The Barry Blog

My New Site

2010-12-24T08:44:00.004-05:00

Thanks for tuning in to this blog over the last couple of years that I have been writing it. I have moved my blog and my real estate website all in to one Wordpress site. You can get there by clicking here:

A Blogging Break?

2010-12-05T20:56:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone,

As you may have noticed, I have taken a break from blogging over the past month or so. It is not that I have not been thinking of things to write about or have not been doing anything. Just that I have been working hard on my next big project!

Within the next week I expect to unvail a new, all in one, website and blog. Actually, it will be 2 blogs and a website all in one. I KNOW.....CRAZY!

And, one of the blogs will require me posting EVERY SINGLE DAY! Probably crazy for trying this......but that's just how I roll! The other blog will be my real estate blog.

The new site will be a Wordpress site. All of my old domain names will still work, but they will point to the new site and my existing blog and website will no longer be used by me.

So, are you wanting a little hint as to what I am moving towards???

The photo below will give an indication. This is not an original idea by me, others have done this in other parts of the country with great success, and even locally a few have tried but have never kept up on the daily posting that is required.

So, that's all you get for now. But please be on the lookout for the new website! Ooops, almost forgot to mention.......there will also be a Facebook page for this as well! Be sure to look for it and click "Like". Within a couple of days all of this will be up and running.

Temptation

2010-11-10T22:41:00.004-05:00

Every once in awhile, I get to choose a topic for my men's bible study group to discuss on Friday morning. This is the outline for our next discussion which is this Friday at Honkers on Day Road at 6 a.m.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:13)

Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
(Matthew 4:1)

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13)

1) So if God does not do the tempting and He does not put evil desires in our hearts, then how do evil desires get there?

2) What is the difference between Testing and Temptation? Is there a difference?

Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

3) It seems like evil (satan) can twist or use scripture in a way that uses it against the purpose and calling for which God saved you. How can you combat this? How can you tell when this is happening? Have you ever fell victim to this?

4) Can you get out from under Temptation on your own?

5) What do you do when you do not get the answer from God that you are wanting? Are you tempted to walk away from God, or draw closer to God?

6) What is the purpose of Temptation?

1 Corinthians 10:13 13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

7) What are your thoughts on this passage? Does it comfort you knowing that there is a way out or does it disturb you knowing that you are going to be tempted to your limits?

Things to ponder: When are you most tempted? What time of day? Where are you most tempted? At work? At home? On the road? Ask who is with me when I am most tempted? How do You feel when you are most tempted? Bored-lonely-depressed-under stress? Identify your typical pattern or temptation and avoid those situations….get an accountability partner. Ask for God’s help.

You Know What You Know,You Don't Know What You Don't Know

2010-10-28T19:38:00.003-04:00

When asked about their childhood, most people respond about all of the difficulties they had or about how bad their parents were. I fall into that category as well. We all have stories to tell or situations that happened that molded us into to people that we are today.

My story mostly revolves around my parents. They cared about us kids and, although it may have been a little misguided at times, they did love us kids. I grew up in Niles, Michigan during the 70's and times were tough. The 5 of us were crammed into a small 800 or 900 sqft house. My parents were high school graduates, but really did not have a lot of skills. To date, I am the only one from my family to actually graduate from college. My mom worked at the JC Penney in Niles after Grants closed up, which was another retail store in the same location. After getting out of the Air Force, my dad worked in a factory called Clark Equipment in Buchanan until they started to move their operation down south somewhere. When that happened, it left my dad unemployed in a lousy job market with little knowledge of how to do anything other than the factory work he was just laid off from.

You Know What You Know

With the job market the way that it was, we were on Food Stamps and Welfare. I remember standing in Government Cheese lines with my parents (great tasting cheese by the way!) and I remember that we had Powdered Milk because we couldn't afford the real thing. Most of the time for dinner we would have fried bologna sandwiches, spaghetti or anything else that was inexpensive to make. Because of the money situation my family was in, I was in the free hot lunch program at school.

Growing up this way, it was all that I knew, it was all that my family knew. You struggled to pay bills and put food on the table. Good paying jobs were a myth when you grew up, and when you did have a job, you had to work hard at what ever it was in order to keep it. I knew that I didn't want this when I got older, but I had no idea how I would avoid it. You know What You Know, You Don't Know What You Don't Know.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

As I got older and into high school I always tested out at high levels in math. The problem was, I had no idea how to enhance the way I studied. I was on my own. My parents knew nothing about the subjects I was taking, let alone the proper ways of studying. So, despite "testing out" well, I struggled at times. But I knew I needed to stick with school, even though it was VERY frustrating. When I saw successful people, they all seemed to have college degrees. So, I figured my goal should be to go to college and get a degree. "You have to go to college!" my parents would say. They were right, but I really had no idea why at the time. They wanted something better for me. I wanted something better for me too. I just didn't know what. You Don't Know What You Don't Know.

So, off to college I went. My grades in high school were average, something like a 2.6 GPA. The only money that I had was from the paper route that I delivered for the South Bend Tribune and from the part time job I had during my senior year. I saved and saved and saved. I had about $3,000, which was not nearly enough to pay for college. And, since my parents had no money to contribute but made just enough to disqualify me for certain types of aid, I applied for Student Loans and Pell Grants after being accepted to South Western Michigan College (SMC) in Dowagiac and meeting with financial aid counselors.

I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I felt that I had some good common sense in my thought process, and since it seemed that 90% of business decisions seemed like they were just good common sense, I decided business was what I should study. SMC made a lot of sense. They had an extension program with Ferris State's business program, so, I could get a 4 year degree and stay local so that I did not have to pay room and board like I would have to if I went away for college. I was still a little short on money for books and such, so I worked 2 jobs to make up the shortage while going to college full time. I remember one semester where I took 21 credit hours while working a 42 hour schedule between my 2 jobs. I would get up at 6 a.m. and go to bed at 2 a.m. Nothing but work, college, studies and trying to build a relationship with my then girlfriend and now wife Kimberly.

You Know What You Know, You Don't Know What You Don't Know

I know that, in part, I am where I am today because I knew I wanted something different than what I was used to as a kid. But I also know, that if it were not for programs like welfare, food stamps, pell grants and student loans, that I would not be where I am today. When you grow up in the kind poverty type of environment that I did, it is all you know. You know nothing else, because that is all that the people around you know. You Don't Know What You Don't Know.

When I hear political candidates talking about cutting these programs, or worse, eliminating these programs. It's upsetting.

It's upsetting because these programs enabled me to lift myself up.

It's upsetting because there are people out there that want what I now have and people are trying to stop them from getting it.

It's upsetting because these candidates might as well be saying to me "We wish you were still at that level of poverty you were at as a kid."

Maybe these candidates that are against these programs just don't care about people like me. Maybe they just Don't Know What They Don't Know, which is all the more reason that I will not be voting for them.

Think about who you are voting for, and what that person stands for, before casting your vote on election day.

My vote will be cast for people that are trying to help those less fortunate. I hope that's where your vote lands as well.

What Is Buying Power? Is Now The Right Time To Buy?

2010-10-21T11:35:00.002-04:00

I get asked all the time "Is Now The Right Time To Buy?" or "Why Should I Buy Right Now" and in the past I have given a response similar to this:

"Now is a great time to buy because rates are low and prices are low. Historically, when rates are low, then prices are high. Or when rates are high, prices are low. So, this is truly a unique market in that you have the best of both."

Don't get me wrong, I think that is a fine answer to give, especially since it was the answer that I have been giving to people. And, to some people, I think that answer resonates. They get it. But to others, maybe not so much. So, today I thought I would take a different approach and really throw out an analysis as to if it is a good time to buy or not.

It is no secret that prices in real estate have taken a hit. According to numbers released from the NAR (National Association of REALTORS), at the end of 2009, the national median selling price of a home had reverted back to what they were in 2003. But since then, nationally our median selling price is up .7% this year and if you look just at Midwest numbers, that number grows to a 2.2% increase over last year.

So it appears that we have hit bottom on price and could be back on the incline again.

Now, let's look at interest rates.

Today I traced interest rates all the way back to 1963, I didn't feel the need to go back any further to prove my point. Since 1963 we are currently at our lowest point in mortgage interest rates which are currently at 4.375% as of this morning. As you can see by looking at this chart that I made, with only a couple of exceptions, interest rates go UP a lot faster then they go down. And since interest rates are in the low 4's, an area they have not been before, it would make sense that they may not be going down any further. Or at least not much further. It would also make sense, that interest rates will start to climb, even if it is by only 1/2% or by 1%.

So, why does this make a difference? After all, a low interest rate is a low interest rate, right?

True, but the low interest rate along with the low price effect something called buying power. People love to get the most for their money. And right now may very well be that time.

As you can see by this chart that I made, the payment stays pretty much the same throughout. But look at the interest rates and the buying power. As the interest rates go up, you cannot afford as much house. This was all based off of an original purchase price of $100,000. If the original purchase price were even higher, the difference would be even greater.

Now, take that prices are back at 2003 levels which means that $100,000 house today may have been a $115,000 house or more 3 years ago, and it is easy to see how great today's Buying Power actually is.

Hopefully that explains to you why the current real estate market IS the right time to buy, especially since prices and rates may start creeping back up again.

9 Tips For Buying A Foreclosed Home

2010-10-13T11:43:00.003-04:00

1. Budget Carefully- Don’t let a small price tag lure you into a quick deal. Questions you should be asking yourself: Do you have the money for extensive repairs? If you plan to rehab the home and then rent it, can you afford the house if you don’t find a tenant?

I like to tell people to get a number in your head as to what you think it will cost to rehab, and then add 50% to it. There are always hidden problems that will need to be addressed. If you budget for that extra 50% and never use it, then its profit. Work backwards from what you think the house would be worth fixed up and start subtracting repairs, realtor fees, title work, taxes, and the purchase price etc. You might find that you will be upside down when it is all said and done.

2. See The house for yourself. Many investors have made mistakes by buying “sight unseen”. If you are an out of town investor, have someone from the area that you are wanting to buy in go out and take a bunch of pictures and give you a description of what they see.

3. Look at the neighborhood. Do your homework and check out crime rates and foreclosure rates in the neighborhood that you are looking to buy in. High crime and high foreclosure rates will make it difficult to recoup the cost of repairs due to falling home prices in that area. High crime rates may make it difficult to rent out.

4. How long has the house been empty? The longer a house sits, usually, the more damage there is. Vacant homes have a tendency to be vandalized, so check the walls and plumbing carefully. People like to break into vacant homes and take the copper plumbing.

5. Was it winterized? Do a very careful inspection of the plumbing and look for breaks and cracks before turning on the utilities. If the house has been winterized, when was the date? I’ve seen homes that were not winterized until March. By then, it may have been too late.

6. Look at the landscaping. Look for hanging braches on trees that are up against the roof, it could be concealing a roof or shingle problem. Look for grown up vegetation around the siding and base of the house. Vegetation holds in moisture making it a prime Termite area. Sometimes improper grading around the house can cause water problems if the house has a basement.

7. Have the home inspected. Expect a whole laundry list of things to show up, but what you are looking for are major defects. The big things that are going to cost lots and lots of money. Roofs, electrical, plumbing, foundation ,mold, furnace, AC, and well and septic if not on city water and sewer. A $300 to $500 investment in inspections can save you from making a huge mistake that could cost you thousands.

8. Consider buying a HUD home. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is sitting on 10’s of thousands of homes and usually sell at bargain prices. Local government and owner occupants get first shot at buying these, but if they pass on them, investors are allowed to bid on them. Investors account for about ½ of the HUD home purchases. HUD homes come with a property condition report, but still get an inspection of your own. Beware though, HUD homes usually have extensive damage to them but the trade off is a better price.

9. Don’t expect to profit from a quick sale. People that buy a home and put very little into it expecting a large payoff are generally fooling themselves and may find little profit and big headaches down the road.

St Joe County Absorption Rate

2010-10-11T15:16:00.004-04:00

One of the things that I get asked a lot is "how much inventory is on the market?" One of the best ways to demonstrate this is to figure an "Absorption Rate."

To figure the current Absorption Rate, it really needs to be broken down in to different categories and areas. Afterall, the west side of South Bend is going to sell completely different then what Granger is going to sell. From there, you can break it down in to price range to get even a better, more accurate number.

To keep it simple on this post, I just broke it down in to price ranges and did not break it down in to areas. How these rates are figured, is I took the number of homes sold in a category for the last six months and divided by 6 to get an accurate monthly number. I then took the number of available listings in that category and divided by that monthly number. That gives you the number of months of "Available Inventory" that is currently on the market. These numbers are through the end of September.

You can also break these numbers down in to subdivisions if it suits the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish. If you are interested in knowing a particular area of St Joseph County, please shoot me an email at Barry@PrudentialOneRealty.com and I will try to get the numbers together for you. One thing to note though, if your house is really a $90,000 home and you see that it currently has 14.15 months of inventory, bumping it up to over $100,000 which has 10.22 months is not going to make your house sell faster. It will cause the opposite to happen. Over priced homes do nothing but sit on the side of the road in this market.

Where Was God On 9/11?

2010-09-10T14:39:00.005-04:00

This is something that I found on another website called "Swap Meet Dave" so I cannot take credit for it. But it is a very nicely written piece:

Have you ever thought, "Where was God on 9/11 when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked?" Well, I know where my God was on the morning of September 11, 2001, and He was very busy!

He was discouraging people from taking those four flights. Together they could accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, yet there were only 266 aboard. He was on those four flights giving the terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the people who was called by a loved one on one of the hijacked planes mentioned that passengers were panicked, nor was there any screaming in the background. And on one of the flights, God gave strength to the passengers to overcome the hijackers.

God was also busy creating obstacles to prevent people who worked in the WTC from getting to work on time. The work day had begun, more than 50,000 people worked in the two towers, yet only 20,000 were at their desks. On that beautiful morning, God created scores of unexpected traffic delays, subway delays, and commuter train delays. A PATH train packed with commuters was stopped at a signal just short of the WTC and was able to return to Jersey City. And far more meetings were scheduled elsewhere than was usual.

God held up each of the two mighty towers for a half hour so that the people on the lower floors could get out. And when He finally let go, He caused the towers to fall inward rather than to topple over, which would have killed so many more people. The foundations of six surrounding buildings were demolished by the fall of the towers, but God held them up for many hours until all the occupants were safely evacuated.

And when the WTC and Pentagon buildings went down, my God picked up almost 3,500 of His children and carried them to their home for all eternity. He also sat down and cried that 19 of His children could have so much hate in their hearts, that they did not choose him, but another god that doesn't exist, and now they are lost forever.

He sent people trained in dealing with earthly disasters to save those that were injured. And he sent in thousands of others to help in any way they were needed. And He brought people together across the world in a way that moved thousands to tears and hundreds of thousands to prayer—and caused millions to turn to the one true living God.

He still isn't finished. Every day He comforts those who lost loved ones. He is encouraging others to reach out to those who don't know Him or believe in Him. He is giving the leaders of our great nation the strength and conviction to do the right thing, to follow His will, not a popular poll.

So if anyone ever asks, "Where was your God on 9/11?" you can say, "He was everywhere! And, in fact, he is everywhere today and every day." Without a doubt, this was the worst catastrophe most of us have ever seen. I can't imagine getting through such a difficult time without God at my side. Without God, life would be hopeless.

Some More Thoughts...
As you might know, the head of one company survived 9/11 because he took his son to kindergarten.
Another fellow is alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
Another lady was late because her alarm clock didn't go off on time.
One was late as a result of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.
One more survivor missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One's car wouldn’t start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn't get a taxi.
The one that, struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
went to work by his usual way but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot.
So he stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
all the little things that annoy me....
I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.

Some Strange Quotes..........By A Muslim

2010-08-31T19:27:00.003-04:00

"I Believe in the redemptive death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ"

"I think I have an ongoing conversation with God...I'm constantly asking myself questions about what I'm doing, why I am doing it"

"I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that I am redeemed through him. That is a source of strength and sustenance on a daily basis. I know that I don't walk alone and I know that if I can get myself out of the way, that I can carry out in some small way what he intends. It means those sins, that I have on a fairly regular basis, hopefully will be washed away. It also means a sense of obligation to embrace not just words but through deeds the expectation that God has for us"

"What was intellectual and what was emotional joined, and the belief in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, that he died for our sins. That through him, we could achieve eternal life-but also that through good works we could find order and meaning here on Earth and transcend our limits and our flaws and our foibles- I found that powerful"

"I found myself drawn-not just to work with the church, but to be in the church. It was through this service that I was brought to Christ"

"Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to HIS will, and dedicated myself to discovering HIS truth and carrying out HIS works."

"Let's make clear what the facts are: I am a Christian, I have been sworn in with a Bible. I Pledge Allegiance and lead the Pledge of Allegiance sometimes in the United States Senate when I'm presiding"

Those are all quotes from our current President, Barack Obama.

As part of President Obama's spiritual advisory panel, Rev. Joel Hunter said "He gets a devotional every day on his Blackberry and so I'm going through the Gospel of Mark with him." Hunter continues and says "months and months ago, he invited me to do daily devotionals and I just decided it would be more consistent to go through a Gospel with him so that I could talk about Jesus."

According to Fox News, a recent poll conducted by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life earlier this month, showed that 18% say that President Obama is a Muslim. The article says that Obama IS a Christian, but when asked in the poll, only 34% of the respondents claimed that he is a Christian while 43% say they "do not know" what religion our President follows.

The President has said that he has NEVER been a Muslim. Like myself and many of you, The President has said that there was certainly a time where he had no belief structure, but he now believes in Jesus Christ. So why is there a question of what faith he follows? Is it because he has a "different" name? Is it because he is African American?

Most of us have had a time where we did not believe. Some of you reading might be in that category now. But for those of us that do believe, how would you feel if that large of a percentage questioned your faith?

I Have A New Favorite Baseball Player!

2010-08-26T21:17:00.003-04:00

I can't hold it back any longer. I have a new favorite baseball player and his name is..........Johnny Damon.

After last season was over and the free agency period began, it seemed as though the Tigers were going to take a step back and throw in the towel on the season before it even began after trading away Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson and letting Placido Polanco go. It seemed as if they were in a payroll cutting mode.Then, just when I thought this was going to be a lost season, the competitive juices of Mike Illitch started flowing and he gave permission to sign a top notch closer in Jose Valverde along with an aging outfield veteran named Johnny Damon. Damon had been talking the Tigers up even when he was trying to negotiate a deal with the Yankees. At the time, I figured that he was just trying to leverage a position to get a better contract with the Yankees. And, maybe that was what he was trying to do, at least that is what sports writers were saying.

But the more I listened to him talk, the more I got the feeling that he did actually want to come to Detroit to play baseball. He seemed to know a lot about the city and the sports teams that play in Detroit, in particular, the Red Wings. Once again, people were saying that he was just saying the right things to get a contract or saying nice things because he wanted to leverage an offer from Detroit against other teams that he would rather play for.

Damon has always had kind of an odd reputation in baseball. After all, in Boston he nicknamed himself and some of the players as "The Idiots". So I was not sure what to expect with this signing other then they got a guy that could hit for a solid average but did not have a great reputation on defense. And, once again, that he was kind of kooky.

But as the season has progressed, I saw how when a young player like rookie Austin Jackson would make a mistake, he would be the first one to go up to that player to explain what just happened and why. And when he himself made a mistake, you could see him explaining what happened and why so that others wouldn't do the same. All while still professing his love for the city of Detroit, the Tigers and its fans. Still, the writers were saying "he's just a one year rental, he will be with another team next year, he's just doing this for next years contract."

As the yearly trading deadline approached, there were rumors flying around that the Tigers were going to trade him for a young prospect since the Tigers seemed to be out of playoff contention. When asked about the trade rumors, Damon said things like "I understand what the Tigers might have to do, but I still want to be here and if they do trade me, I would like sign with them again next year.....I love this team, my teammates, the city and the fans." Still, the writers were saying: "he's just saying the right things to not rock the boat, he would much rather be playing for a playoff spot."

Just this last week, the Tigers placed Damon on "Trade Waivers" which is something that every team does with almost every player on their roster. This time of year, the only way a player can be traded is to be placed on an option waiver system. If the player is claimed, then the Tigers can negotiate a trade with the team that claimed him. If they cannot negotiate a trade, then they can pull the player back off of the waiver wire. If no team claims the player, then the team can trade him to whatever team they want. When the Tigers signed Damon, they gave him a limited no-trade clause. There were 8 teams that he had to give the names of at the time of signing the contract that he could be traded to. It is unknown which 8 teams those are, but we now know that the Boston Red Sox were not one of those teams. Boston put in a waiver claim on Damon which meant that the Tigers either had to negotiate a trade with Boston or pull him back off of waivers. But Damon had veto power over the trade since Boston was one of the teams he did not want to be traded to.

Damon had 2 days to think about what he wanted to do. Instantly, he again talked about his love for the city of Detroit, the Tigers, the players and the fans and talked about how he did not want to leave. He again talked about how if he did accept the trade, that he wanted to re-sign with Detroit in the off season. Damon talked about how he understood what was going on and how Detroit might be able to get a good prospect to help out in the future.....but he really wasn't sure he wanted to go back to Boston. He talked to teammates and the front office. He was told by the players that they wanted him to stay. He was told by the front office that he should "do whatever his heart tells you to do". Damon chose to stay in Detroit and reject the trade. Again, Damon said "I love Detroit, my wife loves Detroit, I love the players, the front office and I love the fans." Again, the sports writers are saying; "If it were the Yankees that claimed him, he would be gone....or if it were the Rays that claimed him, he would be gone." They are also saying "He is just positioning himself for a contract next year."

Here is a crazy thought..................MAYBE HE LOVES DETROIT!!!!!

Maybe I am naive. Maybe I am just being a homer. But I believe him! I think he loves being a part of the Tigers organization. Maybe this is something new for the city of Detroit. A city that has been practically destroyed by the downfall of the economy. An area that is depressed beyond belief. Maybe it is hard to believe that someone could want to be a part of that. But maybe he sees hope. Maybe his heart is in a place where he wants to provide some relief to people in the form of entertainment on the baseball field. Maybe he appreciates the respect the front office shows him. Maybe he appreciates the owner that signed him to a contract when others would not. Maybe he likes wearing the "old English D". Is that really so hard to believe??

Well, he has made a believer out of me, and I hope he finishes the year out strong. I hope Detroit signs him in the off season. And if they don't, I will be cheering for him regardless of whatever team he is playing for. Maybe I will not cheer for that team, but I certainly will be cheering for Johnny Damon! In an era when people are grasping for loyalty and honesty, maybe we are actually seeing the real deal in Detroit right now and it is just hard to believe our eyes. I believe what I am seeing right now, and because of it, I have a new favorite player. Thank you Johnny Damon for wanting to be a Detroit Tiger.

Women As Church Leaders

2010-08-12T13:27:00.005-04:00

Last Friday, August 6th, it was my turn to lead the men's bible study group that I attend. Below you will find the outline for the study. Just for the record, before you start reading, I am VERY much in favor for women leading the church if that is what they are called to do. I am in favor of anyone leading the church as long as they are qualified and teaching God's word as it was intended to be taught.

A few months ago, Michelle Wegner posted on her blog about a lack of women leading in churches. About how “They are just quiet. And Passive. And really quiet.” It has since got me thinking a little bit more about the topic of women leading in the church. I am not talking about women leading in the children’s ministry on the weekend or being a site leader for an inner city kids ministry or something like that. I am talking about actually leading the church. Standing up and preaching on the weekends. Being the voice of a congregation. Each time I look at a list that names the “most influential churches” or “most influential pastors”, I fail to see a single woman on the leader board…..not even Joyce Meyer is on the list and she is booking thousands of people to see her on speaking engagements.

I know that our group is a “men’s” group, but I thought that it would be an interesting topic to discuss since it seems that men dominate the leadership role in the church.

1) Are men and women “equal” in the church as far as roles?

2) I notice that when the topic of a woman leading the church comes up, often I hear scripture thrown out to “rebuke” that female as a proper leader. Below are a couple of those scriptures. How do you feel about these scriptures? Is it ok for a woman to Lead a church? On the 2nd scripture, why do you think that Paul said “they should ask their own husbands at home”? Do you feel that these scriptures are an outdated way of thinking by the church or should we strictly adhere to them?

