How to Avoid Foreclosure Purchase Pitfalls

Worth Quoting

Some quotes from the writings of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, who was born in March 1952:

"Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws."

"I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day."

"You live and learn. At any rate, you live."

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

"Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so."

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."

"It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase ‘As pretty as an Airport' appear."

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

"Humans are not proud of their ancestors, and rarely invite them round to dinner."

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

"So long, and thanks for all the fish."

How to Sell Your House… Even in Today’s Market

Don't despair. Despite the current financial crisis, there is good news for sellers: buyers are still interested in homes that are priced right.

Learn how to sell your home even in a bad economy with these quick tips:

Prioritize

During tough economic times buyers seek shelter, safety and security above luxury.

Make sure the marketing materials relate the same information.

Price It Right
Without exception one of the most

important aspects of selling a home is to price it right but pricing is only part of the equation.

Consider holding a note, accepting a partial trade as down payment or using other creative methods to make the deal work.

Add Bling to Bring in the Bucks

It doesn't cost a lot to make your home look its best.

Consider painting in the new colors for 2009, clearing away the clutter and investing in some strategically placed landscaping to refresh the look of your home and attract attention both online and in person.

Remember, first impressions matter the most when trying to sell a home in a bad economy.

Easy Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Painless

If spring cleaning isn't your idea of family fun, don't distress: these fast fixes will have your home looking its best with plenty of time to spare.

Recycle

Every home has those little corners or cupboards filled with unwanted gifts, outgrown clothing or worn-out toys that take up space. Collect everything that hasn't been used in the past year and then either donate it or advertise it on a local recycling group for pickup.  It's a great way to make someone's day brighter while clearing the clutter.

Maintenance

Now is the time to perform those small repairs and other routine maintenance tasks before they become major annoyances. Replace bulbs and batteries in hard-to-reach fixtures and fire alarms, repair leaking faucets and replace filters for the furnace, then tackle the yard. Hire a handyman for anything outside your ordinary skill set. You will be surprised to find how much better your home feels to you without the minor annoyances.

Clean

After clearing the clutter and making needed repairs, it's time to get down and dirty by scouring the house from top to bottom. Either hire a company or rent a machine to clean the carpets, upholstery, air ducts, windows and other surfaces. Use an environmentally friendly enzymatic cleaning formula to disinfect and deodorize at the same time. Once everything is clean and disinfected, consider purchasing a HEPA air filtration system to help improve air quality for the whole year long.

Wake up Feeling Cranky? How to Start the Day Right

Admit it. You sometimes wake feeling a bit cranky or out of sorts. Maybe you didn't have a good night sleep or you feel hassled and hurried about the day ahead. Whatever the reason you can learn to fix it with these quick tips:

Face It: The first step to dealing with any problem is to face it head-on. Procrastination, denial and rationalization only create more anxiety - not less.  Instead, simply acknowledge the source of the problem then plan to address it.

Sing or Smile: Did you know that smiling creates powerful bio-chemical changes in the body? Researchers have found people who smile actually lower blood pressure and decrease anxiety levels.

Dress for Success: Create the response you need to succeed by looking your best. Take a few minutes to wear something a little special. It is a sure-fire way to attract positive attention your direction throughout the day.

Eat Right & Exercise: Avoid refined sugars, excess caffeine or other "comfort foods" that can actually make your mood worse in the long run. A rapid increase or decrease in blood sugar levels is often associated with crankiness; instead, eat some fresh fruit and other healthy alternatives.  It's also a good idea to make time for a brisk walk or trip to the gym; it is an excellent way to clear the mind and restore even the worst mood.

Texas Economy Still Ahead of Nation's

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) (Feb 3, 2009) - The Texas economy is cooling but continues to create jobs. While the U.S. economy lost more than 2.8 million jobs from December 2007 to December 2008, Texas gained 154,600 jobs over the same period.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 4.2 percent in December 2007 to 6 percent in December 2008. By comparison, the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 4.9 percent to 7.2 percent during the same period.

