44 Ways to Kick-Start Your New Year

Experts and SUCCESS readers offer great ideas for turning new year resolutions into accomplishments

    This is a great article from Success magazine on line in there Jan. 2010 issue.  SUCCESS  Staff          November 30, 2009 

What are you going to do now to make sure you have your best year ever? What one thing will mean the difference in actually achieving your goals rather than chalking them up to yet another year's unfulfilled resolutions? What can you do to enhance an aspect of your life that you've neglected in your single-minded pursuit of that elusive brass ring? Think about it.

We asked a host of experts, readers who follow SUCCESS on Twitter and Facebook, and our SUCCESS staff what they will do to kick-start 2010. We got wide-ranging answers, anecdotes and tips. Our aim is to get you thinking and to inspire you to reach farther, go faster, achieve more than ever before. Are you energized by this prospect? Or maybe a little overwhelmed? Then start small, focusing on just one thing you want to accomplish. Read Publisher Darren Hardy's article (page 66) on what it takes to achieve your goals, and sign up for his upcoming blog to help you design the best 10 years of your life. This life is yours to make of it whatever you desire, so start now!

1 - Expand your thinking with new experiences. Each month for 30 days in a row, commit to doing something new that you have thought about doing, but have not done, and notice how it affects your life. Some possibilities: do aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, listen to only positive music, don't read the newspaper, stop watching television, eat only vegetarian or raw food, verbally appreciate at least 10 people a day, get eight hours of sleep, meditate for 20 minutes, visualize your goals as already complete, do 20 minutes of yoga, read a self-help book every morning for 30 minutes, plan your next day's schedule and prioritized to-do list before you leave work, do five things every day that forward your No. 1 goal, spend an hour with your spouse, call one of your children on the phone, write a handwritten thank-you note to someone, drink 10 glasses of water, take a nap, listen to a motivational CD on the way to work. Start this month and do one activity for the next 30 days in a row and then assess how it has impacted your life. I started doing this in July of 2009 and it has created the most magical year of my life. -Jack Canfield, co-founder of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and co-author of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

2 - Write letters to three people in your life to let them know what they mean to you.

3 - START A BUSINESS PLAN. If you've been sitting on a business idea for a while and haven't acted on it, it's time to do something about it. Write down your ideas and start working on a business plan. If you don't know how, buy a book on starting a business and read it, or check the Internet for tips.

4 - WRITE A 101 LIFE-GOAL LIST.

5 - Make a commitment to fitness. Don't just make a resolution and join a fitness center you won't see after February-make a commitment and build fitness into your schedule. Join a class at your fitness club, an exercise group or a team sport. Or, if you can afford it, hire a trainer. Doing any of these things will not only make your workouts more productive, but they will also be more fun. Plus, you get the advantage of having others hold you accountable to your workout commitment. -Deborah Heisz, SUCCESS editor in chief

6 - Find a volunteer opportunity at Volunteer.org.

7 - Invest in a bright financial future. I will start a savings account. I graduated from college a little over a year ago and I need to start planning out my financial future. I want my financial future to be bright and to have no worries when I'm older and ready to retire. -Brandy Jules, SUCCESS researcher/ staff writer

8 - Build value every day. Business is all about high-touch/ high-trust relationships. In this age of dramatic distraction, it's especially easy to forget that. People do business with people they trust and people who make them feel special. Create a ritual that ensures you reach out to three possible or current customers every day. This isn't about asking for the order; this is about adding value. The more people you help, the more profits you'll see. Send them an article. Connect them with a business opportunity. Do something to help them close in on their greatest dreams. They'll soon help you close in on yours. -Robin Sharma, leadership expert and author of the new book The Leader Who Had No Title

9 - PRACTICE THE ONE-A-DAY PRINCIPLE. You can't delight everybody all the time but you can do something extraordinary for someone each day. Find a customer, colleague, relative or a friend each day and do something remarkable. Using the one-a-day principle will make your business and life remarkable.-Mark Sanborn, leadership development speaker and author of the best-selling book The Encore Effect

10 - Sign up for a birthday/anniversary reminder service.

