The New FHA Loan

In July 2007, the real estate market changed. Due to the poor performance of subprime mortgages, investors lost confidence in the mortgages they were purchasing. Since then, the financial markets generally have been on a roller coaster ride, oil prices are rising, and nontraditional mortgage lending has virtually disappeared. The cost of credit has even been increasing for conventional borrowers. The discontinued use of exotic subprime mortgage products is not a temporary phenomenon. “Stated income” mortgage products are not returning to the market. It is unlikely that lenders will offer 100 percent financing products.

Where can a borrower with a low down payment or less than perfect credit find an affordable, safe mortgage? They can turn to mortgage products that are available from the world’s largest insurer of mortgages. Since 1934, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has insured more than 35 million properties. FHA products offer low down payments, competitive interest rates, and greater flexibility than most conventional mortgages. FHA is easier to use than ever before.

We will be happy to refer you to one of our preferred lenders to prequalify you for a loan on your new home.!

Why Choose a REALTOR with a GRI Designation?

I am please to announce that Kyle has obtained the Graduate Realtor Institute "GRI" designation!

When you see the letters "GRI" after an agent's name, you can count on receiving the knowledge and guidance you need to make your transaction go smoothly.

Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime! At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated. New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism. So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding.GRIs are:

* Nationally recognized as top performers in the real estate industry
* Professionally trained
* Knowledgeable
* Dedicated to bringing you quality service

A GRI can make a difference. In short, you can count on getting the best service available from a real estate professional. Don't you deserve the best? :-)

Finally, Some Good News for the Housing Market!

Reuters is reporting that home sales have seen the biggest gain since July, 2003, a 5.5% increase last month!

Read the full article on reuters.com:

http://www.reuters.com/article/gc03/idUSTRE49M5Q320081024?sp=true

Even though sales volume is up, prices, unfortunately, are still dropping and most likely will continue to do so until the large inventory of homes on the market bottoms out. We are seeing a huge increase in investors buying cheap, foreclosed homes. A sad and unfortunate way to decrease inventory.

We won't actually know when we've hit bottom until we've started back up, but hopefully this news is an indicator of good things to come.

- Mona

Children's Miracle Network & RE/MAX "Art Through the Eyes of A Child" Auction

Join Children’s Miracle Network for art and inspiration at the RE/MAX “Art Through the Eyes of a Child” Art Auction. The event will be held October 30th at the UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute. It will begin with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m.; the main auction event begins at 6:30 p.m. and consists of both a live and silent auction. The unique artwork, all created by patients of Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, tells the story of hope and encouragement through the eyes of a child and is completed as a part of the Arts In Medicine program. Arts In Medicine promotes healing during activities using music, dance and the creative arts. Many of the Shands for Kids artists are children and adolescents waiting for organ transplants, undergoing dialysis treatments, or recovering from accident or trauma. Each item is accompanied by a powerful personal story of the pediatric patient and their motivation for creating the piece.

Many of the items will be created with this year’s theme “Up, Up and Away”. Large pieces such as a play house, rocking chair, toy chest and child-sized table and chairs will be painted by patients at Shands Children’s Hospital. Other items include canvas artwork framed by Central Florida Office Plus, and ceramics donated by Do Art. Since 2002, the children’s art auction has raised more than $300,000 for Children’s Miracle Network at Shands Children’s Hospital. All of the proceeds from the auction stay locally to fund life-saving medical equipment, pediatric research and a variety of programs, including the Arts In Medicine program. VIP tickets are $50 and general admission tickets are $35.

Gainesville Makes Another Top 20 List!

Black Enterprise Magazine has selected Gainesville as one of the 20 Best Places to Retire. The October, 2008 issue is the Annual Retirement Guide and will feature the 20 Best Places to Retire and Gainesville is in there as #13. The issue will hit newsstands on Tuesday September 23, 2008.

Preview the Article Here:

http://alachuacounty.us/assets/uploads/images/Communications/pr_images/20-BEST-PLACES-TO-RETIRE.PDF

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance:

• The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only.
• The maximum credit amount is $7,500.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
• The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period.

Do you qualify? More information http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/index.html

Can You Help the Inverness Humane Society?

We adopted Max from the Inverness Humane Society earlier this year. He was on his way to being euthanized but was rescued by the wonderful people at the Inverness Humane Society who had driven all the way to Arkansas to rescue as many dogs as they could from a puppy mill auction.

So now they need help. Following is a message from Margret Nolan, President of Inverness Humane Society:

"We are now celebrating our 4 year anniversary! We would like to thank everyone for their help and we would like to keep you all better informed on our weekly business. Going forward, we would like to send you our yearly adoption stats (590 so far this year alone!), how many animals we have rescued this year (we currently have 50 adoptable dogs and 5 cats), a happy ending rescue story, and helpful hints from our clinic vet, Dr. Fox. If you do not want us to email you, please respond to this email asking us to take you off our contact list.

Our organization has found homes for 2144 dogs and cats that otherwise would have been euthanized since we opened 4 years ago. We run a low cost spay/ neuter clinic in Inverness and very often will help people who cannot afford to spay/ neuter their pets with further discounts or free services. We have always done what we could to help other rescues, we have always stepped up to help raise funds for rescues in dire need, we have given free heartworm treatments and spay/ neuters for people adopting dogs at the local animal control, not even our organization, who otherwise would not have been able to afford to save that dog, and we further discount our clinic services for rescue organizations. Now we need a bit of help for our dogs. We are in an area that floods and our adult dogs have runs that are totally outside, with tarps and dog houses. We have an opportunity to greatly improve conditions for our animals and we need your help!

As I said, our animals are in urgent need of help right now. We are trying to raise $9,500 in 4 weeks to buy that 12*40 shed to convert. We will make indoor/ outdoor runs for our adult rescue dogs, we will convert the old outdoor runs into a big play yard for them, and be able to create a quarantine area for the new puppy litters we rescue. Please visit our fund raising web site http://www.firstgiving.com/humanesocietyofinverness to track our progress and donate yourself! There is also a link on that site for people interested in doing their own fundraising efforts on our behalf. Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thank You and Dog Bless. "

Margret Nolan
President and FounderHumane Society of Inverness
501 3 c
Bouvierrescue of Florida
Non Kill Organization