Stretch Your Dollars

I have a great article for you from one of my favorite online ezines:
The Dollar Stretcher
by Gary Foreman at www.Stretcher.com. (Used by permission)


Hello to all my Frugal Friends!


I think that those of us who are into frugal living areblessed with a lot of fine resources. Among them is a magazine and website called "Real Simple." Their main focus is on simple living (with a modern interpretation). They had contacted me about an article they were working on awhile back. Just published it the other day. You can find it at www.stretcher.com/r/49.htm


The concept of simple living seems a little strange, especially when we discuss it in a blog wired to the net. I'm sure that it doesn't mean the same thing that it did years ago. Back then living simply meant a return to a less mechanized, more rural life. Supporters tended to be self-reliant. The "live off of the land" types. But like so many things you don't have to go all the way to benefit from the concept. You don't have to leave civilization behind to simplify your life. Depending on your lifestyle, it could be something as simple as getting rid of some of the clutter in your home. I suspect that if we did more of that there would be fewer people looking for bigger homes.


Did youknow that the average home is about 50% bigger than it was 30 years ago? It might be time for you to simplify your finances. I don't know the statistics, but I bet a lot of people have more than one IRA. That's ok if there's a specific investment reason for each one. But if they're both doing the same thing, it would be simpler to only have to monitor one of them. I remember watching westerns on TV. Occasionally you'd see one that included a wagon train heading west. Often, if they ran into trouble, they'd leave behind the things that they felt that they could live without. Sometimes those things had traveled with them for many, many difficult miles. It must have been hard to do that. It could be that our lives are a little like that wagon train.


Look around your world and see if there aren't some things that are not adding anything to your life. If you find something like that, it's time to give serious consideration to leaving it behind. Even if it's been part of your life for years. In case you'd like to find out more about the simple living lifestyle, you might like to check out an email newsletter called Simple Times. A good friend of ours, Debi Taylor-Hough, has been sharing great ideas with her readers for years. Might be a good way to get a start on a simple, more fulfilling life. Just send mailto:subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com


Hope that you have a wonderful week!


All the Best!
Gary

For more great ideas, visit www.Stretcher.com

First Time Home Buyers Class This Saturday!

Hi! Are you a first-time home buyer? Second time home buyer? Well, I have a fantastic class I'd like to recommend to you. I have a couple of clients that are thinking about going to it. This Saturday, March 1, from 10am to 3pm, Eric Slyter, Housing Coordinator at the North Columbia Community Action Council, is teaching a FREE First Time Home Buyers Class.

He is INCREDIBLY HELPFUL and treats all your questions like smart questions.

I had the opportunity to help him teach the class a couple of months ago and there were about five or six people in the class. So, there is some great, personal attention.

Eric takes you step-by-step through the process of finding a lender, finding out how you get qualified to buy a home, what kind of fees you'll expect to pay when buying a home, what kind of costs you would incur, and even talks with you about real estate agents, like me, and what you can expect from a real estate agent. I thought the budgeting game was very practical and fun.

He has a multitude of slides he takes you through and explains each one in detail so you can become a KNOWELDGEABLE HOME BUYER. That's very empowering, and I recommend that you go to it. I have his phone number at my office, and if you get in touch with me at 431-5804, I will give you his number so you can make a reservation to this FREE class.

This class also helps you to qualify for certain first-time home-buyer programs too. Eric will give you the details on that.

See you soon!

Connie

Time For Inspiration - Click on this title

When we hear that interest rates are going back up or that a dream home has already been sold, sometimes we need to forget about the problems that can go on in real estate and take a detour.

Let's add a little inspiration to our lives with some "Simple Truths!" I hope you enjoy this like I did. ~
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For a free list of homes in your price range, call 509-431-5804. Also, if you are thinking of selling your home, let me help. I'll provide a CMA (Market Analysis) for you and let our creative advertising go to work for you. Call 509-431-5804.

