tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91261589794456631832024-03-05T07:02:07.937-06:00julies Blog
Postings of this and that with a balance between work and playAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-64343108532824510442016-12-14T16:35:00.000-06:002016-12-14T17:05:45.631-06:00Maybe Next Year <div style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif "important"; letter-spacing: normal; padding: 0 40px; width: 485px;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always enjoy looking at pictures getting tips on the best ways to decorate for the Holidays as I used to be that person that spent a whole week decorating the entire house and putting a tree everywhere I could find a spot. The last several years we have not been able to stay at home for Christmas as all of our family is up north so all the decorating has gone by the way side with a little less done every year. It's just so depressing to come home after the first of the year and then have to put it all that away, so I just stopped putting myself thru that. I just love a beautifully decorated home thou as it makes it feel some warm, inviting and festive and I just love all the Christmas lights whether they are colored or clear, twinkle or don't. Each year since we've been going north at Christmas I tell myself I'm going to go ahead and decorate anyway to help get into the "holiday spirit", but then each year comes and goes with just some wreaths on my front windows and maybe a pine swag and bow on my mail box and if I'm really energetic Ill string lights on it .</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've found that adding a couple poinsettias by the fireplace and on the dining room table, and melting balsam fir in my scentsy pot does seem to do the trick for the " I'm not decorating because I wont be home" person. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe next year. Ill keep you updated</span> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; text-decoration: none!important;"> <img alt="Red poinsettia plants" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/how-care-poinsettia-standard_106e9e0df1489d29e7c016478412257a_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0 none;" title="how-care-poinsettias" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">How to Care for Poinsettias</a></h3>
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Here’s how to care for poinsettias and keep them alive and happy for 6 to 8 weeks. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/how-to-string-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; text-decoration: none!important;"> <img alt="Christmas display outside home" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/how-string-christmas-lights-night-standard_607a39d2d2445146bd9f6a76eb644e11_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0 none;" title="how-string-christmas-lights-night" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/how-to-string-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Christmas Lighting Tips to Save Time and Money</a></h3>
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Here’s how to light up your Christmas light display safely and economically. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/how-to-string-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/solar-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; text-decoration: none!important;"> <img alt="Solar Christmas lights in the Frontgate catalog" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/solar-christmas-lights_8d78f4d74ba2360be4d064df1fd66e04_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0 none;" title="solar-christmas-lights" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/solar-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Solar Christmas Lights: Should You Make the Switch?</a></h3>
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Solar Christmas lights don’t cost anything to operate, but are they better than plug-in LED strings? <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/solar-christmas-lights/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/led-holiday-lights-6-need-know-tips/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips</a></h3>
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LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/led-holiday-lights-6-need-know-tips/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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Visit <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-73166987308054012582016-10-05T15:43:00.000-05:002016-10-05T15:43:02.486-05:00<h2>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Should you have your property taxes raised?</i></span> </h2>
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">You might want to .....read on</span></i> </h3>
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Yes you can appeal your property tax bill, but is it really the smart thing to do? Before you do anything you need to talk to your Realtor, especially if your home is currently on the market or you are going to be selling soon.<br />
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Tax assessments are kind of like the Zillow <span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Zestimates </b></i></span>which by the way, most seller's hate. No one comes in your house to actually do an appraisal, its a drive by or sit at your computer analysis, and is quite often completely off base. Realtors understand this and take it with a grain of salt, but BUYER'S think its gospel and anyone with internet can find out this information <br />
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If your property is assessed to low, buyer's will try to low ball you and tell you your asking too much for the house, so you actually might want to appeal your value to get it assessed higher. Paying a little more for taxes can be worth it in the long run.<br />
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Now if your property is assessed extremely too high for the neighborhood, then yes I would suggest going this route, but if its just a little too high, you might just want to leave it alone. <br />
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Call me or your Realtor and they can help you make the correct decision and guide you thru the process. <br />
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; text-decoration: none!important;"> <img alt="Property Tax Appeal Dispute Your Property Tax Bill" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/red-brick-house-green-metal-roof_1x1_9df34b187e7948138f7e728b322b5420_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0 none;" title="red-brick-house-green-metal-roof" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Appeal Your Property Tax Bill</a></h3>
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To successfully appeal your property tax bill, you first need to do a bit of sleuthing into your real estate assessment. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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Visit <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-24238215860659529092016-09-22T16:00:00.000-05:002016-09-22T16:00:09.628-05:00If I could only get yard crashers to come to my house<div style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif "important"; letter-spacing: normal; padding: 0 40px; width: 485px;">
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/smart-options-patio-pavers/" style="color: #16a8d3; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif "important"; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration: none;"> <img alt="Brick Patio Pavers | Patio Stones" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/patio-pavers-brick-standard_ce85a62b7795833d9d87a418c563e5ec_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border-image: none; border: 0px;" title="patio-pavers-brick" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/smart-options-patio-pavers/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Your Guide to Choosing Patio Stones</a></h3>
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With so many patio stones on the market, it can be hard to choose. So we’ve done the research to help you make the right choice for your home. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/smart-options-patio-pavers/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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If you have any awesome ideas or pictures of your outdoor spaces I would be happy to post them on my blog. I know I'm not the only one that drools over landscaping and outdoor décor pictures. </div>
