Georgia FHA Home Loans - (& Opinion)

Some of you have been reading my blabbering for years and may remember the death threats from a certain real estate agent in Corpus Christi for challenging him about the legality of a $50,000 rebate to the buyer on the purchase of a $200,000 home. Funny, I sent him my photo, a map to my home and office, told him to call me from the Corpus airport and I would pay for his ticket here then get him a limo from the Atlanta airport to my home or office depending on the time of day. Evidently he wasn't arrested by the local Sheriff to whom I forwarded his somewhat graphic email. But here we go again. Different day, different topic, same people trying to skirt the 

As long as there is a nickel there will be a crook. Today, more than ever, there are more and more "pay per closing" lead pushers hawking their illegal services. Of course they really like me because not only do I non-anonymously report them to HUD I tell them I am going to and why I am going to. Why look, here's one now:

Stop Paying per Mortgage Lead Today!

1. Join The P_F Network

Sign-up and start getting a constant flow of fresh mortgage leads added to your P_F mortgage lead account. Only pay for leads that turn in to a deal. With P_F you know what your ROI will be with no risks.

2. Start Receiving Hot Mortgage Leads

We add dozens of mortgage leads to your account on a daily or weekly basis that are in your area/state. You can contact these mortgage leads using the LEADS System which we provide.

3. Only Pay For Deals That You Close

When you get a mortgage lead that turns into a closing, then our "Per" close fee is deducted from your account. You only pay per closed loan deal.

And you, too, can violate RESPA just by joining and playing the "per closed loan deal" game.

I know what they say in response because I heard the speech when I called and asked if they are nuts: "Well, you don't actually pay per lead. You join our network for $1500 and when you have closed three loans you just renew your membership." And Bill Clinton did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. 

Two scenarios:

Billy is not in the real estate business. He sells leads, that's all. He has several websites and buys time on the air for his LendingSpree.nut website and he generates a few thousand leads per month. He sells hot leads (less than 24 hours old) for say $50. He sells 3 day leads for say $25, and month old leads for $5. So if the lender deposits $1500 with the company they can pick and choose which leads they want.

Billy's brother Gordy is also not in the real estate business. Gordy worked for Billy for a while and heard all the complaints from clients that they are tired of paying for leads that never close so he starts his own company called the PBF Network. He doesn't want you to pay for any leads that don't close but he heard he can't charge you that way so he starts a "Membership Club" where members have unfettered access to leads ... until the close enough of them to eat up their membership at $500 per whack every time a lead closes. But he's not charging "per closing" if you ask him. His advertisement, however, is not worded that way. It reads "Only Pay For Deals That You Close".

You can research HUD - it's pretty plain and simple that on deals to which RESPA applies this is a direct and blatant violation. Of course Gordy's attorneys are criminal attorneys and corporate attorneys and don't even know what RESPA stands for. I don't always agree with Jack Guttentag but on this I do. Jack writes, "Although the economics is much the same, the law sees the two approaches very differently. The $500 payment contingent upon a loan being closed would be an illegal referral fee under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). In contrast, the sale of a lead is not directly related to a real estate transaction, and is not therefore subject to RESPA."

Next on the chopping block: FHA lenders who allow brokers to originate FHA loans without being approved. (Sorry Mike, I know you're my buddy but I'm coming after this ... )

* Thumbnail of the image of the "Barney Fife" character used in parody which falls under Fair Use.

Marginalized. Annualized. Economically isolated. Indicators. Mean reversion. Seasonally adjusted. Negative growth.  Queuing ... now there is an interesting economic term. About two years ago a colleague suggested to me and a small group of three or four others that he believed the prime lenders may be positioning to wipe out all the mid level lenders and take all the marbles. I suggested that I didn't think the controllers and economists at these larger lenders had the ability to communicate well enough to pull off such a massive undertaking. But today I ask myself, "Where have all the mid level lenders gone?" And in the infamous words of Ray Davies and The Kinks, "Where have all the good times gone?"

When Bear Stearns needs bailed out you know something is funky in Eden. But I digress ... just a little teaser thought for you today and now on with the good stuff. Today's mortgage interest rates ...

