Hello everyone,

Can’t believe it but it is the end of July…summer will be over before we know it. I sat in a meeting this morning about health insurance, cost are rising again…I cannot stress enough, how important it is to take control of your health. You might ask what does that have to do with Viking Range appliances? Well, we need to be cooking more at home, with good seasonal produce, fresh fruit, veggies, fish, and meats, and knowing where they came from. The local farmers markets can be a great source for many of these items.

We are so good at making sure our children and ourselves are busy with working-out, dance, soccer, baseball etc…but with that we have given up on our health in our effort to save time by using the “fast food drive-through”.

It really does not take that much more time to eat healthy. You might even think it will cost more, but that’s not the case either, when you consider how much you spend for little or no nutrition on fast foods, and pre-made foods. Which if you read the labels will contain a lot of things you really don’t want in your body.

You have already heard “You can pay now or pay later”. If you do not take care of yourself now, you will pay for your medical bills later, and they are astronomical. I can’t imagine what they will be in 10 years time. So again I say you need to take control of your health now, which means COOKING AT HOME.

Buy produce and veggies you can get fresh, and what ever bounty you have left over you can freeze… buy organic meats, dairy and eggs locally if you can. Look around see what items you can buy locally; I think you will be surprised we really have a lot in Utah.

I am going to show you some staticis I saw earlier today, it will astound you.

Ill Health is contributed to by:

23% Smoking
30% Cholesterol
30% High Blood Pressure
67% Diabetes
78% Heart Diese
80% Poor Diet

80% POOR DIET

We do have control over this: COOK AT HOME, become healthy, build your family structure, and be happier.

The most important thing that should steer your quest for good taste is seasonality, not low fat, protein to water, vitamins added, or no sugar added, but fresh foods that are in season. If you are using foods that are in season the flavor will be at its best, at its maximum flavor. Summer brings us vine-ripened tomatoes that are full of flavor. The ones you get in the winter are picked green and gassed, the shipped to us tasting like cardboard.

We think of fruits and vegetables as being the only components that grow seasonally, but there are other items. The season for fresh salmon for example, is end of April to September. Even though it is available year round it is best during its season.

When we make a decision to eat seasonally it’s not always about taste, but environmentally, and for health reasons. It’s better to buy locally, than from Mexico with four times the price, not to mention health safety. Cost is reflected in the cost of fuel.

Using the seasons will grow our cravings toward ingredients in the same way we long for shorts after a hard winter, our bodies are telling us what to eat. We need the variety…If you listen to your body it will always tell you what to cook. Getting back to the Viking appliances, at Kimball distributing we cook on these appliances in our showroom and we’re willing to share our ideas and recipes for a healthier life style, even to showing you how to make fast healthy meals, full of nutrients, flavor, and variety.

Article provided by Kimball Distributing

All loans must have a Credit Report to determine the credit history of a borrower. This report is to determine someone’s credit experience and willingness to repay their debts. This information indicates to the lender the risks of giving them a new loan. The mortgage industry has gone through a change regarding Credit Reports which involves not only analyzing the borrower’s credit history, but their credit scores as well. Credit scoring is simply a statistically based tool to assess the likely future performance of a borrower. This is accomplished by applying varying weights to certain characteristics in a credit report that have value for predicting future behavior. A statistical analysis is applied to those values and used to calculate a risk score.

In today’s mortgage world, most investors require at least one FICO score, but most require three credit score ratings. Scores are new to traditional mortgage lending, but have been in use since the 1950’s in auto financing, the personal finance industry, and credit cards. The risk scores are generic models developed in conjunction with the three main credit repositories: Experian does the FICO score, Equifax does Beacon, and TU does Emperica. The bureaus provide access and delivery of the scores to lenders with the actual credit report. As an industry, mortgage lenders refer to this group of credit scoring codes as the FICO score. A minimum score of 620 is mandatory for any conventional loan underwritten to FNMA and FHLMC guidelines. Scores lower than 620 must pay extra points at best or use non-conforming (sub-prime) investors. The best mortgage rates and highest loan-to-values are available only for high credit scores. ( 700 + ) Borrowers with a bankruptcy, open collection accounts, late payments, larger than average balances on open accounts, liens, judgments, old collection accounts, or other derogatory credit of any kind must be evaluated and placed with the appropriate investor. A determination must be made early in the application by obtaining an In-File credit report for a $18.00 charge. In many cases, an In-File will be sufficient; however, if a Full report is required, the cost will be about $55.00, which includes a complete update of all credit accounts.

