The National Council on Aging Reminds Us: Reverse Mortgages can be used by over 13 million Americans to Remain Independent and in Their Homes Longer - 04/24/09 04:39 PM
WASHINGTON — A study released by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) shows that reverse mortgages can be used by over 13 million Americans to pay for long-term care expenses at home, allowing many to remain independent and in their homes longer.
“The study shows that reverse mortgages have significant potential to help many seniors pay for help at home or to make home modifications. It also points to the need for strong consumer safeguards and lower transaction costs if these loans are to appeal to the millions of older Americans who could potentially benefit,” said NCOA president and CEO … (1 comments)

Helping Your Older Parents Stay Happy and Healthy - 04/24/09 12:17 PM
An article by Robert Stall MD indicates that as our parents age, a role reversal takes place. While they used to look out for our best interests, because they knew better, a time will come when they need us to look out for their best interests. Liken it to your own kids if you have any.
When they are first born they need us for complete support. AS they age they are able to take on more responsibility and decision making. At a certain point, they are on their own and can make decisions, for better or worse, for themselves. As … (4 comments)

The Power of a Greting Card - When an Email Just Won't Cut It - 04/17/09 11:12 PM

The Power of a Greeting Card
I spoke with several people this week whom I had sent greeting cards to. One was a Realtor who I sent a Birthday Card with his picture on it and another a Realtor who is quiting smoking. Both of them were surprised, touched and curious about how I did it.The first one I pulled his picture off the Internet and placed it on the cover of the card. I also sent a gift box of goodies. He was touched and we will get together next week to go over the system. The card cost … (9 comments)

USDA Modifies Income Limits for Their USDA Guaranteed Rural Home Loan - 04/17/09 10:06 PM
 USDA Modifies Income Limits for Their USDA Guaranteed Rural Home Loan
I received an announcement today from the USDA indicating that the changes that we have been hearing about regarding the income qualification levels for the USDA Guaranteed Rural Home Loan are in deed fact. As of 4/20/2009, the USDA will change the income tiers. This will open up an already great program to even more Oregon and Washington borrowers, as well as the rest of the nation.
As an example, currently a single person would qualify based on significantly less income than a family of 4. Now, the two borrowers would … (2 comments)

NCOA Now One of Five Reverse Mortgage Counseling Intermediaries - 04/17/09 10:55 AM
WASHINGTON, April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has officially been named by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as one of five national counseling intermediaries for seniors interested in a reverse mortgage.
A reverse mortgage allows homeowners age 62 and older to convert a portion of their home equity into cash while they continue to live at home for as long as they want. Anyone considering a reverse mortgage must first receive counseling from an HUD-approved agency before they can apply for this type of loan.
"In this difficult economic climate, many older Americans … (2 comments)

Portland OR Chosen America's 3rd Least Wasteful City - 04/16/09 01:50 PM
In a study by Nalgene, Portland OR is rated as America's 3rd least wasteful city. In a study of America's 25 largest cities, we did pretty well. We finished below San Francisco and New York, and one above Seattle. Last on the list is Atlanta.
This isn't much of a surprise to us as we are generally ahead of the curb in many ways. What is surprising is that New York beats us and that we don't use more rain barrels. Might be we wouldn't know what to do with THAT much water...
Way to go Portland!!! 

… (2 comments)

April Newsletter - 04/14/09 09:56 AM
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Seniors of Portland, Oregon - Take Advantage of New Reverse Mortgage Laws Until December 31, 2009! - 04/10/09 01:36 PM
Higher Reverse Mortgage Loan Limits
The loan limits for FHA-insured reverse mortgages have been increased to $625,000 across the entire country (only until December 31, 2009! Unless new legislation is passed before the end of the year) – not just the higher cost areas. The previous limit was $417,000 across the country. This is especially important because the FHA program is virtually the only game in town as private and jumbo reverse mortgage programs have nearly all evaporated.
This coincides with another little-known change in the reverse mortgage arena: the availability of reverse mortgages on home purchase transactions. This is a … (0 comments)

Long Distance Care Givers Receive Help - 04/10/09 12:53 PM
If you are responsible for the care of an aging parent, you are aware of the challenge that can be. A Professional Care Manager could be the missing link to your plan, and help provide a level of care and assistance that you cannot do on your own. The National Care Planning Council has provided the following information as a service to their members for dissemination to the public.
A Reverse Mortgage could be used to help pay for the costs associated with this care, and allow your parents to stay in their home longer. Click here for more information.
Long Distance Care … (0 comments)

Reverse Mortgages Help Seniors Buy Homes and Save Cash In Portland, Oregon - 04/02/09 02:57 PM
Reverse mortgages have traditionally been used by seniors to tap equity in their homes.  Seniors, age 62 or older, may want to consider a Reverse Mortgage if they want:1.    To preserve their cash 2.    No monthly payment 3.    To qualify for a loan without any income verification 4.    To get a loan despite bad credit
To preserve cash, a senior may want to secure a reverse mortgage instead of paying off their new home with the cash proceeds from the sale of their previous home.  The amount seniors can borrow depends on their age(s) and the appraised value of the home … (0 comments)

The Surprise Birthday Card and Social Media - 04/01/09 10:21 PM
I posted this a few minutes ago on at NiceTouchMarketing.
We have a lot of friends, clients and business acquaintances that we would like to send a Birthday card to if only we knew their birth day. In this post we will look at several new ways that are available through social media.Of course, the simple way to get someones birthday is to ask. A simple question " Hey, I like to send Birthday cards out. What day and month is yours?" Don't worry about the year as that is getting personal and can make some feel uneasy.But I'm also finding … (6 comments)

 

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