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Visit <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-2045713319280990882016-09-15T10:59:00.000-05:002016-09-15T10:59:51.494-05:00Love my outdoor spaces <div style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; padding: 0 40px!important; width: 485px!important;">
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<img alt="Lanterns hung over a home deck" src="https://static.houselogic.com/content/images/sized/deck-makeover-ideas-solar-lights-standard_351b797aa731d547ad2ec7d72566c36d_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0 none;" title="deck-makeover-ideas-solar-lights" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/deck-makeover-ideas-under-300/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">5 Deck Makeover Projects Under $300</a></h3>
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Want to upgrade your deck but watching your budget? Here are 5 easy deck makeover ideas, many well under $300. <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/by-room/yard-patio/deck-makeover-ideas-under-300/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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Visit <a href="https://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-40447458969505377052015-12-11T11:44:00.001-06:002015-12-11T13:48:01.347-06:00<div style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; padding: 0 40px!important; width: 485px!important;">
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<a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">How to Care for Poinsettias</span></a></h3>
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Here’s how to care for poinsettias and keep them alive and happy for 6 to 8 weeks. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/how-to-care-for-poinsettias/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div>
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<div style="color: #000!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; font-size: 12px!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; margin: 0 0 12px!important;">
Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3!important; text-decoration: none!important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div>
<h4 style="color: #000!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; font-size: 11px!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; margin: 0 0 12px!important;">
Copyright 2015 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</h4>
<h2 style="color: #000!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; font-size: 11px!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; margin: 0 0 12px!important;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">KNOW SOMEONE MOVING</span> </h2>
<div style="color: #000!important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif!important; font-size: 11px!important; letter-spacing: normal!important; margin: 0 0 12px!important;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>If you know of anyone that is considering moving whether its in the same town, or even to a different state, I can help as a Relocation Specialist with ERA King Real Estate. There are cash back programs available for buyers and sellers when they go through me if they qualify. Send me an email with the contact information and I'll take it from there. </strong></span><a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>julien</strong></span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>@era-king.com</strong></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-69454573932595688972014-01-30T18:05:00.000-06:002014-01-30T18:05:05.218-06:00YOU GOT TIME?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdUEZD_l9r98LchkEdE3S0iPsNg73DhhRa-BPpvnnXXa-OfRNhn7GFaoQaaHDroN4F0UZBoq5zzgC4f1G-oqjZGE8wFwdBDAC2pXtxrpl4AryWwW0CuAc1K68oTXY8x-hZnBbLTKcXg/s1600/You+got+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdUEZD_l9r98LchkEdE3S0iPsNg73DhhRa-BPpvnnXXa-OfRNhn7GFaoQaaHDroN4F0UZBoq5zzgC4f1G-oqjZGE8wFwdBDAC2pXtxrpl4AryWwW0CuAc1K68oTXY8x-hZnBbLTKcXg/s1600/You+got+time.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">YOU GOT TIME?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week I received notice that my application was accepted
to participate in BETA test program for a new mobile real estate app designed to help you stay organized and on task in this mobile on the
go world we now live in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPX8nlbNIrQz-WknWzEqSHYD2R5KIq2jhFGVhEjNacn5hiWXkJVNUtdzvE6dtaiJjZYdoXC1X-zZBgy0QAZlbxGFZp82GYQ85O0MXZAhyuMuBI8szKqki8pl_NN3d21RTc0nxWZ1pfw/s1600/hour+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPX8nlbNIrQz-WknWzEqSHYD2R5KIq2jhFGVhEjNacn5hiWXkJVNUtdzvE6dtaiJjZYdoXC1X-zZBgy0QAZlbxGFZp82GYQ85O0MXZAhyuMuBI8szKqki8pl_NN3d21RTc0nxWZ1pfw/s1600/hour+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPX8nlbNIrQz-WknWzEqSHYD2R5KIq2jhFGVhEjNacn5hiWXkJVNUtdzvE6dtaiJjZYdoXC1X-zZBgy0QAZlbxGFZp82GYQ85O0MXZAhyuMuBI8szKqki8pl_NN3d21RTc0nxWZ1pfw/s1600/hour+glass.jpg" height="133" width="200" /> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPX8nlbNIrQz-WknWzEqSHYD2R5KIq2jhFGVhEjNacn5hiWXkJVNUtdzvE6dtaiJjZYdoXC1X-zZBgy0QAZlbxGFZp82GYQ85O0MXZAhyuMuBI8szKqki8pl_NN3d21RTc0nxWZ1pfw/s1600/hour+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
In the application I was to list the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“techy” things and the programs I currently use to help keep me organized and up to date in my real estate
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had to detail my
thoughts on how I was going to be able to reach my 2014 goals, and I realized that in every
note I was making in preparation of my application there was always one key common word that I kept writing down and that was TIME<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Time can be your best
asset if used properly, but to most its an enemy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because they waste so much of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times do you hear people say <em><strong>“ I
didn’t have time”</strong></em> , when really what they should have said was <strong>“I didn’t take
the time”</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have 24 hours in a day,
its how we manage it that makes or breaks us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You have the same number of hours per day that Albert Einsten and all
the other great leaders in history before us had, so <em>I didn’t have time</em> is
nothing more than poor management skills. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-qloPPePjy7nn6MbmOmmhToMB2chgMtbvZWxKYj94HMAfcsdunYVk9HHI-5isVbnezIBlFC29bj6vfbDx1NArfe4V6gNCEELWOZNHCJ_Qsxv7QBf07k1nkFV4nhSPEBU-nWWFxvPKQ/s1600/balance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-qloPPePjy7nn6MbmOmmhToMB2chgMtbvZWxKYj94HMAfcsdunYVk9HHI-5isVbnezIBlFC29bj6vfbDx1NArfe4V6gNCEELWOZNHCJ_Qsxv7QBf07k1nkFV4nhSPEBU-nWWFxvPKQ/s1600/balance.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We manage our money, we know how much we have, where its at
and where it has to go, , <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and we even
invest it to make more, but we fall short when managing the best commodity that
we have, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which is TIME.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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</span><o:p><h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
Time is more valuable than money….You can get more money,
but you cannot get more time. How are you spending your time????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~Jim Rhon</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VajSxOoDsdBJeLOtjf4cYuFLxwx0UnoduiHzxYwbmsPllWCdNO9NNzG1raWlzScDeUlcg-DvkBwwThwAAZtOsFgDBMjLpUGwnB83zuZTqbDjyr8rBMpcPvgMgEcNNdfBcpQLTD-PUQ/s1600/chasing+time.jpg" /> </h4>
<h4 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
If you worked every day as hard an as efficient as you do the
day before vacation, just think how successful you could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
the LIST that you make and the deadline you have to work on that makes that day
a successful accomplishment,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so why is
it you don’t do that every day?</h4>
