Defiance, OH

I got tickets!

(This isn't the actual Ticket)

My wonderful wife made the effort this morning to head over to the Republican headquarters and see if there were any tickets left. What she discovered is that their is an "unlimited" number of tickets available and that it's going to be outside standing room only. If anyone is still looking to get the tickets they are available and will be for the day. You will just need to give them your name, number and address and they will give you the tickets.

I also found out that it all starts at 9 a.m but Senator McCain won't be speaking until around 10. It's going to be tough dropping my kids off in the morning for school as they start their classes at 9. Yuck.

Scott@butlermohr.com

www.DefianceAreaHomes.com

It's official. John McCain will be visiting Defiance on Thursday morning. It was announced yesterday that he will be speaking at the Defiance junior high school at 9:00 a.m. and that tickets would be avaiable today at 10:00 at the Repulican headquarters in downtown Defiance. All someone needs to get a ticket is name, phone number and address and the tickets are free.

It's almost 10:00 now and I heard that the line for tickets is 5 blocks long. I happened to drive past there this morning about 8:45 and the line had already started.

It's really a great opportunity for people in Defiance and the surrounding communities to get in on a little bit of U.S. History. It's not everyday that we get the opportunity to see in person one of the presidental candidates.

I know that not everyone agrees with Senator McCain's policies or philosophies, but any presidential candidate coming to a community is a good thing. It creates national exposure to the community, as well as, it gives those of us in small town America a chance to feel like we count and matter.

I hope that if you are registered to vote that you will exercise that honor. Many lives have been lost to secure that right and I hope you honor them.

If you're in the Defiance area this morning maybe you can get a ticket or two. If you're trying I hope you the best of luck.

Scott@butlermohr.com

www.DefianceAreaHomes.com

100% Home Financing is Still Around

Over the past two years we have seen some rough times when it comes to getting financing for a home loan. With the melt-down or mortgage crisis we see everyday in the news we have seen the tightening up of available loans that offer 100 percent financing for the purchase of a home and many people believe that they are all gone. Well, there's good news as the 100 percent loan is not dead. In fact, there is a program available in most of northwest Ohio that is even better than the 100 percent loan. It's called the USDA Rural Development loan and it is a great program to assist people in buying a home. The USDA RD loan is a government-backed loan that offers 100 percent financing to people who qualify. It's flexible as each loan application is manually underwritten and not necessarily credit score driven but rather credit driven.

The USDA RD program is intended for low to moderate income families in RD "eligible" areas. All homes in Defiance, Paulding, Williams, Henry and Putnam counties meet this eligibility requirement. This program is quite exciting as it offers 30 year fixed rate loans at competitive rates, has no premium mortgage insurance requirements (PMI), allows up to 6 percent in seller concessions or seller assistance, and allow for some repair costs to be financed into the loan. Together with the new tax credit that is available for first-time homebuyers, this loan program can get a homebuyer in a home and not only has the possibility of being a "no money down" deal, but can be a purchase one can have significant equity in.

If you have been considering buying a home but have been sitting on the fence thinking you didn't have the money to put down on a home, then this great program may be just what you are looking for. Combined with the great rates, the high inventory of available homes, and the tax credit, this loan is a very powerful tool in the home buying process. As with any program, there are eligibility requirements to qualify, but if you are interested in more information about this exciting program contact me by email at Scott@butlermohr.com.

Scott M. Williams is a licensed real estate agent for Butler Mohr GMAC Real Estate for comments or questions contact him at Scott@butlermohr.com

www.DefianceAreaHomes.com

The new St. Rt. 24 construction is progressing quickly with many big changes apparent already. This new highway will bring a world of opportunity to many Northwest Ohio residences, including myself and my home inspection company. The biggest opportunity will be having a more efficient & quicker road to Toledo, OH, a major Ohio city, and Ft. Wayne, In, a major Indiana city. There will now be "big city opportunities" including jobs, entertainment, and sports, a quick drive away. No matter what business you're in, this is going to be a tremendous benefit to many, especially for the city of Defiance - right smack dab in the middle. Change is coming, how will you benefit?

Have you ever put on a pair of jeans after washing them and found a dollar or two crumpled up in the pocket? Everybody loves to find money. Now, think what it would be like to find $5,000 in your pocket. That's exactly what is happening right now in the Defiance area, as several of our local banks have received grant funds called Welcome Home funds, to disperse locally in order to assist people in buying homes. That's right, right now homebuyers can get up to $5000 free to help in the purchase of their home.

According to the information given to me by Ryan Frederick at Sherwood State Bank, there are a few eligibility requirements that one must meet in order to receive the funds. First of all, the homebuyer is limited in how much income that he or she makes which is adjusted for family size. Second, the homebuyer must contribute at least $500 of their own funds towards down payment and closing costs, but allows $300 of that amount to be a gift from other sources. Third, the buyer must have reasonable credit to obtain a home mortgage. There is a fourth requirement but, that affects first-time time homebuyers only, as they must complete a homebuyer-counseling program.

Not only does the homebuyer have eligibility requirements, but also the property. There are two main requirements for the property. First, the property being purchased must be used as the buyer's primary residence and second, it must be subject to a legally enforceable restriction in the warranty deed. This second requirement means that if the property is sold or refinanced within 5 years of purchase, then a prorated amount of the grant must be returned to the fund. However, if the buyers do not sell it or refinance it within the 5-year period, they don't ever have to pay it back.

There are a few little nuances that I did not discuss here, but as you can see by the brief description of this program this is truly a great opportunity for homebuyers to take advantage of right now. Don't put the money back in your pocket and hope to find it again someday as one of the most important things to remember about these funds is that they are on a first come first serve basis and once they are gone, they're gone! Contact me if you'd like to take advantage of this great program.

Scott M. Williams is a licensed Realtor® at Butler Mohr GMAC Real Estate in Defiance, Ohio. He can be contacted at: Scott@butlermohr.com or 419-438-1165

www.DefianceAreaHomes.com