Open House on Road 2 SE, Moses Lake

I would like to invite you to my Open House on Saturday, Feb 16, from 12-3 at 15846 Road 2 SE, Moses Lake. It's 6 minutes from I-90, off of higway 17. From the intersection of highway 17 and I-90, go south toward Othello. Go across the railroad tracks and turn left on Rd 2. Turn right to STAY on Rd 2. Come on down about 1 1/2 miles. You'll see the signs and Happy Face balloons at the turn on Rd 2 and also at the house. This is such a wonderful and big home for a buyer who wants to be out in the country yet close to town! There's ramp accessibility, FIVE bedrooms, two bathrooms, including a bonus room which has been used as a bedroom and a family room. There's a shop, corral, grain bin, lots of mature landscaping, garden space, basketball hoop, and 2.2 acres. This house is just about 3,000 square feet and reduced to sell at $209,000.

Oh! Gotta go! I think I see the cars coming into the driveway now. See you there!

REFRESHMENTS SERVED UNTIL 3:00.

Connie Suehiro
Realtor(r)
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third Ave.
Moses Lake, WA 98837

If you're lost and can't find your way here, call me at 509-431-5804.

Home Buying - A Dream or a Nightmare - You're In Control

So, you have always had a dream of buying your own home. You've envisioned that white picket fence around a sturdy little cabin, or you've envisioned a tudor mansion with a wrought iron gate and wrap-around porch with a swing in the front.

Whether you buy big or small, your dream can become a reality.

But first, do your homework. Always get pre-approved for your loan before you even choose a home. You want to know where you're at financially, and it will help you find a home that fits your budget rather than looking at homes that are out of your price range.

A pre-approval tells the lender, whether it's a bank or mortgage company, that you are all set to buy a house, and you're financially serious about it. It also tells your real estate agent and the home owner, the seller, that you are serious about buying a house, too. It will help your transaction to move along quickly and help smooth the road to the path of stepping into the escrow office to sign the paperwork for your new home.

Call 509-431-5804 for a free list of homes in your price range. Bring your pre-approval letter!

Should You Auction Your House or Use a Realtor?

A lady I know who lives in Moses Lake is planning to auction off her house before she moves out of state. I had never heard of this before. It sounds quite different to me.

What are the pros and cons of selling your home through an auction?

Before you think about putting your house up for auction, find out what the regulations are in your area, what the success rate of house auctions is in your neighborhood area. If your house is in a highly-sought-after neighborhood, it might be worth a try. I would imagine, though, that hiring a real estate agent to belongs to the NorthWest Multiple Listing Service is the best way to go. You will get a lot of answers to your questions from a trained professional in real estate.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed. ~Henry Ford

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Thinking of selling your home soon? Don't try to sell your home without my Free "Seller Handout" guide. It'll give you lots of information for selling your home at a great price. Just call 509-431-5804 anytime, 24 hours, and I'll send a copy out to you.

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What is the best way to find out the market value of your home to prepare for selling it? Call a licensed real estate professional, a member of the National Association of Realtors(r), and ask them to prepare a Free CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) of your home for you. Call 509-431-5804 and I'll get started on it right away.

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Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! - Thanks to YOU, the word is spreading. Thanks to all of my clients and friends who so graciously refer me to their friends and neighbors. I am in business because of positive comments from people like you! ~Connie Suehiro

10 Simple Steps to Happiness (and Real Estate Advice)

If you had one year to live, would you continue living the way you are now, or would you make sure your life had more meaning, more significance?

What steps will you take to happiness?

Take time and don't just spend it, invest it in something, in somebody, who really matters. Let your time here on earth be one of great significance. Invest time in yourself and your family and friends. Here are some suggestions:

1. Do your best at work, but don't overwork yourself.

2. Cut back on your schedule some. Instead of having an activity fill up every night, just put one or two activities on your schedule. Better yet, take the whole month off from activities and read some good books together with your family.

3. Go to church. It's amazing what biblical inspiration will do in your life when you learn to experience God in your life.

4. Take a friend out for coffee or your sister out to a movie.

5. Give your spouse a back rub or foot rub.

6. Make chocolate chip cookies with your kids. Let them add the ingredients. Let them stir. Let them make a mess (and clean it up) while you work together.

7. Make paper airplanes with your son or daughter. Fly them in the house.

8. Play hide-n-seek in the house. Who cares if you're not supposed to run in the house?

9. Play some. Play some more. Enjoy your kids before they're grown. Cuddle with them. If your kids are grown, have your grandkids over for a sleepover. Make those paper airplanes.

