In case you missed the first part of my full reading of the proposed health care bill HR 3200, here it is:
After my first post on this topic, I was a little surprised at how many emails and phone calls I received, the overwhelming majority of which were in support of what I am trying to accomplish. However, there were also a handful of not-so-nice messages mixed in. One person called me "naive" (I feel like I am probably closer to "hardened" sometimes), and I was told that I shouldn't express a layman's opinion on this topic, but listen to others instead. One person told me that I was ignoring the facts, and another one implied that I was being selfish. I guess my skin got a bit thicker over the past few days, because here is the latest installment. :) I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but at least you will see where I am getting my information.
I want to form an opinion for myself based exclusively on the facts, rather than listening to so-called experts on either side. I also hope to spur debate and discussion on this massive piece of proposed legislation.
In my opinion, everyone's ideas are filtered through their experiences and priorities. I have already shared what is important to me in my first post. I have an online network of almost 17,000 people who regularly pay attention to what I say (this comes from my involvement on multiple platforms). I am hoping to have at least a small impact on this critical debate. After all, this is one of the few things that will affect everyone in this country.
The post I wrote a couple of days ago (link above) was forwarded to a U.S. Congressmen, a national TV personality, and a link will be included in a newspaper article set to be published next week in a city up north. Additionally, it was re-posted on many blogs, and it was included in a massive email blast by one reader. If you don't yet understand how powerful blogging can be, let that sink in for a moment.
This is an even longer post than before, and I am only a little over 10% of the way through the bill. Without further ado, my observations are below.
_________________________________________________________________________
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE; OUTLINE OF DUTIES; DEFINITIONS.
(b) Outline of Duties of Commissioner- In accordance with this subtitle and in coordination with appropriate Federal and State officials as provided under section 143(b), the Commissioner shall--
(1) under section 204 establish standards for, accept bids from, and negotiate and enter into contracts with, QHBP offering entities for the offering of health benefits plans through the Health Insurance Exchange, with different levels of benefits required under section 203, and including with respect to oversight and enforcement.
MY NOTE: Again, this seems to come back to the point I made in my original post. Isn't the insurance industry already regulated at the state level? I know that we have the Texas Department of Insurance for this stuff. I wonder if this will add another layer of regulation, or if it will shift to the federal level instead. As I mentioned previously, the newly-appointed Commissioner appears to have an amazing amount of responsibility and power.
SEC. 202. EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS.
(a) Access to Coverage- In accordance with this section, all individuals are eligible to obtain coverage through enrollment in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan offered through the Health Insurance Exchange unless such individuals are enrolled in another qualified health benefits plan or other acceptable coverage.
MY NOTE: Does this mean that only people with no insurance coverage at all are eligible, or does it mean that you have to cancel your current coverage if you are accepted into one of the health exchange plans? I think it probably means the latter, but the meaning is certainly not clear at this point. I hope this section is edited later.
(3) FAR NOT APPLICABLE- The provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall not apply to contracts between the Commissioner and QHBP offering entities for the offering of Exchange-participating health benefits plans under this title.
MY NOTE: I had to look this up to understand what the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) actually does. Basically, this is in place to regulate the purchase of good and services by the federal government. Why is the Commissioner allowed to enter contracts without the normal safeguards in place for other agencies?
SEC 204 (b)(4) ENROLLMENT- The entity shall accept all enrollments under this subtitle, subject to such exceptions (such as capacity limitations) in accordance with the requirements under title I for a qualified health benefits plan. The entity shall notify the Commissioner if the entity projects or anticipates reaching such a capacity limitation that would result in a limitation in enrollment.
MY NOTE: Could someone explain to me why an insurance company would be limited to a specific number of enrollees? This seems like a bad business plan to me. I am just a real estate broker, but I think I would call this "a good problem to have", meaning that I would hire the necessary help to handle all of the clients that we have.
I don't think a provision should be included to allow companies to invoke this "capacity limitation" to avoid covering specific people. It seems like the type of thing that could easily lead to abuse.
SEC. 205. OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT OF EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS IN EXCHANGE-PARTICIPATING HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN.
(b)(2)(B) SPECIAL ENROLLMENT- The Commissioner shall also provide for special enrollment periods to take into account special circumstances of individuals and employers, such as an individual who--
(i) loses acceptable coverage;
(ii) experiences a change in marital or other dependent status;
(iii) moves outside the service area of the Exchange-participating health benefits plan in which the individual is enrolled; or
(iv) experiences a significant change in income
MY NOTE: It's hard to argue with that section, but I'm sure someone will find a way to do so. :) Clearly, they are trying to make allowances for the current economic climate., which I can appreciate.
