Hesitating on Buying a Home May Cost You More

Timing is everything for many first-time buyers today. For those who purchase a home this year, the tax credit is for 10% of the purchase price, up to $8,000. Those who have owned a home in the past three years aren’t eligible. Buyers also have to meet eligibility requirements regarding income; the current credit begins to phase out for singles who make more than $75,000 and couples who make more than $150,000. 

Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-09-17/the-clock-is-ticking-as-first-time-buyers-intensify-their-house-hunting/#ixzz0RTo0OVSH

The current Tax Credit expires December 1st. But the buyer's property must be closed and funded by November 30th. The National Association of REALTORS has issued a Call to Action asking all REALTORS to contact our Congressmen 1.) for the credit to be extended till Dec 2010 and  2.) for an expansion to include EVRYONE & not just First Time Home Buyers. You too can contact your Congressman!

Buyer Beware...

Buyer Beware:  If you buy a REO property, don't forget that foreclosure voids structural home warranties.  I see several homes on the market that the foundation is not up to par - if you buy this home, how will it be repaired and what will it cost?  We have to make sure you check with a structural engineer and you have all the facts before you sign your John Doe!

Internet Savvy REALTOR is Your Best Choice...

The answer is usually price, location, condition and marketing. But an agent must be internet savvy and know how to market on the internet for todays consumers who shop for houses on the internet first.  Our market is in a flatter position and we have stepped into a buyer’s market. National media is not our friend.  The DFW market is stronger than many other markets.  However, most of the DFW homes are experiencing a problem in step-up housing. That is to say, normally as the family or income expands the homeowner is ready to step up to a larger mortgage to accommodate the families needs. As an example stepping from an $150K to a larger home would usually be to a $250-$300K. Our economy is a factor. We are still driven by our economic dependency on our local industry. Although we are fortunate to have this base of opportunity, this must change in order to grow. The only way to change this perception is to embrace the inevitable by promoting our outstanding communities as part of the Greater Dallas Forth Worth Metroplex. Our counties governments, our city officials, our schools, our churches, our medical communities provide the perfect setting to accept this growth. I am a member of the local Association of REALTORS the local MLS and NLS and am honored to promote the properties in a broader marketing arena.

Housing Plan is Bold

RISMEDIA, February 20, 2009-(MCT)-President Barack Obama’s new effort to use Wall Street rescue money to halt the soaring rate of mortgage foreclosures nationwide encourages refinancing of homes that are now worth less than their mortgages and provides incentives for lenders to lower the debt load on struggling homeowners.

Obama’s $275 billion plan-announced Wednesday-doesn’t compel banks and other lenders to modify troubled mortgages. Instead, it provides a menu of incentives that may or may not prove sufficient in reaching the goal of helping 9 million homeowners.

“It’s a bold plan, and that’s encouraging. But at this moment, we don’t have enough detail, and unfortunately with the foreclosure mitigation plans, the devil is in the details,” said Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard University law professor who heads the Congressional Oversight Panel charged with monitoring use of taxpayer bailout funds. “There have been big headlines in the past, and the details never caught up with the early promises.”

The Homeowner Stability Initiative, unveiled in a rowdy high school gym in Phoenix, seeks to address one of the triggers of the global financial crisis: the 2.3 million U.S. foreclosures last year that are protracting the housing crisis and helping to drive down home prices across the nation.

The full article may be read at:

http://rismedia.com/2009-02-19/housing-plan-is-bold-but-will-it-fix-the-problem/

© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

M. A. "Marti" Pattinson | REALTOR® | SimplySold Real Estate | Direct: 281-703-0016 | Mailto:Marti@MartiP.com  | MartiP.com

ABR, CSP, e-PRO, LTG, PMN | New Homes Sales Certified | Peak Performance Certified | Quality Service Certified | Relocation & Referral Certified

SUCCESS is a RESULT, not a goal... | MartiP.com Makes Real Estate Moves Happen... | http://www.realtown.com/Marti5/blog

Serving the Dallas and Fort Worth, TX Metroplex... | Have I done everything I can to earn your referral business...

