Tomorrow, November 26, 2009 we shall be celebrating Thanksgiving with our families and friends. Let us give grace and blessings. Let us remember a bit of our American history of this celebration.The First Thanksgiving Was the Enjoyment of the Bounty of the Pilgrim's Harvest. At Plymouth Plantation, the First Thanksgiving was observed between September 21st and November 9th 1621. It was celebrated over a three day period. 51 colonists of Plymouth Plantation, which included John Alden, Governor William Bradford, William and Mary Brewster, Priscilla Mullins, Captain Myles Standish, and Edward and Susanna Winslow, and 90 Indians of the Wampanoag tribe with their Chief Massasoit were present. Since 1863, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving. It is now observed every fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday to give thanks for blessings received during the year. As an American tradition, we remember that first Thanksgiving as the gathering of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts celebrating the success of their Fall Harvest in 1621
A Thanksgiving Prayer "O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen." by Samuel F. Pugh
Be Thankful
Be thankfulthat you don't already have
everything you desire. If you did, what would
there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations, because they
give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
~ author unknown ~
THANKSGIVING IS....
Thanksgiving is
a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care go before us...
and whose love is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too, grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty of Autumn,
let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...
let us think of our families and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
~~Author Unknown.~~
Thanksgiving Prayer
We return thanks to our mother,
the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams,
which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs,
which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars,
which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun,
that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in Whom is embodied all goodness, and
Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
~ Iroquois Prayer ~
May your Thanksgiving
be blessed with love and peace.
This post is so beautifully written by my friend Maya that I need to re-blog. Life is too short for us not to be happy and love life, Live one day at a time as if it were to be our last, Say I love you to someone and do what you are passionate about. Listen to your heart and love life.
We all get so busy in our lives as Realtors that we often forget simple things in our lives which bring us happiness. Only if we can cherish those wonderful moments, not only we will be positive and bring joy to ourselves but to our clients,friends and associates.
Hope you like this reading. We all need this over and over - until it becomes part of who we are!
1. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches) 2. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 3. Enjoy the simple things.
4. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.
5. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive. 6. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
7. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 8. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 9. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity. I love you, my special friend.
10. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.
My AR friend Mirela, compiled a very extensive twitter list that I felt more people should be aware of so therefore, have decided to re-blog this great post and share it with more AR members. I was amazed how few I actually used. I have used #hashtags, Twitpic, Twibble, TrackThis, Twilert, TwitterLocal, Ping.fm I have so many more from this list to research and decide if i want to use. Whew!
I know it's not Christmas yet, but I just couldn't help it: I wanted to make your day. If you are a Twitter addict like myself, you will cherish this list. Who loves you baby?
Here are the highlights for the newly extended First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit per H.R. 3548, dated November 4, 2009:
Extended to May 1, 2010
Must be under contract before May1, 2010 and the purchase must be completed before July 1, 2010
Homebuyers that have occupied a principal residence for any 5-consecutive-year period during the 8-year period ending ont he date of the purchase of a subsequent principal residence, such individuals will be treated as a first-time homebuyer.
Long-time residents of same principal residence will be eligible for $6,500 if single or married filing jointly, if married and filing separately $3,250.
Higher income limits to $150,000 for a single person and $225,000 for married couples.
Maximum purchase price of a principal residence is $800,000.
Extension of First-Time Homebuyer Credit for Individuals On Qualified Official Extended Duty Outside the United States
Qualified Official Extended Duty applies to: a member of the uniformed service; a member of the Foreign Service of the United States, or; an employee of the intelligence community.
must have served outside the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning December 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010, and, if married, such individual's spouse.
must be under contract by May 1, 2011 and have purchased by July 1, 2011.
Provisions to enhance the Administration of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit
Minimum age is 18 years as of the date of purchase.
If the taxpayer is married, the taxpayer shall be treated as meeting the age requirement if the taxpayer's spouse meets the age requirement.
Must include the settlement statement used to complete the purchase. (This can be obtained through your loan officer or through the escrow company.)
Waiver of recapture rule for any purchase of a principal residence after December 31, 2008.
I hope this has been helpful. Please contact me if you have additional questions.
An AWESOME MUSICAL EXPERIENCE My follow-up to the Annual Halloween College Concert held atRhode Island Collegeon Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 pm in the Auditorium in Roberts Hall put on by the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance and sponsored by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Association of Music Education was AWESOME.
We, as audience members, were encouraged to dress in the spirit of Halloween since the Performers would appear in costume as they performed their many ensembles. It would be Free Admission if we were in Costume. or pay $10.00 at the door. Mark wore his Indiana Jones, John was Uncle Sam and I was a Mardi Gras lady.
The show began with all the performers in costume lined up to the left and to the right of the auditorium, The house lights were turns way down, practically pitched black to give the eerie setting. These were many chorus members, conducted by conductor, Teresa Coffman, chanting in Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass to a piece called "Past Life Melodies".
