Renters are the newest victims of the mortgage mess. Across the country, a rising number of landlords are falling behind on mortgage payments, sending their properties into foreclosure, according to legal-services attorneys, local officials and financial experts. In many cases, their tenants are being forced out of their homes. Often, the tenants’ first inkling of trouble occurs when they get a letter from the bank directing them to leave the premises. In many cases, the homes and apartments entering foreclosure are owned by investors who got low-rate teaser mortgages and intended to hold the buildings for a few years and then sell them at a profit — before their mortgage rates rose. Now, with the housing market badly depressed in many areas, the owners can’t sell the homes or afford the higher mortgage payments. Many are defaulting. (more…)

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Beautiful Wilkes County NC Log Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 50863, List Price: $359,900

Bedrooms: 3, Full Baths: 2, Half Baths: 0, Est Total SqFt: 2600, Type/Style: Log Home, Area: Area 6, Middle School: Cntrl Wlks, High School: Wlks Cntrl, Construction: Log

Foundation: Combination, Roof: Metal Roof, Floors: Carpet/Hardwood/Tile, Garage/Carport: None-Garage, None-Carport, Interior Features: Master Bedroom, Main Level, Large Master Bedroom, Walk-In Closet(s), Hardwood Floors, Fireplace(s), Great Room, Exterior Features: Double Pane Windows, Wooded Lot, 1-5 Acres, Hot Tub, Subdivision: N/A, Lot Size: 2.47, Apx SqFt: 2600 - 2800 SF, Basement: None

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, with all federally regulated financial institutions ordered to be in full compliance by Nov. 1, 2008, the so-called “Red Flag” provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), requires that financial institutions and creditors develop and deploy an Identity Theft Prevention Program for combating ID theft on new and existing accounts. The Red Flag regulations are included in the same massive regulatory overhaul of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that gave consumers free credit reports and a host of additional protections.

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Consistent with the latest sign of fallout from a spreading credit crisis, more banks have tightened lending standards on home mortgages. The Federal Reserve indicated that many banks reported tighter standards for traditional prime mortgages, nontraditional mortgages such as “interest only” loans and for subprime mortgages, those offered to borrowers with weak credit histories. The Fed survey, which was conducted in early October, found that 41 percent of banks responding said that they had tightened loan standards either “considerably” or “somewhat” for prime residential mortgages, those offered to borrowers with strong credit histories.

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Kitchens and bathrooms are key elements responsible for the greatest return on renovation investment. The state of one or both of these rooms may be the deal maker or deal breaker in a real estate sale. The design of these rooms can also make a home more liveable, particularly for those facing physical or mobility limitations. These rooms are considered pricey to redecorate or rebuild, so they rarely receive annual overhauls or frequent up-dates, even when they deserve them. In kitchens, modernizing or renovating is often postponed until a major appliance dies. Since home is the center of our lives and will be more so as the years pass, why do we let the two key rooms fall so far behind technological progress and lifestyle dictates? Why do these rooms only get “made over” when it’s time to leave? Why do we feel it is all right to live at a lower standard of living than a buyer is prepared to? (more…)

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There are a lot of things in your house that can cause allergies. A few of the big things that cause allergies are dust, mold, and mildew, and those are things that can happen year round. Especially when remodeling, enclosing the work area to keep allergens from coming into contact with you will help to reduce the movement of allergy causing particles. Hang plastic sheeting over the doorways in rooms where work is underway. If you’re having a small area worked on, when the project is finished do not carry the sheeting through the house afterwards — small particles can be dropped into the carpet and upholstery. During the California fires many people were outside in heavily burned areas looking through the rubble without masks. Some people even exercised in the extremely poor weather conditions. Health experts say that’s similar to smoking a few packs of cigarettes in one sitting. Tiny particles of ash can get inhaled deep into your lungs and cause severe irritations for a very long time. (more…)

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Your range hood serves a couple of very important purposes in the kitchen, and selecting the right one is something that warrants some comparison shopping. Range hoods come in several sizes, finishes and designs, and that’s where most people start when they’re shopping for a new one. First of all, it needs to be the correct size to match the width of the opening in the cabinets above the range, and to match the width of the range or cooktop itself. Hoods come in a couple of standard sizes, including 30, 36 and 42 inches in width, with the depth being designed to fit with standard 12-inch-deep upper cabinets. There are some variations available in many of the higher-end models, so knowing the size you’re looking for is the first step. (more…)

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