1 Timothy 2:11-14 11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

3) Would you attend a church that is being led by a woman? Is it ok for a woman to run for President or be the Governor of a state but not be able to lead a church?

4) Do you think that a church would be ran differently if it were run by a woman? If so, what impact do you think female leadership would have on the church? Negative or positive etc…..

5) Do you think a woman pastor is viewed differently? If so, then how are they viewed? Men leaders are often viewed as “strong” or “insightful” what words are used to describe female leaders?

Thanks for reading! I know this is a hot topic within the church right now.

Batting Practice at Comerica Park

2010-08-05T14:10:00.003-04:00

As a kid growing up, my childhood dream was to play 2nd base for the Detroit Tigers. That dream never became a reality for me. I played summer league at Thomas Stadium in Niles, played on the J.V. team in High School and was the last one cut off of the Varsity team when I tried out as a Junior. Which was when the reality of my situation hit me. I just was not a good enough player! The glove was there, but the bat was not close to being good enough. Looking at my future, I had a choice to make my Senior year. Put more effort into a baseball future that really was not there or go to work as a co-op student so that I could try to pay for college since my parents were not in a financial situation to help. Nobody in my family had ever graduated from college and few had even attempted to go to college. So, I chose the latter of the two choices and even worked full-time between 2 jobs while going to college full time all while trying to build a solid relationship with the woman who would eventually become my wife. It was hard and I don't regret it one bit! I have been blessed with a great wife and a career in Real Estate that I genuinely enjoy and have met some great people along the way.

But, when the opportunity came up for me to step out onto a major league baseball field, I jumped at it. On Friday, July 30th, I had the awesome experience of taking batting practice at Comerica Park in Detroit. Home of my Detroit Tigers. It was a blast!! From taking warm up swings in the batting cages behind the visitors dugout to shagging fly balls and eventually stepping up to bat against former Detroit Tiger and 1984 World Champion, Dave Rozema, which was who was throwing BP.

There were over 60 people taking BP with me. Out of those 60+ people, only 1 was able to pop one over the fence. No, it was not me! But I was in Left Field when it was hit right over my head as I was heading back to the fence so I got a nice view of it sailing over the fence, over the gap between the stands and the field and then into the seats about 3 rows up.

I practiced leading up to Friday. Taking BP in the cages at Hackers up in Niles and worked my way up to the fast pitch machine. But I was not sure what to expect or how I would feel when stepping up to bat against a former Major League Pitcher in a profession ball park. I took the whole thing seriously. I had my Detroit Tiger batting practice jersey on, baseball pants, cleats, batting gloves and even the knee high blue socks. I made sure that I had an old school look about me with the socks and the way that I had the bottoms of my pants up high to show off those blue socks (not a big fan of the way the players wear the bottoms now a days).

When I stepped up to the plate, Rozema spoke out to me and said "At first glance, you sure have the look of a ball player! You have the uniform and the batting gloves, but I don't see a belt! Real ballplayers finish out their look!" It was funny, and said as a joke, but I did get his point. I laughed and had a hard time during that first pitch. He got in my head! Luckily, I re-grouped, focused and was able to get some good swings in. The best of those swings might have been a double in the gap in left center. The rest would have been line outs, ground outs or singles.

A couple of things became VERY clear from my experience.

Hitting a Home Run is a very hard thing to do! You truly have to hit the ball perfectly and with a lot of bad speed in order to hit that baseball 345 ft down the left field line or worse the 420 feet in left center. I really do not see how there could be such a thing as a cheap home run after having the experience of being out on that field.

The people that play baseball for living work really, really hard at what they do! To be in playing shape and to be able to hit a little white ball that is coming at you 95 mph takes skill and dedication. There is no way these players can just show up and play.

And, if you have an opportunity to take BP at a Major League Ball Park.....TAKE IT! It was worth what I paid and it is an opportunity to do something that you would not be able to do otherwise!

Inception

2010-07-28T10:12:00.003-04:00

Not that I am some great movie reviewer, because I know that I am not. But when I see a great movie, I cannot help but to share my thoughts about it and what I got from it. So today, this post is about the movie Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

First, let me say that I really enjoyed this movie! It reminded me of the Matrix, but only a little different. Second, because of its complexities, there is no way I am going to nail this review perfectly without seeing it again which is something I would gladly take the opportunity to do if it presents itself.

At first glance, from the previews, it is easy to see that this movie is about dream manipulation in some shape or form. The movie does a great job in explaining what dream extraction is, which is stealing someones inner most ideas, thoughts and secrets. A little later in the movie the concept of Inception is brought up, which is actually planting an idea in someones mind so that they think it was their thought to begin with and the person would never know that you were in there head to begin with. Scary concept!

That is a great story line in itself, but the movie is actually much deeper and complex then that. The character that DiCaprio plays, Cobb, is struggling with the past. Much of that past has to do with his on screen wife named Mal and the decisions that he made to bring him to this point in his life. The word Mal, by the way, in Latin means evil. Mal had passed on some time before the movie takes place and she keeps "popping up" in the dreams that Cobb has entered into in an attempt to thwart his extraction jobs from others dreams.

This movie talks several times about taking a "leap of faith" and leaving the current world behind to enter another. The more you are in this "dream world" the more it becomes your reality and the more you want to be a part of it. The problem for them though, is that they always have to return to the current world, leaving them longing to return to the other one.

I tend to watch movies and look for "Jesus moments" or "God moments" and I love it when I find them! This movie has that all over it!

Much of Christianity is living in two separate worlds. The world view of things is much different then the Christian view of things, but as Christians, we need to be in both of these worlds. And when I am in the "world view" of things, there is a longing to be back in the "Christian view" of things. But I know at some point, I have to return to the world view at times. It is a back and forth. Just like it is in this movie, we need both worlds in order to exist.

Another subplot of this movie and in taking the "leap of faith" is going back to confront ones past. Late in the movie, Cobb realizes that he is going to have to confront Mal as more and more he is realizing that he is holding onto something that is not healthy for him or the ones around him. This is a great message for all of us. How many times do we hold onto guilt or anger or regret? There is comfort in holding onto it, in an odd sort of way, and if we hold onto that guilt or anger or regret it consumes us and turns into a different person.

In the confrontation scene, I couldn't help but to recognize the similarities of when Jesus was tempted by Satan. Kind of a "all of this can be yours" type of moment. I am not saying that Cobb was like Jesus, just saying that it was a similar type of moment as it was becoming more and more evident that Mal was evil. In order to do this "confrontation", Cobb has to go deeper into his dreams into a "lost" area. This area of his dreams is full of beauty and destruction at the same time.

So, that is what I got out of this wonderful movie. I purposely left out the very end, because nobody likes to have something totally spoiled for them. But this truly is a must see movie! If you saw it, I would be interested to know what your thoughts about it were.........

Friday Morning Men's Bible Group

2010-07-09T11:59:00.003-04:00

Well, it was my turn in the leadership rotation again for my Friday morning men's bible study group. This time I decided to do something totally different for the study. Usually, we have a topic and scripture to support the topic along with questions that we ask. We usually send the study, via email, to all members of the group so that they can look it over prior to Friday morning and make notes on what ever they deem appropriate to make notes about.

This week, however, I emailed everyone that they would not get any questions until we sit down at our tables on Friday morning. Then, I had envelopes labeled 1-5. They were not allowed to go to #2 until #1 was complete which meant that they had no idea what the next question was going to be. And since they had no lead time on the questions, all the answers were spontaneous.

So what do you think of doing a study like that? It actually went over pretty good. I tried to keep the questions a little more basic, but thought provoking so that it would provide a lot of discussion.

Here were the questions:

1) In your view, what does a Christian look like? In other words, what is your definition of a Christian?

2) What do you think God's answer to question #1 would be?

3) Does your answer for question #1 differ from what you think God's answer for it would be? If so, why do you think that is? If so, what do we need to do to get our vision in line with God's vision?

4) Do you have to go to church in order to be a Christian? Why did you answer the way that you did?

5) What role could you see Social Media (Facebook, Blogs, Twitter) playing with the church? How would you expect your church to use those tools? Do you expect your church to use those tools?

If you are reading this, let me know your opinions of these....................

Todays Thought

2010-07-02T13:58:00.006-04:00

I woke up this morning at 6:00 a.m. turned the alarm off and went back to sleep. Kimberly says "aren't you going to your men's bible group?" "Too tired" I said.

After I got up and sat down at my computer and started looking through my emails and at Facebook, I started thinking about all of the excuses I come up with from time to time to NOT to go to church or to my bible study group.

"Too Tired, didn't sleep well."

"It's been a busy week, I have been up early every day"

"Ah, someone from another church is speaking this week, don't want to listen to them"

"Ugg, another series about tithe."

As you can tell, I am feeling a little guilty about missing my group this morning. I attend more times then not. Same for the weekend service at my church. But it did pop some questions into my mind today that I have been thinking about and I thought I would share.

What if God took the same approach to me as what I do with him?

How would that make me feel?

How would I react if when I brought a problem before God he said "You know, it's been a busy week, not really in the mood to hear about right now" or "another problem about money? give it a rest already!"

Good thing God is not like that, wouldn't you agree?

Disgusted

2010-06-18T22:42:00.004-04:00

Normally, I try not to write anything too negative here. But I am just disgusted. It has now been 60 days since the Deepwater Horizon oil well blow out happened.

Disgusted that BP and our Government seem more concerned with trying to salvage oil that is spewing from the depths and to save the well then actually trying to stop the oil from spewing from the depths. And when they were trying to stop it, it was the same waste of time solutions that oil companies had back in 1979 which was when the last major spill in the Gulf happened. Only back then, it was in less then 500 feet of water, not the 5,000 feet that it is today. If it didn't work back then, what made them think it would work this time? Back then, the only solution that worked was to drill a relief well, which took them about 45 days to discover they were going to have to do this time. Who cares about saving the well? Blow the thing up! Think outside the box! Try SOMETHING different!

Disgusted that when BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward was brought before a congressional committee investigating this disaster, he had no answers.........to anything. And, he was given the questions in advance so that he could be prepared!

Disgusted at Congressional Committees that investigate, well, anything. All this is, is public grandstanding and both parties are guilty of it. About the only thing these committees accomplish is wasting time and tax payer money. I would love to see some of these people from Congress sit before a panel made up of the public, have it televised and see how they answer when asked some tough questions for a change.

Disgusted with the drill baby drill crowd on how drilling for oil in our country will free us of other countries oil. On the flip side of that, every time I mention "Boycot BP" I am told by the same people that all of this oil that gets pumped out of the ground gets all mixed together anyway, so if I get my gas at Speedway or Shell or where ever I choose that I will be getting some BP oil anyway. So all a BP Boycot does is hurt the local owners. It is true, the oil does all get mixed. So remind me, how does drilling in this country free us from other countries oil again if it all gets mixed together anyway??? Quit being part of the problem and start becoming part of the solution. Oh yes, and it is also the same crowd who wants smaller Government and is for "the people" but sure scream and holler when the Government isn't there to regulate something, like say, an oil rig that blows up in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And then, actually comes to the defense of BP when our Government is putting pressure on BP to help out "the people" that have been effected by this disaster.

Disgusted that our Government seems to react extremely slow when it comes to this type of stuff. Katrina, the floods in Tennessee and now this "Gusher in the Gulf". I would have thought that after Katrina, we would have gotten more on top of our reaction time and take this stuff more seriously. Why our Government has not demanded more skimmers in the Gulf is a mystery to me. And why is BP the only company being investigated right now? They didn't even build the rig that blew up and I seem to remember some company called Haliburton involved with this. Why is it, that Haliburton seems to be at the center of so many controversial things going on in this world?

Disgusted at cable news channels and radio talk show hosts who throw out some kind of conspiracy theory to this spill. That makes a lot of sense. People that are so in love with the environment that they decide to ruin it in order to make a point. Give me a break. This was a negligent accident.

Disgusted that we could be so careless toward this beautiful land God gave us to live on and destroy the lives of all of this incredible wild life.

Just disgusted.........

The Perfect Game That Wasn't

2010-06-03T10:23:00.002-04:00

Dear Mr. Selig

It has been said, that if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will instantly jump out. But if you put a frog into a pot of water and gradually turn up the heat until it boils, the frog will stay in the pot of water until it dies.

Umm, excuse me, Mr. Selig. The pot of water you are standing in appears to be boiling.

Last year during the playoffs, Mr. Selig, you were gifted with several reasons why we need instant replay in Major League Baseball. For failing to act on that opportunity, now you have a public relations nightmare on your hands after Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his perfect game last night on a bad call by 1st base umpire Jim Joyce.

I understand that you are a purist, Mr. Selig, and do not like the thought of instant replay. "It takes away from the charm of baseball" many say. Well, what is charming about a very negative story about your sport? All because you did not take action after last years playoffs when most of the fans were screaming for instant replay. Why not give the fans what they want? Why not improve your sport?

Today, the fans and the media are not talking about the incredible career of future Hall Of Fame Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. who decided to retire yesterday after 22 seasons and 630 Home Runs.

We are not talking about the incredible catch that Austin Jackson made to start of the 9th inning to save the perfect game.

We are not talking about how Galarraga only needed 88 pitches to get his perfect game, which would have been the least amount of pitches thrown in a perfect game.

We are not talking about how for the first time in MLB history that there were 2 perfect games thrown in less then a week from each other.

We are not talking about how for the first time in MLB history that there were 3 perfect games thrown in the same season and all with in a 1 month time period.

We are not talking about how, by using technology, that MLB was able to get this call right.

And, because a story like this brings out the worst in fans and the media:

We are not talking about the incredible amount of Grace that was shown by Galarraga towards Jim Joyce after the game.

We are not talking about how this call has devastated Jim Joyce, a man that has been considered one of the best umpires in MLB. A person who takes his job very seriously and immediately was apologetic to Galarraga to the point of tears after he realized his error.

We are not talking about how Jim Joyce stood up and accepted responsibility. Something few of us actually do when we make a mistake.

We are not talking about how when the call was made, Galarraga just stood there and smiled as if to say "really, you're just joking right?" and then he did not blow up when he realized it was no joke. He just concentrated on getting the next guy out.

Mr. Selig, you need to fix this problem! It is too late to fix The Perfect Game That Wasn't. What is done, is done and I don't see how you can over turn this play. However, this game will always have an asterisk by it. As will the careers of Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce. And that is directly from your inability to act on instant replay. Give the fans, players and umpires what they want. Give them instant replay.

Jim Joyce said this after the game: "Every Tiger there was telling me that I had kicked the call because they had seen the replay, so the first thing I did when I got in this locker room I told Tim the clubhouse guy to Que it up and..and...I missed it, I missed it."

Mr. Selig, you are setting your umpires up to fail by not equipping them with the tools they need.

Sincerely,

Barry Skalski

Who Is Hall Of Fame Worthy?

2010-05-31T12:16:00.003-04:00

I just read a post on Facebook a little while ago about how at any one time there are 15-20 active MLB players that will make it to the Hall Of Fame. So, I thought it would be interesting to look at the current list of MLB Active (which means they have not retired) players to see if I could find 15-20.

First, I thought I should look at who I feel are the "no-brainers" that if their career ended today, would be in the HOF. I have that list at 7 players. These are the first ballot guys.

Derek Jeter- #44 in Hits @ 2812, #44 in Runs @ 1606, #89 in Doubles @ 449. Not to mention all of his awards, his clutch hits in the post season and he plays Short Stop which does not typically produce big time stats.

Ken Griffey Jr.- #46 in Hits @ 2781, #5 in HR's @ 630, #36 in Doubles @ 524, #14 in RBI @1836 and #31 in Runs @ 1662. He numbers also indicate the strong possibility that he never used any performance enhancing drugs as he showed a natural decline in statistics and never had the outrageous statistical seasons that some others have had, not to mention all of the injuries he had over his career.

Ivan Rodriguez- All time hits leader for a catcher and #46 overall @ 2751 and #23 in Doubles @ 556. Next to Johnny Bench, possibly the best catcher to ever have played. Brilliant defensively for most of his career, the last couple of years have been a little shaky. The only knock on him, that I can think of, is that he has been linked to PED's which was evident in his drop in weight and muscle 1 yr after being named in a Canseco book.

Alex Rodriguez- #80 in Hits @ 2583, #7 in HR's @ 589, #20 in RBI @1741, #25 in Runs @ 1712, #84 in Doubles @ 456. The big question here is how long did he use PED's? Their is no doubt that his stats are hall worthy. Another question might be "what statistic will he not be the leader of?" when he is completely finished.

Manny Ramirez- #87 in Hits @ 2522, #14 in HR's @ 549, #18 in RBI @ 1812, #59 in Runs @ 1520 and #30 in Doubles @ 537. Just a pure hitter. Not great in the field, but who cares with that kind of bat. Once again though, another player linked to PED's.

Gary Sheffield- #62 in Hits @ 2689, #24 in HR's @ 509, #25 in RBI @ 1676, #36 in Runs @ 1636 and #74 in Doubles @ 467. Another pure hitter that has a hard time on defense. And another player linked to PED's. Hard telling if it was the wrist injury in Detroit that really started his decline or the lack of PED's or both. But one thing for sure, he has some serious stats.

Mariano Rivera-#2 in career Saves @ 536 and a career ERA of 2.25. I don't there has ever been a player so dominant with just one pitch! When you look at his post-season career, it just gets even more ridiculous.

Here are a few more that are "not so slam dunks" but I think will definitely get in. In other words, they might or might not be 1st ballot guys. My guess is that they probably will not be and it will take them 2-4 ballots to get in.

Pedro Martinez- #13 in Strikeouts @ 3154, #76 in Wins @ 219, and a career ERA of 2.93. I had a hard time figuring out where to put him because I would like to see the Win total higher. No doubt though, a dominant pitcher. I do think he will get in, it just might take a couple of ballots.

John Smoltz- #88 in Wins @ 213, #16 in Strikeouts @ 3084, a career ERA of 3.33 and 154 Saves during his time as a closer. Dominant in the post season, perhaps the best starter in post season history. Injury problems lessened his stats a little bit. Personally, I think he is a first ballot type of player, but the voters seem to be weird with players that split time at different positions like he did.

Trevor Hoffman- #1 in Saves @596 and a career ERA of 2.85. This one might be a stretch to put him this high, only because closers do not do well in HOF voting. Lee Smith isn't even in the HOF yet, but his ERA is up over 3.00 which really hurts him.

Chipper Jones- #39 in HR's @ 428, #54 in RBI @1464, #74 in Runs @ 1477, #69 in Doubles @ 482 and 2440 hits. I would like his Hits number to be higher, but the power and production numbers should get him in.

That brings my total to 11 players. Here are the rest that need more stats to get in, in my opinion:

Albert Pujols- In only his 10th season, he is already #62 on the career HR list @ 378. His other numbers are 1775 Hits, 400 Doubles, 1150 RBI and 1102 Runs. He just needs to add stats, but there is no doubt that he should get them.

Miguel Cabrera- It is only his 8th season, so this might be an early call. He has 663 Runs, 1284 Hits, 801 RBI and a career .313 AVG. But he is only 27 years old and has a lot of playing left. Providing that he does not have injury problems, he should get his numbers.

Ichiro Suzuki- Another player that is in his 10th season. An exceptional defensive player that nobody tries to stretch extra bases on. He has 2099 Hits and has never had less then 206 Hits in a season. He also has 996 Runs. The knack on him is a lack of power. Only 85 HR's and 525 RBI. And at 36, how much longer can he do this? My guess is that he can play another 4 years which will get him close to 3,000 hits. Close enough for the HOF.

Johnny Damon- A couple of years ago, I would not have thought he was a possibility. But, after a couple of World Series rings and no drop off in production, why not? He is #94 in Hits @2474, #60 in Runs @ 1518, #76 in Doubles @ 465 and he has 1014 RBI. A couple of more seasons after this one and he should be at 3,000 hits which is the magic # I think he needs to get to, and I think he will.

That gets me to 15 players. Here is the remainder of who I was looking at. There no doubt will be a few that will certainly get talked about. A few of these may or may not get in.

Vladimir Guerrero- #42 in HR's @ 419 and #77 in RBI @1362. 2313 Hits, 1214 Runs and a career .322 avg. He is 35 though and has tailed off the last couple of years.

Jim Thome- #11 in HR's @569, #38 in RBI @1582, #69 in Runs @1496 and 2158 Hits. If he gets in, it will be because of the HR's for sure. But he was a defensive liability and DH'd a lot which will count against him. But, just when you think this guy is done, he comes back with another good year. He will be 40 this year, so I think it is safe to say he is close to the end.

Carlos Delgado- #30 in HR's @ 473 and #49 in RBI @1512. Just barely crossed 2,000 hits @ 2038 and has1241 Runs. But, he is without a team this year which might signal the end for him. He did not DH as much as I thought he did at only 184 games, but I think he might suffer the same as Fred McGriff, a sudden end to what was a very good career...... but just a little short of the HOF. Though I do think that McGriff should be in.

Jason Kendall- I bet that one shocked you more then just a little bit. Shocked me too until I started to look more closely to his numbers. His 2,132 Hits rank him high on the all time Hits list for catchers and he should be at #4 for Catchers by the end of the year. He also has 1002 Runs, 717 RBI and 181 steals while also being a very very good defensive catcher and a career .290 hitter. Not saying he is getting in, but his numbers are surprisingly good and he is very consistent. There are only 15 catchers in the HOF.

Omar Vizquel- #57 in Hits @2715, #92 in Runs @ 1382 and 910 RBI. He seems to be a "hanger on" at 43 years old and still playing, but he has accumulated some impressive numbers and is great defensively. Still, if he gets in, the Larkin and Trammell had better have gotten in as well.......just sayin.

Garrett Anderson- Yeah, I know, but look at his numbers. #90 in Hits @ 2513, #78 in RBI @ 1360, #39 in Doubles @ 518 and he scored 1.080 Runs. Those are not bad numbers. But I do think he will fall short.

Todd Helton- This was one of those players that I really dismissed early on, but his name kept coming up in my research so I put him on the list. Hits-2,173, RBI-1,211, Runs-1,239, HR's-326 and a .326 career AVG. But, he will be 37 later this year and he really needs 3,000 hits, I think.

Magglio Ordonez- It looked like he was done with a serious knee injury in 04-05, then again last year. This year, it looks like he is back again. If that is the case, he may have 2-3 more seasons at age 36, which means he still has a shot to make it. Hits-2031, HR's-284, Doubles- 408, Runs- 1,021 and RBI-1,179.

Andy Pettitte- #61 in wins @ 235, #53 in Strikeouts @ 2186 and a career ERA or 3.88. A great post season pitcher. I see him in as being similar to Jack Morris only left handed. Ok, maybe not as good as Morris, but close. I guess what I am saying is, if Morris gets in then it is a good sign for Pettitte. If Pettitte gets in and Morris doesn't, then I will give some consideration to blowing up the HOF...........just kidding, but seriously, Morris should get in before Pettitte.

Jamie Moyer- I can't believe I typed his name, but he will get some votes. At 47 he is still pitching. He is #39 in Strikeouts @ 2,374 and #40 in Wins @ 263. But, his 4.22 ERA will keep him out. Plus, come on, it's Jamie Frickin Moyer.

There are several other pitchers like, Roy Halladay and such, but Pitchers are so here today gone tomorrow because of arm problems that it is hard to put them in consideration until they get the numbers compiled.

So, that is what I could come up with. There may be some names I left off that you feel should be on here......see Jorge Posada, but he doesn't even have 1,000 RBI or Runs or even close to 2,000 hits. But let me know what actives you think will make it or if I left one off that you think should be on it.

Losing low-income students forces P-H-M to change Madison Elementary

2010-05-22T21:36:00.001-04:00

By KIM KILBRIDE
Tribune Staff Writer
Story was first posted at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, May 22, 2010.

This fall, there no longer will be a school bus picking up 4- and 5-year-olds from Village Green Mobile Home Park and Arbors at Ironwood apartments in Mishawaka and taking them to preschool at Madison Elementary. In fact, there will no longer be a preschool.

The program that was piloted two years ago and offers the opportunity for young children in Penn-Harris-Madison's neediest schools to get a jump start on the skills they learn in kindergarten has been cut.

