Rolando Trentini

Responding to discussions with the Vigo County Sheriff's Drug Task Force and Child Protective Services (CPS) regarding the enormous problems resulting, both socially and economically, from methamphetamine drug abuse in Vigo County, the Terre Haute Association of REALTORS'® (THAAR) Community Services Task Force have gotten involved.

Particularly it is the children who have been removed the drug environment and placed in foster care. Children who have been removed from their homes by CPS leave with very few, if any, personal possessions, and frequently without even the clothes they are wearing.

THARR is aiming to help ease the transition for these children through a project called "Home Is Where You Are". Through this project THARR seek to provide each child with their own bright duffel bag containing items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, a stuffed animal, a small fleece blanket, crayons, coloring book, pencils, pads of paper, underwear, socks, a candy bar or snack package, comb, and brush, etc.

The goal is to prepare 50 -100 duffle bags each year. Members, broker offices, and financial institutions donate specific items or make monetary donations. Local retail outlets are also contacted for help.

"Home Is Where You Are" is a wonderful, tangible way THAAR helps the innocent victims of this epidemic in their community.

Source: http://realtorsgivingback.org/stories

EVANSVILLE - The Evansville Fire Department has received two prestigious awards at the 2009 Emergency Response Conference in Indianapolis.

The awards are the Basic Life Support Provider of the Year Award and the Emergency Medical Technician of the Year, which goes to Evansville Firefighter John Riggs who's been with the department for 15 years. Riggs is a 15-year member of the Evansville Fire Department and active with the Hazardous Materials Team and the Rope/Confined Space Rescue Team.

"The Evansville Fire Department is comprised of great men and women who put their lives on the line every day for the citizens of this community. I commend them for the work they do to keep us safe and I applaud their efforts off the job as well," said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. "I want to congratulate the entire department for earning these well-deserved honors."

The conference is for Indiana's fire and EMS personnel and is sponsored by the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association.

"The Evansville Fire Department is proud to have a group of such good hearted and dedicated men and women. They are very deserving of this honor and are to be commended for another job well done. We are glad that they have been chosen for recognition," said Chief Keith Jarboe, Evansville Fire Department.

Congratulations to all in the department.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=10975028

An Evansville eatery has been named the "Manliest Restaurant in America." The men's lifestyle Web site Asylum.com, which is operated by AOL, says the Hilltop Inn has won the honor for 2009 in an online vote. The Web site's editor says the fried brain sandwich helped put the restaurant over the top. He says there's something about it "that's guaranteed to put hair on your chest."

Our partners at the Evansville Courier & Press reports the owners say they sell 13,000 pork brain sandwiches a year.

The Hilltop Inn captured nearly 67 percent of the 50,000 votes cast online.

It beat out restaurants from San Francisco, Boston and Arlington, Virgina in the final round of the competition.

Source: Asylum.com, Evansville Courier & Press http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=37403

New U.S. home data out Tuesday suggests the U.S. may be easing out of its 3-year housing slump.

The U.S. home prices index is made up of home prices in the 20 largest U.S. cities, and while Evansville isn't one of them, an Evansville mortgage banker says home sales here are following suit.

The for sale signs still litter neighborhoods, but the housing market is busy making its comeback.

"We have definitely seen a big increase in the number of purchase transactions we're doing over the last few months," says Shannon Curry-Bartnick, President of Mortgage Masters.

Curry-Bartnick says part of this "rise from the slump" comes as people's fears subside and they take advantage of the many incentives out there. The most talked about one being the 1st Time Home Buyer Credit.

"It's a really great opportunity to get a tax credit back, get yourself into a new home, and right now, there are historically low interest rates," Curry-Bartnick explains.

To be eligible, you either have to be a first time home buyer or have not owned a home in the last three years.

The credit is worth ten percent of the home's value, up to $8,000.

Home buyers have to close the deal by November 30th to get their credit.

If you're anxious to take advantage of the first time home buyer credit, but have a less than stellar credit history, Curry-Bartnick says you're not completely out of luck.

"There is more leniency there for things that may have happened in your past but that you may have remedied or overcome. You would potentially still be eligible," she explains.

In addition to the first time home buyers credit, Curry-Bartnick lists off dozens of other deals and loans that can save a buyer money.

"There's the FHA loan, Rural Housing loans, VA loans, and conventional loans," she explains.

Not to mention bank-owned and foreclosed upon homes coupled with low rates. Buyers can walk away with a steal.

"We look at each person individually and find out what's well suited for their situation," Curry-Bartnick says.

To find out what you qualify for, Curry-Bartnick recommends sitting down with a mortgage banker. She says consultations are typically free.

But as NEWS 25 also learned, the Evansville housing market is not problem free, and there are hurdles that are keeping many deals from closing.

NEWS 25 will investigate those hurdles in a follow up story Wednesday.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=10990592

New U.S. home sales surged 9.6 percent in July, rising for the fourth straight month and beating expectations as the housing market marches steadily back from its historic downturn.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000 from an upwardly revised June rate of 395,000. Sales are now up 32 percent from the bottom in January, but off 69 percent from the frenzied peak four years ago.

Last month's sales pace was the strongest since September and exceeded the forecasts of economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who expected a pace of 390,000 units. The last time sales rose so dramatically was in February 2005.

The median sales price of $210,100, however, was still down 11.5 percent from $237,300 a year earlier.

There were 271,000 new homes for sale at the end of July, down more than 3 percent from May. At the current sales pace, that represents 7.5 months of supply - the lowest since April 2007. The decline means builders have scaled back construction to the point where supply and demand are coming into balance.

Buyers, meanwhile, are rushing to take advantage of a federal tax credit that covers 10 percent of the home price, or up to $8,000 for first-time owners. Home sales must be completed by the end of November for buyers to qualify.

Builders and real estate agents are pressing Congress for that credit to be extended. If it isn't, sales could reverse their upward trend.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/26/new-home-sales-surge-again/