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.

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:

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.

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.

• 

  What Affects Credit Scores? 7 Misconceptions

  If you’re trying to raise your credit score to get a good rate for a refinance or HELOC, you might be surprised by what affects—or doesn’t affect—your score. Read

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

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®