Ironically, the move has come because there are fewer economically disadvantaged students in the school district now than there were last fall.

As a result, federal Title I funds are being reduced by $92,000.

While it wasn't an easy decision for P-H-M administrators, it made sense to make the cuts at Madison, a school in which 26 percent of the students now receive free and reduced-priced lunches.

Back in the fall, that number exceeded 30 percent.

“This wasn't even on our radar,” said Nancy Nimtz, assistant superintendent for instruction, about losing some 4 percent to 7 percent of students who receive free or reduced-priced meals at P-H-M's six Title I elementaries.

Overall, since the beginning of this school year, the district has lost a total of 180 students. “Is that different than (this same point in) any other school year?” Nimtz asked. “I can't tell you. ... But I think it is. My gut tells me it is.”

What happened?

Jerry McKibben, P-H-M's Rock Hill, S.C.-based demographer who is originally from Mishawaka, has long predicted that the 10,000-plus student district would shrink by about 1,000 students within the next decade.

As for the loss this year of economically disadvantaged families, McKibben said it is really not a surprise.

A large subsidized housing community near Walt Disney Elementary School closed, he said. And another P-H-M elementary school draws kids from an area mobile home community, a type of housing that attracts a highly transient population, he said.

Many families, he said, are likely moving in with relatives. McKibben surmised about half of those who have left this school year likely live and attend schools in South Bend.

Nimtz said she hopes when the job market and economy stabilize, those students will return.
But McKibben isn't optimistic.

“Some will,” he said, “but the key issue is the availability of housing.” He doubts, he said, that all 180 students will return unless another large subsidized housing community opens in the district.

Barry Skalski, a Realtor with Prudential One Realty in Mishawaka and Edwardsburg, follows the local foreclosure market closely.

He approaches struggling homeowners and shares information with them about the possibility of selling their home as a short sale. That means, their bank agrees to take less for their home than it's mortgaged for.

“I've been doing short sales for three years,” he said, “and at first, people (who were being foreclosed upon) would say they were going to find a place to rent. But more and more, I've seen it become much more prevalent for people to combine households.”

Though there aren't foreclosure statistics available specifically on the P-H-M district, whose boundaries lie in Granger, Osceola and parts of Mishawaka and even Wakarusa, Skalski said “there are certainly more Granger ZIP codes popping up (in foreclosure listings).”

More impact

At Madison, full-day kindergarten will also be cut next school year.

That upsets parents like Tammy Yoder, who addressed the school board on the subject earlier this month during a regularly scheduled meeting at the Madison Township school.

Last week, she shared her frustrations further. “The preschool, I know, is one of those wonderful extra benefits,” she said, “but my main concern is full-day kindergarten. Having it taken away feels like a slap in the face.”

Several other parents also spoke in support of the programs. As to why Madison is taking the brunt of the cuts, Nimtz said of the district's six Title 1 schools, it has the lowest percentage of economically disadvantaged kids.

A KinderClub full-day program -- one in which there is a charge -- will be implemented at Madison next school year, Nimtz said.

And, she said, transfer requests to other P-H-M schools with full-day kindergarten will be honored for families with incoming kindergartners who desire a full-day program that's free.

Filling seats

In an effort to compensate for the lower enrollment that McKibben, the demographer, has predicted -- in addition to the seats vacated this school year -- P-H-M's board voted recently to open enrollment to students outside the district for the first time ever.

“We've been in the business of keeping students out,” Nimtz said. “Now, we're welcoming them in.”

As of last week, nearly 60 completed applications had already been received, Nimtz said.
McKibben predicted the district will initially attract 125 to 150 students whose families will pay tuition in the $800 to $1,000 annual range.

To be eligible for a transfer to P-H-M, students must be in good standing in their current school and have updated immunization records, among other criteria.

A lottery system will be used, Nimtz said, to admit students if interest is greater than the district is able to accommodate.

Asked about the notion that officials might pick the best and brightest candidates, Nimtz said it's simply not true.

“You may be a C-minus student in your school in good standing,” she said, “(and district officials would say) ‘bring it on.' ”

Staff writer Kim Kilbride:
kkilbride@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7759

A Great Scene From The West Wing

2010-05-21T22:10:00.004-04:00

I feel that the first 3 or 4 seasons of the TV show The West Wing, are some of the best that television has ever had to offer. During an episode during season 1, the President is faced with a decision about whether to allow the death sentence should be carried out. It is not a decision that he wants, he consults his staff for a way out and he decides to allow the sentence to be carried out.....even though he is against the death penalty.

That is the backdrop to the following scene. A scene that brings up all kinds of questions. What exactly are we asking from God? Are we really paying attention to the answers that God is providing us? When faced with tough decisions, are we going to stand up for what we feel is right? Do we have wise counsel in our lives and are we listening?

I hope you enjoy this scene as much as I do, it is worth the 6 minutes:

Will We Get TRUE Wall Street Reform??

2010-05-07T22:05:00.003-04:00

If it looks like a skunk and it smells like a skunk, then chances are, it is going to be a skunk. And with that, I bring you Wall Street reform and a question. Will we get TRUE Wall Street reform?

Some of my Democrat friends might be saying "absolutely, we are leading the charge!" but I question that. Is the charge TRULY trying to reform, or is it just political posturing for the populist idea of Wall Street reform? I think it is the later. I find it hard to believe that we will get TRUE reform when the people that are writing the reform have their hands in the pockets of the ones that they are trying to reform/regulate.

President Obama is leading the charge right now, but according to my calculations from data pulled from The Center For Responsive Politics, our President raked in over $24 million from Wall Street during his bid for President. I question if he is truly going to bite the hand that fed him, or if he will just kind of nibble at that hand just a little bit.

Some people may point out that it is not the President that will be writing the bill for reform. This is true. It is the Senate Banking committee that will be doing that. Chaired by Senator Dodd (D-CT) who raked in $2.5 million last year from Wall Street. In all, the Senate Banking committee pulled in over $29 million last year from Wall Street contributions. The Senate Banking Committee is made up of 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans, so both parties are getting their fair take on this one.

Still thinking that this "reform" is going to be TRUE reform?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) collected just shy of $1.7 million last year. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Majority Whip, brought in $1.1 million.

It looks like I am just picking on the Dem's, so let's take a look at those right wing conservatives, shall we?

Rudy Giuliani, during his presidential nomination run took in $8.6 million. Mitt Romney, took in $8.7 million. John McCain, took in over $10 million during his run for President which doesn't sound like a lot compared to Obama, but then again he raised less then 1/2 of what Obama did during the campaign. How about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)? He took in $2.45 million. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) took in $309,540 and minority whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) took in $472,900. The last 2 being in the House of Representatives, will always take in less then a Senator in total campaign contributions.

Right about now, my Tea Bagger friends may be thinking "This is what we are against, glad you are joining us". Not so fast I say. Current candidate Marko Rubio (R-FL) $348,976 and still counting. And Mr. "My name is Scott Brown and I drive a truck" pulled in $717,817 during his campaign. Of course, the Tea Baggers are now calling themselves "Constitutional Conservatives" which I get a kick out of because the only Constitutional Rights they seem to be concerned with are their own, not those rights of other people. But that is a whole other topic in itself. So, no, I would never affiliate myself with the Tea Baggers or Constitutional Conservatives or whatever they are calling themselves this week.

From 1998 thru 2008, Wall Street contributed $1.25 Billion in political contributions and another $3.4 Billion on lobbyists. Of that money, 55% went to Republicans and 45% to the Dem's. In 2008, just over 50% went to the Dem's which was the first time in several years that had happened. In the 1st quarter of 2009, 76% of the Wall Street contributions went to Democrats. By the 4th quarter, 73% was going to the Republicans.

I think that we will get some kind of reform passed, but nothing with any kind of real teeth to it. What would be nice is if these politicians decided to give the money back to Wall Street or at least started to decline it. At that point, I would be more inclined to believe in some reform. But just last week, Chris Matthews had a couple of elected officials on his show Hardball and asked them straight up to give the money back. Both the Republican and Democrat politely declined as the sweat was rolling down their foreheads.

Starting to smell that skunk yet? I sure do.

Thank You Ernie Harwell

2010-05-04T20:47:00.006-04:00

Every once in awhile, someone that you never meet has a drastic influence in your life. For me, one of those people was Ernie Harwell, who passed away today from cancer at the age of 92.

Growing up was rough in my house. Often, I wonder how I was able to get to where I am today. Not that I am anybody of great significance, because I am not. But the fact that I never wound up an alcoholic like many of my relatives or a drug abuser like other relatives is a miracle. In a big way, Baseball was the main thing that always kept me away from trouble. And Ernie Harwell was a huge part of why I was attracted to baseball. Without a doubt, he helped shape who I am today.

Ernie was the legendary broadcaster for my favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. Back then, there was no XM radio or cable TV to get the ball games, there was only AM radio. I remember running antenna wire up onto the roof of my house just to get a static broadcast of Ernie giving vivid descriptions of what he was watching. His calls of "LLLoooooong Gone" on home run calls will always be remembered as will his "Stood There Like The House On The Side Of Road" when someone was called out on strikes. When someone hit a foul ball he would say "Someone From Niles Michigan is taking that one home" or whatever city he chose to say. As a kid, never having gone to a Major League game at the time, I was fascinated at how he could know that the person in the stands catching that foul ball was from the city that he announced. Of course later I figured out he was just making it up as he went, but I still enjoyed hearing it and waiting to see if he would say Niles which was where I lived.

In 1948, Ernie became the only broadcaster in baseball history to be traded for a player when he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Catcher Cliff Dapper. A few years later in 1951 he was broadcasting for the New York Giants for Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard Round The World" during the National League Pennant Playoff Game for NBC. In 1960, Ernie became the "Voice" of my beloved Tigers until his forced retirement in 1991. Fans across Michigan revolted and protested. The decision to force Ernie out was initially blamed on the radio station WJR. Later, it was found that Tigers team President Bo Schembechler and team owner Tom Monaghan were actually responsible. Bo left his position at the end of the 92 season when Monaghan sold the team to Mike Ilitch. One of the first things Ilitch did was to bring Harwell back to the Tigers where he belonged. Ernie remained broadcasting with the Tigers until HE decided to retire on September 29, 2002. After his retirement, Ernie would fill in from time to time doing games for the Tigers or on ESPN. He made a special comeback when Detroit made the post season in 2006. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals that year.

A devout Christian, Ernie would recite a verse from the Song of Solomon each spring training before the beginning of the first game: "For, Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come; and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."

In July of 2009, Ernie was diagnosed with bile duct cancer and was only given a few months to live.

“I’m ready to face what comes,” he said at the time. “Whether it’s a long time or a short time is all right with me because it’s up to my Lord and savior.”

Thank you Ernie Harwell, I know that I am just one of many many people that you had this effect on. The streets in heaven are rejoicing tonight, may you rest in peace.

Lead Poisoning

2010-04-22T19:36:00.002-04:00

The fact that Lead is a danger has been know for some time, but, it is a good idea to be reminded once in awhile how dangerous it actually is. It is most hazardous to children.

When a child ingests or inhales lead it is absorbed into the blood, bone and organs. Over 1/3 of all lead ingested is deposited in the kidneys and liver where it replaces needed metals such as iron and zinc. It then interferes with the formation of enzymes and blood. Some of the lead, when ingested, gets deposited in the brain where is can cause neurological damage. Lead can also be deposited in the bone where it decreases bone density and may slowly leach into the blood.

Children are most affected because their brains are still growing and developing. The affects can be chronic or acute and lethal. The affects include:

*Lower IQ *Anemia *Tremors *Depression
*Decreased Brain Volume *Renal Disease *Hypertension
*Physiological Problems Including Difficulty Controlling Anger
*Decreased Hearing *Decreased Growth *Cardiovascular Problems

According to the CDC and Surgeon General, lead poisoning from deteriorating lead-based paint and remodeling houses is the greatest environmental threat to children.

Other common sources of lead poisoning are: chewing on keys and charms, cooking with ceramic potter containing lead, Mexican candy, Eating off of ceramic dishes containing lead, Toys with lead in the plastic or paint, lead in soil from leaded gasoline and lead brought home on clothes of adults from work.

In adults, the affects of lead poisoning are: Increased levels of birth problems, increased incidence of Dementia and Alzheimer's, Transference of lead to a fetus and Decreased ability to absorb vitamins D and Calcium.

Lead poisoning is a serious problem in St. Joseph County Indiana. 70% of the houses in St. Joseph County were built before 1978 when lead was still added to paint.

St. Joseph County has approximately 60 confirmed lead poisoned children each year. Since the testing rate is low, there is actually an estimated 250 to 500 kids poisoned each year. This does not include the many hundreds of children that test high but below the legal definition of lead poisoning. Those children have similar but somewhat less sever health effects.

***All information in this post was provided by the St. Joseph County Health Department

Great News On USDA Rural Housing

2010-04-22T15:32:00.003-04:00

This information is straight from the House Committee on Financial Services, not rumor or third party information, this came straight from the committee this afternoon.

Today, the House Financial Services Committee unamimously passed H.R. 5017, the Rural Housing Preservation and Stabilization Act of 2010. This action clears the bill for consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives, which is expected to take up the bill as early as next week. The bill ensures the continuation of the USDA loan guarantee program.

Since the financial crisis has spiked consumer interest in this program, the number of loans made annually have tripled since 2006. With continued demand, the program was slated to have exhausted its funds within the next few days. The new bill would solve this problem by making the program self funded.

The bill, introduded by Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), will correct the original program shortfall by enabling the program to pay for itself. To pay for the program, lenders will pay up to a 4% fee on new home mortgages. As a result of that change, financing of the program will move from a combination of government funding and industry fees to a self-sustaining initiative.

The USDA program is designed to be a vital source of mortgage credit for people living the rural communities. The program aims to lower the costs of homeownership by giving rural area access to a home loan guarantee program for those with low to moderate income with good credit. These guarantees decrease the exposure of home lenders to defaults so that they will underwrite more mortgages. In 2009, loans made under the program averaged $112,000.

Once again, that was directly from the House Committee that is chaired by Congressman Barney Frank and the same committee that local Congressman Joe Donnelly is part of. This is just the first step, but thoughts are that this will pass through Congress.

EPA's New Renovation Repair and Painting Rule (RRP)

2010-04-22T07:58:00.003-04:00

Thinking about installing some new windows? Maybe some new kitchen cabinets? How about knocking down that wall to give your old home that "open concept" look? Do you want to be fined $32,500 per RRP rule violation and face a federal felony per violation? Do I have your attention now??

Well, before you start that new renovation or begin to rehab that flip house, make sure you read up on the EPA's new Renovation Repair and Painting Rule also called RRP which is how it will be referred to the remainder of this post. The new RRP rule takes effect today, April 22, 2010. This new rule is all about Lead Based Paint and effects YOU if your house was built prior to 1978, if you are performing an activity on your house that is disturbing lead based paint and if you are a person or company that is performing the work for a profit.

So, let me break that down a little bit because there is probably a question or two out of that paragraph. If you are an owner occupant, in other words you own the home that you are living in, then you are exempt from this rule if you are doing the work yourself. Also, any structure that has been declared "lead free" from a lead risk assessment is exempt, but make sure you have that documentation. Mostly, this new rule effects people that have investment homes.

So, what's the big deal???

Any work that can effect lead based paint more than 6 square feet inside of a house or 20 square feet outside of a house, must be performed by certified firms by the EPA. And, irregardless of the size of the area disturbed, the rule automatically applies to window replacement and demolition projects (that means taking out a wall or something like that). So, as you can see, this is a big deal. Those square foot numbers are relatively small.

When this work is being performed:
*Signs must be posted at the work site warning people to stay out
*All objects must be removed from the area or covered with plastic sheeting
*All doors and openings must be sealed off with plastic sheeting
*All heat duct must be closed and covered
*All flooring must be covered with plastic sheeting
*Do everything possible to minimize dust

The clean up process:
*Collect all debris and place in a heavy duty bag
*Remove and dispose of plastic sheeting
*Clean all objects with a HEPA vacuum and wipe down with damp cloth
*Wet mop hard-surface floors

After the clean up process is done, test each 40 sqft. of each component of the room (wall, counter top etc..) by wiping all surfaces separately and comparing the results to an EPA cleaning verification card. Each window must be tested separately.

Additional information can be found at www.epa.gov/lead/pub/renovation.htm and the NAR at http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/lead_paint_realtors

U2, Wisdom and The Bible

2010-04-17T20:45:00.007-04:00

"There's cathedrals and the alleyways in our music. I think the alleyway is usually on the way to the cathedral, where you can hear your own footsteps and you're slightly nervous and looking over your shoulder and wondering if there's somebody following you. An then you get there and you realize there was somebody following you: It's God." --Bono

There is no doubt in my mind what-so-ever, that U2 is the greatest Rock and Roll band in the history of music. They always seem current and relevant with each passing year with an ever changing sound. The one thing that always seems to stay true, however, is the wisdom in their lyrics and quotes. Most can be directly traced back to scripture from The Bible, that is either their interpretation of that scripture (see the entire song 40 which is Psalm 40 and Psalm 6) or a fairly direct quote of scripture (Vertigo- "All of this can be yours" Luke 4:7).

The faith of Bono and U2 has been highly documented.

"We've found different ways of expressing it, and recognized the power of the media to manipulate such signs. Maybe we just have to sort of draw our fish in the sand. It's there for people who are interested. It shouldn't be there for people who aren't"
---Bono on Faith, U2 At The End Of The World.

Bono even spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast a couple of years ago. Here is part of his speech:
"God may well be with us, and our mansions on the hill...I hope so. He may well be with us in all manner of controversial stuff--maybe, maybe not. But the one thing we can all agree-all faith, all ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums and the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her baby with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the ruble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives. And God is with us, if we are with them."

Of course, we all know the obvious "Christian Themed" songs that they have, but I thought I would write down a few of the songs along with lyric that can be directly related to a Bible verse:

Beautiful Day "See the bird with the leaf in her mouth, after the flood all the colors came out" -Genesis 8:10-11 and 9:12-13

The Wanderer "Who would sit at his Fathers right hand"-Matthew 26:64

Lemon "And when you're dry, she draws her water from the stone" -Numbers 20:8

Running To Stand Still "Sweet the sin, bitter the taste in my mouth" Rev 10:10

The First Time "He said I have many mansions and there are many rooms to see" John 14:2

Walk On "A place that has to be believed to be seen" John 11:40 and "home, I can't say where it is, but I know I'm going" John 14:4-6

In A Little While "In a little while, I won't be blown by every breeze" Eph 4:14

City Of Blinding Lights "Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel, luckily" Matthew 5:44-45

All Because Of You "All because of you, I Am" Exodus 3:13-14

There are many many more, but I think that shows a pretty good example in their songs. There is also the artwork for "All That You Can't Leave Behind." If you look at it, on a sign above the band is a reference to Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." The band calls this God's phone number.

And last but not least, there is the concerts. On one of the recent tours, during the intro to "Where The Streets Have No Name" Bono recited parts of Psalm 116

What can I give back to God
For the blessings you pour out on me?
What can I give back to God
For the blessings you pour out of me?
I lift high the cup of salvation
it is a toast to our Father
I'll follow through on the promise I made to you
Hear my Heart.

I am not really sure what the point of all of this was, other then to state some of the reasons why I truly love listening to this bands music. It really does help me spiritually. I hope you find value in it as well.

**research credits go to "One Step Closer" by Christian Scharen, Angela Pancella of www.atu2.com and www.biblegateway.com

Six Years Ago, An Easter Memory

2010-04-04T08:13:00.004-04:00

At the time, I was not a Christ follower and I was pretty anti-church. Kimberly had her routine, which was going to church every Sunday. And I had my routine, which was dropping her off at church and then I would go shopping.

It was Easter Sunday of 2004, I had planned on the same old routine. We were at the front of Granger Community Church where I always dropped her off when Kimberly says "why don't you park the truck and come on in?"

"No" I kindly but firmly said, "I'll just go shopping like normal."

"Oh, come on" my wife said, "Pastor Beeson is speaking and I really think you would like to hear what he has to say."

Which I replied "I don't think that I would and I am in no condition to come to an Easter service. I haven't showered or shaved and I am wearing a bluejeans a T-shirt and a baseball cap."

As I said that, some dude in a baseball cap wearing jeans and a t-shirt looking kind of un-shaven goes walking by my truck and into the entrance of the church.

"See" Kimberly said, "it's ok! Besides, it's Easter and all of the stores are closed. So, you can either sit out here in your truck and be cold or you can come on in and hear a great message."

She was lying about the stores being closed, but that's ok......it got me into the church.

Some of you might be thinking "That was all just a coincidence with that guy walking by like that." But I don't think it was.

I think that God knew that Kimberly was going to be working up the courage to have a VERY difficult conversation with me and knew she would need all of the help that she could get to get me into that church. I think God planted that guy there just to show me that it was ok for me to go in no matter what I looked like or how I felt.

It was one of those "Gotcha" moments, and I have been attending Granger Community Church ever since. It was that moment that started me moving in a much better direction with my life.

I just thought I would share that with everybody today.

Happy Easter everyone!

The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

2010-03-30T21:45:00.003-04:00

"The next 24 hours are Armageddon because the health care bill proposed by Democrats will ruin our country!" John Boehner on March 20, 2010

Well, it has been 10 days since health reform passed and we're still here. No Armageddon, no crash of our economy and no end of times. Is this what it is going to be like for now on? Every time a piece of legislation is passed, the other party that is not in control will scream "The Sky Is Falling?"

Aren't we better then this? Demonizing the opposing view instead of having a discussion about the differences. And it is not just Republicans towards Democrats, it goes both ways. Don't believe me? Then just Google "Bush is Hitler" and see what kind of images pop up.

I do think that it is getting worse, this whole Tea Party movement seems way over the top with the images that are on TV from their rallies. Recently, I saw an article about how in a recent poll, 25% of Republicans think that Obama is the Anti-Christ and 57% think that he is secretly a Muslim. The Anti-Christ?? Really???? And we're really going to start the whole Muslim thing back up along with the whole "he's not even an American" rant??

After this health care reform passed, a new poll showed that about 50% of the country was in favor of the bill, about 40% were against it and about 9 or 10% were undecided. But when talked too be about the individual programs that made up the bill, about 70% actually like it.

I guess it shows how bad the Dem's did on explaining what was ACTUALLY in the bill.

Personally, I was in favor of the reform. I will admit, I don't know how effective this will end up being. It is my honest belief, that nobody knows if this is going to be effective or not at driving down health costs. I am not sure if this is going to raise the national debt, or lower it. My guess, is that it will slightly raise it despite the non-partisan Congressional Budget Offices claim that it will lower the national debt $132 billion over the first 10 years.

This is what I do know about the bill though:

It is supposed to create a tax break for small business owners that provide health care coverage to their employees.

It covers children, even with pre-existing conditions-no exceptions. Who doesn't want that?

Dependent children can stay on their parents health care until they are 26. College students should LOVE that!

It is requiring that Fast Food restaurants post the amount of calories per item right on the menu board. It will make you think when ordering that "Double Whopper with Cheese"

And, in 2014, nobody will be excluded from health care-even the pre-existing conditions.

There is WAY more to this bill then that, like over 200 Republican Authored attachments which includes "The Penalty" for not being insured. Funny how the Republicans are against that one now when they came up with the idea.......see the health care system in the state of Massachusetts put forth by Mitt Romney.

This will not be perfect reform, there is no such thing and I like that the far "Right" and far "Left" did not like the bill. To me it shows it is somewhere in the center which is where I normally like to be. And, it is a start that can be tweeked as we go. There was no way this was going to be done "right" the first time! Look at our countries history, we couldn't even get civil rights correct the first 6 or 7 tries! I also give props to my local Congressman Joe Donnelly for standing firm on his pro-life stance by making the President cave by signing an executive order in order to get his vote. That's right, there are pro-life Democrats out there!

It's funny how everybody seems to want change though........until it actually happens.

A couple months ago when Health Care Reform looked to be dead, Sarah Palin said at one of her Tea Party speeches: "How's that Hopey, Changey thing working out for ya?"

Well, it's looking pretty good right now, thanks for asking! But it still has some work to do.

