Christine's Blog

BEFORE YOU SPEND YOUR $1,200...hold on...A CPA friend advised me at a dinner party last evening that the $600 per adult plus $ per child the IRS (is spending $43,000,000 this week to mail reminders about) is in fact an "advance payment" and a loan.  He says we will need to pay it back in 2009 whe...

Webkinz are coming out my ears!  I tell my 10 year old... No more Webkinz! We have no more room!Webkinz are like houses...The most mass produced ones are in supply and are the lowest price, $12.  But the special ones, which are rare, such as the "Cheeky Dog" are $500 on Ebay.  They don't make the...

SB 487, when enacted, will:Require originators (all loan officers) to have licensesRequire originators to have annual continuing ed and initial trainingHave a $200 annual fee for originator licensesIncrease the application fees for all licenses by about 100% (eg $750 to $1500)Increases the renewa...

This is one of the busiest times I have experienced in the business! There is a boom going on, not a refinance boom, but a diverse boom.  There is a nice mix of purchases, construction loans, and refinances.    Based on what I hear in the media, I am surprised to be working 12+ hour days and week...

More volatility....Wednesday's bond market opened in positive territory but has since fallen into negative ground as stocks gain strength. The stock markets are rallying after one of today's pieces of data showed stronger than expected results. The Dow is currently up 104 points while the Nasdaq...

How many people buy rental properties and say they are 2nd homes when they can get away with it?!!!  My guess is 99%!It seems to me that any customer I've had through the years who bought a property in a "vacation type" area called it a 2nd home on the mortgage application.   As long as they can ...

The average square foot of a new house have increased each decade.  Is bigger always better?  If the thoughts of having a McMansion appealed to you despite the effort it would take to keep it clean, including cleaning 2 stories of a wall of windows, maybe you should reconsider...  Somehow a new h...

Rate Lock Advisory - Tuesday Feb. 26th Tuesday's bond market has opened in negative territory following stronger than expected inflation related readings. The stock markets are currently showing gains after opening with losses. The Dow is now up 80 points while the Nasdaq has gained 20 points. Th...

I just have to give Paint Protection Film a plug! If baby your car, like many in the business do???!  There's this excellent film now that is pre-cut for just about every make of car.  You can either install it yourself or have it installed for you.  I am having some pieces custom cut for my Jeep...

A young single mother customer of mine came across a foreclosure listing...Now she stays away from them.The bank/seller is OBVIOUSLY NOT A FAN OF HOME STAGING!  The MLS said "Inspections allowed but no repairs will be made".   The house was a mess.The previous owners removed the sinks, water heat...