Wednesday, March 10, 2010

US NEW HOME SALES FALL IN DEC FOR 2ND MONTH IN A ROW

Sales of newly built US single-family homes fell unexpectedly in December, data showed on Wednesday, the latest indication that the government-led housing recovery might be losing some steam. The Commerce Department said sales fell 7.6% to a 342,000 unit annual rate from an upwardly revised 370,000 units in November. It was the second straight month that new home sales declined. US stock indexes fell on the data, while government bond prices held at higher levels. "This isn't good news. It should put some pressure on the market, especially coming after the disappointing outlooks we saw," said Dan Cook, senior market analyst at IG Markets in Chicago. New home sales for the whole of 2009 fell 22.9% to a record low 374,000 units, the department said.
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The data came as the Federal Reserve deliberated on monetary policy. The US central bank is expected to leave overnight lending rates near zero. At its meeting in December, the Fed announced it would end purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities in March.
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The program has depressed mortgage rates, contributing to the housing market's healing in recent months. But the housing market recovery is showing some signs of fatigue after a surge in sales as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a popular tax credit, which had been scheduled to expire in November. It has since been expanded and extended until June this year and while analysts expect home sales to pick up as a result, they reckon the pace will not be as strong as witnessed with the initial tax credit. Courtesy:- ET dt:- 28-jan-2010 For more information regarding apartment in mumbai, bedroom apartments, buy property in india, commercial complex in india, commercial real estate, commercial space in mumbai, dealers, flats for sale, indian real estate investment, investment options in real estate, luxurious flats, malls, office space, office space in mumbai, online real estate, penthouses mumbai, plots, property consultants, property in mumbai, property india, property investment, real estate company, real estate developer, real estate mumbai, real estate in india, real estate investment strategies, real estate market, real estate news, real estate portals, realtors, realty, residence, residential real estate, sell property, shop, villas, Residential Apartment.
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Tips To Home Buyers on Your First Viewing Schedule

So, you're about to embark on what many Americans dream about, buying your first home! The first step in choosing that perfect home is your visual inspection, in other words, taking time to look at the intricacies of the home. dallas homes for sale

Trivia Fact: did you know 49% of homeowners experience a problem with the houses they've bought simply because they didn't spend enough time researching or checking out the property? You don't have to become a statistic if you follow a few simple rules:

Do a background search on the property, including the area surrounding it. This will save you time from viewing a property that will not meet your requirements for a neighborhood, or location.

Bring a camera and take photos of the homes, carefully taking a close-up shot of the home and other things that you may have liked or disliked about the home. Takes notes on the back of the San Antonio MLS sheet for that specific home in order to prevent confusion later.
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Don't be afraid to ask about the fixtures, attachments, HOA association dues, noise level, average utility bills, etc. If the homeowner is home, take advantage and ask questions, after all, they know the property very well.

Real Estate agents are only human - you can not expect to see all the houses you want in a short span of time. There are only so many hours in a day so you must prepare yourself to view a set number of homes, and keep your expectations realistic. Also, be open with your Real Estate agent if they offer free transportation, or would rather meet up somewhere in between. dallas homes for sale

Be on time. REALTORS® schedule appointments for the homes they will be showing, and it is important to stay on time as many homeowners have to make arrangements to leave the property.

Schedule second showings with your REALTOR® of your top pics and take your time getting to know the property before an offer is presented and perhaps drive by at different times to get a feel of the neighborhood. Take your own measurements for furniture placement and appliances as well, and if you have children, don't forget to check school boundaries and capping issues.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Home Buyers Plan - A Practical Relief for First Time Homebuyers

The Home Buyers Plan is a government sponsored program that gives opportunity for first time homebuyers to withdraw a maximum of $25,000 tax free to purchase their first home. The amount will be repaid for a period of 15 years. Since the tax refund have already been received when the funds were initially infused to the RRSP, no refund will be received once the amount is paid back. dallas homes for sale

You are entitled to draw from your RRSP up to a maximum amount of $20,000 under this Plan if you don't own the home that you are currently in for the past 5 years. Your spouse is also entitled to the same amount provided that she meets the same requirements. This means that you and your spouse are entitled to borrow a maximum amount of $40,000.

You must fill out Form T1036 and submit the accomplished form to your financing company. It is essential that you use this form when withdrawing the fund under the Home Buyers Plan; otherwise the withdrawn amount will be subject to tax. You are given a year from the date of receipt of the funds to complete the home purchase and another year thereafter for you to move into your new home and make it as your main residence. dallas homes for sale

The withdrawn amount is a no-interest loan and you will be required to return within 15 years by paying annually 1/14 of the withdrawn amount starting on the second year from the date of release. If you are not able to make the purchase or make the home your primary residence within the prescribed period or fail to repay the amount you withdrew from your RRSP, then the amount will be considered as your increased income which is subject to tax.