What Would Your Agenda Be?

2010-03-23T21:22:00.003-04:00

Whether it is in the business world, your personal life or your spiritual life, we all hate to have our time wasted. It's frustrating. I remember in a business sense of this, I had a lending institution work really hard in setting up a day and time to go to lunch with me. When the day arrived, I was prepared. I went into the meeting with a plan on how this lender could work into my business plan and how I could work into theirs. I went into the meeting anticipating what questions they may ask...what are my goals etc..

Instead, I sat there in disbelief for an hour while one of the people monopolized the conversation talking about sports. Every time myself or the other person tried to sway the conversation back to real estate, this person that pushed for the meeting just kept talking about sports. It was very frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I love talking about sports, but I have friends that I talk sports with. This was a business meeting, and it was perhaps the biggest waste of time for a meeting that I had ever had. But it did teach me a lesson. When I ask to spend time with someone that normally does not spend time with me on a regular basis, I better have an agenda. I need to build into that person that I am asking to spend time with. That other person needs to come away with value, just as I need to come away with value.

I wish that it was a lesson that I had learned sooner. I remember a couple of years ago, I had asked one of my pastors to meet with me. I thought it would be fun to just "hang out" with the person. I had no agenda and, looking back, I wasted that persons time. He and I are friends and this person is far too kind to ever say that I wasted their time. But that is what happened. It was an opportunity that I had, to be around a person of great influence in my church and community, and I feel that I completely blew it.

The point of all of this, is that I have an opportunity. An opportunity within the next 2-3 weeks to sit down for dinner with someone of influence on a local and national level. That person is United States Congressman Joe Donnelly of Indiana's 2nd District, which I happen to reside in.

Joe sits on the House Finance Committee and on the Subcommittee for Housing and Community Development. So, as a REALTOR, I am extremely excited to sit down with Joe over dinner with 3 other people of my choosing.

I have every intention on making this a very respectful dinner, but that does not mean that I will not go into it without some speaking points. After all, this person knows the President Of The United States and has direct influence on policy that effects the economy, banking and the housing market.

What Would Your Agenda Be? What Questions Would You Ask? How Would You Communicate Your Speaking Points? Would You Be Open Minded?

Feel free to leave your answers, and please have something else to say other then comments about his vote for the health care legislation.

To Fire, Or Not To Fire?

2010-03-19T21:35:00.005-04:00

With the National Health Care Debate going on and the start of college basketballs March Madness, it is understandable that certain news stories might get glanced over or be soon forgotten. One of those, was the story of what is going on down in Texas with Rangers manager Ron Washington.

In case you've missed it, it was revealed earlier this week that Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive to a random drug screen last year just before the All-Star break. As the story goes, in a moment of weakness on a road trip, a friend offered Ron some cocaine and he took it and used it....just the one time. At the end of this road trip, Ron was informed that he was chosen to take a random drug screen.

And this is when I find the story gets very interesting.

Instead of denying that he was going to test positive, instead of saying "it must be that additive that made me test positive", Ron called team president Nolan Ryan, told him what happened, apologized for what happened taking full responsibility for it and then offered his resignation. Nolan Ryan and team GM Jon Daniels, admitted they were very angry for what Ron did and they had every right to fire him or accept his resignation and definitely discussed doing just that. I know that would have been my first reaction, "fire him".

But Ryan and Daniels did the unexpected, they sought to get Ron help through MLB's drug counseling program, supported him, let him keep his job and kept the whole thing quiet until a reporter dug up the story and leaked it this past week--9 months after it had happened.

I am not sure what the right answer is to this story, should he have been fired or should he have been able to keep his job--only time will tell on that. But I do like to look at things a little differently. There seems to be a consensus on the side that thought that Ron should be fired that says, "look at the example this sets for kids, it says you can do drugs and get away with it" and those people have a solid point. But I think that firing him would also say to kids "Don't ever screw up, if you do, you'll never be forgiven" and that is not a good message either. A message that says "when you are winning and doing well personally, we like like you a lot, but screw up once and we want nothing to do with you". None of us knows what would have happened if he had been fired. But if he had been, and the firing put Ron into a self destructive path that led to more and more drugs, then that would have been equally as bad a message, wouldn't it?

Let's not forget too, the hypocritical side of this. For years and years MLB has let players get away with Steroids, PED's and illegal drugs. Anybody remember Steve Howe and that sad story? MLB just spent millions of dollars on researching which players have done PED's and which front office personnel knew about players taking PED's, only to turn a blind eye to the results. And don't fool yourselves, there were front office people that knew this was going on (San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox), just read that Mitchel Report and you'll see.

In the 70's, it was common to walk into a clubhouse to find a bowl full of "greenies" sitting in the open for the players to take before heading onto the field. So, it was no great surprise to me when asked this week, Ron admitted to using these "uppers" back in his playing days--most players did back then.

Like I said earlier, my first reaction would have been to fire him as well, but I think it is very cool how grace has been shown by the front office of the Texas Rangers. They are taking a road less traveled by, and I hope that it works out well for all involved. Stories of redemption are always nice to hear about. By the way, Ron has been subjected to 3 random drug tests per week since he tested positive, and has not failed a single test.

Helping Kids With Cancer Smile

2010-03-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

This is a photo of some of The Sunshine Kids. The Sunshine Kids is the National Charity for Prudential and is a National non-profit organization that supports positive group activity trips for kids with cancer. Locally, The Sunshine Kids are based out of Memorial Hospital and the kids are from all over this area. From the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line to 1/2 way down Indiana and up into Southern Michigan. The money that we raise locally, stays local to help these brave kids that are in this picture among others.

Some of the kids just got back from a ski trip in Colorado this past week. In total, there were 15 kids at our last event. When you see these kids, you have to admire their courage and strength. They make me realize how the big problems that I feel I have, really are small ones.

This picture was taken Saturday during our annual auction benefit/fundraiser at the Mishawaka FOP. If you could not attend, then you missed out on a GREAT time! From the "piggy raffles" to the silent auction to the live auction, it was just an awesome experience that I am so proud to be a part of for the 2nd year in a row and I am already excited about planning for next years event!

Next year, our event will be on Saturday March 19 at the same location. We are not sure who the band is going to be yet, or the exact times yet. But it is sure to a great time.

Our early numbers show that we sold about 325 tickets and had an attendance of about 293 people and raised somewhere around $20,000 before backing out dinner expense and hall rental. Among the highlights of the auction was the Derek Jeter autographed jersey during the live auction and seeing the look on my wifes face when she found out that I was high bidder on a dinner for myself, 3 guests and Congressman Joe Donnelly at Carrabba's in Mishawaka.

So, put Saturday March 19 in your calendar for next year! It will be casual dress and you will be supporting a great cause.

Integrity

2010-03-09T22:35:00.003-05:00

It is that time again when my name comes up in the rotation to choose a topic for my Friday morning mens group. Here is this weeks discussion:

The rules of golf are very precise and many good golfers are tempted to bend them. In 1987, Craig Stadler placed a towel on the ground before hitting a shot from beneath a tree. He said it was to keep his slacks clean, but he was declared in violation of Rule 13-2 which prohibits “building a stance.” The penalty cost him $37,000.

One golfer known for his impeccable integrity was Bobby Jones. Years ago, Bobby called a one-stroke penalty on himself, causing him to lose the U.S. Open by a single stroke. When praised for his honesty, Bobby said “There is only one way to play the game. You might as well praise a man for not robbing a bank.”

Integrity comes from the Latin word integritas, which means wholeness, entireness or completeness. The root word “integer” is often used in math to represent a whole number, meaning untouched, intact and entire. Literally, integrity means you have a complete soul.

Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards the man integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

Proverbs 29:10 Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.

1. How would you define integrity? Do you think that integrity and character are the same?

2. Why is integrity important?

3. How is integrity demonstrated in the work place?

4. What steps of integrity could you take to protect yourself from temptation?

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character”

5. In what ways (good or bad) have your friends influenced your integrity? How have you influenced theirs?

6. How do you react towards those who live a life of integrity?

7. What examples come to mind, good or bad, when it comes to integrity and sports? Are you finding it easier to come up with the bad examples or the good ones?

Tonights News

2010-03-08T22:16:00.003-05:00

It is 10:00 on a Monday night and I am flipping through the news channels. CNN, FOX and MSNBC interested to see what the nights headlines are. FOX is complaining about the Dem's.... as usual. MSNBC is complaining about the Repub's..... as usual. CNN is doing a story about a murder caught on tape but for some reason they cannot get prosecuted the person that did it. All of them throwing in something about our health care debate.

And I am wondering.......why are none of them reporting on the 500+ Christians that were brutally murdered today?

That's right, over 500. And, not a single mention of it on the news or on the scroll at the bottom of the screen.

Over 500 were slaughtered today in Nigeria with axes and machetes. Most of them were women, the elderly and children--some as young as 4 days old. Then buried in a mass grave, having been dumped there by the truck load. It is a horrible image for sure. And done in retaliation for what Christians had done to Muslims--something very similar.

How would we react if this happened to white Christians? How would we react if they were Americans?

The facts are though, they were not white and they were not Americans and it took place 1/2 way around the world in a cruel place that we would rather forget about. And, that kind of news does not draw the ratings like the health care debate or a sex scandal that might be going on with one of our favorite athletes or movie stars or a politician.

Somewhere along the way, the news became a ratings war and we have joined in for the ride.

This news in Nigeria really saddened me tonight on several levels. It makes any problems that I may feel I have seem small and unimportant. Don't get me wrong, it also makes me feel thankful to live in a country where these things don't happen. But it is still sad and goes to show that there are some major messed up places in this world and largely, it is not getting reported on.

The Book Of Eli--My Take

2010-02-27T22:46:00.004-05:00

I don't often pay too much attention to how a movie is reviewed by critics. My experience is that they are usually too far over the top one way or the other in their like or dislike of a movie and I would rather form my own opinion of it or listen to a friend or two that has similar tastes to mine when it comes to movies.

However, I find it interesting as to how the movie The Book Of Eli has been reviewed. The critics seem to be torn on it. About 1/2 think that it is a wonderful movie, while the other 1/2 feel that it gets "too preachy". But the real interesting part, is what I have read from the Christian community, such as the Christian Science Monitor who really seemed to dislike the movie. Disliking the action scenes and violence. To me, they really miss the point of the movie.

If you have not scene the movie yet, but are planning on it and do not want it spoiled, then I would advise you to stop reading this post right about now.

Although I did find the violence a bit much at times, I found that it was necessary for Hollywood to do so if they wanted to sell some tickets. That's just the times that we live in. But, it is not like the Bible is without violence. And with this story taking place 30 years in the future after a nuclear war, I would think that there would be violence in an era with no laws. To me it made sense.

After this war, there were book burnings and all sense of law has been done away with. After being in hiding after the war for a year, Eli hears a voice from God. The voice tells him to look under a pile of rubble and to take what he finds out west to a place that will protect it. What Eli finds, is the last known copy The King James Bible in side of a very nice cover with a lock on it that has to be opened with a key. God tells Eli that he will protect him in his journey and Eli abides by going on the journey God told him to go on. And, every chance Eli has to sit and rest, you see him reading to himself out of The Bible.

During his journey, it is clear that everyone wants what Eli is protecting. In particular a person that is running a town that Eli comes through. He is one of the few people that remain that understand what the Bible is and the power of the words that are in it. He wants it, not to teach the good that is in it, but to use it as a tool to control people which I thought was an interesting reflection of how some Christians and even non Christians probably view it....In more of a legalistic view.

While Eli is in this town, the guy that runs the town tries to use what ever he can to persuade Eli to hand over the book. In what was one of the most memorable scenes, a young lady was sent to Eli's room to find out if he did indeed have a copy of The Bible. While there, Eli offers the young lady 1/2 of the meal that he has. But prior to eating Eli insists that they hold hands, close their eyes and he then begins to pray. I found this to be an incredible touching and moving part of this movie. The young lady had never experienced prayed before and did not know anything about it, but was completely drawn in by the power of it.

What was a common theme, was the power that prayer and scripture has in a society that basically has no laws or structure. It made me wish that there was that same kind of thirst in our current society.

Eli leaves the town, the young lady follows him because she is drawn to the good in Eli, and of course the bad guys track him down in an effort to get the book. Ultimately, they do. Although you have doubts about if they actually have the book or not since Eli continues his journey west after the bad guys have left with it and since they cannot open it because they do not have a key to the lock on it. During that struggle for the book, Eli is surprisingly shot.

Eli, and the young lady that is following him, finally get to their destination out west which happens to be Alcatraz where someone has turned the once prison into a museum for important items-like The Bible. When Eli gets to the gates, he is met by armed guards and he announces that he has a copy of The King James Bible with him. At this moment, they flash over to "the bad guys" who when they open the bible, they find that the bible is a braille bible which reveals that Eli is a blind man which might explain why it has taken him 30 years to walk across the country. It then flashes back to Eli who is meeting with the head of the facility and Eli instructing the man to listen carefully and to write down exactly to every word the Eli has to say. Eli then begins to quote the entire bible right from the beginning.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

When Eli started reciting those words, I was never so glad to hear them. I was truly overjoyed and tears ran down my face. When a movie can give a renewed meaning to those words, then I feel it is truly a great movie.

To me, a lot of people are missing the message of The Book Of Eli. A message about how important one person can play in the grand scheme of things. A message about how God can use an unextraordinary person to do extraordinary things. A message about how important it is to be immersed in the word of God on a daily basis. A message about how important it is to have your feet pointed in the right direction and take steps day by day by day to go further in that right direction and how you can be amazed at the impact that you may some day have.

Needless to say, I give this movie 2 big thumbs up and cannot wait until it comes out on dvd. I will be buying it the day that it comes out. In case you have not seen a trailer for the movie, here is a trailer for it:

Salvation And Baptism

2010-02-11T21:34:00.002-05:00

Every month or so, it is my turn to choose a topic for my mens bible group that meets every friday morning at Honkers on Day Rd. at 6:00 a.m. This week is my turn to choose the topic. So here it is:

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from someone that included a link to a blog that they wanted me to check out. Not sure why, but they sent it. Anyway, there seemed to be a couple of re-occurring themes by the author’s blog posts. One of those themes was about Salvation and Baptism, mostly about the Baptism portion. So, it got me thinking about Salvation and Baptism, and since I needed a topic of discussion I decided to go with it.

Matthew 3:13-15 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

1. If Jesus was without sin, did he have to be baptized? Why or Why Not?

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast

Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved

Acts 2:36-38 36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:18-19 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Luke 23:40-43 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[f]" 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Mark 16:15-16 15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

2. Does being baptized complete salvation, Why or Why Not? See especially the Mark 16 scripture and the Luke Scripture. The thief was not baptized. Is this a contradiction? Did the thief just get a “one time pass”? If baptism is a requirement, then does that mean God needs our help for us to be saved?

3 Does it matter if you are sprinkled, immersed or have water poured over your head in order to be baptized?

Galations 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Hebrews 6:4-6 4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because[b]to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

4 Can you lose your salvation? If so, How? If so, can it be regained?

5. What do you feel that salvation looks like?

I Believe.......

2010-02-07T14:39:00.002-05:00

I Believe......That the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl today, although I want the Saints to win!

I Believe......That a great night of entertainment can be had by eating Twinkies while watching Zombieland on DVD.

I Believe......That Red Robin and In and Out Burgers are over-rated. Five Guys is the real deal though.

I Believe......That the church is made up of imperfect people, but we expect the church to BE PERFECT which is impossible.

I Believe......That if these "Tea Party Patriots" were Truly Patriots, then they would have been protesting like this when George Bush was running up a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit after inheriting a 200 billion dollar budget surplus.

I Believe......That we are in for a rockier real estate market once the buyer tax credit goes away this summer.

I Believe......That our Sunshine Kids benefit for local kids with cancer is going to be even better this year then what is was last year. This years event is on March 13 at the Mishawaka F.O.P.

I Believe......That the moves that my Detroit Tigers made this year will slightly help the team this year, but were really made to make the team competitive in 2011 when they have a possible 40-45 million extra dollars in payroll to play with due to bad contracts expiring after this year.

I Believe......That my Detroit Lions are still going to be a pretty bad team next year.

I Believe......That I need to find some time to go out to dinner with my friends, it has been too long since I have done that.

I Believe......That Ron White is one funny dude, and if you get a chance to see him in concert then you should.

I Believe......That I am sooooo ready for spring!

I Believe......That I am, surprisingly, REALLY looking forward to this Super Bowl. Did I mention GO SAINTS!!! yet?

I Believe......That I am going to be lazy the rest of today eating pizza, chips and salsa and drinking frozen cokes.....Have a great Sunday!

My Tim Tebow Rant

2010-02-01T21:25:00.005-05:00

Whether you are a sports fan or get into politics, one major theme that resounds over and over is a lack or role models for kids. So why do so many people dislike Tim Tebow, the QB from Florida, so much? Scratch that, why do so many Christians dislike Tim Tebow so much?

That's right Christian's, I am speaking right to you on this post.

He doesn't get into trouble. He gets good grades. He is a great college football player. And, he seems to be a very devoted Christian. The eye black that he wears during games has bible verses engraved into it. He is unquestionably a great leader. He claims to be abstaining from sex until he is married. He even goes on mission trips during his spring and winter breaks during school.

What is not to like about this guy? I REALLY want to know!

For the record, I am not a big college football fan. When I do cheer for a team it is for Michigan or whom ever is playing Notre Dame. So, I am not a Florida fan. If Michigan were playing Florida, I would be cheering for Michigan and hoping that Tebow would have an off day. But I would never wish him to be hurt.

Several weeks ago, Tebow got his bell rung pretty good during a game. I was disappointed by the number of people on Facebook etc.., that are Christians that stated how happy they were that this guy got hurt. I don't get that! They posted videos of it and made some pretty bad remarks. Hope that he under performs against your team, or that someone from your team picks him off and runs it back for a TD, but don't cheer for him to get hurt. That is just wrong.

Most of these people are fathers of young children. Wouldn't you want your kid to be like Tebow when they get older? Or would you rather have your kid grow up to be like one of the countless other players that score a TD and point to the sky only to get arrested later that night for smacking their babies mama or for taking an illegal handgun into a bar?

This guy seems to be walking the walk, and as Christians we should be standing by this guy and cheering him on and supporting him. Not condemning him for doing the things that we should all be doing.

And maybe that is what the problem is, too many of us are not doing the things we should be doing, while he is and that makes us jealous. If so, I think that is the wrong attitude to take. We should be inspired to be better, not take someone down that seems to be better. The rough part, I think, will be if he does slip up and falter some time down the road---something we all do. Many of these same people will be there saying "see, I told you so! What a fraud!".

I guess my question is "who is the real fraud?"

And now Tebow is taking flack for doing an anti-abortion commercial that is scheduled to air during the Super Bowl.

If you don't like it, then turn the channel! Let him and his mother speak. Stay strong Mr. Tebow, not everyone is against you.

FHA Relaxes Anti-Flipping Rule

2010-02-01T15:14:00.001-05:00

This is something that has been rumored for a little while now. At some point, I anticipate the "90-day" rule to be reinstated.

Beginning Feb. 1, the Federal Housing Administration will provide mortgage insurance for some purchases in which the seller bought the property and held it for fewer than 90 days.

The agency is changing what is known as the “anti-flipping rule” to speed up sales of renovated homes in communities with too many bank-owned and foreclosed homes, says FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens.

Waiving the 90-day rule will encourage private investors to buy vacant properties, fix them up, and quickly sell them to buyers who will be eligible to buy them using FHA financing.

Source: Washington Post (01/30/2010)

FHA To Toughen Down Payment Rules

2010-01-20T14:28:00.003-05:00

Ouch! Here is an article about a couple of the new FHA rules trying to get finalized. I think the raise in the upfront mortgage insuranc premium is bit much. In other words, if you are buying FHA , on a $100,000 loan you will have $2,250 tacked onto the loan because you are using FHA. On the down payment part, a lot of lenders are not lending FHA to people that have a credit score below 580 anyway.

The Federal Housing Administration will raise the minimum down payment for its least credit-worthy borrowers, agency announced Tuesday.

Borrowers with credit-rating scores below 580 will be required to put down at least 10 percent. Those with a credit score above 580 will be able to continue to put down only 3.5 percent. The changes are intended to shore up the agency's finances.

The FHA also will increase its upfront mortgage insurance premium from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent. The agency is expected to seek congressional approval to raise annual mortgage insurance premiums, paid by borrowers over the life of the loan, above the current 0.55 percent maximum. The amount it will seek has yet been announced.

Source: Reuters News, Corbett B. Daly (01/19/2010)

Mortgage Modification Plan Falls Short

2010-01-19T19:16:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from the AP about loan modifications:

Only 65,000 people – about 7 percent of those who applied – have successfully navigated President Obama’s plan to help borrowers who are in trouble, the Treasury Department said last week.

About 49,000, or 5 percent, have dropped out of the program because they don’t qualify. Most of the remainder are still waiting.

Bank of America, the largest company in the program, has completed fewer than 2 percent of the modifications for 200,000 borrowers who signed up. The most successful lenders include Ocwen Financial Corp. and Carrington Mortgage Services, which have modified loans for 40 percent of their enrolled borrowers.

Source: Associated Press, Alan Zibel (01/15/2010)

U2's Most Influential Album/CD

2010-01-14T13:01:00.004-05:00

I think that if I were to take a poll about which body of work is U2's most influential, the result of that poll would probably say "The Joshua Tree." And, there is a strong argument for that. But let me tell you why I feel that Achtung Baby was a more important and influential album/CD.

After the Joshua Tree, came Rattle and Hum and the subsequent Lovetown Tour. At the end of that tour, there was a little noticed quote that Bono made near the end of the tour, he said that it was "The end of something for U2" and that they "Need to go away and.....and just dream it all up again." In hind sight, what had happened is that U2 was not prepared for the fame that they had created and the criticism that came along with it and they had grown tired of the sound they had created.

"We're at a point where production has gotten so slick that people don't trust it anymore.... We were starting to lose trust in the conventional sound of rock & roll—the conventional sound of the guitar, in particular—and, you know, those big reverb-laden drum sounds of the '80s or those big, beautiful, pristine vocal sounds with all this lush ambience and reverb. So we found ourselves searching for other sounds that had more life and more freshness."
—The Edge, explaining the band's motivation for seeking a new sound

U2 took a long break before starting on Achtung Baby and when they did get back together to start on a new album, the band nearly broke up. There was uncertainty in which direction the band should go musically and there was more friction between band members then at any other point in the bands history.

Then, something happened. It was a song called "One". If not for this song, there may have never been "Beautiful Day" "Elevation" "Original Of The Species" "Vertigo" or "Walk On" among the other great and wonderful songs that U2 has written since Achtung. "One" has been credited by the band members as the song that kept the band together and gave them hope that they could create a new sound. The Edge had this to say about One:

"At the instant we were recording it, I got a very strong sense of its power. We were all playing together in the big recording room, a huge, eerie ballroom full of ghosts of the war, and everything fell into place. It was a reassuring moment, when everyone finally went, 'oh great, this album has started.' It's the reason you're in a band - when the spirit descends upon you and you create something truly affecting. 'One' is an incredibly moving piece. It hits straight into the heart."

You might say, "OK, that would make for possibly their most influential song because it saved the band, but why is the whole album the most influential?"

Achtung Baby was a total reinvention of this incredible band. I remember when the first release, "The Fly" came out. I had not heard the song nor had I watched the video yet and I was just turning to MTV, this was back when MTV actually played music videos, because I had heard that the world premier of U2's new release was going to be on. At the time, I was a mild fan. Mostly because my girlfriend, now my wife, was a huge U2 fan. If not for her, I might not have been much of a fan at all.

When that video for "The Fly" came on, I remember saying to myself "Oh my God, this changes everything!" To that point, I had seen U2 more of a "cause" band that seemed "Holier then thou" so to speak. What I was witnessing was Rock and Roll at its best with an "in your face" attitude! It was awesome. The band had completely reinvented itself. From the great lyrics to the industrial sounding rhythmic guitar by The Edge to Adam's bass and the amazing drums of Larry. I couldn't wait to hear what the rest of this album sounded like!

