DO KNOW THAT CREDIT SCORE ISN'T THE ONLY OBSTACLE IN GETTING A MORTGAGE.  You can have a great score, but if your debt to Income ratio is off or if you have any judgments or Liens, you can still be denied.   STUDENT LOANS are one of the biggest culprits..... you must pay them. 


I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama)please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

IS YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL CORRECT

We review our utility bills and other bills that we must pay but have you ever really looked at your tax bill.  Pay attention to the details that are being used to assess the taxes for your home, as they may be incorrect and could save you some money, but be prepared that if you challenge your taxes because you feel there is incorrect information,  and an audit is done, your taxes might go up because of updated remodeling etc...
As a Realtor, I daily use the websites that report the counties tax assessment of the homes, and frequently run into information that I believe should probably be challenged if I was the home owner of that particular property.  We are all human and mistakes can be made.
When your property is being assessed, unless you give them updated information, they are truly only guessing at the interior construction of your home, (bedrooms, baths, fireplaces, living space basements etc...) as the people that do the assessing do not enter your home, they only drive by it and take exterior pictures and measurements. The only other information they have is from when the house was originally built, information you offer, or from building permits as remodeling projects are done.
Do be aware that having a high assessment could be an advantage to you if you are considering selling in the near future, as the public can access any of these records, and will use that information when making an offer on your home, so a low assessment might hurt you.
If you think your taxes need to be reviewed, give me a call or email me, and I will help you gather the information needed to take to the tax assessor for a review.   

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®




I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama) please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

What kind of LIGHTBULBS do you use??

I don't know about you, but I'm still not a big fan of the energy saving compact flourescent lightbulbs, as I like the old style, the incondescents.  It's the warm cozy glow they give off that keeps me buying them, and I have to admit that I am hoarding bulbs from 15 -100 watts in fear that I won't be able to get them anymore. Everytime i'm in a store and walk by the lightbulb section I buy a few more to add to my collection, especially the lower wattage ones ,the 15-25 watts. 
Yes the new compact flourescents do save on energy cost, and have a much longer life span than the incondescents, but I'm just not ready to be completely converted yet, even though I do have a few in my house now. 
If you want to do your part to save on energy cost, whether you are a condescent or incondescent person, do read this article, as it will give you some good tips and what to do and not to do when it comes to lighting energy.   Article by RISMedia
Do Your Part: 5 Ways to Lower your Lighting Cost 



I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama)please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

7 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

It's been awhile since I have blogged anything about credit scores, but it is still the biggest reason people are turned down when applying for  loans to purchase a house or even rent an apartment.
This article is just some of the basic concepts that you can implement to get your score up, but you should really contact a Lender and work with them since everyone's situation is different. 

At ERA-King Real Estate we have our own in house Lending department, ERA Mortgage, and they are great to work with and will help you to get your credit score where it needs to be to purchase a Home.  Just give me a call or send an email and I will give you the contact information.


Here is an article I found from Frontdoor.com that hits the basics


7 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Credit Score


By Karin Beuerlein, FrontDoor.com

Published: 6/05/2008                                                               

To improve your credit score, start by paying your current bills on time.

You've already heard the bad news. The housing crisis has tightened up credit markets, and it's harder to qualify for a mortgage loan. Credit scoring has always been an important part of the loan approval process, but suddenly it bears more weight than ever.

If your credit is shabby, you'll need to shore up your score to convince a lender you're worthy. Here's how to boost your point total:

1.Be on time. Before you worry about cleaning up what happened yesterday, get right with today and focus on your current bill-paying performance. Pay on time, and pay more than the required minimum payment each month on outstanding credit balances.

2.Shrink your credit ratio. The credit-scoring process looks at the ratio of your debt to the total amount of available credit you have, so add up your credit limits to see where you stand. Your long-term goal is to get rid of all your debt, but a good, short-term target is to shrink your ratio to less than 50 percent. Then 40, then 30, and so on.