<h4 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<o:p></o:p> </h4>
Every day that I drive to the office I automatically lose an
1 hour 15 minutes of precious time just in travel, so I'm going to manage those other hours the
best I can, to get the most success I can from it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or the gas that I just used up to get to and
from was a total waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Hg34M8WMnITFHP3kgVyRRa-MMOi4CWsMZn4k9dA7ac1RoIkR04s7FiqTcMjZkpCHJeXeS4BNBcbHrJYP9c7O_qu5FKNl_0ZjA4SAfyp4dNJTfkHBp0vLle4JsoQZBAgf3KG95Jf7JA/s1600/start+time+management.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Hg34M8WMnITFHP3kgVyRRa-MMOi4CWsMZn4k9dA7ac1RoIkR04s7FiqTcMjZkpCHJeXeS4BNBcbHrJYP9c7O_qu5FKNl_0ZjA4SAfyp4dNJTfkHBp0vLle4JsoQZBAgf3KG95Jf7JA/s1600/start+time+management.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Here are a few of my thoughts
on using time to my best advantage to stay efficient</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<strong> SCHEDULE YOURSELF A ROUTINE AND RULES AND STICK TO IT</strong> </div>
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span>
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I have a schedule for my basic daily work tasks,
which consists of things I need to do everyday to stay on top of things and in
business. and try the best I can to stick to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I've found that keeping to a routine makes for a smother and more
productive day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get yourself a 24 hour
calendar and start blocking off time for the basics you do everyday and you might
have to tweak it the first couple weeks to see what schedule works best for you,
but once you have that time slot designated and its working, your already on
your way to an efficient routine<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <strong> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">USE
YOUR TIME WISELY</span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></strong></span> </div>
<o:p><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
W</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->ork from a List.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every Sunday evening I make out a list of the
things that I really want to get accomplished (over and above my daily lists)
in the coming week, and then every evening I make a list of what I want done
and things needed to be completed for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This works excellent
for me and once my daily tasks are done then I can<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>go to my "what I want to get<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>accomplished this week" list and start
chiseling away at that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way you prioritize
your jobs, so when you get called to show houses or to go look at a house for a
listing that day you that your weren't expecting you have a clear mind because your have to jobs are done and you
wont have to worry about things you still haven't taken care of yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<strong>PRIORITIZE YOUR EMAILS</strong> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
The first thing I do in my daily work schedule is
prioritize my emails<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only read an
answer emails first that are important and pertain to my clients<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or business that are imperative and need to
be addressed ASAP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have several
folders in my Outlook email program and
move the rest of the emails to those category folders to look at when I'm done working for the day,
so its<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on my own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s always interesting email articles about
real estate items or sale ads from merchants on the next hottest item, but those emails
aren’t going to make or break me that day so I move them to a folder to read
later on my own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was an employed worker for someone else I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wouldn’t be able to read personal emails at
work so why should I do it in my own business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<o:p><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
** <strong>TREAT YOUR WORK HABITS AS IF YOU WERE WORKING FOR AN
EMPLOYER **</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<strong> </strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">FACEBOOK
, has nothing to do with work, so leave it at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do a status update, post articles or
video tours of your listings to your business page without even opening up
Facebook, so read it and watch your friends funny videos on your own time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em><strong><u>It's all about common sense and self control, and applying it to your daily habits</u></strong></em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><em><u></u></em></strong></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23JGISzK2zJ4eS7RPYqc6aq5-CrvYDsv-16ImIMgmAWCpWwVoZaJlNWxUyWBdgmYP-eC8OBwI8niq2GGWpkQ2c0_yuItLatp5ik-pup0pVPLday0jBmGx8OW2cGftG6unKpjHNVJ9hQ/s1600/time+for+change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23JGISzK2zJ4eS7RPYqc6aq5-CrvYDsv-16ImIMgmAWCpWwVoZaJlNWxUyWBdgmYP-eC8OBwI8niq2GGWpkQ2c0_yuItLatp5ik-pup0pVPLday0jBmGx8OW2cGftG6unKpjHNVJ9hQ/s1600/time+for+change.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-57999534472829185082012-05-11T12:01:00.001-05:002012-05-15T16:51:51.584-05:00Home Ownership Matters<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>REVIVING REAL ESTATE......... THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP</strong></span><br />
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This was the theme we choose for our motto and direction as a plan of attack for our marketing and clients, and I just read where the National Association of Realtors has also adopted the campaign that <span style="color: red;">HOME OWNERSHIP MATTERS</span>, and is even having a Rally to Protect the American Dream with a march at the Capitol on May 17th. We are hoping good things will come from this rally that will pave the road so that more people can take pride in being a home owner. <br />
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<a _mce_href="http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/realtor-rally/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=assoc&utm_campaign=2012rally" href="http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/realtor-rally/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=assoc&utm_campaign=2012rally"><img _mce_src="http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/assets/images/realtorrally/homeMatterBtn.png" alt="Realtor Rally" border="0" height="185" src="http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/assets/images/realtorrally/homeMatterBtn.png" width="184" /></a><br />
TODAY'S MARKET<br />
There is no better time in history than now to be purchasing a home with the interest rates being so low, and with the home prices the way they are. We do believe, and stats are proving that the market has hit it's bottom in our area and that values are starting to rise in certain areas. We had a couple appraisals come in last week with steady to increasing values being marked on the reports which is an excellent sign, and it sure beats the declining market option. Now that doesn't mean the value of your house is going to jump back up to where it was over night as this is going to be gradual, if we don't have any other economic set backs in the near future. <br />
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<em><span style="color: #20124d;"><strong>If you take advantage of the lower prices now, thats just that much more equity you will have in your home once this market has bounced back.</strong></span></em> <br />
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I know for sellers its a hard pill to swallow when you can't get out of your house what you paid for it, but on the flip side, you can also purchase a better house at a lower price. So its really a wash when you think about it. If you sell $300k quality home for $275K (-25k) but buy $325K house for 300K (+25k) you have recovered your $25k you thought you were losing on the sale, so everybody wins!!!<br />
