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With all of this HOT weather, I think it is safe to say that summer is officially here! Along with summer comes weeds, bugs and more time needed to tend to your lawn. Here are some ways you can make the most of the season with these summer lawn care tips: 1. Water conservation and proper watering is important at any time of year , but particularly when heat and a lack of rain lead to water deficits and drought. 2. Evaluate your lawn regularly for signs of irregular color and texture. These can be signs of damage that may result from pests or disease. 3. Proper year-round lawn care keeps a lawn healthy and prevents weeds, disease and pests. But sometimes, insects you may not notice can travel from the yard to your home. To stop them, hire pest control to keep the bugs on the outside. You can also reduce their outside presence by treating the lawn for insects such as fleas and ticks and fire ants. 4. While lawns are generally the focal point of most yards , don't forget about trees

Interest rates are at all-time lows, there are lots of houses to choose from and prices are incredibley low. It is so tempting to buy right now. But is the timing right for you? As a first-time home buyer, there is a lot to consider when making the decision to rent or buy a home. Potential buyers should ask themselves several key questions before making this important decision: 1. What will monthly costs be and can I afford the payments? Keeping mortgage payments under 30 percent of your monthly income is a good rule of thumb. If you can't keep mortgage payments below that, you may be better off renting for awhile. 2. What other debt do I have? Total rent or mortgage payments plus credit obligations should not exceed 35 to 40 percent of monthly income. 3. What is my credit score? Can I qualify for a good interest rate? A high credit score indicates strong creditworthiness, and that qualifies you for better interest rates on a mortgage. Maxing out on your credit lines and paying bil

Although 90 percent of consumers believe that the tax credits have helped both first-time home buyers and the U.S. housing market overall, many home buyers feel that mortgage rates have a greater impact on their purchasing decisions. In a recent survey by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, an overwhelming majority of those polled found that when factoring in either low interest rates or the tax credit, low rates were far more important in a decision to purchase a home now. There's a good reason for this statistic. For example, if you purchase a home for $300,000 and finance $270,000, and your interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate loan was 5.25% versus 4.75%, you would pay nearly $30,000 more over the term of the loan. This is a significant amount of money! Since the Fed's Mortgage Backed Securities purchase program ended on March 31, there has been much volatility and price swings in the markets. Rates overall are off their lows and are often quoted above 5.00% t

You've decided to purchase a home and take advantage of the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit. Here's what you have to do to get your benefit: Close on your home purchase between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, or have a binding written contract in place by April 30, 2010 with a closing date no later than September 30, 2010 (original date was June 30, 2010). Decide whether to: apply the credit to your 2009 tax return, filed on or before April 15, 2010; file an amended 2009 return; or, apply the credit on your 2010 return, filed on or before April 15, 2011 Attach documentation of purchase to your return. Documentation of Purchase For more information on claiming the credit and on the documentation required for your 2009 or 2010 returns, see the IRS's First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Questions and Answers . When to Apply the Credit Buyers purchasing homes on or before December 31, 2009 may claim the credit on their 2009 tax returns. Buyers purchasing in 2010 will have the o

You've found the perfect condo and you're ready to make an offer. Before you move too quickly you should do some homework. Here are the seven most important questions you need to ask before buying a condo: 1. "What Are People Complaining About?" Take a look at the minutes of the condo association board meetings to see what the owners have been griping about. If everyone was complaining about the faulty plumbing or the gardener's absence, you know that the complex is having management difficulties. Even if there aren't any complaints, reading the minutes will reveal the sorts of projects that are under way at the complex -- projects the seller may have neglected to mention. 2. "Who's Been Naughty and Who's Been Nice?" Find out the delinquency rates of present owners. If people aren't paying their association dues on time, that is either a sign of discontent or an indication that the association might be underfunded. 3. "How Much Is In

The US Senate voted unanimously to extend the tax credit closing date and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to September 30. According to the National Association of REALTORS, "After a close brush with the deadline, Congress has passed an extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623)". The extension applies only to transactions that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 that have not yet closed. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension - the new closing deadline for eligible transactions is now September 30, 2010. This will allow transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapse period from June 1, 2010 to the date of enactment of the extension.

Up to 180,000 home buyers will lose their tax credit through no fault of their own if Congress fails to pass an extension to the home buyer tax credit by June 30 when the closing deadline expires. According to estimates by the National Association of REALTORS® there are home buyers in every state of the union that will be impacted, from 390 in Wyoming to 17,700 in California. These are not buyers who just entered into the market. These are buyers who previously met all the qualifications for the tax credit, but find themselves at the mercy of a workflow jam with lenders or other delays such as lapses in the National Flood Insurance Program, Rural Housing Service, and new home construction, and might not be able to complete the purchase of their homes by the current deadline. NAR issued the following state-by-state estimate of the number of home sales that would be delayed beyond the June 30 deadline (numbers are rounded to the nearest 10): Alabama, 2,590; Alaska, 830; Arizona, 5,440; A

Rates are at an all-time low! This is great news for anyone who has yet to refinance to take advantage of the lowest rates ever recorded, or to purchase that new home or investment property more affordably than ever before. Both 30 Year and 15 Year Fixed Rates clipped down to their lowest levels. All this is incredible as just months ago, many experts had anticipated that rates would be well above 5% this summer and on their way to 6% by year end. Visit my website's Mortgage Center for more helpful credit information.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate approved a three-month extension to the tax credit closing deadline, which would give buyers until Sept. 30 to close. It is not completely final since it is attached to another bill that still has to be passed by the House. The extension would apply only to buyers who met the April 30 deadline to have signed purchase contracts. NAR estimates up to 180,000 buyers who were hoping to close by June 30 and get the tax credit are likely to miss the current deadline, so the extension is essential.

Rural Development has received additional Guaranteed Single-Family Housing Loan funds in the amount of $2.5 billion. They are able to begin to issue Conditional Commitments on loans subject to the availability of funds as follows: The guarantee fee for purchase transactions will be 3.5 percent The guarantee fee for refinance transactions will be 2.25 percent If have any buyers who have been waiting for it to come back, it's time to start shopping again!!! Click here for more detailed information.