7 Routes to Becoming an Industry Authority
Thursday, 28 February 2013 14:13
How would you like to be the person people go to for the definitive answer, opinion, or advice about what's going on in your industry? Wouldn't you especially like to be that person when the people approaching you are in the media or, even better, potential referral partners or prospects? Here are 7...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of February 25, 2013
Monday, 25 February 2013 15:27
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Energy and persistence conquer all things."--Benjamin Franklin INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... All who work in the housing market, from realtors to builders to lenders, have certainly shown energy and persistence. Although we're now in recovery, it's at a slow pace, so th...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of February 18, 2013
Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:36
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we seek too late the one that is open."--Alexander Graham Bell, American inventor INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... There is more and more evidence that the door of opportunity is opening in the housing market. On Va...
READ MORE9 tips for creating passwords that send hackers away–PLUS 5 points to remember when selling your home
Monday, 18 February 2013 17:09
To keep hackers out of your systems, never click on suspicious links or attachments, even from friends. But it's even more important to manage your passwords. Here's what internet security experts say we should do: 1. Use nothing from the dictionary. If your password is in the dictionary, it's no b...
READ MOREUSDA Pilot Refinance Program Is Now Available In More States!
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 16:16
The USDA Pilot Refinance Program is a great mortgage product for borrowers looking to refinance their current USDA loan where limited or no equity is not an issue. Effective February 11, 2013 the following states will now be eligible for the USDA Pilot Refinance Program: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of February 11, 2013
Monday, 11 February 2013 14:35
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"--Maya Angelou, American author and poet INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... People who are putting their homes on the market appear to be ...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of February 4, 2013
Monday, 04 February 2013 14:32
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity." --Any Rand, Russian-American novelist, philosopher, and playwright INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... For quite some time, borrowers have had the opportunity to take advantage of very low mortga...
READ MORE5 Great Daily Habits for the New Year
Thursday, 31 January 2013 16:06
Here's a fresh idea for the start of the New Year. Instead of trying to improve ourselves by trying to follow another set of New Year's resolutions, some life coaches and self-improvement experts suggest that establishing a few good habits on a daily basis can be much more effective. Good habits, pr...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of January 28, 2013
Monday, 28 January 2013 13:51
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "There's no one to stop you but yourself."--Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's and philanthropist INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... There's not much that's stopping the housing market from steadily moving forward. For 2012, the National Association of Realtors reported existin...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of January 21, 2013
Wednesday, 23 January 2013 15:22
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Well done is better than well said."--Benjamin Franklin, American inventor and statesman INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... What's doing pretty well is the housing market. Last Monday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke called housing one positive factor "that's going to help us have...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of January 14, 2013
Monday, 14 January 2013 13:24
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final."--Roger Babson, American entrepreneur and business theorist INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... That's a good thought as we watch the housing market, once doomed to failure, turn into a more successful...
READ MORECommon complaints we hear about USDA Pilot Refinance Program not being available with lenders. We can help!
Friday, 11 January 2013 15:47
“I just can’t find a bank that will work with the Pilot Refinance where I can wrap all of the costs back into the loan without paying the costs out of pocket. Everyone wants me to use the USDA Streamline refinance instead.” “You are the first person that I've talked to that is familiar ...
READ MOREClosed a purchase with USDA, MCC Tax Credit, & even escrowed for repairs!
Wednesday, 09 January 2013 21:51
We just closed a USDA mortgage which provided 100% financing on the purchase. Not only that, the buyer qualified for NC Housing Finance Agency's MCC tax credit which is available to first time homebuyers (buyers who have not owned a residence in the last 3 years). Then the appraiser required certain...
READ MORE9 tax questions homeowners must ask – PLUS 5 ways to stay on top of home maintenance
Wednesday, 09 January 2013 16:43
Now is the time to start putting together records and information for your 2012 tax returns which are due April 15, 2013. Here are some tax questions homeowners need to ask: 1. What tax benefits did homeowners get in the recent 'fiscal cliff' budget agreement? Two tax provisions that ended in 201...
