Of course if you have a straightforward mortgage situation – all the better. He’ll go over your options and help you figure out what the best options are for your unique situation. In addition to 15 years experience as a mortgage broker, he went above and beyond and did underwriting for a year. If you want to know whether your loan will get accepted or denied, check with Rick.

Go to him for refinancing. Go to him when you want to buy a home or an investment. Rates are at the lowest point ever, so make a move.

Come to me, CrazyViv when you want to buy or sell your home.

Here’s how to contact Rich:
Richard Riano, NMLS 71769
AES Lending – A Division of Mid America Mortgage
1512 E Franklin Street, Suite 105, Chapel Hill NC 27514
Direct 919-439-9862 | E Fax 919-869-2263

1. Higher rent on the horizon. This may not seem like much of a positive, but high rent can sometimes motivate a potential buyer to kiss a landlord goodbye and make a down payment on a starter home.

2. Research Triangle Draws. Okay, he didn’t say RTP exclusively – he said academic areas. But that’s us, you know! Smart folks are usually in demand for academia and research so it makes sense that real estate within the Research Triangle continues to be a smart investment.

3. More foreclosures to come but less delinquencies. If the current economic trend continues, most borrowers should make timely house payments. However, the drawn-out legal proceedings in some states could drag out ongoing foreclosures well into the new year. These overdue foreclosures aren’t new – but their timing means that 2012 will have more foreclosures on its ledger.

4. Mortgage rates will increase slowly. Economically, this is a good thing. Why? The potential for inflation pushes up bond and mortgage rates. Global uncertainty can cause rates to fluctuate, but more than likely an economic recovery is a good reason for rates to go up.

5. Government’s keeping the status quo. Don’t expect any political risk-taking in an election year. Bold housing packages or reform are not waiting in the wings. We’ll hear a lot from politicians at this time, but it’s very unlikely we’ll see any significant action.

Looking for a home in 2012? I don’t think prices are going any lower – this could be your ideal time to jump in before mortgage rates increase. Give me a call and let’s talk about what’s best for you.

The following list includes some places you may not have heard of, and ways to donate some things you weren’t sure how to pass along.

Happy Donating!
Vivian aka Crazy Viv

The 911 Cell Bank accepts used cell phones. Use their handy shipping labels that you can print at their website. They pay for shipping.

Dress for Success accepts conservative women’s attire suitable for a job interviews. Find a Dress for Success location near you.

Goodwill accepts clothing, household items, and furniture. Some locations will pick up from your home. Use their Goodwill locator to find your nearest store.

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore will take your used appliances 5 years or newer, furniture, and building supplies.

The Lion’s Club collects used eyeglasses. Visit www.lionsclubs.org for how to donate your old glasses and change someone’s life.

Soles4Souls will recycle your gently worn shoes. There are dropoff locations in many areas.

The Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up clothing and small household items. Schedule an appointment online at http://www.scheduleapickup.com.

If you live in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, here’s a list of some of my favorites. Maybe you’ll get some ideas for spreading the joy this season.

Toys – Chapel Hill Service League has a Wish Tree set up in University Mall and Carr Mill Mall. Each tree is decorated with bears, each with the gender and age of a child. You are invited to take a bear and purchase an age appropriate toy for that child. Toys can then be returned to the box next to the tree until Christmas Eve. The toys collected support Christmas House – a great place where parents come in and pick out a toy they know their kids will like!

Food – Table.org is an organization here in Chapel Hill that sends backpacks of food home for children who will not have access to good food when school is not in session. They take donations of food and cash – an easy way to share.

Another organization that provides food is the InterFaith Council. The Food Pantry and the Community Kitchen provide emergency food for those in need. Take items to 110 W. Main Street in Carrboro between 9am and 5pm, Monday-Friday.

Time – A Helping Hand is a group that serves adults in this area who need someone to run errands, do simple chores, lend a listening ear, and other things that just require time. Sometimes, time is the very best gift of all.

Clothing – Dress for Success outfits women in clothes appropriate for job hunting. Drop off clean, professional items and accessories on hangers at Keller Williams, 1516 East Franklin Street. Kayla’s closet takes donations of fancy dresses for girls who may not have a chance to go to their school prom. Take prom, debutante and bridesmaids dresses and other formal accessories to Kayla’s Closet, 921 Morreene Road in Durham.

Welcome Baby provides free children’s clothes for families in need with children ages birth to 5 years old. Clean children’s clothing, sizes preemie – 8. They also take maternity clothes. Welcome Baby is at the Durham County Center, NC Cooperative Extension, 721 Foster Street in Durham. Right now they have an urgent need for winter clothing.

