PREVENT FROZEN WATERLINES
Winters in Eastern Idaho can be very cold. Take preventative measures to prevent frozen waterlines. When water freezes, it expands. That's why a can of soda explodes if it's put into a freezer to chill quickly and forgotten. When water freezes in a pipe, it expands the same way. If it expands enough, the pipe bursts, water escapes and you can have serious damage to your home as a result.

Make sure that if you leave for an extended period of time that you winterize your property. If you are leaving for a short time leave the faucet running just a little to keep from freezing. Also, keep the temperature of your home at the proper temperature as to prevent frozen lines. Listening to your local weather will usually warn you of the very cold temperatures that we have to worry about. Neglecting your waterlines can cost you unnecessary expenses.

NEW LISTING!

JUST LISTED - Builder's Custom Home - Located in Polo Club Estates with views of the valley, sitting on 1.82 acres. Six bedrooms, 3.5 baths, reclaimed hardwood floors, theatre room, custom cabinets throughout. Walkout finished basement, fantastic landscaping. Priced at $489,000. For virtual tour.

JUST LISTED - Beautiful 1 1/2 story home in Gated Community. Builder's custom home with all the perks. Five bedrooms,three family rooms, plus bonus room. Even a theatre room. Access to Clubhouse indoor pool, hot tub, kitchenette. Also, walking path & tennis courts. Priced at $599,500. For a virtual tour.

Energy-Efficient Fireplace Options

Energy-efficient fireplaces, both wood-burning and gas, let you enjoy the glow of a fire without letting your home heating energy go up in smoke.Read more:

Foreclosure Starts Spike

The foreclosure freeze brought on by documentation deficiencies, which came to light last fall, has started to thaw. RealtyTrac estimates that more than 3.5 million homes that belong in foreclosure have been hanging in limbo and are slated to start entering the foreclosure pipeline.

The recent spike in foreclosure starts has been most pronounced in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, where notices of default and trustee filings shot up 116% between July and August of this year. As banks pick up the pace, homeowners-by the millions-are needing help with alternatives to foreclosure. Now is the time to reach out and share the news that the time for complacency about missed mortgage payments is over.

A lot has changed in the world of short sales and loan mods since the foreclosure freeze kicked in last fall, and no one is more tapped in to this constantly evolving arena than CDPE agents, who have the expertise, the resources and the credibility to step in with solutions to avoid foreclosure.

In many cases, lenders are proactively reaching out to CDPE agents with leads of financially-strapped homeowners who need help with a short sale.

CDPE agents have access to the tools and the marketing strategies to establish themselves as their market's distressed properties expert. Looking to build your business during the upcoming short sale surge?

Article from CDPE.com

The Top 5 Contractor Scams and How to Avoid Them

Crooks go where the money is. So with Americans spending as much as $22 billion a year on construction projects, it’s no surprise that home improvement has become a favorite target for fraud artists. Some of these shady characters use amazingly well-polished contractor scams that are tricky to spot until it’s too late.

The vast majority of contractors are honest, hardworking professionals. Protecting yourself against the few bad apples requires checking references, having a solid contract, and being alert to the warning signs of these top five contractor scams

Read more:

Top 10 real estate boomtowns: 2012

Rank Metro area
1 Raleigh-Cary, N.C.
2 Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Wash.
3 Austin-Round Rock, Texas
4 Provo-Orem, Utah
5 Hinesville-Fort Stewart, Ga.
6 Logan, Utah-Idaho
7 Grand Junction, Colo.
8 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
9 Idaho Falls, Idaho
10 Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.
Source: Proximity One

Read More

I.F. cheaper for many despite higher tax rate

Ammon's long-touted low tax rate doesn't save many of its middle-class residents from a higher cost of living than paid by their Idaho Falls counterparts.

A higher schools tax levy and utility fee increases enacted over the past year and a half have negated the savings most Ammon homeowners would see on their yearly tax bills.

The Post Register analyzed significant taxes and fees assessed to residents of three geographic and taxing areas: Ammon; the section of eastern Idaho Falls that lies within Bonneville County Joint School District 93; and the bulk of Idaho Falls, which is within the boundaries of Idaho Falls School District 91.

