Intown Living
Dealing With STRESS
Friday, June 04, 2010
First of all - a little stress is good… It does motivate us to get out of bed and go to work.
However - when you feel “stressed out”, you perceive the demands on you outweigh your perceived capabilities.
Along with the emotional toll, prolonged stress can drastically affect your physical health. Preoccupation with responsibilities often leads to erratic eating habits and not enough exercise, resulting in weight problems, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.
Stress can also cause ‘burnout’, a condition marked by emotional exhaustion, and negative or cynical attitudes toward others (and yourself). Stress can lead to depression, which, in turn, has been linked to heart disease and stroke, obesity and eating disorders, diabetes, lung ailments, cirrhosis of the liver, some forms of cancer, accidents, and in extreme cases, even suicide. In addition, chronic depression reduces your immunity to other illnesses.
Stress can cause you to lack emotion, or be slow to react/think, and/or be argumentative. And these ‘issues’ can run off friends, family and clients.
So what can you do when you think you may be stressing?
First, give yourself a break. Nobody is perfect. While we strive to do everything in our power to do the best we can in order to protect ourselves, our friends, family, and our clients, mistakes will happen. So do not expect perfection every time.
Take a mind break. Even 10 minutes of meditation/prayer will refresh your mental outlook. Try this:
Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Start with your feet… flex/relax Then move up to your calves… flex/relax. Then go to your thighs… flex/relax. Your butt… flex/relax. Your abs… flex/relax. Fists… flex/relax. Forearms… flex/relax. Biceps… flex/relax. Shoulders… flex/relax. Face… contort/relax.
Each time you relax, say to yourself - “Let it go”.
Take a physical break. A brief walk works wonders.
Talk about it with me or anyone else you trust who will keep your private matters private.
Eat, good, balanced meals, and take vitamins and other supplements. Remember, your immune system is stressed to the max when you are stressed. Help it fight stress!
Stop with the negative self-talk. Increase the positive self-talk! (Damn, I’m good! I know so much more than other people I compete against. Therefore I AM better than everyone else!) REMEMBER - What we say to ourselves [repeatedly] will lead to reality!
And finally———-
Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Energy Savings TIps - Home Star Retrofit Rebate
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Homeowners need to be proactive in making energy-efficient home renovations in order to receive the rebates outlined in President Obama’s new “Home Star Retrofit Rebate” program that was recently introduced in Congress. If passed, the proposed $6 billion program could reduce energy costs for middle-class families by hundreds of dollars a year.
HouseMaster, a home inspection company, provides the following easy projects most every homeowner can do to optimize the energy efficiency of their home:
Windows and Doors
Holes in windows and doors allow conditioned air to leak from your home and allow outdoor air to infiltrate, which can tax your heating and cooling systems and raise your energy bills. Caulk around windows and doors where there are gaps. Also caulk areas where plumbing lines or electrical wiring penetrate exterior walls
Floor and Wall Insulation
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat movement and helps keep any home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter…all while using less energy. Making sure insulation is used at potential gaps such as around an attic stairway or over the attic access door is important as well.
Shedding a Little Light on a Simple Solution
By replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, you can use up to 75% less energy on lighting alone. A wide assortment of CFLs are now available for almost any type fixture found in a home.
Appliances and HVAC Systems
Your major household appliances are a good place to focus on to make your home more eco-friendly. Start by changing the filters of your HVAC systems regularly and consider upgrading older appliances to take advantage of newer, more efficient designs.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat
This energy-saving step can have a positive and noticeable impact right away. Programmable thermostats are fairly easy to install and once they are set up a homeowner can adjust them as the weather changes. For every degree that a thermostat is set back, you may realize a savings between 1 and 3% on your heating and cooling bills.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
Is This Investor Heaven?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
It’s real close.
Today’s real estate market is about as close as many investors will get to ‘heaven’ until that moment when we stand in front of the Pearly Gates and Saint Peter reviews our earthly activities.
Prices are at the lowest levels since 2005, interest rates are low, and the number of potential renters in the marketplace is at an all-time high!
Let me put into perspective what you may be missing -
through March 31, 2010, our office at 1411 North Highland Avenue closed 400% MORE sales than we did during the same three month period in 2009 and UP 158% when compared to 2008 sales. BUT - our dollar volume of sales closed during the first three months in 2010 was DOWN 1% when compared to dollar volume during the same period of time in 2009.
ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? We closed on four times the number of sales in the first quarter of 2010…but our dollar volume was still down 1%. That has got to get your attention!
Investors are coming out of the woodwork and are buying homes that were selling for far more a few years ago and then fixing them up and re-selling some and keeping a number of them in their investment portfolio. (Don’t forget - you can put investment real estate into your IRA! See our blog posted on March 1, 2010.)
Questions? We have the answers!
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
Federal Programs to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
In February 2009, the Obama Administration announced “Making Home Affordable”, an initiative designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Making Home Affordable includes the following three programs: Home Affordable Refinance Home Affordable Modification Foreclosure Alternatives
Home Affordable Refinance
Borrowers who are current with their mortgage but feel they cannot refinance due to declining home values may consider Home Affordable Refinance. Under this program, borrowers may refinance 30 or 15 year, fixed-rate loans.
Eligibility criteria are:
1) The Property must be Owner occupied
2) The Property must be a one -to- four-unit home
3) The existing mortgage must be owned or backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
4) The existing mortgage must have a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio above 80% but not more than 105%
5) The borrower must be current with their existing mortgage payments
6) The borrower must have enough income to support the new mortgage payments
The website for Making Home Affordable is: http://www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov Go there for more information and to use the easy-to-use, online tools to assess whether or not you meet their eligibility criteria.
Home Affordable Modification
Homeowners struggling to stay current with mortgage payments because of a change in income or other financial hardship, may seek a loan modification via Home Affordable Modification. Home Affordable Modification is a voluntary program with participation from major mortgage servicers, including, but not limited to, Chase Financial, GMAC Mortgage, Countrywide, and Wells Fargo.
Eligibility criteria are:
1) The Property must be Owner occupied
2) The Property must be a one -to- four-unit home
3) The existing mortgage must have an existing principal balance that is equal to or less that $729,750 for one-unit properties
4) The existing mortgage must have been originated on or before January 1, 2009
5) The existing mortgage payments must exceed 31% of the borrower’s gross monthly income
6) The borrower must be at risk of imminent default, or in default
Again, the website for Home Affordable Modification is: http://www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov If deemed eligible, qualified borrowers are put on a three-month trial period with a modified interest rate and mortgage payment. If the borrower is successful in making payments, the participating mortgage servicer executes an agreement that lowers the interest rate to a fixed rate for five years with caps that will allow the rate to stay at a low rate for the remaining life of the loan.
Foreclosure Alternatives
For borrowers who meet the eligibility criteria for Home Affordable Modification but do not qualify for a modification, Foreclosure Alternatives may be considered. Under this program, borrowers and mortgage servicers are provided incentives, and documentation is standardized, to help facilitate short sales.
Incentives are:
$1,000 for servicers for successful short sales
$1,500 for borrowers to help with relocation expenses
Up to $1,000 toward the cost to pay off junior lien holders to release liens
Other features of this program are:
Depending on market conditions, 90 days up to one year to market and sell the property
No foreclosure may occur during the marketing period specified in the short sale agreement.
Mortgage servicers may not charge fees to borrowers for participating in Foreclosure Alternatives
For more information, go to http://www.treas.gov
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
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