The instant that I heard "One" I knew that it was going to be a huge hit. Little did I know the significance of this song to the band at the time. Same with "Mysterious Ways". The rest of the album was great too. From "Even Better Than The Real Thing" "Until The End Of The World" (written as a conversation between Jesus and his betrayer Judas) "Ultraviolet" "Acrobat" "Wild Horses" and the very under rated "Love Is Blindness".

Now, I know what you might be saying "Those are good songs, but I think there are better songs on other albums" and that could be true. But those songs are still only part of why I feel that Achtung Baby is their most influential work.

The other big reason, besides the story behind "One" and the remaining great songs, is because of the concert tour that followed.

In my opinion, this concert tour changed forever how concerts are done. Prior to this, going to concerts consisted of basically the band standing on stage-maybe dancing around a little, and if they were really creative then they had sparkling fireworks or something on stage.

The tour, "Zoo TV Tour", was an artistic expression like none other. HUGE TV's and Video Screens all over the place. A light show that was second to none, cars were hung from the ceiling and an amazing stage that featured Bono rising up from under the stage to start the show. During the concert, the band flashed different messages up during the songs like "Everything You Know Is Wrong" "LUST" "Watch More TV" it was truly a concert unlike any other that had been before it and influenced an era of concerts that were big on production to really give the fans their money's worth.

So, between the song that kept the band together, the influence the concert tour had, the complete change in style the band undertook and simply the great music that came from it. My choice for most influential album by U2 is Achtung Baby. Here is a video clip of "The Fly" being performed live in concert during the Zoo TV tour. Enjoy!

Gossip

2010-01-13T16:20:00.002-05:00

Kimberly and I were struggling to find something to watch to the other day on TV and came across a movie that had 2 of our favorite actors in it. The movie is called "Doubt" and it stars Kimberly's favorite actress Meryl Streep, and one of my favorite actors Phillip Seymor Hoffman, so we were bound to like the movie......and we did!

The movie is about a priest, Hoffman, who is accused of an improper relationship with an alter boy by a nun played by Streep. There is more to the story, like the mother of the alter boy and such but I really don't want to spoil anything else about the movie.

But the reason for this post, other then to tell you to watch this movie, is more about a scene that stuck with me then about the movie itself.

The scene is about a sermon called "Gossip" and it's effect once "Gossip" is out there. Now, there is not anything going on that I can think of that would keep me thinking about it, other then it has great imagery on what "Gossip" is.

Please take the time to watch this great 3 minute clip on "Gossip" I don't think you'll be disappointed and hopefully you will come away with a different perspective as I did.

America's Past Time

2010-01-11T21:06:00.003-05:00

With the admittance of yet another steroid/human growth hormone user today in Major League Baseball, it got me to thinking about the History of America's Past Time and how it is looked at or maybe how it should be looked at.

Today Bud Selig released a statement saying that the "Steroid Era" of baseball is pretty much closed. I agree. The "Steroid Era" has been closed for about 7 or 8 years. Now we are in the "HGH Era" as steroids are an outdated way of getting a head of the game. And, as soon as there is a HGH test that is reliable, baseball players will move onto something else that is undetectable.

My point I guess, is that baseball always seems to have something like this going on. Look back at history. Maybe it is not always cheating, although that is the main constant through the years. It's interesting, that putting vaseline on a pitched ball or scuffing a ball or stealing signs all seem to be acceptable when put in the light of doing performance enhancing drugs. What's it matter. It's all cheating. But it seems that if it comes down to drugs or gambling, those are the 2 big taboo's for baseball that seem to be unforgivable. There are actually players in the Hall that have killed someone else.

How about telling a whole race of people that they cannot participate in the game. To me, that's worse. But during those years, when baseball refused to allow black players to play with the white players, are the records and statistics that baseball "purists" seem to worship the most. Seems to me, if you do not allow all of the best players to play the game, then those stats are no more valid then todays meaningless stats when everyone is built like superman.

And how did baseball make up for not allowing people of color play with the white players? They give them their own wing of the Hall Of Fame.......away from all of the rest of the players. Still seperated. Ironic, isn't it.

Potential Fraud Scam in Southwestern Michigan

2010-01-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

The following is a warning message that I received from my Michigan MLS Board of Realtors. I thought that I would pass this on to you as well, in case you run into this scam.

The Association was recently made aware of a failed fraud scam that happened in Southwestern Michigan over the past 45 days. The scam started with a purported Doctor from the United Kingdom contacting a local Brokerage about his desire to purchase a home in a private lake front community that he had seen on the internet. Because of the situation with a foreign buyer who was not going to be present for the closing the Brokerage assisted the Buyer with finding them legal representation. A Buy and Sell Agreement was negotiated and then finally signed after the Attorney had received an official check drawn on a U.S. bank from the Buyer through a private courier service for over $600,000. The check was deposited in the a trust account established specifically for the transaction by the attorney and the items needed to completed for a closing were scheduled to be accomplished. At this time everything seemed normal to the attorney and Broker, until a few days after depositing the check, the attorney and Broker both received calls from the Buyer demanding they wire half of the deposited money to a Chinese Bank account so the Buyer could take care of other financial obligations. When asked how he was going to pay the balance on the house he said he has now decided to be at the closing and will bring the additional funds to close the transaction at that time. This demand for the wire of half of the funds deposited for the transaction sent up warning flags and the attorney checked with the FBI and lender regarding the situation. The local bank’s fraud unit got involved and determined that the check presented and going through the banking system was fraudulent. Needless to say the sale of the home failed and the potential fraud was stopped.

Due to the different schemes and scams being used throughout the world today, all Members should use their best judgment and be prudent in evaluating the information being provided by the potential Buyer prior to negotiating the Buy and Sell Agreement.

Hall Of Fame Rant

2010-01-06T16:28:00.003-05:00

Every year, my best friend Dave and I talk about Major League Baseball's Hall Of Fame. Every year, we come up with players who should be in, but are not. So, this year I decided I would put my part of our rant into print for you all to enjoy.

In case you did not know, players can be inducted or voted into the Hall Of Fame after they have been out of baseball as a player for 5 years and then receive 75% of the vote. How does the vote work? You might ask. Well, a bunch of writers gather and cast their ballots. Mind you, most of these writers have never played a day of professional.....anything, not for a day in their lives. Sometimes they vote because they like the person, sometimes they do not vote because they dislike a person. It is really a poor process that, the best that I can determine, exists to make people that should not be a part of the game to be a part of the game. So lets throw my, just as meaningless, opinion in on that mess of a process as well.

Anyway, here is my short list of players who once again were short changed by these writers and why they should be in the HOF.

I will start with Jack Morris and by trying to prove his worthiness, it will prove Bert Blyleven's worthiness as well killing 2 birds with one stone..... so to speak.

Out of all of the players to have ever played, which is tens of thousands, Jack Morris is #43 in career wins at 254 over 18 seasons. Of the 42 players ahead of him, all but 13 are in the hall of fame. Of those 13, 6 of them are not eligible to be voted in yet because they have recently retired. Of the remaining 7, 4 of them pitched in the 1800's. The other 3 are Jim Kaat who is ranked #31 on the wins list at 283 and took 25 years to get there, Tommy John who took 26 years to get to #26 with 288 wins and is more famous for the surgery named after him and Bert Blyleven at #27 with 287 wins. The knock on both Morris and Blyleven, seem to be that they both gave up a lot of home runs, which is true. But so did Nolan Ryan and he is in the hall. Morris also would have a higher ERA then the others at 3.90, but so what! Morris was THE dominate pitcher of the 1980's and into the early 90's. He won a World Series with the Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays. Who can forget that 10 inning game he pitched for the Twins in 91? To this day, one of the best pitched games in World Series history. He also threw a no-hitter in 84 for the Tigers. Blyleven won World Series rings in 79 with the Pirates and again in 1987 for the Twins. The next 4 players below Morris in career wins are all in the Hall of Fame, one of which is Bob Gibson. Blyleven, had 15 1-0 wins, more then any pitcher in the last 50 years and had a career total of 60 shutouts which is more then the ENTIRE American League has had combined over the last 18 years! If you are not convinced that these 2 belong in, then I do not know what can convince you!

Next on the List is Roberto Alomar. Alomar missed out on getting elected today by only 5 votes! I can't help but to think that the reason he did not get those 5 extra votes was because of the "Spitting Incident." If the umpire that he spat on can not only forgive him, but become friends with him, then I think the writers need to look past it as well. Alomar was a 12 time All-Star, 10 time Gold Glove Award winner that had a career .300 batting average. Over his 17 year career, he compiled 2,724 Hits and was an incredible fielder. He also won back to back World Series rings with the Blue Jays in 92 & 93. This guy should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer!

The last 2 on my list I will also knock out together. Why? Because they are basically the same player. It has been said that Barry Larkin was the Derek Jeter before Derek Jeter. If that is true, and I feel that it is, then Alan Trammell was the Barry Larkin before Barry Larkin! There are 21 Shortstops currently in the Hall of Fame and nobody disputes that Ozzie Smith should be in the Hall. If you throw Trammell and Larkin into the mix, Smith would rank #9 in Hits (2,460), Trammell #10 (2,365) and Larkin #11 (2,340). In RBI, Trammell #10 (1,003), Larkin #11 (960) and Smith #17 (793). Runs scored Larkin #8 (1,329), Smith #11 (1,257) and Trammell #14 (1,231). Stolen Bases Smith #3 (580), Larkin #6 (379) and Trammell #11 (236). You might be saying, "Those are all offensive numbers, what about defense?". I am glad you asked! Ozzie Smith has a career fielding percentage of .978, Trammell's was .977 and Larkin's was .975. What about fielding range you might ask? Smith does have an edge, but when you look further, the gap narrows. Trammell played 7 of his seasons with less then 400 at bats due to various injuries. Larkin played 8 seasons with less then 400 at bats due to injury. Smith only had 3 and they were the last 3 seasons that he played. The final #'s were that Smith had 12,905 chances with 281 errors, Trammell 9,948 chances with 235 errors and Larkin had 9,251 chances with 235 errors. Smith definately has an edge, but injury shortened seasons lessened the numbers of Trammell and Larkin by probably about 500-700 chances each. Trammell only moved to 3rd Base at the end of his career in an attempt to keep him healthy, not because of the limited range that other Shortstops displayed late in their career (see Cal Ripken). Larkin won a MVP (95), Trammell should have (87). Larkin won 3 Gold Gloves, mostly because Ozzie Smith was winning them. Trammell won 4 Gold Gloves, mostly because Cal Ripken was winning them. Darrell Evans, former Tiger First Baseman, used to say "Every throw that Trammell made was perfect to catch!" And yesterday Peter Gammons wrote after voting for Trammell "There are times when you have to have seen a player, and Trammell was one of them."

My 09 Year In Review

2010-01-01T13:51:00.003-05:00

At this time each year, it is popular for everyone to look back at the year we just finished and take a look at what happened. So, I will drink the kool-aid as well and do a "year in review" post as well. Here is what I can remember off of the top of my head:

In January, I remember us still feeling the effects of an economy in shambles and the "Hope" that a newly elected president brings us. I also remember the governor of Illinois getting taken out of office for trying to sell a senate seat. Then, my wife had sunny 101.5 pull a birthday prank phone call on me claiming to be someone named "Rod" who was looking for a house and was recently unemployed because he lost his job as governor of Illinois.

In February, President Obama passed a housing recovery act that banks have only started to use in the past 2-3 months. I also remember that it was very cold and that the Steelers beat the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. We refinanced our house.

In March, the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit was passed. I won a few awards from Prudential at our awards lunch one of which was "Listing Agent Of The Year" for the 2nd year in a row.

April had a lot going on! On the news that ND was having President Obama speak on campus for graduation that was coming in May, there were a lot people that started protesting around the campus. New Spring Church in South Carolina played "Highway To Hell" during their Easter service, which I thought was pretty cool. Cooler still was when snipers took out pirates that had hijacked a US ship. April was also when the first reports of "Swine Flu" broke out and had everyone in a panic.

In May, I was part of a large group of people that was able to help raise over $15,000 for local kids with cancer called "The Sunshine Kids". Obama spoke at the ND commencement, again lots of protesting going on. And, Fannie Mae needed more bailout money from our government.

June was a tough month for me as someone that I was trying to help committed suicide. Elkhart county still had unemployment around 18%.

In July, an article that included me, was on the front page of the South Bend Tribune which discussed the great deals that there were out there in real estate. The house that I had listed that was featured in the article just closed the last week of December for $177,400.

In August, I was once again part of an article that was on the front page of the South Bend Tribune. This time it was an article about a persons options when facing foreclosure. Taylor Bean and Whitaker was dropped as a FHA lender which was big news in the mortgage industry. Bank of America and Wells Fargo were both verbally abused by our government for not offering more loan modifications to troubled home owners.

September brought me to a U2 concert at Soldier Field in Chicago. My Detroit Lions beat the Redskins which was there first win in more then a season. It was announced that long time Tiger broadcaster Ernie Harwell was diagnosed with inopperable cancer.

October, Kimberly and I celbrated our 16th wedding anniversary. President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize and we bombed the moon on the same day. I had my first meeting as part of the Indiana Leadership Academy for Realtors.

In November, Kimberly and I flew out to LA and hopped a cruise ship down to Mexico for a short vacation. The Lions actually won a 2nd game, this time against the Browns.

In December, I met Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

I probably left some stuff out, but that was what my year looked liked in short.

RESPA, Why Is This Good For You?

2009-12-21T20:07:00.003-05:00

Starting with the New Year, RESPA has been completely changed. What is RESPA you may ask?

RESPA is The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

Why should you care?

Because RESPA is what looks out for you, the consumer.

RESPA has kind of taken it on the chin a little bit over the past few years because consumers, like you, have complained that there was nobody looking out for them. And, to some degree, that was a correct assessment.

But, in January, all of that changes. RESPA had an overhaul. This overhaul has many lenders and title companies upset, it struck a nerve. That is how you can tell that this appears to be good legislation.

The changes all revolve around full up front disclosure. Nice huh?! How do they do this?

To start with, there is a massive over haul with the closing statement. Or what we REALTORs call a HUD-1. This new HUD-1 will now look the same no matter what bank, title company or closing agency is closing the transaction. By changing the HUD-1 closing statement and making it uniform, it will help on the full disclosure part.

The big changes though come on that full disclosure, which starts all of the way back at the "Good Faith Estimate". You see, this has been a problem for a while now. There was no accountability for a lender when giving you that first initial estimate of what it is going to cost you to get the loan for the house you are buying.

This initial Good Faith Estimate can only vary at closing by 10% or less. Now that may sound like a lot, but it really is not. A typical closing may have closing costs in the area of $4,800 which means a variance of only $480. This is where the new HUD-1 comes into play.

The new HUD-1 will show side by side what your good faith estimate was and what your actual amounts are. It also has to spell out everything that the title company is charging, which cannot vary in price either, which is causing some title companies to go to a flat fee per transaction charge. The new HUD-1 goes into way more detail that will even show you the yield spread that a mortgae broker is getting in profit from your transaction. Now that is disclosure!

Also, right on the new HUD-1, you will see what your monthly payment is and your interest rate. It will state whether or not you have an adjustable rate mortgage or a balloon payment or a pre-payment penalty. And, as usual, it will show what the REALOTRs are charging.

The only real variance of significance that can effect your closing costs are costs that you will be in control of, like inspection costs. Those are allowed to not be disclosed on the initial good faith estimate simply because there is no way to determine how much those are going to be until later in the process.

God Complex

2009-12-07T16:03:00.003-05:00

I was watching this movie called Malice about a week ago, and instantly knew that I was going to use a scene from it in a blog post. The question was, how am I going to use it? I am still not sure even as I am writing this post, I just know that it is an incredible scene from a pretty good movie that was made in 1993 starring Alec Baldwin and Nicole Kidman. It is a movie that I have watched several times, and has some really good performances by some really good actors.

The scene is about a Doctor who is so good at what he does, that he has a "God Complex."

Can you imagine being so good at something that you think you are God? So good at something that the people around you worship you in a way, and just want to be around you? What a power trip that must be.

Would you want to be that good at something? I know I would like to say that I would not, but I would probably be lying.

I guess my point is, no matter whether you are a Doctor, a Pastor or simply a Realtor. We can all get caught up in thinking that we are more then what we actually are. It is important to stay humble and in awe of the actual God.

Enjoy the clip!

Parents Should Consider Homes As Gifts

2009-12-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Parents who are looking for a gift to give their kids this holiday season should consider a house.

With prices in the cellar, this could be a terrific year to give a down payment or even the whole home.

The Internal Revenue Service says a married couple can each give gifts of $13,000 of money or property without triggering taxes for the gift givers or the recipients. That means a married couple can give another married couple a total of $52,000 a year. To maximize that they can give $52,000 in December and another $52,000 in January for a total of $104,000 to be used on a property before the federal tax credit expires.

This would buy a house in some parts of the country and be sufficient for a down payment in most others.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (11/27/2009)

Something Strange Happened Sunday

2009-11-25T11:45:00.003-05:00

I have been a life long Detroit Lions fan and thought that I had seen it all, but Sunday, something very strange happened. Now, you might be saying to yourself..."yeah, the Lions won" and you would be right. That is strange. But HOW they won is what I am talking about.

For years and years, the Detroit Lions have been on the bad end of things. Bad calls always go against them. "Freak" plays always happen too them. Miracle comebacks, are always with the other team making them. Gritty performances are always with the other team and never someone that is on the Lions. That is just how it has been, and for better or for worse, it was expected after so many years.

So, when the Lions were down 24-7 after the first quarter to an equally bad team Sunday in the Cleveland Browns, I thought "Just another classic Lions disappointment."

But then something strange happened. The Lions started to come back. When I heard they were coming back, I thought, "they'll still fall short, after all they are the Lions."

Due to black out restrictions, hardly anyone saw the game. There were lots of empty seats, so the game was not televised locally. I had to get updates from ESPN while I was in my car working, or from CBS Sportsline while in front of the computer screen.

It was 37 -31 with Cleveland in the lead with just a few seconds left. Detroit was about 40 yards away from a TD, so in a last second desperation throw, Matthew Stafford scrambled around the pocket to avoid a pass rush and then unleashed a long pass to the end zone. Cleveland was flagged for a pass interference call as the pass went incomplete. Detroit's ball at the 1 yard line with one play left.

That in itself was amazing for Detroit Lions fans. To be on the right side of a game changing penalty for a change. But the truly amazing part was going on behind the scenes.

On that pass play, Matthew Stafford was hit as he threw the ball and was slammed on his left shoulder, later is was discovered that it was dislocated on that play. Cleveland had called a timeout to try to regroup, which gave Stafford enough time to avoid all of the team physicians and force his way back onto the field to finish what he started. He then, with a dislocated left shoulder, took the snap and threw the game winning TD.

Are you kidding me?!!

This is the type of things that legends are made of! And, it happened, in a good way, for my Detroit Lions! Now, I am not saying that Stafford and the Lions are on their way to the playoffs this year....or even next year. But, I think a few years from now, people could look back on this moment and say "this is where it all changed for the Lions"

By the way, Matthew Stafford was wired for NFL Films during the game. Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, listened to the tapes recorded from Stafford and called it "The most dramatic player wiring ever!"

Finally, Lions fans might have something to be excited about other then Barry Sanders highlights.

Adopt A Family and The Homeless Shelter

2009-11-06T11:35:00.003-05:00

This morning, I posted on my Facebook page a Haiku. Here it is: God is with the poor----And God is with the broken----Let us be with God.

So, in the spirit of that post, here is an opportunity for all of us to impact Michiana.

There is a family in the inner city of South Bend that I was contacted by earlier this week that is in need of food for Thanksgiving and Christmas along with gifts for Christmas. This is a single mom that is on disability. She has 4 kids that are her own and 2 addition kids that she has legal custody over. The kids are ages: 12, 10, 9, 5, 5 and 4. One of the 5 year olds is a boy and the rest are all girls. I thought that it would be awesome to help this family out.

The other opportunity to impact Michiana is through the homeless shelter. Here is a list of the shelters current needs:

Aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Diapers, Swimmer-all sizes, New Socks and Underwear for both Men and Women, Feminine Hygiene Supplies, Towels and Wash cloths, Cough Drops, Laundry Soap, Umbrella's, Children's School Uniforms, x-large to xxxxl shirts, Ear plugs, Interview attire/clothing for women (sizes 18 and up), Interview attire/clothing for men (xl & xxl shirts and pants larger than size 46), Women's Dress shoes (sizes 8 and up), Men's shoes (size 9-14)

This project is something that a group of people just decided to do. It is not company sponsored in any way shape or form, so feel free to help out where you can with what you can. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

For how to donate or help, you can contact the following people in the following ways:

Barry Skalski 574-370-8156 or by email BarrySkalski@sbcglobal.net
Michelle Zarobinski 574-876-8674 or by email Michelle.M.Zarobinski@wellsfargo.com
Bill Calahan 574-310-0011

Starting on Monday, there will be a drop off station located inside of the building located at 202 Lincoln Way East in Mishawaka. It is the building that National City Bank, Prudential One Realty, Wells Fargo and Metropolitan Title occupy.

If we collect enough, we may be able to sponsor more than one family!

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Changes

2009-11-05T15:14:00.002-05:00

Today, in a vote of 403-12, the House passed a bill that the Senate had already passed that extends the Homebuyer Tax Credit and also makes some changes to the existing tax credit. Now, before I go ANY further, I need to throw out a disclaimer that President Obama still needs to sign this into law to make it official. Although that should just be a formality, it is in fact not law until he signs it. So, this is just to inform of what the bill is and what some of the changes are.

Ready? Here we go:

The proposed new law will extend the current first time buyer tax credit from November 30, 2009 to April 30, 2010. However, it only has to be under contract by April 30, 2010. It actually has to close by July 1, 2010. This will help out with short sales tremendously!

Also, current homeowners are now eligible for a tax credit upon purchasing a home, up to $6,500. The catch here is that existing homeowners have to have lived in their home for 5 of the last 8 years in order to qualify.

The proposed new law also extends the income limits. Under the old credit, maximum income for the full credit was $150,000 for a married couple. Under the new law, the maximum would be raised to $225,000 for a married couple. The maximum purchase price on a home is $800,000.

There is also a new anti-fraud rule where the purchaser must attach documentation of the purchase to the tax return.

First time home buyers are still considered someone who has not owned a home in at least 3 years.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me and I will do my best to answer any questions that you may have. My cell is 574-370-8156.

Decisions, Decisions and more Decisions

2009-11-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

Every few weeks, it is my turn to lead discussion for my Friday morning men's bible group. This is my Friday, so I thought I would share:

We are all faced with decisions on a daily basis. Some are more basic like: What do we wear for the day? What do we eat for lunch? While others take more thought like: What kind of haircut to get next week? What do I attack first on my to-do list? And still others are more complex like: Should I go buy a new car or house? Should I get married? Should I go on that vacation? Etc…..

So, I thought we could talk about decisions that we all have to make, how we make these decisions and where does God fit in to all of these decisions.

Ronald Reagan once said: “America was founded by people who believed that God was their rock of safety. He is ours. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it is all right to ask if we are on his side.”

1. When making a decision, how do you know that your decision is your will or if it is the will of God? Which do you listen to more, your will or God’s?

2. Seems like sometimes, we make our more important decision the same way we make our more basic decisions….more out of habit or with the flow of the day. What process(es) should be used on decisions? Should there be a difference and why? How do you decipher what is a major or a minor decision?

3. Do you believe that God sends you signs in your attempts to make a decision? If yes, how do you know? What do you look for?

4. You have made a decision, you are moving ahead with it, but you keep coming up against major road blocks. How do you handle that? Do you re-assess your decision or do you keep plowing ahead through the road blocks? Do you see these road blocks as a sign from God that you are on the wrong path or are they put there to make you stronger?

5. When is it wise to seek the council of others when making a decision? Do you see this as a sign of strength or weakness when you seek the advice of others? How do you look at the person that is asking for your advice? Do these opinions effect you when you ask for someone’s advice or not, in other words, do you care about what the other person thinks of you when you are asking their advice?

6. Is there a right time to interfere with someone else’s decision making? How do you do that without coming across as judgemental?