SEC. 205 (c)(2)(D) ensure that the Internet website described in subparagraph (A) and the information described in subparagraph (B) is developed using plain language (as defined in section 133(a)(2)).
MY NOTE: This section is one of several that allude to using "plain language" to describe benefits, etc. to the public. Why is it not possible to do this with the bill itself? I realize that this stuff is written by teams of attorneys, but this is something that will all of us, at least to some degree. I guess it just seems ironic to me.
SEC 205 (d)(1) COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN NEWBORNS
(A) IN GENERAL- In the case of a child born in the United States who at the time of birth is not otherwise covered under acceptable coverage, for the period of time beginning on the date of birth and ending on the date the child otherwise is covered under acceptable coverage (or, if earlier, the end of the month in which the 60-day period, beginning on the date of birth, ends), the child shall be deemed
(i) to be a non-traditional Medicaid eligible individual (as defined in subsection (e)(5)) for purposes of this division and Medicaid; and
(ii) to have elected to enroll in Medicaid through the application of paragraph (3).
2(B) EXTENDED TREATMENT AS TRADITIONAL MEDICAID ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL- In the case of a child described in subparagraph (A) who at the end of the period referred to in such subparagraph is not otherwise covered under acceptable coverage, the child shall be deemed (until such time as the child obtains such coverage or the State otherwise makes a determination of the child's eligibility for medical assistance under its Medicaid plan pursuant to section 1943(c)(1) of the Social Security Act) to be a traditional Medicaid eligible individual described in section 1902(l)(1)(B) of such Act
MY NOTE: As I read this last night, I saw a lot of potential for major political disagreement over these paragraphs. Since no distinction is made about the parents of the child born here in the U.S., this section would clearly cover newborns with parents who are here illegally, for at least the first 2 months. As it stands right now, no one can be denied care if they are admitted into an emergency room in the U.S. This is under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals and ambulance services to provide care to anyone needing emergency treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay. This section of the bill seems to grant even more benefits, providing for automatic coverage for anyone born on U.S. soil to be eligible for Medicare immediately. Please note that it doesn't provide this for anyone who already has insurance in place.
As a father of four, I am obviously in favor of taking care of babies, who are utterly helpless. However, I think this section has the potential to cause a huge influx of immigrants who want to take advantage of this loophole, once the word begins to spread. This is bothersome to me, and I hope this is clarified further as the bill progresses into committee discussion.
SEC. 206 (c)(1) (1) ESTABLISHMENT; APPOINTMENT.--There is hereby established the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange, to be headed by a Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (in this subsection referred to as the ''Special Inspector General'') to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) DUTIES- The Special Inspector General shall--
(A) conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits, evaluations and investigations of the Health Insurance Exchange to protect the integrity of the Health Insurance Exchange, as well as the health and welfare of participants in the Exchange;
(B) report both to the Commissioner and to the Congress regarding program and management problems and recommendations to correct them;
(C) have other duties (described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 121 of division A of Public Law 110-343) in relation to the duties described in the previous subparagraphs; and
(D) have the authorities provided in section 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 in carrying out duties under this paragraph.
MY NOTE: I got excited while reading this section, because I thought it was finally going to provide for some accountability for the Commissioner, too. Unfortunately, this extra position that the bill seeks to create would REPORT to the Commissioner. Darn. This attempt at accountability is also controlled by the Commissioner, it seems.
Furthermore, the Inspector General position terminates completely after five years. And yes, I am sure. It doesn't say that it's a five-year term. It states, "(5) TERMINATION- The Office of the Special Inspector General shall terminate five years after the date of the enactment of this Act." Why is that?
SEC. 207. HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE TRUST FUND.
(b) Payments From Trust Fund- The Commissioner shall pay from time to time from the Trust Fund such amounts as the Commissioner determines are necessary to make payments to operate the Health Insurance Exchange, including payments under subtitle C (relating to affordability credits).
MY NOTE: Again, this appears to give one person carte blanche to determine how much money is needed to run the exchange.
(c) Transfers to Trust Fund-
(1) DEDICATED PAYMENTS- There is hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the following:
(A) TAXES ON INDIVIDUALS NOT OBTAINING ACCEPTABLE COVERAGE- The amounts received in the Treasury under section 59B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to requirement of health insurance coverage for individuals).
