Be Your Transformation..PowerTeamHomes.com

Change, per Wikipedia, is the process of becoming different. Change can be something really simple like changing your clothes or your hair color or the leaves changing. BUT usually when we think of change – it can bring about anxiety and sometimes, it’s also very exciting.

We all know change is inevitable. If we stop fighting change and accept change- we may be surprised at the outcome. The story below is something I have shared before but it’s been so long, it’s definitely worth repeating. The moral of the story … accept who you are and where you are as it is exactly where you are supposed to be at this moment…enjoy.

The River – excerpt from ‘Peace is Every Step’ by: Thich Nhat Hanh

Once upon a time there was a beautiful river finding her way among the hills, forests, and meadows. She began by being a joyful stream of water, a spring always dancing and singing as she ran down from the top of the mountain. She was very young at the time, and as she came to the lowland she slowed down. She was thinking about going to the ocean. As she grew up, she learned to look beautiful, winding gracefully among the hills and meadows.

One day she noticed the clouds within herself. Clouds of all sorts of colors and forms. She did nothing during these days but chase after clouds. She wanted to possess a cloud, to have one for herself. But clouds float and travel in the sky, and they are always changing their form. Sometimes they look like an overcoat, sometimes like a horse. Because of the

nature of impermanence within the clouds, the river suffered very much. Her pleasure, her joy had become just chasing after clouds, one after another, but despair, anger, and hatred became her life.

Then one day a strong wind came and blew away all the clouds in the sky. The sky became completely empty. Our river thought that life was not worth living, for there were no longer any clouds to chase after. She wanted to die. “If there are no clouds, why should I be alive?” But how can a river take her own life?

That night the river had the opportunity to go back to herself for the first time. She had been running for so long after something outside of herself that she had never seen herself. That night was the first opportunity for her to hear her own crying, the sounds of water crashing against the banks of the river. Because she was able to listen to her own voice, she discovered something quite important. She realized that what she had been looking for was already in herself. She found out that clouds are nothing but water. Clouds are born from water and will return to water. And she found out that she herself is also water.

The next morning when the sun was in the sky, she discovered something beautiful. She saw the blue sky for the first time. She had never noticed it before. She had only been interested in clouds, and she had missed seeing the sky, which is the home of all the clouds. Clouds are impermanent, but the sky is stable. She realized that the immense sky had been within her heart since the very beginning. This great insight brought her peace and happiness. As she saw the vast wonderful blue sky, she knew that her peace and stability would never be lost again.

That afternoon the clouds returned, but this time she did not want to possess any of them. She could see the beauty of each cloud, and she was able to welcome all of them. When a cloud came by, she would greet him or her with loving kindness. When that cloud wanted to go away, she would wave to him or her happily and with loving kindness. She realized that all clouds are her. She didn’t have to choose between the clouds and herself. Peace and harmony existed between her and the clouds.

That evening something wonderful happened. When she opened her heart completely to the evening sky she received the image of the full moon – beautiful, round, like a jewel within herself. She had never imagined that she could receive such a beautiful image. There is a very beautiful poem in Chinese: “The fresh and beautiful is travelling in the utmost empty sky. When the mind-rivers of living beings are free, that image of the beautiful moon will reflect in each of us.”

This was the mind of the river at that moment. She received the image of that beautiful moon within her heart, and water, clouds, and moon took each other’s hands and practiced walking meditation slowly, slowly to the ocean.

There is nothing to chase after. We can go back to ourselves, enjoy our breathing, our smiling, ourselves, and our beautiful environment.

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Foreclosures and Short Sales in Lake Zurich,Long Grove, Arlington Heights and more... (Click Here)

“Playing” with the IRS code to stimulate the economy won’t be easy - PowerTeamHomes.com

The top earning 10% of households pay 73% of all federal income taxes. That’s the exclusive club we are in as tax payers!Consider the fact that a full 47% of U.S. households currently do not pay any income taxes at all. The bottom 40% of nearly half of the taxpayers actually make a profit on federal taxes—they pay no tax and get a check from the government.

Real Estate Scams You Need to Know About - PowerTeamHomes.com

Foreclosure Rescue Scam

“Rescuers” promise home owners who are in financial trouble that they can save their home from foreclosure.

Their goal is to make a quick profit through fees or mortgage payments they collect.

Red Flags:

• The “rescuer” guarantees to stop the foreclosure process – no matter what the

circumstance.

• The borrower is instructed not to contact his/her lender or lawyer.

• The “rescuer” collects a fee before providing any service.

• The borrower is encouraged to deed the property over to the “rescuer,” lease it, and

buy it back over time.

• The “rescuer” tells the borrower to make the mortgage payments directly to it instead

of the lender.

How to prevent this type of fraud:

• Remember that there is no quick fix for someone who has defaulted on their mortgage

payments for a long period of time.

• Borrowers should NEVER send their mortgage payments to anyone other than the

lender or per the lender’s direction.