11 - Increase your awareness of your thoughts. Become aware of what leaves your mouth by recording everything you say for at least an hour each day for the entire month. Words have power! When you listen carefully to your language, you will know whether or not you are moving with momentum and purpose toward your vision. As you develop a keen awareness of your communication, you become empowered to purposefully choose language that inspires and empowers you to realize your vision. If you catch yourself speaking about limitations or problems, give yourself the chance to look for solutions and possibilities. Holding yourself to a higher standard in your choice of language is key to achieving consistent outstanding results. -Niurka, speaker, author, entrepreneur, trainer

12 - Write a personal mission statement or mantra.

13 - Schedule family time. I want to set up a schedule that is devoted only to my family. Maybe it's playing a game with the kids twice a week or going to get ice cream. It's hard to make time to do those family things, but I want to make sure I'm working to live instead of living to work. -David Lee, SUCCESS assistant editor

14 - LOSE OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS. Quit worrying about trying to please everyone. As Bill Cosby says, "I don't know the key to success, but I know the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -Gina Muré from Facebook

15 - STOP USING THE "BAD THING" LABEL. Whenever something happens that is not in line with our desires, we get disappointed. We stick the label "bad thing" on it. And when we do, we experience it as such. In truth, we do not know whether something unexpected is "good" or "bad," and we may never know.

When Greyston Bakery filled its first order for brownies for Ben & Jerry's, the thin brownie sheets stuck together in 50-pound lumps and could not be separated. You could certainly label this a "bad thing." But Ben pondered what to do and ultimately Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream was born- one of Ben & Jerry's most popular products. So don't stick a label "bad thing" on whatever happens to you that you don't like initially. Who knows, that may be the very thing that you need to break out into a brilliant new future. -Srikumar Rao, professor teaching personal mastery and the best-selling author of Are You Ready to Succeed?

16 - Find a mentor.

17 - Take stock and charge forward. I'll ask myself: What battles did I fight and not win last year? Are any of those battles worth continuing? Why didn't I win them last year? What can I do to win them this year? How can I make those things I liked most about last year happen more frequently? 2010 is going to be another great year! -Alan Dwelle, SUCCESS production manager

18 - Reach my financial goals. I want to evaluate my cost-of-living expenses and see where I can cut back. I just started my own business, and I want to evaluate my income versus my expenses to see where I am currently, with the ultimate goal of hitting the salary I want to make. -Erica Jennings, SUCCESS Media digital consultant

19 - Get a whole new hairstyle or haircut.

20 - Keep friends close. My oldest friend is my former college suitemate. We used to laugh that no matter how many months passed between conversations, we could still pick up as though we'd spoken yesterday. But a lot of time has passed-fast. Work schedules, family obligations: life gets in the way. She's not the only out-of-state friend I've lost touch with, either. This year, my 50th, I'll make changes. I'm working on taking time off for visits, but meantime I'll reconnect the old-fashioned way by writing, sending cards throughout the year, little gifts the family might enjoy, too. Last time we spoke, we agreed life's just too short. Too short, indeed. -Lisa Ocker, SUCCESS editor

21- GET A LEG UP. You know what I'll be doing! I'll take the stairs because success means doing what others won't. -Rory Vaden from Facebook

22 - Create an environment fostering your success. You might not even realize to what extent you are influenced-negatively and positively-by things and people around you. Start a journal to keep track of these influences so you can eliminate the negative and increase the positive. For instance, if being around a certain friend always makes you feel discouraged or drained, you should limit time with that person. Nurture your emotional well-being by choosing friends who genuinely want you to succeed and who encourage you. Also, consider your environment-is your home or office dreary or energizing? And make sure to read and listen to inspirational and motivational material. Make it a point to go to funny movies or watch a TV sitcom that makes you laugh. Overall, whether it's gossip from co-workers, violence in the media, pessimism in your own thoughts or other influences, make conscious efforts to reduce your exposure to the negative. You'll see positive benefits immediately! -Tony Alessandra, a communication and sales expert and co-author of the best-selling book The New Art of Managing People

23 - Write your top 10 goals for this year and post them where you can see them.