James 1:5-8 (New International Version)
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Great Speech, Great Movie

2009-10-27T22:42:00.001-04:00

Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. "Of course, we won't mind if you have a look around," you'll say. "It's only twenty dollars per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack.

And they'll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come, Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.

Perseverance

2009-10-21T10:29:00.003-04:00

As I type the name Derek Redmond, most of you probably have no idea who he is. Most people have no idea what his story is, until you hear it or read about it. Then, it all comes back to your memory.

Derek Redmond trained most of his life for one moment. That moment was to take place in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. Derek was a world class sprinter who was one of the favorites to win the 400m sprint race. And that moment is what he will always be remembered for.

You see, Derek did not win the race, nor did he come in 2nd, 3rd or 4th place. But instead, he finished dead last....way behind everyone else in what could be the slowest time ever ran in the Olympics. So why is this so memorable?

About 150m's into the race Derek heard a loud "pop" and then fell to the ground in excruciating pain. His hamstring had tore. There was a groan from the crowd and then silence from it as everyone stared wondering what had happened.

The rest of the sprinters had already passed the finish line, and people with stretchers were on their way out to carry Derek off the track. Then, Derek got up and started to hop on one leg to finish the race that he had started. Suddenly, from the crowd, emerged Derek's father on to the track to help him get to the finish line to a standing ovation of 65,000 people.

This my friends, is perseverance.

What is there in our lives that we have been trying to accomplish that seem so close yet so far away? Are we seeking help? Are we leaning on God to get us to that finish line? Sometimes, it is not about finishing in 1st place. Sometimes, it is just about finishing the race.

Here is the video version of what happened that day in Barcelona:

10 Things I Don't Get

2009-10-19T23:09:00.003-04:00

1. Sushi

2. Jon and Kate plus 8

3. NASCAR

4. Coffee Drinkers

5. The Ped Egg

6. Sky Diving

7. The Running of the Bulls

8. People that say "You just have to eat/drink a few of them, then it starts to taste good."

9. Churches that hate on other Churches

10. The X Games

What don't you get?

This was inspired by Tony Morgan
http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/10/16/10-things-i-dont-get/

Teamwork, Leadership and......Ducks?

2009-10-17T13:26:00.003-04:00

I just got back from a 2 day leadership meeting in Bloomington that was put on by the Indiana Realtors Leadership Academy (IRLA). One of the presentations, oddly enough, was about what we could learn from the teamwork and leadership that is displayed by ducks. That's right, Ducks. I really found this interesting and thought I would share it with you along with some of my thoughts.

Did you know, that as each duck flaps it wings, it creates and "uplift" for the bird following? By following in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range then if each bird flew alone.

Some thoughts on this were: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier they are traveling on the thrust of one another. As Leaders, we need to cast vision in a passionate way to encourage others to share in that vision. As teams, we need to help one another and to offer encouragement and support. How would this look in business? In my church?

Did you know, that whenever a duck falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone? It quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the duck immediately in front.

How often do we let ego get in our way? This "I can do this on my own attitude" will not only isolate us from others that can and want to help, but it puts that goal off into the distance and makes it harder to obtain. It is usually better to stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go.

Did you know, that when the lead duck gets tire, it rotates back into the formation and another duck flies at the point position?

How often, as leaders, do we not recognize how many other leaders we have behind us? Leaders that want to share in our burdens. Leaders that, if given the opportunity, may be able to take our group to another level not yet obtained. How often do we get so burned out, that the only way to fix our burn out is to completely step away from the situation? I see this happen in church leadership frequently. I myself have even experienced this. Sometimes, true leadership is knowing when to step aside and letting someone else lead for awhile. Then, stand by that new leader and offer support and encouragement.

Did you know, that when in formation, the ducks quack from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed?

How often do we encourage those that are leading us? We need to make sure that our "quacking" from behind is encouraging----not something less helpful or damaging.

Did you know, that when a duck gets sick or wounded, that 2 ducks will drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it? They stay with the duck until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then, they launch out on their own with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Are we standing by the people around us when they are in need? Or, do we turn a blind eye and say "too bad that happened"? Being part of a team is being there in the good times and the bad.

An Odd Way To Wake Up Today

2009-10-09T21:35:00.004-04:00

What an odd way to wake up today.I opened my eyes to see a news report about us bombing the moon. Huh? Then a special report about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Huh?!

I thought I was in some sort of dream or something.

But, after thinking about it for a while, I thought I would share some of my thoughts about these news stories.

I guess I am still struggling to understand why we, meaning our government which means our tax dollars, spent 79 million dollars in an attempt to find out if the moon has water on it. The questions that come to my mind, I guess, are:

What if it does have water, then what? Are we going to spend more money to transport it here? Does that mean that we are going to send people there to colonize it? If so, I have a few I would like to send....which is not very Christian, but the truth. Why would we want to colonize the moon? Isn't there a better way to be spending our money right now? Who's idea was this anyway?

To me, "bombing" the moon just does not make a lot of sense. And I have always been pro space exploration and such. I don't know, maybe there is more to this then what I have heard etc., but it just leaves me shaking my head and shrugging my shoulders a little.

Now, on to Obama and the peace prize. This is a weird one for me as well. I have made no secret that I am an Obama supporter. But the Nobel Peace Prize? Really? Hasn't he been in office for about 9 months or so? It really had me scratching my head this morning.

However..................

He has started to change some very controversial policy that was created over 8 years that made the rest of the world pretty angry.

He has started dialogue with our perceived enemies in a non threatening way.

He withdrew a very controversial defense missle project in Europe that had Russia in a tizzy under the prior administration. And, by withdrawing it, convinced Russia to disarm more of their nuclear and missle program.

He continued withdrawing troops from Iraq.

He INCLUDED most of the European leaders in confronting Iran's secret nuclear program. And ASKED and SHARED intelligence with those countries in reaching a conclusion that Iran needed to be confronted.

He seems to have staved off a possible depression, that probably would have led to a world wide collapse of economic systems.

Now, to sort of use a Chris Rock line, I am not saying he should have won the award.....but I understand. There are many in this country that see our president as week, or a socialist, or a communist, or un-American, or even a nazi. But the rest of the world seems to see a guy that is trying very hard to create peace. And I think that is very cool.

Maybe he has not done everything that he said he was going to do, but again, it has only been 9 months. The people that seem to be complaining the most about President Obama not doing everything that he has promised, also seem to be the same people that say he is trying to do too much at one time. The same people, that if Obama created peace in the middle east, would complain about how he got peace instead of being happy that he got peace.

So, for the people that are saying that he has done nothing........ I disagree, because he clearly has. To say that he should have won the award........ I disagree, because I do think that it is too early in his presidency for such an award.

But I can see why the rest of the world is excited that we elected this man as President, maybe we should be a little more excited as well.

A Full Credit Bid

2009-10-08T12:50:00.004-04:00

I recently attended a continuing education class in Michigan and was taught some very interesting information about Foreclosure that goes against the common thought about having your house taken back by the bank. And, this applies to both Indiana and Michigan.

When your house is officially taken back by the bank is when it is sold at the Sheriff's auction. The bank does this by making a credit bid against your house. This "credit bid" is where things get interesting because of the belief out there about being sued for a deficiency judgement. The common belief, is that if you owed $100,000 and the bank takes your house back and sells it for $60,000, then the bank can sue you for a deficiency of $40,000. But that is not necessarily the true.

If the bank makes a "Full Credit Bid" on your home, then you owe nothing. A full credit bid is when you owe $100,000 and the bank makes a credit bid at, or above in most cases due to fees, the amount that is owed. This effectively negates the bank coming back on the homeowner for a deficiency judgement. Even if the house is then resold by the bank for $50,000 causing a $50,000 loss!

So, if you are in the process of having your house taken back by the bank, find out what the credit bid is on your house. This might relieve some anxiety about possible lawsuits.

It is about time

2009-09-25T15:45:00.003-04:00

On Monday, September 28, the Detroit Tigers are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1984 World Championship team. A team that was considered one of, if not the best, Tiger teams of all time.

There will be many of the "Bless You Boys" in attendance as well. Alan Trammell (my favorite player), Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris, Willie Hernandez, Darrell Evans, Lance Parrish, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox among others.

They are all going there for one thing. No, not to celebrate old memories. Not to celbrate the 84 team and what was accomplished. Not to get one more moment in the lime light either.

They are going there for one reason and one reason only, to see Sparky Anderson one last time. You see, Sparky doesn't get around much anymore, and this may be the last time they get to see him. And it may be the last time Sparky makes it back to Detroit, which brings me to my point.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers honor the man that managed my beloved Tigers for 17 years.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers show respect to the man that managed 1331 wins which is more than any other manager in Detroit Tiger History.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers showed their gratitude towards the man who captained the ship of the last Tigers team to win a World Series.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers made ammends to the man that Tigers fans love so dearly.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers made things right with the man that dearly loves the city of Detroit, its Team and its Fans.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers did the right thing and retire the #11 jersey that Sparky Anderson once wore.

It is about time!

Now, I don't know if the Tigers will retire his number or not on Monday. But in a season where Mike Illitch has done soooo many great things for the city of Detroit, here is his chance to put a cherry on top.

Compassion

2009-09-24T21:41:00.003-04:00

Every few weeks it is my turn to choose a topic for dicussion for my Friday morning men's bible group. This week it is my turn, so here is my friday morning discussion points. If you would like to find out more about the group, go to: http://www.Men-Sharpen-Men.org

Having compassion for others is something that Christ called all of us to do, so I thought we would dive into a parable that I really don’t hear preached much…the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The dictionary defines compassion as: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it

Luke 10: 25-37
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

1. Why do you think the expert in religious law wanted to “justify himself”?

2. How can we explain the religious professionals lack of compassion for the beaten up stranger?

3. Jews of that day despised Samaritans who were half breed of jews who intermarried with pagans. So why do you think that Jesus made the Samaritan the hero of the story?

4. Where do you suppose the Samaritan got his compassion for the victim?

5. According to this story, what does compassion look like?

6. When answering Jesus (verse 10:37) the religious law expert skirted around saying “the Samaritan” by saying “the one that showed him mercy” why do you think he answered the way he did?

7. There are more than 90 specific references to compassion in the bible. Most Old Testament passages are about God’s compassion towards His people, while most New Testament verses refer to Jesus having compassion for all of those in need. What do you think of that comment? Is there a difference between the old and the new? If so, why is there a difference?

D.C. Dances Around Tax Credit Extension

2009-09-18T14:35:00.002-04:00

I keep getting questions about the First Time Buyer Tax Credit and if it will be extended. Although I don't have an answer to that yet, I thought that you would be interested to read this article from the AP.

Washington is being forced to take a hard look at the expiring $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit.

Nearly a dozen bills have been proposed to extend the credit past the Nov. 30 deadline, but the top decision makers are just beginning to weigh in.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid endorsed a six-month extension. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday that he hasn’t made a decision yet. And the White House economic team says it will make a recommendation to President Barack Obama by the end of Friday.

Extending the credit is a tough sell in some corners because so far the credit has cost an estimated $15 billion, twice what was projected last February.

Source: The Associated Press, Adrian Sainz (09/17/2009)

A Recent Conversation About U2

2009-09-11T12:55:00.003-04:00

Recently, I mentioned to someone that I was going to an upcoming U2 concert. The response from this guy shocked me a bit. He said "I used to like U2 when they were a Christian rock band, I bet you did not know that they started that way before wandering off to where they are now."

"WHAT?!" I replied. He then repeated his statement.

My "WHAT?!" was not in response to the Christian rock band remark, it was in response to the statement he was making about them not being a Christian rock band anymore and that they "wandered" off to where they are now.

Now, this is a very nice guy that I have gotten to know a bit, and he was not trying to be offensive at all. It was just an observation from someone that has not followed this band for several years after the band switched to a more edgier tone in the early 90's with Achtung Baby.

But still.......not Christian anymore.

He then stated that, "Just because Bono does good deeds for Africa, doesn't mean that he is a Christian." Which I agree with, but I stated that he needs to look at the lyrics of their songs.

Their most recent release, No Line On The Horizon, has been called "their most thoroughly Christian project to date" according to a theologian in Alabama as reported by The Christian Post. The article states that 7 of the 11 songs have a Christian tone to them.

If you look over the course of their history, there are dozens of songs that have either a Christian tone to them or even quote or interpret scripture. Yahweh, All Because Of You, Grace, Walk On, Stuck In A Moment..., Beautiful Day, If God Will Send His Angels, Stay, When Love Comes To Town, 40 (after psalm 40), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For are just a few of the many many songs that could be put into that category.

One of their more recent songs "Window In The Skies" was not a hit, but is one of my favorites. It has lyrics such as: "The rule has been disproved, the stone it has been moved, the grave is now a groove, all debts are removed" is clearly about the Resurrection of Christ. "Oh can't you see what Love has done?, what it's doing to me?" "To every broken heart, for every heart that cries, Love left a window in the skies" These are incredible lyrics. There is too much evidence to suggest that they ARE christian to say that they are not. They could just as easily have made songs about sex and made their fortune, but chose not to.

I think what gets lost with people, is that Bono and the boys have chosen this route with their music and lyrics, is that they are not pastors or preachers. They are in fact, rock and roll stars who are just trying to deliver a message. They may not always be in tune with doctrine, but they have a well meaning message that is more on point then some Sunday sermons that I have heard. Here is a video that I really enjoy watching, maybe you will too:

"Making Home Affordable" Picking Up Steam

2009-09-10T15:36:00.002-04:00

Here is a new article about how the "Making Home Affordable" plan starting to gain steam. About a month ago I posted an article on how it was failing. Although Bank Of America is still lowest on the list, it should be noted that in one month they went from 4% to the 7% that they are currently at:

The Obama administration's $50 billion "Making Home Affordable" mortgage relief plan is picking up steam, with 360,000 borrowers, or 12 percent of the eligible group, signing up for a three-month trial mortgage modification.

"There are signs the plan is working," says Michael Barr, assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions. "But we can do better."

Bank of America has enrolled about 7 percent of its 836,000 eligible loans, compared with 25 percent for JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Treasury Department’s decision to publish these numbers is driving the banks to do better. Lenders are "concerned about the report card showing them in a worse light than their peers," says David Stevens, assistant secretary for housing and FHA commissioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Nobody wants to be a low performer on that score card."

Source: The Associated Press, Alan Zibel (09/09/2009)

2009 Predictions For The Detroit Lions....1st Attempt

2009-09-02T20:23:00.003-04:00

The following is my 1st attempt at making predictions for my 2009 Detroit Lions. OK, it might be a little far fetched. But why not have some fun with it!

Sunday, September 13. Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints
The Lions have an amazing start to the game led by Culpeppers 11 for 14 start for 151 yards and 2 TD passes and are up 24-3 at the half. Brew Brees is knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter after taking a hard hit by LB Julian Peterson. In the 3rd quarter Peterson again takes out the QB, this time Mark Brunell, on a blind side blitz and returns a fumble for a TD making the score 31-6. Joey Harrington then comes in and procedes to pass the Saints on to a 34-31 victory passing for 216 yds on a 15 of 17 performance with 3 TD's. Record after week 1: 0-1

Sunday, September 20. Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Dante Culpepper gets off to a horrible start throwing 3 interceptions in the first half with one being returned for a TD. Culpepper has a better 2nd half and finishes the game 13 of 28 for 142 yds. with 3 int's and 1 TD. Brett Farve has a fair performance going 15 of 21 with 2 TD's for 172 yds. The real story of the game is Adrian Peterson who rushes for 183 yards on only 15 carries. Vikings win in a sleeper, 31-10. Record after week 2: 0-2

Sunday, September 27. Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions
Coming into the game, the Lions have a record of 2-13 against the Skins since 1983 with both wins coming in Detroit. Culpepper gets off to another rough start going 2-11 for 8 yds. before the Lions crowd starts chanting for Matthew Stafford. Culpepper responds by throwing 2 TD's to Calvin Johnson before the end of the first half to tie the game at 17. In the 2nd half, it is all Clinton Portis, as he runs like the wind through the Lions defense and ends up with 192 yards rushing and 3 TD's on the day. Culpepper finishes the day 18 of 40 for 168 yds and 2 TD's. Final score: Redskins 38 and the Lions 24. Record after week 3: 0-3

Sunday, October 4. Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
The Lions do their best to take advantage of playing in Chicago during warm weather. Culpepper has a good game going 21 of 28 for 225 yds and 2 TD's. Kevin Smith has his first good game of the year rushing for 104 yards on 21 carries with a TD. Jay Cutler looks a little lost with his new team going 12 of 25 for 138 yards. Devin Hester though is the story for the Bears. He returns a kickoff in the 2nd quarter 98 yards for a TD and then returns a punt late in the 4th quarter 67 yards to tie the game at 27 and put it into OT. The Lions lose the coinflip, where Hester promptly returns the opening kickoff 102 yards for a TD. Bears 33 and the Lions 27. Record after week 4: 0-4

Sunday, October 11. Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions
Culpepper has to leave early in the 2nd quarter with a hamstring injury after a 15 yard run for a TD. Matthew Stafford comes in and experiences how fast the NFL is with a 12 of 27 performace with 2 int's. The Steelers build a big lead of 35-9 before putting Charlie Batch in to sit on the lead. The Lions score another TD in the mop up duty. Confused Lions fans start chanting "Fire Millen" not realizing that he has been gone for a year. Final Score: Steelers 38 and the Lions 16. Record after week 5: 0-5

Sunday, October 18. Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Once again, the schedule makers were kind to the Lions by letting them play in Green Bay during warm weather. Culpepper returns for the Lions and goes 15 of 20 for 173 yards and 3 TD's before having to leave with another hamstring injury, this one much worse. Stafford comes in and performs better going 7 of 11 for 96 yards and a TD. In the end though, the Lions are on the wrong end of a bad pass interference call late in the 4th quarter and lose on a last second field goal. Final Score: Packers 30 and the Lions 28. Record after week 6: 0-6

Sunday, October 25. ***BYE WEEK***
In an attempt to turn things around, the Lions bring in Wayne Fontes as a special consultant during the bye week. He immediately suggests bringing back the Run and Shoot offense.

Sunday, November 1. St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions
In a battle of winless teams, this serves as Detroit's best chance so far to win a game. Matthew Stafford gets the start as Culpepper is steal trying to heal his hamstring. Stafford seems at home in Detroit's new Run and Shoot offense going 22 of 33 for 267 yards and 3 TD's. Calvin Johnson continues his great season catching 8 passes for 124 yards and 2 TD's. Kevin Smith runs for 114 yards. Detroit wins in a laugher 41-10. Lions fans are so excited that they set cars on fire outside Ford Field. Record after week 8: 1-6

Sunday, November 8. Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks
Cocky coming off their first win in over a year, the Lions look unprepared in their cross country trip to Seattle. Stafford gets off to a horrible start going 3 of 13 with 4 int's before being pulled for a hobbled Culpepper. In the 4th quarter, the Lions put Drew Stanton in the game and he promptly goes 7 for 7 for 52 yards and a TD. But it is way too little too late as the Lions get blown out 45-13. Record after week 9: 1-7

Sunday, November 15. Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
After Brett Farve decided to retire again, the Vikings offense has a hard time against the Lions suprisingly strong defense producing only 128 yards of total offense. Culpepper is starting again for the Lions and has a respectable 13 of 20 day for 138 yards with no turnovers. After the game when asked about the impressive defense, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz says that it was a new defense suggested by consultant Wayne Fontes called "The Silver Streak". Final Score: Lions 13 and the Vikings 9. Record after week 10: 2-7

Sunday, November 22. Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions
The Lions, after winning 2 of 3, play before their first sell out home crowd of the year. Kevin Smith responds with his best game as a Lion rushing for 214 yards and 3 TD's. The Browns offense cannot seem to do anything against this new "Silver Streak" defense that the Lions are using as they only have 78 yards of total offense and only 4 first downs the entire game. The Browns score their only points off of a fumbled punt return which results in a field goal. Final Score: Lions 37 and the Browns 3. Record after week 11: 3-7

Thursday, November 26. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
The Lions decide that the future is now for Matthew Stafford and announce that as long as he is healthy, he will be the starter for the rest of the year. Stafford has a huge game in front of a national audience in the Run and Shoot offense. Stafford passes for 348 yards and 3 TD's, all to Calvin Johnson. Kevin Smith has another good game running for 132 yards and Detroits "Silver Streak" defense holds the Packers to 174 yards of offense in a 38 to 9 win. After the game, William Clay Ford announces that all coaches and front office personnel have been fired and that Wayne Fontes will take over all positions within the organization since he seems to be the greatest football mind that Mr. Ford has ever known. Record after week 12: 4-7

Sunday, December 6. Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals
The only starter left from the Bengals opening week lineup is Carson Palmer, as the rest of the starters are either hurt or on suspension with the exception of Chad Ochocinco who decided to retire, change his name to Esteban Ochocinco and play soccer professionally where he dominates and leads his team to the championship. The Lions offensive and defensive schemes are too much for a depleted Bengals team and the Lions under new Coach Wayne Fontes win 31-12. Record after week 13: 5-7

Sunday, December 13. Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens
The Lions get off to a good start leading 17 to 3 at half time, but a season ending injury to Calvin Johnson in the 3rd quarter slows them up in the second half. With Johnson out, the Lions only score 3 points in the second half but manage to eek out a win 20-17. After the game, Wayne Fontes announces that Herman Moore has agreed to come out of retirement and sign with the Lions for the rest of the year. Record after week 14: 6-7

Sunday, December 20. Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions
Rookie QB Matthew Stafford is having an incredible game going 22 of 24 for 249 yards and 4 TD's when he suffers a season ending injury in the 4th Quarter. Kevin Smith breaks the 1,000 yard mark on the season, and the signing of Herman Moore proves to be big as he catches 12 passes for 133 yards and 2 TD's. The Lions squeak out a close one over the Cardinals 34-31. GM/Coach Wayne Fontes announces after the game that the Lions have signed Eric Hipple to come out of retirement for the rest of the season. Record after week 15: 7-7

Sunday, December 27. Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Smith pulls a hamstring in the 1st quarter that will keep him out the rest of the season. After Culpepper falters, Hipple comes in and passes for 189 yards on 12 of 17 passes with a TD. 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary, was kicked out of his 2nd game this year for entering the field of play and tackling another teams player. Record after week 16: 8-7

Sunday, January 3. Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
In a glorious return, Barry Sanders comes out of retirement and runs for 278 yards on only 12 carries with 4 TD's. Eric Hipple continues his good play passing for 198 yards and Herman Moore catches 10 passes for 117 yards as the Lions go on to dominate the Bears 45-10. After the game, Wayne Fontes is named executive and coach of the year. Record after week 17: 9-7

Possible Tax Credit Extension.....And My Opinion

2009-08-24T15:27:00.004-04:00

I just read that there are bills pending in both the House and the Senate to extend the first time home buyer credit of up to $8,000 which expires on November 30 of this year. If you want my opinion, then make sure to read to the end.

The Senate version, co sponsored by Chris Dodd (D-Conn) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), would extend the tax credit to up to $15,000 and make any owner occupant home buyer eligible. Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), is in favor of extending the tax credit as it stands currently which is 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000 for first time buyers or someone who has not owned a home in at least 3 years.

The article that I read indicates that the most likely scenario is one where a tax credit would be the same as it stands currently at 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000, but open to all owner occupant buyers instead of just 1st time buyers.

My Opinion:

As a REALTOR, I have benefited from the 1st time tax buyer credit. It has infused into the market place of home buying, a number of 1st time buyers that may not have otherwise been buying thus keeping me busy selling houses both on the listing side and on the buyers side. Maybe we needed that first credit to stave off something much larger than what we have gone through....or maybe not.

But is this new tax credit really a good idea? Was it a good idea in the first place?

We just went through a "Housing Bubble" due to putting too many unqualified buyers into home ownership. By doing this, it created a housing demand. When demand is high, prices go up. But it was an artificial demand. Putting people into homes that should not have been able to buy a home is an artificial demand. Now we are dealing with a large default rate and a saturation of the market with all of these homes that have been defaulted on.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that defaulted that were not in the sub-prime category. They defaulted because of rising unemployment, divorce, lack of good health care causing large medical bills....there are a lot of reasons why people default. But this mess started with the sub-prime loans.