The performance had many different ensembles being spotlighted to the left of the stage, to the right of the stage, beneath the stage and on stage. The audience never knew where the light would shine and what instrument or chorus members would performing.
There were the Concerto for Seven trumpets, the suite for two Pianos, "Lush Life by the 4 saxaphones, the Guitar Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Quartet, Concert Jazz Band. There were some humorous songs "Chili Con Carne", In the Still of the Night, the Chicken and others.
We enjoyed all the many unique costumes, but there was an unexpected "Fabulous Surprise" when we met past clients of ours that purchased a house in Lincoln in the late seventies, Rita and Frank St Pierre.
They told us the house was totally changed so much we would never recognize it. They invited us to stop by. We talked about our children who now had their own children. It completed the night. What a fun night!
Copyright photo by Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, The Buyer's Choice, Lincoln, RI. Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.
Thank you. We want to be your "Personal Realtors for Life"
At 13 weeks old a Halloween costume, that I purchased on RI, was put on my first grandchild, my grandson, Nolan Bryce Corbett. I was in SC for his first Halloween.
It was on October 19th 2004 that I flew into the Greenville-Spartanville International Airport (GSP) to help with taking care of him while my daughter-in-law, Victoria, recovered from a Staph infection. that placed her back into the hospital after having the c-section delivery on August 6th for Nolan. I stayed until after having the First Thanksgiving with my son and his family. John, Mark and Buddy drove to SC to have Thanksgiving with us and to take me back to RI.
How I hated leaving them, I enjoyed being there for Nolan's first turning over, first sitting up, first oatmeal and applesauce, his laughing, his giggling and of cause his crying episodes.
Since this time there have been no more Halloweens together, so my daughter-in-law created a blog on Wednesday, December 19, 2007, so I could seen the events in their lives with photos and her writings. Her blog is My 2 lil Pumpkins. She asked me to create a blog, too for the events in RI Mine that I created on December 21, 2007 is called Chat with Kathleen. I have loved blogging ever since.
Copyright photo by Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, The Buyer's Choice, Lincoln, RI. Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.
Thank you. We want to be your "Personal Realtors for Life"
Winter is coming, the nights are cooler, in fact in RI it has dropped to the 20's already and the thermostats have been turned on. The days are sunny but getting shorter and darker earlier already by 4:30, dusk is upon us.
Being a New Englander my entire life, living here in RI, our eastern region of the United States as well as Eastern Canada is famous for the brilliance of their fall foliage, and a seasonal tourist industry has grown up around the few weeks in autumn when the leaves are at their peak.
Autumn (also known as Fall in North American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter. The season during which days get shorter and cooler and the nights get longer. The deciduous trees shed their leaves, with the leaves changing to a reddish or brownish hue before falling. Such coloured leaves have come to be called "fall foliage". In temperate zones, autumn is the season during which most crops are harvested. Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, fall and autumn.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bright sunlight is essential for the production of the red (anthocyanin) pigment in the fall leaves.
DID YOU KNOW?
The most intense of fall color occurs in in areas such as New England, with almost a few types of trees, such as maples and birches, that all turn color at the same time during the short fall season.
Copyright photo by Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, The Buyer's Choice, Lincoln, RI. Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.
Thank you. We want to be your "Personal Realtors for Life"
The date, October 31st in Catholic liturgy is the day before the Festival of All Saints, or All Saints Day (All Hallows Eve). When the Church came into power, it could not sanction a festival for the dead, it turned Samhain into All Saints and all Souls Day,
Long before the Church consecrated November 1 as All Saints Day it was a pagan observance marking the end of summer - it was believed, the dead wandered the earth and supernatural forces reigned.
The name Halloween (sometimes spelled Hallowe'en) is a contraction of "All Hallows Even." The word hallow, which means "to make holy" or "to revere as holy," was once also used as a noun to mean "holy place" or "holy person" as a saint. It may seem strange that Halloween, a secular celebration associated with goblins, ghosts, and witches, Jack-o-Lanterns, got its name from a holy day devoted to Christian martyrs. When the ancient Irish carved out turnips and placed candles inside, to light the way for 'Jack', a trickster spirit who was trapped between the two worlds of the dead and the living, (HEAVEN and HELL) "Jack-o-Lantern" came about.
Copyright photo by Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, The Buyer's Choice, Lincoln, RI. Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.
Thank you. We want to be your "Personal Realtors for Life"
Excellent advice from by AR lender friend in Texas I cannot tell you how many times I have said to my clients DO NOT GO BUY a vvehicle or expensive item before you have purchases your new home. Do they listen? Some do and some don't. The ones that don't do what i have advised do not buy a home.
Should your life stop just because you're buying a home? Truthfully, you never know what affect actions you take today will have on the mortgage you apply for. Even if you don't plan on refinancing or purchasing for another three to six months from now.
