Greatful it is a nice day. Off to show homes in Herndon.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
4 Tips to Landing That Mortgage
With the spring home buying season coming up fast, homebuyers need to get their game plan together.
The timing couldn't be better: During the fourth quarter of 2010, 78 markets – a tad more than half all U.S. metropolitan areas – saw price gains from the same period in 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors.
And rising prices and falling supply also mean that the economy may be recovering, which should attract more home shoppers to the market.
With so much buying competition, homebuyers need to have their mortgage lending ducks in a row before they hit the bricks.
Here's how to do it:
Have your documentation ready.
This tip comes courtesy of Dennis Giakos, a senior mortgage banker at Lending Tree.com. Giakos advises buyers to be prepared to provide one or two years of W-2 tax forms and your last month’s pay stub. “If you’re bringing money to the closing, you’ll also need a two-month history or quarterly statement of your retirement investments or 401(k) accounts,” Giakos explains. “If you have great credit, your lender may require less documentation. If your credit is poor, you may need several years’ worth.”
Focus on the big picture.
Another tip from Giakos: “Shopping for a mortgage is about more than just the rate. There are five to six factors that go into pricing a loan, like your debt-to-income ratio, credit history, etc., and they are all intermingled like a spider web.” Giakos equates asking a lender “what’s your rate?” to asking a mechanic what’s wrong with your car without looking under the hood. “Think about how long you plan to stay in the home and what type of rate, whether it be a 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed or 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage makes the most sense for you,” he advises.
Know what lenders are picky about.
Mortgage lenders are sticklers about a few details that you must be ready to address: Your credit score, the amount of your down payment, your income and work history, your debt picture, the value of the home you want to buy and the amount you need to borrow. Have a good response to those five queries and you might as well call the moving van company and set a date.
Don’t shock the mortgage monkey.
Find Existing Homes
from REALTOR.com®
or
Related Articles
* 4 Tips to Landing That Mortgage
* Should You Purchase a Home With Cash?
* Homebuyer Tax Credit Repayments Come Due
* Housing Market Calls for More Stimulus
* San Fran Housing Suggests Wider Recovery
Mortgage lenders hate surprises, especially bad ones. If you have bad news to share, do it early. If, for example, you have a lower credit score than your lender would like, make sure you have a good explanation for it. If that’s the case, fire off a letter to your lender detailing the reasons for your less than stellar credit. Maybe you were laid off, but found a new job. Or, it could be you got behind on your bills for a medical reason. When you write that letter, make sure you include a decent explanation of how you remedied the situation.
Mortgage lenders aren’t monsters – they’re just in the business to make money. Make their job easier by having your mortgage loan portfolio lined up and ready to go, and you’ll be signing a deal in no time.
The timing couldn't be better: During the fourth quarter of 2010, 78 markets – a tad more than half all U.S. metropolitan areas – saw price gains from the same period in 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors.
And rising prices and falling supply also mean that the economy may be recovering, which should attract more home shoppers to the market.
With so much buying competition, homebuyers need to have their mortgage lending ducks in a row before they hit the bricks.
Here's how to do it:
Have your documentation ready.
This tip comes courtesy of Dennis Giakos, a senior mortgage banker at Lending Tree.com. Giakos advises buyers to be prepared to provide one or two years of W-2 tax forms and your last month’s pay stub. “If you’re bringing money to the closing, you’ll also need a two-month history or quarterly statement of your retirement investments or 401(k) accounts,” Giakos explains. “If you have great credit, your lender may require less documentation. If your credit is poor, you may need several years’ worth.”
Focus on the big picture.
Another tip from Giakos: “Shopping for a mortgage is about more than just the rate. There are five to six factors that go into pricing a loan, like your debt-to-income ratio, credit history, etc., and they are all intermingled like a spider web.” Giakos equates asking a lender “what’s your rate?” to asking a mechanic what’s wrong with your car without looking under the hood. “Think about how long you plan to stay in the home and what type of rate, whether it be a 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed or 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage makes the most sense for you,” he advises.
Know what lenders are picky about.
Mortgage lenders are sticklers about a few details that you must be ready to address: Your credit score, the amount of your down payment, your income and work history, your debt picture, the value of the home you want to buy and the amount you need to borrow. Have a good response to those five queries and you might as well call the moving van company and set a date.
Don’t shock the mortgage monkey.