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That theory won't work for every transaction or everybody because situations are always a little different, but for the most part, about 80% of the time this is a true evaulation. <br />
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It's a tough market out there now and not everybody can even qualify for a loan, but with our direction and motto in place and the NAR backing us, we hope to help anyone that makes an effort to be able to purchase a piece of the American Dream.<br />
If you need help getting your credit in line or have questions on how to get it corrected, give us a call and we will do our very best to help. <span style="color: red;">It's not hopeless, it just takes effort.</span> <br />
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Julie, Bonny and Lynne<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0VezU09NuDnoeqcr6TSXIyTu_2KRlRNebApYKfWg8GesFVtGMZHLgQ93hhXPi971tE-weMpckCdBwNVQRrSZr3XNMt-gM9_PMeTtBDR6MRdgM6XY09VZx5DUeVVaehuULvQ3TLt9ag/s1600/kings3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0VezU09NuDnoeqcr6TSXIyTu_2KRlRNebApYKfWg8GesFVtGMZHLgQ93hhXPi971tE-weMpckCdBwNVQRrSZr3XNMt-gM9_PMeTtBDR6MRdgM6XY09VZx5DUeVVaehuULvQ3TLt9ag/s1600/kings3a.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-67730134080472056762012-03-28T16:15:00.000-05:002012-03-28T16:15:50.205-05:00The Newest Trends for BathroomsWANT A TRENDY BATHROOM?..... Here's some of the newest trends......<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding: 0px 40px !important; width: 485px !important;"><ul style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 30px !important; padding-left: 0px; width: 485px;"><li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(235, 240, 242) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: rgb(119, 119, 119) !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding: 30px 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><br />
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<img alt="TV/Mirror installed in a bathroom" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/bathroom-remodeling-trends-tv-mirror_1x1_ab99633947343ef11c70db8b9607c5cc_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="bathroom-remodeling-trends-tv-mirror" /><br />
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<h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/blog/bathrooms/bathroom-remodeling-trends-2012/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">3 Hot Trends for Bathroom Remodeling in 2012</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">From toilets that double as sound systems to water-conserving spa experiences, here’s what’s trendy for bathroom improvements for 2012. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/blog/bathrooms/bathroom-remodeling-trends-2012/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Copyright 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-68607370037859436232012-02-16T21:59:00.000-06:002012-02-16T21:59:14.092-06:00DO IT YOURSELF<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Does your Kitchen or Bath need a Facelift?</span> </strong></em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you have been wanting to update your Kitchen and or Bathrooms, but just don't have the budget to put in all new, then this is an article you need to read. Here is a great way to get a new fresh look for your cabinets with out spending alot of money, and it also saves the landfills if your wanting to go Green. There is even a HOW TO video at the end of article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Let me know if you try this and how it went for you. Better yet, <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com">email me</a> your before and after pictures and I'll add it to my blog to show off all your hard work. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>ENJOY</em></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding: 0px 40px !important; width: 485px !important;"><ul style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 30px !important; padding-left: 0px; width: 485px;"><li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(235, 240, 242) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: rgb(119, 119, 119) !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding: 30px 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><br />
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<div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding: 0px 12px 0px 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/kitchens/refacing-kitchen-cabinets/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><br />
<img alt="Before and after showing kitchen cabinet refacing" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/refacing-kitchen-cabinets_534c2888208b8ae2bfd0e463666b6192___1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="refacing-kitchen-cabinets2" /><br />
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<h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/kitchens/refacing-kitchen-cabinets/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Refacing Your Kitchen Cabinets: The Options and Costs</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">Want to reface your kitchen cabinets? Smart decision. It’s more cost-effective and takes less time than a full remodel. Here are options and costs. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/kitchens/refacing-kitchen-cabinets/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Copyright 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-40548994244818811152012-01-05T13:35:00.000-06:002012-01-05T13:35:09.352-06:00CREATE A HOME INVENTORY FOR INSURANCE<div style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding: 0px 40px !important; width: 485px !important;"></div><strong>DO YOU HAVE AN INVENTORY OF YOUR HOMES CONTENTS?</strong><br />
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Recently, friends of mine have had the aweful experience of being robbed, and even the worse heacache of trying to find receipts so that they can make a claim with their insurance. Just like most of us, we really don't think it will happen to us and we don't keep good records of what we have. We have an idea in our head what we paid for it, or what all we even have, but that doesn't satisfy the insurance company, nor reimburse you for the money you have now lost. <br />
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Make doing an inventory of your homes contents one of your priorities for 2012. I hope that none of you ever have to go thru the experience of a theft, fire or tornado, but you will be thankful you took the time to do this if it does happen to you. <br />
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<div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding: 0px 12px 0px 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-inventories/home-inventory-for-insurance/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><br />
<img alt="Home Inventory For Insurance" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/home-inventory-couple-list-getty_1x1_74dd954086d9f8d06db4544eb6f115f2_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="home-inventory-couple-list-getty" /><br />
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<h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-inventories/home-inventory-for-insurance/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Create a Home Inventory for Insurance</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">Create a home inventory before disaster strikes to make filing an insurance claim a smoother process. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-inventories/home-inventory-for-insurance/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;">Copyright 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-18863276758135554752011-12-09T13:06:00.000-06:002011-12-09T13:06:01.934-06:00I'VE FOUND SOME GREAT APPSIve 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!!!!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: red;">DECORATING APPS</span></strong><br />
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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 <strong><span style="color: red;"><u>BEHR</u></span></strong> (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.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: red;"><u>Sherwin Williams</u></span></strong> 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. <br />
