Reno, NV

I know I'm not a woman but a good Broker friend of mine is a member of the Zonta Club of Greater Reno and they are hosting these years International Women's Day here in Reno. I am attending as an exhibitor and will be on hand with Home Inspection and Energy Audit information.

This year’s event will be held at the National Automobile Museum in Reno on March 8^th. The cost is $65 and includes entertainment, food and a drink. The proceeds go towards scholarships for women.

While this event is about International Women's Day Men are encouraged to attend, after all it is at the Auto Museum. There is no reason to not support this cause and you don’t want to miss an opportunity to stop by and chat with me.

Registration and more information can be found here on Zontas flyer.

The Temporary Payroll Tax Cut, signed by President Obama, didn't come without compromise. The tax cut is being covered by an increase in "G-fees" or guarantee fees of 10 basis points imposed on all Freddie, Fannie, and FHA loans.

What does this mean for the consumer? Plan on an increased rate of .125% and an increase of the annual mortgage insurance premium by 1/10th of 1% for FHA loans.

Doesn't sound like much right? Let's look at what happens to your monthly payment...

For a loan of $200,000 the increase of .125% would equal $250 more per year in interest or $7,500 over 30 years. An FHA loan would be increased by $4,200 over 30 years.

The rate can be bought down by the home buyer but most people looking to get an FHA don't have the cash to do it.

The increase officially begins on April 1st, 20, most lenders have already changed their rate sheets to reflect the increase, and ends on October 1, 2021. Yes, it says 2021.

For more information on FHA loans or buying a home in Reno and Sparks feel free to contact me at (775) 750-1437 or Ricky@Resnv.com

During some recent Energy Audits I discovered several areas in a home that were missing insulation. It is common to discover that there is no insulation on the attic access but that 2x2 area was pretty minor to some of the larger areas I’ve found recently.

On occasion insulation can fall out of place or may have been removed during a renovation. There are also times where it was never installed in the first place. You may wonder how that happens, I wonder the same thing. Some of these areas are discovered during a visual inspection but there are areas not always visible. For these areas the Thermal Imaging Camera is able to detect these areas. Small areas of missing or improperly installed insulation add up. Imagine the amount of energy that is lost from a large area of missing insulation.

The Energy Audit process is designed not only to save energy but to make a home more comfortable. A cold spot in the house can be a sign of missing insulation but there are so many other factors. An Energy Audit here in the Reno area can not only find issues that waste energy but also ones that make the house less comfortable to live in.

Do you have a love of the arts that you want to pass on to your children? Are you an admirer of the creative process? You're in luck! Explore the Nevada Museum of Art for FREE in Reno. Admission to the museum (located at 160 W Liberty St in Reno) is absolutely free on the second Saturday of the month for all visitors. It is named, appropriately enough, Second Saturdays.

This Saturday, February 11th from 10am to 4pm, the Nevada Museum of Art is holding a hands/On! Mexican Carnival. There will be face painting, musical demonstrations of traditional Mexican folk music, live dancers performing Mexican dances and storytelling. All visitors are invited to make their very own Mexican Carnival mask. All this is offered absolutely free to the public.

• 10am-4pm: Create a mask and/or maracas (Redfield Learning Center)
• 10am-11:30am & 2pm-3pm: Learn about the Mexican Carnival (slideshow presentation)
• 10:30am, 11am, 2:30pm & 3pm: Fiesta Stories Storytelling (in the gallery)
• 11am-2pm: Facepainting

Also this Saturday at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno is the Valentine's Day Trunk Show (included with your free admission). Local artist/costume designer and University of Nevada, Reno professor Virginia Vogel will be the featured artist at the trunk show in the museum's gift shop. Her one-of-a-kind artwork (fabric-based, multi-media pieces) can be framed or worn as everyday art. Consider picking up a special piece for your special loved one for Valentine's Day.

Other exhibits currently on display to explore with your free Second Saturday admission include: Landscape Futures: Instruments, Devices and Architectural Inventions, This is Not a Trojan Horse (large wooden horse powered by human beings), August Sander: Face of Our Time (black and white photos from the early 1900s) and The Canary Project: Landscapes of Climate Change amongst other works. There is something for everyone's interests at the museum.

If you love art, want to know more about it or wish to introduce your family and friends to the creativeness of artists from around the world, explore Nevada's Museum of Art for FREE in Reno at their Second Saturday events. Even if you can't make it this Saturday, February 11, 2012, you can come out on the second Saturday of any month throughout the year. Special, family-friendly hands/ON! events are held every month and exhibits change. Make it a monthly outing to enrich both your mind and the minds of your loved ones.

Charlene Hamilton, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Helping Reno Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

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