Books - Book Harvest collects new and gently used children’s books and places them in the hands and homes of children who need them. There are several places to drop off books. See the list here.

Stocking Stuffers – The Interfaith Council needs toiletries and other items you probably have on hand. Visit the site and see the toiletries list. Freedom House Recovery Center also collect toiletries, and they need bed linens, too.

Image courtesy of mysza831 and Flickr

Instead of heading to the big box store or a big.com site, consider these local gifts that those on your gift list will love, plus you’ll be helping the local economy and the environment.

1. Gym membership. A friend of mine just asked for – and got – ten sessions with a private trainer. (Can’t decide if I’m jealous or not…)

2. Rounds of golf. Or maybe a gift certificate to the restaurant in the golf club.

3. Home maintenance certificates. Heating and air places sell HVAC ‘tune-ups’.

4. A load of firewood.

5. Salon certificates. These are available for haircuts, manicures and pedicures. For men – barbers offer these, too!

6. Massages.

7. Restaurant certificates. Buy from a favorite – or a new adventure! Think about special places for brunch, too.

8. Car services. Consider washes and detailing, oil changes and other maintenance. Do it yourself or pay the local garage or car salon to do this.

9. Yard work. Lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, or special spring aereating.

10. Season tickets. Maybe the Symphony, Playmakers, or a sporting event.

11. Movie passes. These are LOVED by teenagers and college students.

12. Pay for a Spring cleaning!

Of course, this list doesn’t scratch the surface. I’m sure you can think of many more. What are your best gift ideas from local vendors and merchants? Do you have a favorite place to buy locally made items? Tell me about it, and I’ll pass your comments along!

I. Thou shalt not sell. If you don’t have to sell – don’t. If it’s already on the market, and hasn’t sold, rent it. Wait until 2012 to list your home with me.

II. If you need to buy – go for it. It’s a great time because inventory is high, prices are low, and interest rates are, too.

III. If you have to sell and buy – take a deep breath and go ahead. Remember, even though the sales price on your house is down, the price on the home you are buying will be down, too.

IV. List with me.

My favorite thing about this tour is that the homes are designed by architects. They are not spec homes. The architect and the homeowner work together to come up with a design that fits their style of living and the way they really want to live in their home and our environment. As a result, every home is unique, and reflects the personality of the homeowner and the style of the designer.

A side note – it’s not just aesthetics that interest me. I have my eyes open for solutions to practical problems. I’ll be looking at one particular element that is a challenge for me in my home – dealing with clutter. A well designed home includes places for getting rid of, storing and hiding clutter – for the morass of paperwork, the kids’ schoolwork, the artwork, the stuff for the IRS. I’ll be watching for ways to store shoes at the door, gardening and sports equipment, keys, shopping bags, and rain paraphernalia.

So join me on the tour. It’s self guided – you drive to the homes in the order you choose. Directions and descriptions of the homes are online here. Of course, when you get there, docents will answer any questions you have. Tickets are a steal at just $15, and they can be ordered online – but they don’t have many more. Get yours today.

A Great Home for Sale in Durham

Is it the appeal of Duke University and the biotech job market? Golf courses like Pinehurst? Reasonable living expenses? I don’t know, but I think one of Durham’s strongest selling points is a stroll through downtown’s American Tobacco Historic District. Summer arts festivals, botanical gardens and a famous baseball team – the Durham Bulls — all make Durham an exciting place to live.

Small is Good. A small property in Durham may be the perfect starting point for investing in the Research Triangle. Many realtors only want to work with people who are spending $200k and up, but I want you to know that I’m happy to work with investors who are looking to spend less than that. To me, small is very, very good.

Don’t hesitate and miss your opportunity; interest rates won’t be this low forever! Find out how easy it is to come home to Durham.

PS The house pictured is located at 1218 Vickers Drive in Durham. Give me a call if you’re interested!

Consider some of these drought tolerant plants:
Annuals – geraniums, marigolds, pansies and snapdragons
Perennials – purple coneflower, blackeyed susans, mums, daylilies, hosta and sedum

These are great ways to keep your house’s curb appeal up – even when there’s no rain coming down.

For more information, check out these websites:
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
North Carolina Botanical Garden

If you have equity in your home, you could consider doing the same thing. You don’t have to use it for improvements like I’m making. You could get it for education, to purchase an investment property, or to make repairs or renovations on your home. Of course, you do have to have equity in your home.

It’s called a cash out refinance. I used Brian Kenedy from Integrity Mortgage to help me, but I know lots of lenders. Give me a call and let mehelp you find the right one!