Stop Telemarketers on Cell Phones.

 I did this and it took 30 seconds.  called the red number, then I hit 1 for english, 1 for option to block, entered my phone number and that was it.  Easy, Sneezie.


REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked.

You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON. It takes about 20 seconds.

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

Credit Scores Are Confusing

Alot of people think they know their credit scores because they get a free report.  But what they don't know is that the three credit reporting companies sometimes give lenders a different number.  Not only that, some lenders use different criteria, so you may think with a 750 you are qualified for the lowest interest rate, but their criteria and risk management is different than other lenders, and you may end up paying an extra point or so.

The three companies are Trans Union, Experian and Equifax.  Their numbers are called FICO scores and they range from 300 to 950.  All this time, I thought they were up to 850; so my score isn't as high as I thought.  Yours may not be either.  The higher the score, the better for a mortgage as it means your risk of default is less. 

If you find out your score is lower than you thought and you get a report and there are no errors on it, then you need to start working on getting it higher.  Pay all your bills on time and even pay more than the minimum.  Close those accounts you don't use, as the more cards you have, the more risk there is you could default.  If you have a credit card that would work at department stores, you don't need the store card.  Pay down high balances, and don't apply for new cards.

If when you go to get a mortgage loan don't just take the first loan offered, shop around for the best loan.  Also if there are errors on your report, get them corrected.  Find out if you put more down, if the interest goes down.  It might be worth coming up with more cash to save interest over 30 year time period. 

The credit industry is confusing, and buyers need to be better informed and educated about how the system works.  Usually an experienced realtor can help you in that department.  Sometimes the realtor knows about all the lenders in your area, what their parameters are and who is easier to work with, so be sure and work with a realtor.  They do more than show houses; they educate you in the complete process of homebuying from shopping, credit, insurance, appraisals, inspectors, and closing.  Since the seller pays their fee, don't be afraid of getting your own realtor and letting them help you through this confusing time.  It might relieve alot of your stress by having this expertise right at your fingertips (by dialing her phone number!!) 

Protecting Important Papers During Diasters

This is a great article I found online and wanted to share.  It has a ton of good information.

Quick access to key items, papers can mitigate losses

When it comes to keeping important papers in a safe spot, insurance agent GaryHatano vividly remembers one client’s solution.

MICHELLE MCLOUGHLIN/ REUTERS PHOTO When natural disasters hit, as Superstorm Sandy did here in Milford, Conn., protecting files can be crucial. While visiting the home of a retired military veteran, Hatano asked to see a copy of his life insurance policy.
“He said, ‘ Hold on a minute’ andwent to his refrigerator,” recallsHatano, a Farmers Insurance agent in Folsom, Calif. From the bottom of the vegetable bin, the retiree pulled out his insurance policy, neatly wrapped in aluminum foil.
While a tin foil packet under the refrigerated carrots may not seem like the most sophisticated solution, Hatano said he couldn’t argue too much with his client’s intentions. In a fire, the packet, presumablywouldn’t burn and everyone in his family knew exactly where itwas.
From torrential floods in Louisiana to blisteringWestern wildfires, this year’sweather- related calamities are a reminder that disaster can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere.
If a natural disaster hit your household, would you be ready? Everyone has important paperwork to safeguard: insurance policies, loan papers, marriage or divorce documents, even the vaccination records for children or pets.
Not to mention personal family photos, videos and music sitting on computers.
Knowing what to grab in case of a hurried evacuation could prevent the loss of irreplaceable family mementos, aswell as documents that could be tedious and time- consuming to replace. Here are some options:
Having a grab- and- go box or binder can be a lifesaver. Think of it as a onestop spot to keep all your key documents. It can be a binder, a file box, or anything portable enough to carry on your own.
Hatano, the insurance agent, says he keeps a document- filled binder hidden at home. It contains copies of all his family’s crucial paperwork: property records, bank accounts, names of key professionals ( financial planner, attorney, banker, insurance and real estate agents). There’s also a copy of his trust.
“Trying to recreate all those copieswould be a nightmare,” saidHatano, who also considers the binder a helpful resource for his wife, in case something happened to him.
The binder does not contain originals of those documents, however. Originals should be kept in a safe deposit box, a fireproof safe, at an attorney’s office or with trusted family members, Hatano advises.
Another essential safeguard: a household inventory.
In the event of filing an insurance claim, “It’s hard to remember what you have,” said Perry Ghilarducci, a Sacramento, Calif., CPA who heads Avaunt Ltd. He recommends keeping copies of receipts, warranties, serial numbers and appraisals of your household valuables.

You can record a video or simply make a room- by- room list of appliances, furniture, electronics, books, clothing. Remember to include the backyard and garage. Websites such aswww.
sponsored by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, have easy tips on creating a household inventory.
And don’t forget your cellphone. Especially when so much of our personal life resides in our hand- held devices, you don’t want to be stranded if your phone gets lost, drowned or burned. Keep a card, ideally laminated, in yourwallet with a list of important numbers, everything from your kids to doctors to the financial and professional contacts you might need in an emergency.
Whether it’s your home or office computer, a backup is essential. A simple hard drive that automatically backs up everything stored on your computer is the first line of defense. But if it’s damaged in a fire or flood, all your family, financial and business files and photos could be wiped out.
To better protect your hard drive, tech manufacturer ioSafe ( makes a series of hardy protective “safes” for computer hard drives that it claims arewaterproof and fireproof, whether submerged inwater for three days or burned in flames up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
It’s essentially a second hard drive that plugs into aUSB port, acting as a tougher twin to your computer’s own hard drive.
“It’s for the things your insurance can’t replace: your family photo albums,” ioSafe CEO Robb Moore said. “Whatwould you grab as your house is burning? Your family photos and videos are the most compelling.”
Akin to an airline’s black box, the hard drive boxes are shown in online videos being dropped off balconies, burned in barbecues and run over by tractors. Starting around $ 249, they can be found at electronics stores or online.
Other people are storing computer data online in the so- called cloud, using backup systems that aren’t sitting on their desktops.
Ghilarducci’s firm, for instance, provides online document storage for its tax clients.
“It’s a virtual file cabinet, if you will,” the CPA said, noting that clients can log in, using a personal password, to retrieve their tax documents whenever needed. Clients are encouraged to use the access to scan and upload other financial documents: mortgage, insurance, household inventories, for instance.
For his office computer and personal laptop, Ghilarducci says he’s looking at companies such as Carbonite ( that automatically back up computer data to an online data storage center.
Safeguarding your possessions doesn’t necessarily have to be a high- tech solution. As ioSafe’s CEO put it: “Do something to protect yourself against natural disaster.”

Even if it’s as simple as a zipclose bag or a dash- out- the- door binder.

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Single Family Rentals--Investment Explosion

The explosion of single family rental houses bought by real estate investors and rented to a single tenant is creating a new category of property management companies to serve them.
Last year, 1.2 million U.S. properties were acquired for investment purposes, up from 749,000 in 2010, according to RealtyTrac. This year, the investment boom has continued, with investors accounting for about 20 percent of all home sales. With the vast majority of investors following a “buy and hold” strategy rather than flipping, millions of properties have entered the rental inventory. Two months ago, a study by CoreLogic found that single family rentals have outpaced multifamily, accounting for 54 percent of all rental units in the nation.