With the sub-prime loans gone, unlike before, these new buyers are qualified buyers that probably moved up their timetable of buying to take advantage of the credit. But isn't the $8,000 credit just inflating the price again?

This "Crash" in the housing market that we are seeing, is the market adjusting itself from being over valued. If we offer $8,000 or $15,000, as one bill suggests, aren't we just inflating the market again? Causing a demand when there should not be a demand?

Why do I say "when there should not be a demand?". I know this person that is not in love with his house, he thinks his house is just ok, but he does not need to sell it. He is settled into it. If this tax credit for everyone goes into effect, especially the $15,000 credit, then his house is going up for sale and he will be building a new house somewhere. Who is this person? It is me. Isn't that artificially putting me into the market, when I had no intention on being in the market? Just because I may disagree with the government giving out this credit does not mean that I will not take advantage of it.....because I will, and others will too.

The other big question is: What is going to happen when this credit goes away? It seems to me that we just are putting off the inevitable of a really really slow real estate market. When you give people incentives like this, they grow to expect it. Just look at the car industry. For years and years, the only way American car makers have been able to sell cars is by giving huge rebates on their product-something that our government just found out with the "cash for clunkers" that brought a lot of buyers onto car lots. In the housing industry, we are in danger of creating the same type of mentality. Several times per week I am asked about a zero down or sub-prime mortgage as a way to buy a house. Most zero down and all sub-prime has been gone for almost 2 years and people are still asking for it. People are looking for the edge or the loop hole. Zero down does have a place, just not to those with poor credit. And it is typically those with poor credit that are asking for those programs.

So, what is my solution if there is no tax credit?......Smart and responsible lending programs that reward people with great credit but don't eliminate as many buyers that our current programs do. In my opinion, there is no reason why someone with an 800 credit score should not be able to buy with zero down if they would like to. I feel that someone with a moderate score, say in the 680 to 720 range, should be able to buy with very little down--like 2% down. Those with a 580 to 679 need to put 3.5% to 5% down. You reward those with the good credit with lower rates. I also feel that banks should allow closing costs to be wrapped up into the loan without a penalty in the interest rate and that down payment assistance programs were not necessarily a bad thing. I know this will not create the number of buyers that are out shopping because of the tax credit as there is right now, but is that a bad thing?

Lets use our tax dollars for giving health insurance for those in need of it. After all, it may very well be the leading cause of bankruptcy in this country which is something that we all pay for. Lets use our tax dollars to build the finest schools possible. If we do those 2 things, I think you will see far more wealth in this country. And if there is more wealth, there are more home buyers.......But that is just my opinion. And I know that this idea would not create a fast enough response in this "give me now" society that we live in. I know that this post will probably not be too popular with my fellow agents, but it is my opinion. And if the government passes a new tax credit, I will push the heck out of it because I need to make a living. But this blog was created in part to voice my opinion, which is what I have done. Feel free to let me hear yours by leaving a comment.

Strong Gain In Existing Home Sales

2009-08-21T21:16:00.003-04:00

Here is a press release that I found from the National Association of Realtors about the current market conditions:

For the first time in five years, existing-home sales have increased for four months in a row, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 7.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.24 million units in July from a level of 4.89 million in June. Sales are 5.0 percent above the 4.99 million-unit pace in July 2008. The last time sales rose for four consecutive months was in June 2004, and the last time sales were higher than a year earlier was November 2005.

Largest Gain in a Decade

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said he is encouraged. “The housing market has decisively turned for the better. A combination of first-time buyers taking advantage of the housing stimulus tax credit and greatly improved affordability conditions are contributing to higher sales,” he said.

The monthly sales gain was the largest on record for the total existing-home sales series dating back to 1999.

“Because price-to-income ratios have fallen below historical trends, there are more all-cash offers. In some recovering markets like San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Orlando, the demand for foreclosed and lower-priced homes has spiked, and a lack of inventory is becoming a common complaint,” Yun said.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.22 percent in July from 5.42 percent in June. The rate was 6.43 percent in July 2008.

"First-Time Buyer Tax Credit is Working"

An NAR practitioner survey showed first-time buyers purchased 30 percent of homes in July, and that distressed homes accounted for 31 percent of transactions. NAR President Charles McMillan said the first-time buyer tax credit is working. “In addition to first-time buyers, we’re also seeing increased activity by repeat buyers. While many entry-level buyers are focused on the discounted prices of distressed homes, they’re also freeing some existing owners to sell and make a move,” he said.

“Realtors are the best resource for consumers in these changing market conditions because the transaction process has become more complex. Since it’s now taking longer to complete a home sale, first-time buyers who want to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit should try to make contract offers by the end of September,” McMillan said. “Otherwise, they may miss the November 30 closing deadline.”

Inventory Up, Prices Down

Total housing inventory at the end of July rose 7.3 percent to 4.09 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.4-month supply at the current sales pace, which was unchanged from June because of the strong sales gain. Raw inventory totals are 10.6 percent lower than a year ago when the number of unsold homes was at a record.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $178,400 in July, which is 15.1 percent lower than July 2008. Distressed properties continue to weigh down the median price because they typically sell for 15 to 20 percent less than traditional homes.

Single-Family Homes and Condos

Single-family home sales increased 6.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.61 million in July from a pace of 4.33 million in June, and are 5.0 percent higher than the 4.39 million-unit level in July 2008. The median existing single-family home price was $178,300 in July, which is 14.6 percent below a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales jumped 12.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 630,000 units in July from 560,000 in June, and are 5.9 percent above the 595,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $178,800 in July, down 18.9 percent from July 2008.

By Region:

The Northeast surged 13.4 percent to an annual pace of 930,000 in July, and are 3.3 percent higher than July 2008. The median price in the Northeast was $236,700, down 15.0 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest jumped 10.9 percent in July to a level of 1.22 million and are 8.0 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $157,200, which is 5.9 percent less than July 2008.

In the South, existing-home sales rose 7.1 percent to an annual pace of 1.95 million in July and are 5.4 percent higher than July 2008. The median price in the South was $164,500, down 7.1 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West slipped 1.7 percent to an annual rate of 1.13 million in July, but are 1.8 percent above a year ago. The median price in the West was $202,300, which is 28.0 percent below July 2008.

Source: NAR

I Believe........

2009-08-13T19:48:00.003-04:00

I Believe.........That when Jesus said "Love thy neighbor as thyself" that this was a command and not a request. That this command crosses geographical boundaries, political views, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, the rich, the poor, the homeless and anyone else you can think of.

I Believe..........That a great way to start my day is to roll on the floor playing with my 2 pugs.

I Believe..........That the news media is more interested in making the news then they are reporting the news.

I Believe..........That it is a shame that our Government cannot find the money to help the poor, the sick, the un-educated and the homeless of our country but can easily find $700 billion when it appears a bank or two might go out of business.

I Believe..........That we should all stop watching the news for awhile.

I Believe..........That Hank Aaron is, without a doubt, the greatest baseball player to have ever played.

I Believe..........That Barry Sanders was the most exciting football player to have ever played.

I Believe..........That we try to help God across the road like he was a little old lady, when we are the ones that need his help to get across the road.

I Believe..........That whoever thought up of Little Casesars "Crazy Bread" is a culinary genius.

I Believe..........That Weird Al Yankovic is a musical Genius, and I know that I am in the minority on this belief.

I Believe..........That once in awhile a movie is made that can make you completely see something differently and "Blood Diamond" was one of those movies for me.

I Believe..........That Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame for what he did as a player.

I Believe..........That Pete Rose should be banned from baseball for gambling on games while he was a manager.

I Believe..........That no matter what our political beliefs are, we need to pray that the leaders of our country succeed.

I Believe..........That I need to go feed the Pugs!

Facing Foreclosure? Experts Advise Action

2009-08-10T21:09:00.008-04:00

Here is an article that I was fortunate to participate in again that was published on the front page of the South Bend Tribune today. The photo to the right was used by the tribune in the article.

Homeowners can take steps to minimize fallout.

By KIM KILBRIDE
Tribune Staff Writer

Consumer advocates have a message for homeowners mired in foreclosure: Your situation is not hopeless.

Even if your house can't be saved, they say, there are steps you can take to lessen the fallout.

"When people see the foreclosure (notice) come to the door, they just give up," said Debra Voltz-Miller, an attorney in South Bend.

This, she said, is the time for homeowners to take action.

Those who call foreclosure-prevention hot lines, such as the one in Indiana, will be referred to local counselors who will serve as go-betweens for homeowners and lenders.

If nothing else, area experts say, homeowners should become their own advocates.

Call your lender and explain your situation, they say. Ask for a modification of the terms of your loan. And follow up to ensure the paperwork is received and your request is considered.

If you've already received a notice of foreclosure from the courts, respond to it in writing, advising that you're trying to work with your lender.

And finally, the experts say, do not pay in advance for the services of a for-profit "foreclosure-rescue" company.

What's new in Indiana?

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced recently a new collaborative foreclosure-prevention effort among multiple state agencies.

Part of the initiative is to train attorneys across the state to assist homeowners — for free — in dealing with and preventing foreclosure.

And new foreclosure-related laws have been enacted, said Judy Fox, an attorney who teaches at the Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Notre Dame.

One piece of the new legislation, she said, is a requirement that lenders give homeowners a 30-day notice before filing foreclosure.

The other new part, Fox said, is that homeowners — beginning July 1 — now have the option of taking part in a settlement conference with their lenders.

The conference offers the opportunity for the borrower and lender to settle on new loan terms, though there is no absolute requirement for the lender to make concessions, Fox said.

At the meeting, the borrower can bring a representative and though the law is ambiguous, she said, she would argue it requires the person at the conference representing the lender to have the authority to settle with the borrower.

The settlement conferences, Voltz-Miller hopes, will be able to help slow down the foreclosure problem in the state.

"If the lender and the homeowner go in (to the conference) in good faith," she said, "I think it has the potential to stop a lot of foreclosures.

"If a homeowner doesn't have a job or any monetary resources, she said, the outcome will undoubtedly be worse, though perhaps not completely unworkable.

No settlement

If a home can't be saved, Voltz-Miller said, the homeowner and lender might be able to negotiate a deed in lieu.

Essentially, the homeowner would turn over the home voluntarily, and would avoid having a foreclosure on their record. Since the ownership of the home would be transferred to the lender, the homeowner also would no longer be responsible for keeping the house up to code, she said.

But if the house is worth less than what's owed on it, a deed in lieu may not be possible.

Fox said lenders may sometimes hold the homeowner responsible after foreclosure for deficiency balances, the amount he or she owes that's above and beyond what the house can be sold for.

At the settlement conference, she said, homeowners may be able to negotiate that amount with the lender.

Also, she said, homeowners may be able to arrange a move-out date that better fits their needs.

"Saving your home is number one," Fox said, "but (if that isn't an option) it's still a good idea to go to the settlement conference.

"Voltz-Miller acknowledged the new laws won't completely solve the foreclosure issue.

"But, we've got to start somewhere. If we don't stem this problem, it'll snowball," affecting the county's tax base, and residents' quality of life, among other things. "It's this vicious circle," she said.

Another option homeowners in foreclosure might consider is trying to sell their homes via a short sale.

Barry Skalski, with Prudential One Realty, specializes in short sales.

A short sale is when the lender agrees to accept an offer on a home that's less than what the current owner owes on it.

Short sales are a way of helping homeowners avoid foreclosure, he said, though selling a home via a short sale does affect a person's credit record for two years.

Also important to note, he said, is that the shortage must be reported to the IRS as income for the homeowner. But, he said, a law was enacted that says any tax liability on that income will be forgiven through the end of this year.

Good candidates for a short sale, he said, include those who are out of work and have no prospects for employment; people who have relocated for their jobs; and homeowners who care about their credit and the neighborhoods they're leaving behind.

Homes in limbo

Fox said she's dismayed by the number of homes in the area that are sitting empty with seemingly no action being taken to formally foreclose on them and get them on the market.

There are a couple of scenarios playing out, she said.

Banks are foreclosing on properties, but are not bringing them to sheriff's sale.

In Indiana, she said, homeowners should know they're allowed to stay in their homes until the sheriff's sale has been completed.

Also, she said, "We're hearing from some banks that the housing market is too depressed. They're not filing foreclosure.

"In this situation, she said, homeowners often move out thinking the foreclosure is complete or will be completed.

Another problem is that some lenders are writing off loan balances for homeowners who have been in foreclosure.

"Consumers think they have a free house," she said, "but they don't."

The debt could be sold to a third party who could seek payment from the homeowner later. Plus, she said, there still would be a lien on the property, which means the homeowner could not sell it.

Homeowners in this situation, she said, should try to keep making payments.

Two local banks and one branch office of a national bank were contacted for this story. Two of them would not go on the record and the third did not return a phone call.

Fox, meanwhile, is not alone in noticing the number of homes in the area that seem to be in limbo.

Among other responsibilities, Jessie Whittaker, director of the LEND Homeownership Center with the South Bend Heritage Foundation, is currently trying to identify five homes in specific areas of the city that have been abandoned or foreclosed on for potential rehabilitation.

Driving around those areas on the west side of South Bend, she said, it's been difficult to find five homes that are suitable, not because there aren't enough abandoned homes but because there are too many.

"We've got to know that when we rehab it, someone is going to buy it," she said.

And one rehabbed home sitting among five or six that are boarded up is not going to look very appealing to a buyer.

So, she's considering recommending the organization buy, with special grant money that's available, all five homes on the same block.

"Maybe that'll have an impact," she said.

Staff writer Kim Kilbride:
kkilbride@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7759

Banks Express Hope for Fed Short-Sale Effort

2009-08-06T17:30:00.001-04:00

Here is an article out of the USA Today:

The federal government is launching a program to simplify and speed up the short-sale process by providing standardized documentation, cash incentives to lenders, and a $1,500 moving allowance to borrowers. Holders of second liens will get up to $1,000 to relinquish their claims.

Banks say the short-sale process has been taking so long because both their employees and real estate practitioners are learning as they go.

David Sunlin, vice president in charge of short sales at Bank of America, says he hopes the new government plan will help. "About half of short sales never close. We see it as a big lost opportunity, and we need to improve the rate we close them," he says.

Wells Fargo says it has cut its short sale average turnaround time from 90 days to 30 days by preparing a guide from real estate practitioners and putting in place procedures to handle short-sale requests.

Source: USA Today, Stephanie Armour (08/05/2009)

More Home Owners Underwater as Prices Fall

2009-08-05T16:59:00.001-04:00

Here is a story that I found in the Wall Street Journal:

A report from Equifax and Moody's Economy.com shows that falling prices have left 24 percent of owner-occupied, single-family home owners with mortgage debt greater than the values of the residences.

At the end of this year's second quarter, more than 16 million Americans were in this predicament, an increase from 10 million a year earlier.

Almost 5 percent of owner-occupied dwellings are saddled with mortgage debt worth 150 percent of the property value. Nevada, where 40 percent of owner-occupied homes are "upside-down," is the hardest-hit state, followed by Arizona and California.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Nick Timiraos (08/05/09)

Feds Scold BofA, Wells Fargo on Loan Modifications

2009-08-05T16:54:00.002-04:00

Here is a story that I got from the AP. It is my experience that this article is dead on accurate:

The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced that only 9 percent of eligible home owners had been helped by the federal program to modify home loans and prevent foreclosure.

It scolded banking giants Bank of America and Wells Fargo, both of which received federal bailout money, pointing out that these banks have been among the least willing to assist troubled borrowers.

Bank of American modified 4 percent of eligible loans, and Wells Fargo modified 6 percent.

Big banks that did better included JPMorgan Chase & Co., which modified 20 percent of eligible loans, and Citigroup Inc., which modified 15 percent.

The bank with the best results was Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., which helped about 25 percent of its eligible borrowers.

Source: The Associated Press, Alan Zibel (08/04/2009)

FHA Drops Lender on Suspicion of Fraud

2009-08-05T16:42:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty big deal of a story that just broke. What it means, is that the 3rd largest FHA lender can no longer do FHA loans effective immediately, even if there is a FHA loan is progress. Locally, Mutual Bank is the biggest lender that is effected by this.

The FHA's third-biggest lender, Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp., has been dropped from the agency's loan program due to possible fraud.

An independent auditor found "irregular transactions that raised concerns of fraud," but FHA said the Florida-based firm failed to file a mandatory annual financial report and indicated that there were no outstanding issues related to the audit.

Experts say it could fold as a result; and with less competition in the industry, mortgage rates could rise.

"It's just a question of demand and supply," stated Equity Now Inc. President Michael Moskowitz. "If Taylor Bean goes down, it's a pretty big deal."

Source: Bloomberg David Mildenberg and Jody Shenn (08/05/09)

T.H.I.N.K.

2009-08-04T10:45:00.003-04:00

With the popularity of blogs, Twitter and Facebook etc... these days, everyone has and wants to voice their opinion . This is not always a bad thing as we all have different view points and life experiences that shape our beliefs and opinions. But, I do keep thinking back of something that the pastor of my church said back in May about being aware about what you are saying and writing for people to to listen to and read:

Stop and T.H.I.N.K. before you speak.

T = True
H = Helpful
I = Important
N = Necessary
K = Kind

He went on to say:

The wrong thing said any time misses.
The right thing said at the wrong time misses.
The right thing said the wrong way misses.
The right thing said the right way at the right time has a chance.

I don't always abide by this guideline, but I do try. There have been posts that I have taken time to write, only to remind myself of this guide which resulted in me eliminating the post. I wish that the news media would remind themselves of this guide before going ahead with some of the stories that they do.

FHA Program To Help Stuggling Home Owners

2009-07-31T23:01:00.003-04:00

Here is a press release from the National Association of REALTORS today about the FHA Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program:

The newly enhanced FHA Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program will help struggling home owners—who qualify—to significantly reduce their monthly mortgage payments and stay in their homes, said NAR President Charles McMillan in a public statement.

The changes expand the Obama administration's Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program to include FHA borrowers. NAR is optimistic that this will have positive implications for thousands of home owners, McMillan said.

“Until foreclosures have been significantly reduced and housing inventory reaches a more normal level, there can be no true housing recovery," McMillan said. "The FHA–HAMP program will go a long way in achieving these important goals by helping FHA servicers bring mortgages current, buy down loans by up to 30 percent of the unpaid principal balance, and defer these amounts until the first mortgage is paid off."

NAR will continue to call on Congress and the Obama administration to expand the first-time home buyer tax credit to all home buyers and continue efforts to streamline the short-sale process.

"Along with the expanded loan modification program, addressing these issues will help reduce foreclosures and housing inventory, and stabilize home values," McMillan said.

Source: NAR

I Believe......

2009-07-29T11:59:00.004-04:00

I Believe..........For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I Believe............That my wife Kimberly is awesome and that she and I need to take a day off together just to "hang out"

I Believe..........That ALL human life is precious including the unborn.

I Believe..........That if Jesus himself came down from heaven and held a press conference stating that Barack Obama was born in the United States, that there would still be Conservative Republicans claiming that he was not born in the states and immediately call for an investigation as to the authenticity of the press conference, claiming it to be some kind of liberal conspiracy.

I Believe..........That every person in this country should have adequate health care coverage and 5 years after we get that, people will wonder what took us so long to do so.

I Believe..........That there needs to be a legitimate 3rd party in politics.

I Believe..........That there was a 2nd gunman on the grassy knoll.

I Believe..........Tea Parties are one of the stupidest ideas that people have come up with to protest wasteful spending. I can think of much better ways to show your displeasure of wasteful spending then spending wastefully on Tea and dumping it into a river or whatever it is these people do.

I Believe..........That despite our mild summer here in Indiana, that there is such a thing as global warming.

I Believe..........That if Jesus himself came down from heaven and held a press conference saying that there was no such thing as global warming, that the tree huggers of the world would not believe him and immediately call for an investigation as to how "Big Oil" manipulated Jesus.

I Believe..........That the Christian Faith does not need Satan to divide us apart, we seem to do a good job of it on our own.

I Believe..........That if the Detroit Tigers do not get another good starting pitcher and another good left handed batter, that they do not have a chance on getting to the post season, let alone the world series.

I Believe..........That the Republican party is listening too much to the ultra conservative wing of their party driving away moderates like myself. After all, they don't even want Colin Powell anymore which I find ridiculous.

I Believe..........That if the Democrats keep letting Pelosi run wild, then they just might revive the Republican party by default.

I Believe..........That the big difference in Energy Policy between Republicans and Democrats, is that Republicans do not want to be dependent on other countries oil, while Democrats do not want to be dependent on any oil.

I Believe..........That we need to pay more attention to what the Bible says about the poor.

I Believe..........That I probably need to get back to work.

Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA)

2009-07-23T10:42:00.003-04:00

Surprisingly, I have heard little out of the real estate community about the upcoming changes that are taking place on July 30 in regards to lending practices. This makes me a little nervous that Realtors and Lenders will not be prepared for the upcoming changes, causing confusion and frustration between Realtors, lenders, buyers and sellers. The changes, in my opinion, will create 45 -60 day closings for a while until processes are understood and implemented. Which is why, in the intial stages of this, when I write up an offer for a buyer or get an offer on a property that I have listed, I will be insisting on at least a 45 day close.

In the past, Lenders were able to collect up front fees from the buyers. These fees were mostly to cover the cost of the credit report and for the cost of the appraisal. In doing this, the lender was able to order the appraisal right away which sped up the process of getting the loan processed quickly.

With the new laws, lenders will still be able to collect the upfront fee for the credit report, but will no longer be able to collect the upfront fee for the appraisal. The reason for this, is that the new law dictates that the buyer must recieve their disclosures for the loan for review. These disclosures have always been sent out in the past, but by the time the buyer had them to review them, the appraisal may have already been ordered which could make the buyer more apt to feel obligated on going on with the loan even if they disagreed with the terms. The new law says that the appraisal fee can be collected 1 day after the buyer has received the overnight package containing the terms to be reviewed. This is meant to give the buyer more of an opportunity to ask questions before preceeding. The effect of this could be about a 5-7 day delay from how the loan was processed in the past.

The other really big change is in the Truth In Lending Dislclosure which is referred to as a TIL in the industry. The TIL will be given out at the begining of the process and again at the end of the process, which was done before as well. The TIL will reflect the lender fees that are involved with your loan so that you know exactly what you are being charged for by the lender. These "Fees" that are listed is figured into your Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for your loan. The more fees and such that are added into your loan, the higher the APR will be from the loan percentage rate that you have. An example would be that the interest rate of your loan may be 6% but the APR might show 6.375% because of the fees that are added in. The APR will always be higher then the percentage rate of the loan.

The big change in this TIL comes near the end of the transaction. In the past, the buyer may not see a new TIL until they get to the closing table. Since the first TIL you recieve usually is not the most accurate, the closing TIL will differ usually from the 1st one that you see. This can be a shock to buyers. Starting July 30, the new law says that the buyer MUST have at least 3 days to review the new TIL before closing if the new TIL will be .125% different then the first TIL. Which it most certainly will be. So, this change will cause at least a 3 day delay over the past way of closing loans. Basically meaning that the closing will be done and ready and sitting there for at least 3 days before we close on the house.

When you add up those changes, it results in a 7-14 day delay in closing over how things were done in the past. With the current economic climate we are in where everyone has cut back on staffing, 30 -45 day closings are very common right now before these laws take effect. That is why, for the time being, the new typical closing time will probably be 45-60 days.

Housing Deals Are Plentiful

2009-07-20T10:17:00.004-04:00

Here is an article that was on today's front page of the South Bend Tribune where I was one of the Realtors that was interviewed for the story:

How to find bargains in today's distressed real estate market.

By KIM KILBRIDETribune Staff Writer

When Zach Quiett returned from serving in Iraq with the Army National Guard in May 2008, one of his top priorities was to become a homeowner.

Quiett hooked up with David Bodine, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Anchor Real Estate, and planned a marathon outing during which they'd look at a couple dozen properties in a single day.

Some of them, Quiett said, he was able to quickly scratch off his list of potentials. But the last house the pair looked at seemed perfect.

It was a historic three-bedroom in the Leeper Park area of South Bend.

And it was a foreclosure.

Quiett paid $45,000 for the house. It appraised at closing for nearly $60,000. Fixed up, his Realtor says, it likely will appraise for more than $80,000.