Recent decreases in oil prices have begun to adversely affect the Texas oil and natural gas industry's ability to generate jobs. The industry's employment increased 3.7 percent from December 2007 to December 2008, a drop from 7.1 percent for the period November 2007 to November 2008. Even so, the industry ranked first among Texas industries in employment growth rate.

The professional and business services industry and the leisure and hospitality industry posted annual employment growth rates of 3.3 percent from December 2007 to December 2008 and ranked second among Texas industries in job creation.

All Texas metros experienced positive employment growth rates from December 2007 to December 2008. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission ranked first in job creation followed by College Station-Bryan, Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, and Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood.

The state's actual unemployment rate in December 2008 was 5.7 percent. Midland had the first lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, Lubbock, Odessa and College Station-Bryan.

The complete Texas economic report is available on the Real Estate Center's website.

‘Tis the Season.. To Winterize Your Home

Taking the time to prepare your home for the cold weather is a great way to protect your investment and save money now and in the long run. Here are just a few tips to keep you and your home cozy this winter:

• Clean your gutters to prevent water from building up and freezing.
• Keep out the cold air by sealing the areas around windows and doors.
• Caulk gaps, cracks or holes if necessary.
• Clean your heating ducts and change your furnace filters.
• Trim trees and remove dead branches to prevent ice buildup, which could cause damage to your home, surrounding property or power lines.
• Prevent frozen water pipes by draining and insulating them. Keep your heat running, even when you're away from home.
• Insulate. Since warm air rises, start by making sure your attic is protected.
• Foolproof your fireplace. Clean the chimney, ensure the damper opens and closes properly and have plenty of firewood on hand for all those chilly winter nights!

Compliments of Navy Federal Credit Union

A Message from the President of Navy Federal Credit Union

02/03/2009

We are entering an era of renewed emphasis on personal responsibility. As a nation, we are being urged to return to those bedrock values – hard work, fair play, loyalty and patriotism – that have made our country great. At Navy Federal, we honor those values and applaud this focus on personal responsibility.

As your credit union, it's our responsibility to serve you well with loans, savings and services to help you achieve your financial goals. That's our commitment to you, our members. And, as a member-owned organization, we depend on fulfilling our shared obligations to each other, our fellow members. We are all connected: when one member pays his mortgage regularly, another is able to get a loan for her child's education, and yet another gets a great rate on a certificate of deposit. This connection, this cooperative spirit, has been the fundamental basis for our success for the past 75 years.

Now, amid a challenging economy, the commitment to honor debts and obligations has never been more important. Yet, the daily news is often filled with stories of people casually walking away from their debts – and that this behavior might somehow be condoned. Such behavior surely does not belong in any era of personal responsibility, old or new.

At Navy Federal, we expect our members to fulfill their obligations to fellow members by repaying their loans and managing their finances prudently. We understand that this isn't always easy, but we are here to work with members who may be having trouble. We do this in support of the collective interests of all 3.2 million Navy Federal members. We are all connected.

I embrace this reemphasis of personal responsibility. As Navy Federal's President, I am deeply committed to our strong, conservative financial practices; they serve us well. As your credit union, we are also committed to making billions of dollars available for new mortgages, automobiles, and education loans. And, to providing outstanding return on savings.

In this spirit, let us all reaffirm our commitment to our fundamental values, to our fellow members, to the continued strength Navy Federal, and the success of our great nation.

The San Antonio Spurs had a nice four game winning streak going, until they went out west to face the Lakers for the second time this month.  Earlier in the month, the Spurs beat the Lakers in San Antonio on a last second shot by Roger Mason to eek out a 112-111 victory over the defending Western Conference Champs.  This time, in LA, there would be no heroics, and the Spurs left with a 14 point loss.  It really wasn't that close.  A 10-2 LA run to start the 4th quarter boosted the lead to 21 points and both teams threw in the towel, sitting down their stars for the remainder.

February always marks a strange time in the season for the Spurs, as their home city and arena is taken over for the annual rodeo.  The game against LA marks the first game in a one-month road trip that will take them to all corners of the US and Canada.  The team will play 12 consecutive road games during that period.