24 - INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY. I'm going to put the 80/20 rule to serious work, focusing on the 20 percent of my work that generates 80 percent of the revenue. -Haziq, via Twitter

25 - Take daily steps toward achieving my long-term vision. I've learned that my daily choices make a big difference in my long-term happiness. Les Brown says, "Greatness is a choice; it's not our destiny." I've always been a big-picture person, but this year, I'm breaking down my vision into daily, actionable goals that I can measure. The choices I make to spend a few minutes each day on my long-term vision will make great things happen! -Amy Anderson, SUCCESS managing editor

26 - Refresh your network. Have a host of contacts you've lost touch with over the last few months? Pull up those numbers and refresh your network! Now is the perfect time to check in and keep your network working for you.

27 - Automate bill payments.

28 RECONNECT WITH FAMILY. I'm making the change to reconnect with family by having a conference call scheduled for the same time once a week with my mom and brother, so that we can catch up and stay close even though we live in different cities. -Kathlena Smith, SUCCESS production artist

29 - Do something that scares you.

30 - Be a student of all you do. You must become an expert in your field. How? Read! Ask questions of mentors and peers. Attend training. Start today by identifying areas for improvement, looking for training opportunities in your field and signing up for seminars and web-casts, reading or listening to personal-development material, seeking out people you would like to emulate and approaching those you'd like as your mentors. -Stedman Graham, speaker, entrepreneur and author of You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success

31 - Have gratitude. I often think I need new clothes, but when I clean out or organize my closet, I realize I have lots of options and everything I need at my fingertips. In many areas of my life, I am often surprised by how I already have what I need if I just choose to look at things differently. Take a life inventory. How are your relationships with friends and family? How often do you laugh? Are you doing the things you love the most? Be sure to delight in all the amazing aspects of your life and don't live in a constant state of -Sandra Bienkowski, SUCCESS columns editor

32 - Stop smoking.

33 - REVIEW YOUR EXPENSES AS A COUPLE. The first of the year is a great time for couples to sit down and take a good look at their financial goals and habits. Are you both on the same page about your long-term plan? Are your investments meeting your needs for that plan? Do you need to adjust your spending or look for new ways to increase your income? This year, why not focus on diversification? Make a specific plan to put those new wealth-building ideas into action.

34 - Take a dance or fitness class.

35 Slow down to speed up. It's easy to stay busy, moving as fast as you possibly can. But what's the point of spending your days climbing a mountain, only to realize at the end of this new year, you've climbed the wrong one? The best businesspeople are staggeringly focused on their vital few-those few priorities that will yield explosive results. And the way to build this type of business focus just might surprise you: Slow down.

If only for 30 minutes each day, slow down to think, plan, visualize and recite your best moves in a journal. You'll become aware of your biggest opportunities, your smartest activities and your greatest tactics for growth. With this insight and clarity, you can then take actions that will drive excellent results. Commit to making it your breakthrough year and slow down for a bit each day. Then you'll be perfectly prepared to speed up. And win in your business. -Robin Sharma, leadership expert and author of the new book The Leader Who Had No Title

36 - Cut up credit cards.

37 - Plan a trip to a place you have always wanted to go.

38 - Write a not-to-do-list. There is a difference between being busy and being productive. What are you wasting time on? What are you doing that doesn't produce revenue? Here's a powerful exercise. In 15- to 30-minute increments, keep track of each of your activities during the workday. Do this for a week. Then annualize the total amount of time for each activity that doesn't lead to a sale or increased cash fl ow. How much more would you make per year if you did not do those activities any longer? How much more free time would you have for family? For health? Put those things on your not-to-do-list and pay people to help you with the stuff that doesn't produce the sales and lifestyle success you desire. -Todd Duncan, sales expert and author of the best-selling High Trust Selling: Make More Money in Less Time with Less Stress

39 - Clean out your closet and donate unwanted clothes to charity.

40 - Schedule a regular date night on your calendar with your spouse.

41 - Schedule all doctor and dentist appointments for the year.