Copyright©2008 Ken Cook. Georgia and Florida real estate investment loans, FHASecure and FHA Home Loans, nationwide commercial hard money and small business loans, non-recourse loans for real estate investors

Based on a $240,000 loan with 20% down or 20% equity on rate and term refinance. Middle credit score of 680 or higher on a Georgia primary residence single family detached home. Borrower must meet standard conforming (FNMA/FHLMC) loan guidelines. This is not a commitment to lend and rates are subject to change without notice. FHA F30 based on $150,000 loan and Jumbo based on $1,000,000 loan at 70% LTV. NOTE THERE ARE NO DISCOUNT POINTS ON THESE LOANS. 15 day lock, fully documented income and assets. Total settlement costs less than 3%. Does not include pre-paid items such as appraisal, taxes, insurance or government related fees. Not responsible for typos or HTML results. * on Flex100 PMI of 35% is required (ask about the Flex97/3 with only 18% MI) † Jumbo loan amount of $1,000,000

Novation Mortgage, 2501 E Piedmont Road, Suite 201, Marietta, GA 30062
Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee 20014. Florida Mortgage Broker Business MBB 0703760
FHA Lender - Equal Housing Lender

I teach real estate investing to beginners and seasoned professionals. Last Saturday I had a class of 18 seasoned investors with varying degrees of success and experience ranging from over 30 years down to just over a year and one guy who has never actually bought anything but has been to virtually every class I have held and read all of my booklets and articles. So today he sends a deal to me to "look over" and give him my opinion. As he is an ongoing student I always look at what he sends me an point out the obvious and let him make his own decisions.

This morning I received an email from him with several pages of documentation attached and the very last page, which was from his 90,000 dollar rehab project was this. This is now my example to the masses of what to NEVER do. And yes I mean NEVER.

Okay, Ken, since you are so smart what is wrong with this and how does one make it right? The first thing that is wrong with is is the contractor wanting 50% up front. You say, "They all do, right?" I say, "No, wrong." In fact when you are borrowing money as a renovation loan from a legitimate lender they will protect you by escrowing the renovation money and the contractor must submit a draw request and wait for the job to be inspected before the funds will be released.

Now I am in no way insinuating that this contractor has any evil intentions or that he will take the client's $49k and never returned but it happens every day. So even if you are not using a lender to fund the repairs here is what you do: find yourself an escrow agent, agree to a draw schedule based on percentage of completion or stage of completion, HIRE AN INSPECTOR TO INSPECT THE WORK INDICATED ON THE DRAW REQUEST BEFORE RELEASING THE FUNDS FROM ESCROW, and don't let the contractor whine you out of ONE PENNY until the work is done.

Contractor's like to say, "I can't get started unless I have the materials and I can't buy the materials until I have the initial payment." To them I say, "Use YOUR credit to buy the materials and when you finish the job I'll pay you and you can pay off the materials."

Rule one NEVER PAY ANYONE FOR ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

You DO need a ticket to climb on board.

It is the beginning of the Spring buying season and while there is an excess of inventory in the marketplace the worst problem is the loss of the secondary market which should come back over the next couple of weeks with the release of liquidity through the GSE's (FNMA/FHLMC).

So we know the secondary market has been stifled (nee - frozen) by the disappearance of investment funds and the goal of the GSE move is to unstifle the market to bring life back to the secondary market. 

Is it too late? Have people been turned down so much by the lenders now that they will not return to the table? No - they will come back. With the increase in the FHA limits and even lower Fed target rate we *should* see an increase in mortgage fundings. It remains to be seen if the guidelines are loosed from their tightened positions which, in my opinion, is not necessarily a good idea.

What I would like to see is some loans that do meet GSE guidelines actually get funded instead of hearing excuse after excuse why a 720 full doc borrower with a DTI of 40 isn't being funded for a primary purchase with 10% down.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Money is coming to the market and this, however you shake it, is good news for you. It theoretically should stabilize interest rates or see a small decrease in rates for a short period. I do not look for mortgage interest rates to drop much more than 1/4% from where the were this morning. It is a good thing for the market and the industry and the nation. Coupled with all of the new underwriting restrictions among all of the chatter this my be the one move that makes the most sense.