(B) EMPLOYMENT TAXES ON EMPLOYERS NOT PROVIDING ACCEPTABLE COVERAGE- The amounts received in the Treasury under section 3111(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to employers electing to not provide health benefits).
(C) EXCISE TAX ON FAILURES TO MEET CERTAIN HEALTH COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS- The amounts received in the Treasury under section 4980H(b) (relating to excise tax with respect to failure to meet health coverage participation requirements).
MY NOTES: Where do I start with this one? In a nutshell, each subparagraph here appears to refer to something that is either repealed or that they are hoping to create with the bill itself. Frankly, this seems to be lifted from a previous document, since some of the reference points are outdated.
Under section (A), it refers to amounts received under section 59B on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Because of the intriguing title of that subparagraph, I wanted to see what the Code actually says in that section. Based on my research today, it appears as though this section of the tax code was repealed on December 13, 1989. How is it possible to collect funds under a law that no longer exists?
Here's a link to one place that I found this, on the Cornell University Law School website:
Under section (B), it refers to 3111 (c) of the same tax code. This bill appears to create that section as part of the federal tax code(i.e. did not exist before).
As for section (C), it seems as though this would also create a new section within the tax code. I found 4980G, but not H.
SEC. 208. OPTIONAL OPERATION OF STATE-BASED HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGES.
(b) Requirements for Approval -
(5) Such other requirements as the Commissioner may specify.
(2) TERMINATION; HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE RESUMPTION OF FUNCTIONS- The Commissioner may terminate the approval (for some or all functions) of a State-based Health Insurance Exchange under this section if the Commissioner determines that such Exchange no longer meets the requirements of subsection (b) or is no longer capable of carrying out such functions in accordance with the requirements of this subtitle. In lieu of terminating such approval, the Commissioner may temporarily assume some or all functions of the State-based Health Insurance Exchange until such time as the Commissioner determines the State-based Health Insurance Exchange meets such requirements of subsection (b) and is capable of carrying out such functions in accordance with the requirements of this subtitle.
I have read through 115 pages as of today. I will return sometime soon with more of my input. Thanks for reading!
__________________________________________________________________________
TYPOS/MISTAKES I FOUND:
Sec. 202 (h) (3) REPORT- Not later than January 1 of Y3, in Y6, and thereafter, the Commissioner shall submit... wrong year listed?
Sec. 207 (c)(1)(C) Presumably, the words, "of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986" need to be added, in order to make this section consistent.
I decided about 3 days ago to read the entire proposed health care bill, HR 3200, also known as America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. It has been hotly debated lately, and I wanted to know firsthand what was contained therein that could inspire such passion on both sides.
I have never been one to allow others to form my opinions for me, and I have a feeling that this particular topic is one that will be discussed for some time. I want to be able to speak knowledgably about this issue. There is no better place to garner this information than directly from the source itself.
My guess is that it will take me a few weeks to work my way through the bill, since it is essentially 1100 pages of legalese. That being said, I am committed to finishing this quest. I do know that this is not the final version, as it must progress through committees before getting to any vote. That being said, there is so much discussion about this that I wanted to learn as much as I could.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME: If you don't already read my blog, let me give you some background information about myself. I am a Christian homeschooling father of four, and I am generally conservative in my political beliefs. That being said, I am also one of the many millions of people with a pre-existing condition that makes it impossible for me to get normal individual insurance coverage. Hence, we pay about $1300/month for insurance, since I am self-employed. Additionally, my wife and I paid approximately $30,000 to give birth to our last two children, and those were natural childbirths (i.e. no epidural, etc.). Clearly, I am in favor of anything that will reduce our health care costs, as long as it makes sense. As you can see, my opinions probably don't line up with either side at this point. I am not an attorney - I'm just a guy who is interested in seeing what is proposed.
By the way, I fully realize that this post is long. There will be others. I don't expect you to read every word, but if you do, thank you in advance for doing so.
______________________________________________________________________________
I finished reading the first large section (Title I) yesterday evening. Here are my notes and observations thus far:
My reading of the table of contents revealed the following sections that seem ripe for political disagreements. We will return to review these as I work my way through the bill.
Sec. 246. No Federal payment for undocumented aliens.
Sec. 401. Tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage.
Sec. 441. Surcharge on high income individuals.