Find Existing Homes
from REALTOR.com®
or
Related Articles
* 4 Tips to Landing That Mortgage
* Should You Purchase a Home With Cash?
* Homebuyer Tax Credit Repayments Come Due
* Housing Market Calls for More Stimulus
* San Fran Housing Suggests Wider Recovery
Mortgage lenders hate surprises, especially bad ones. If you have bad news to share, do it early. If, for example, you have a lower credit score than your lender would like, make sure you have a good explanation for it. If that’s the case, fire off a letter to your lender detailing the reasons for your less than stellar credit. Maybe you were laid off, but found a new job. Or, it could be you got behind on your bills for a medical reason. When you write that letter, make sure you include a decent explanation of how you remedied the situation.
Mortgage lenders aren’t monsters – they’re just in the business to make money. Make their job easier by having your mortgage loan portfolio lined up and ready to go, and you’ll be signing a deal in no time.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Do you know which are the 8 most miserable cities?
Even plenty of sunshine can’t get the cities that topped the list of the most miserable smiling.
California residents are pretty miserable, according to Forbes’ list of the most unhappy cities in the United States. California cities account for eight of the 20 most miserable places in the U.S., and four of the top five. Falling home prices, high unemployment, high crime, steep state taxes, and a large budget deficit have brought a lot of Californians down in recent months.
Here is the list of the most miserable cities, according to Forbes:
1. Stockton, Calif.
2. Miami
3. Merced, Calif.
4. Modesto, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Memphis, Tenn.
7. Chicago
8. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Forbes analyzed 200 U.S. cities for its list, taking into account such factors as housing, unemployment, weather, taxes, commuting times, crime, and how the cities’ sports teams performed in recent years.
"Both California and Florida have a history of boom and bust economies,” Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes senior editor, told Reuters. “People flooded to these states because of the weather during the boom years but that helped inflate the massive bubble in housing."
In Stockton, home prices have fallen by 58 percent over the last three years and unemployment has averaged 14.3 percent--and projected to rise to 18.1 percent in 2011.
"Stockton has issues that it needs to address, but an article like this is the equivalent of bayoneting the wounded," Bob Deis, Stockton city manager, told Forbes.
Cleveland — which last year held the title as the most miserable — is getting a little happier; it ranking 10th on this year's list. Cleveland’s unemployment rate increased at a much slower rate than other parts of the country, which helped improve its ranking this year.
See Forbes.com’s full list of the most miserable.
California residents are pretty miserable, according to Forbes’ list of the most unhappy cities in the United States. California cities account for eight of the 20 most miserable places in the U.S., and four of the top five. Falling home prices, high unemployment, high crime, steep state taxes, and a large budget deficit have brought a lot of Californians down in recent months.
Here is the list of the most miserable cities, according to Forbes:
1. Stockton, Calif.
2. Miami
3. Merced, Calif.
4. Modesto, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Memphis, Tenn.
7. Chicago
8. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Forbes analyzed 200 U.S. cities for its list, taking into account such factors as housing, unemployment, weather, taxes, commuting times, crime, and how the cities’ sports teams performed in recent years.
"Both California and Florida have a history of boom and bust economies,” Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes senior editor, told Reuters. “People flooded to these states because of the weather during the boom years but that helped inflate the massive bubble in housing."
In Stockton, home prices have fallen by 58 percent over the last three years and unemployment has averaged 14.3 percent--and projected to rise to 18.1 percent in 2011.
"Stockton has issues that it needs to address, but an article like this is the equivalent of bayoneting the wounded," Bob Deis, Stockton city manager, told Forbes.
Cleveland — which last year held the title as the most miserable — is getting a little happier; it ranking 10th on this year's list. Cleveland’s unemployment rate increased at a much slower rate than other parts of the country, which helped improve its ranking this year.
See Forbes.com’s full list of the most miserable.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Salads Aren't Just for Summer!
During the hot summer months, we automatically add salads to our menu plans. A big bowl of crisp lettuce, cool cucumbers and sun-ripened tomatoes tossed lightly with an oil-and-vinegar dressing is always refreshing during the warmest time of the year. When salad-variety produce is at its peak, it’s easy to get creative with fresh veggie side dishes that go beyond the simple tossed green salad. The best salads are simple, with just a few ingredients, like sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and slivered basil, or cucumbers, red onion and dill.