What is a couple of hundred billion dollars among friends? Who panics over nearly a trillion dollars in mortgage write-downs? Not me, I have GOLD TEETH! Now that my bridges are worth more than my Coca Cola stock I think I will leverage the dental work. I mean 7 ounces of gold - that's a lot of jack, Jim.

The big trouble with the market is no matter how much education, experience or resources we have at our disposal it is not possible to continually and accurately predict where the market is going. Why? I preach it all the time: the market is driven by the human emotional factor. When people feel good they invest. When people don't feel good is when the market tanks.

We the people, on the streets of the United States of America, hold in our hands a manifold destiny. It is of our choosing and of the collective consciousness for which the media and Hollywood have become the brain. I heard a report on Bloomberg yesterday which indicated that for the first time in our history 65% of the people - SIXTY FIVE PERCENT - believe our past is better than our future.

GET OFF YOUR BUMS AND START DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO TURN THIS COUNTRY AND ECONOMY AROUND!

Our fathers and grandfathers and their fathers and grandfathers (and the ladies, too) are puking in their graves and this generation and what a bunch of idiots we are. Not all of us, just those who do not read Active Rain of course. Honestly, if you truly believe the future cannot be brighter than the past then I am of the opinion that you would be better served by living in a country that would babysit you than here where we still have somewhat of an ability to be self reliant and personally responsible. But that is just my our opinion.

SO HOW DOES ONE RULE IN A PANICKING MARKET?

Knowledge is power and never has that been more true. Let me give you a little tidbit of information you probably haven't heard elsewhere. On a national merged level property values are down. The value of the dollar is also down. Supply is almost overwhelming and demand is low. If you attended the first day of economics class in Junior High (Middle School whatever) you learned this puts all the negotiating power in the control of the BUYER. This market is, for the most part, NOT the market in which to sell. So what does that make it?

Here is your nugget of gold today: Today, as I write, the dollar is worth .64 cents against the Euro. So let's say you find a home today that 12 months ago was valued at $500,000 and you can get it for $400,000. Then let's say after another 12 months the market has leveled and the dollar has improved in value 10%. GUESS WHAT. You just improved the value of your purchase by 10%. Wait now, hear me out. It's the EQUITY value we care about - not the purchase price. So if you paid down 20% which is 80k today but in 12 months the dollar is worth 10% more even though your HOME has not improved in value (has remained flat) your SPENDING POWER on your equity investment has gone up 10%. Understand?

It's the Future Value of Money. If the dollar goes flat against the Euro (Lord please) your dollar will have increased by 36% and so will your spending power. So if you bought TODAY and the property never appreciated in value but the dollar did you would STILL win in the GLOBAL economic game. For you and I this is small gain but on the macro scale with every home purchase or refinance in America it's huge.

One last thing before I go. That $200b released by the Fed earlier this week at the disposal of the primary capital lenders? In Euros it is only $129b. Don't think about it too long your head may pop.

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE NOT TO BUY A NEW HOME TODAY - AT LEAST LESS OF AN EXCUSE

A must read for anyone who depends on mortgages and finance to buy or sell a home. 

It's always good to see the rates in the fives. What is strange is why buyers wait "for a better rate" when the are in the fives. Then again it really is our fault and the fault of the American though process in general. When I speak with people who are "rate conscious" I also find out they are equally "rate unaware". For example people are hearing that "the feds are going to drop interest rates by 1/2 to3/4 of a percent next week."

FALSE

Well, sort of false. The feds REPORT the TREND of the rate by setting the TARGET rate. This rate has NO EFFECT on the interest rate EXCEPT in the fact that it my boost buyer confidence or investor confidence. The feds to not SET INTEREST RATES they watch the market to determine the TARGET rate. That being said the last 3 drops in fed rate have done nothing for the mortgage interest rate. In fact the mortgage interest rate has been steady and within about 1/2 percent of where it was this time a year ago. If you're waiting on the feds to improve the mortgage interest market you're waiting on yourself because the rate market will move based on demand - that is the number of people applying for and getting a mortgage.

If you want the rates to go down you should buy about $100,000,000,000 (that's one hundred billion) in bonds secured by mortgages. That will help lower the rates by about 1/4 to 1/2 percent.