If a borrower has a good credit history and a good credit score, they are generally placed in an A-paper (Prime) category. With less than excellent credit or a low credit score, the borrower can fall into categories ranging from A - to B, C and D. The interest rates for categories less than “A” are higher and usually require a larger down-payment or more equity in the home. Whenever a borrower’s credit shows up bruised, we give them a copy of our Credit Repair Letters to begin the process of cleaning up their credit. This can even be the case with good or excellent credit as it is estimated that 96% of credit files have errors. If the credit can not be repaired immediately, the strategy is to place the customer in a band-aid type loan. This helps a borrower by getting them a loan for two to three years while re-establishing good credit. Once healed, we then refinance them into an “A” product for a better rate. As little as five years ago these loans weren’t even available. Now we can help people that we couldn’t before. This requires some planning and coordination, but the results are often phenomenal.

Credit Bureau Risk Score Factor Reason Codes
( The numbers are the codes shown on your report )

Amount owed on accounts is too high ( 01 )
Level of delinquency on accounts ( 02 )
Too few bank revolving accounts ( 03 )
Proportion of loan balances to loan amounts is too high ( 03 )
Too many bank or national revolving accounts ( 04 )
Lack of recent installment loan information ( 04 )
Too many accounts with balances ( 05 )
Too many consumer finance company accounts ( 06 )
Accounts payment history is too new to rate ( 07 )
Too many inquiries last 12 months ( 08 ) (Watch out for this one, you can screw up your score while shopping for a car or a mortgage.)
Too many accounts recently opened ( 09 )
Proportion of balances to credit limits is too high on bank revolving or other revolving accounts ( 10 )
Amount owed on revolving accounts is too high ( 11 )
Length of time revolving accounts have been established ( 12 )
Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown ( 13 )
Length of time accounts have been established ( 14 )
Lack of recent bank revolving information ( 15 )
Lack of recent revolving account information ( 16 )
No recent non-mortgage balance information ( 17 )
Number of accounts with delinquency ( 18 )
Too few accounts currently paid as agreed ( 19 )
Date of last inquiry too recent ( 19 )
Length of time since derogatory public record or collection is too short ( 20 )
Amount past due on accounts ( 21 )
Serious delinquency, derogatory public record, or collection filed ( 22 )
Number of bank or national revolving accounts with balances ( 23 )
No recent revolving balances ( 24 )
Length of time installment loans have been established ( 25 )
Number of revolving accounts ( 26 )
Number of bank revolving or other revolving accounts ( 26 )
Number of retail accounts ( 27 )
To few accounts currently paid as agreed ( 27 )
Number of established accounts ( 28 )
No recent bankcard balances ( 29 )
Date of last inquiry to recent ( 29 )
Time since most recent account opening is too short ( 30 )
Too few accounts with recent payment information ( 31 )
Amount owed on delinquent accounts ( 31 )
Lack of recent installment loan application ( 32 )
Proportion of loan balances to loan amounts is too high ( 33 )
Amount owed on delinquent accounts ( 34 )
Payments due on accounts ( 36 )
Length of time open installment loans have been established relative to length of consumer history ( 37 )
Serious delinquency and public record or collection filed ( 38 )
Serious delinquency ( 39 )
Derogatory public record or collection filed ( 40 )
No recent retail balances ( 41 )
Length of time since most recent consumer Finance company account established ( 42 )
Lack of recent mortgage loan information ( 43 )
Proportion of balances to loan amounts on mortgage loans is too high ( 44 )
Too few accounts with balance ( 45 )
Number of consumer finance company inquiries ( 47 )
Lack of recent retail account information ( 50 )
Amount owed on retail accounts ( 56 )
Lack of recent auto loan information ( 97 )
Length of time consumer finance company loans have been established ( 98 )
Lack of recent auto loan information ( 98 )
Lack of recent auto finance loan information ( 98 )
Lack of recent consumer finance company account information ( 99 )

To find other Mortgage Coach articles visit Hot Homes of Utah’s Financial page.

