Helen's Blog

Stephanie Anson believes those who serve the community deserve an honest reward for their efforts. She is excited about being part of Homes for Heroes, a network that understands the importance of the critical roles these people play in our society. After serving in the U.S. Navy for six years in the technology field, Anson joined Coleman Technologies as a network engineering consultant.

To read more, click here:

“Giving back to those who give so much to us may sound cliche’, but Homes for Heroes actually performs what it promises and is in line with my personal philosophy on community responsibility. As a police officer of 16 years, I know what kind of sacrifices service personnel make. As a real estate professional, I want to show my appreciation and spread the word that there is an organization that cares. Homes for Heroes supports us and I chose to stand beside them because they show the same honor and integrity that form the core of an officer’s credo. Thankfully, these benefits support not only police officers, but all those who strive to serve our country and communities. I am proud to be an affiliate member of Homes for Heroes.”

Stay safe,

Lance J. Bertolino

Realtor & Property Tax Consultant

Realty Associates

(713) 805-7145

(800) 431-9440 (Fax)

lance@bertolinorealty.com

www.bertolinorealty.com

Homes for Heroes was founded in response to  the tragic events of 9/11.

Daily, for eight years throughout the country, we have worked to give back to those who give so much,

and to honor and ensure a legacy of remembrance  for those who lost their lives that day.

Below is not a video, but a  very comprehensive documentary of that September …..Please watch so that WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnA9FjvLSU&feature=related

We stumbled across a great photographer who does free family photos for Active Military families. Those memories caught on paper or website mean the world to those separated during long exhausting tours. Also found in the photographer Carissa's arsenal. House shots. On those special listing why not let a pro do the work for you. Check Carissa out at http://www.photographminnesota.com

Homes For Heroes is happy to introduce…

Shelly Cohn. As a loan officer, she has a true passion for her job and the people she helps. Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you will make in your life. Shelly thinks it should also be one of the most enjoyable!

When Shelly first heard about the Homes for Heroes program, she immediately knew she needed to be an affiliate! Community is an integral part of United Lending. Over the past year, they have sought out and participated in fund raising programs for four different non-profit organizations. Homes for Heroes has provided Shelly an awesome opportunity to give back through her work to those in the community who help others everyday…by simply doing their jobs! As a loan officer who is dedicated to truly helping her clients, she felt it was the perfect fit!

Shelly’s goal is to take the stress out of your mortgage process, so you can move on to finding your dream home! She is committed to guiding you through the mortgage transaction and helping you find solutions that meet your needs. So, please feel comfortable asking all questions that are on your mind. She welcomes the opportunity to help you make the decisions that are right for you and your family!

While Shelly is a dedicated loan officer, she is also a dedicated mom and wife. Shelly serves as an active member on the PTA Executive Board at her daughter’s school. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and resides on the north side of the city with her husband, daughter and 2 dogs!

Homes for Heroes would like to introduce the President of History Maker Homes…

B. Nelson Mitchell, Jr., is the fourth generation president of the longest continually family-owned, and managed, homebuilding and development companies in North Texas. Mr. Mitchell’s great-grandfather and grandfather founded the organization in 1949. Mr. Mitchell leads all aspects of History Maker Homes, including site planning, concept and design, marketing, financing, construction management and customer service. With Mr. Mitchell’s leadership, operations have also expanded into the mortgage and title industry, as well as the home and automobile insurance industry.

History Maker Homes currently builds 600+ homes per year, concentrating on the company’s goals to provide an alternative “MORE HOME… less money” avenue for the ‘first-time and early move-up” homebuyer. Mr. Mitchell places great emphasis on offering the homebuyer an opportunity to customize their new home with a multitude of options they can choose from at the brand new 10,000 sq.ft. Showroom, centrally located in Tarrant County. In essence, History Maker Homes affords the homebuyer to truly make it “their home.”

Mr. Mitchell has a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. After graduation in 1994, Mr. Mitchell began building homes, along side his grandfather and father. Mr. Mitchell was named President of History Maker Homes in January 2000, with a personal goal to continue the growth and development of his family-owned companies.

Mr. Mitchell is currently a Board Member of the World Bible Translation Center located in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Board Member of the Fort Worth Christian School located in North Richland Hills, Texas. Mr. Mitchell is very active in the home building industry, with distinction as a progressive an innovative member of the National Association of Home Builders, and Builder’s “20”. In addition, Mr. Mitchell is a member of the Greater Fort Worth/Tarrant County Builders’ Association and the Young President’s Organization.

Mr. Mitchell was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and continues to be a resident of Tarrant County along with his wife, Liz and sons, Jake, Miles and Luke.

History Maker Homes gives a discount to our heroes which is over and above the realtor and lender discounts.

http://www.troopathon.org/
Help them reach their goal.
Homes for Heroes has sent a package to our troops,
You might want to send something too!

The Price of Procrastination

Everyone Wants a Lower Price, But What About the Impact of Interest Rates? Does waiting really prove to be benefical? Here is some food for thought

When shopping for a home, the natural tendency of any buyer is to want to pay the lowest price possible. It's important to keep in mind, however, that the sales price is not the only factor that determines what your monthly payment will be. In fact, the impact of higher interest rates can easily nullify any benefit of waiting for a lower price. 

  Why Should I Rush to Buy? 

While you may have heard discussions in the media about the decline of property values in many markets, the rate of decline appears to be stabilizing.  

That being said, it would not be unreasonable for you to want to hold out for an additional decline of 10%, hoping to capture the best possible price. However, as property values have declined in many areas to 2003 levels or lower, waiting longer to pull the trigger could be a mistake. Many markets are reporting that lower property values have been bringing out investors and the result has been multiple offers on many properties. Properties priced correctly are not declining and, in fact, are creating a lot of interest.

 Interest Rate Complacency 

The problem is that many home buyers have been lulled into a sense of complacency because of extremely low interest rates. Since the Federal Reserve initiated its program of buying mortgage-backed securities, which control the rates people pay for their home loans, rates had been range bound, bouncing between 4.50% to 5.00% for a 30-year fixed-rate loan. 

But do not be confused by this. These rates are artificially low! Historically, interest rates have been above 6.00%. And any rate obtained below this number is a great deal, especially on homes with price tags from 2003!    

Markets are Unforgiving 

The last two weeks of May showed just how unforgiving the markets can be for people who choose to procrastinate. In just five days, interest rates from many lenders increased anywhere from .50% to 1.00% as fixed-income investors demanded more for their money.

 For anyone who was waiting for prices to drop even more, a 1.00% increase in your interest rate would bring a higher monthly principal and interest payment on a home, even if the price of that same home had fallen an additional 10% in value.

 If you're waiting for home prices to fall even lower, be aware that while holding out for a lower price may help you win the battle, you could lose the war in terms of monthly payments and overall affordability. With the Federal Reserve scheduled to end its buying of mortgage-backed securities this year, rates only stand to go higher for those that wait. In fact, interest rates are already on the rise and could go higher from here.

Submitted to us by

Troy Mlenar

Landmarq lending

troy@landmarqlending.com