Robert McLaughlin

- Real Estate Update
- Buyers & Seller's Corner
- Home Improvement
- Trivia Challenge
- Health & Fitness
- New Movie Releases
- Recipe of the Month
- Travel Tips
- Forward to a Friend

April 2009

1 -- April Fool's Day
12 -- Easter
15 -- Tax Day
22 -- Earth Day

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
-- Chinese Proverb

Existing-Home Sales Rise in February

Existing-home sales increased in February, reversing losses in January, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors®. Even so, sales activity remains relatively soft, reflecting additional layoffs and buyers waiting for housing provisions in the economic stimulus package to take effect.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 5.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.72 million units in February from a pace of 4.49 million units in January. Seasonal adjustment factors are more volatile in winter months, but sales rates over the past few months show dampened sales activity.

“Because entry-level buyers are shopping for bargains, distressed sales accounted for 40 to 45 percent of transactions in February,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, noting that most of the activity concentrated in lower price ranges. “Our analysis shows that distressed homes typically are selling for 20 percent less than the normal market price, and this naturally is drawing down the overall median price.”

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $165,400 in February, down 15.5 percent from a year ago when the median was $195,800 and conditions were close to normal.

“Given the downward distortion in price comparisons due to distressed sales, it’s important for owners to keep in mind that this doesn't equate to a similar loss of value for traditional homes in good condition,” said Yun, adding that a recovery in the West was much stronger than expected. “Strong sales gains in the West are led by California, where the median listing price is beginning to rise for the first time in three years.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 5.13 percent in February from a record low 5.05 percent in January; the rate was 5.92 percent in February 2008.

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Put a grain of boldness into everything you do.
-- Baltasar Gracian

Items Needed to Secure a Home Loan

To make your loan application go smoothly, the following documents are generally needed to complete the loan application process. Keep in mind different lenders may require different documentation, but the following items are almost always necessary:

• Most recent two pay stubs
• Last two year's W-2's
• Information on long-term debts
• Most recent two to three months bank statements
• Two year's tax returns (if self employed)
• Home address(es) the past two years (and landlord contact information if applicable)
• Copy of sales contract and estimate of proceeds, or settlement sheet (if you have or will be selling a home)
• Proof of any other income
• Address and description of the property you wish to buy
• Copy of sales contract on home purchase (and disclosures)
• Copy of driver's license for all borrowers

During the application process, the lender will order a credit report and a professional appraisal of the property you want to purchase. The application process typically takes two to six weeks.

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The most pleasant and useful persons are those who leave some of the problems of the universe for God to worry about.
-- Don Marquis

6 Steps to Cleaning Your Furnace's Filter

You probably rarely, if ever, think about your furnace's filter. Who does? However, it is an important home maintenance task. A furnace filter helps keep the air in your home clean and your heating and cooling systems running efficiently.

If the filter is dirty, you're making your furnace work harder (costing you more money) and, more importantly, you're exposing yourself and others to unnecessary dust, pollen, mold spores and other particles that can cause respiratory infections and other types of allergies.

If you know how easy it is to clean or change the filter, you're likely to do it more frequently. Here's how you do it:

1. Sweep or vacuum the area around the furnace if it is really dirty; you want to keep the area as clean as possible.
2. Locate your filter (read the furnace manual if necessary). In a forced-air system, the filter will be in your air return. In a gas or electric furnace, it will be behind the service panel, usually on the furnace's lower front or side.
3. Most units will turn off when you remove the service panel; if yours doesn't, turn off the furnace.
4. Remove the filter from the unit and hold it up to the light. If you can't easily see light through the screen, it needs to be replaced or cleaned (depending on what kind you have).
5. You can use a hose or vacuum to rinse or suck away the dust particles. If you hose it down be sure to let it dry before putting it back into the furnace. If the filter is disposable, write down the size and go buy a new one; replace.
6. Make sure the arrows on the new filter are pointed in the right direction and slide it into the furnace. Replace the panel.

Many professionals recommend you clean or replace your furnace's filter every one to three months. Since you don't need any tools, and it's easy to do, you can do it as you seem fit -- just be sure to check it often and keep in mind it may need changing more frequently in colder months when your furnace is working harder.

