Connie Webb

Christmas House - Friday/Saturday, December 3 & 4: Tour the beautiful, Tuscan style home of Dr. Rene Hinkle. Enjoy hand crafted items, delicious delights, green wreaths, swags and poinsettias. Tickets: $6 each, children 5 and under are free. Open Friday, 9 am - 7 pm and Saturday, 9 am - 3 pm. House is located at 9117 Wildflower. For tickets and more information call 634.0623.

Tinsel through Time - Friday, December 3: Explore Christmas traditions, live holiday music and refreshments while the Historic Governors' Mansion glistens and glows with several decades of holiday décor. This unique FREE exhibit, featuring numerous trees with all the historic trimmings, will continue to be on display for the public to view December 4-23, Wednesday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, and Friday, December 24 from 9 am to 12 pm. Mansion is located at 300 E. 21^st St. For more information call 777.7878.

A Christmas Carol - December 3-5 and 10-12: Presented by the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players, enjoy this classic play at the Historic Atlas Theatre. Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 pm. Sunday matinees at 2 pm. For ticket information, visit A Christmas Carol.

Create a Christmas Tree - Saturday, December 4: Create a Christmas tree ornament in celebration of the Wyoming tree being selected to be the Christmas tree at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Ages 5-12. Old West Museum, 4610 Carey Ave.

Teen Holiday House Contest - Monday, December 6: Bring your best ideas to the table to create a winning confectionery holiday house. Plenty of frosting and the basics will be provided, but feel free to bring extra goodies to make your house extravagant. 6 pm at the Laramie County Library. For more information call 634.3561.

Cheyenne Street Railway Holiday Light Tours - December 15-24: Explore the spectacular holiday light displays throughout the city of Cheyenne while riding the enchanting Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley. Tickets should be purchased in advance and are now on sale at Visit Cheyenne, located at the historic Depot (121 W. 15^th St.) or with a credit card at 307.778.3133. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tours run at 6 pm and 8 pm each night.

For more holiday events, visit Cheyenne Holiday Events.

The closing process of buying a home consists of many steps that will seal your deal. Here are a few of the final steps involved:

The Offer to Purchase

There is no way to guarantee that the offer you make will be accepted by the seller. But once you find the home of your dreams, it’s wise to act fast. A good rule of thumb when making your initial offer is to offer eight to 10 percent below the asking price so that you have some room to negotiate. While negotiating, make sure you have your highest price that you can afford in mind so that you don’t top it.

The Deposit

Earnest money, or a deposit, is a demonstration of good faith and commitment by the buyer to the seller. It is usually 1 percent of the home’s purchase price and is included in an offer to purchase. The deposit is usually held in trust by the real estate agent or the seller’s lawyer until the deal closes. Keep in mind that you may lose your deposit and be sued for damages if you decide not to close on a deal once your offer has been accepted. If the seller decides not to accept your offer, your deposit will be returned to you. And if the sale proceeds, your deposit is usually applied to your down payment on the house.

Contingencies

Before the buyer is required to close, there are certain requirements specified in a contract that need to be met. These typically include: the buyer’s securing of financing and an acceptable house inspection. A financing contingencies run for 30 days and an inspection contingency covers a 10 to 14 day period from the acceptance of the contract. When the market is in favor of a seller, buyers may be asked to fulfill their contingency requirements in a shorter time frame.

Home Inspection

A professional conducts a thorough examination of a property to assess its structural and mechanical condition. The idea is that a trained professional will be able to catch potential problems that a buyer may not be able to.

The Contract

The contract follows the acceptance of an offer by the seller and is a legal and binding obligation on the part of the buyer. It outlines the details of the transaction including: a description of the property, the selling price, the date of closing, the possession date and any applicable contingencies.

Settlement Sheet

Also known as a “closing statement” or a “settlement statement,” this document is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to account for all financial aspects surrounding the sale and purchase of a home. Items on the statement include real estate commissions and initial escrow amounts. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act requires that a copy of the settlement sheet be distributed to both parties at least one day prior to settlement.

Closing Documentation

Before you can close on a house, you must complete some paperwork. This includes a title to search to make sure the title is clear, title insurance to protect the buyer and the lender from an oversight regarding a claim on some aspect of the property and an application for homeowner’s insurance.

Closing Costs

Closing costs will vary from buyer to buyer, by may include: a loan origination fee, an appraisal fee, the cost of a credit report, a lender’s inspection fee, the cost of title insurance, a mortgage broker fee, taxes and a fee for document preparation.

Final Arrangements

Before the deal is closed and you take possession of the home, you must make arrangements regarding utility service and first mortgage payment.

Settlement

This describes the payment of the balance of the purchase price the buyer owes on the property and the transfer of the title and it takes place on the possession date specified in the agreement.

Information from Yahoo Real Estate How-To Guides: Buying & Selling

Wishing you and all of Cheyenne a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

The holidays are here! And that means there is plenty to do around Cheyenne. After you enjoy your nice Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends, be sure to check out some of these events.

Cheyenne Christmas Parade - Saturday, November 27; 5 pm

Enjoy Cheyenne's Christmas Parade featuring brightly illuminated floats, horse drawn wagons, bands, clowns, antique autos and colorful marching groups. Kick off is at 5 pm at 17^th Street and Carey Avenue. It marches north on Carey to 24^th Street, then turns right to Capitol Avenue. The parade makes another right on Capitol and heads back down to 16^th Street. It makes another right on 16^th and ends at Pioneer Avenue, lasting about an hour and 15 minutes. Be sure to arrive early to get your seats!

Santa Visits the Depot - Saturday, November 27; 10 am to 12 pm

Children are welcome to come and sit with Santa Claus in the Depot lobby from 10 am to Noon

Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Show - Sunday, November 28; 7 to 9 pm

The Oak Ridge Boys kick off this big show with their world famous four-part harmonies and string of hits that spans 3 decades. After a short intermission, the stage is transformed and it's Christmas! The trees are decorated, the snow will be falling and the Oak Ridge Boys will treat you to Christmas favorites as only they can. Show is at Cheyenne Civic Center and tickets range from $34.50 to $49.50.

Christkindlemart - Friday, November 26 - Sunday, November 28

Enjoy craft vendors with Christmas ornaments, decorations and specialty gifts from 8 am to 5 pm on Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday in the Depot Lobby

Holiday Tea - Friday, November 26 & Saturday, November 27

Celebrate the holidays by attending the annual Holiday Afternoon Tea. First seating begins at 1:30 and the last seating is at 3:40 pm. Nagle Warren Mansion. Price is $18.95 plus tax and gratuity.

Enjoy!

As many of you know, yesterday was Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistace Day. Again, I would like to send a huge shout out to all our past and current service members to thank them for their unselfish servitude. This day is meant to honor our Military and to show them our appreciation for their duty.

I also wanted to remind you about an opportunity that you may not be aware of to get paid money from the government for your extended duty. Back in October, the President extended the Retroactive Stop-Loss Special Pay deadline. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act authorized retroactive stop loss special pay of $500 for every month/partial month served in stop loss status.

Service members, veterans, and beneficiaries of service members who were involuntarily extended under stop loss between 9/11 and September 30th 2009 are eligible. But, you must act quickly as the deadline is December 3rd. This is pay that is due to service members and as of now, approximately 80,000 members have not made claim to this money. This could mean thousands of dollars for our service men and women. Visit this link for information and forms: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0710_stoploss/.

Please share this post with everyone you know so that we are sure our service members get their pay. I heard on CNN yesterday that there is more than $300,000,000 unclaimed back pay and your deadline is fast approaching. Please share this information with everyone in case they may know someone who is eligible.