SOMETHING I LEARNED
I learned via my research that an insurance company's "medical loss ratio" is the amount of premiums actually used to pay for medical services. The Act calls for the highest-possible ratio. If plans don't meet this, they must rebate any overage to their enrollees. While I suppose it seems appealing to get a dividend of sorts from my insurance company, this feature also seems to inhibit companies from being profitable.
OTHER NOTES FROM TITLE I
SEC. 111. PROHIBITING PRE-EXISTING CONDITION EXCLUSIONS. This is the first section that I liked, at least in principle. In a nutshell, this section states that "A qualified health benefits plan may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion...". Clearly, I like this, since I haven't been able to get "real" insurance since 1993.
Sec. 113, (a) (1) - Limited age variation permitted - no more than a 2:1 ratio. This means that they can't charge anyone more than double what the lowest rates are. Admittedly, this seems more fair than the present rules would indicate, although I am pretty sure that the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool (my insurance) has the same limit in place.
SEC. 121. COVERAGE OF ESSENTIAL BENEFITS PACKAGE.
(c) No Restrictions on Coverage Unrelated to Clinical Appropriateness- A qualified health benefits plan may not impose any restriction (other than cost-sharing) unrelated to clinical appropriateness on the coverage of the health care items and services.
MY NOTE: Since this would tend to indicate that the public health option cannot restrict care unless there is a medical reason to do so (and I welcome other interpretations here), it seems to me that this particular section could cause a lot of problems and arguments. Why? Well, simply put, most abortions would be covered, if I am reading this correctly. I am personally pro-life, but I have discussed this with a couple of pro-choice friends. Frankly, none of us want to fund abortions via our tax dollars.
SEC. 122. ESSENTIAL BENEFITS PACKAGE DEFINED.
Under part (a):
(3) does not impose any annual or lifetime limit on the coverage of covered health care items and services;
MY NOTE: This seems reasonable to me. I know people who have run up against their limit from ONE big illness/hospitalization. I doubt that the average insurance shopper knows to look at this limit in their current policy. To me, having a limit in place for health care is like saying that your home's hazard insurance will cover you as long as nothing really bad happens, like a fire.
(5) is equivalent, as certified by Office of the Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to the average prevailing employer-sponsored coverage.
MY NOTE: Again, this seems very reasonable.
Under part (b):
Minimum Services To Be Covered- The items and services described in this subsection are the following:
(1) Hospitalization.
(2) Outpatient hospital and outpatient clinic services, including emergency department services.
(3) Professional services of physicians and other health professionals.
(4) Such services, equipment, and supplies incident to the services of a physician's or a health professional's delivery of care in institutional settings, physician offices, patients' homes or place of residence, or other settings, as appropriate.
(5) Prescription drugs.
(6) Rehabilitative and habilitative services.
(7) Mental health and substance use disorder services.
(8) Preventive services, including those services recommended with a grade of A or B by the Task Force on Clinical Preventive Services and those vaccines recommended for use by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(9) Maternity care.
(10) Well baby and well child care and oral health, vision, and hearing services, equipment, and supplies at least for children under 21 years of age.
MY NOTE: I was shocked to see maternity care covered under the essential plan. In my own family, this item would have saved us countless thousands of dollars. My wife pointed out that the list didn't include birth control pills, which I suppose could result in a new baby boom. :)
SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
This will automatically includes Surgeon General, and up to 17 people appointed by the President, along with 9 people appointed by the Comptroller General.
MY NOTE: Why is the President (no matter which party) given this much control over this committee? If the President is able to appoint 17 of the 27 members, it seems like an inordinate amount of control. Perhaps this should be spread out a bit more.
SEC. 141. HEALTH CHOICES ADMINISTRATION; HEALTH CHOICES COMMISSIONER.
(a) In General- There is hereby established, as an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government, a Health Choices Administration (in this division referred to as the `Administration').
NOTE: Is it really necessary to set up an entirely new agency? This seems like the type of thing that could be maintained through the Dept. of Health and Human Services, in my humble opinion.
(2) FLEXIBILITY IN PLAN ENROLLMENT AUTHORIZED- Beginning with Y3, the Commissioner shall establish a process to allow an affordability credit to be used for enrollees in enhanced or premium plans. In the case of an affordable credit eligible individual who enrolls in an enhanced or premium plan, the individual shall be responsible for any difference between the premium for such plan and the affordable credit amount otherwise applicable if the individual had enrolled in a basic plan.
NOTE: I understand the principle at play here, but I don't understand why the affordability credits can be used to defray the cost of "premium" plans. It would seem more fair to simply provide the basic plan to those who can't afford it, rather than allowing them to choose the most expensive plan and pay very little for this.
