This week is the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. This is a world influencing organization.

Ffounded by Chicago publisher William Boyce on February 8, 1910, it has helped to start many different organizations since.

The Boy Scouts of America was designed to teach young men of our country how to be great contributing members of our society. They continue to accomplished this through organized activities such as camping; fishing; hiking and an endless list of other outdoor events. They help to educate the boys through community events as well. You will find it hard to find an area or a weekend where there are no Boy Scout troops doing some sort of project or fundraiser for the community. The Boy Scouts continue to teach young men skills necessary to succeed and plan for college through academic programs and scholarships.

Countless young men have learned about honesty; integrity; trustworthyness; good citizenship and the importance of helping other people. This has been done with great success. The Boy Scouts of America have produce great leaders and thinkers in our world.

• Henry “Hank” Aaron
• Neil Armstrong
• Michael Bloomberg
• Gerald Ford (1st Eagle Scout to be President)
• Oswald “Ozzie” Nelson
• Jim Mora
• Donald Rumsfeld
• Steven Spielberg
• John Tesh
• The list goes on and on…..

Thank you to the BSA. As a former Scout and a current leader – this organization has changed my life.

If you are facing the start of this new year going through a divorce, we can help you with that change.

A divorce is a big thing. It is scary to look at the world while dealing with a separation. There are so many different obstacles in front of you. But this is a time for a fresh start, a new beginning. With Spring around the corner, the world is starting a new beginning as well.

If your finances and your marriage home are big issues in your divorce, let us help. We have a team that has seen it all and can help with virtually any issue that might come up. If you need to refinance your home to get your ex’s name off of it or to pay off a divorce settlement, we can help. If you need a good referral to a great divorce attorney, we can help there as well.

Whatever your need during your divorce, we are the only resource that you will need.

Nobel Prize Day

Today is Nobel Prize Day. This is the day that all of the Nobel prizes are awarded a ceremony celebrating those accomplishments that have earned the honor.

The history of the Nobel prize:

Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, is the founder of this prize. When he died in 1896, he had made a will in which he bequeathed his money to a prize which was promoting development of peace and the progress of the living conditions of mankind. He directed that the scientific prizes were to be delivered in Stockholm and the prize of peace in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Norway and Sweden were united at that time and known as the peaceful countries of the world.

Winners of 2009 Nobel Prize:

Physiology or Medicine- Carol W. Greider

Physics – George Smith

Peace- Barack Obama

Chemistry -  Ada E. Yonath, Thomas A. Steitz and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Literature – Herta Muller

Economics- Elinor Ostrom

 Congratulations to all of the award recipients.

…

A USDA Refinance?

If you are currently in a USDA home loan, you have the option to take advantage of the near all-time low rates available to you right now by doing a USDA refinance. The great news is that this is a very simple process for you. In most cases we won’t need to verify your income again or even do a new appraisal.

The process is very simple. It is much like a Streamline FHA or VA loan. We will look at the mortgage history to see how you have made the payments on the loan. In most cases we will not even look at the other items on your credit report. We will not ask you for your W2’s and paystubs and we will not do a new appraisal.

This type of loan is usually completed in a 7-10 day period. We can even structure it to let you have a month or two off from making the monthly payment.

This is a great option to take advantage of the current low rates. Why not lower your rate a full percent or more and save yourself tons of money every month (not to mention the money you can save over the life of the loan)

So, to get more information on your USDA refinance options today, request your free quote here.

….

We all are hearing the talk about the tax credit and the opportunity it has created to purchase a home, we also need to mention the opportunity to refinance your existing mortgage now.

The rates on FHA; VA and conforming loans are still near all-time lows. Our lenders are offering great programs to kick off the 4th quarter. Turn times are short and underwriting guidelines are getting more relaxed than they have been in over a year.

What does that mean? It means if you have not been able to qualify for a refinance of your mortgage or other areas in the past, now the chances are you are more likely to get approved with less hassle than ever before!!!

If you want a Streamline FHA or VA loan. If you want out of your ARM. Maybe you just want a lower fixed rate. – Now is the time!

If you have been watching the news, the outlook doesn’t look great for rates and programs in the upcoming months. With the fears that all of the Stimulus packages coming due and inflation concerns, rates will follow and start to go up. We have already seen some lenders start to increase.