Because of the high number of distressed homes available for sale, local real estate experts say, there are plenty of deals to be had these days.

But buyers must be patient, educated about the market and willing to be aggressive when a bargain pops up.

Short sales

Homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments and are facing foreclosure likely will consider requesting a loan modification from their lender.

But if a modification isn't an option or if the terms can't be hammered out, a short sale is sometimes considered.

"Usually, the bank is the one saying, 'Let's do a short sale,'" said Barry Skalski, a broker associate with Prudential One Realty who specializes in short sales.

In a short sale, the lender will often agree to accept less for the property than the seller owes on it, he said.

The downside, he said, is it's a much more complicated process than a conventional real estate transaction.

"Once an offer has been submitted to the bank, you have a whole short sale package that has to be filled out," Skalski said.

Most of those items are documentation of the seller's hardship.

The process can take about 45 days, he said.

For a patient buyer, however, the process can pay off with a savings of some 25 percent to 30 percent on a home.

Last week, Skalski showed a Tribune reporter and photographer a home he has listed as a short sale in Royal Oak Estates on the south side of South Bend.

The owner, who has been relocated and no longer lives in this area, owes more on the property than it's worth, Skalski said.

In 2005, the owner bought the four-bedroom, waterfront two-story home new for $220,000.

Late last week, Skalski had it listed for $189,900 and was considering lowering the asking price.

"This is a great offer where someone could make a $170,000 to $175,000 offer and get a heck of a deal on a house," Skalski said of the home that is nearly 2,300 square feet and move-in ready.

If Skalski can sell the home and the bank agrees to take a loss, the homeowner's credit score will be negatively affected by the short sale for about two years.

If not, the home will likely be foreclosed on and the homeowner's credit will potentially suffer to some extent for seven years.

"This is a market like none we've come across before," Skalski said.

If a homeowner doesn't sell in time, his lender's next step could be scheduling the home for a foreclosure auction, giving anyone with the cash an opportunity to bid on the property.

Skalski warned, however, that potential buyers cannot inspect a home before it goes up for auction. They also inherit any liens on the property and are required to pay in full on the day of the purchase.

Bank-owned homes, aka REOs

Often, lenders will send representatives to foreclosure auctions to buy back their own properties. After that, they ask real estate agents they partner with to prep the homes and get them on the Multiple Listing Service.

That's where David and Amy Bodine with Coldwell Banker come in. The couple specialize in repossessions.

It's often David Bodine's job to give homeowners — if they're still occupying the property — final notification of the foreclosure.

Often, he said, lenders will allow him to offer the inhabitants of foreclosed homes — even if they aren't the owners — a check for cleaning up the property and leaving it in decent condition.

Then, he coordinates with the bank to have any items left behind cleared out, as well as to have the property winterized, if necessary, before putting it on the market.

The bank-owned homes he lists, he said, are priced to sell within two months.

That often means they're undervalued, he said.

A home the couple just last week sold in Forest Hills in Granger is a perfect example.

Listed at $111,750, the five-bedroom ranch features a vaulted living room and wooded lot. It does need cosmetic work, however, such as new carpet and paint and some drywall repairs.

The day after the Bodines showed it to two Tribune staffers, an offer was accepted on the bank-owned property.

The seller was able to get a loan called a 203K that will allow him to finance the needed repairs.

David Bodine said he couldn't divulge the price the home sold at because the sale had not closed.

But even at $111,750, it seemingly was a deal in a neighborhood of homes valued at $130,000 to $250,000.

Before it sold, David Bodine said the bank was potentially looking for about $100,000 for the home. In his opinion, it required about $15,000 to $20,000 in repairs and updating. Fixed up, he said, it would likely be worth $150,000 to $160,000.

The average number of days a decently priced foreclosure stays on the market here is 30 to 65 days.

"Their goal," he said of lenders who buy back properties, "is to move the property in 60 days.

"About tips for finding good deals on foreclosures, David Bodine said, "The key is finding homes that are priced well."

Don't be overly concerned about cosmetic defaults, he said, but ensure that the "big ticket" items, such as the roof, heating and air conditioning systems, foundation, and well and septic systems are sound.

And when you see a deal, be ready to make an offer.

Being realistic

Skalski, meanwhile, said the local real estate market certainly is a buyer's one right now, but it's not as depressed as some may think.

Generally, you won't pick up a $100,000 home for $50,000.

"Unfortunately," he said, "there are buyers out there who think they'll get 50, 75 percent off. This market is not like that. ... Maybe Vegas, but this (real estate) bubble was not that big.

"Instead, he said, expect to save about 25 percent to 30 percent compared to the value of other homes in the neighborhood when you buy a distressed home.

He advised buyers to always consider what they'll have to pay for a property and then start adding back in what it will cost to make it move-in ready.

"Not every foreclosure is a good deal," he said.

"Don't expect (to be able to make) a huge profit (on the home) right away," he said. "Expect to have to put a lot of work into the home. Just because you've watched a couple of HGTV shows doesn't mean you're going to be able to flip this house."

I Just Don't Get It

2009-07-16T14:09:00.004-04:00

This probably will not be a popular post, since most people drink coffee and seem to enjoy it:

Every morning, I wake up and turn on "Morning Joe" on MSNBC and "Mike and Mike In The Morning" on ESPN and flip back and forth between the two shows. I have noticed over the past few weeks, that "Morning Joe" is now "Morning Joe Powered By Starbucks". Then this morning on "Mike and Mike" they had a special guest host named Tim Kurkjian who is an awesome baseball analyst. On "Mike and Mike" Greeny kept trying to get Tim hooked on coffee. To Tim's credit, he just does not get what the big deal about coffee is. I don't either.

Why is everyone so hooked on this drink? It smells bad, it is hot (I prefer cold beverages) and you have to add all kinds of stuff to it to make it drinkable. Froca moca lattes, frapa chino's, foam, no foam. Whatever, I just don't get it!

Have you ever noticed the ugly grimace on peoples face when they take that first drink of coffee in the morning? Watch for it, it's there! Why do people drink this stuff?

Three years ago, Kimberly and I were in Hawaii and everywhere we went we kept hearing about how you had to try Kona Coffee. I had never tried coffee before, so I thought I would try a small sample. Some kind of Hazelnut flavor. It was awful! Very bitter tasting, not a pleasant smell. Just an awful taste and experience.

Everyone says, "you just have to add milk and sugar and flavoring to it and then it tastes great!" Well, I am sure that there are a lot of things that would taste great if you added a bunch of flavoring to it to disguise the disgusting taste in its purest form. So why go through the trouble? Why pay $3-4 for a cup of Starbucks? If you want something that tastes like chocolate, drink a hot chocolate. It costs less. I just don't get this whole coffee craze that people are on. Is it really that cool to have a starbucks cup in your hand? I'll just be uncool and keep drinking my Diet Coke.

OK. That's my rant on coffee. I know you have opinions, feel free to voice them.

"I Am Not A Role Model"

2009-07-09T15:02:00.002-04:00

"I Am Not A Role Model" I remember those words caused a lot of controversy back in June of 1993 when Charles Barkley uttered those words followed by "Just because I can dunk a basketball, does not mean that I should raise your kids." At the time, and even more so now, I felt that he was unfairly criticized for those remarks.

I understand that kids look up to athletes, actors, actresses and pop singers. After all, I was a kid once and I remember looking up to Detroit Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell. But just because an athlete, a musician or an actor/actress have success in their public life does not mean that they have success in their private life. And I think that is what Charles Barkley meant by his statement, especially since Charles has been arrested for prostitution solicitation and has an admitted gambling problem.

Now, there are a lot of great people to look up to including athletes, actors, actresses and pop singers. But the point I am trying to make, is that the people you come into contact on a daily basis are the people that should be having the greatest influence. Parents, relatives, friends, pastors and neighbors are going to have far more influence in a persons life. We need to be careful and distinguish the difference between just looking up to someone because of success and fame and fortune, and idolizing someone.

Since the death of Michael Jackson, the AP has reported 12 suicides as a direct result of Jacksons death and several more attempted suicides.

"I Am Not A Role Model" has been echoing around in my head for the past week or two as I see more and more people that have fallen lately. Quarterbacks, pop singers, governors and senators. All who have had a very different public life vs. their private life. This could be a great opportunity for people to be reminded who their role models should be.

Mortgage Fraud Continues To Increase

2009-07-08T13:55:00.003-04:00

Here is an article from the AP about the continuing problem of Mortgage Fraud. This is going to continue to be a problem, in my opinion, as people are getting more desperate with the poor economy and finding new ways to scam people. There is a lot of scamming going on right now with the loan modification aspect of mortgages:

Mortgage fraud continues to increase as vulnerable homeowners seek answers to their housing issues, according to the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report released Tuesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Reported losses to fraud hit $1.4 billion, up 83 percent compared to 2007 and are likely to climb even higher in 2009, the FBI said.

The number of fraud reports was 63,713 in fiscal 2008, up from 46,717 the previous year.

"The downward trend in the housing market during 2008 provided a favorable climate for mortgage fraud schemes to proliferate," the report said. "Several of these schemes have the potential to spread if the current economic downward trend, as expected, continues into 2009 and beyond."

Source: The Associated Press (07/08/2009)

7 Seconds

2009-06-30T10:11:00.003-04:00

Have you watched the movie "Seven Pounds" yet? I think it is a pretty good movie. Not a great movie by any stretch. I just think that it is an interesting movie about trying to right a wrong, guilt and not being able to forgive yourself. I think the most interesting line in the movie is when Will Smith is doing a voice over and says this:

"In 7 days, God created the world. In 7 seconds, I shattered mine"

That's a pretty profound statement to make.

Lately, I can't help but to think of that line with some of the events that have been taking place in our world. Senators and Governors who have worked extremely hard for years and years to get to a certain level only to see it all come crashing down around them. Don't get me wrong, I am not feeling sorry for them. A person has to deal with the situations that they created and they were the first people in line to condemn others only to give in to that same temptation later down the road.

It is interesting though, how a decision made in 7 seconds, can have an impact on you and those around you for the rest of your lives. So, the questions that come to my mind are these:

Am I surrounding myself with people that build me up? People that will hold me accountable? People that are not affraid to voice their opinions, even if those opinions are ones that I don't want to hear or are contrary to mine? Am I surrounding myself with people that have a firm foundation in their life? Am I surrounding myself with people that will be truthful? Am I putting guard rails and rumble strips up to keep me on the right path?

I feel that I am doing that. I have a wonderful wife named Kimberly. And some truly great people that surround me that I can rely on. How about you?

Borrowers Struggle To Get Help

2009-06-23T14:51:00.002-04:00

Here is an article from the USA Today that I thought you might find interesting about "Loan Modifications". In my recent experience with the governments loan modification program, I find this article to be very accurate in that most people are having a hard time getting their modifications approved.

Getting help through the Obama administration’s mortgage-assistance program has been an impossible challenge for thousands of applicants.

Home owners who apply for mortgage modifications can expect to wait 45 to 60 days before hearing anything from their mortgage service company, according to a report from foreclosure-prevention counselor NeighborWorks America.

Here is some other basic information:

The refinancing option is available only for certain loans owned or securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Home owners should contact their lender to see if they're eligible. Borrowers who are delinquent on their mortgage will not qualify.

To be eligible for a modification, borrowers must live in their property and be able to pay the mortgage after the modification. The first mortgage may not exceed 105 percent of the current market value of the property. The unpaid principal balance must be equal to or less than $729,750 for one-unit properties. The loan must have originated before Jan. 1, 2009. A borrower must have a payment (including taxes, insurance and homeowners association dues) that is more than 31 percent of the borrower's gross monthly income.

Consumers can find more information about these programs at FinancialStability.gov.

Source: USA Today (06/19/2009)

In The Aftermath

2009-06-20T21:38:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week I posted a bible study that I put together on "Suicide and Judgment". Little did I know at that time that it was a prelude for something that I was going to have to deal with. Death is a fact of life, it is something that we all have to deal with from time to time. But when someone takes their own life, it's different. When that person is someone who sought you out specifically because they were contemplating suicide and they thought you could help them, it takes on even different meaning when it is still carried out. And the latter is what I have been dealing with over the last day or so.

In the aftermath, questions come up. How could I have let this person down? What could I have done differently? What did I not communicate to him? Why did he not see that he mattered? What is God trying to teach me? What is God trying to say to me? Is God trying to prepare me for something yet to come? Why was I chosen? What is my role in this?

In the aftermath, feelings come up. Hurt that I could not help him more. Heartbreak that this person felt that he had to this. A weird empty feeling that I had failed.

But then, I started to reflect on what WAS done and I realized some things. I realized that I helped introduce him to the church that I attend. I realized that I was able to get him connected to a wonderful counselor at my church. I realized that within the last few weeks he accepted Christ as his savior. I realized that I helped organize a support group for him. I realized that I got to know some people that I would not have known. I realized that I did reach out to a complete stranger in need. I realized that I listened to another persons problems instead of always concentrating on my own. I realized that I did seek help on his behalf. I realized that I had been praying for him and was able to get others to pray for him as well. I realized all of the steps that I have taken through the years to get to this point. I realized that it was not my job to be his savior.

After repeated attempts by several people over the last week or so, we got the fire and police department to break down a door in his house. He was found late in the day yesterday along with a note saying that he was sorry. It is just very sad and depressing.

Let people know that they matter to you. Let people know that they matter to God. If you know someone who is struggling, help them with their burden. Show your love and know that God has a plan. We may not always know what that plan is, but it is there, and we need to trust it.

My Friday Bible Study

2009-06-18T15:42:00.002-04:00

I was not sure that I was going to post this because it can be a touchy topic, but here it is. Every Friday morning I meet with an awesome group of guys in a bible study at Honkers on Day Rd. Some of us are on a rotation to lead the discussion topic. This Friday is my turn to lead and I thought I would share with all of you:

Suicide and Judgment Friday June 19

With the recent events of some local high profile people, I feel compelled to have a discussion on Suicide and Judgment. I know this may end up being a touchy topic, but I have been thinking about it all week. I am not bringing this topic up to discuss guilt or innocence, as that is not for us to decide.

I only knew Dr. Gabriele and his wife in passing, which means that I served with them once or twice at the church that I attend, but I feel a little heart broken that members of my church chose this route. Further, it disturbed me to see some of the comments being made on news websites such as WNDU and WSBT about the Gabriele’s.

The sixth commandment is “Thou shall not murder”

1. How does suicide work into this?

2. From what I understand about Jewish and Catholics, suicide is an unforgivable sin. Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

1 Samuel 31:3-5 3The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.

3. Why did Saul Commit suicide? Why did the armor bearer kill himself? What might they have feared?

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Matthew 27:3-5 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” the retorted. “That’s your problem”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

4. Sometimes it is not fearing that God will not forgive, but it is having to face those whom you have hurt, or their relatives, that is most difficult. What would you say to such a person to ease his or her burden?

5. Why is it so difficult to forgive oneself?

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

John 8:6-7 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

6. How do these scriptures speak to you? Is public judgment towards the Gabriele’s a righteous judgment?

St. Joseph County Numbers

2009-06-15T12:18:00.003-04:00

Here are some numbers for St. Joseph county that are year to date through may.

# of Sold Units: 2008- 1,322 units, 2009- 972 units, which is -26% for the year.

Total Dollar Volume for 2008 was $141,712,752 compared to 2009 of $98,072,985 which is -31% for the year.

Average Sales Price for 2008 was $107,196 compared to 2009 of $100,898 which is -6%.

Once again, these numbers are from January through May of both 2008 and 2009.

Key Metric: Housing Foreclosures Fall In May

2009-06-11T17:09:00.002-04:00

Here is an article from RealtyTrac that I thought you might find interesting:

Foreclosures declined 6 percent in May compared to April, but the number is still an increase of 18 percent compared to May 2008, reports RealtyTrac.

"May foreclosure activity was the third-highest month on record, and marked the third straight month where the total number of properties with foreclosure filings exceeded 300,000 – a first in the history of our report," says James J. Saccacio, CEO of RealtyTrac.

While defaults and foreclosure auction were down in May, bank repossessions were up 2 percent, RealtyTrac says, due in large part to increases in Michigan, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and New York.

Nevada continued to have the highest foreclosure rate with one in every 64 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in May, six times the national average.

These 10 states account for nearly 77 percent of total U.S. foreclosure activity: Nevada, California, Florida, Arizona, Utah, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado, Idaho, and Ohio.

Source: RealtyTrac (06/11/2009)

Congress Weighs Buyer Tax Credit Expansion

2009-06-11T17:02:00.003-04:00

Here we go again, Congress is looking at making adjustments to the $8,000 tax credit. We went through this last year with basically the only change being that it was not repayable. We'll see where this goes, but I would not get too excited just yet. Here is the article I found:

Legislation introduced in Congress Wednesday would expand the tax credit now limited to first-time homebuyers to any purchaser of a home and increase the maximum available to $15,000.

The tax credit passed earlier this year is limited to $8,000 and has income caps.

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, introduced the legislation, and Senate Banking Committee Chair Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, quickly stepped up to co-sponsor.

The National Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of Home Builders have said they would like to see the tax credit improved.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Jessica Holzer (06/10/2009)

Roles

2009-06-11T03:48:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had one of those times where you wake up and can't get back to sleep? That's what is going on here. It is 3:45 a.m. on a Thursday morning, I can't get back to sleep and I find myself thinking about Clint Eastwood so I thought I would blog about it. I know, kind of strange.

I have been thinking about the career of this great actor as I try to fall back to sleep and I keep thinking about all of the different roles that he has played throughout his career. He's played a TV cowboy on the show Rawhide, a cowboy on the big screen in movies such as The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven. He made movies along the way like Every Which Way But Loose and Honkey Tonk Man to others like the Dirty Harry movies, In The Line Of Fire, Blood Work, Absolute Power, Gran Torino and The Bridges of Madison County just to name a few.

Depending on who you are and when you grew up, you may think of the role on Rawhide whenever you hear the name Clint Eastwood mentioned. Maybe you are a bit younger and think of the Dirty Harry roles or even younger still and think of one of his more recent roles when you hear his name mentioned. Now, I don't know Clint Eastwood and have never heard him talk about his different roles, but my guess is that there are some roles that he is very proud of and others that he may have wished he passed on. But, for better or for worse, they are the roles that he has chosen. It would be a shame for people to think only of Every Which Way But Loose or Honkey Tonk Man when the name Clint Eastwood is mentioned, but it is a possibility that there are people out there that think about those roles when they hear his name because that is there only experience watching a Clint Eastwood movie.

My point, I guess, is that we have to choose our roles in life wisely. Looking back, there are roles that I wish I had not played and others that I am very proud of being a part of. To some people, I will always be thought of one way because that is their only experience with me. To others, I may be thought of totally differently because they know me from who I am today. I can't change the roles that I have had in the past, but hopefully I will choose wisely for the ones in the present and in the future.

I don't know if that makes any sense or not? I woke up early and thought maybe by blogging about what I was thinking that it would clear my mind and help me get back to sleep. For the record, when I hear the name Clint Eastwood, I think Dirty Harry.

Job Losses Dim Home Sales In Many Cities

2009-06-04T15:28:00.003-04:00

Here is a quick little article I found on CNNMoney I thought you might find interesting (Make sure to look at #5 on this list):

Unemployment is the biggest reason why foreclosures continue to climb and the housing market isn't recovering more quickly, analysts say.

In 13 cities, most of them in California, the unemployment rate rose above 15 percent in April. Joblessness was above 10 percent in 93 cities, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 13 cities where unemployment is the worst are:
1. El Centro, Calif., 26.9 percent
2. Yuma, Ariz., 20.3 percent
3. Merced, Calif., 18.3 percent
4. Yuba City, Calif., 18.2 percent
5. Elkhart, Ind., 17.8 percent
6. Modesto, Calif., 16.8 percent
7. Stockton, Calif., 15.6 percent
8. Bend, Ore., 15.6 percent
9. Fresno, Calif., 15.5 percent
10. Visalia, Calif., 5.4 percent
11. Redding, Calif., 15.4 percent
12. Hanford, Calif., 15.3 percent
13. Longview, Wash., 15.2 percent

Source: CNNMoney, Julianne Pepitone (06/03/2009)

May Foreclosures for Elkhart County

2009-06-04T14:43:00.002-04:00

From the best that I can figure, there were 99 properties that went to sheriff's auction for the month of May in Elkhart County.

Here is the break down per city:
Elkhart 61
Goshen 24
Nappanee 6
Bristol 3
New Paris 2
Wakarusa 1
Middlebury 1

There were 7 properties that had less than $50,000 owed on them and all 7 were in Elkhart.

There were 3 properties that had over $200,000 owed on them, 2 were in Goshen and the other was a house on Simonton Lake in Elkhart.

May Foreclosures for St. Joseph County

2009-06-01T17:18:00.002-04:00

There were 152 total foreclosed properties in St. Joseph County for the month of May.

City Break Down:
South Bend 102
Mishawaka 30
Granger 7
Osceola 7
New Carlise 2
Walkerton 2
Wakarusa 1
North Liberty1

There were 16 properties that were owed less than $50,000 with 13 of them coming from South Bend and the other 3 coming from Mishawaka.

There were 3 properties that were owed more than $200,000 with 2 from South Bend and the other from Granger.

Rob Bell Nooma video "Rain"

2009-05-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

Home Affordability Hits 18 Year High

2009-05-19T16:09:00.003-04:00

The Midwest is considered the most affordable place to buy a home! Here is an article that I just ran across:

Housing affordability is reaching record levels with nearly 73 percent of all homes sold in the first three months of 2009 considered affordable.

That’s the highest percentage ever reported by the 18-year-old, quarterly Housing Opportunity Index, compiled by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo Bank.

To be considered affordable, a family making the national median household income of $64,000 must be able to devote no more than 28 percent of their income toward housing costs.

The most affordable major metropolitan areas and their median home prices are:
Indianapolis: $98,000
Youngstown, Ohio: $67,000
Akron, Ohio: $78,000
Grand Rapids, Mich.: $97,000
Syracuse, N.Y.: $85,000
Warren, Mich.: $119,000
Cleveland: $86,000
Buffalo, N.Y.: $90,000
Toledo, Ohio: $78,000
Dayton, Ohio: $85,000

The 10 least affordable metropolitan areas are:
New York City: $418,000
San Francisco: $525,000
Los Angeles: $288,000
Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.: $375,000
Honolulu: $360,000
Santa Ana: Calif., $360,000
Newark, N.J.: $315,000
Miami: $185,000
McAllen, Tex.: $106,000
El Paso, Tex.: $127,000

Source: CNNMoney, Les Christie (05/19/2009)

Notre Dame

2009-05-18T11:22:00.003-04:00

I have to confess something. I have never been a fan of the University of Notre Dame. As a life long resident of Michiana, I have had Notre Dame crammed down my throat. But most of my experience that had led me on that path was from earlier years when all I cared about was sports. When ND won, it was on the front page and the headline story on the news, regardless of what else was going on in the world. When ND lost, it was usually a non story on the back page somewhere. I found, and still do, that most of the people that cheer for the sports teams of ND are arrogant and act like they are better than everyone else. That is just my perception, which means that it is reality to me.

Since I have become a Christ follower a few years ago, I have tried to become very active in the community. The more active that I get, the more I see Notre Dame. They are helping with at risk kids, in the very depressed areas of South Bend, with both volunteers and with money. They are helping with the homeless. I consistently see them reaching out into this community. There are no headlines about this, no fanfare and no recognition that is neither asked for or demanded by ND. They do these things without knowing whether the people benefiting are Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Atheist or anything else you want to throw in there. They do it because, as Christians, it is what they are called to do. As Christians, it is what we are all called to do. To reach out to those in need, whether they share our beliefs or not. To reach out to those you disagree with and try to reconcile those disagreements.

It is very easy to HATE in this world that we live in, especially when you are dealing with opposing views on topics like abortion. It is very easy to demonize someone you disagree with, it makes it more comfortable. Comfortable because that is how we see the world. Comfortable knowing that we are right and they are wrong, end of story.

It is NOT easy to sit down and have a civil discussion about a disagreement, that takes courage because it is uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, because you know that those that oppose you have just as strong of a conviction about their view as you do yours. