SEE CHRIS's BUYERS BARGINS

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FLORIDA CAN BE DANGEROUS

SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS THINGS ARE HERE

Hurricanes Lightening Gators Snakes - Lizards Wild Fires Tornadoes Sink holes Sharks - Rip-tide Funny people

see pictures of Living with Disaster

When you choose CHRIS (YOU CAN'T MISS) HARKER
you'll be glad you did - you better believe it.

MUCH MORE INFORMATION AT
HOME BUYERS ALMANAC SELLERS ALMANAC MORTGAGE ALMANAC

We are Licensed Realtor and Mortgage Broker.
A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOME SELLING, BUYING

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PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC, REALTOR Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658 CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182 BUYERS-ALMANAC SELLERS-ALMANAC MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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SOME GOOD FREE HOME BUYING ADVICE

"I think this is actually the biggest (real estate) bubble in U.S. history and possibly even world history." Robert J. Shiller, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Economics, Yale University.

Want to BUY A HOME? Call CHRIS today! OK You Can't Miss With Chris

WANT TO BUY A HAUNTED HOUSE?

WANT TO DRIVE A HAUNTED HIGHWAY?

CHRIS's communiqué Got Kids - What Do They Think?
REALTY TIMES Article Explaining Real Estate to Kids -- And Their Parents
Says That Children Play a Very Important Role in Home Selection These Days.

AFTER HE HELPS YOU FIND YOUR HOME
in BEAUTIFUL SUNNY SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
CHRISTOPHER WILL GLADLY FREE of CHARGE
SHOVEL THE SNOW FROM YOUR FRONT WALK-WAYS

left - photo taken at FT MYERS & NAPLES December 19, 2005 A SNOW STORM struck across South West FLA today, SUPRISING both the locals and tourist. Many people went walking and all seemed to enjoy the white stuff while it lasted.

CHRIS OTTER BE YOUR BUYER'S AGENT

BUY NOW. SELL YOU LATER

    THANKS. Christopher Harker

            YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

                           CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER         Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658                 CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182  SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE           BUYERS-ALMANAC     SELLERS-ALMANAC     MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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FREQUENT CREDIT QUESTIONS

Q. What are Credit Bureaus and how do they work?
A. There are three of them: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. These three private, for profit, credit bureau businesses, have computers and files and they collect and store all the credit information in this country. Overall 1000 smaller, local credit bureaus that are also private, for profit, credit bureau businesses, that also have computers and files and they collect and store all the credit information in there geographical area. These 1000 companies affiliate with and contribute their information to one of the big three Credit Bureaus. The big three credit bureau companies are competitors and do not share information. Some lenders and creditors report information to one of these systems, and sometimes they report to two or all three. To get all your credit information, you must check all three credit bureaus. (this is changing in couple years or so)

Q. What type of information do Credit Bureaus collect and sell?
A. They collect and sell four basic types of information:

• Identification and employment information: Your name, birth date, Social Security number, employer, and spouse's name are noted routinely. The consumer reporting company also may provide information about your employment history, home ownership, income, and previous address, if a creditor asks.
• Payment history: Your accounts with different creditors are listed, showing how much credit has been extended and whether you've paid on time. Related events, such as the referral of an overdue account to a collection agency, also may be noted.
• Inquiries: Consumer reporting companies must maintain a record of all creditors who have asked for your credit history within the past year, and a record of individuals or businesses that have asked for your credit history for employment purposes for the past two years.
• Public record information: Events that are a matter of public record, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, or tax liens, may appear in your report.

Q. What is a Credit Report?
A. A Credit Report ( also called a credit file disclosure), prints out all of the information in your credit file maintained by one of the Credit Bureaus. They are given to you and to third parties, such as a lender or employer or service provider like an insurance company or bank. A credit file disclosure also includes a record of everyone who has received a report about you within a certain time period. There is a screening so that not all third parties receive all information. For example, your medical account data is suppressed for a third party considering you for a home mortgage.

Q. What are the benefits of having a good Credit Rating?
A. Everything you do winds up in a Reporting file. WHY? Businesses and persons find themselves required, if they are prudent, to PAY MONEY for it. It cost much money to hire people, and provide services to people (such as loaning them money). So it is wise to learn somethings about them before you take this financial risk. When the Reporting files have favorable things to say about you, you can get credit cards, loans, cars, furniture, jobs, mortgages, bank accounts, home and health insurance, and all the rest. But while you might not necessarily be denied these things, people just like to know if you been sued, arrested, bankrupt, fired, and in the habit of never paying your bills. As far as a home mortgages go, having good credit means lower interest rates and lower interest rates mean smaller monthly payments.