3.Pay off a card, but don't close it. Because of the aforementioned credit ratios, reducing your available credit hurts your score. If you have a $3,000 balance on one card with a $5,000 maximum and no balance on a card with a $10,000 maximum, closing the unused card suddenly makes your credit ratio skyrocket from a benign 20 percent to a troubling 60 percent. Resist the urge to close an account when you've paid it off; lock the card in a drawer instead.

4.Get current on any outstanding debts. Got collection agencies on your trail? Pay off your late accounts, but remember that paying off a delinquent account will not erase it from your history. You simply have to wait; the further the delinquency recedes into the past, the better off you'll be. If you have a good explanation for falling behind, a lender may be sympathetic if you've paid off the debt.

5.Take a magnifying glass to your credit report. Credit reports often contain score-dinging errors. Check yours via www.annualcreditreport.com, and look for obvious mistakes like erroneous balances or accounts you don't recognize (which can be a sign of identity theft). Make sure lenders have reported your credit limits accurately, because they affect your credit ratio.

6.Restrain yourself with new cards. Don't open up new accounts to increase your available credit. This strategy doesn't necessarily boost your score and can actually hurt it, according to MyFICO.com. If you'd like to have a new card, apply for one, but don't open multiple accounts at the same time. This looks like risky behavior to a lender.

7.Allow some time to pass. Following these tips will improve your credit score, but give them time to work their magic.

Here's a general timetable:

•Corrected errors on your credit report should boost your score immediately;


•Paying down balances takes a little longer to work (depending on how much you pay off and how often your lender reports to credit bureaus), so you may see results in a few weeks or a few months;


•Paying off delinquent accounts gives you some leverage with lenders, but improvement in your actual credit score will be slow, so be patient
 
 

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

HOW TO LOWER YOUR ENERGY COST THIS WINTER

Now that Summer is coming to a close, and cooler weather is on it's way,  we need to get our Homes ready for the cold weather of the winter months to come.
We hear every year about how to seal windows and doors etc..to keep out the drafts,  and save on our energy bills, but we don't hear much about preparing the ATTIC and BASEMENT.
I ran across these 2 articles that go into detail about what to check for in these critical areas that can go along way towards saving you some precious money this winter.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, by following up on problems, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annually, and I don't know of anybody that wouldn't want to capitalize on these savings. 

Hope these can help you towards saving some money this winter.......

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Gain Value of your Home with Yearly Routine Maintanence

THE VALUE OF HOME MAINTENANCE
By doing routine maintenance on your home every year you can gain at least 1% on your appraisal value, while deferring the maintenance can cost you 10% or more. Sounds like a no brainer to me. You never know when that day is going to come when you either want to, or have to sell your home, or even want to do a refinance or get an equity line. 

When we are in a Buyers Market like we are now, homes that have been well maintained are selling faster and closer to the asking price verses the ones that have not been.

By continually keeping up on the maintenance you actually save yourself money by not letting things get to the point of costly repair.

I have a great seasonal yearly maintenance checklist that I can email you if you are interested. I always do better myself with a checklist. Just email me and I will forward a copy to you.


Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®



I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell a home,  (doesn't have to be in Alabama)  please send me an email.  I'd be happy to help them.   Julie

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Why We Tend To Forget Things As We Age

Here's the explanantion of why as we age we tend to forget things....
.....and how you can counteract it


Keeping Your Brain Fit


RISMEDIA, Friday, August 19, 2011— If you find yourself wondering where you left your glasses—again—or struggling to recall a name or a word you've used a million times, you're not alone. Many people over 40 get frustrated by the occasional "senior moment." But if you're worried that your lapses are destined to be a permanent part of old age, take heart. It's never too late to improve brain function.

The Aging Brain

Cognition includes the ability to learn new things, judgment, intuition, language and remembering. As people age, three basic trends begin to affect cognition, and over time they have a noticeable impact on memory, thinking and focus:

• Speed: The brain gradually slows down—but the speed of information coming in from the senses doesn't. Over time, the brain begins to miss details, making it more difficult to react to and remember what was seen or heard.

