Janeene's Blog

An email from a friend...good information

2011-09-29T06:40:00.001-07:00

--- This is Interesting

This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal-Mart
looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for 6.99.
I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any
others. She took me to another department and they had some
at 2.50 made in USA .. They are just as good. Same as a kitchen
rug I needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA
and they were 3.00 cheaper. We are being brain washed that
everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not
so. That is also why I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore. They
are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree
.50 cents each and made in USA ..

One Light Bulb at a Time

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while
one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very
much, a billion of them would.

Your update and what's trending now

2011-09-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

Fewer Bexar County properties up for Foreclosure in September. Down 17% from last year. YTD foreclosures in Bexar County are down 10%. Foreclosure numbers are down everywhere because of procedural changes with institutions, so we will have to wait to see if they are really down or if they will catch up as the new procedures start to take place.
Ocwen which services 460,000 loans and is acquiring 250,000 more next month have started a Pilot loan-modification program that has worked very well. The program works like this if you are underwater on your loan and cannot make the payments…Your loan is reduced to 5% below the current appraised value…your loan payments are then reduced to match the new loan balance…then over the next 3 years they write off the reductions. In exchange for two things, stay current on the loan and agree to share 25% of the future gain on the house sale.
New FHA loan limits for Bexar County that go into effect Oct. 1^st are $287,500. You must have final loan approval by 9-30-2011 for the old loan limits.
SA Real Estate is ‘lumbering’, Volume is up vs. July 2010, but median price is down. July 2010 median price $163,600, this year $157,000, down 4%. Total sales for July 2011 up 11% over last year. Average sales price $194,408 a 6% decrease from last year.
Halliburton who purchased 150 acres at 1604 & 37 is possibly shopping for a “supersite” to service the Eagle Ford area. They are looking to employ 100’s in the SA area.

San Antonio ranked #4 on Forbes Magazines next big boom towns

2011-07-12T06:03:00.001-07:00

Forbes magazine has named San Antonio among the nation’s next boom towns.

The Alamo City snagged the No. 4 spot on the list, which ranked the top 52 largest metro areas in the country based on past, present and future vitality.

The survey included data on economic growth over the past two years, family formation rates, growth in educated migration, population and a broad measurement of attractiveness to immigrants.

Three other Texas cities were also in the top 10, with Austin grabbing the No. 1 spot, Houston ranked No. 5 and Dallas coming in at No. 7.

REALTOR SHOP

2011-06-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

I have started a new service that will assist people in finding a good Realtor in another city if they will be moving. I seem to have a knack for finding experienced Realtors and thought I would make it easy for someone who is looking...
simply follow the link below

www.FindAgent4u.com

2011-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

SA Food Bank serves 230,900 individuals annually, including 83,000 children (36%) and 32,500 seniors (14%)…Each week approximately 58,000 people receive emergency food assistance…rate of children living in poverty in Texas is 24.3%, national rate 20.0%, Bexar county rate of 25.1%, which means 1 in 4 children struggle with food insecurity

2011-04-25T05:49:00.001-07:00

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep . . . and my sheep know me.” John 10:14-15

You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm.

You have everything you need.
Max Lucado

Texas #9 on list of healthiest housing markets...CNBC.com

2011-04-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Texas

Debt as percent of income: 16%
Unemployment rate: 8.2%
Home ownership: 65.3%
Negative equity: 30.6%
Average home price: $183,000
Loan as percent of home value: 68.8%
Percent of U.S. Market: 4.84%

Texas is the largest housing market in the top 10, accounting for 4.84% of the U.S. market.

2011-04-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Texas outperforms nation in job growth…the Texas economy gained 230,000 jobs from February 2010 to February 2011, an annual growth rate of 2.3%. Over the same period of time U.S. employment rose 1%. The states unemployment rate was 8.2% the same as last year. The U.S. unemployment decreased from 9.7% to 8.9%. All good signs!!

2011-03-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

How might home buying change if the federal government shuts down the housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan, the steady favorite of American borrowers since the 1950s, could become a luxury product, housing experts on both sides of the political aisle say.

Interest rates would rise for most borrowers, but urban and rural residents could see sharper increases than the coveted customers in the suburbs.

Lenders could charge fees for popular features now taken for granted, like the ability to "lock in" an interest rate weeks or months before taking out a loan.