Marketing with TV and Web

Local businesses are eventually conflicted with the question ‘where do I put my advertising dollars for the best return?’ In Utah we have 3 major affiliate TV Stations, KSL5, ABC4, and KUTV2, all of which also have great websites that can be utilized to driving traffic to your business. So how do you determine the best stations?

The Analysis

Although, not an exact science, one way of determining the best station is to analyze their website. This will give you a good idea of who the market leader is in your area. I am going to specifically look at KSL5, ABC4, KUTV2, and KJazz. While KJazz is a smaller station it has some of the added benefits of the local movie theaters, so I am adding it to the list also.

How do the major search engines regard each TV station?

In the world of the web there exists 3 major search engines, Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Google is the leader in search engines with a U.S. market share of a 47.4 percent of all searches. With a majority of the searches being performed by Google, it is a great tool for analyzing web sites. Google ranks pages by using a 1 to 10 PR (page rank) scale, with 10 being the best. The higher your PR, the higher Google regards your website’s credibility. How does Google see our TV Stations?

Google PR Results as of 06/2007:
KSL5 PR=6
KUTV2 PR=6
KJAZZ PR=5
ABC4 PR=3

It’s clear that Google regards KSL5 and KUTV2 as the top TV stations in Utah. While PR is not everything it does hold its weight in the Internet community and is a key factor in determining where your page shows up in the Google search. When determining your Internet marketing strategy you want to look for sites with a high PR. If you have high PR sites linking to you your PR will be higher as a general rule of thumb.

One other thing that you need to consider is the traffic that flows to and from the site. Alexa has developed a way to compare sites traffic. While many criticize the accuracy of Alexa’s numbers, it is a great tool for comparing relative numbers. Let’s do some comparing.

Alexa Traffic Results:

According to Alexa, KSL5 not only has the most traffic but is also the most consistent. KUTV2 in second, ABC4 in third and KJazz in fourth.

Other factors to consider may include position of ads, size, and impressions. With cost aside, I would put my marketing dollars into KSL5. KSL5 has a great PR and large amounts of traffic running through its site making it a perfect pick for increasing traffic and Page Ranking.

If you have any comments, we’d love to hear from you..

LOWEST RATES, GUARANTEED

Isn’t that what every mortgage company promises?

30 YEAR FIXED RATES
5. 75 % - apr. 6. 371% (8.502 - 5yr)
or
6. 75% - apr. 6. 891% (7.346 - 5yr)
as of March 1, 2002

(Current Rates, bottom of the page)

WANT TO KNOW, WHAT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW? KEEP READING.

Both of the above rates were real on the date listed. One was a great deal, the other was not. The cheapest rate had an extra 5 points attached. On a $150,000 loan amount that’s $7,500. “BUT, look at the APR.” you say. Yes, the APR is correct. The truth lies in the fact that the extra points are amortized over a thirty year term. The average person keeps a loan for about 4 years and a house for about 5. If you really have the loan for 30 years and the extra $7,500 to spend, it can be a good deal. Your break-even point is 78 months (6.5 years) and after that you are ahead of the game.

If, on the other hand, you are like most people and re-finance or sell in 5 years or less, you need to consider what the APR over a 5 year term would be 8.502% and you would not even break even.. Although I have all rates available, I can’t in good conscience ever recommend paying extra points. Getting a mortgage is expensive enough as it is and even my parents didn’t have the same loan for the 40 years they owned the house.

The point to this story is; you need to know what you are REALLY getting when someone tells you they have the lowest rates. The fact is we all have the same rates because they all come from the same source, the Bond Market.

More on rates.

The rate you can expect on your loan is totally dependent on the perceived risk on you individual loan package.

The rates typically quoted by lenders are for “A” paper or “Market rates”. ( Which means a high quality loan package that is able to meet the standards of the government backed agencies that we call “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac”, because that is where 80% of the money for Mortgages comes from.) These agencies sell “Mortgage Backed Securities” (MBS’s) on the “Bond” market. These are traded like any other “Bond” and compete with Stocks and other Bonds for investors money. All rates are quoted “subject to change”. Translation: they change constantly.

Since they change constantly, I always quote rates as a range until you “lock-in”. When you “lock-in”, the “Servicing Lender” I am selling your loan to, goes to an agency and “buys” the money for your loan at that moment.

The problem with quoting rates on-line is that they are constantly changing and I have yet to find a site that honestly gives a “real market” update on a moment by moment basis. The typical “Quote” is the current available rate with some amount of points added to make it look better. Go figure.

