Reduce Webpage Risk by Removing @

Computer search robots are crawling through text on the Internet looking for Web pages that contain the @ symbol so they can store the email addresses associated with that symbol.  Without realizing it you may be putting yourself at risk simply by listing your email address on your Blog site or other business related site. The best solution is to replace the @ symbol with the word "at".  For example, Marybrooks@msn.com now becomes Marybrooksatmsn.com.  This could keep some of the spammers out there away from your site.

What you Should Know about FHA loans

Loans can be underwritten by an approved lender which includes most of the major banks in the country.  FHA has the some high loan limits as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (which have been extended to the end of 2010).  You can buy a home with a 3.5 percent down payment as compared to at least 10 percent down for a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae home.  You can get your loan scored for approval through a variety of underwriting engines including Fannie Mae's Desktop Underwriter and Freddie Mac's Loan Prospector.



 Linda Shank is a Real Estate broker in the Phoenix Southeast Valley Gold Canyon area.  She can be contacted at www.ISellAZsunshine.com

FHA Finance & Condos

Here's what you need to know about getting an FHA loan for a condo:

FHA requires that a condo is FHA approved.  You can go to the FHA-approved condominium projects site at:  https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm   Put in the Condo project name or other details and you will be able to determine the FHA approval eligibility.  If the condo is approved, then a condo questionnaire must be submitted to the Homeowner's Association for completion.  This will determine if the project meets the investor guidelines such as owner occupancy ratios, association minimum reserves, HOA fee delinquencies and any potential or pending lawsuits within the project.  If the Project isn't an FHA approved project, then that's something you could discuss with your lender or Realtor.








Linda Shank is a Real Estate Broker/Owner in Phoenix's Southeast Valley Gold Canyon.  She can be contacted at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Decade of Cheers, Fears and Tears

  
Recently on NPR’s Saturday Michael Feldman Show,  he had listeners call him with what they would name the past decade.  Very surprising to me was that no one really came up with anything clever---the best idea was the “Oops Decade”.  So I decided to have my own poll by posting this question on FaceBook, my Blog and sending an email to my friends.

Many responses later my cyberspace friends provided me with an assortment of very creative names that I think Mr. Feldman would be proud of…only one needed to be deleted.  Now you decide which one says it best for you:  Resetting the Three Rings, Internet Decade, Silver & Gold Decade, Disaster Decade, Deep Doo Doo Decade, 1920’s Revisited Techno Style, Implosion Decade, Riches to Rags Decade, Dollars to the Change We Can Believe in Decade, Then For Sale, Now Fore-Closure Decade, Politically Correct Road to Destruction Decade, The Decade of Disaster and Deceit, Decade at Bernie’s, Subprime Hangover Decade, Decade of Decay, Reset Decade, Accountability of our Leadership Decade, Work your buns off for Nothing Decade and The Decade of the Culma (something from the past that comes to a head).

The Decade of Cheers and Tears was meaningful to me based on the tears we have all shed for those lost on 911 and both in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Tears I shed for the loss of my parents and many of our dear Gold Canyon friends. Fears for the Trillions of Debt being passed on to our future generations.  Cheers for my Daughter’s marriage, the birth of four special grandchildren, a new home, recovery from two down stock markets and growing older without pain or medications.   Whadda ya think??

Home Inspections Most Common Defects Revealed

These are common defects found in Home Inspections.   Here's what home owners can do to prevent common defects from kaboshing a sale.

1.  Improper Electrical wiring  - Look for items such as insufficient electrical service to the house, inadequate overload protection, spliced wires without being housed in a box or inadequate permits.  Have these fixed by a licensed contractor and not by "Harry the Homeowner".


2.  Roof Deterioration - Routinely look for old or damaged shingles and call a licensed and bonded roofer if you suspect any issues.  Cutback tree limbs growing too near the house.  A tile roof in a warmer area should have it's underlayment periodically checked as this actually deteriorates faster than the concrete tiles which claim to be life-time roofs.



3.  Plumbing problems  Check sink faucets, hose bibs, shut-off valves for potential leakage.  Make sure toilets are securely bolted.  Inspectors look for corroded or mismatched piping materials, faulty fixture and improperly installed hot water heaters. 



4.  Improper Surface grading or drainage  You might need to install, realign or repair a damaged gutter or downspout to ensure proper drainage.  Make sure that your landscaping is sloped away from the home so that water doesn't run at a downward angle right into your home's basement or crawlspace.



5.  Poor overall upkeep (commonly known as deferred maintenance).  Walk around your house at least once a year checking for potential maintenance issues.  Look for cracked, peeling, dirty painted surfaces, broken fixtures or appliances.  Decayed caulking around doors and windows needs to be addressed as it can compromise your heating and cooling costs.

As Larry the Cable Guy says, "Getter done"!!!!  Don't wait for the Home Inspector to find problems. 








Linda Shank is a Broker/Owner in Gold Canyon Arizona.  Reach her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com


 

Poll on Best Names for Decade 2000-2009

Name contest for the years 2000 to 2009. Here's what I've received so far:  Decade of Cheers and Tears, Internet Decade, Silver and Gold Decade, Disaster Decade, Implosion Decade, 1920's Revisited Techno-style, Riches to Rags Decade, Dollars to the Change we can believe In, Then for Sale - Now Fore-closure (my favorite so far), Politically Correct Road to Destruction Decade, The Decade of Disaster and Deceit, Decade at Bernie's, Sub-prime Hangover Decade, Decade of Decay, Reset Decade, Accountability of our Leadership Decade, Deep Doo-Doo Decade,  The Decade of the Culma nation (something from the past that came to a head), Pre-Obama Apocalypse and Work your buns off for Nothing Decade.

