Heads  Up, Bluffton South Carolina Home Buyers 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development will require that closing costs be spelled out on a new, consumer-friendly version of the good-faith estimate form. Technically, lenders are to furnish borrowers this information within three days of applying for a mortgage. 

A new HUD-1 form will be in force, effective January 1, 2010. The new forms permit borrowers to compare good faith estimates with the actual closing fees. 

There are three categories of fees--

Fees that cannot increase from the good-faith--these include:

• Lender mortgage origination 
• Underwriting charges 
• Lender points 
• Local transfer taxes

Fees that can increase as much as 10 percent from the good-faith estimates, include:

• Appraisals
• Title insurance
• Recording fees from local governments.

Fees that can increase include

• Escrowed Initial deposits 
• Daily interest charges on the loan
• Home owners insurance

Now is a good time to purchase a home in Bluffton, Sun City or Hilton Head.

She's 82 years old! and completed the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon--

I think she blew past me...

Hey--you're never too old, it's never too late to get in the best shape of your life!

Tax Cuts and Tax Credits are good things! Especially for Local real estate market in the Bluffton, SC and Hillton Head Island area.

The House of representatives did a good thing--extending the first-time home buyer credit and, in addition extending tax credit of $6500 to move-up buyers. The President signed the bill today.

To Qualify

• Applicants must have a purchase agreement in force by April 30th, 2010 and Close by June 30th 2010
• Annual Incomes must be below $125000 for individuals an $15000 for those how file their taxes jointly
• The Home must be a PRIMARY residence--vacation homes and investment properties are excluded
• Applicants may purchase homes with values up to $800,000

I recently drove from Bluffton, SC to Washington DC to compete as a part of a team of 500  participating in the  Marine Corps Marathon.  Our purpose was to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

The funds are used to help seriously injured Marines, Sailors and Soldiers rehab and get them back to living life to the full. The fund also provides financial assistance to their families. 

I am happy to report our  Injured Marine Semper Fi team raised over $350000!

October 25th, 2009 was an ideal Marathon Sunday, with temperatures ranging from 45 to 62 degrees. Things kicked off with a 10K race, followed by competitors with physical challenges. Then, at 0800, the gun was fired for the throng of 30,000 to begin their trek to the finish. 

You'd think that our team of 500 would blend in to the other 29,500 runners, But, I saw lots of red "Semper  Fi" shirts, got many pats on the back, as well as encouragement from my teammates, as they passed me. (Ha!)

Reflecting on this day, there are things I learned that I'd like to share--and believe these lessons can be applied to business and life:

1. The Marines employ systems and discipline. I've participated in 16 other marathons and no organization does a better job of organizing than the US Marines. Hosting 37,500 people takes some planning. The Marines are masters at planning and logistic.  They had a system for everything--from handing us cups of water to giving us our medals--all by the numbers, the same way, over and over again. The lesson? To make business and life run smoothly, create or adopt systems for success, and have the discipline to follow them. 

2. We are all in a race. It's called life.  Joy. Happiness. Encouragement. These can be found along our route. And rest assured, there are difficulties. Pain. Wanting to quit. Wondering if you'll finish. And somehow, you do.The Lesson? God is our help and hope, if you want Him to be.

3. We are blessed if we have a support team. My family-- wife, daughter, son and their spouses all showed up  at mile 18 with Tee Shirts that exclaimed "The March Team." I had to straighten up. No way was I going to be walking. My son in law, along with my son, who was carrying my granddaughter on his shoulder, ran along side for a moment or two. It was incredibly uplifting. It gave me a shot of much needed adrenaline.  The Lesson? Support teams energize you. They encourage you. They motivate you to, to finish strong.

4. Don't run your race just for yourself. Many runners were running--not for themselves, but in memory of a loved one who lost their life in service to our country. The lesson? When you have a "big why" for running your race, "the big why" matters more than how fast you can complete your course. 

5. We live in a great country and most Americans Love it! Patriotism showed itself in red, white and blue on Marathon Day--it was great to see. This is the  the land of the free and home of the brave. The lesson? Rally round the flag at every opportunity with like-minded folks. It will make you feel good about yourself and your fellow Americans.

6. Stuff happens. I planned a finish time which my training told me was in the realm of possibility, But-- I was a whole hour late! A foot problem slowed my pace. The lesson? Prepare as best you can before your race. Think about what could go wrong (what if it rains? snows? you get injured?) When stuff happens, don't panic. Make the necessary adjustments and move on.

7. Never, ever even THINK about quitting. There were signs along the route that read: "Pain is temporary, defeat is forever." 