(B) FOR UNAFFORDABLE EMPLOYER COVERAGE- Beginning in Y2, in the case of full-time employees for which the cost of the employee premium for coverage under a group health plan would exceed 11 percent of current family income (determined by the Commissioner on the basis of verifiable documentation and without regard to section 245), paragraph (1) shall not apply.
NOTE: I certainly hope the costs are supremely low if this is the definition that they plan to use. I would love for my own insurance cost to be under 11% of my income. The section also refers to modified adjusted gross income, which would make it an even lower figure. This seems like a low threshold for what constitutes "unaffordable", but I must admit that this would benefit me directly.
Sec. 1137A. (D) enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card.
NOTE: This section is actually modifying the Social Security Act, which is why the numbering is different. This could result in some interesting debates. Does this information go to the newly-created Health Choices Administration, or is it simply meant to make payment and approvals faster?
SEC. 164. REINSURANCE PROGRAM FOR RETIREES. (d) Retiree Reserve Trust Fund- (B) FUNDING- There are hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount requested by the Secretary as necessary to carry out this section, except that the total of all such amounts requested shall not exceed $10,000,000,000.
NOTE: This section is intended to provide reimbursement for employers who provide health care for their retirees. This particular figure ($10 Billion) seems to have been thrown out without a lot of supporting research for setting the limit there.
Overall, it seems as though the Health Choices Commissioner (new position created by the Act if it is passed) is given a LOT of power to determine things under this bill. This will be a Presidential appointee. In one section, it states that the duties include "ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS- Such additional functions as may be specified in this division." Later, the bill gives the Commissioner the power to provide for the development of standards for the definitions of terms used in health insurance coverage, including insurance-related terms. This seems like an exceptional amount of power to me to vest in one person.
____________________________________________________________________
TYPOS/MISTAKES
I realize that this version hasn't been finalized in any way, but I did find a few errors, for what it's worth. I suppose I included these items just to prove that I am reading every word of this thing:
Subtitle B, Sec. 221, part (a) - should read "compromising", not "comprimising"
Sec. 114 (b) - the provisions of section 2705 (other than subsections (a)(1), (a)(2), and (c)) of section 2705 of the Public Health Service Act - REPEATED PHRASE
Under Sec. 123 (d) Publication- The Secretary shall provide for publication in the Federal Register and the posting on the Internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services of all recommendations made by the Health Benefits Advisory Committee under this section.
In the next section, Sec. 124. (a) (4) Add "and the posting on the Internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services " to make these sections consistent.
Sec. 154 - SHOULD SAY "or" instead of "of".
This is the final installment in a seven-part series about how to buy a home in the Austin, Texas area. All of the previous posts in the series are here:
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step One: Get Pre-Approved for Mortgage Financing
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Two: Selecting an Area of Town
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Three: Finding the Home Itself
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Four: Writing an Offer!
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Five: Inspection and Repairs
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Six: Preparing for Closing (Ducks in a Row)
_____________________________________________________________________
The finish line is in sight. You are about to get a brand-new place to live! Although the process can seem challenging sometimes, it is about to pay off. You probably won't even remember the tough parts later. :)
On the day of closing, you will spend about an hour (perhaps a little more) signing paperwork which will convey the property to you. The bulk of the papers will deal with financing and the various disclosures required by your lender. The remainder are the deed and various affidavits.
The length of time that you spend at the title company (or attorney's office) will depend on a number of factors, including the experience level of the closing/escrow officer, and the number of questions that you have about the paperwork itself.
I once had a client who finished in about 10 minutes flat. He asked simply, "Don't I have to sign all of the papers to get the house?" The escrow officer told him that he did, then he asked for the entire stack and signed them quickly. I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, but I did see it happen! Usually, the closer will spend a few seconds explaining each document, then asking for your initials and/or signature, depending on what is called for in the closing instructions. Prepare to get writer's cramp at least once.
Most times, the seller or builder for your home will require that the loan has "funded" before you get the keys, which means that the money actually moves from your lender's bank to the title company. While this can definitely occur on the same day as the closing, sometimes it is a day or two later, so we usually advise our clients not to plan their "move-in" for their new homes until at least the day after closing. Otherwise, it can create some awkward situations. You don't want to pay extra storage fees to your moving company, and you certainly don't want to end up homeless for a couple of days. Give yourself some overlap time, so that you can ensure that you have a place to stay in the event of any delay.