The other question I've been taking today is, "what about that $200B released by the feds - isn't that going to help?" Maybe - if you are a stockholder in the European Central Bank it may help a little. Funny thing though, $200,000,000,000 US is only worth  $129,000,000,000 in Euros. Kind of funny to see French and German people coming to America for the discount bargains like we used to go to Mexico. Think I'm kidding? Read this story from November when the Euro was worth $1.47 - today it's worth $1.56.

We have a week dollar, declining real estate in many markets, negative press all day every day, crude is $110 a barrel and the best candidate we can come up with for President has no business experience and the other guys have a power broker socialist and a socialist wanna be - that'll do the economy just lovely. So what will fix this mess? YOU. Only YOU can fix this mess. George Bush didn't put us in this mess and no politician can get us out. Unless and until YOU start spending money (wisely please) we will continue to see a weakened dollar. Until you start to travel and buy gas we will continue to see crude edge higher. Until you start buying houses for yourself or investment we'll continue to see a general decline in property values. Just look at the ares where people ARE buying! Values are going UP there.

IT'S SIMPLE ECONOMICS PEOPLE - THERE IS MORE SUPPLY THAN DEMAND. That is an immutable law of macro economics. So on to the rates to take away another excuse from people saying - I think I'll just wait. Wait for WHAT??? A check from the WELFARE DEPARTMENT to pay your mortgage????

Okay, I'm calm.

Add to these GREAT interest rates the fact that FHA has expanded their lending criteria. In my market area we just jumped to $346,250 for a single family home and $665,850 for a four unit primary residence! Are you KIDDING ME??? And FHA fixed 30 interest rates are at FIVE POINT FIVE PERCENT???

Okay, somebody needs to buy a home today. Just get in your car and drive to my office. Let's get you qualified and I'll give you a letter. Then you can call your agent or find an agent who specializes in your market here on Active Rain. Go get yourself a home and ENJOY. 

Let me hit you one more time with why it's okay to buy a PRIMARY RESIDENCE (that's a home you plan to live in) or a long term INVESTMENT PROPERTY (that's a home you plan to rent to someone else to live in) even in a declining market.

(1) The dollar today is not worth what it was 6 months ago nor what it will be worth 6 months from today. If you buy with today's dollar and the dollar recovers in the future (we have no reason to believe it won't) you have purchased at today's dollar value PRICE. So if the dollar is worth 10% more in 12 months just add 10 percent to your intelligent buy.

(2) Property values ARE going to stabilize and begin to rebound. When depends on WHEN people start buying again. If you buy BEFORE prices stabilize and begin to rise and you buy at or below the current fair market value chances are in 10 years you'll make a very nice profit on your acquisition.

(3) There is a ton of inventory right now. According to the Metro Broker's billboard on I-75 south in Marietta, Georgia there are 103,500 homes LISTED. That doesn't count pre-foreclosures and FSBO (For Sale By Owner) properties. What this means for you is negotiating power. Don't be stupid and think you're going to get a perfectly viable property from any seller for 10 cents on the dollar but with values already slightly degraded if you can get the property for 90 cents on the dollar YOU ARE AHEAD OF THE GAME.

(4) With FHA mortgage available (TODAY - but NOT FOREVER) at 5.5% at 5.632% APR that is AMAZING! And now that the FHA limit in the Atlanta metro area has been raised to $346,250 for a single family home -

DO I HAVE TO SMACK YOU WITH A TUNA FISH? Now has become a GREAT time to buy. Oh, the rates on this page are provided by NOVATION MORTGAGE. Care to see what Countrywide sent me today for the same loan parameters?

Let's see - the big bad Countrywide can do for 6.65% APR the same loan NOVATION is offering for 5.965% APR? NOVATION's monthly pay is $1419.69 compared to $1536???

WHY BOTHER CALLING AROUND? Because I WANT you to. I want you to see that all of these years little tiny Novation Mortgage right here in Marietta Georgia has ALWAYS kicked butt. This isn't something new we have always slaughtered our competition. The difference? Advertising budget. They spend millions upon millions. We spend a few thousand.

Agents, we're still here for many reasons. Over 60% of our "competition" is long gone. We treat people fairly and honestly (read: we don't lick toes but we care).

