Now that home sales are down and rentals are up it might be a good idea to get more facts about the rental market.

At this time you might decide to rent rather than buy a home for practical and financial reasons.

Lack of liquidity is one of the major problems with investing in real estate.

If you're on your own, for example, getting together a down payment and managing the expense of a mortgage, taxes, insurance, and upkeep may put too great a strain on your budget. And having all your assets tied up in your home has serious drawbacks. Among other things, it limits your ability to invest enough to meet the other goals that are important to you.

Another reason to rent is a job that keeps you on the move or requires you to relocate periodically. It's not always easy to sell when you're transferred or change jobs especially in this market with so much inventory.

The RENTAL MARKET, a topic of great interest now that a larger percentage of the total transactions are rentals vs. sales.

President of EWM Ron Shuffield made a video and he stated; "The goal of this video is two-fold: one is to make sure that we are providing you with current, factual information about topics of interest, and the second is to provide you with an additional marketing tool that allows you to forward these videos to individuals within your sphere of influence. Everyone is clamoring for viable real estate market information today, so we're confident that they will be well-received".

Just click below to view this RENTAL MARKET update.

View the video.

Ron thanks for making this great video and I will forward it on to our customers.

The 4 best ways to improve your credit score is what you hear all the time.

1. Pay your bills on time.

2. Reduce outstanding debt.

3.Build up your savings.

4. Don't fall for illegal schemes that help create a new credit identity.

NOW WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT!

CHECK YOUR SCORE

Check your own score yearly by ordering reports from the three major credit scoring companies:

Equifax: (www.equifax.com)

Experian (www.experian.com)

TransUnion (www.tuc.com)

Notify the credit bureau of inaccuracies, along with copies of documents that dispute incorrect entries. Request that late payments older than seven years be removed. Verify and update accounts and account numbers. Last verify your address and Social Security number.

THE CREDITORS

Well credit card companies and lenders (BANKS) rely on credit scores, which determine someone's chances to borrow money and how favorable the terms will be. Scores range from 350 to 850. Scores below 620 are considered risky; 720 and over are excellent.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF SCORING

The five categories of scoring are:

•1. Payment history is about 35%

•2. Amount owed is approximately 30%

•3. Length of credit history is roughly 15%

•4. New Credit is 10%

•5. Types of credit is around 10%

Lenders receive your score and "REASON CODES," which are the keys to improving your score.

Now that many Banks have failed, sold, bailed-out, or rescued. What will your credit score be?

Will it make a difference if they don't have money to lend?

Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Will my mortgage become more expensive?

If you are looking for a new deal most likely your mortgage will go up.

The cost to banks of borrowing and lending money between themselves has risen again, driving up the cost to banks of funding and offering new fixed-rate and other mortgage deals.

In Europe Libor, or the London Interbank Offered Rate, is the rate at which banks lend money to each other, and the three-month rate has reached its highest level since December, rising well above 6%.

Not only in the U.S. but the three major lenders in Europe have raised some of their mortgage rates - HSBC, Woolwich and First Direct - and other lenders are reviewing their deals.

The takeover by Lloyds TSB of HBOS will also reduce competition among mortgage lenders, tending to make it easier for the remaining lenders to charge that bit more for their loans - or offer less interest on bank accounts.

So mortgages are likely to be set higher here in America and the Bank of England's base rate than was the case before.

The Bank of England has said the rate of inflation would soon hit 5%, before falling back. Once it is convinced this is about to happen it may well cut rates to help stimulate the economy and overcome the impending economic recession.

So in due course mortgages should become cheaper; but not just yet.

Hey the good News is that Gas is down today on the Market at $95.00 a barrel.

What should Congress do next about the financial crisis?

How will it affect Wall Street?

Stocks plummeted on Wall Street even before the 228-205 vote to reject the bill was announced on the House floor.

How will it affect the Housing Market?

No loans or harder to get a loan.

How will it affect you and me?

Will anyone need a Real Estate Agent if they can't get a loan?

So many questions so little answers.

Now that Congress voted NO to the Bail out all we can do is wait and see like everyone else is doing.

All over the world today people are waiting and watching.