That analysis found owners of smaller, cheaper homes spend far less if they live in the Idaho Falls-District 91 area.

That's because Idaho Falls residential water and sewer rates are about half of what people in Ammon pay -- a difference compounded by the fact that Idaho Falls Power customers pay 35 to 40 percent less for electricity than do Rocky Mountain Power customers.

Another major factor is the difference between tax levies charged by the area's two main school districts. Homeowners in District 93, with a taxable value of $100,000, pay almost $20 per month more than those in District 91.

But Ammon's low tax levy -- about one-third of the Idaho Falls levy -- begins to pay dividends for families owning homes with a taxable value of $250,000 or more.

At that value, Ammon residents pay nearly $600 less per year in taxes and fees than eastern Idaho Falls residents. The bills for Ammon residents and the rest of Idaho Falls would be virtually identical in that scenario.

Local real estate professionals said the difference between each area's taxes and fees aren't the driving force behind potential homebuyers' decisions.

These days, the bargains to be had in a rocky housing market can be just as important as the standard considerations of neighborhood, price and quality, said Juan Murdoch, an agent with Keller Williams Winstar Realty in Idaho Falls.

"In this market, people are less concerned with the fees -- the city fees -- and other things like that than they are with the house itself," Murdoch said. "It's really, 'Where are the places where I can get the best deal on the house?'"

While acknowledging that utility fees are a concern for business owners, Ammon City Council President Dana Kirkham said she's not worried that fee increases will discourage homeownership in the city. Money isn't the only reason people move to Ammon, she said.

"There's a quality of life here that people here are buying into, too," she said

Article from the Post Register in Idaho Falls

California Distressed Sales Decline, Realtors Push for Streamlined Shorts

California’s pending home sales dipped in July, as did the share of distressed property sales, according to a report released by the state’s Realtor group this week.
The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) says 44.5 percent of home sales contracts accepted last month involved distressed properties. That’s down from both a month earlier and the same period last year, when the distressed share was 46.9 percent and 47.7 percent, respectively.
Read More

Foreclosures

Looking to invest in a foreclosed home? I have access to all Idaho Falls Area foreclosed homes. Give me a call or visit my website. http://www.idahofallsidrealestate.com/custom3.shtml

7 Storage Solutions You Didn’t Know You Had

Every square foot of your home is valuable. Here are seven storage solutions that take advantage of underutilized nooks and crannies. And just for fun, we did some back-of-the-napkin calculations based on the average price per square foot of a U.S. home ($81)—so we could attach a theoretical value to the bonus space.
Read more here:

Facing Foreclosure: What to Do Right Now

If you’re facing foreclosure, don’t panic: Take steps right now to save your home or at least lessen the blow of its loss.
Read more

Surviving Short Sales - Local News Story

It seems like everywhere we look there are more and more For Sale and Foreclosure signs. In Idaho Falls during the month of May just over a third of all homes sold were distressed properties.Read more from our Local News. I was interview for this local story.

10 Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

Spending less money on utility bills doesn’t mean you need to rush out and purchase a whole new suite of Energy Star appliances. With occasional light maintenance and good habits, you can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your large kitchen appliances—up to about $120 annually—without sacrificing convenience.
Read more

Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program

If your mortgage payment is unaffordable and you are interested in transitioning to more affordable housing, you may be eligible for a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure through HAFA. The benefit of a HAFA short sale is that you are no longer responsible for the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and the amount that your home sells for. Read more here

HOME Down Payment Closing Cost (DPCC) Assistance

Available for first-time homebuyers with a household income less than 80% of area median income.
- Minimum of $1,000 with a maximum of 3.5% of the purchase price not to exceed $8,000, based on borrower's need, and the adjusted gross household area median income (AMI).
- Borrower minimum investment of $500, with no cash out at closing.
- Property must have been previously vacant or owner-occupied.
- Finally Home!® Homebuyer Education program completion prior to applying for the assistance
Click here to learn more

Building Credit

Your credit report represents how well you manage your financial responsibilities. The good news is that your negative information drops off over time but the positive information remains. Building a strong and consistent history of responsibly using credit is the foundation to building a great credit profile. Although it’s relatively easy to gain access to new credit such as credit cards, there are many best practices to use and common traps to avoid. Here are a few easy tips for effectively building your credit history.