Q. What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act?
A. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of the nation's consumer reporting companies. The FTC enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies. Recent amendments to the FCRA expand consumer rights and place additional requirements on consumer reporting companies. Businesses that provide information about consumers to consumer reporting companies and businesses that use credit reports also have new responsibilities under the law.

Q. What is a credit score, and how does it affect my ability to get credit?
A. Credit scoring is done by computers in a second. Creditors use this to quickly and reliably determine whether to loan you money and how favorable the terms will be.

Data about your credit experiences, such as the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, how much outstanding debt, and about you such as your pesonal profile, are plugged into a computer's statistical formula, and out pops a number that purportedly predicts how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments on time, or skip town. And now the trick. You can get your report for free which does not tell you if you will get the loan, but you must pay money to get your scores.

Q. How can I figure out which of the 1000 Credit agencies has my data?
A. When an application is denied because of information supplied by a certain Agency, the creditor that denied the application must provide you with the name, address and telephone number of that Agency. When you have moved around the country as is so often the case these days, and you are wanting to just check for possible problems, then you can find the Credit Agencies for different cities in the phone book. The danger in letting possible problems go untended is: you can get an all clear from the big three agengies and then at the last minute, this thing that you did not even know about, becomes uncovered from some city where you lived five years ago and the Lender wants it removed.

Q. How many years can the Credit Agencies report unfavorable information?
A. Seven years usually, but there are exceptions:

• Bankruptcy information for 10 years.
• Information reported when you apply for a job with a salary over $75,000 has no time limitations.
• Information reported when you apply for over $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limitation.
• Information about any lawsuit or judgment can be kept for over seven years if the statute of limitations goes beyond seven years.
• Information about criminal convictions has no time limit.

 

Q. How about a report that is inaccurate?
A. Tell the Credit Agency. The agency may have a free phone number, or when you go in person, they are usually very friendly and helpful. They have paper work for you to fill out and please be very specific. And you contact yourself the creditors you are referring to in your complaint. After the agency investigates, they will fix it, and a corrected consumer report will be sent to you, and if you want, to anyone who received your report in the past six months or for job applicants in the past two years. If the agency will not change your information, they must include your version of the disputed information in your file and in future reports. You will fill a form for this and this is very useful and free.

Q. Our Credit reports do not have several creditor accounts that we have, and we are confused about why these accounts are not listed.
A. Your Credit file will not always list every creditor account you have. For example, often accounts for gasoline, travel, entertainment, credit unions, retailers, and bank cards are not included in your file. And it may (not always) be helpful for you to have these listed. If you are having weeker credit due to not enough credit use history, ask the Credit agency to list these accounts in future reports. They are not required to, but they often will.

Q. What right do I have to know what's in my report?
A. You have the right to know what's in your report, but you have to ask for the information. The consumer reporting company must tell you everything in your report, and give you a list of everyone who has requested your report within the past year - or the past two years if the requests were related to employment.

Q. I understand that under Federal Law I get free reports. How do I get them?
A. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies are using one website, one toll-free telephone number, and one mailing address for consumers to order their free annual report. See Chris's section on FREE CREDIT REPORTS.

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THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

       CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER       Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658                 CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182  SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE             BUYERS-ALMANAC     SELLERS-ALMANAC     MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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DOES TYPE of HOME MATTER

Not really. Whether your home is a detached house or a condo or a townhouse, you need to be protected by some insurance. The condo association has a master insurance policy that covers the outside of the building structure, to include the roof and exterior walls. But this master policy does not insure the inside of your unit or your personal property such as furniture and clothes.

WHAT is COVERED by INSURANCE

Dwelling Coverage. Insures your home from damage by fire, wind, tornadoes and more. Will not cover floods and hurricanes. (these will need special coverage)

Other Structures Coverage. Things not attached to your main home like a garage or shed.

Personal Property Coverage. Your personal property such as the furniture and clothes.

Personal Liability Coverage. Any lawsuits or medical expenses for bodily injury or property damage to others.