Novation offers FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, private and small bank financing, construction, rehab - nobody NOBODY touches our full line of real estate investor loans, commercial, multi-unit and much more. I know, you have a lender you work with. That's fine. We have agents we work with but we're not so dense as to not work with new ones we can trust. We have loan specialists like Lin Cornett who has been in the mortgage industry since 1969. Greg Broomfield who has been in banking and finance since 1980. Myra, my beautiful wife, who is a former secondary marketing examiner and that means she knows stuff about loans the bank president doesn't know.

Then of course there is me. I like to play golf.

You can always check daily rates here and they always are with no discount points and show the APR.
 

NEW DAILY SCHEDULE

HTTP://JUSTIN.TV/REIBROKER

Topics include the real estate market in general, interest rates, short sales, declining markets, buyer trends and much more!

Hopefully I'll see each of you there and I want to get around to each of you as a guest speaker as soon as we get the bugs ironed out.

(You'll have to follow one more link from that site for now. Hope to have that cured very soon!)

Based on a $240,000 loan with 20% down or 20% equity on rate and term refinance. Middle credit score of 680 or higher on a Georgia primary residence single family detached home. Borrower must meet standard conforming (FNMA/FHLMC) loan guidelines. This is not a commitment to lend and rates are subject to change without notice. FHA F30 based on $150,000 loan and Jumbo based on $1,000,000 loan at 70% LTV. NOTE THERE ARE NO DISCOUNT POINTS ON THESE LOANS. 15 day lock, fully documented income and assets. Total settlement costs less than 3%. Does not include pre-paid items such as appraisal, taxes, insurance or government related fees. Not responsible for typos or HTML results. * on Flex100 PMI of 35% is required (ask about the Flex97/3 with only 18% MI) † Jumbo loan amount of $1,000,000

Novation Mortgage, 2501 E Piedmont Road, Suite 201, Marietta, GA 30062
Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee 20014. Florida Mortgage Broker Business MBB 0703760
FHA Lender - Equal Housing Lender

Behind the scenes of the interest rates and market today are some strange goings on as well as some interesting discussion. One of the hot topics today is how the rating agencies will be involved in untangling the credit crisis, devaluation of the dollar and destruction of consumer confidence. Why the rating agencies? Because buyers of MBS's whether from GSE's or whomever the securitizers are depend almost solely on the powerful word of the ratings companies namely Standard and Poor's and Moody's.

Essentially it works like this parable: S&P and Moody rank Bob's Mortgage Pool as A and Bob can sell his mortgage pools for 101 or 102. Not really the big time but still profitable. Then Bob's gets and upgrade to AA and now he can sell his MBS pool for 103 to 105. When you are talking about an addon of 5% of say $22,000,000,000 you're not talking chump change so Bob is happier but he wants the golden Lear jet. Bob's gets upgraded to AAA and now he can command a sale of 106 to 110 but he can sell faster and broader by DISCOUNTING his AAA MBS's to AA rates +1 and sell boocoodles at 106. So he's selling $10,000,000 pools for 106 to everybody on the planet because people from Morocco, Spain, Italy, Germany, Texas and New Jersey are lining up to buy at the discount rate.

Problem - Bob's should have been a de-rated security and labeled the same back then as it is today but it wasn't. Bob's pool of mixed origination MBS's was rated AAA and brought consumer confidence from the world around. So you want to know why we're not selling pools today? Confidence is decimated. It's not a liquidity issue with US lenders and banks ... it's a sellability issue. Most of the loans being offered today are based on depository funds. The other money is still there it's just that nobody wants to borrow it.

Enter the fed's decision to release $200,000,000,000 (that's two hundred billion) to key primary dealers (28 day money) in exchange for the collateral of GSE mortgage paper. We're lending to lenders who lend to banks who do mortgages, essentially. One problem: lenders have tightened their lending guidelines so much that even though they can borrow the money for 28 days instead of overnight they aren't creating any NEW loans. The reason they aren't creating any new loans is because they can't sell them. Money is made on mortgages from originations - the fees that come with the origination of the loan and the sales of the new originations.

But the stock market is up! True, the stock market is driven by the same people who BORROW money and SPEND money so it is driven by emotion just like borrowing and spending. The stock market is a forecast indicator but must be marginalized or averaged to really get a good read on the market. So while street level investor confidence is up to buy stocks we need to see family level confidence up to buy real estate. He who buys now or before the fears of recession recede (couldn't help myself) will be the one who stands to gain the most. Catching a falling knife isn't so bad if you can risk a minor cut. 