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<strong><span style="color: red;"><u>MagicPlan</u></span></strong> 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. <br />
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<strong><span style="color: red;">FOR YOUR SAFETY</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><strong><u><span style="color: red;">CrimeReports</span></u></strong><u></u> 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 <a href="http://www.crimereports.com/">www.crimereports.com</a>. </span><br />
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<strong>If you have any apps you think I or others might be interested in, please feel free to comment on this blog. </strong><br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-88834227654212836752011-12-06T12:26:00.000-06:002011-12-06T12:26:16.291-06:00BE SAFE THIS CHRISTMAS<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000;"><strong><em>CHRISTMAS TIME IS SUCH A BUSY TIME OF YEAR</em></strong></span>, 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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">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.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL</span></strong><br />
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<strong> <img alt="Holiday Hosting Tips How To Host On The Holidays" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/buzz-holiday-hosting-disasters-veer_1x1_86cc6da21aa31a1e39a8b10c7e1579bd_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="buzz-holiday-hosting-disasters-getty" /><br />
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</strong><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-thoughts/holiday-hosting-tips/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">5 Holiday Hosting Disasters and How to Avoid Them</a></h3><strong> </strong><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><strong>Take a look at the most common things that can go wrong when you have guests and learn how to prevent them. </strong><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-thoughts/holiday-hosting-tips/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><strong>Read</strong></a></div><strong> </strong><div style="clear: both;"></div><strong> </strong></li>
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<strong> <img alt="Holiday Fire Safety Tips How to Avoid Holiday Fires" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/decorated-christmas-tree-getty_1x1_26fae644806eb99af80bacb1151a4e06_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="decorated-christmas-tree-getty" /><br />
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</strong><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-thoughts/holiday-fire-safety-tips/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Holiday Fire Safety Tips</a></h3><strong> </strong><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><strong>The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires, so take note of these tips to reduce your risk. </strong><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-thoughts/holiday-fire-safety-tips/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><strong>Read</strong></a></div><strong> </strong><div style="clear: both;"></div><strong> </strong></li>
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<strong> <img alt="inspect holiday lights" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/putting-up-christmas-lights-outside-veer_1x1_96dd9b712a650c8ea3e0e18389eba437_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor;" title="putting-up-christmas-lights-outside-veer" /><br />
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</strong><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lighting/holiday-light-safety/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Holiday Lighting Safety Checklist</a></h3><strong> </strong><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><strong>Before you plug in and light up for the holidays, run your decorations through this quick safety check. </strong><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lighting/holiday-light-safety/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><strong>Read</strong></a></div><strong> </strong><div style="clear: both;"></div><strong> </strong></li>
<strong> </strong></ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;"><strong>Visit </strong><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: rgb(22, 168, 211) !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><strong>houselogic.com</strong></a><strong> for more articles like this.</strong></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px !important;"><strong>Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</strong></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-8852391415432104562011-11-15T11:24:00.000-06:002011-11-15T11:24:59.033-06:00It's Not The White Picket Fence Anymore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NQ67Xu8Ek5sBHZwOPfEb0qx0MFAHKPlDAdoycsS2ZBupk0iom2iWF2QODjq6o43cEK9s9LHlJW2BIj0mTgE9C0p23mkXFPi31p41lreIH6Q07eAhxU2lbDQqfC6UJ7XmG0yf7TNKYw/s1600/Tub-and-Shower_160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NQ67Xu8Ek5sBHZwOPfEb0qx0MFAHKPlDAdoycsS2ZBupk0iom2iWF2QODjq6o43cEK9s9LHlJW2BIj0mTgE9C0p23mkXFPi31p41lreIH6Q07eAhxU2lbDQqfC6UJ7XmG0yf7TNKYw/s1600/Tub-and-Shower_160x120.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><em>It's not the white picket fence consumers are looking for today,</em></strong> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">it's the updated Kitchen and Master Bathroom or main bath if thats all you have to offer in your home. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm going to focus today on the Bathroom.</span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.frontdoor.com/sell/bathroom-remodeling-projects-expert-tips-and-advice-to-add-home-value/55495">BOOST YOUR HOME VALUE ON YOUR BATHROOM</a><br />
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I'm really not sure if it's because we live such a hectic life style that we are all looking for that<span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><strong><em>C</em><em>algon take me away room</em></strong></span>, but this room is very important to the sale of your home. <br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
<a href="http://www.frontdoor.com/sell/bathroom-remodeling-projects-expert-tips-and-advice-to-add-home-value/55495">BOOST YOUR HOME VALUE ON YOUR BATHROOM</a> <br />
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Let me know how you like this article. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-90516219879370252282011-11-08T09:55:00.000-06:002011-11-08T09:55:58.569-06:00CREDIT SCORE VS. MORTGAGE RATE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssd_8UrSkDk/TrlOgaBnLBI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HhknN3rmufA/s1600/dollar+bills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssd_8UrSkDk/TrlOgaBnLBI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HhknN3rmufA/s200/dollar+bills.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><span style="background-color: yellow;">The Higher Your Score, The More Money You Save</span><br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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Your FICO score has always influenced the mortgage rate for which you’re eligible, and In 2008 it began to change your loan fees.<br />
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In response to major mortgage market losses, in April 2008, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introduced something called <strong>Loan-Level Pricing Adjustments (LLPA).</strong> Loan-level pricing adjustments are “discount points” added to a mortgage rate, based on a specific borrower’s risk to the lender.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>A discount point is a loan fee, paid at the time of closing</strong></span>. 1 discount point is equal to 1 percent of your loan size.<br />
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Assuming a 20% down payment, look at how discount points change based on credit score. Fees get massive for FICOs under 700.<br />
<ul><li>740+ FICO : There are no discount points required. This loan is “low risk”.</li>
<li>720-739 FICO : 0.250 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $250 per $100,000 borrowed</li>
<li>700-719 FICO : 0.750 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $750 per $100,000 borrowed</li>