• Accuracy: Like the grooves of an old record, the brain's neural pathways often get fuzzier, scratchier, or even distorted. When the brain records the static along with the important sensory information, memories are fuzzier and more difficult to process.

• Recording: The brain uses chemicals called neuromodulators to determine what information is important to record and process. With each passing decade, the brain produces fewer neuromodulators. This hinders the ability to record new information—in other words, to learn and remember.

"At first, people don't notice problems because they automatically use context to fill in what they missed," says Michael Merzenich, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Posit Science. "Although this helps in the immediate situation, it doesn't improve the quality of the memory. As the years pass, the gaps can become too big for context to fill in. When this occurs, it can be hard to catch and respond to the information even at the moment."

Brain Fitness

The good news is that physical brain change occurs every time something new is learned. This continuous physical, chemical and functional process is called brain plasticity. And it can be strengthened, even in an aging brain.

"We need to use and develop our brain's machinery through learning," says Merzenich. "This doesn't mean just academic learning. It means practicing targeted activities that engage the senses and our memories, and that involve the production of refined movements. By applying these types of activities, it's possible to maintain—and possibly restore—cognitive abilities."

Here are some simple exercises you can do to keep your brain fit.
• Take a guided tour of a museum or another site of interest. Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, reconstruct the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember. Memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation, such as receiving, remembering and thinking, help to improve the function of the brain.

• Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy but don't have memorized. Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics. Then learn to sing along. Once you've mastered one song, move on to another. Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close, intentional focus and an active memory.

In addition to exercises like these, you can take advantage of brain training software, such as the brain fitness programs offered by Posit Science. These scientifically tested programs target the brain's ability to absorb information from all the senses.

"Using a program in which you practice remembering a grocery list may help you get better at remembering grocery lists," says Merzenich. "But when you exercise the roots of memory, you'll likely find that not only can you remember grocery lists better, you can also remember conversations, tasks and even that word that is just on the tip of your tongue."

You Can Never Be To Prepared To Buy A House

Is being a First Time Home Buyer in your Future? Are you looking to buy a house again? If you answered yes to either question then you need to read this article. I'm sure this will answer some of the questions that you might be thinking about, or even address ones you never knew or forgot about.


You can never be too prepared to become a homeowner, whether this is your first time or not. Take a few minutes to look over this great article, then If you have any questions or concerns, you can drop me an email or give me a call and I will help you get the answers you need.

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER FACTS



Julie


I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama) please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Is a SHORT SALE in your Future?

Short Sales Strong thru 2013
Until the last couple years a SHORT SALE wasn't even mentioned when either trying to sell your home or in buying a home, but with the economy in the situation that it is in, they are a very popular way to sell or buy real estate.


In simple terms, A SHORT SALE is when your Lender agrees to a payoff of your mortgage that is less then the actual principal balance owed. Naturally there are certain criteria that has to be met before an agreement like this will be agreed upon with your Mortgage Lender. You will have to prove you have a financial hardship, and there is a lot of documentation involved. If you are approved for this type of sale, make sure you are working with a Realtor that has experience with short sales, because they know how this process works. Selling and or buying a home with short sale assistance does take longer than a normal, everyday sale, so don't expect in 30 days it will all be over. The more experienced your Realtor is, the smoother it will go.

If you think you might qualify for selling your home with a Short Sale, email me, or give me a call and I will get you started on the process, and stick with you thru the end.

I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama)please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

 

Need help getting $$ for your Downpayment?

Wanting to buy a house, but don't have enough saved for the down payment?
 Here is a blog posting from Trulia (Tara-Nicholle Nelson) that I thought was very imformative that I would like to share with  my readers.  I believe it could be a very usefull source of information to some.  If you think this can work for you, give me a call and we can get the process started to get you in that home of your dreams. 
.5 Insider Secrets for Coming Up With Cash for Down Payment

 August 10, 2011 6:05 PM By Tara-Nicholle Nelson


Most home buyers’ biggest hurdle is coming up with the cash for a sensible down payment. Gone are the days of zero-down loans, so if that was your plan, you’re going to need a new one! Coming up with a down payment for a home is a challenge because it’s not chump change we're talking about, here. The down payment on a $200,000 house, for example, will run you anywhere from $7,000 (on an FHA loan) to $40,000!