Loss of Use Coverage. Any temporary housing expenses while you repair or rebuild your home damaged during loss.

DEDUCTIBLES and Coverage. The deductibles have been going up nationwide and this is true in Florida. Our deductible was $2500 and after the four storms of 2004 it went to $5500.
CHRIS's communiqué Florida site helps you be STORM ready

SPECIAL COVERAGE

Flood Insurance. Covers flood damage to your home and contents.Lenders make sure you have this insurance if you live in flood area. Official maps by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) show whether you need this insurance. Flood insurance, sold by the insurance company,is really provided by the National Flood Insurance Program, which is managed by FEMA.

Hurricane Insurance. In Florida your home may or may not be covered from named hurricanes depending on how close you live to the coast. Many companies will not provide any hurricane insurance for property in these Wind Zones.

In 2002, the Florida Legislature created Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens), to provide insurance to homeowners in high-risk areas who cannot find coverage in the private insurance market. This program is not having much success and is being re-assessed by Florida.

Also, the Federal government is trying to set up a program to improve insurance coverage from Hurricane and other major disaster loss such as earth quakes.

 

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL INSURANCE PAY

Actual Cash Value. Your home and property are covered for the depreciated amount of the repair or replacement value. Least expensive.

Extended Replacement Cost. Your home and property are covered up to a specified amount. If your home needs to be rebuilt, then this pays up to the limit. Our home is covered this way. The insurance company computer calculates the replacement cost and sets this as the upper limit. Then you may increase this amount by increasing your premium.

Guaranteed Replacement. No maximum amount. For homes with special or unique construction, that cost more to replace than normal. This coverage cost the most and pays the most.

THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

           CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658           CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182  SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE      BUYERS-ALMANAC     SELLERS-ALMANAC     MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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MORTGAGE APPLICATION WORDS & PROCESS

Chris as Your Mortgage Broker, leads the application process, but many people are involved and make various contributions to an effort to complete, verify, finalize, and approve your mortgage application. The application process involves some words and terms that you may not be familiar with. Below are some definitions you will find handy.

Chris will use your Ratified (accepted) Sales Contract to serve as a starting point for the final loan application process. You will likely have already begun the pre-approval application process. This pre-approval process can go to final approval process when you have the accepted sales contract. This means both you and the seller have signed off on the final offer. The contract is legally binding and enforceable. It specifies the amount of your down payment, the price you will pay for the house, the type of mortgage financing you will seek, the mortgage amount you will need, your proposed closing and occupancy dates, and other contingencies.

The mortgage amount is the amount of money you plan to borrow. Your mortgage amount will be based on the purchase price of the home minus the amount of your down payment.

The down payment is the money that you contribute toward the home purchase. Getting a down payment together is often one of the harder steps in buying a home. Lenders feel more secure when buyers make a down payment, indicating they are less likely to default on their loan. You have heard about the traditional 20% down payment, which will make you exempt from paying a monthly bill for lender required private mortgage insurance ( PMI ), discussed below.

Some loans offer as little as three percent down payment or no down payment if you meet certain criteria. However, if you can afford to put more money toward a down payment, it will reduce both your interest rate and your monthly mortgage payments. Sources for down payments may come from your own savings accounts, checking accounts, stocks and bonds, life insurance policies, and gifts by others.

Private mortgage insurance will be required by the lender unless you are exempt from it by making a 20% down payment.

This insurance pays the lender money to cover any losses the lender has if you as borrower default on your mortgage.

Chris will discuss interest rates and discount points and the best combination of these to determine some good options to meet your needs. Chris will also discuss types of mortgages and which may be best suited to your needs; fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, low down payment (zero to five percent), long term (40 to 50 years), and special financing programs.

Interest Rate is the monthly effective rate paid on borrowed money, expressed as a percentage of the sum borrowed. When you borrow $100,000 at a 6% interest rate means that you would pay $6000 in interest.

Discount Points are a fee that lenders charge you to get a lower interest rate on your mortgage. A point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. So, if you and your lender agree to a mortgage of $300,000, one point would equal $3,000. Each point you pay for a 30 year loan lowers your interest rate by one eigth or .125 of a percentage point. If the current interest rate on a 30 year mortgage is 6.75 percent, paying one point would lower the interest rate to 6.625. (6.75 minus 0.125 equals 6.62). Chris can talk to about paying 1, 2, or 3 discount points -- or you can choose not to pay any discount points. It can make good sense to pay discount points if you plan to stay in your home for a long time.