Life without Fannie and Freddie is the rare goal shared by the Obama administration and House Republicans, although it will not happen soon. Congress must agree on a plan, which could take years, and then the market must be weaned slowly from dependence on the companies and the financial backing they provide.

The reasons by now are well understood. Fannie and Freddie, created to increase the availability of mortgage loans, misused the government's support to enrich shareholders and executives by backing millions of shoddy loans. Taxpayers so far have spent more than $135 billion on the cleanup.

The much more divisive question is whether the government should preserve the benefits that the companies provide to middle-class borrowers, including lower interest rates, lenient terms and the ability to get a mortgage even when banks are not making other kinds of loans.

Courtesy of Yahoo!

2011-02-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

San Antonio, TX – February 17, 2011 – According to the January 2011 Multiple Listing Service report by the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® (SABOR), the percentage of single-family residential home sales is up 11 percent from this time a year ago. The number of sales totaled 922, compared to 827 in January 2010.
Provided by San Antonio Board of Realtors

Local news....

2011-02-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

Fastest Growing Communities over the last 10 years…Selma 603% increase, Cibolo 406%, Timberwood Park 128%, Elmendorf 124%, Cross Mountain 105%, Garden Ridge 73%, Shavano Park 73%, Helotes 71%, Boerne 69%, and Schertz 68%.
Sales of commercial properties roar back, 2010 saw 97% rise after hard ’09, more growth expected. Commercial property sales almost doubled from 2009 to 2010. SA commercial sales jumped from $371 million in 2009 to over $732 million in 2010.
The city of Cibolo has scored a coup. The U.S. arm of a Canadian oil-field service company has chosen Cibolo as the site of a district office that will become the city’s largest employer. Sanjel Inc., based in Denver, plans to hire several 100 workers for the Cibolo office.
The Eagle Ford Shale, a vast oil & gas play in South Texas, will become one of the states fastest-growing areas for new business and job creation over the next decade. Drilling permits issued have jumped to 944 for 2010 up from only 94 permits the previous year.

2011-02-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

From the National Association of Realtors:
This week, the Treasury Department will issue a report recommending changes to the structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NAR President Ron Phipps takes to the blog to tell how NAR will reach out to lawmakers and emphasize just how vital housing is to families, jobs, and our nation. “For every additional 1,000 home sales, about 500 jobs are added to the economy,” Phipps writes. “We need to change the dialog ... We hope that Congress and the White House get the message: real estate is all about jobs.”

2011-02-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

IT'S SNOWING IN SAN ANTONIO!!!!!!!

First snow for my 2-year-old!

Coolest thing ever!

No school but up early and out the door to play....stay safe, warm and enjoy today 'cause it may be a LOOONG time before we see it again here in S.A.

2011-01-28T14:00:00.001-08:00

Road Time…San Antonio drivers lost an average of 30 hours in 2009 due to road congestion during peak commuting hours. The area ranked 35^th (which is great) among large U.S. metro areas. Houston was 4^th, Dallas 7^th and Austin 15^th.

2011-01-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

End of Year statistics on Housing Market…Existing home sales dipped 4.6%(our office 0.5%)…median home price rose 1.7%...average sales price our office $154,674 up 1% from last year. Our average list price $187,454 same as year before.

Top ten most searched markets on Realtor.com

2011-01-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

1. Las Vegas
2. Los Angeles
3. Orlando
4. San Antonio
5. Miami
6. Phoenix
7. San Diego
8. Austin
9. Tampa
10. Chicago
Based on the number of visitors from January 2010 - December 2010 according to Realtor.com

Mom wrote this poem....thought I would share ...

2011-01-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Peace in the World

Peace in the world is hard to find

but it starts with one little person

and one little mind

a kind word

a warm embrace

a little understanding is all it takes.

So...one little person

with one little mind

can make a difference to change mankind

~Lory

The time to buy is now...

2011-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

As the new year begins and the economy begins to recover their has never been a better time to buy a home. The inventory in San Antonio is at an all-time high and interests rates (although have been slightly increasing lately) are still at record lows. Sellers are motivated to sell and if they have the equity are taking a hit on the sales price to get it sold. The flood of foreclosures have forced sellers to compete with lender owned properties even though their properties are in much better condition. Lender owned properties continue to be a great option and banks are offering incentives, including giving sellers closing costs and in some cases doing a few repairs. Wether you are buying to live in or as an investment property the time to buy is NOW.

2010-11-10T14:23:00.001-08:00

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current events and what is going on with the Edwards bunch!