<li>680-699 FICO : 1.500 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $1,500 per $100,000 borrowed</li>
<li>660-679 FICO : 2.500 discount points are charged to the borrower, or $2,500 per $100,000 borrowed (copied from Trulia.com)</li>
</ul>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.<br />
<strong>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%.</strong><br />
This is why it’s important to keep your credit score high. There are real dollar costs for having scores under 740. <br />
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If your not quite sure what makes up a credit score, or what you can do to improve it, <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com">email me</a> 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.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #351c75;"><em>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.</em> </span></strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-71285418025381992482011-10-08T16:10:00.000-05:002011-10-08T16:10:25.362-05:00Short Sale/ Foreclosure and your Credit ScoreI'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.<br />
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.<br />
<img alt="" src="http://images.trulia.com/blogimg/9/6/f/8/382213_1317856355724_b.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0pt; border-left: 0pt; border-right: 0pt; border-top: 0pt; margin: 5px;" /><br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
We have a great Mortgage department at ERA-King Real Estate, and any of our staff can help you get on the right path. <br />
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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-6205481037861455402011-10-05T10:21:00.000-05:002011-10-05T10:21:02.623-05:00IS YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL CORRECTWe 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...<br />
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.<br />
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. <br />
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. <br />
If you think your taxes need to be reviewed, give me a call or <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com">email me</a>, and I will help you gather the information needed to take to the tax assessor for a review. <br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 40px !important; padding-right: 40px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; width: 485px !important;"><ul style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-type: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding-left: 0px; width: 485px;"><li style="border-bottom: #ebf0f2 1px solid; color: #777 !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding-bottom: 30px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 30px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 12px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/property-taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="Property Tax Appeal Dispute Your Property Tax Bill" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/red-brick-house-green-metal-roof_1x1_9df34b187e7948138f7e728b322b5420_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" title="red-brick-house-green-metal-roof" /> </a></div><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/property-taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Appeal Your Property Tax Bill</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">To successfully appeal your property tax bill, you first need to do a bit of sleuthing into your real estate assessment. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/property-taxes/property-tax-appeal/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong><em>I LOVE REFERRALS</em></strong></span>, 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 <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com">email,</a> and I will see what I can do to help.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-68602105908868968672011-09-27T12:54:00.001-05:002011-09-27T14:14:47.291-05:00What 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. <br />
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. <br />
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<br />
<a href="http://rismedia.com/2011-09-26/do-your-part-5-ways-to-lower-your-lighting-costs/">Do Your Part: 5 Ways to Lower your Lighting Cost </a><br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-78396754492947489912011-09-20T20:54:00.000-05:002011-09-20T20:54:34.563-05:007 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Credit Score<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">It's been awhile since I have blogged anything about credit scores</span>, but it is still the biggest reason people are turned down when applying for loans to purchase a house or even rent an apartment. </strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">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. </span></strong><br />
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<strong>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. </strong><br />
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<strong>Here is an article I found from Frontdoor.com that hits the basics </strong><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><strong>7 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Credit Score</strong></span><br />
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By Karin Beuerlein, FrontDoor.com <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwh3hgJLdr07hiPjAiQzXKyKGiTBcq3Njuc7DIBHCFb7KwJT-D8fNnlJ6tgTSvuTvulCsWyj01hZyGVUq25goh36xwk_ngjUSeOaSO8rXdZwuZ_P_57zZ1Crha4_0_u7CAJVhoRlSHA/s1600/Pay-Bills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwh3hgJLdr07hiPjAiQzXKyKGiTBcq3Njuc7DIBHCFb7KwJT-D8fNnlJ6tgTSvuTvulCsWyj01hZyGVUq25goh36xwk_ngjUSeOaSO8rXdZwuZ_P_57zZ1Crha4_0_u7CAJVhoRlSHA/s200/Pay-Bills.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Published: 6/05/2008 <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong><em>To improve your credit score</em></strong>,</span></span> <strong>start by paying your current bills on time.</strong><br />
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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.<br />
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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:<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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7.Allow some time to pass. Following these tips will improve your credit score, but give them time to work their magic. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em><u><strong>Here's a general timetable</strong>:</u></em></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">•Corrected errors on your credit report should boost your score immediately;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">•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;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">•Paying off delinquent accounts gives you some leverage with lenders, but improvement in your actual credit score will be slow, so be patient</span> <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-11205314777006074352011-09-13T21:29:00.000-05:002011-09-13T21:29:10.222-05:00HOW TO LOWER YOUR ENERGY COST THIS WINTER<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now that Summer is coming to a close, </span><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><strong><em>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</em></strong>,</span> and I don't know of anybody that wouldn't want to capitalize on these savings. </span><br />
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Hope these can help you towards saving some money this winter.......</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 40px !important; padding-right: 40px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; width: 485px !important;"><ul style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-type: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding-left: 0px; width: 485px;"><li style="border-bottom: #ebf0f2 1px solid; color: #777 !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding-bottom: 30px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 30px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 12px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/fixing-attics-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="Fixing Attics Air Leaks How Do You Fix Attic Air Leaks" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/attic-leak-hatch-cover-energyguardian_262e526aec011e17fda4bcdb4631af5c__1x1_262e526aec011e17fda4bcdb4631af5c_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" title="attic-leak-hatch-cover-energyguardian" /> </a></div><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/fixing-attics-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Attic Air Leaks: How to Find and Seal Them</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">Even if your attic floor is filled with adequate insulation, seal air leaks around pipes and other attic openings to prevent waste of heating and cooling energy—and money. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/fixing-attics-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