Building Credit | RE/MAX, LLC

President Obama on Loan Modifications

President Obama has made a public call for mortgage lenders and servicers to provide struggling homeowners with longer-term modifications and principal reductions when it fits the situation. Read more here

Idaho Legislation Places New Requirements on Lenders

Under a new Idaho state law, lenders must respond to requests for loan modification within 45 days and cannot proceed to a foreclosure sale until after responding to the request.
Read the article here

Understanding Your Credit Score

Credit scores are likely to play a key role in your ability to obtain credit (auto loan, mortgage loan, credit card, etc.) and in the determination of the interest rate you will pay for that credit. A borrower with a favorable credit score is more likely to be approved and to pay a lower interest rate on new credit. However, the impact of a credit score goes even further—your score could be reviewed when you are renting housing in the future, when applying for a cell phone or cable TV account, and may even impact whether you must pay a deposit before receiving electric and gas utility service.
To learn more, download the booklet “Know Your Credit Score” published by FICO and the Consumer Federation of America.

Fannie Launches Interactive Video to Help Borrowers Avoid Foreclosure

The Air Force uses visual flight simulators to train its pilots on proper procedures and prepare them for the actual experience. Virtual reality simulation models are used as therapeutic techniques to help people overcome their fears or uneasiness about certain real-life situations.

By personally interacting with a replicated environment, individuals become more at ease when they actually encounter the event and feel better prepared to make the right decisions. Fannie Mae is applying this same idea to foreclosure prevention.
Read the full article here

Home Upgrades That Don't Pay Off

Home Upgrades That Don't Pay Off | Real Simple

Avoid Foreclosure: Know Your Options

Experience

Ides of March

Beware the Ides of March! It's coming, you know, on the 15th of this month. No, it's not a horror movie. It's the anniversary of Julius Caesar's ultimate downfall. (His enemies put hemlock in his tea on March 15 in 44 BC.)

Hopefully, the Ides of March will not be so dramatic for you. But if they are, give me a call if I can help you in any way. In the meantime, don't drink any tea.

Bankruptcy: Your Last Resort

If you must file for bankruptcy, you can recover over time if you follow the tips in this article
Bankruptcy: Your Last Resort | RE/MAX, LLC

Buying Foreclosed Homes

Buying Foreclosed Homes | RE/MAX, LLC

Happy Groundhog's Day!

I know, it's an unusual reason to write, but Groundhog's Day is a very important holiday. There's a whole "Groundhog's Day" section at Hallmark now. Did you know?

For those of you who are wondering just what Groundhog's Day is, it's the national holiday that elevates a certain groundhog (one that lives in Pennsylvania, I think) to weatherperson status. Now, on this day, if this certain groundhog comes up from the ground and sees its shadow, that means there's six more weeks of winter.

Kind of a silly reason for a holiday. Unless you look at it like this: If a groundhog can be a weather expert, you can be absolutely anything you want to be.

Replacing Plumbing

Inspect the pipes in your home regularly to determine if all is well, or if replacing your plumbing is a reality and not just a pipe dream. Here are a few tips to make sure your water is running smoothly

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/articles/replacing-plumbing-are-your-water-pipes-plumb-worn-out/#ixzz1BQhqnIri

HINTS HAMMERING

Have you ever been hammering and completely missed the nail? If you hit the wall, you could put a dent in the plaster the size of Delaware. You could also hit your finger and, over the next few days, complain bitterly about the pain. You might receive several good tips from friends regarding proper hammer use. I thought I'd share one with you.

First of all, if you have to pound a nail in at a level that is at or below your knees, stand with your back to the wall, crouch down and hammer the nail from behind. Also, if the nail is too short to hit (like so many are), use a comb to keep it in place the comb will protect your wall so it won't sustain any injuries.