42 - SAY "YES" WHEN YOU WANT TO SAY "NO." In this new year, we want to increase our possibilities, options and opportunities. When we say "no" to a business, social or community project, invitation or event, we are also saying "no" to the serendipitous benefits that arise. Rather than waiting for these events to present themselves, start today by actively seeking opportunities to meet people, gather new ideas, learn more about your industry and just connect and share.-Susan RoAne, networking expert, speaker and author of the best-selling How to Work a Room

43 - Communicate and connect. With my three kids off to college this year, setting up new ways to communicate regularly is important. So I'll be making a lot more cell phone calls, texting, posting to Facebook, e-mailing, sending handwritten letters to their school mailboxes and surprise goodie bags during exams, and heck, maybe even making a surprise 7 a.m. visit one weekend! -Reed Bilbray, SUCCESS Media group vice president

44 - Lower your blood pressure. Cut your sodium intake. The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 2,300 milligrams daily, which is about a teaspoon of salt. Some people-middle-aged and older adults, people with high blood pressure and African-Americans- need less than 1,500 milligrams per day, the AHA says. Start by reading product labels for sodium content. Be wary of processed foods and soups, sugar-free items; even raw poultry can contain added salt. Baking soda also contains about 1,000 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Ask restaurant servers for low-sodium options-you'd be surprised how eager they are to help. Look for low-sodium options at the grocery, such as bread and deli items and, of course, fresh produce.

Looking for a great deal in the Robinwood area of Little Rock?  Look now further.  Great family home with numerous updates.  Priced to sell and in move in condition.  Two living areas, hardwoods, cook's kitchen, large formal dining, beautiful pool and back yard.  Great home.  Go to www.TheSumblesTeam.com to view virtual tour.

Changes in the Mortgage Rules will go in effect Aug. 1

Here are the four key parts of the new regulation you need to know:

• Initial Disclosures. Under the new rules, initial disclosures must be provided to the borrower for all loan types within three (3) business days of when an application is taken or received. Initial disclosures include: the Good Faith Estimate (GFE), Truth in Lending Statement and state-specific disclosures.
   
• Collection of Up-front Fees. The new regulations prohibit lenders from collecting many up-front fees prior to when the borrower receives the initial disclosures.
   
• Re-disclosures. If there are changes to a borrower's loan program, loan terms, and/or Annual Percentage Rate (APR), the initial disclosure package must be re-disclosed to the borrower, and it must be received by the borrower at least three (3) business days prior to closing.
   
• Timing of Loan Closings. Prospect cannot schedule the loan closing until at least seven (7) business days after the initial disclosures are mailed to the borrower. If re-disclosures are needed because of changes to the loan program, terms or APR, the loan closing cannot be scheduled until at least six (6) business days after the re-disclosures are mailed to the borrower.

We stay informed on all changes in our industry.  Call The Sumlbes Team for more information.

501-960-4111

Thanks,

Randy Sumbles

Last week, The National Association of REALTORS® reported that existing home sales - which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops - increased 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million units in June.

This is third consecutive month that NAR has reported an increase in existing home sales. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, added that "We expect a gradual uptrend in sales to continue due to tax-credit incentives and historically high affordability conditions."

Signs of an improving market are all over the place. It looks like we hit bottom and are on the way back up. Sales are improving on the Little Rock scene as well.  There has never been a better time to buy a new home.

Waters Edge subdivision is back and going strong. We have one home completed with 4 more being built. Price range is from $200-$250,000. Wonderful quality with hardwoods, granite counters, custom built cabinets, architectural shingles, covered patios/decks, upgrade appliances and much more. Best value in Little Rock. Great area just 2 miles from the Rave Theatre and Shackelford Crossing. Very convenient to shopping, downtown, airport and West Little Rock. Beautiful area with lake and walking trail. For the Realtor this is in area 6 not 7. We are just outside the boundary of 7 so you will have to search in area 6. Show you clients the area sells itself. Go to www.watersedgehomes.info for more information.

