Emergency Fed Fund Cut of 3/4%

January 22, 2008

Big news this morning!  The Fed announced a 3/4% CUT to the Fed Funds Rate reducing it to 3.5%.  The discount rate was also reduced .75% to 4%.  I personally suspect this was a move the react to the global stock-market sell off.   Look at the numbers across the world overnight: Honk Kong was down […]

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Another Bad Car Salesman Story

January 21, 2008

It’s super stereotypical that car salespeople are shady.  I wish after a weekend of looking at new vehicles for my girlfriend, that I could say that I had an opinion changing experience.  Unfortunately – I did not.  In fact, I left the dealership more frustrated than I was going there in the first place.  After […]

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Iowa Finance Authoritie’s First Home Program

January 17, 2008

If you know me very well, you probably already know that I hate talking about specific programs and rates.  It’s often suprising for clients to find that all lenders tend to offer the exact same products and usually are within an .125 in interest rate from day to day.   With that said, I feel it […]

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Pick Your Real Estate Agent Very Wisely!

January 17, 2008

Let’s face it, when you are looking to buy or sell real estate, you have PLENTY of options on who to work with (1,700 or so in Des Moines.. no, I’m NOT kidding!).  This is why I think this is a post that is extremely important.  If you dig deeper, you’ll find a lot of […]

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Get Off The Sidelines and See What You’re Missing!

January 16, 2008

I want to put a stop to the wait and see mentality (not being reckless, but being strategic). Here’s my beef – there is always a reason not to do something.  The thing most of us miss is measuring the risk of the downside opposed to the upside.  Specifically I’m talking about pulling the trigger […]

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Des Moines Market Watch 1/7/08 – 1/13/08

January 15, 2008

Numbers are extremely important to consider when buying, selling and financing a home.  Each week I receive a summary of the market activity in my email and I find these statistics very valuable.  Even though I cannot personally sell or help you purchase a home (I’m a money guy.. not a house guy). I can […]

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Make Your Lender Pay Your Mortgage Insurance!

January 14, 2008

If you’re considering to finance over 80% of the purchase price (or appraised value on a refinance) of a home, you’ll want to know how you can do it.  You may believe the myth that you must carry private mortgage insurance (PMI). The good news is, there are alternatives!   If you need a quick catch […]

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Countrywide Sells To Bank Of America

January 11, 2008

The rumors are true.  Early this morning an official announcement was made that Bank of America will be purchasing Countrywide for $4 Billion.  Reactions are mixed, but most are saying this is very good for Countrywide stock holders and a good buy for Bank of America. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Countrywide has been struggling […]

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The Why Behind Private Mortgage Insurance

January 7, 2008

Let’s start out by turning the tables here and putting you in the position of a bank.  Say someone comes to you and wants to borrow money on a house.  They say want to put borrow 100% and put absolutely no money down. They’ve never owned a home before, but they’ve had a few credit […]

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Want a Quick Credit Score Boost?

January 4, 2008

Have you ever received a credit card offer in the mail?  “You’re Pre-Approved!  0% for 18 Months, Transfer Your Balances Today! No Closing Cost Refinance! “ Perhaps the question should be how many of these offers do you recieve each day?  You better believe that you’re not the only one with this problem! I’m sure […]

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