Fairhaven, WA

NEWSFLASH: Not ALL Mortgage Backed Securities Are Bad!

National Public Radio Podcast from the Planet Money Team 03/20/09: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.htmlaction=1&t=1&islist=false&id=102154567&m=102154705

The analysis is laid out on the actual payback of Mortgage Backed Securities over time vs. the value today (i.e., if you sold your holdings). If you sold them today, sure you'd get back 50 cents on the dollar of your investment. You see, the world has gotten the view lately that risk is bad. Lots of folks are buying these things and would continue to buy them today. According to Planet Money: because they are handled by the big money managers who consider them worth every dime of their original investment -- they are not selling them! Sure, the banks that have the ones that are not performing seem to be taking their losses and the rest of their businesses are doing well. Holding on seems to be the advice of the day.

This newscast points out that not everyone is suffering and many banks and investors continue to make money in this market. Good News!

susan templeton mortgage planner www.loannetter.com

OK, I'll admit it: I've been watching the behavior of myself and others around full moons all my life. I'm pretty sure I was born on a full moon. I am convinced that people go a little lunatic around those times. The week or so leading up to the full moon feels literally like a rising tide of emotion...people get a bit jumpy, things seem more dramatic. I drink more coffee, sleep less, talk faster. I've even been known to go shopping at midnight on a full moon.

Am I imagining this? Well the moon is a pretty big thing in comparison to our mere bodies, most of which is water. The moon DOES without a doubt affect the tidal movement of the oceans, i.e., all that water... literally moving the oceans to one side of the earth in attraction to the moon's gravitational pull. Could it be the extra light at night around full moons making us howl due to lack of sleep?

More importantly: Am I worried about a closing coming up on the full moon? Heck no--I'll use what I know about the human psyche to encourage my underwriter, subtly through the power of lunar suggestion to get excited and PUSH that approve button, GET those docs out, SCATTER those insurance binders and last -minute verifications. Like a WAVE crashing to the shore we'll SIGN those papers! After which we can all fall in a heap as the tide ebbs, the loan records, funds change hands and a few days later we are all wondering what all the high emotion was about.

Time to Conceive: Full moons are great for working on new ideas, hatching plots, getting a little crazy energy going! It's a fact that more babies are conceived and therefore born on full moons. Turtles do it, birds do it, even fishes in the sea do it! I recall when a friend was in psychiatric nursing training that they put extra strong men on during those rotations around the full moon. My personal astrologer/economist Madeline Gerwick, predicts the 10th of March will be a 'HUMDINGER of a full moon' with Saturn conjunct Uranus setting up a simlilar to pattern to September when AIG, Merril Lynch and WaMu all tanked. She is predicting a financial market challenge and Citigroup could de-list going under $1 buck so if you are betting around that day just remember you read it here! You can subscribe to her e-news at www.polarisguides.com

For another perspective, check out: www.farmersalmanac.com As I write this the moon is Waxing Gibbous
92% of Full on Sun 8 Mar, 2009 EST. OK-you suspected that I was crazy...this just confirms you have to be to stay in this business! I love all the folklore about the different moons and seasons and how farmer's decide when to plant and when to harvest. Much of this knowledge is still in use today. If you have ever watched the seasons and migration of birds and buds of spring defying the weather you know what I mean...we live on the most wonderful mysterious planet in the universe!

Happy Spring (a neap tide coming very soon near you)!

susan templeton mortgage planner www.loannetter.com

The Historic Urban Village of Fairhaven in Bellingham Washington has an array of property types to choose from within & a short distance from the district core. Situated on Bellingham Bay with trails, parks, Amtrak, Greyhound, Alaska Marine Highway and ferries at the doorsteps of the neighborhood.

In the district there are several types of condominiums such as townhouse style, mixed use multi-story buildings and village style surrounding a commerical/retail building. The mixed use buildings have become very popular in the Historic Fairhaven core with several popping up in the past five years along with the restoration of the Waldron Building. As in any Historic neighborhood there is a mixture of authentic craftsman style to 1950's to new modern style single family homes as well as the new Kulshan Community Land Trust project of attached single family homes that provide affordability.

With this variety of home types in the Historic Fairhaven district there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the unique lifestyle of living in this beautiful community.

As a active resident of Bellingham, I like to stay on top of the many recreational events that take place every weekend. There are far to many to write about so I'll pick and choose a variety of events so that you can grasp how much beautiful Bellingham has to offer.

The Tour de Whatcom is a a benefit ride for the Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County. The ride starts in historic Fairhavenand will offer 3 tiers of racing... a 25 mile loop, a 50 mile loop, and a 105 mile loop. The Tour will appease your senses with vistas of Puget Sound, Mt. Baker, rivers, valleys, and beaches with most of the riding consisting of fairly low grade.

The will be a great support staff providing tech support, pit stop refreshments, and road support. This is a race for beginners to experts...something for everyone.

Tour de Whatom Information