 Never quit in training. The time to prepare for NOT QUITTING is in training. If your training schedule calls for 20 mile run, commit to doing the 20--not 19.5, 18 or anything less than what your plan calls for--even if you have to crawl to complete the mission. Why? Because, if you quit in practice you teach your mind and body to quit. You set yourself up to be a quitter on race day. So, deal with discomfort, aches and pains. Theses will go away when you finish!The lesson? Victory in every practice will insure victory in the battle. 

8. Have fun. You may know what it takes to train for a marathon. 13 mile, 18, 20 mile, 25 mile runs, training every day, for many weeks--For some, this sounds like boring stuff, not fun. For me, I enjoyed most of it. I enjoyed the benefits of shedding the extra pounds and lower blood pressure. I love training outdoors and feeling good. To me, training was play time. And once a week, I got a day off, too. The lesson?  Life is short. Find out what gives you joy in your work and your life. Don't be so serious--figure out how to have some fun everyday. And, by all means, take a day off.

9. It helps if you know where you are, how far you have to go, where and when you'll finish. Prior to the race, The Marines provided us an interactive map online. I referred to that map, many times prior to race day--visualizing my race and seeing the victory. Some people go through life without a map. They don't know where they're going. Some may have a map tucked away, but never refer to it.  The lesson?  Make sure you have a map for the course you're running. Know where you're suppose to be and when. Refer to it frequently, check your compass and visualize the victory. 

10. Be grateful. Getting a medal is awesome. At the finish, each of us received the Symbol of the Marine Corps, an Eagle, Globe and Anchor medal, which was suspended on a broad blue ribbon. A Marine Corps officer hung my medal around my neck. I felt honored. I thanked him for his service. And, I felt like I should be hanging my medal around his neck!

I am thankful for all of the dedicated young men and women who served us on marathon day and who serve us everday. The Lesson? Don't take freedom for granted, and next time you see someone in uniform, don't be shy--thank them for their service.

Cheers to you and here's to your finishing strong. 

Looking for a home in Bluffton, Sun City or Hilton Head South Carolina?

Here are ten reasons why you should let us help you:

We will:

Cell: 843-368-9146

"…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16-18)

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1051754/prayer-request-for-josh

In April of this year, I asked for prayer for Josh who had a rare cancer and was affecting his arm. The reports we were getting were not good at all. The only solution, after many months of treatment was to amputate his arm, which was done 5 weeks ago, at the shoulder.  

I got this email from Josh last night --

"Thank you so much for your prayers and continued concern.  I wanted to let you know that i have been doing well and am on my way to beating this cancer." 

Yesterday he went out for a bike ride!

My niece sent us some pictures and here's one with of Josh with his friend, 

We give God all of the Glory and thank you to all who prayed.

Please continue to pray.

John

 Too Bad We Can only Get Accurate Reporting from The Brits

Liberals rely on what they hear or read from the lefty press who insisted that the count for the March on DC was 75000 not over one million (even OReilly fell for that one)

And OH My, Look at all those rowdy, rebellious criminals with the posters!!! 

I think you'll get a good idea of what mainstream  American thinks of Doctor O

=============================================

I got this this morning in my email account from my sister's friend

" SUSAN"--she  was there:

==============================================

For those of you who didn’t make it to the March…I should know, I was there shouting in my bullhorn.  It was reported to us that 1.7 million attended and O’Reilly’s only giving us credit for 75K.  What at joke!  (I emailed him with the correct count).

Susan

Some clever signs.

See the VIDEO HERE

Barak Hussein Obama is planning a  mass brainwashing of children in their classrooms from Pre-K through the Sixth grade next Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

If this doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. You will not believe his agenda and if you have kids or grand kids you need to pass this info on. Voice your objection to this assault on how you want your kids to be served. Haven't you all had enough?

There is no reason that any child should be forced to participate in this activity.

I do not know what Obama will say--it is supposed to be a speech about succeeding in school. We'll see. I don't like the fact that parents are not being asked to give their permission.

Obama is infringing on turf where he doesn't belong. 

The  instructions to the teachers are below

This agenda was put out by the US Dept of Education (this department, among others should be abolished--we don't need government meddling in our schools.)

Menu of Classroom Activities

President Obama’s Address to Students Across America

(PreK‐6)

Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education

September 8, 2009

Before the Speech

•Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama.

•Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:

Who is the President of the United States?

What do you think it takes to be president?

To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?

Why do you think he wants to speak to you?

What do you think he will say to you?

•Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.

If you were the president, what would you tell students?

What can students do to help in our schools?

•Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.

Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?

During the Speech

As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note‐taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:

What is the president trying to tell me?

What is the president asking me to do?

What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?

• Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:

What specific job is he asking me to do?

Is he asking anything of anyone else?

Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?

•Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.

After the Speech

•Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher‐paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.

•Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:

What do you think the president wants us to do?

Does the speech make you want to do anything?

Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?

What would you like to tell the president?