Chris will request a credit report for you and the co-borrowers. He will review your credit report and compare it to the application to ensure the application information is correct. He will perhaps suggest steps to be taken to correct any parts of the credit report needing fixed.

Credit Report information will come from Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian and their local affiliates. Some services allow buying a combined or merged credit report of all three. Chris also has a page on this site to allow you to order your credit report. The report(s) show how you have managed your debt over time and include the length of time you have had credit, how you have used it, and how promptly you have paid your credit bills. An inceasingly important way for lenders to decide the amont of risk they face is credit score, a math based measure of how people manage their credit obligations.

Credit score is a numerical expression based on a statistical analysis of a person's credit files, to predict the likelihood that the person will pay their debts. A credit score is based on credit report information, and each of the credit agencies has its own computer system to calculate the score. The lender is trying to predict how likely it is that you will default on your mortgage loan or become insolvent or bankrupt. Anyone can default. Donald Trump has probably lost count. If your chances are 1 in 10 that you will dafault, you are more likely to get the loan than if your chances are 3 in 10.

Default occurs if a borrower is unwilling or unable to pay their mortgage. Default is different from insolvency and bankruptcy. A person defaults on-a-given debt contract when they have not paid a debt. A person is insolvent on-all debt contracts when they are unable to pay their debts. A person is voluntarily or involuntarily bankrupt as a legal status that imposes court supervision over the financial affairs of those who are insolvent and/or in default.

Chris will request an appraisal report for your home. Everyone involved will be hoping that the appraiser will find the home to be valued at what you agreed to pay for it (the contract sales price). It is likely some other reports may be involved in application approval such as termite and survey reports.

Appraisal report is a written analysis of the estimated value of a property prepared by a qualified appraiser. An appraiser is a person who is qualified by education, training, and experience to estimate the value of real estate property. The appraised value is a home's fair market value and is based on the appraiser's knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property. The analysis the appraiser uses will involve comparable sales of similar homes.

Chris will need to verify several things as part of the application process.

• Your employment history.
• Balances and activities in your checking and savings accounts.
• Send forms to your employer asking about your job history.
• Ask financial institutions that you have accounts with about your current assets.
• Request 'mortgage history rating' on information regarding your mortgage payment history.
• Request 'rental verification' on information regarding your rent payment history.

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THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

          CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER          Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658                 CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182  SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE            BUYERS-ALMANAC     SELLERS-ALMANAC     MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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LIFE STYLE of Southwest Florida

Let Chris and Deane take you through some highlights of the sorts of amenities available to residents and visitors to our area.

Entertainment and arts are abundant in Southwest Florida.
Nightlife: quiet venues, sports bars, dinner and dance clubs, fast paced racey clubs.
Dining: resturants and eateries galore.
Shopping: exclusive,exciting, varied, interesting.
Beautifully landscaped homes, friendlypeople, interesting sites,boats, shimmering waters, sandy beaches, parks.
Arts: museums, gallaries, theatres, philharmonic orchestras, opera, dance.
Weather: Ft Myers is a bit cooler and wetter than Naples.
Naples 54 in. annual rain and 75 annual average temp.
(0 inches snow)
THIS COMPARES TO
(wetter than Key West at 41 inches rain and 77 average temp.) (drier than Miami at 63 inches rain and 75 average temp.)

PLEASE try out some of these websites that will allow you a peek at our Metropolitan area of NAPLES, FT.MYERS, CAPE CORAL, BONITA, ESTERO, SANIBEL ISLAND, MARCO ISLAND & the OTHER ISLANDS.

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Antiques and Art Around Florida Guide to antiques and collectibles market, packed with information of interest to both the amateur and serious antiques collector.

Coastal Elegance & Wealth Celebrates the lifestyle and the people who live in the elegance and opulence of the finest Southwest Florida has to offer.

Entree Naples The definitive magazine to dining out in Naples

Gulf Shore Life Vibrant spirit, style and natural beauty of Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast. Coverage of local personalities and pursuits, arts and entertainment, fashion, real estate, the luxury lifestyle.

Mann Performing Arts Center of Ft Myers Site covers all stage performances, both symphony orchestras, all community concerts.

