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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - Which Is Better : Fresh Produce Or Frozen Produce? - 05/28/11 12:21 PM
There's a long-standing myth that freezer-section produce is "worse for you" than fresh produce from a farm. The truth, however, is often the opposite.
Because of upgrades in packaging and delivery methods, frozen produce is often more fresh than "fresh produce", and contains higher nutrient levels, too.
The key is to know how to shop for it.
The main advantage that frozen produce carries over fresh produce is that frozen produce is picked in its most ripe -- and most nutrient-rich -- state. Then, when the produce is flash-frozen, its nutrients become locked-in and sealed.
Fresh produce, by contrast, tends to … (0 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - Mortgage Guidelines Starting To Loosen? - 02/17/11 08:40 AM
Mortgage lending appears to be loosening. At least for now.
In its quarterly survey of member banks, the Federal Reserve asks senior loan officers around the country whether their "prime" residential mortgage guidelines had tightened within the last 3 months.
A prime borrower is one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio.
Of the 54 responding banks, just 2 said its guidelines had tightened during the period October-December 2010. That's less than 4 percent. And, by comparison, 95 percent of banks said guidelines remained "basically unchanged".
The remaining banks reported a loosening.
It's a positive … (2 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - Practical Advice : How To Help Your Home Sell Faster - 02/17/11 08:36 AM
In December, home sales reached an 8-month high, recovering from the losses of last summer. Market momentum is positive across California , but that doesn't mean every home is selling quickly -- only some of them are.
So, if you're a home seller and want (or need) to get your home sold quickly, take a listen to this 3-minute interview from NBC's The Today Show. It's loaded with practical sales advice for sellers.
As examples:
How to price your home relative to comparable homes for sale Using home inspections to keep your contract on-track for closing How much should be spent … (1 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - Pending Home Sales At The Highest Levels Since April 2010 - 02/16/11 08:52 AM
Another day, another strong report for housing.
The Pending Home Sales Index climbed 2 percent in December, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. A "pending home sale" is an existing home under contract to sell, but not yet closed.
Pending Home Sales are up for the fifth time in 6 months. The December reading is now its highest since the federal home buyer tax credit's April 2010 contract deadline, and the figure is well north of the Pending Home Sales Index 3-year average.
Coupling this data with December's strong Existing Homes Sales report (+12%) and its strong New Home Sales … (1 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - Use An Automatic Stirrer To Keep Foods From Burning And Pots From Scorching - 02/16/11 08:48 AM
It doesn't take much effort to stand over a pot and "stir continuously", as called for in some recipes. It can be tedious, though, and once a chef stops stirring or leaves a pot unattended, the recipe is sure to ruin.
Enter the automatic stirrer.
With its self-adjusting, self-centering blades, the Ardenté Gourmet Stirrer latches on to the side of most kitchen bowls, and does that stirring for you. The machine's constant blade-turning protects your milk-based recipes from burning; your sauce-based recipes from charring; and your temperate-sensitive sugars from caramelizing.
While it does its job, you're freed up to tend to other … (0 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks: Home Supplies Plummet, Putting Pressure On Prices To Rise - 02/13/11 10:45 AM
Existing Home Sales surged 12 percent last month, closing 2010's housing market with strength. An "existing home" is a home that cannot be categorized as new construction; a resale.
According to the National Association of REALTORS®, seasonally-adjusted, annualized Existing Home Sales figures climbed by more than a half-million units in December as compared to November. It's the 3rd straight month of home resale improvement nationwide.
Sales volume is now as high as it's been since May 2010 -- just after the federal home buyer tax credit's expiration.
In addition, the number of months needed to sell the complete, current home inventory at … (2 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks: Is This Home Renovation Going To Be Worth It? - 02/13/11 10:17 AM
Home remodeling projects can add function to a home, but don't always add value. Consider the latest report from Remodeling Magazine.
In it, the average cost of 35 projects are evaluated for the value they retain at the time of resale. Function beats flash, it seems, in today's housing market.
Expansive kitchens and custom vanities are returning less value to homeowners on a percentage basis than energy-efficient doors and windows, for example.
A sampling of Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs Resale report shows the following cost recovery, by project:
Attic Bedroom Remodel : 79.90 percent cost recovery Bathroom Addition : 74.90 percent cost … (0 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks: Comparing Mortgage Rates For Adjustable- And Fixed-Rate Mortgages - 02/10/11 09:37 AM
For some homeowners, electing to take an adjustable rate mortgage over a fixed rate one can be matter of budgeting. ARMs tend to carry lower mortgage rates and, therefore, lower monthly mortgage payment as compared to a comparable fixed rate loan.
Relative to fixed rate mortgages, current ARM pricing is excellent. Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey puts the 5-year ARM mortgage rate lower than the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate by 1.02 percent.
On a $250,000 home loan, a 1.02 differential yields a payment savings of $149 per month.
ARMs are not for everyone, of course. Over time … (0 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks: How To Renegotiate Your Credit Card Interest Rates To Something Lower - 02/10/11 09:32 AM
Credit card debt, left unchecked, can pile up quickly. Especially for debtors making minimum payments.
According to the Federal Reserve, a credit card balance of $5,000 at 23.99 percent APR won't pay off for 16,127 years. That's one reason why it's important to manage your credit card rates, and renegotiate them whenever possible.
In this 4-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show, you'll learn the tested tactics that can cut a credit card rate, and get monthly payments to a more manageable range. And it's do-it-yourself -- no debt management firms required.
Some of the tips in the video … (1 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks - How To Repair A Scratched CD, DVD, Or Game Disc - 02/08/11 03:08 PM
When your CDs, DVDs and game discs are "skipping", most times, a simple cleaning will set them right.
Make sure you clean your discs properly, though. Clean them the wrong way and you could damage your discs forever. You might also cause your electronic devices permanent damage.
There's lots of remedies for skipping CDs, DVDs, and game discs, but the following method is known to be reliable for all but the toughest scratches and dings. First, you'll need some tools:
A flat surface A soft, lint-free cloth Specialized cleaning solution, or plain rubbing alcohol Take the cloth and, holding the disc between your … (0 comments)
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loan modification: The Real Estate Geeks: December's Job Report : Good For Home Affordability - 02/08/11 09:01 AM
On the first Friday of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report.
More commonly called "the jobs report", the government's data include raw employment figures and the Unemployment Rate.
The jobs report hit the wires at 8:30 AM ET today. It's making big waves in the mortgage market and may help home affordability for buyers this weekend, and would-be refinancers across California.
For this month, and for the rest of 2011, employment data will figure big in mortgage markets.
7 million jobs were lost in 2008 and 2009. Fewer than one million jobs were recovered in … (0 comments)
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Melissa Bayles
Long Beach,
CA
More about me…
The Real Estate Geeks A Team of Prudential California Realty
Address: Los Angeles County, Orange County & Surrounding Areas
Cell Phone: (714) 720-2555
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