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In youth the days are short and the years are long; in old age the years are short and the days long.
-- Nikita Ivanovich Panin

Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) Yale University is located in which city?
a.) New Bedford
b.) New Britain
c.) New Haven
d.) New London

Question 2.) John Steinbeck wrote all of these novels except which one?
a.) A Tale of Two Cities
b.) East of Eden
c.) Of Mice and Men
d.) The Grapes of Wrath

Question 3.) Jim Croce died in a plane crash in 1973. Which song hit number one after his death?
a.) Bad Bad LeRoy Brown
b.) Operator
c.) Sundown
d.) Time in a Bottle

Question 4.) In the 1987 movie, "The Princess Bride," who had been "mostly dead all day"?
a.) Inigo Montoya
b.) Prince Humperdinck
c.) Princess Buttercup
d.) Westley

Question 5.) Which of the following is a city in Greece?
a.) Galatas
b.) Galway
c.) Genoa
d.) Graz

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The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.
-- H.L. Mencken

Multivitamins: Good or Bad?

There's a lot of research out there on multivitamins, and believe it or not, the jury's still out on whether or not it is beneficial for everyone. One thing seems clear, however; the purpose of vitamins is as a supplement only. Since many vitamins are difficult to get from food, and because people don't necessarily eat a proper balanced diet every day, multivitamins may help bridge the nutrition gap.

However, most researchers agree it's best to get the nutrients you need from food. This is not only possible, it's also beneficial because when you eat food you obtain other vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients not included in a multivitamin.

A good multivitamin will contain vitamin A, B, all the B complex, C, D, and E, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium and other minerals and elements like iodine, chromium, copper, selenium, and zinc. If you do take a multivitamin, it is important to find one that contains 100 percent DRI/RDA or less for each ingredient, as getting too much of a particular vitamin can be as bad as getting too little.

Since there is evidence both in favor and against the use of multivitamins, it is important for you to really evaluate your daily eating habits. And, because some groups of people may benefit from multivitamins more than others, it's advised that you talk to your doctor to discuss how it may affect your health.

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Laughter is an instant vacation.
-- Milton Berle

April Movie Releases

• April 3
  • Fast & Furious
  • Adventureland
• April 8
  • Dragonball Evolution
• April 10
  • Hannah Montana the Movie
  • Observe and Report
• April 17
  • 17 Again
  • Crank: High Voltage
  • State of Play
• April 22
  • Earth
• April 24
  • Fighting
  • Obsessed
  • The Soloist

I would rather trust a woman's instinct than a man's reason.
-- Stanley Baldwin

Upside-Down Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients - 6

• 1 lb. sweet/hot turkey sausage -- no casing
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tb sp. olive oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Add pasta and pizza sauce and olives and bring to a simmer (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and transfer sauce to the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil until blended. Whisk in flour and salt until well blended. Pour mixture over sauce in pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown (about 25 minutes). Cool a few minutes and serve.

Wine Pairing

• Ottone I Barbera Piemonte DOC 2006

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Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.
-- Ray Bradbury

HazelMail: The New Way to Send Postcards

Forget about searching through dozens of corny postcards to find one you like, purchasing stamps (especially difficult in a foreign country), and then finding a mail drop. If you're like many, the postcards you buy and intend to send often end up going home with you in your luggage.

Now, there's an easier way -- it's called HazelMail. All you need is an internet connection, which can be found at most destinations. HazelMail allows you to easily create and mail real postcards using your own photos. With just a few clicks, Hazel creates, prints and mails your custom postcards for you!

Linked to a global network of printers, HazelMail saves you time and money by printing and mailing your postcard close to its destination. If you use a digital camera and can upload a picture, you can send your own postcards, complete with a personalized message, using HazelMail.

Check it out at: www.hazelmail.com.

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Trivia Answers
#1. c.) New Haven; #2. a.) A Tale of Two Cities; #3. d.) Time in a Bottle; #4. d.) Westley; #5. a.) Galatas

This Newsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This Newsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2009 NewsletterSolutions.