Some time ago I asked you all to support banks who are mortgage broker friendly and punish banks who are penalizing the market and economy by not releasing their funds for underwriting good loans. The problem has worsened just in the couple of months since I wrote that plea. Now even the MB friendly lenders have stopped funding loans for good, solid borrowers all except the cream of the crop. (When I say stopped I mean it's not as likely to happen today if there is even one hint of a reason to say "no".)

Lenders you need to start lending to worthy borrowers using common sense underwriting. Buyers and homeowners if you must move or refinance it won't kill you. Rates are still good and there are PLENTY of available properties. If you have a property you are worried about selling to move into your new home there may be alternatives. Email me for more information.

Now without further delay a sampling of today's rates which will change very soon I'm sure ...

You can always check daily rates here and they always are with no discount points and show the APR.

NEW DAILY SCHEDULE

HTTP://JUSTIN.TV/REIBROKER

Topics include the real estate market in general, interest rates, short sales, declining markets, buyer trends and much more!

Hopefully I'll see each of you there and I want to get around to each of you as a guest speaker as soon as we get the bugs ironed out.

(You'll have to follow one more link from that site for now. Hope to have that cured very soon!)

Based on a $240,000 loan with 20% down or 20% equity on rate and term refinance. Middle credit score of 680 or higher on a Georgia primary residence single family detached home. Borrower must meet standard conforming (FNMA/FHLMC) loan guidelines. This is not a commitment to lend and rates are subject to change without notice. FHA F30 based on $150,000 loan and Jumbo based on $1,000,000 loan at 70% LTV. NOTE THERE ARE NO DISCOUNT POINTS ON THESE LOANS. 15 day lock, fully documented income and assets. Total settlement costs less than 3%. Does not include pre-paid items such as appraisal, taxes, insurance or government related fees. Not responsible for typos or HTML results. * on Flex100 PMI of 35% is required (ask about the Flex97/3 with only 18% MI) † Jumbo loan amount of $1,000,000

Novation Mortgage, 2501 E Piedmont Road, Suite 201, Marietta, GA 30062
Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee 20014. Florida Mortgage Broker Business MBB 0703760
FHA Lender - Equal Housing Lender

I love my Treo 700 - love it. Haven't seen anything for my purposes that is even close. BUT I am locked in with Sprint and I am SICK of them so I am looking for a change. I will have to buy a new phone even though I just bought one last year. Who has been with a wireless carrier for several years and would recommend that carrier for CUSTOMER SERVICE alone? I don't care about price what I want is customer service who will listen and respond.

I'm sure you want to know why I am finished with Sprint and I will tell you but that is not the main purpose of this posting. I started with Sprint about 6 years ago after having been with a local company who was sold to Bell South who was purchased by WorldCom who was purchased back by Bell South which was sold to AT&T with absolutely no complaints. In fact I still have that account which is about 15 years old but I only use it for my laptop (cell card for wireless).

Anyway, when I first started with Sprint they lied to us about coverage on our plan (we bought 2 phones - one for myself and one for my wife who travels to Alaska a lot) so we had to upgrade our plan immediately after purchasing. For the first 8 months we were double billed every month and I had to go stand inline at the Sprint store every month to have one of the bills credited back to 0. Finally a new kid figured out how to fix that. 

We finally upgraded from our Samsung to two Treo 650's for Christmas of 2005 and we LOVED them. Unfortunately, you may have seen my video, I ran over my 650 - but no problem, I had the $50 replacement insurance. Whoop-de-doo. They sent me THREE replacements, not one of which worked. Finally told me I would have to buy the upgrade phone because of something - I was so pissed I just bought it - full price like $550. I love it. I absolutely love my Treo 700. It is FAST on the internet. Displays full pages, downloads Word docs and Excel files which I can create or edit on my phone. I can upload to the web from my phone. I can watch YouTube videos and all kinds of news videos. The calendar is phenomenal and I can set alarms for anything I want in about a thousand different combinations.