Extension of the Speech

•Teachers could extend learning by having students:

•Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.

•Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.

•Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.

•Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.

•Participate in school‐wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.

•Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.

•Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.

•Graph individual progress toward goals.

Want to change the world order?  Brainwash children. Control their thinking and their actions--

Education was used by Hitler to brainwash a generation to serve his diabolical ideals. I am not saying Obama is a Hitler, but he is definitely treading in places he shouldn't ... we have czars who are accountable to no one but the President.  We have a President who is creating "lesson plans" for our children so that he can become their hero. He is an ego-maniac.

I find Obama's strategies to be diabolical.

When was the last time you heard Obama speak about national security? Afghanistan? Terrorists? (Oops, not allowed to say that.) I know, he's on vacation. Ted died and Obama is stressed.

Just recently, The NATO Headquarters in Kabul was bombed--My son-in-law was there, and he watched as they brought in the wounded for treatment. Our prayers go out to those who lost their lives.  

The SECURITY at the embassy is POOR.  This was also reported by the liberal press. This is lack of concern for security is symptomatic of this administrations lack of concern for national and international security.

Here's a little flashback:

In 1983 the Marine barracks in Beirut Lebanon was leveled and 299 Marines lost their lives, as well as many others. Security was lax.

Perhaps this President doesn’t recall the event. In 1983, he was a student at Columbia. He wrote a news article that year called "Breaking the War Mentality"

Here is some of it--

"Most students at Columbia do not have firsthand knowledge of war. Military violence has been a vicarious experience, channeled into our minds through television, film, and print.

The more sensitive among us struggle to extrapolate experiences of war from our everyday experience, discussing the latest mortality statistics from Guatemala, sensitizing ourselves to our parents’ wartime memories, or incorporating into our framework of reality as depicted by a Mailer[^] or a Coppola. But the taste of war — the sounds and chill, the dead bodies — are remote and far removed. We know that wars have occurred, will occur, are occurring, but bringing such experience down into our hearts, and taking continual, tangible steps to prevent war, becomes a difficult task.

Two groups on campus, Arms Race Alternatives (ARA) and Students Against Militarism (SAM) work within these mental limits to foster awareness and practical action necessary to counter the growing threat of war. Though the emphasis of the two groups differ, they share an aversion to current government policy. These groups, visualizing the possibilities of destruction and grasping the tendencies of distorted national priorities, are throwing their weight into shifting America off the dead-end track."

What were the policies of the Administrations in 1983?

"Among the notable features of the Reagan 1983 budget, the most egregious is the vast increase in defense spending. In terms of spending authorization (the figure I will use throughout this paper), there is a 20% increase, from $214 billion in 1982 to $258 billion in 1983"  

1983 also marked troubling times, and huge deficits. But, Reagan believed in a strong defense to preserve our freedom.

Now, you can see--that OBAMA hasn't changed his thinking much, since 1983. I love his choice of words in his article particularly the phrase “Military Violence.” I wonder how he viewed Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who served their country—were they all like soldiers of fortune, or a band of mercenaries?

I submit to you that Obama is anti-military and anti-national defense. Words will not bring down an Iranian missile. Obama reminds me of the peaceniks during the Vietnam War. He is a “Jane Fonda” draped in an American Flag.

How do you prevent War, Mr. Obama?  Obama has demonstrated that he thinks it is far better to smooth talk and cozy-up to the demands of our adversaries (his style of diplomacy) who are arming-up daily (Russia, Iran and the North Koreans)

OBAMA GOES BACK ON HIS WORD to our Allies 

If you don't know, Obama is putting the world at risk and going BACK on his word. We promised a missile shield to Poland and the Czech Republic. Hillary Clinton reiterated this promise. We are NOT going to provide 10 Missile interceptors in Poland, nor the radar in the Czech Republic.

Iran may have the capability to deliver nukes via rockets, which they have successfully tested.

The Healthcare issue is OBAMA's Monica Lewinski! 

As Clinton was distracted by Monica, Obama is distracted by Obamacare. What is Obama thinking?

He is only thinking about one thing: He is preoccupied with his BIMBO-- OBAMACARE. 

Obamacare will take MONEY. Where will it come from? You have to cut programs. Hmmm, how about Defense?

Obamacare is a harlot. And our President  is more interested in political agendas and getting his own way. 

He is less interested in taking strong stands. He is more interested in flying around to get applause for the lies he spouts. He is more interested in seeing that we fall into lockstep with countries around the world, so that we can be liked and become more like them.

His foreign policy is a disaster. He believes in a wishy-washy diplomacy over a strong national defense and he doesn't care a whit about keeping his word. Our enemies are laughing at us.

And this guy is smart? Give me that dumb guy BUSH. 

Obama just doesn't get it.