New Appraisal Code Causes Chaos The new "code of conduct" that was supposed to protect lenders and borrowers from faulty appraisals has caused higher costs, delays and considerable chaos in home sales and loan refinances. Mortgage brokers, appraisers and real estate agents are up in arms over the new rules, which dictate how lenders select an appraiser when they originate certain home loans. Few borrowers care much, if at all, about how appraisers are hired or paid, but those borrowers whose loans have been delayed or derailed due to the new rules may take a very keen interest, indeed. At the center of the controversy is the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, or HVCC, which outlines appraisal-related practices lenders must follow with respect to so-called conventional or conforming loans that they want to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The practices are intended to reduce the incidence of appraisal fraud and prevent inappropriate pressure being placed on appraisers to inflate home valuations. The code, which became effective May 1, does not apply to "FHA loans," which are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or "VA loans," which are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have both posted FAQs about the code.) New rules protect borrowers from inflated appraisals David Feldman, president of First American eAppraiseIT, an appraisal software and management company in Irvine, Calif., says the code is "very good for borrowers" because the new practices will help to ensure that home valuations will be "less inappropriately influenced." "(Homebuyers) don't want to pay too much, and they want to pay the right price," he says. "For refinances, if you were hoping for a 'higher value,' prior to the code, if there was any pressure, you might have gotten it or not. Now that will be lessened, so it protects borrowers from themselves." Accuracy. The accuracy and credibility of an appraisal should be the borrowers' chief concern. Appraisal management companies, or AMCs, which now perform more than half of the appraisals nationwide, contract with tens of thousands of appraisers but typically assign jobs only to several thousand, who complete their work "quickly and with good quality and good service," Feldman says. John Stafford, a loan officer with Reliant Mortgage in Dallas, takes exception to such claims. He says there are two types of appraisers: the "slap-dash" kind, who base their valuations on the first comparable sales they can find, and the more competent kind, who "work very hard to get the absolute best value, but fair value within the regulations as they are." Borrowers should be concerned, Stafford says, because "a lackadaisical effort on an appraisal can easily create a value that is 10 percent lower than it should be." An artificially low value can kill a home purchase transaction if the appraisal doesn't support the sales price or derail a loan refinance if the appraisal results in a higher loan-to-value ratio and, consequently, a less attractive interest rate. Timeliness. The timeliness of an appraisal is also a prime concern for borrowers because they typically need to meet the time frame of a purchase-contract contingency or interest rate lock. Rob Carter, a Realtor with ZipRealty in Washington, D.C., believes the code has introduced much more uncertainty into the appraisal process. "We are all used to knowing when the appraisal is going to get done and what the outcome is going to be," he says. "It's a little frustrating when you don't know."

Arkansas Business reports the top 10 Real Estate Companies in Arkansas.  Of the top 10 Keller Williams is one of 2 companies that reported sales gains over the previous year.  Dana Powell, broker for KW, attributes this increase to the training at KW and learning how to sell in a shifting market.  It takes skill based agents to succeed.

Three of the top teams in the state are at KW Little Rock.  Roddy McCaskill Team is ranked #4, Neoma Rowell Team is #10 and The Sumbles Team is #11. 

