Macomb, MI

Washington Township, MI Weekend Bridge Closed

To all my neighbors in Washington Township, the bridge at 26 Mile Rd. and M-53 will be closed this weekend. As previously reported, construction will start at 11:00 P.M. on Friday and end at 5 A.M. on Monday for the bridge being closed. This is just the beginning friends, the project will take till approx. September. If we are lucky. Start re-thinking your travels plans to and from work. My family has talked about it for the last week. I am sure that my husband, son and myself will end up stuck in traffic forgetting all the warnings. Plan ahead for delays.

Buying your first home is one of the most exciting things that will happen in your life. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you own your home. It will change your life and the life of your loved ones. The process is alot like riding a roller-coaster, with feelings that go from sheer happiness to all time lows. Hopefully you are working with an agent that is compassionate, patient and experienced. The new tax credit for First Time Home Buyer's combined with low, low prices, and tons of homes to pick from is a First time Buyer's Dream. Your agent should help you will any questions that you might have, and be there to solve any problems that might arise.

That leads me to the discussion of your mortgage representative. The person should be referred from family and friends, or maybe your local credit union or banker. Once you are ready to close on that new home, ask your mortgage repres. to attend your closing. The real estate agents can make phone calls on the day of your closing, but they can not track the money. It will save you and your family alot of headaches and worry. You have the right and should demand that they are present at the table. This is a exciting day for you, take the extra step to make the transaction smooth. Congrats on home ownership!!! It still is the American Dream.

FHA loans in the last 12 months have become one of the most used types of mortgages. There could be several reasons for this......

• less money down - 3.5% down
• lower credit scores - anywhere from 600 down to 550.
• less than perfect credit
• no credit at all
• 2 years out of a bankruptcy
  

Well, things have been changing. No, HUD hasn't really been changing the FHA guidelines, but the investors and banks have been changing them. We are in a credit crunch crisis. Just in the last few months, I have been getting a few calls and e-mails from people telling me that HUD's website says this or that. I have actually had a few people argue with me a little, because of what it's says on HUD's website. Just a word to the wise, FHA doesn't do the mortgages. They don't service them, they just insure them. It all comes down to the investors and those that sell back to Wall Street.

Now, I will admit, you can't believe everything that you read or hear. There was a rumor going around that credit scores were going to be mandatory across that board at 620 and above. This is incorrect. But you should be aware that this could happen. I just had a realtor e-mail me from Florida today, telling me that her Countrywide rep. told her that her son would have to wait another full year for a FHA mortgage even though his Ch. 7 bankruptcy will be discharged for 2 years in April of 2009. He has saved his cash, reestablished his credit, and has credit scores of 680. This actually sounds like one of my easier deals.

Conclusion - You really need to be choosing your loan officer very wisely now. Someone that is on top of these changes daily, not monthly. FHA loans do differ from lender to lender. In some cases, if it sounds too goo to be true, then it might not be true. If your lender is taking over 30 days to get a FHA mortgage approved, you might want to seek someone else. And keep in mind, just because it's on HUD's website, doesn't mean that it can be done anymore. Investors and lenders need to make sure that the loan is sell-able on Wall Street.

Disclosure - One comment that seems to pop up that does irritate me. FHA loans don't take forever. A very good loan officer and company can do them in 2 weeks. But many of us like to have 30 days to process them. But they don't take 45 days or longer, not unless they have a credit issue, need to get their credit score up, or might be waiting for a raise. And if your loan officer was good, they would have discussed this with you. It's called setting your clients expectations to a certain level. Please read : Are your expectations met as a client or a realtor?

- FHA Loans - USDA Loans - VA Loans -

- Energy Efficient Mortgages -

- Conventional Loans - 203 k loans -

- Mortgages -

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

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For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For more information about the 2008-2009 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers : 2008 Tax Credit

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags !!!!

Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Belonger

The beautiful 15,000 sq. ft. showroom, containing over 1200 unique slabs of granite was awe inspiring to the group

Macomb, MI - Mark Maupin, founder of the National Real Estate Network recently took a few members of his group to visit showroom of Rock Tops Granite, in Macomb, Michigan. Rock Tops is the leading granite and marble countertops fabricators and installers in the state; they are also one of the fastest growing companies, with 7 locations in Michigan plus10 more stores throughout the Us.

The investor group was looking for ideas to remodel the kitchens and bathrooms in high-end homes they had recently acquired. "Investors who purchase property in very desirable, suburban areas know they cannot get away with cheap, inexpensive rehab jobs like they do in urban areas," Mark explained. "I recently met and interviewed Charlie Thiede, of Rock Tops Granite, and I was impressed with the quality of workmanship that goes into the manufacturing of granite and marble countertops. I thought it would be a great idea to take some members of my investment group on a tour of their showroom to learn more about the product and technology they use to measure and cut the granite."

Mark and the group of investors learned a lot when they toured the 15,000 sq. ft showroom containing over 1,200 unique slabs of granite and marble. "It was amazing!" Mark exclaimed. "This is overwhelming; I wonder how customers are able to choose; there are so many to look at."