<li style="border-bottom: #ebf0f2 1px solid; color: #777 !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding-bottom: 30px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 30px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 12px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/basement-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="Basement Air Leaks Seal Basement Air Leaks" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/basement-air-leak-seal-gettyrmperpetuity_1x1_420b38d7ed91d2d447255dcf8d31c747_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" title="basement-air-leak-seal-gettyrmperpetuity" /> </a></div><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/basement-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Air Leaks in Your Basement? How to Spot and Seal Them</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">Seal air leaks in your basement to stop the loss of your home heating energy. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/basement-air-leaks/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-85344334298611132932011-09-04T14:44:00.000-05:002011-09-04T14:44:37.675-05:00Gain Value of your Home with Yearly Routine Maintanence<span style="background-color: #ffd966; color: #660000;"><strong>THE VALUE OF HOME MAINTENANCE</strong></span><br />
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. <br />
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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. <br />
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By continually keeping up on the maintenance you actually save yourself money by not letting things get to the point of costly repair.<br />
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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 <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com"><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">email me</span></a> and I will forward a copy to you.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 40px !important; padding-right: 40px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; width: 485px !important;"><ul style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-type: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding-left: 0px; width: 485px;"><li style="border-bottom: #ebf0f2 1px solid; color: #777 !important; display: block; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; line-height: 20px !important; padding-bottom: 30px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 30px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 485px;"><div style="float: left !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 12px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: relative !important; width: 100px !important;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/value-home-maintenance/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="Home Maintenance Savings Home Maintenance Value" src="http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/value-home-maintenance-getty_1x1_e1cda428e21b8a8861060af310c4e96e_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" title="value-home-maintenance-getty" /> </a></div><h3 style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: bold !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;"><a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/value-home-maintenance/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">The Value of Home Maintenance</a></h3><div style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px; width: 373px;">Regular home maintenance is key to preserving the value of your house and property. <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/articles/value-home-maintenance/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Read</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></li>
</ul><div style="float: left; width: 485px;"><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Visit <a href="http://www.houselogic.com/" style="color: #16a8d3 !important; text-decoration: none !important;">houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</div><div style="color: #000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</div></div></div><br />
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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 <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com"><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">send me an email</span></a><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">.</span> I'd be happy to help them. <em>Julie</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-73606407260218642012011-08-23T15:17:00.000-05:002011-08-23T15:17:03.924-05:00Why We Tend To Forget Things As We Age<strong><em><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the explanantion of why as we age we tend to forget things.... </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.....and how you can counteract it</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Keeping Your Brain Fit </strong></span><br />
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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.<br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-size: large;">The Aging Brain</span></strong><br />
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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:<br />
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• 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. <br />
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• 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. <br />
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• 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.<br />
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"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."<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Brain Fitness</span></strong><br />
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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.<br />
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"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."<br />
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Here are some simple exercises you can do to keep your brain fit.<br />
• 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. <br />
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• 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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"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."<br />
<a name='more'></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-16023719839642205342011-08-23T11:32:00.000-05:002011-08-23T11:32:07.581-05:00You Can Never Be To Prepared To Buy A HouseIs 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.<br />
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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 <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.com">email </a>or give me a call and I will help you get the answers you need. <br />
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/First%20Time%20Homebuyer%20FACTS.xps">FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER FACTS</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k9w3XoN4ynk/TlPVNSEQFMI/AAAAAAAAADU/juS-RRjjPVo/s1600/email_ineedarealtor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k9w3XoN4ynk/TlPVNSEQFMI/AAAAAAAAADU/juS-RRjjPVo/s1600/email_ineedarealtor.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Julie</em></span> <br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-25099289045949693642011-08-12T15:50:00.000-05:002011-08-12T15:50:20.621-05:00Is a SHORT SALE in your Future?<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Short Sales Strong thru 2013</strong></span><br />