Call The Sumbles Team at 501-960-4111 or visit our web at www.TheSumblesTeam.com

In Arkansas and elsewhere, economy stable By Nelson Chenault for USA TODAY LM Glasfiber, a windmill blade maker in Little Rock, aims to team with another firm to hire 1,500. ECONOMICALLY STABLE Enlarge By Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Michael Taylor and Donny Pointer work on a project at Pulaski Technical College. LITTLE ROCK — When a senior editor at New York-based SmartMoney magazine addressed an economic forecast conference here in November, he opened by joking about how nice it was to come to a place where people weren't jumping off buildings because of financial distress. It was a perfect icebreaker, largely because it rang true. In Little Rock and in several other corners of the country, the financial crash has been more of a fender-bender — at least so far. Layoffs and foreclosures are on the rise and some business investments are on hold, but unemployment rates remain well below the national level in Arkansas and several other states, including Wyoming, North Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia. New companies are moving in and some are expanding, adding a few hundred jobs here and a few hundred there. In December, Forbes named Little Rock one of the best middle-class housing markets because median home prices were rising while the national market was plummeting. Those small successes are magnified in a dismal economic climate, especially when they play out in states that have never been economic high-flyers or big population gainers. "Arkansas never really experienced extreme highs or extreme lows," says Jim Youngquist, director of The Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This unassuming, steady-as-it-goes growth pattern is why places that did not enjoy dizzying highs before the recession are experiencing a gentler fall now. "We're gratified that ... we've kind of withstood it," Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says. "But we're not immune from it." "Heading into this recession, from Texas up to Montana, the upper Great Plains and mountain states have been doing much better in 2007 and into 2008 and starting out 2009," says Jim Diffley, managing director of regional services for IHS Global Insight, an economic analysis firm. Many states "did not participate in the housing boom and bust, and households have not seen their wealth evaporate," Diffley says. At the same time, some regions benefited from a boom in commodities prices such as oil, minerals and agriculture. That edge is slipping as prices drop, and states that have been spared so far will feel the pain, he says. They could recover faster, however, because they're diversified and not overwhelmed by the mortgage meltdown. The feverish housing boom that sent prices soaring in states such as Arizona, Nevada and Florida never landed in places such as Little Rock. Nor did the subsequent meltdown that collapsed prices and triggered a wave of foreclosures. Unemployment rates in several metropolitan areas in Arkansas are well below the national average. The number for the Little Rock area is 4.9%. Wisconsin, which is faring better than other Midwestern states decimated by hemorrhaging in the auto industry (6.2% compared with 10.6% in Michigan, 8.2% in Indiana and 7.8% in Ohio), never enjoyed big jumps in wages, says Joel Rogers of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. "Wisconsin was not booming and had not been booming for some time," he says. Diversifying a key strategy Whether it's in the South or Midwest, diversification is vital to an area's ability to weather the financial crisis: •In central Arkansas' 11-county region that includes the capital city of Little Rock, jobs come from state government, higher education and medical centers. Now, the area is capturing a slice of the soaring wind energy industry by luring windmill blade manufacturers such as LM Glasfiber and Polymarin Composites, which together hope to hire more than 1,500 people in the Little Rock metropolitan area (population 665,000). HP, one of the world's largest technology companies, is building a customer service and technical support center that will employ 1,200 in Conway, north of Little Rock. Caterpillar just announced that it will locate its new North American production facility in North Little Rock, creating 600 jobs. The Fayetteville Shale formation in central Arkansas holds the promise of bountiful natural gas production and more jobs. Indian company Welspun Gujarat Stahl Rohren Ltd., maker of steel pipes for the oil and gas industry, is building a facility in Little Rock. The Clinton Presidential Center here has helped the River Market District along the Arkansas River expand from a single building to several blocks of shops, museums, bars and restaurants. Without fast growth, home construction is slower — lessening the risk of new mortgages going bad, prices plunging and foreclosures spreading when the economy turns bad. The number of homes sold here in Pulaski County dipped in 2008, but the median sales prices rose 1% to $142,500 and the average number of days on the market grew by only three. Foreclosure rates are up but remain very low compared with other parts of the country. In northwestern Arkansas, where growth exploded in recent years from Bentonville to Fayetteville because of big employers such as Wal-Mart, Tyson Food and J.B. Hunt, the foreclosure rate is much higher than around Little Rock. Wal-Mart said this month it will cut 700 to 800 jobs at headquarters in the area. • Wisconsin's economy is spread over 11 metropolitan areas — none as dominant as Detroit in Michigan or Chicago in Illinois — so trouble in one doesn't necessarily drag down the whole state. The state has many suppliers to the auto industry but not as many as Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. General Motors announced last year that it would close its plant in Janesville, Wis., by 2010, a loss of 2,400 jobs. "It affects Janesville and the surrounding area greatly, but not so much the rest of the state," says Dennis Winters, chief of the Office of Economic Advisors in the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. "A lot of industries are doing really well — electric machinery, manufacturing equipment, export market." The state is home to companies that make motorcycles (Harley-Davidson), boats, giant cranes and medical devices. • In Roanoke, Va., a city of 93,000, the largest employer is Carilion Clinic, a health care company of more than 10,000 workers. Mortgage delinquencies are below the national average. "We're kind of a steady player," says Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. "We don't have dramatic ups and, consequently, don't have any dramatic lows." A $60 million art museum just opened, and Carilion is building a medical school with Virginia Tech, whose main campus is in nearby Blacksburg. "The only sectors adding jobs are health care and education," Doughty says, "and we're strong in both." Cutbacks still occurring Things may be going better in central Arkansas than in other parts of the country, but that doesn't mean all is rosy. There are cutbacks. LM Glasfiber, the Danish windmill blade manufacturer, announced last month it would lay off 150 at its plant here. Arkansas' general revenue declined in December by $20.2 million compared with the same month the previous year because of a drop in income and sales tax collections. "There's a large emphasis on tying education, workforce education, to the needs of businesses coming to an area," Gov. Beebe says. "I don't think anything is as important as the quality of the workforce." That's why Pulaski Technical College is conducting classes to train people to work in wind energy industries. Donny Pointer has been an account development manager at Coca-Cola for 15 years, but he's always had a second job — until now. That's why he's taking a 20-hour training course to prepare for jobs at the new Polymarin plant. "I need some supplemental income," Pointer says.