That might seem like an insurmountable amount of coin to come up with, but it’s actually more doable than you might think. Some buyers will simply save up their own cash, even if it takes many, many moons. The good news is that if you still need some help to boost your down-payment savings, there are resources you can harness to power your home-buying pursuit:

Monday, August 8, 2011

WHAT WILL INTEREST RATES DO NOW?

All of us in the Real Estate business have been wondering how the mortgage rates were going to be affected today. In our morning meeting, our Mortgage Dept told us to expect several changes throughout the day and those changes would more than likely be increased rates. As we all know, no one can really predict with accuracy what is really going to happen until it happens, we can anticipate, but the end of the day tells the tale.

Here is the update from Josh Wright in our Lending Dept on what actually happened today to the rates;

Not much movement in the rates today. The 10 year bond went down 21 basis points today alone. On a normal day a 2 point drop in the 10 year bond would equal a .2% drop in rates. Although the 10 year bond went down more than I have ever seen in one day, rates increased. That is very abnormal and hard to explain. Rates only increased once today and that was this morning, probably as a precaution more than anything. There is a lot of uncertainty right now, but rates remain at an all time low.


Rates for 8/8/11
VA4.2%
FHA4.3%
VA4.4%


Josh Wright
Mortgage Advisor


When You Work With Me, I Deliver The Key
Julie Nettleton
ERA-King Real Estate
256-454-5735
Julien@era-king.com
http://www.allalabamahomes.com/


I LOVE REFERRALS, so if you know of anyone that is looking to either buy or sell real estate,(doesn't have to be in Alabama)please send me an email, and I will see what I can do to help.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

What Do You Know About Your Credit Score?

If you have followed any of my previous postings you know that credit score is a topic I post about a lot.  It's been an eye opener to me  how much the consumer doesn't know about their own credit score, what effects it, and how important it is even if you aren't buying a house.
For instance, did you know that ignoring your student loans is the same as not paying your income tax?  They are both parts of the Federal Gov't and you could end up with a  judgement  placed against you.  I actually have a client now that is wanting to buy a house but can't get a loan until the judgement is paid in full (not a payment plan).  Simply taking care of your responsibilities would avoid these types of situations.

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Summer will be over before you know it, and it soon will be Fall.  The cooler weather and shorter days make for a great time to add landscaping to your yard.  I learned after reading this a few things that I was doing wrong with my landscaping projects, so when I do my Fall planting I will implement these changes.
REMEMBER IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CURB APPEAL
  • 7 Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

    Even veteran gardeners make rookie mistakes, like giving plants too much water and too little space. Here are common garden blunders. Consider yourself warned. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Why Not Build A Pergola

Raised Garden Picture  Why Not Build A Pergola

I love to look at magazines  and or pictures of outdoor spaces, and have always liked the looks that a Pergola adds to a yard, so when I ran across this, I just had to share.  If you are wanting to add value and little  pizazz to your outdoor living/entertaining areas, and don't know what to do, Why Not Build A Pergola.  Whether you are looking to provide shade for your Patio, Deck, or Outdoor Kitchen or even the swing in the backyard, let your imagination guide you since there are no set rules of how big, how high, what shape or even what color a Pergola can be. Even if you don't need the shade, having a place to hang planters or grow flowering vines or even an entrance to the backyard, will add great appeal to those blah places. Hope you enjoy it.   Just click on the link above on how to get started. 


 

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

DO YOU FEEL SAFE IN YOUR OWN HOME?