READ MOREMinimum property requirements for a VA mortgage loan
Tuesday, 08 January 2013 17:09
The following are some guidelines for VA minimum property requirements: Floor covering must be in place at the time of closing Stove/oven must be installed Refrigerator is not required Air conditioning is not required Conventional heat source required to maintain 50 degrees in areas with plum...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of January 7, 2013
Monday, 07 January 2013 13:40
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty."--John Selden, English jurist and scholar INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... Our leaders in Washington aren't telling if they've truly resolved to put our fiscal house in order, but at least last week's ...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of December 31, 2012
Monday, 31 December 2012 13:41
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."--Charles F. Kettering, American inventor INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... If you need some encouragement to follow the advice of the inventor of the automobile starter motor, look to last week's November New Home Sales, U...
READ MOREUSDA Pilot Refinance Program Available in Georgia (GA)
Wednesday, 19 December 2012 13:30
USDA Rural Development is offering the opportunity for current USDA Section 502 Guaranteed borrowers to refinance their existing USDA loan through the USDA Rural Refinance Pilot Program. The Rural Refinance Pilot program allows borrower in 19 states to take advantage of the lower rate environment o...
READ MOREUSDA Pilot Refinance Program Available in California (CA)
Wednesday, 19 December 2012 12:59
USDA Rural Development is offering the opportunity for current USDA Section 502 Guaranteed borrowers to refinance their existing USDA loan through the USDA Rural Refinance Pilot Program. The Rural Refinance Pilot program allows borrower in 19 states to take advantage of the lower rate environment o...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of December 17, 2012
Monday, 17 December 2012 14:20
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and community of Newtown, Connecticut. >> Review of Last Week UNCERTAINTY TAKES ITS TOLL... There are just two weeks to go for politicians to broker a deal to stop the country from going over a fiscal cliff of draconian tax hikes and spending cuts. Un...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of December 10, 2012
Monday, 10 December 2012 21:30
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."--Confucius INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... What are rising now are asking prices for homes. A major Web real estate portal reports prices for homes listed there were up 3.8% in November versus ...
READ MORETake These 6 Steps for a More Effective Social Media Strategy
Monday, 03 December 2012 14:50
The way to get more out of your social media presence is to approach it in a systematic way. Here are the steps to take to put together a more effective social media strategy for the coming year. 1. Write down your business goals for 2013. Number of new prospects. Number of new clients/customers. ...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of December 3, 2012
Monday, 03 December 2012 14:49
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "We acquire the strength we have overcome."--Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... We who toil in the housing market must surely be very strong by now, having overcome some powerful forces, not the least of which has been the downward pressu...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of November 26, 2012
Tuesday, 27 November 2012 15:53
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., American physician, poet, professor, and author INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... We may not be standing in the middle of a fully recovered housing ...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of November 19, 2012
Monday, 19 November 2012 17:28
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Opportunities multiply as they are seized."--Sun Tzu, ancient Chinese military general, thought to be the author of The Art of WarINFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... Investors are seizing the opportunity to invest in Home Depot, the home improvement retailer who's seizing the op...
READ MOREMortgage Daily Reports PrimeLending Q3 Originations Up By 25 Percent
Monday, 19 November 2012 17:27
Online news publication Mortgage Daily recently reported PrimeLending’s third quarter residential loan originations were up 25 percent at $3.885 billion, the result of more than 18,000 loans. So far in 2012, PrimeLending home loan originations total more than $9.7 billion. “Through the hard wo...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of November 12, 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012 13:02
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Success is often just an idea away." --Frank Tyger, American cartoonist, columnist, and humoristINFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... One idea that could lead to some success is to let people know that home prices and home sales both posted strong annual growth in the third quarte...
READ MORE6 ways to lower your odds for a tax audit –PLUS 6 tips to boost your smartphone's security
Thursday, 08 November 2012 14:54
Tax season will soon be upon us. As people begin organizing their financial info, they often worry their returns might get audited. The percentage of people audited is small, yet that number has risen since 2008. The most common audit is a "correspondence audit," a notice from the IRS requesting mor...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of November 5, 2012
Monday, 05 November 2012 13:31
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it." --Amelia Barr, British novelistINFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... We hope that in the face of the tragedy of superstorm Sandy, those affected will find joy: in neighbors coming together showing ...
READ MOREMarket Update for the Week of October 29, 2012
Wednesday, 31 October 2012 14:34
QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." --Benjamin Disraeli, British politicianINFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... The rest of the economy may be barely moving forward, but there's clearly some action in the housing market. New single-fa...
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