Friday, May 31, 2013

Emergency Supply, can't have a storm without it!


IT'S THAT TIME!! In less then 24 hours we will be officially in storm season! To those who have lived through more seasons then you can count, your emergency supply kit is most likely already stocked. For those who don't have one...

Every home, condo, apartment and business should have an emergency supply kit. The contents of each supply kit may vary, but there are necessities that no kit should be without. Checking the stock and expiration of your supply kit is best not to wait until you are under warning or even a watch. No matter when you build your kit, make sure it is enough for each member of your family and be prepared for at minimum 5 days. If you have pets, don't forget to include their needs in your kit.

For you & your family
□ Water: one gallon per person per day for 7-14 days for personal and sanitary purpose (fill tubs in home with water before storm)                              
□ Food: Non perishable packaged or canned food 7-14 days
□ Cooler for ice and food storage    
(Gel packs, Freeze water in zip-loc bags & 2 liter jugs, fill coolers to preserve food) 
□ Extra formula & diapers for babies
□ Flashlights with extra batteries        
□ Battery or solar powered lanterns
 Radio, battery powered or hand crank
□ Solar or cell phone charger
□ Corded land line phone  
□ AC adapter                     
□ Grill or camping stove with extra  propane or charcoal
□ Waterproof matches 
□ Sandbags- important if you live near any body of water                                                 
□ Paper plates & plastic utensils
□ Trash bags
□ Manual can opener                               
□ Non-scented bleach or water purification tablets                                                 
□ Duct tape & extension cord                  
□ Basic tool kit with shovel & ax 
□ Utility knife                                             
□ Fire extinguisher 
□ Blue tarps to cover entire roof, in case of damage
□ Sturdy shoes (post storm)  
□ First Aid Kit including gloves
□ Sunscreen & bug repellent             
□ Personal Hygiene                                   
□ Important documents & contacts  
□ Local maps                                        
□ Waterproof container with all important documents and paperwork 
□ generator & extra fuel (in proper fuel container) 
□ CASH!

For your pets
□ Non-perishable food
□ Water                                                    
□ Medications                                          
□ License & Documentation    
□ Pet carrier

For fun:
□ Board games
□ playing cards
□ coloring books & crayons
□ books & magazines

If you are evacuating your home during the storm, you will want to add a few items to the list
□ Clothing 
□ Sleeping bags
□ Extra set of house/car keys

Tips:
If in doubt of what else you may need to keep you and your family comfortable...pack like you are going camping. It is also wise to have a mini-supply kit in your vehicle. 

Helpful Apps: 




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Hurricane+



Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and hundreds of miles inland, but these destructive storms have a few needs to feed and grow. They require a low pressure system, warm ocean temperatures, moist environment, and tropical wind patterns off the equator to steer the path. With these storms come hazards you may not have thought of or prepared for...

Tornado:
An extremely destructive funnel-shaped column of air that passes in a narrow path over land. It is common for tornadoes to be produced during a hurricane and even tropical storms. It is common for tornadoes to form in the rain bands of a hurricane and closer to the “eye” of the storm. These tornadoes may be considered relatively weak, but can still do damage. Never under estimate a tornado. Listen for a freight train roar in the wind.

Storm Surge & Tides:
Storm Surge, an abnormal rise in water generated by a storm’s winds. Surge can get to heights well over 20’ and can reach across hundred of miles of the coast.
Tide, water level that rises during a storm due to the combination of storm surge and the astronomical tide.                                                     
The massive power of a storm surge and large waves can destroy buildings, erode the beaches, cause damage to roads and bridges, and even death.
  


Flooding:
Floods are the #1 natural disaster in the U.S. and the most costly. Flash floods can happen within minutes or hours of heavy rainfall, a levee or dam breaks. They are considered dangerous walls of water filled with potentially dangerous debris. If possible, build barriers to prevent the flood water from entering the building; sandbags. floodsmart.gov



Rip Currents:
Rip Currents are channeled currents of water flowing away from shore, usually extending past the line of breaking waves, that can pull even the strongest swimmers away from shore. When the waves break along the coast they can produce deadly rip currents and be a major hazard to mariners and coastal residence.
  


High Winds:
Tropical storm force winds are powerful enough to be to destroy buildings and mobile homes. A strong enough wind can try a simple item into a dangerous flying missile.

Stay tuned for the next blog and more hurricane season information. 

 







Friday, May 24, 2013

NAR Member Profile Report

I found this very interesting.  The biggest issue for REALTORS is the difficulties encountered in getting financing for their clients.  The bulk of my new business comes from clients that came to me because their REALTOR sent them to an "in-house" mortgage person or a "to big to fail bank" that couldn't get them approved due to a lack of knowledge or lack of motivation on the lenders part.


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Buying a new home? Refinancing? Now is the Time!