Why Won't My House Sell

The answer is usually price, location, condition and marketing. An agent must be internet savvy and know how to market on the internet for todays consumers who shop for houses on the internet first.  Our market is in a flatter position and we have stepped into a buyer’s market. National media is not our friend.  The DFW market is stronger than many other markets.  However, most of the DFW homes are experiencing a problem in step-up housing. That is to say, normally as the family or income expands the homeowner is ready to step up to a larger mortgage to accommodate the families needs. As an example stepping from an $150K to a larger home would usually be to a $250-$300K. Our economy is a factor. We are still driven by our economic dependency on our local industry. Although we are fortunate to have this base of opportunity, this must change in order to grow. The only way to change this perception is to embrace the inevitable by promoting our outstanding communities as part of the Greater Dallas Forth Worth Metroplex. Our counties governments, our city officials, our schools, our churches, our medical communities provide the perfect setting to accept this growth. I am a member of the Collin County Association of REALTORS the local MLS and NLS and am honored to promote the properties in a broader marketing arena.

Helpful Hint

I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over.  The roll ALWAYS comes out at the wrong time!

Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and looked at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, "Press here to lock end". Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. How long has this little locking tab been there? I then looked at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one, too. I then looked at a box of Saran wrap and it had one too! I can't count the number of times the Saran warp roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up. I'm sharing this with my friends that did not know this. I hope I'm not the only person that didn't know about this.

DFW is better than ever... No doom & gloom here!

Pick the Perfect Color Scheme

Pick the Perfect Color Scheme   www.sherwin-williams.com

Hopefully you have lots of fun activities planned for the FALL. But you probably also have some chores you need to work in to your Fall schedule.

NOW is a great time for working on home improvement projects. For example, it's the perfect time for painting the exterior of your house.

With a major project like that, it helps to do some planning. You want to make sure that you get the colors right.

You could pay a designer to select paint colors. But why pay someone when you can get free expert advice?

Sherwin-Williams offers a great tool for picking out paint colors. You can select your house style and try on different color schemes. It will even help you pick out colors for the inside of your house!

What's happening in your neighborhood?  placeblogger.com

The Internet puts information from around the world at our fingertips. You can read news stories from cities everywhere. Or, you can check on the weather in Smalltown, USA.

But what if you want to know what people are doing down the street? Your first impulse probably would not be to open your Web browser.

Placeblogger might just change that. You can search for blogs that focus on your city. And, unlike news sites, you'll find stories that have a personal touch.

Placeblogger is also a great place to go if you want to find something to do. Many local blogs will list upcoming events or provide restaurant reviews.

There Really are No Hard & Fast Rules About Family Portraits

Traditionally, portraits were a symbol of affluence and power. They were hung in main entrances or in prominent positions in public rooms where they could be seen and admired by all.

There are still two schools of thought on the subject. One, that a beautiful portrait can greet guests in any public space as a sign of welcome to the home. Two, that a portrait is personal and should be on view for the family in a more private area. Today we can run the gamut between the two. For example, a collection of family portraits is often hung on the wall of the stairs leading from the public to the private space.

Hanging them over the fireplace is a traditional solution and above the couch leans to the contemporary. Make your choice depending on how prominently YOU want them displayed. The first wall a person sees when walking into the room is the most prominent position.

If portraits are the same size and framed similarly, hang them beside each other (within 2 to 4 inches). This will form a horizontal grouping that will echo the lines of the mantel or the couch. Be careful not to hang them to high. Keeping the centre of the piece at eye level is a good rule of thumb.

I Am Moving - Where Do I Put All My Stuff?

Where Do I Put All My Stuff? Date: Jun. 7, 2007 Tags: Preparing Your House To Sell, Decluttering, Organizing, Simplify When someone is getting ready to sell their home and we start to look at what they need to do to get it ready, number one on the list is often decluttering! All of us accumulate an awful lot of stuff over the years. But when faced with the need to get it out of the way many people are overwhelmed. They don't know what to do with the stuff or where to start. So, here are some suggestions. And I suggest being ruthless when trying to determine how much to clear out. Get rid of everything you can stand to pack up or eliminate. Then go back and get rid of that same amount again! First the easy solutions: You're moving anyway so pack it up now! Put it in moving boxes (appropriate labeled!) and store it. Ideally, you should rent a storage unit.  If you are agressive enough at clearing stuff out you'll net more money than the storage unit will cost you! If you really, really can't or won't rent a storage unit, put the boxes in the garage. Or store them with friends or realtives. And, as a last resort, put them in the basement. Now the harder remedies: Have a garage sale Sell it on ebay Give it away Donate it to a charitable organization Sell it on Craigs List Sell it in the local papers Take it to the landfill (Last resort) A pod will take care of it too - this way you do not have to pack and unpack OK, that should get you started! Trust me, you'll feel better when it's done. And, I know your house will sell better! Borrowed from my friends blog - Julie Emery from Amissville, VA, United States .  She is an awesome writer and her advise is sound!