So, now is the time! If you have been thinking about refinancing your home, now is the time to act. All the pieces are in place, take advantage of them.

Get more information about refinancing your home.

                                         Now that we are in full Autumn, it’s time to get your yard ready for winter. Here are some great tips for you so that you don’t forget anything.

• Make sure to clean up the yard – Dead grass and leaves are a great breeding place for fungus and mold.
• Time to fertilize – It is recommended that you fertilize your lawn a few times per year. If you only do it once, now is the time to get it done. It will allow the roots of the grass to grow. A better root system means that your lawn is more likely to survive the harsh winter weather in good shape.
• A few fall colors will help – The yard will look much better with a few colors in there. A few fall flowers are a great addition.
• Spray your house – Spray the perimeter of your home. The bugs are looking for a warm place to go.
• Plant spring bulbs – Mid-October throught Mid-November is a great time to plant your spring bulbs. The ground is cold so they won’t bloom, but they will be ready for when the spring comes.
• Tools – Make sure to clean up your tools. Wipe down all garden tools. They will be sitting there a few months. If they are not clean, they will be more likely to rust.
• Water – Don’t forget to water throughout the winter. If there is dry spell with no rain or snow, the grass and plants still need water.

If you take care of these few items, the spring will find your yard in great shape and ready to go for next season.

Take a look at yourself – Do you like what you see?

So many people are in positions in their lives where they are not happy with where they are. They wonder why others can have what they want; why things can’t go their way; etc. There is always an excuse why not. It is always them as the victim.

Today is a day for change!!! Welcome to National Evaluate Your Life Day.

There is a reason that the successful people are successful. They know what they want and they will go after it. If you don’t like the results that you are getting – time for a change.
Evaluate Your Life Day

Life is full of daily challenges. Don’t fold up – Move past them!

If you want to make more money – make the decision. Do what it takes to get to where you want to be.

If you don’t know how to get there, look around. I’m sure there is someone in your life who inspires you; who has success that you would love to emulate. If not, look around – there are many articles written about success. Read a few and get the positive energy flowing.

Ask for advice from those that you respect. Any true successful person, would love to share advice with you. Success breeds success – surround yourself with successful people.

Evaluate Your Life Day

Life is a great journey – start living it and loving it – NOW!!!

If you have been wanting to learn more about credit, then this is the day. It is annual Get Smart About Credit Day.

Originally put together to teach young adults and teenagers about getting credit and being responsible with it. This day has turned into a day that is used by banks and employers along with schools.

It is a fact that most Americans can’t go through life without some type of credit. We need it for a place to live; a car to drive; to pay for airline tickets and in some cases even to pay for food. So, it is important that we use our credit wisely.

The banks and lenders are all tightening up the restrictions on obtaining new credit. So, it is now more important than ever to know where you stand. If you need to know what your current credit scores look like, you can check with the major credit bureaus.

Get Smart About Credit Day is a great day to focus on:

• Teaching your clients about how a credit works.
• How a credit score is calculated.
• The credit do’s and don’ts

Get Smart About Credit Day is sponsored by the American Banker’s Association. If you would like to request a Get Smart About Credit Day kit, you can visit the ABA site.

Today is National Women’s Health Day. This is the largest National Health Day for women. It is now in it’s eighth year of observance. It is held on the last Wednesday of September.

Whether you are a woman that wants to live a healthy lifestyle or a man that has women in his life that he cares about, today is a day to take notice. This is an event structured to focus on the health and fitness of women. So often, our own health and desires are put aside for the sake of others. Looking at the people in your life, who does that more than a mother? I know that my wife is constantly trying to keep everyone happy at our house. From the kids getting to school on-time to the taking care of the pets to cooking a healthy dinner for the family. In all of this constant moving, many times she puts herself last. Today is a day for us to recognize that and help the women that we love help themselves. Give them a break so they can go the gym. It’s a nice fall day today, why not take a family walk?

There are over 1,000 centers nationwide that are sponsoring an event today. Hospitals; health clubs; schools and Churches – are all out to help today.

Find a local center to visit. They would be glad to give you some ideas on how to help yourself and the women that you love.

You can now follow us on Twitter. For current up the minute information. You can follow us here.