Are you thinking about refinancing your home? Contemplating buying a home? 
If you answered yes either of those questions there are a few tips that will help you in the process...
1. Procrastination NOT allowed
If you haven't recently refinanced your mortgage there is a big chance that you are paying a higher interest rate then you should. Now is the time to take advantage of the current record low mortgage rates. The rates will gradually grow as the year progresses. Don't miss the opportunity to utilize the lowest mortgage rates in history.

2. Hurry Buyers Hurry!

Rates are low. Homes prices are on the rise. Now is the time! If you qualify for a mortgage, TAKE ADVANTAGE! Get pre-approved, don't miss out on the home of your dreams.

3. FHA vs. Conventional

The FHA's 3.5% down is very enticing for a buyer, but don't forget about the fees that are added to your loan (increase expected this summer). A Conventional loan is 5% down given your credit history. If you are able to afford the higher down payment, get quotes from both and compare to see what works best for you.

4. Good Credit, Good idea

2013 will bring new rules and guidelines, but the standards will not change. IF a new mortgage is a goal, then you must consider your credit to be the most valuable asset in obtaining that mortgage. A credit score of 720, no problem; at 680 you will still be able to get a good deal, but the approval process may be a bit more difficult. Tip: check your credit, if you are using more then 30% of your available credit you may be hurting your score. 

5. Pay off early? 

Every though about refinancing from a 30 year to a 15-20 year mortgage? Can you afford a slightly higher monthly payment? 

6. Underwater?
Like many Americans you may owe more than your home is worth, but have had no luck with refinancing in the past? There is a program that may be able to help. The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) was altered to help the homeowners to refinance no matter how underwater they were on their mortgage. There were recent revisions to the program that will help borrowers overcome obstacles they have run into in the past. Don't let a lenders' No, be the end.                                                                                     

7. Communicate, your Lender knows

There are new programs available for those who grapple to keep up to date with their mortgage payments. Lender are willing to work through delinquent loans and assist the homeowner in the best way possible. They can help modify the loan  or even short sale the home if the homeowner cannot afford to stay in it. The only way to find a solution is to communicate through what will be a maddening process. 


8. Compare & Shop
Comparison shopping is for more then groceries and car insurance, but what lender can help you get the best mortgage possible. To make a fair comparison get 3 quotes from different lenders, quotes including closing costs. Start with referrals from friends and relatives, even someone you worked with on a previous home. Read online reviews from others borrowers they have worked with in the past, favor a good reputation. 

9.  You're APPROVED, don't mess it up now!

It is not uncommon that a lender order a second credit report just prior to the closing dates. Knowing this you don't want to open a new bank account or make any changes to existing accounts or credit cards. These actions are a capable of hurting your score and causing a last minute denial of your mortgage loan. 



10. It's only just begun

Your application is in, rate is locked, and yet the fun has just begun. It is important to submit any and all requests from your loan officer in a timely manner to avoid any delay ion closing or worse,risk losing your locked rate. Follow up with your lender at least once a week to ensure there are no snags in the process.

Friday, May 17, 2013

The Anatomy of a Tornado


Tornado: tor·na·do (noun)
1.  A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumuliform cloud, such as a thunderstorm, to the ground. Twister, cyclone, whirlwind,


Tornadoes form from an intense battle of hot and cold air. There's warm, moist air below and cold, dry air above, with a thin lid of stable air between. When the warm air rushes through the lid of stable air and mixes with the cold air. An updraft and a downdraft begins and a thunderstorm forms. Air rotating on a horizontal axis gets pushed diagonally from the updraft, resulting in a tornado.


Facts:
¨ Tornadoes can happen at any time of day, any time of year
¨ Form quickly and travel in very unpredictable directions.
¨ Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the right-front quadrant of the hurricane, but are also found in the rain bands.
¨ The stronger the hurricane, the more of a risk for a tornado
¨ Preparedness is critical
¨ They may appear transparent until dust and debris are picked up or the cloud forms in the funnel.
¨ Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water (more on waterspouts in the next blog) 

Tornado Watch
Tornadoes are possible. 
Remain alert for approaching storms. 
Watch the sky and stay turned to local weather station via tv or radio.

Tornado Warning
 a tornado has been spotted or indicated by weather radar. 
Take shelter immediately

Safety Tips:  
  • Stay calm 
  • Stay away from windows
  • Go to the low, center room 
  • Hide under sturdy furniture
  • Protect your head and chest, crouch, face to floor, hands behind head
  • Cover yourself with blankets
  • Have a supply kit located in your shelter with flash light, radio and sturdy shoes

In schools and offices: seek designated shelter in interior rooms or hallway's on ground floor, 
or lowest floor possible. Avoid auditoriums and gymnasiums.Evacuate mobile homes and vehicles! 
Seek shelter in substantial structure, ditch or culvert.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Floods, Hurricanes, and Tornados, Oh My!