The other thing that is valuable to remember is that all lenders “go to the same well for water”. In other words we all have the same rates available. Therefore, the real difference in rates between all lenders is extremely small if any.

So you ask: “What is the difference?”
The difference is in the amount you pay up front in closing costs. If you pay points you get a lower rate. If you pay lower closing costs you get a higher rate.
This is one of “the games lenders play”.

The real difference between lenders is the service you get. What you want is someone who will explain all of the variations possible. Someone who will help you select the the loan program and fee structure to best fits your individual needs and ability to qualify. With literally hundreds of programs and rate/fee structures available, the best way to select a lender is to find someone willing to take the time to help you properly. There is no “one-size-fits-all” program.

Start with getting a credit report. In today’s world credit is the most important item in determining if you can even qualify for “A” paper or a “Market Rate” loan. If your credit is less than perfect, it may still be able to be fixed so that you can qualify for “A” paper. If not, the rates will be higher on your loan.

OK, so enough rhetoric. Here’s the only place I’ve found where you can go for an honest quote ( “right from the horses mouth”, Freddie Mac )They are not trying to sell you anything, just compiling data. This quote is the national weekly average of the rate and points charged by lenders across the country. It may not be perfect, but it is enough to keep your lender honest..

For more useful tools and articles visit The Mortgage Coach

Investors who time any market hope to buy at the nadir and sell at the zenith, but homebuyers have a trickier time knowing when to sit on the sidelines and when to jump in. The reason? There are several.

Buying a home is one of the largest financial investments a homebuyer will make. Transaction costs are expensive enough that homeowners remain in their homes approximately six years before trading up or down. As the recent buyer’s market shows, homes aren’t liquid, and may not find buyers at the price and in the time frame that sellers prefer.

On the other hand, homeownership provides significant benefits including Read the rest of this entry »

There are a lot software programs on the market for designing your dream deck and patio. As I was planning to add a new deck off the back of my house I found a few really great design programs. Decktools.com was really cool and included high resolution renderings but had a very steep price tag. Not for me… OK, I admit I like free stuff, I decided to use Timbertech’s ‘Design a Deck’ on their website. Not only was it free but it also included a 3D model, material list, and installation guidelines. This was perfect for someone who has no idea about how to build a deck or even where to start.

Don’t forget to plan for your hot tub.

Timbertech made it really easy to design my dream deck. I simple created an account on their site and the software walked me through the design process. They will even save various deck projects if you feel inclined to design your neighbors deck also. Design Your Own Deck at Timbertech

Building a new deck is simple with Timbertech’s revolutionary products.

Every family has to deal with hectic morning rituals. Wake up the kids, get them showered, get them dressed, get them fed, and get them out the door. All this hassle just to…Read more about Jack and Jill Bathroom

Hot Homes of Utah announced today that the locally produced television show, celebrating its fifth season on the air, will move from KTVX to KSL Sunday mornings at 10:30-11:00 and KJZZ Sunday afternoons at 4:30-5:00. According to Carl Arky and Bob Rock, Managing Partners, the new venue should bring increased viewership to the show and greater opportunities for cross-promotion for advertisers. The weekly builder/developer television show has received a Silver Award from the Utah Advertising Federation for excellence in advertising and a Platinum Award from the International Aurora Awards for excellence in production. According to Stacey Rikard, National Sales Manager at KSL, “this level of quality local programming is a real asset to KSL and helps us maintain our dominant position in the market.”

On the heels of the announcement, Hot Homes of Utah also announced that, through Search Engine Optimization, its new website, hothomesofutah.com, has a received a ranking of 6 on the Google Scale of 1-10 (10 being highest). Since rollout in April, the company now averages over 20,000 unique visits per month and has back-end capabilities to track all traffic movement within the site. Tyson Harper, web master, stated that the tools built into the site will finally allow him to provide advertisers with reports regarding activity on the site as well as activity on their individual pages within the site.

“This has been a rewarding negotiation process. We are very excited and feel, once again, we’ve raised the bar for our show and our advertisers,” Mr. Arky stated.

The Japanese billionaire who has been making headlines by offering $150 a month rent on million dollar homes decided that $150 was too much and now says Native Hawaiians can live in the homes for FREE!!!

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