10. Give to others and see how much your life improves because of your graciousness.

May your life be one of greater significance this year because of the choices you have made.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament. ~Henry Van Dyke

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Thinking of selling your home soon? Don't try to sell your home without my Free "Seller Handout" guide. It'll give you lots of information for selling your home at a great price. Just call 509-431-5804 anytime, 24 hours, and I'll send a copy out to you.

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What is the best way to find out the market value of your home to prepare for selling it? Call a licensed real estate professional, a member of the National Association of Realtors(r), and ask them to prepare a Free CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) of your home for you. Call 509-431-5804 and I'll get started on it right away.

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Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! - Thanks to YOU, the word is spreading. Thanks to all of my clients and friends who so graciously refer me to their friends and neighbors. I am in business because of positive comments from people like you!
~Connie Suehiro

Rates Are Rising A Little Bit

That's right. I talked with my lender yesterday because I'm thinking about refinancing my home since we have such great rates now. I was hoping to get a 5% interest rate, but it's more like 5.675%. However, if I'm going to refinance, I need to do it soon because she told me that the rates are slowly increasing again.

We got an 80/20 loan a few years ago when we bought our home in Moses Lake. An 80/20 is when you get a loan for 80% of the purchase price and another loan for 20% of the purchase price. Doing this allowed us to not be required to pay PMI (Mortgage Insurance). Sometimes it's called MIP or MI, but it's all the same. Our 80% loan is around 5.75%, and our 20% loan is at 8%. So, for example, let's say the purchase price was $100,000. Keep it simple. If $80,000 is at 5.75% and $20,000 is at 8%, and they're both 30 year loans, what's my monthly payment? Well, it's about $553.53 on the $80K and about $168.42. This includes $1,000 annual property tax and homeowners insurance of $300. Total monthly payment: $721.95. If I was to get a $100,000 loan at 5.675% interest on my home, which appraises for quite a bit more, meaning that I still wouldn't have to pay PMI, then my monthly payment would be $687.15. That's a $34.80 decrease in my monthly payments. Should I refinance?

I left out some information, didn't I? If I were to refinance, it would cost me about $3,000 in closing costs. If I had $3,000 in cash to pay closing costs, that would be great! In the long run, I would save alot on interest. If I needed to put the closing costs into the loan, I would reap the benefits of the interest saved a few years down the road instead of immediately.

Well, there is more to the story, and that is what you might want to talk with your lender about. Should you refinance, or not? Now is the time to ask, especially if your home loan rate is above 6.5% or so. It's something to think about, if it's financially doable for you.

Have a great weekend! I'm going to go take a nap after I gargle with tea tree oil. I've lost my voice!

Connie

It's A Buyer's Market in Moses Lake

In a seller's market, when homes are priced right, the average DOM, or Days On Market, houses are on the market an average of 50-60 days. When the conditions are perfect, homes sell in just a few days or weeks. (When we bought our home, it was on the market one day, we made an offer that night, and our offer was accepted the next day!) So, I've tracked the DOM of all homes of all numbers of bedrooms, and all sales prices for Moses Lake, Ephrata, Warden, and Othello, from January 2006 through January 2008. Below is a chart of what the statistics show from our Northwest Multiple Listing Service. In January of 2008, the average DOM was 119. One thing, the DOM includes the window of time from the time an offer is accepted to the day it closes. That could be anywhere from 1-30 days, but it's typically closer to 30 days. (There are so many variables.)

What does this mean to you as a buyer? It means that it's a good time to buy because sellers who have had their homes on the market for a longer period of time have more incentive to sell their homes than they did when they first listed their homes.

What does this mean to you if you are a seller? It means that it's even more important now than ever to make sure that the price at which you want to sell your house is not inflated above the market value of your home. If you are getting ready to sell your home, make sure your real estate agent gives you 3-10 comparables of other homes in your neighborhood that have recently sold. This will give you the most accurate value at which to price your home.

If your home has been on the market for two months or more with no offers, ask your real estate agent to prepare a new market analysis of your home to get it priced at market value so it will have a better chance of selling sooner. This would be a wise decision of your financial investment for you and your loved ones.

Have a great week!

Connie Suehiro

Real Estate Agent

Gary Mann Real Estate

305 E. Third

Moses Lake, WA 98837

509-431-5804 cell (Call me for a free list of homes in your price range!)