Floods, Hurricanes, and Tornados, Oh My! 

Florida is famous for weather related problems and those weather related problems cause insurance problems. Problems that lead to the cost of insurance is one of the main concerns for buyers when purchasing in Florida. Anyone that works in real estate sales or the mortgage industry has to be capable of addressing legitimate concerns of clients when it comes to the cost of homeowners insurance. To do that you must be familiar with the history of Florida’s insurance issues over the years.

Over the last forty years Florida has been one of the fastest growing states in the US. Florida, also known as The Sunshine State is known for its sandy beaches and beautiful coastline, it is not hard to figure out where people want to live. The most desired location is of course the hardest hit when it comes to hurricanes and floods.

In the aftermath of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew Category 4 devastation that cost insurance companies more than $25 million, smaller companies closed and larger insurance companies were able to petition the state for a massive premium increase to help cover their losses. It took until 2004 for them to catch up, leaving many of the smaller insurance companies hesitant to write policies in Florida. Homeowners were left with rising insurance rates and cuts to the coverage just in time for not one or two or even three, but four major storms in one hurricane season throwing the insurance industry in to complete chaos. The next season brought even more destruction with five major storms including Katrina, the most expensive Atlantic hurricane in history. 

The vast number of claims submitted to insurance companies still in business lead to a large number of policy holders to be dropped while others joined the mass "evacuation" that started in the wake of Andrew.

As for real estate agents, they understood that the only thing worse than expensive insurance was no insurance at all. The banks will not close on a loan without proper proof of insurance. So Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was put into action in 2002, to ensure that Florida home owners, no matter where they lived would have access to property insurance. The more other insurance companies dropped their policy holders the more Citizens evolved from the last resort insurance to the largest insurance provider for the state. Since Citizens is a tax-payer funded insurance company, this created new issues, potentially every homeowner in the state could be on the line for claims. 


With the cost of insurance and its availability becoming an important hot topic during the 2006 Florida electionsCitizens Insurance charged its customers the highest rate approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation to avoid competing with private carriers. Insurance agents were actually prohibited from writing policies through Citizens if there was a private (not surplus lines) carrier who would write the risk. If a qualified insurance company was willing to take a group of policies, Citizens Insurance would transfer them to that company and cancel coverage. Customers had no recourse.

As a result Florida Senate Bill 2498 a.k.a. The Glitch Bill, was signed into law by Governor Christ in June of 2007. This legislation permitted agents to write a Citizens policy for customers if the premium for a comparable policy offered by a private carrier was 15% more expensive. Customers were also allowed to stay with Citizens Insurance if they were notified that their policy was being assigned to a private carrier.
In 2010, eight global insurance carriers entered or re-entered the Florida market. While the cost of reinsurance dropped 10% the cost of insurance to consumers remained the same.
Which brings us to February of this year, Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes filed Florida Senate Bill 724, a comprehensive bill to overhaul Florida property insurance law to avoid new "hurricane taxes" which would be necessary if another catastrophic hurricane ravaged the state. The proposal is unpopular among many Citizens customers because it would mandate more rate increases to what they consider to be already high premiums. A similar bill was defeated in 2012.

I hope this helps you in understanding the many issues that can effect a successful closing of your home purchase and the added demands of homeownership.










Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Cutting Edge Marketing with Digital Docs and Forever Marketing Presentation


Cutting Edge Marketing with Digital Docs and Forever Marketing Presentation


We are happy to deliver a presentation focused to assist professionals in the real estate industry brought to you by Digital Docs and Forever Marketing, Smart Title and Settlement Service, Inc., and The Mortgage Firm.  This cutting edge hyper-focused event is being put on to showcase the next generation of real estate closing and post closing marketing. The union of these three companies works out in every Realtor’s favor because of the unique benefits each company provides.

Digital Closing Docs with Forever Marketing - Created by real estate professionals, for real estate professionals. Digital Closing Docs with Forever Marketing provides you with automatic effective contact with past clients and repeat business—just by closing with Smart Title & Settlement Service Inc.


Smart Title and Settlement Service Inc. - Title orders have a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time. Providing nationwide coverage requires them to adhere to the individual state guidelines therefore each state has a different time schedule. Smart Title and Settlement Services Inc. has a network of notary closers and attorneys available day, night, & weekends. They close and disburse accurately and timely.



The Mortgage Firm - Suzanne Morton - The Mortgage Firm takes great pride in the ability to offer the most complete selection of financial options available. They are a full service mortgage banker with an experienced, knowledgeable staff who will work closely with you offering you both guidance and support in recommending mortgage solutions that meet your financial situation.



The skill and experience these professionals bring to any real estate transaction will help you close deals and provide repeat business down the road. Please join us for the presentation on April 17th, 2013 at Slainte Irish Pub in Boynton Beach, Florida at 9:30 am for the presentation.