Short Sale Flipping Scams

Borrowers owe more than the current value of their home so they fake financial hardship and no longer make

their mortgage payments. An accomplice of the borrower then submits a low offer to purchase the property

via short sale. The lender agrees to the short sale, unaware that it was premeditated. The property is then

resold at the home’s actual value for profit.

Red Flags:

• The borrower suddenly defaults on the mortgage with no workout discussions with

the lender.

• An immediate offer is made to the lender at a short sale price.

• Cash back is offered at closing to the seller (disguised as repairs or other payouts).

How to prevent this type of fraud:

• DISCLOSE!! If the property is going to be resold, the short sale lender should be

informed of this in writing by both parties and must agree to it.

• If the property is to be resold, the sales must be 2 separate, arms-length transactions.

IRS also looks into that.

• Most short sale lenders require buyers and sellers to sign statements affirming that

the transactions are arms length and there are no agreements in place to resell the

property.

• If you are the listing agent on a short sale, do your due diligence to make sure you are

getting the best offer.

• Watch out for cash back to the seller on short sales. Most short sale lenders do not

allow the sellers to receive any money back.

• Under HAFA, the buyer agrees not to sell the property within 90 days of closing.

Straw Buyer Scam

A straw buyer allows someone else to use their credit profile to obtain a mortgage they are unable to secure

on their own. The lender then qualifies the straw buyer and the loan closes in the straw buyer’s name, but he

never makes a mortgage payment and the property goes into foreclosure. In other words, the money

disappears, leaving the lender with a huge loss.

Red Flags:

• A quit claim deed is recorded right before the loan closing.

• Investment property is represented as owner-occupied.

• Someone signed on the borrower’s behalf.

• Names were added to the purchase contract.

• Sale involves a relative or a related party.

How to prevent this type of fraud:

• Know your clients, always verify their identity.

• Check with the title company to see if any quit claim deeds were recorded right before

closing.

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Feds announced a significant increase in the amount of Mortgage Backed Securities that they intend to buy!

3/18/09 Feds announced a significant increase in the amount of Mortgage Backed Securities that they intend to buy. In addition to the earlier pledge to buy $500 billion between now and June, they indicated that they are intending to purchase an additional $750 billion in MBS. Moreover, the Feds also indicated their plan to buy $300 Billion in Long Term Government Treasuries (something that they have been hinting at for 2 months)

On the news, MBS prices improved 125 basis points. Given this improved pricing, watch for improved rates this afternoon and tomorrow. In my opinion, once this action has been fully priced in during the next couple of days, you or your clients will want to seek your rate and have me lock it in. I believe this is the final push that we have been hoping for.

Of EQUAL importance is this caution...

This will totally overwhelm all areas of the mortgage industry. Please take this into consideration when establishing closing dates and financing commitment dates.

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Improve your credit score quickly !

If you are looking to improve your credit score quickly, now is the time to get started. Here are some great strategies you can utilize right away to give your score a little boost.

Create Some Balance: While paying down installment debt (car, school, mortgage, etc.) will definitely boost your credit score, paying down or paying off revolving debt, such as credit cards, can cause a quick jump in your credit score. The trick is to get and keep your balances below 30% of your credit limit on each card. For faster results, attack those cards with balances closer to their respective credit limits first, as opposed to those cards with simply the highest debt. Remember, if you pay off any credit cards completely, do not close your accounts without discussing it with your mortgage professional first. Cancelling those cards may inadvertently undo all of your hard work.

Know Your Limits: Make sure that your credit card issuers are reporting the correct limits on your accounts to the three major credit bureaus. Without an available limit, your account will appear to be maxed out at its highest reported balance each month. This could cost you up to 80 points in certain instances. Some creditors, such as American Express® and certain cards issued by Capital One®, actually have a policy of not reporting available credit. However, most companies will report your credit limits if you ask them in writing.

Take Some Credit: If you have a credit card account in very good standing, make sure that all three credit bureaus know about it. Just like your credit limits, some creditors don’t report your information to all three credit companies - this is why credit scores often vary between bureaus. If this is the case, give them a call to find out why. Correcting this oversight could provide a significant boost to your score. Also, if you’re in very good standing, ask your creditor for a lower rate or higher credit limit. This will increase the gap in the debt you owe versus the credit you have available. Sometimes hinting about closing an account can suddenly bring out the generous spirit of certain card issuers. Give it a try. The worst they can say is no.

Protect Your Interests: Your credit is calculated based solely on the information available to your creditors. If you have a HELOC, make sure it’s listed as a mortgage or an installment account on your credit reports and not a revolving debt. If you had a bankruptcy, be sure that all items associated with the bankruptcy are being reported correctly, that is with a zero balance. This action could increase your score by 50-100 points. Because simple mistakes like these can wreak havoc on your credit score, it’s important to monitor your credit every four to six months.

Even the Score: If you find information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete, then you have the right to dispute it free of charge. For the fastest results, visit the appropriate credit bureau’s website and file a complaint online. If supporting documents are necessary, you have to file your dispute by mail.