N the Naples Magazine Premier luxury lifestyle publication for Naples area. Inside look at luxurious homes, fashionable Neapolitans, lively arts and entertainment, and elegant social events.

Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts Presenting performing and visual arts, and offering outreach and education programs for the community. The site covers the museum, orchestra, dining, and more.

Shocase Magazine Premier social guide of what and where in Southwest Florida.

Splash Magazine Southwest Florida night life and fabulous events.

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THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

         CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER        Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658             CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182  SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE           BUYERS-ALMANAC SELLERS-ALMANAC MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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AVOID MORTGAGE TRAPS

Is Your Mortgage Broker On Your Side???

When you choose a good mortgage broker such as Chris, you may rest assured that the broker is out there researching the market for you and not because of you. His objective is to identify the loan best for you. And Chris positively will never try to lead you into a type of loan that better suits his pocketbook rather than yours.

 

When you choose a good mortgage broker such as Chris, you have a broker who has relationships with many, many lenders, and can review through them all to pick the ones that offer the particular features you require. Some mortgage agents just have the one or two lenders that they always use for everyone.

 

When you choose a good mortgage broker such as Chris, you have a broker who sincerely works with you to figure out what your needs are, and who can counsel you on which of the loan programs best meets these needs. Please don't get stuck with a mortgage agent who could care less.

 

When you choose a good mortgage broker such as Chris, you have a broker who is willing to assist you in overcoming barriers to loan qualification. Chris will not guarantee to get you a home loan, but he does promise to try really hard, going that extra mile, to find you a mortgage that truly meets your needs.

 

When you choose a good mortgage broker such as Chris, you have a broker who will actually lock the interest rate and points on a loan when you want to lock. Please don't get stuck with a mortgage agent who tells you that a loan has been locked, but has not actually locked with the lender. Shady mortgage brokers can do this fake lock to increase their shady profit. But it can backfire, and you as the borrower can get clobbered and in some cases left hanging without a loan.

Left hanging without a loan is one way to loose your earnest money deposit. Please do not select a company that may do that to you. There can be seemingly trivial mistakes of broker omission and commision that can have very unexpected and very costly outcomes. A good agent will protect you from such things. Be so careful to avoid 'innocent' TRAPS.

THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

        CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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GULFSIDE MORTGAGE INC, CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER, BROKER Office free 866-738-5517 Pay 239-455-1977 Free fax 941-375-3658          CHRIS CELL 239-682-0182   SEE $8172.50 SAVINGS EXAMPLE        BUYERS-ALMANAC          SELLERS-ALMANAC               MORTGAGE-ALMANAC

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Deane and Chris invite you to enjoy some of the natural beauty of Southwest Florida. Chris and Deane live on Oil Well Road, named so because it led into an Oil Well area of the Everglades.

WET and WILD EVERGLADES

W E T Everglades covers approximately 3,474 sq mi South Florida. It is the largest sub tropical wetland in the U.S. Total acreage of the National park (land and water) is 1,509,000 acres. Largest continuous sawgrass prairie stand in North America.

W I L D Everglades boasts rare and endangered species as American crocodile, Florida panther and West Indian manatee. Most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in America. Home of 14 endangered and nine threatened species. Home to over 1,000 species of plants. Board walks invite you. After you buy your home be sure to visit the glades.

                    Everglades from the air Old Oil Well in Big Cyprus Swamp

                                              Old Oil Wells

                        Lee County Collier County Southwest Gulf

Work continues to prevent oil wells in Florida Everglades ecosystem.

Everglades is flat, dominated by sawgrass, with a series of alternating ridges and sloughs, through which an imperceptible flow of water courses south from Lake Okeechobee. Ridges are only six inches higher than the sloughs, but this makes a huge difference in this sodden world. Sloughs are the valleys of the Everglades and the tree island ridges are its mountains.

The islands formed on elevated bedrock a few inches higher than the surrounding marsh, provide havens for animal and plant diversity. Tree islands are a half-mile to two miles long, and have two or three times more plant and animal species than the surrounding marsh. Wading birds use the island trees to nest; alligators and turtles lay their eggs on the dry land; and deer, snakes, lizards, and other animals find refuge there from rising water.

THANKS. Christopher Harker

YOU CAN'T MISS WITH DEANE and CHRIS

CALL US NOW - DON'T YOU WAIT

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