Very rarely do I have something at the tip of my tongue not be thankful for. The years continue to roll along and my kids continue to get taller as I shrink. I’m often reminded by my lovely wife Christine that we are very fortunate and as I like to say life gives you lemons if you continue to complain of life’s challenges.

I came across a snippet of Jon Gordon’s work today that I couldn’t help but share.

They are two words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, athletic performance and success. Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships. A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal physically. It’s actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energize you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.

Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.

Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the stronger it gets- Jon Gordon

Take note and you may just survive the holidays…….and beyond

Jeff Dicks

Jeff Dicks Real Estate

Do you know that the best time to post things to Facebook is 8am in the
morning?  What surprises me is that one of the worst times is 3pm.

Anyways,
on to Obama’s proposed refi program.  By the sounds of it this program might be
the ticket to getting a lot of people who are underwater refinanced.  The
question is will the guidelines be relaxed enough to allow borrowers to refi and
it make sense.  Remember in order to qualify for this program your loan will
have to be owned by Fannie or Freddie and it was transferred to them before May
31 2009.  So in other words if you bought or refinanced since May 31 2009 then
your loan will not qualify.  The final details will be out Nov 15th so I will
follow up once we get that info.  In the mean time you can check to see if your
mortgage is owned by either enterprise by going to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

In
other news the roller coaster continues in the markets.  After the EU meeting
yesterday they agreed to boost the bailout fund and struck a deal with private
banks to accept a 50% loss on Greek bonds…Wow!.  So even though job numbers
are not the greatest and earnings reports have been so so, just knowing EU looks
like they are on track to get their problem under control gave markets a nice
warm fuzzy feeling.  With that said, Stocks are up and bonds are down so rates
are back on the higher end today at 4.25% on a 30 yr fixed….more than likely
they will increase to 4.375% by end of day.  Until the next big announcement
comes it looks like we will be treading on the higher end of our rate
outlook.

Chris Blount AES Lending

Courtesy of Jeff Dicks Real Estate

North Carolina recently updated regulations pertaining to firms and individuals performing renovations, repair and painting for compensation, who disturb lead-based paint paint in housing and in child-occupied facilities built before 1978, to be trained and certified. To prevent childhood lead poisoning, they must follow specific lead-safe work practices when disturbing painted or coated surfaces containing lead.

Those individulas who perform renovations for compensation must also provide the pamphlet “The Lead Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right” to owners, occupants, parents and guardians before beginning renovation work. The regulations apply to renovations in housing such as apartments, homes or in child-occupied facilities such as daycare centers, kindergarten and pre-school classrooms built before 1978

For more information on working with lead-based paint, finding a certified contractor performing renovation,repair and painting activities, contact the North Carolina Division of Public Health, Health Hazards Control Unit, Lead Based Paint Hazard Management Program @ 919-707-5950 or visit

Many folks are going about the home finding process backwards. They go through the entire process of searching, evaluating, and writing an offer on their home, WITHOUT being financially prepared.

Doing a few things up front, BEFORE you go searching, will save you a lot of money, time and hassles. What are those things?

First, find a MOTIVATED lender. One who represents many different products, and can offer you many options for making your loan most affordable.

Here’s an important tip: Ask your REALTOR to refer one or two lenders to you. Why? Because your agent has influence over lenders because they send lots of clients. It’s not just YOU alone talking to them.

After all, your REALTOR and lender both want to see the transaction close. There’s power in numbers and influence. Use it to your advantage.

Now, what you want to do is GET PRE-QUALIFIED with a lender. Better yet, try to get PRE-APPROVED.

Why?

Because the first question any home seller will ask when an offer is presented is “Is your buyer approved for a mortgage?”

And rightfully so! The seller doesn’t want the deal to fall through because you couldn’t get financing. When they accept your offer, their home comes OFF the active market. If you fall through, it costs them time and money.

If your looking for a new or re-sale home in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Please contact (more…)

Like it or not, there are a couple of guidelines bankers, and mortgage lenders use to determine how much loan you can afford.

One guideline is the Payment to Income Ratio. This guideline compares your income- or your total household income-to the amount of mortgage your considering.

To calculate the “payment” part of the formula, the lender will take the mortgage payment (principal & interest) and add it to Propeety Taxes and Insurance. Hence the term “PITI” (principal, interest, taxes and insurance).

Usually lenders will loan up to 28% of your total household income.

But before your home free, there’s something else you need to know..

It’s called the Debt to Income Ratio. Debt refers to ALL, the major monthly payments other than your mortgage (PITI). To arrive at this amount, the lender will consider…

Your car payment
Your credit card debt & payments.
Any IRS liens or payments due.
Any other payments and debts you have (boat, second home, etc)

Then they’ll compare your total debt to your ability to make current payments with your new home loan added into the equation.

Now here’s the “catch”. Each mortgage company sets diffferent limits on your Debt to Income Ratio, which it is critically important to find the right lender!

Don’t follow the “canned” financial advice like you see on TV. Most of the advice is “rule of thumb”, and designed for the lowest credit rating and the highest rates.

Think about this….

If you spend two or three days to find a loan that saves you $40,000 to $150,000 or more overs it’s term, your time is WELL WORTH SPENT! Doing a little homework on your own will literally save you thousands over the term of your loan.

If your in the market for a new or re-sale home in the Triangle area of North Carolina call us today at Jeff Dicks Real Estate – 919-793-4730

We look forward to putting our award-winning team to work for you

Search Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary Homes

It appears the economic recovery is in place in the Triangle area of North Carolina. August economic data was just released today. Although, were not bounding forward the improvements are an encouraging sign and is most likely to the diversity in employment opportunities in the area. Check out the August recap here

Our feature community of the week is Weston Place in Cary, NC. Weston Place is a community developed by Forever Homes. They have done a fabulous job listening to the consumer and have a great product starting in the 200’s.

If your planning on visiting the Triangle area soon, don’t forget the Parade of Homes 2010 runs for the first three weekends of October. Lots to see and lots to do.

Forever Homes

If you would like more information on this development or others in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Contact Jeff Dicks of of Keller Williams Realty