Send your suggestion to my website www.ISellAZSunshine.com, LShank5179@aol.com or comment on this blog.  If you want to vote for one of these, do the same.  I'll also be following up with an Article in the Gold Canyon Ledger in the next month or so.





Linda Shank can be reached at LShank5179ataol.com

Four More Low-Cost Remodeling Projects

According to the Remodeling Cost Value Report for 2009-2010 homes in the Western Region of the United States (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY), homeowners recouped 94.8% of their minor kitchen remodeling costs.  This Cost Data contains information gleaned from over 6200 survey respondents across the country.

Here are four more low-cost remodeling projects to consider:

1. Freshen up a bathroom without retiling---Put in a new medicine cabinet, light fixtures, a faucet and new vanity.  The total cost for this project should run between $500-600.

2.  Add a room---Look for large spaces that can be enclosed  to create a new bedroom by just adding a wall.  If you have an unused den, add a closet and now it's considered a bedroom.  If you have a large loft space consider closing it in, adding a closet and now you have another bedroom.

3.  Spruce up cabinet fronts---If the cabinetry wood is starting to look worn consider hiring a 
firm that reconditions kitchen cabinets.  They can take out the nicks and scratches, recondition with oil and put on new door pulls or handles.  Cost should be around $1000.  You can spend between $1500-$4000 to replace cabinet doors & drawer fronts or having all the cabinets refaced at a cost of $4,000 to $12,000.  There are also many unemployed painters out there that will gladly paint your
cabinets gorgeous colors for around $2500-3500.

4.  Replace light fixtures---Replacing overhead light fixtures in bathrooms, kitchens and a foyer can add a lot of cluck for your buck.  If you are handy you can make these changes yourself.  If you 
need to hire an electrician then you would be spending several hundred dollars for labor.  Installing a dimmer switch on dining room and kitchen lights is also a nice touch.

5.  Replace or remove any yard plantings that are dead---Plant flowering plants for a pop of color.
If this isn't possible, then a large decorative pot with flowering plants by the front door creates
a positive feeling.





Linda Shank is a real estate broker in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  You can contact her @ LShank5179@aol.com

Five Big Impact Low-Cost Remodeling Projects

Here are a few things you can without spending lots of money:


1.  Tidy up kitchen cabinets---people do look inside to see how much room there is.


2. Add or replace tile---Every city has stores that offer $1 to $2 tile so homeowners only have to pay only for low-cost tile and labor to replace a dated backsplash or add a new one.


3.  Add a breakfast bar---When a wall separates a kitchen from a family room try cutting out an opening to create a breakfast bar.  Add an over sized piece of finished granite and put chairs in front of the bar.  Costs around $600.

4.  Install granite tiles instead of a slab---Homeowners can put in 12-inc granite tiles for about $300 in materials and get very high impact for little money.

5.  Tech-up the garage---Replace the garage door opener with a remote touch-pad entry system.  Costs around $425 and looks like a high-end system.

Five more ideas in my next blog.
 

What would you name the Past Decade if you Could?

This is not my usual blog but thought we should have a little fun to start off the year!  On today's Michael Feldman radio show they were trying to come up with a name to call this past decade. I didn't get to call in but my suggestion would have been to name it the "Deep Doo-Doo Decade".  Probably not allowed on the radio. So all you Twitterers & Bloggers out there, let's have a contest to see who comes up with the best name for the past decade.  Let me hear from you!!!!!!!!!!!




Linda Shank is Broker/Owner of Linda Shank & Company in Gold Canyon AZ.  She can be reached @ LShank5179@aol.com or on her website www.lindashankandcompany.com 

WHAT IS A SELLER'S MARKET?

Almost everyone has heard the term"Seller's Market" and wondered what that meant.  This term means what it says...it's a good time to sell.  Here are a few factors that helps to make it that way:

*Lower Inventory of homes for sale

*Lower or reasonable interest rates

*Strong local economy

*High population influx into an area

*Increasing home prices

*Diverse area economic base

*Increasing area employment base

Some of the reasons that can additionally contribute to when a Seller should consider putting their home up for sale are the following:

1.  Weather is generally better in the higher selling months because it is easier for potential buyers to be out looking for homes and moving. Conversely it is better to list your home during the winter months if you are in a sunny Winter Resort home area.

2.  Families prefer to move when the children are out of school.

3.  More homes sell between the months of May through September than are sold the other seven months of the year.

NEED MORE INFO CONTACT ME AT MY I Sell AZ Sunshine website

Designing Your Home Office

First step is to draw the line between work and play with the computer.  A dedicated business-only computer will help you keep your office a business atmosphere only.  You might also have professionals install additional electrical, phone or cable outlets to accommodate your various office equipment.

Next divide your new office into three sections:  the work center, the reference center and the supply center.  The work center includes your desk, computer and things that you use on a regular basis.  The reference center includes dictionaries, books, binders, etc.  Consider placing  a small filing cabinet or installing shelves behind your desk for easy access.  Lastly, the supply center of your workspace holds all your office supplies.  Consider using shoe boxes for holding note cards and other small items and/or jars for keeping pens and pencils to save money on storage solutions.

ARE POINTS DEDUCTIBLE FOR INCOME TAX PURPOSES?

Points on a home are deductible if they are generally charged in the geographical area where your loan is made. Many times there needs to be a job transfer or a move of so many miles to qualify as deductible.  If you are in doubt about points being deductible ALWAYS contact your tax return preparer.


Other charges will most likely include an appraisal fee (to make sure the house is worth what you're paying & assuring the lender that the house has enough value to cover the loan amount) and a credit report.  If you are required to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) for less than 20% down a charge will be included since the lender obtains the insurance for you. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ME @ MY I Sell AZ Sunshine website.