Something as simple as transferring money from your savings to your checking account can create hassles in the mortgage process. I know it may seem a bit much, but lenders are paying closer attention to mortgage transactions today. Sure, the transfer of money seems simple enough.. and maybe it is. But when lenders see a large sum of money transferred into an account, they want a paper trail to know where the money came from and be sure that all accounts balance.
There are at least six things that should be avoided when purchasing a home or refinancing your existing mortgage. Even if you are already 'pre-approved', you should wait until the loan has closed.
Buying, Leasing, or Refinancing a Car - Many people are inclined to 'improve their social standing' by purchasing a car and buying a home at the same time (yes, this includes leasing a vehicle). There's nothing wrong with the concept itself, but buying the car before buying a home can affect what the lender determines you can afford for a home. Since a car is such a big ticket item, it can greatly raise your debt-to-income ratio, which lenders use to determine the amount of home you can afford. Ultimately, it will affect how much home you can purchase. Refinancing your automobile can affect your credit scores. Even though you are probably lowering your payments, the refinanced loan is considered new debt when calculating your credit score.
Becoming Self-Employed or changing jobs - Either of these could have a negative impact on your loan application and overall approval. In most cases, lenders want to see at least 2 years of self-employment. Keep in mind that this means 2 years worth of tax returns, which really means you probably have to be self-employed for more than 2 years in order to provide a full 2 years worth of returns. ** also, income is determined based on the 'Adjusted Gross Income' (after your deductions) ** Wait until after buying a home to become self-employed.
Changing jobs to a 'sales' environment is also risky while you are considering a home purchase. Even though the position you accept is not considered 'self-employment' is it still sales based. If you were receiving a salary prior to your new 'sales' job then you will need to show 2 years worth of sales income. Being in a sales position has similar considerations as being self-employed.
Moving Money Between Accounts - I mentioned this in an example above. When a lenders underwrites your loan to determine your eligibility, they will request complete statements (yes, even the blank pages) from your accounts that contain liquid assets. When you move money around between these accounts, especially if they are large amounts, you will have withdrawals in some and deposits in others. The lender will want to see documentation for these transactions. Most people do not keep all of this paperwork, so it's much easier to leave the money in the accounts until after you have purchased or refinanced your home.
Change Banks - This pretty much ranks up there with 'moving money'. It just creates additional paperwork for you and the lender. The more paperwork, the more likely issues could arise for your home purchase. Not only could there be questions/concerns from the lender, but it could cause unnecessary delays in closing your loan. Stay with your current bank until the mortgage process is complete.
Make a Large Purchase - A large purchase is not just about a car or boat. Now that you are moving into a bigger place, you will probably want to fill it with furniture... and that 'One Year Same As Cash' deal sounds really tempting. Resist the urge to purchase that new sofa set until after you have obtained the mortgage. Again, this is for two reasons. First, it could affect your credit scores and debt-to-income ratios. Secondly, remember that you are not done buying a home until the loan closes. There are no guarantees until that happens. Unfortunately, there are a number of things that could happen which results in a declined loan application. Contact your local mortgage professional to help you avoid any costly mistakes.
Apply For a Credit Card - Although this is the last item I mentioned, this is equally as important. The new credit card won't hurt your credit score too badly if you already have good credit, but it will cause the to question your financial stability for buying a home. For the time being, don't apply for no interest credit cards or department stores. After you are settled into your new home, there will be plenty of time for shopping.
In summary, when you are buying a home or refinancing your current mortgage, it is best to stay away from anything that will look as though you don't have your finances under control. The items above are just a few examples that could cause such a determination.
If you live in the state of Texas and are looking for a reliable Mortgage Professional to assist you with the loan product that best fits your financial situation, give me a call. We do not charge upfront fees to run scenarios or charge unnecessary application fees.
Do you want to know all of your options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.
Always available for your Frisco Texas Mortgage needs!
Visit a participating KFC restaurant today and you can try one piece of the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken for FREE
The grilled chicken, a recent addition to fast-food chain's menu, is an attempt to give customers an option that's healthier than the restaurant's signature fried chicken. A grilled chicken thigh has 140 calories, according to a menu on KFC's Web site. This is a healthy grilled alternative.
Copyright photo by Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Kathleen Ann Pacheco-Corbett, The Buyer's Choice, Lincoln, RI. Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.
Thank you. We want to be your "Personal Realtors for Life"
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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Becoming Self-Employed or changing jobs - Either of these could have a negative impact on your loan application and overall approval. In most cases, lenders want to see at least 2 years of self-employment. Keep in mind that this means 2 years worth of tax returns, which really means you probably have to be self-employed for more than 2 years in order to provide a full 2 years worth of returns. ** also, income is determined based on the 'Adjusted Gross Income' (after your deductions) ** Wait until after buying a home to become self-employed.
Make a Large Purchase - A large purchase is not just about a car or boat. Now that you are moving into a bigger place, you will probably want to fill it with furniture... and that 'One Year Same As Cash'
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