After you have closed and the loan is officially funded, it's time to begin moving in to your new house!
One of the main reasons that I became a Realtor back in 1997 was that I enjoy the feeling of helping others find the right home.
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesistate to call or email me anytime. My cell phone number is 512-796-7653, and my email address is jason@austintexashomes.com. This concludes my "buying a home in Austin" series.
Thanks very much for reading! You can also visit my primary Austin Texas real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com.
Image above is courtesy of qwrrty via Flickr.com.
Last week, we had an absolutely awesome show with Tara Hunt, author of "The Whuffie Factor". If you haven't already heard it, I would encourage you to check it out here: http://budurl.com/fdbr. 
Tomorrow morning (or afternoon, depending on where you live), we are excited to have Shel Israel joining us for the second time. He was a guest of the show exactly six months ago today. Shel's first book, "Naked Conversations", which he co-wrote with Robert Scoble, is considered to be one of the seminal books on business blogging. His NEW BOOK, "Twitterville", is going to be released on September 3rd.
Shel was a great guest the first time around, and I have no doubt that we will have a great time again tomorrow.
Here are some highlights from the Amazon.com description of "Twitterville":
Israel introduces you to trailblazers such as:
* Frank Eliason, who used Twitter to reverse Comcast's blemished customer service reputation
* Bill Fergus, who was on the team at Henry Ford Medical Center during the first "live tweeted" surgery
* Scott Monty, social media officer for Ford, who held off a mob of misinformed Ranger fans and averted a PR crisis
* Connie Reece, who used Twitter to raise tens of thousands of dollars for cancer patients in need
* The Coffee Groundz, a Houston-area coffee shop that uses Twitter to pack the tables (and fight off Starbucks)
Here is a link to Shel's February appearance on Social Media Edge if you would like to do a bit of catching up before you listen tomorrow:
As always, the show will feature our cast of regulars (or irregulars?) Mike Mueller, Jeremy Blanton, and TS Elliott. We broadcast live each Tuesday at noon Eastern, 11am Central, 10am Mountain, 9am Pacific.
If you are interested, you can also pre-order Shel's book right here (I plan to do that myself):
I hope you can join us for what should prove to be a fun and educational hour!
This is part six of a seven-part series intended to teach you more about the homebuying process in Austin, Texas. The first five parts are here:
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step One: Get Pre-Approved for Mortgage Financing
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Two: Selecting an Area of Town
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Three: Finding the Home Itself
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Four: Writing an Offer!
Buying a Home in Austin, Texas - Step Five: Inspection and Repairs
__________________________________________________________________________
Now that we have successfully negotiated the repairs for your home based on the inspection report we received, the number of hurdles remaining is rather small. 
Some of the main things which must be done to ensure a smooth closing include:
If you don't already have a company in mind for your home's hazard insurance, we are happy to recommend a couple of possibilities.
With regard to the financing, don't be surprised if your lender comes back to you for more documentation even after they say that you have been approved for the loan. The final stage of your mortgage loan is the underwriting process, and the underwriter usually has a few conditions that need to be cleared before the lender can produce your closing paperwork. This might include your latest pay stub, or some other minor document. The good news is that this means you are nearing the finish line!
We will endeavor to get the necessary phone numbers for you for the utility companies. Depending on where you live, you might have a choice when it comes to your electricity provider, since Texas was deregulated a few years back and most outlying areas of town (not Austin proper) have competing companies.
I never recommend planning to move in the same day that you close, since this is asking for headaches. I would plan to give yourself a 2-3 day cushion on the move.
Basically, we will have a few weeks when things seem to be moving more slowly, after the whirlwind of finding the right home, negotiating a good deal, and getting the place inspected. During this period, we are heavily dependent on your lender and the title company to perform their functions properly to ensure a smooth closing for you. I have often said that I can do my job 100% correctly yet still not get paid. Obviously, I only get paid when you close on your home, so I will do my best to keep all of the personnel involved moving in the right direction.
The next (and final) step will be your closing! I will post a link here once that post has been written. :)
If you have any questions at all about buying a home in Austin or the surrounding areas, please don't hesitate to call me anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email me: jason@austintexashomes.com. I look forward to helping you find the right place!
Photo above courtesy of Joe Lanman via Flickr.com.
 |
|
|
I have been working as a full-time Austin area Realtor since January 1997. My years of experience serve me well as the broker and co-owner of Austin Texas Homes, LLC, which began operations in 2004.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