The videos the thing takes are not bad at all - not great - but they are as good as the video phone videos you see on CNN and Fox Cable News. For me the phone is perfect. BUT Sprint service is horrible and here's why:

We purchased a third line for my sister-in-law up in Alaska. We sent her one of our old Samsung 620's but the reception was bad so she went to a Sprint store up there and purchased an older analog phone which worked better than the Samsung. Everything was fine for at least two years until January this year when we received a letter from Sprint saying the older digital phone would no longer work.

Well, bummer. But we decided we would just no longer provide the service for my sis-in-law since she had the ability now to do so on her own. When the phone stopped working she sent it back and we called Sprint to cancel the third line. It's only $10 per month but that's two good home cooked meals. Not so fast - we can cancel but it will cost us a $200 cancellation fee. OR they can send us a new phone that works and we only have to sign a 12 month contract.

Wait a dadblanged minute. You're telling me the service I've been paying for is going away but I have no choice but to (a) continue paying the $10 per month until my contract expires whether or not I use that phone (b) cancel the line and pay the $200 cancellation fee or (c) you'll send me a new digital phone for free but I have to get another 12 month contract? 

There are many great reasons to live in or move to the Cobb County Georgia area. Kennesaw, Georgia was picked as one of Family Circle's 10 Best Cities for Families is two skips up the street. Novation Mortgage is proud to be a part of the Cobb family of businesses and an active member of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. We are proud to offer some of the best home mortgages and investment financing in the nation.

Looking for something fun to do in Marietta, Georgia? Come see the Cobb Galleria's upcoming events and stay with us and eat while you're here. Marietta, Georgia is just a few minutes drive from downtown Atlanta and just about an hour from some of the most beautiful hill country in the nation. 

These events are coming to the Cobb Galleria this Spring and Summer:

Mar 14-16, 2008 The American Craft Show in Atlanta American Craft Council (212) 274-0630

More than 200 new and established artists will present their latest handcrafted jewelry, clothing, furniture, home décor, and more at The American Craft Show in Atlanta at its new venue - Cobb Galleria.

Apr 3, 2008 Women's Conference Mom Corps (678) 277-2789 Ext. 114

An Industry-First Business Model for Flexible Employment. We are the experts in the flexible employment market. We provide companies direct access to a previously untapped market segment of exceptional talent - professionals who have opted out of the traditional workplace. We enable professionals to work in their respective fields, while simultaneously meeting familial needs and responsibilities.

Apr 5-6, 2008 The Down The Street Bead Show The Down The Street Bead Show (866) 667-3232

"The Down the Street Bead Show" here you will find More Vintage Glass Beads, Austrian Crystal, and Quality Freshwater Pearls, Sterling Silver, Furnace Glass beads, Quality Gemstone Beads, Sterling Pendants, Findings, Marcasite Beads, Finished Jewelry, Lampwork Artist Made Beads, PMC / Precious Metal Clay Supplies, CZ's, italian beadsitalian glass beads, murano glass beads, murano glass pendants, venetian glass beads, and much more in one location than any other bead show in the South ... Guaranteed!.

Apr 11-13, 2008 Vacation Home Expo Atlanta Journal-Constitution (203) 622-1710

The Atlanta Travel Expo is an extraordinary travel event….an educational and entertaining exhibition of where to go…what to know…what to do and what is needed to complete the journey.  The Travel Expo is supported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which reaches more than 1.6 million leisure travelers each Sunday. In addition to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's readership, there will be an expansive media promotion…in print, online and on-air.  These targeted campaigns are great opportunities for you to reach out to Atlanta’s highly qualified travelers.

May 3-4, 2008 Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show (703) 321-4890

Paula Dean will be there along with Alton Brown (a Marietta resident by the way) and Paula's two sons Jamie and Bobby. The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show was founded by Denise Medved in 2005. She loves cooking, great food, entertaining, being entertained and just having a great time in general. She is the author of two cookbooks: The Tiny Kitchen Cooking and Entertaining and The Bachelor’s Tiny Kitchen. She also has considerable and tested experience in the tradeshow and conference industry. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has held senior management positions at Reed Exhibition Companies, IDG World Expo and National Trade Productions, Inc.

