Last Post of the Year

I've given a lot of thought to this blog and the possibility of saying anything meaningful about the state of things real estate/mortgage. It will quickly become apparent that the amount of thought has had almost no impact on the content. The media has enjoyed the daily announcements of savior plans for rescuing troubled mortgage borrowers. almost breathlessly reporting on the details they don't understand, details which say much. promise little, and will do nothing. Countrywide leads the pack in cupidity, and their CEO is still not in jail. But these things take time. It is apparently more difficult to recognize larceny on a grand scale than to spot some guy hotfooting it out of the 7-11 with a stolen six pack under his arm. There is a constant linking of the current level of foreclosures with the resetting of sub-prime teaser loans, while in fact most of those loans have not yet begun resetting. The foreclosures taking place are by people who quite simply should never have been granted financing, or multiple foreclosures by "investors" who bought with the expectation of flipping for a profit and got caught. The government really has no business making any type of concessions with our money in a search for a resolution of this problem, and even less business in messing with the integrity of the contracts which created an obligation on the one hand and an expectation on the other. Any tampering in this area will forevermore call into question the advisability of entering into contractual agreements by any lender foreign or domestic. Words like ex post facto come to mind. Enough of this I expect.
Thinking about politics and politicians can put a person off their feed for the all important season of ignoring caloric needs in favor of indulging shamelessly in the bounty of gastronomic wonders of the holiday table. Anyway...From the time we were tiny we have been conditioned to view our surroundings with wonder and delight at this time of the year, and to embrace fondly all those around us. It is a time for optimism and hope and we hope you will allow us to share in that with you. If we can sustain a regard for each other and a concern for the welfare of others, we'll get over the small bumps OK.
Have a very Merry Christmas.

Can You Handle Some Good News?

Usually I try to make this exercise somewhat informative and not just a sales pitch for our company, but! Interest rates are under 6% for 30 year fixed rate mortgages, and for people who have their credit in good repair, this is a stunningly good time to dump a dangerous mortgage, option ARMS or other adjustable vehicles and move into the safety of a fixed rate mortgage. And boy can we help. The reduction in rate in some cases is sufficient to reduce monthly outgo even if a pre-pay penalty has to be taken into account. This is not cookie cutter stuff,so if you think you could benefit, call us. Couldn't hurt. Could do a bunch of good.
Some changes to our web site for what we hope is the better, increasing the amount of information available to everyone. Readers from the past are aware of our feeling that knowledge empowers, and we think informed consumers are our best chance for continued success in the real estate business. Our "resource" page is loading up with places to go for information. Please take advantage of it.
The real estate market is in turmoil and the number of sharks in our business is remaining pretty steady rather than diminishing. They are however trying to identify a different prey. Now it's not just the uninformed who are targeted, it's also the vulnerable. Just be careful. All of our agents are willing to help answer any question you may have, including guiding you to appropriate sources if we don't have the answer. You don't create an obligation. Instead we hope it's simply the first step in a long term trust relationship.
We don't sell gas, but we're also happy to report a slight moderation in oil prices.
As usual,
Thanks for visiting.