Do you feel safe in your own home? If you could use some do it yourself tips on how to keep you and your family safe, then you need to read this article.  With the economy in the shape that it is in, I am reading more and more everyday in our hometown paper about homes that are being broken into for anything that these thieves can grab onto to sell for cash.  Whether they are trying to support their drug habits, or just trying to provide for their families and needing money, its a real threat in all of our lives these days.  No one, and no community is immuned from that possible break-in. 
The vicitims of these crimes aren't nearly as upset about what was taken as they are scared for their families of what could have happened if they were home, and the simple fact that they feel violated.
You can prevent yourself from being a victim with these 5 essential steps.  Anything you can do to protect your home is better than doing nothing at all!
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Friday, June 17, 2011

CALHOUN COUNTY HOUSING MARKET REPORT FOR MAY 2011

Sweet Home Alabama
According to the media, you would think the housing market in Calhoun County, Alabama is destitude, but according to the latest stats, Alabama isn't even in the top ten States for Foreclosures.
The Top 10 States with the highest foreclosure activity rates in the nation in May 2011, and the change from last year.


Rank State Foreclosure activity rate % change year-over-year foreclosure activity

1 Nevada 1 in 103 housing units -23.1%
2 Arizona 1 in 210 units -18.5%
3 California 1 in 259 units -27.9%
4 Michigan 1 in 311 units -28.1%
5 Utah 1 in 365 units -0.5%
6 Georgia 1 in 387 units -23.8%
7 Idaho 1 in 460 units -32.1%
8 Florida 1 in 461 units -62.1%
9 Illinois 1 in 500 units -29.8%
10 Colorado 1 in 518 units -13.6%



CLICK ON THIS BADGE   if you are interested in seeing the statistics for Home Sales for the month of May in Calhoun County.


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Things to Avoid that Can Cancel Your Home Closing

Yes, the Lender will recheck your Credit either the day before or the day of Closing, and yes there are things that will prevent you from Closing on the Home of your dreams.  I can't stress enough that you can not go out and buy a new car, or open a charge account so that you can put all new furniture and appliances  in your new house before closing without it damaging your chances of getting the loan thru.  Especially not a 90 days same as cash or don't pay any interest for a year account.  These last 2 are definately deal breakers when it comes to securing your loan on the day of closing.  I have seen it happen too many times.  If you need appliances, or furniture, have it picked out and be ready to finalize the deal AFTER THE CLOSING.  So it takes you another day to move in, thats better than not moving at all.  If you have any questions about your credit, with what you can and cannot do before closing according to your finances and situation, please talk to your lender.  He or she wants your closing to happen just as much as you do.


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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

"Spruce up your Home" this spring with some easy fixes for a NEW LOOK

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Todays tip: How to fix a Scuffed Countertop

I'm always looking for easy inexpensive tips for fixing everyday common household problems.  This one looks too good to be true.  If you try this one out, let me know how it works.   I'll keep posting these, and if you know of any other tricks and tips... please share.
  • 99-Cent Store Solution #1: Scuffed Countertops

    At HouseLogic, we love to find and share inexpensive solutions to household problems. Our five solutions this week—one a day—don’t even require a trip to your big-box home improvement store—not that we don’t love stocking up at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Instead, pay a call to your 99-cent store. Its aisles are crammed with the inexpensive (and multipurpose) wares to fix what’s ailing. Read
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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Add CURB APPEAL with Outdoor Lighting

Using outdoor lighting to show off your landscaping is one of the best ways I know to add that little extra to curb appeal of your Home, especially when evening falls.  Buyers are driving by your home in the evening hours also so why not add that extra selling feature and add some outdoor lights, it will really show the place off.  The extra safety and security that  lighting will add to your home is a bonus.
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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Spend that TAX REFUND Wisely

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Monday, March 21, 2011

Does Your Landscaping Need Some Help?

  • 7 Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

    Even veteran gardeners make rookie mistakes, like giving plants too much water and too little space. Here are common garden blunders. Consider yourself warned. Read
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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Friday, March 18, 2011

Julie's March 2011 Housing Trends eNewsletter




Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.


The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau and Realtor.org reports, videos, key market indicators and real estate sales statistics, a video message by a nationally recognized economist, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, plus local neighborhood information and more.



Please click here to view the MARCH - 2011 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter.




If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click the Home Evaluator link for a free evaluation report.


MARCH - 2011 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter