Adolfo Trana Bilingual Real Estate Agent Spanish speaking real estate Agent |Ga.

This ruling by Fannie Mae will make a huge difference on loans applications made by couples that get transfered.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009061905?OpenDocument

Fannie Mae has changed the rules about how it considers income from a spouse or partner who moves without a job.

Under the old rules, when a company transferred someone or an employee accepted a new position that entailed a move and the spouse or partner quit his or her job to come along, Fannie Mae would count at least part of that person's income when considering a mortgage application.

But now, Fannie will no longer count the income of what it calls the "trailing spouse" until that person actually finds a new job and has a paycheck in hand.

Brian Faith, a spokesman for Fannie Mae, says, "Given the current economic and job market instability, the company has opted to discontinue consideration of trailing secondary wage-earner income in the interest of safer underwriting, since this income would only be anticipated and undocumented."

Jan Hatfield-Goldman, a vice president for Worldwide ERC, the international trade association representing the employee relocation industry, said Fannie's decision "makes the current challenging relocation environment even more so. Some transfers will either have to qualify on the basis of one income." This will force couples to "buy less house than they wanted," or "they may be required to rent for an extended period of time until the spouse or couple is re-employed."

Source: Washington Post Writers Group, Ken Harney (06/19/2009)

Free Real-Time Traffic Information

Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides you with real time traffic and travel information, or allows you to request assistance 24 hours a day. Georgia 511 can be accessed from anywhere in Georgia, by simply dialing 5-1-1.

http://www.511ga.org/Pages/Home.aspx

Here is a list put out by Newsweek of the best High Schools in the Nation, the list contains 1500 schools, below are the North Georgia schools and ther anking they obtain for 2008 school year.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/201160/?s=georgia&q=2009/rank/1

Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 6 percent of public schools measured this way.

If you have questions about the list, please contact challenge@washpost.com. Note: Subs. Lunch % is the percentage of students receiving federally subsidized meals. E and E % stands for equity and excellence percentage: the portion of all graduating seniors at a school that had at least one passing grade on one AP or IB test. For more information on methodology, see our FAQ; please leave your comments on the list in the comments box below.

Showing 1 to 51 of 51 Schools from 2009

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**Includes IB and/or Cambridge tests. Nearly all other schools use just AP tests.

Hurricane season is here, prepare yourself and survive. Most of the people living near coastal areas never heed the call, and some of them pay the ultimate price.

Do not wait until the last minute, plan you strategy ahead of time and avoid headaches as well as heartaches.

http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html

Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Scientists can now predict hurricanes, but people who live in coastal communities should plan what they will do if they are told to evacuate.

Step 1: Get A Kit / "To-Go Bag"

• Get an Emergency Supply Kit,which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. You may want to prepare a portable kit and keep it in your car. This kit should include:
  • Copies of prescription medications and medical supplies;
  • Bedding and clothing, including sleeping bags and pillows;
  • Bottled water, a battery-operated radio and extra batteries, a first aid kit, a flashlight;
  • Copies of important documents: driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, etc.

• Make sure you have a "to-go bag" ready in case you need to evacuate, include:
  • Water and non-perishable food;
  • Battery operated radio and batteries so you can get important information from local officials;
  • First aid kit;
  • Flashlight;
  • Maps
  • Important documents such as proof residence, pictures of your family including pets, insurance policies, and tax records;
  • Comfortable clothing and blankets;
  • Unique family needs such as prescription medications, pet supplies, infant supplies or any other unique need your family may have;

Step 2: Make a Plan

Prepare your family

• Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency
• Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
• It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
• You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
• Plan to Evacuate
  • Identify ahead of time where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
  • Identify several places you could go in an emergency, a friend's home in another town, a motel or public shelter.
  • If you do not have a car, plan alternate means of evacuating.
  • If you have a car, keep a half tank of gas in it at all times in case you need to evacuate.
  • Take your Emergency Supply Kit.
  • Take your pets with you, but understand that only service animals may be permitted in public shelters. Plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency.
• Take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class from your local Citizen Corps chapter. Keep your training current.

Step 3: Be Informed

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a hurricane.

• A hurricane watchmeans a hurricane is possible in your area. Be prepared to evacuate. Monitor local radio and television news outlets or listen to NOAA Weather Radio for the latest developments.
• A hurricane warning is when a hurricane is expected in your area. If local authorities advise you to evacuate, leave immediately.
• Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on their wind speed, central pressure, and damage potential. Category Three and higher hurricanes are considered major hurricanes, though Categories One and Two are still extremely dangerous and warrant your full attention.

• Hurricanes can produce widespread torrential rains. Floods are the deadly and destructive result. Slow moving storms and tropical storms moving into mountainous regions tend to produce especially heavy rain. Excessive rain can trigger landslides or mud slides, especially in mountainous regions. Flash flooding can occur due to intense rainfall. Flooding on rivers and streams may persist for several days or more after the storm. Learn more about preparing your home or business for a possible flood by reviewing the Floods page.

Prepare Your Home

• Cover all of your home's windows with pre-cut ply wood or hurricane shutters to protect your windows from high winds.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Keep all trees and shrubs well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Secure your home by closing shutters, and securing outdoor objects or bringing them inside.
• Turn off utilities as instructed. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.

Prepare Your Business

Plan to stay in business, talk to your employees, and protect your investment.

• Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operating.
• Identify operations critical to survival and recovery.
• Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible.
  • Consider if you can run the business from a different location or from your home.
  • Develop relationships with other companies to use their facilities in case a disaster makes your location unusable.
• Learn about programs, services, and resources at U.S. Small Business Administration.

Listen to Local Officials
Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.

Federal and National Resources

Find additional information on how to plan and prepare for a hurricane by visiting the following resources:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• NOAA Watch
• American Red Cross
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control

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