This is a recent article in USA Today.  It makes you realize the world is not over.  If you listen to the national media you would think we were all in financial ruin.  That simply is not true.  Lets get the word out.  Arkansas is actually a bright spot in the national picture.

In Arkansas and elsewhere, economy stable

LITTLE ROCK - When a senior editor at New York-based SmartMoney magazine addressed an economic forecast conference here in November, he opened by joking about how nice it was to come to a place where people weren't jumping off buildings because of financial distress.

It was a perfect icebreaker, largely because it rang true. In Little Rock and in several other corners of the country, the financial crash has been more of a fender-bender - at least so far.

Layoffs and foreclosures are on the rise and some business investments are on hold, but unemployment rates remain well below the national level in Arkansas and several other states, including Wyoming, North Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia. New companies are moving in and some are expanding, adding a few hundred jobs here and a few hundred there.

In December, Forbes named Little Rock one of the best middle-class housing markets because median home prices were rising while the national market was plummeting.

Those small successes are magnified in a dismal economic climate, especially when they play out in states that have never been economic high-flyers or big population gainers. "Arkansas never really experienced extreme highs or extreme lows," says Jim Youngquist, director of The Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This unassuming, steady-as-it-goes growth pattern is why places that did not enjoy dizzying highs before the recession are experiencing a gentler fall now.

"We're gratified that ... we've kind of withstood it," Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says. "But we're not immune from it."

"Heading into this recession, from Texas up to Montana, the upper Great Plains and mountain states have been doing much better in 2007 and into 2008 and starting out 2009," says Jim Diffley, managing director of regional services for IHS Global Insight, an economic analysis firm.

Many states "did not participate in the housing boom and bust, and households have not seen their wealth evaporate," Diffley says. At the same time, some regions benefited from a boom in commodities prices such as oil, minerals and agriculture. That edge is slipping as prices drop, and states that have been spared so far will feel the pain, he says. They could recover faster, however, because they're diversified and not overwhelmed by the mortgage meltdown.

The feverish housing boom that sent prices soaring in states such as Arizona, Nevada and Florida never landed in places such as Little Rock. Nor did the subsequent meltdown that collapsed prices and triggered a wave of foreclosures.

Unemployment rates in several metropolitan areas in Arkansas are well below the national average. The number for the Little Rock area is 4.9%.

Wisconsin, which is faring better than other Midwestern states decimated by hemorrhaging in the auto industry (6.2% compared with 10.6% in Michigan, 8.2% in Indiana and 7.8% in Ohio), never enjoyed big jumps in wages, says Joel Rogers of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy.

"Wisconsin was not booming and had not been booming for some time," he says.

Diversifying a key strategy

Whether it's in the South or Midwest, diversification is vital to an area's ability to weather the financial crisis:

•In central Arkansas' 11-county region that includes the capital city of Little Rock, jobs come from state government, higher education and medical centers. Now, the area is capturing a slice of the soaring wind energy industry by luring windmill blade manufacturers such as LM Glasfiber and Polymarin Composites, which together hope to hire more than 1,500 people in the Little Rock metropolitan area (population 665,000).