Currently, the Spurs are in first place in the Southwest Division, holding onto a slim, one game lead over New Orleans.  As has been all year, the Southwest Division remains the most competitive in the league with just 4.5 games separating the top 4 teams.  Overall, in the Western Conference, the Spurs remain 5 games behind Los Angeles.

Looking at San Antonio's record, the Spurs are 17-7 at home, and 13-7 on the road.  The only teams with better road records are LA, Boston, and Orlando, so if San Antonio can run through this gauntlet relatively unscathed, they will be in a prime position to win their division, and challenge LA for the West.  The next few games will be tough ones.  San Antonio plays, in order: Phoenix, New Orleans, Golden State, Denver, and Boston, to star off the trip.

Now is as good a time as any to look at some of the teams stats to see how they match up against the rest of the league.
The Spurs are 2nd in the league in 3 point percentage, trailing only the Magic
8th in the league in FG%
22nd in the league in total rebounds per game
2nd in the league in fewest turnovers, trailing only Detroit
7th in the league in assists
21st in points scored
Surprisingly, the Spurs are dead last in the league with steals per game.  A shocking statistic for one of the best defensive teams year in and year out.
The Spurs are also dead last in offensive rebounds, but are 8th in defensive rebounds.

In the second, and most recent game in their road trip, San Antonio faced the always tough Utah Jazz, and came away 106-100 winners.  Although the Spurs didn't have an answer for Ronnie Brewer (24 points on 8-11 shooting), neither did the Jazz have an answer for Ginobili.  The Argentine saved the best for last, and saved his team in the process.  Ginobili made all 8 free throws in the final period, and scored 10 of his 13 points in the 4th.

The starters for both teams did all the damage in the game, with Ginobili being the only reserve to score in double digits.  Aside from Manu's 13 points, the rest of the Spurs bench only managed 12.  Utah's was worse, however, only managing 6 points.

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan led all scorers with 24 points each.

As January winds down, San Antonio is gearing up for its annual Stock Show and Rodeo, the city’s signature event.  As always, the event gets underway with the annual Cowboy Breakfast, which will be held at The Rim for the second straight year.  Organizers are hoping this year’s event will be a record-setting one, quite literally.  The hopes are to set the world’s record for most coffee served ever at an event, and are expecting 40,000 people to attend the breakfast.  Breakfast and coffee is free, and the fare includes such Texas staples as breakfast tacos, biscuits and gravy, menudo, sausage links, tamales, barbacoa, and much more.  The Cowboy Breakfast already holds the record for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cooked Breakfast.

The breakfast takes place on January 30th from 5 AM until 9 AM, at the Rim Shopping Center Parking Lot at La Cantera Parkway and I-H 10.

The following day sees the 60th edition of the Texas Longhorn Cattle Drive pass through the streets of downtown San Antonio.  Cattle drives, of course, were what put Texas on the map, and more than anything represent the state’s history and culture.  Before San Antonio was made up of roads and freeways, it was first denoted by the trails that the cowboys drove the cattle through.  In commemoration of this part of the city’s history, the cattle drive will maneuver a herd of Texas’ best longhorns from Christus Santa Rosa Hospital at Houston Street to the Alamo.  There’s no better way to get ready for the rodeo than with a steer drive, so bring the whole family--and don’t forget the cameras!  The drive is January 31st at 11 AM and admission is free.

If the cattle drive puts you in the mood for some good ole Texas BBQ, then you’re in luck!  Six Flags is hosting the 13th Annual Bar-B-Que Cook-Off in the parking lot.  The $12 entrance fee gets you in for all the meat you can eat, as well as live music, judging of the food, vendor booths, kids activities, and more.  Musical acts include the Scott Wiggins Band at noon, Jason Allen at 1:00, the Bad Boys Olympics at 2:30, and Zach Walther and the Cronkites at 4:30.  The evening’s entertainment kicks off with Aaron Watson at 8 PM, and Mark Chestnutt headlining at 10 PM.  Judging takes place all day from 11 AM until 5:30.  Proceeds from the event go to help the SALE Scholarship Fund, so come on down for some good eats, and support an even better cause!