Jul 25-26, 2008 Southeast Homeschool Expo Georgia Childcare Association (770) 594-1266

COME AND ENJOY a two-day Expo devoted entirely to the display, sale and discussion of educational materials with entire exhibit hall displays of materials by the best Christian, secular and specialty publishers. FREE Exhibit Hall with workshop admission for parents/teachers and novice homeschoolers. At perhaps no other time do homeschooling families feel a need to rejuvenate than those weeks before beginning a new school year. We’d like to suggest a perfect opportunity for lifting your spirits, renewing your vision and sharpening your teaching skills as a homeschooler.

Aug 3, 2008 Georgia Bridal Show Elite Events (770) 736-1979

Elite Events strives to bring together the very best bridal service providers in the Southeast in order to assist brides in planning their dream wedding. We produce the largest and most attended shows in the South; our fourteen shows reach over 7,000 brides each year!

Sep 25-28, 2008 Atlanta Home Show Fall Edition Semco (770) 998-9800

The Fall Atlanta Home Show has exhibits and seminars in a variety of topics, including landscaping and lawn care, kitchen appliances, fixtures, flooring, roofing, siding, concrete, windows, heating and air conditioning, patios, insulation, and a whole lot more! The Fall Atlanta Home Show also has activities for the kids, cooking demonstrations from local chefs, new product launches, and great home design ideas. 

Compiled by Ken Cook, some information supplied by the promoters.

NEW DAILY SCHEDULE

HTTP://JUSTIN.TV/REIBROKER

Topics include the real estate market in general, interest rates, short sales, declining markets, buyer trends and much more!

Hopefully I'll see each of you there and I want to get around to each of you as a guest speaker as soon as we get the bugs ironed out.

(You'll have to follow one more link from that site for now. Hope to have that cured very soon!)

Talk about movement in the rates! At least what we have seen so far is just a downward trend. The market has been in such motion today that I didn't even do the live video stream because I was too busy modifying the rates.

Even the financial news today is mixed. From Warren Buffet to Jim Paulsen they all had great information to share today. I love it when I am right especially when others really thought I was wrong. I predicted that by Spring this year we would be in negative growth and it would last through the Summer. I predicted that the markets would turn slow until early Summer of 2008 and I predict when it returns it will go bull quickly.

Paulsen, today, has called us on the edge of bear which is good news for people like me who like to buy low and hold long term. Buffet simultaneously is proclaiming this a recession. Paulsen calls this a "Fearcession". Wow! I love that and if you have read my stuff for the last couple of years you know I have blamed this all on fear and only loosely based on reality, facts and figures! Oh well, I'm through gloating. Just know that even with words like "recession" all hope is not lost. This is being compared to the credit crisis of 90-91 and not the market recession of 73-75.

Read the first part of this blog article about "catching a falling knife". 

Georgia Mortgage Interest Rates for March 10, 2008

You can always check daily rates here and they always are with no discount points and show the APR.

NEW DAILY SCHEDULE

HTTP://JUSTIN.TV/REIBROKER

Topics include the real estate market in general, interest rates, short sales, declining markets, buyer trends and much more!

Hopefully I'll see each of you there and I want to get around to each of you as a guest speaker as soon as we get the bugs ironed out.

(You'll have to follow one more link from that site for now. Hope to have that cured very soon!)

Based on a $240,000 loan with 20% down or 20% equity on rate and term refinance. Middle credit score of 680 or higher on a Georgia primary residence single family detached home. Borrower must meet standard conforming (FNMA/FHLMC) loan guidelines. This is not a commitment to lend and rates are subject to change without notice. FHA F30 based on $150,000 loan and Jumbo based on $1,000,000 loan at 70% LTV. NOTE THERE ARE NO DISCOUNT POINTS ON THESE LOANS. 15 day lock, fully documented income and assets. Total settlement costs less than 3%. Does not include pre-paid items such as appraisal, taxes, insurance or government related fees. Not responsible for typos or HTML results. * on Flex100 PMI of 35% is required (ask about the Flex97/3 with only 18% MI) † Jumbo loan amount of $1,000,000

Novation Mortgage, 2501 E Piedmont Road, Suite 201, Marietta, GA 30062
Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee 20014. Florida Mortgage Broker Business MBB 0703760
FHA Lender - Equal Housing Lender