Lisa Berggren

The new Greenpeace Greener Electronics Guide is now available. Topping the list Nokia, followed by Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, and Toshiba. The guide examines the top companies' policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. That means eliminating hazardous substances, recycling older products, and reducing emissions from the products and facilities.

These companies aren't perfect but they are on there way; and as this guide illustrates some are definitely farther along than others. Check it out on the Greenpeace website: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up

FHA Loans: Return to 0% Down

Source: Business Week
Publication date: June 4, 2009

By Theo Francis

The days of home buying with little or no money down may be back -- this time thanks to Uncle Sam.

Blamed for contributing to the housing bubble, zero-down-payment loans largely vanished when the market crashed and Congress blocked seller financing for government-backed loans. Now the federal government will be forking over cash at closing...

Click here to read more

FHA to Permit $8,000 Tax Credit as Down Payment

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan yesterday said FHA would permit lenders to allow first-time borrowers to use the $8,000 tax credit recently put into law as all or part of a down payment on a home.

Donovan's remarks at the National Association of Realtors legislative meeting in
Washington represented the second major news announcement for HUD this week; earlier this week, Donovan announced that HUD had withdrawn its "required use" provision in final Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act rules.

"We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment," Donovan said. "So FHA will permit trusted FHA-approved lenders and HUD-approved nonprofits, as well as state and local governmental entities to ''monetize'' the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. We think the policy is a real win for everyone, ensuring that borrowers can tap into the numerous organizations that are already part of the FHA network to receive this additional benefit.

Donovan cited estimates by the National Association of Home Builders that the tax credit could stimulate 160,000 home sales across the nation, of which 101,000 could be first-time buyers using the tax credit. Another 59,000 existing homeowners could buy another home because a first-time buyer purchased their home, he said.

Donovan said FHA will publish details of the plan shortly.

Hello again to everyone out there in blog land. I know I have been MIA for a little bit now but that's because I was taking some much needed vacation time in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Oh yeah and I got married while I was there!

You may have noticed the picture and name change on this profile... in case you missed it, Ms. Lisa Uddo is now Mrs. Lisa Berggren. This is definitely the biggest announcement of the day!

Also BIG NEWS... www.CheroCobbHomes.com is in the process of being completely revamped. There are new additions available today. We will continue updating the site to make it more user friendly in the next two weeks. When all of the updates and additions are complete I will send out another blog post.

And in the near future... I am currently studying for my Eco Broker Designation. I have decided to combine two of my great loves: my love of real estate and my love for the planet. This is allow me to specialize in Eco-Friendly "Green" properties (Earth Craft homes & homes build with environmentally friendly building materials) and Energy Efficient appliances to help save the planet and your pocketbook. With this new speciality I will also be launching a new website, which will be up and running for Earth Day 2008 on April 22. Not only will it provide customers with Eco Friendly Housing options and Energy Efficient Systems, but also a wealth of information on living a "Green" lifestyle as well as links to other resources and environmental issues in Cherokee & Cobb Counties.