Charlie Thiede explained, "Unlike Corian or Silestone, Granite and Marble are products of nature, therefore, no two pieces will be the same. Adding a granite or marble countertop to a kitchen is a way to bring Mother Nature's Art Work into your home. Your unique countertop will be the envy of all your friends and neighbors; yours will be impossible for them to duplicate," explained Thiede, proudly.

As it is with most men, they love to show off their "tools and toys." Men will be men, as evidenced by Charlie when he proudly showed the group stone processing equipment, explaining, "We use the latest in computer, numerically, controlled (CNC) technology for a perfect cut with an unmatched polished edge quality. These machines cost between $200,000 and $300,000; therefore, many other fabricators are still using hand routers and grinders to work the edge of the stone. This often takes days, where we can fabricate a countertop within hours. The hand method often creates imperfect and wavy edges, bad seams and a poor finish, where the CNC technology produces a perfect finish every time." Of course, Mark and his group were hardly able to contain themselves. "Let me try it!" Mark exclaimed. "Sorry," Charlie answered with a grin. "This is restricted to use by employees only."

Marked thanked Charlie Thiede for the tour and educational information as he invited him to speak at a future meeting. Mark's group meets the third Thursday of each month in Belleville. "I'm sure a lot of my members will be interested in hearing about Rock Tops Granit countertops. I look forward to having one of their representatives speak at a future meeting; hopefully very soon, before the end of the year," said Mark.

Rock Tops Granite has 15 locations in 7 states, with showrooms in Saline, Holly, Wixom, Grand Rapids and Macomb, Michigan. They have already installed over 10,000 countertops in 2008 and plan to open more stores in the next couple years. Visit their website at http://www.rocktopsgranite.com to learn more and find a location near you.

Contact:

Charlie Thiede

17411 23 Mile Road

Macomb, MI 48042

586-263-6621

info@rocktopsgranite.com

Investors were amazed as they looked at over 400 unique slabs of granite and marble in the 15,000 sq. ft. showroom

Macomb, MI - Mark Maupin of National Real Estate Network recently visited the showroom of Rock Tops Granite, in Macomb, Michigan. He joined several real estate investors who were looking for quality material to remodel the kitchens and bathrooms in high-end homes they had recently acquired. "Investors who purchase property in very desirable, suburban areas know they cannot get away with cheap, inexpensive rehab jobs like they do in urban areas," Mark explained. "I recently met and interviewed Charlie Thiede, of Rock Tops Granite, and I was impressed with the quality of workmanship that goes into the manufacturing of granite and marble countertops. I thought it would be a great idea to take some members of my investment group on a tour of their showroom to learn more about the product and technology they use to measure and cut the granite."

Mark and the group of investors learned a lot when they toured the 15,000 sq. ft showroom containing over 400 unique slabs of granite and marble. "It was amazing!" Mark exclaimed. "No two pieces were the same!"

Charlie Thiede explained, "Unlike Corian or Silestone, Granite and Marble are products of nature, therefore, no two pieces will be the same. Adding a granite or marble countertop to a kitchen is a way to bring Mother Nature's Art Work into your home. Your unique countertop will be the envy of all your friends and neighbors; yours will be impossible for them to duplicate," explained Thiede, proudly.

Charlie also showed the group some of their fabricating equipment, explaining, "We use the latest in computer, numerically, controlled (CNC) technology for a perfect cut with an unmatched polished edge quality. These machines cost between $200,000 and $300,000; therefore, many other fabricators are still using hand routers and grinders to work the edge of the stone. This often takes days, where we can fabricate a countertop within hours. The hand method often creates imperfect and wavy edges, bad seams and a poor finish, where the CNC technology produces a perfect finish every time."

Charlie explained the many advantages of using granite or marble, including strength, durability and the ability to withstand heat if someone places a hot pan directly onto the countertop. "I don't recommend trying this with artificial surfaces such as Corian or Silestone," said Thiede. "It will melt the surface, doing permanent damage. Granite is also resistant to grease or water stains and is not affected by citric acid, coffee, tea, alcohol or wine; all very commonly used items in the kitchen, and often spilled on the countertop."

Marked thanked Charlie Thiede for the tour and educational information as he invited him to speak at a future meeting. Mark's group meets the third Thursday of each month in Belleville. "I'm sure a lot of my members will be interested in hearing about Rock Tops Granit countertops. I look forward to having one of their representatives speak at a future meeting; hopefully very soon, before the end of the year," said Mark.

Rock Tops Granite has 15 locations in 7 states, with showrooms in Saline, Holly, Wixom, Grand Rapids and Macomb, Michigan. They have already installed over 10,000 countertops in 2008 and plan to open more stores in the next couple years. Visit their website at http://www.rocktopsgranite.com to learn more and find a location near you.

Contact:

Charlie Thiede

17411 23 Mile Road

Macomb, MI 48042

586-263-6621

info@rocktopsgranite.com