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.<br />
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In simple terms, A<a href="http://rismedia.com/rrein/5662/1010643/4638896/26102"> SHORT SALE</a> 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. <br />
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If you think you might qualify for selling your home with a Short Sale, <a href="mailto:julien@era-king.om">email me</a>, or give me a call and I will get you started on the process, and stick with you thru the end. <br />
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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.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-79380630128937180272011-08-12T09:41:00.000-05:002011-08-12T09:41:30.979-05:00Need help getting $$ for your Downpayment?<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Wanting to buy a house, but don't have enough saved for the down payment?</strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cM8e4jxXPuw/TkU53PJdhZI/AAAAAAAAADM/D0uWbgqBXvk/s1600/dollar+bills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cM8e4jxXPuw/TkU53PJdhZI/AAAAAAAAADM/D0uWbgqBXvk/s1600/dollar+bills.jpg" /></a></div> <span style="color: red;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">.5 Insider Secrets for Coming Up With Cash for Down Payment</span><br />
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August 10, 2011 6:05 PM By Tara-Nicholle Nelson <br />
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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!<br />
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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:<br />
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1.The FHA Bridal Registry. Yes - you read that right! The FHA Bridal Registry Program enables wanna-be home buyers to apply their families’ wedding gifts toward their down payments. And although it’s named a “bridal registry” program, you don’t have to be a prenuptial couple to use it. You could also use this program to collect gifts for graduation, the arrival of a baby or some other major life event in which people want to give you gifts. The FHA Bridal Registry works like a traditional registry, but is more flexible. The registrants visit their choice of FHA mortgage lenders and set up what essentially is a custodial savings account for the sole purpose of funding their down payment. The couple’s (or individual’s) family and friends can either deposit funds directly into the account or give the cash or check to the couple or individual, who then deposits it into the account. The account’s flexibility also goes beyond that of traditional down payment gift rules that are applicable to FHA loans, which are detailed below in insider secret #2. With the FHA Bridal Registry Program, the only gift documentation required is “lender and borrower certification of the funds.”<br />
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2.Family gifts. Most lenders will allow home buyers to apply gift money from family members toward their down payment - within guidelines, that is. First, the lender will require a letter from the giver verifying that it in fact is a gift and not a loan. (They generally frown upon it being a loan because it would add to the buyer’s debt and change their debt-to-income ratio.) And second, the person giving you the money must be a relative. The reasoning here is that a friend will most likely expect you to repay the money, whereas a relative won’t. FHA loans will allow the gift to make up any portion or all of the buyer’s down payment, many conventional (non-FHA) loan programs will restrict the proportion of a buyer’s down payment that can come from gift money. The lender may also have specific ways they want to see the money go into and out of your accounts. Before you accept a gift toward your down payment, be sure to check with your mortgage broker or loan rep to be sure that you’re dotting all the right i's and crossing all the right t's.<br />
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3.Your Employer. Some companies offer assistance programs to employees. Most are government, university, large company and financial industry employers. One example is safety workers: n some areas, safety workers like firefighters and police can have access to down payment grants from their employers if they buy properties in the city where they are on-call as first responders. Also, many large colleges and universities, very large companies and banks and lending institutions offer down payment help and have below-market-rate mortgages set up for faculty members and staffers. Check with your Human Resources department to see if any such program is available to you.<br />
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4.City/County/State Programs. Some states, counties and cities still offer programs that lend or give home buyers some assistance for down payments. These programs vary widely in scope - for instance, many target buyers with low and moderate incomes, while some seek to help the buyers of foreclosed or fixer-upper type homes. Some don’t have to repaid - meaning they are given as grants and are forgiven entirely if the buyer lives in the property for 30 years, but must be repaid if the buyer sells or rents the home out before the 30 years elapses. The programs pretty much all have some sort of homeowner education component that requires applicants to take personal finance and homeownership preparedness classes before they can receive funds. To learn more, visit your city, county and state websites to learn about programs that might be able to help you.<br />
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5.Your Retirement Funds. Many financial advisors would advise against this, but if you have a 401K or Roth IRA account and some years to go before retirement, you might be able to tap into it or even borrow against your own funds for your down payment. Currently, you can take up to $10,000 out of your Traditional IRA with no penalty to put toward the purchase of your first home, but you will be taxed. You can take as much as you want out of your Roth IRA contributions with no penalty or taxes, though, and as much as $10,000 from your earnings penalty-free for your down payment. The rules get a little tricky, here, so definitely check in with your tax and financial advisors. And while you can’t similarly draw from your 401K, many retirement and pension plans will allow you to borrow the money against your funds, then repay it to yourself – at interest. So the choice there comes down to paying your lender back with interest or paying yourself with interest. That choice should be you! But first, get some advice from your CPA or financial planner. This option might not make financial sense for your particular situation.<br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126158979445663183.post-73858938997137154792011-08-08T17:53:00.000-05:002011-08-08T17:53:31.060-05:00<strong><span style="color: red;">WHAT WILL INTEREST RATES DO NOW?</span></strong><br />
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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. <br />
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Here is the update from Josh Wright in our Lending Dept on what actually happened today to the rates;<br />
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<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">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.</span></em><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">Rates for 8/8/11</span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">VA4.2%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">FHA4.3%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">VA4.4%</span></em><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">Josh Wright</span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">Mortgage Advisor</span></em><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #20124d;">When You Work With Me, I Deliver The Key</span></u></strong><br />
Julie Nettleton<br />
ERA-King Real Estate<br />
256-454-5735<br />
<a href="mailto:Julien@era-king.com">Julien@era-king.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.allalabamahomes.com/">http://www.allalabamahomes.com/</a><br />
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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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12758742648712995330noreply@blogger.com0