Coupled with sufficient preparation, first time homebuyers will be able to use this fund to finance their home purchase. For most of these homebuyers, the Plan provides great opportunity to raise the needed funds to make the purchase of their first home while reducing the amount of debt that they have to pay. An ideal option to get the maximum benefit from this program is to infuse current savings into the RRSP and the use the tax refund to pay off existing credit.

For instance, with a $14,000 savings which you can infuse into your RRSP, you are entitled to a $4,500 tax refund. You can use the tax rebate to pay off existing debt and use the same amount as down payment once you decide to purchase your first home. You will then have to pay $934 annually for 15 years. You may also opt to pay more than the required amount each year and this will in turn reduce the amount that is available for tax rebates by an even amount of $1,000. This can then be credited to your annual repayments. On the other hand, if both your TFSA and RRSP contributions are maxed out but still have some savings left, then you can add to your current annual repayments of $1,000. dallas homes for sale

Viability of the Home Buyers Plan

This special privilege given to first time homebuyers to utilize their RRSP tax free to make the purchase of their dream home is probably the best option when you really want to buy your their dream home but don't have enough equity. The only downside of this option is you are missing out on the earning opportunity that RRSP provides if your money remains intact. However, the appreciation in the value of your home over time is usually more than enough to offset the missed earning opportunity.

Western Area Rugs | Top Reviews and Best Price

Western Area Rugs have the unique ability to add a little bit of the Wild West flavor to your home. It will accent your fireplace or cabin. The rugs are available in a wide-range of sizes, colors, textures, and designs to add that special flavor to the areas you choose. dallas homes for sale

You can generally find features such as a cowboy, horse, or a variety of other western themes to place in your home. These rugs are usually manufactured with a thick pile. This allows for the blending of beautiful colors. Western Area Rugs are available in a variety of sizes. If you need a doormat, a rug runner, or a large area rug you will be able to find the colors and style that will bring out the look you want in your home. dallas homes for sale

You will be able to select from traditional Spanish and Native American themes. These generally spotlight the themes of mountains, or the sun and rivers. They truly open the life to history while honoring the American West. You have the choice of selecting from soft tones. These usually come in the color of desert sand as well as the beautiful blue sky. Many of the Southwestern rugs are Navajo-inspired. These beautiful rugs are not only affordable they also add a richness to your home.

When you begin shopping for your Western Area Rugs you will want to keep some things in mind. First, what kind of material will be best in your home in the area where you plan to place it. Second, what style will fit best in the areas you plan to place your rugs. Third, you need to know how to care for and clean your new rug. When you begin shopping you will find the sales associates are knowledgeable about the products they sale. Be prepared to ask them the questions you want answered. For example, will you choose a natural or synthetic material? If you choose natural you will have a variety of choices. These include wool, cotton, jute, and sisal. Synthetic material include nylon and polypropylene. You will want to choose with care.

Choosing Western Area Rugs to place in your home will give you years of pleasure. They will also bring out the look you want in your home. When you begin shopping for your rugs you will find just the right rug to put down in your home. It will really add to your decor. dallas homes for sale

Friday, October 30, 2009

How Choosing the Right Category can affect the Success of Your Article

The internet, as an information superhighway, has a wealth of information that people use every day. This being the case, it would be great to know how to find what you are looking for using categories.
By utilizing different categories, it would be easier to search for the right information you need. When you use the services of online stores such as eBay and Amazon, there are various categories available to help you find the products you're looking for. When you go to business directories, companies and organizations listed there are also classified into categories. When you submit to article submission directories, you also need to specify the category where your writeup should be listed.
A category refers to a group or subject that includes a list of more specific topics. The subjects that fall under the main category can be considered sub-categories.
Let's take an example. Business can be one major category. Under this, the list can include printing, car washing, hair salon, dry cleaning, catering, internet marketing, real estate and so on. Under internet marketing, you can have more sub-categories which can include ecommerce, article writing, network marketing, online advertising, blogs and so on.
If you're involved in a particular business and want to advertise or promote your products and services online, you need to choose the right category. Additionally, if you aim to promote yourself as an expert in a particular field, you should submit articles in the appropriate category to ensure that your write-ups get read by your target audience. If you choose the wrong category, your article may even get rejected by the editors and won't get published online at all.
For example, the family category has often been wrongly associated with articles that are supposed to be covered under home, health and even pets. Sometimes, articles related to travel and family trips are wrongly included in the holiday category which is actually meant for celebrations and other festivals (particular on US directories). dallas real estate
Take a few moments before you decide on what category your article or business should be included. Doing so will ensure your article is approved and published quickly and your business will easily be found online, under the correct search terms.