As fall gives way to winter, many of us lose access to quality warm-weather produce. Sure, we can still find red, "vine-ripened" tomatoes at the grocery in January, but they’re likely to be firm and flavorless compared to those just-picked beauties we can get in August. The best summer salads simply don't translate to winter.
But just because the calendar says February, that doesn’t mean we have to abandon interesting salad options. It’s easy to default to bagged mixed greens and bottled Italian dressing as a dinner accompaniment. But if you’re looking to jump-start your salad repertoire with seasonal ingredients, consider using grains, cool-weather crops like greens and winter squash, plus healthy add-ins like walnuts or goat cheese.
Here are five ideas to help you turn your favorite summer salads into savory fall and winter meals.
1. Adapt summer favorites with winter produce. Consider the summer potluck standard: the pasta salad. The summer variation typically features fusilli (or a similar short, shaped pasta) combined with bell pepper, summer squash, tomatoes and Italian dressing. Turn the calendar on pasta salad by choosing seasonal ingredients. Start with whole-grain tortellini or ravioli, cooked according to package directions, then add winter greens like kale or Swiss chard. Chop an onion and two cloves of garlic, then sauté in a bit of olive oil until golden and soft. Add 3 or 4 cups of greens (washed, tough stalks removed and sliced into ribbons) and cook until wilted. Toss the cooked vegetables with the pasta, and add shaved Parmesan, salt and pepper.
One of my top summer sides is Panzanella, the Italian-inspired salad made of fresh, ripe tomatoes and cubed day-old bread. Its flavor relies on the best, freshest tomatoes; I’ve made it in the winter and been enormously disappointed. But the basic idea translates well to hearty bread and cool-weather produce. This winter Panzanella recipe swaps roasted butternut squash for ripe tomatoes and whole-wheat raisin bread for the crusty Italian loaf. A bed of spinach and a dressing of apple cider and olive oil makes for a fantastic combination!
2. Try new greens. Sweet, tender varieties like Boston or butter lettuce form the ideal basis for summer salads, when you want something light and cool. At other times of the year, try different greens with a bit more texture and flavor. Romaine is a sturdier lettuce with great flavor and crunch; it’s the star of the traditional Caesar salad. Add interest to a basic green salad by throwing in a handful or two of radicchio, a red-and-white leaved plant (it’s actually chicory, not a lettuce) that packs a pleasantly bitter flavor and gorgeous color. Peppery baby arugula makes the most delicious simple salad when tossed with a generous splash of top-quality olive oil, the juice of one lemon, lots of cracked pepper and some shaved Parmesan. Or try this very French combination of endive, apple and walnuts—you’ll think you were in Paris!
3. Go for the grain. In summertime, I can make an entire meal out of a big salad and a hunk of good bread. In winter, though, I crave something heartier and more satisfying. Adding cooked grains like faro, wheat berries or quinoa is a healthy and delicious way to give heft to a salad.
All three whole grains make healthy foundations for fill-you-up winter salads. This wheat berry salad recipe brings a little taste of summer into the mix, using frozen sweet corn and cherry tomatoes, which are usually of acceptable quality in winter months. Combine cooked farro (wheat berries or barley would substitute well) with roasted butternut squash, toasted walnuts and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a hearty, savory salad. Both of these recipes are great to take to a potluck and are ideal make-ahead lunches for your workweek.
4. Think warm thoughts. Who says salads have to come straight from the refrigerator? You’ve probably enjoyed a wilted spinach salad studded with bacon and hard-boiled egg, topped with a warm sweet-and-sour dressing. If you’re watching your fat intake, skip the bacon and the heavy dressing, and instead add flavorful sautéed mushrooms, a vinaigrette with a shallot-y bite, and a bit of shaved Parmesan cheese.
5. Use holiday leftovers. For an easy summer weeknight supper, I love to assemble a bed of fresh lettuce, chopped garden veggies like cucumber, tomato and red bell pepper, and top it with a few slices of grilled steak leftover from the previous night’s dinner. That combination of ingredients translates well to fall and winter with a few seasonal adjustments, especially if you find yourself with a fridge full of leftovers from a holiday feast. Items like sautéed green beans or carrots, roasted potatoes, roast beef or turkey could be repurposed into a main dish salad with delicious results!
Salads can be quick, easy, and healthful meals year-round when you follow these tips to bring salads back to your plate in the fall and winter. You won't regret it!
For a lot more information on losing weight and staying healthy, visit Sparkpeople.com
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