Hello Active Rainers!

My birthday wish to my cousin, Heather, on her 1st kidney transplant anniversary (12/7) is to have 500 people sign her card.  This is very important to me because I gave her my kidney and I really want to WOW her on her big day. 

I have a week to get the remaining 427 signers. Will you help? 

http://www.budurl.com/kidney

I would appreciate anything you can do to help me reach my goal by forwarding this to your address books and online communities.   Please REBLOG and FEATURE it!  We've only got 7 days! 

Thank you!

A Seminar For Military Spouses! Crooks & Henderson are coming to Fort Campbell December 4 and 5, 2008 to present a Spouse Field Exercise.  Joined by sponsors USAA, ConAgra Foods, K12.com, and Military Avenue, Crooks & Henderson bring you quite the event! You DO NOT want to miss it!

This conference is chock full of tips and goodies to relieve those of you who still have some deployment time to endure.

It's going to be a lot like Christmas with giveaways, fabulous gift bags, a free meal, dessert, and lots more.
Military spouses will enjoy themselves, but they'll learn a lot too. Crooks & Henderson will share tested deployment survival tips and resources as well as cover themed and holiday care package ideas.

Online registration is now LIVE for this, the last Field Exercise of 2008!

Register via www.FieldProblems.com.

Where: Fort Campbell Family Readiness Center, 1501 William C.
Lee Road

When: Your choice of dinner on December 4th, 5-9pm, or lunch on
December 5th, 10-2pm

FREE CHILDCARE

 Free childcare is available for both events on a first come first served basis.

Thursday
Location: FRC
Time: 4:30-9:30
Slots: 30
Number: 270-956-4381

Friday
Location: Tennessee Hourly Care
Time: 9:30-2:30
Slots: until hourly care is full
Number: 270-412-4477

*Please note that your child(ren) must be registered with on post childcare and all regular rules and regulations apply.

Questions about childcare? Call the number corresponding with your chosen event.

Hello,

  This website focuses mainly on caring for our injured Veterans, but it has some really useful links as well.  The URL ends in .mil, and I believe it is thus run by the DOD.  Please pass this along to all you know who are serving, or have returned from deployments.

  Please say a prayer for those men & women in uniform currently serving. 

http://www.warriorcare.mil/

Please let me know what you guys think, good or bad.

 Marty

Our Ribbon Cutting with the Chamber of Commerce is going to be Monday!  We are so excited - tomorrow, we will get together for a couple of hours and make sure everything is just right at our office - we have invited so many people and I just know that we will have a good crowd - I also love the "FREE" advertising that we will get with the local newspaper - Hopefully, I will be able to post a pic here so you all can see - also, we have a caterer that has great food - I know all will enjoy that!  Wish us luck!  (I work as a team with my son, Michael and my daughter in law, Siobhan (which is married to my youngest son, David) ---- and we make up the Elkins Team!

The hottest buzz word in the industry right now is not short sales nor foreclosures. It's all about loan modifications. Lots of unscrupulous businesses are springing up that offer consumers help with their loan modifications, and they are charging home owners $3,000 and more to do what home owners can do for themselves.

To find your lender's loan modification requirements, click on the photo and you will find my article on About.com, which details major mortgage lender guidelines for loan modifications.

Nobody wants to admit it, but the lenders are making loan modifications seem confusing and difficult. Perhaps it's an effort to discourage applications? If you're considering a loan modification, the first thing you should do is pick up the phone and call your lender to find out if you qualify. If you do not qualify, and can no longer afford to make your monthly mortgage payments, then call a short-sale specialist and put your home on the market as a short sale. Many lenders are placing a 3- to 4-month moratorium on foreclosures, so this will give you extra time to get that home sold.

The criteria for a loan modification is tight. Many banks insist on the following qualifications:

• Existing loan origination date prior to Dec. 31, 2007
  
• Existing subprime loan (fixed or adjustable) or Option ARM
• Loan-to-value ratio above 75%
  
• Owner occupied as primary residence
  
• Employed homeowner
• Existing mortgage payments exceed 31% of gross monthly income.

However, if you qualify for a loan modification, you can assemble the paperwork the lender wants by putting together the following package:

• 2 years of W2's
• 2 years of tax returns
• Financial Statement that lists assets and liabilities
• Last 2 pay stubs
• Hardship letter

Don't pay a company to do this for you. Do it yourself.

If you are successful, a loan modification may give you:

• A lower mortgage balance.
• An interest rate between 2% and 4%.
• A loan term of 30 to 40 years.
• A low monthly mortgage payment.
• Elimination of negative amortization and / or a waiver of prepayment penalties and fees.

Remember, California short sale sellers, you have until December 31 to sell that home to avoid paying state taxes on debt forgiveness.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody, and Happy Debt Forgiveness!

Photo: Big Stock Photo

The Short Sale, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming from Archer Ellison in January 2009.

We are all guilty of it at one time or another. Clutter.  We don't see it building until it's ready to overtake us...devour us.  But we just can't get rid of it. Here's why.

Top 5 reasons we don't clean up our act:

1. Because you heard somewhere that a messy workspace is a sign of genius and you know others have heard this as well
2. Because a neat and organized space just screams of "anal retentive"
3. Because even though it looks like a mess, you know where everything is
4. Because you can't spend the time to clean it up if it's just going to get messy again
5. Because you come from a long line of successful messy people and you don't want to break the chain

Yeah, I get it. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.

 

What this time of year means to me.

This time of year means family, food, love, warmth, happiness, and gratitude.

It means coming together and putting aside differences and eating food that has been lovingly cooked for those most important to us to enjoy.

It means laughing and singing and pouring over old pictures and talking about memories past and building memories for the future.

It means being grateful that we have the opportunity to share time and space with those still here to enjoy another day on earth.

It means being thankful for the food, heat, water, electricity, and roof over our heads that we wish everyone had. It means giving what you can to those less fortunate and doing so with a loving smile and embrace.

I wish everyone a wonderful happiness filled Thanksgiving and here’s to hoping that you make wonderful memories with your family and friends.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!