Friends in High Places

You have friends in High Places
The Saints have been speaking to us, vulnerably sharing their stories, to help us walk our path to the Father. We pray they have touched you, as they have us. Some of the Saints we have written about, we had to write about them. We felt a persistent gnawing inside to share their stories, their lives.
We have spent almost a lifetime studying about the glories of our Church. We have gone on Pilgrimage at least once a year since 1976, and sometimes three or four times a year. And it has been a glorious journey of faith. We always tell young couples planning to marry, "First you have to meet the family; because your love is part of a whole. Her/his life began centuries ago, with their families who are here and have gone before." And so it is with us Catholic Christians. Our family dates back to the time of Jesus our Brother and Mary our Mother. As one travels through our history, they will surely find our cousins, the Saints who have gone before us, making our spiritual life what it is today. They fought the good fight and we have a Church today!
We have had a love affair with Mother Church and all her children for the past thirty years, and it has grown to such a degree, we hunger to meet more and more of our ancestors, the Saints. Over the past thirty years, we have lived from pilgrimage to pilgrimage, studying, preparing, journeying to lands across the seas to our heritage. Once we began our journey, one journey grew into another and then another; and we were hooked.
At one point in our lives, Penny and I were driving down to San Diego, California, to call on some accounts, back when we were still in the world. It was a long drive, over three hours, and we usually spent the time praying the Rosary. However, on this one day, I was somewhat concerned. All of our friends in Westlake Village were buying up real estate in Southern California. It was a good investment. We didn't have any money to do that, because we spent most of what we had, each year, going on pilgrimage.
I remember saying to Penny, "You know, honey, we're not putting anything away for a nest egg for ourselves, or for our grandson. What are we leaving him?" She didn't answer me. But that night, after we had finished calling on our accounts, I turned to Penny, "I know what we're giving our grandson, as well as us and our Church. We're giving him heritage. These Saints, whose lives we study, they're our family. They're our brothers and sisters in Faith. These are Role Models, whom he can fall back on."
Super Saints
Going down memory lane, I recall how we came about coining the phrase "Super Saints." It began with our teaching First Holy Communion Class at our parish in 1975. One day I got the idea to tell the little ones a story each week on the Saint whose Feast Day it was. We took the "S" of the Superman symbol, and added another big S to it, and wrote it on the blackboard. Then we proceeded to tell the little people stories of the Saints. We never thought they paid any attention to us or the stories. They always seemed like they were not there with us. But then at Parents Nights, their parents would tell us how the children had shared with them about St. Michael, or St. Francis or St. Anthony or one of the many Saints we had researched.
The Super Saints had gone over big with the little people! And now, almost thirty years later, that is the title and concept of our most popular television series on EWTN, Super Saints.
We want to end article book by sharing with you how important our family - the Saints, are to you and to me. You are possibly just now beginning to realize how fortunate you and we are to be Catholic, to have these brothers and sisters, not only to fall back on as Role Models, but to tell your children about. They want to be part of your life! They want you to consider them as family, your family. There is no situation in your lives that you may encounter, no problem, that you can't dig into this collection of relatives the Lord has given you, and find one to whom you can relate your problem, and nine times out of ten, help you to resolve the problem.
Everyone needs a hero! There are a whole series of Hero Saints for boys and girls. There are Saints to help you with their studies, through a rough exam. There are Saints who can help them with Chastity, with that rough time of growing up.
We are all called to become Saints! There are Saints for married couples, to model your relationship after. There are even Saints to help you find the right husband or wife, or vocation. We have Saints whom we can petition Jesus to intercede with the Father for conception and delivery of children. There are even Saints to help us find lost objects and lost souls.
For us, the most exciting part of our lives is to be able to go to the places of the Saints, to relive their lives, to get inside of them, and feel their spirits. The second most exciting part of our lives is to be able to bring the marvels of these beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ back to you, so that you too, can share a little of their lives in your life. They are there for us; they are waiting for us. We can ask for their help. They know how to get to Jesus. Remember, they are His very best friends. You know how people ask for your intercessory prayer for any number of petitions they may have? And you pray for them? Just think about asking someone who is right up there with Jesus and Mary, in the in-club. Make use of the power the Lord has given to the Saints. Remember, you truly have friends in High Places. God bless you. We love you! dallas real estate