Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Do It Yourself!
Nope! Spring is here. The weather is improving, days are getting longer, and today I have a touch of spring fever!
So today we should get beyond the state of our housing market, the credit market, and all the hype going into the G20 meeting. Take a step back and enjoy spring.
Spring time always reminds me of Do It Yourself (D.I.Y.) projects. You would be surprised at the return on investment you'll see on some of these D.I.Y. projects. So many projects are very easy and don't take long to complete. Check out these great deals offered by your local/national retail hardware store.
Home Depot
50% off bathroom accessories
Lowes
Sale on Thermostats (this one sounds odd, but when I sold my last house it was golden touch, plus it saved me money on my utility bill every month!)
Check back for more great values on projects that will add value to your home and on a budget you can afford!
Matt Kemper
YourCreditCompany.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Homeowner Affordability Plan Is Out!
YourCreditCompany.com is dissecting the plan and will bring you specific details on plan, which goes into effect immediately. You can find the plan here, and read it for yourself to determine if you qualify or how it might affect your business.
We highly reccomend reading the text. Thus far the television coverage has just scratched the surface of what the plan entails. We can tell you that there are requirments that homeowners will have to meet. Homeowners will have to provide some documentation and will have to show hardship. The lender/servicer that carries your mortgage will also have to participate in the program, however if your home is serviced by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or certain banks that took TARP funds will be required to participate in the plan.
Look for more details tomorrow!
Matt Kemper
YourCreditCompany.com
Don't forget to subscribe to the Your Credit Company Blog!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Help The Consumer
This morning I found an article from the Associated Press stating...
"...the Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has steadied Wall Street by telling Congress the recession might end this year. Bernanke predicted the economy is likely to keep contracting in the first six months of 2009. But he also said, "there is a reasonable prospect" the recession will end this year. He reports, and warns that a recovery will require getting credit and financial markets to operate normally."
What does this mean to the average consumer? The consumer's confidence spending index for February came in at 25 on a scale of 100. That is obviously well below expectations. These concerns attribute to unemployment rates on the rise, adjustable mortgages increasing, and the stock market remaining in an unstable position. The Home Owner Affordability and Stability Initiative has not been implemented. However, it will affect the consumers on many different levels. It is intended to keep people in their homes first and foremost. Further, it aims to lower monthly payments, thus it could change spending habits in a positive manner.
In an effort to get the credit and financial markets to operate normally the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, and other banking regulators said Monday that they could exercise an option to convert to government's stock in the banks from preferred shares to common shares upon results of a "stress test" of the banks the government has a stake in through TARP funds. The stress test will help the Treasury Department identify and weigh the toxic assets on the banks' books.
the President will address the U.S. congress this evening. It is important that all of us, as consumers, work to move forward and find solutions.
Renee Fogle
YourCreditCompany.com
Monday, February 23, 2009
What We are Watching
I hope everyone had a great weekend. This week we are looking at a couple topics that directly pertain to you or your friends' financial affairs.
First, Credit Cards always seem to be a hot topic. As they should be. It is not hard to find someone who has been broke, to use credit cards (in the interest of fairness there have been a significantly less number that have made a fortune because they maxed out their credit cards). The Senate Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee have been holding hearings examining the credit card industry. We will be following the hearings as well as any other events in this industry.
If you are looking for information on credit cards or a place to "shop" the best rates check out YourCreditCompany.com
Second, we are watching for more updates on the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Initiative. The U.S. Senate's Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold hearings on the initiative on February 26, 2009 at 10:00am.
Check back soon, or better yet subscribe!
Matt Kemper
YourCreditCompany.com
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan
The Initiative will begin with 3-4 million “at risk” homeowners targeted. These homeowners have loans that are conforming and secured by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The total Initiative’s goal is to help 7-9 million families save their homes. To achieve this Mr. Obama would like lenders to refinance loans or modify loans. In return, the government will give monetary incentives to the lenders as borrowers make payments on time. Additionally, the government intends to incentivize the homeowner for making payments on time.
Affected by the collapse of the housing market are a great many people. Housing lead us into this recession and many hope housing will lead us out. Mr. Obama’s Initiative seems to have that in mind. A major question that you should be considering over the nearly 2 weeks before this Initiative is enacted is: “How does the government define “at risk” or “responsible” homeowners? This will help you identify if you will qualify this Inititaitive.
I would like to close by pointing out two axioms of the real estate industry. First, all markets are local (do not look too closely at the nationwide scope). Second, real estate is a cyclical market. Every homeowner must endure down markets and enjoy up markets.
Stay tuned for more details!
Matt Kemper