HP, one of the world's largest technology companies, is building a customer service and technical support center that will employ 1,200 in Conway, north of Little Rock. Caterpillar just announced that it will locate its new North American production facility in North Little Rock, creating 600 jobs. The Fayetteville Shale formation in central Arkansas holds the promise of bountiful natural gas production and more jobs. Indian company Welspun Gujarat Stahl Rohren Ltd., maker of steel pipes for the oil and gas industry, is building a facility in Little Rock.

The Clinton Presidential Center here has helped the River Market District along the Arkansas River expand from a single building to several blocks of shops, museums, bars and restaurants.

Without fast growth, home construction is slower - lessening the risk of new mortgages going bad, prices plunging and foreclosures spreading when the economy turns bad.

The number of homes sold here in Pulaski County dipped in 2008, but the median sales prices rose 1% to $142,500 and the average number of days on the market grew by only three. Foreclosure rates are up but remain very low compared with other parts of the country.

In northwestern Arkansas, where growth exploded in recent years from Bentonville to Fayetteville because of big employers such as Wal-Mart, Tyson Food and J.B. Hunt, the foreclosure rate is much higher than around Little Rock. Wal-Mart said this month it will cut 700 to 800 jobs at headquarters in the area.

• Wisconsin's economy is spread over 11 metropolitan areas - none as dominant as Detroit in Michigan or Chicago in Illinois - so trouble in one doesn't necessarily drag down the whole state. The state has many suppliers to the auto industry but not as many as Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. General Motors announced last year that it would close its plant in Janesville, Wis., by 2010, a loss of 2,400 jobs.

"It affects Janesville and the surrounding area greatly, but not so much the rest of the state," says Dennis Winters, chief of the Office of Economic Advisors in the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. "A lot of industries are doing really well - electric machinery, manufacturing equipment, export market." The state is home to companies that make motorcycles (Harley-Davidson), boats, giant cranes and medical devices.

• In Roanoke, Va., a city of 93,000, the largest employer is Carilion Clinic, a health care company of more than 10,000 workers. Mortgage delinquencies are below the national average.

"We're kind of a steady player," says Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. "We don't have dramatic ups and, consequently, don't have any dramatic lows."

A $60 million art museum just opened, and Carilion is building a medical school with Virginia Tech, whose main campus is in nearby Blacksburg. "The only sectors adding jobs are health care and education," Doughty says, "and we're strong in both."

Cutbacks still occurring

Things may be going better in central Arkansas than in other parts of the country, but that doesn't mean all is rosy.

There are cutbacks. LM Glasfiber, the Danish windmill blade manufacturer, announced last month it would lay off 150 at its plant here. Arkansas' general revenue declined in December by $20.2 million compared with the same month the previous year because of a drop in income and sales tax collections.

"There's a large emphasis on tying education, workforce education, to the needs of businesses coming to an area," Gov. Beebe says. "I don't think anything is as important as the quality of the workforce."

That's why Pulaski Technical College is conducting classes to train people to work in wind energy industries. Donny Pointer has been an account development manager at Coca-Cola for 15 years, but he's always had a second job - until now. That's why he's taking a 20-hour training course to prepare for jobs at the new Polymarin plant.

"I need some supplemental income," Pointer says.

You may have noticed an incentive package being passed. What does it mean for me, is what I always ask. Well if you are a first time home buyer it means a lot.

Congress Enacts Bigger and Better
Home Buyer Tax Credit

A tax credit of up to $8,000 is now available for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. Unlike the tax credit enacted in 2008, the new credit does not have to be repaid.

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

If you have questions feel free to contact The Sumbles Team for complet information.  We can help you find your new home and the great thing is you don't pay us a fee.  The sellers pay for all fees.  We are one of the top teams in this area and are experienced in all phases of Real Estate.  Call us today at 501-960-4111.

Randy Sumbles

Keller Williams Realty

www.TheSumblesTeam.com

501-960-4111

rsumbles@kw.com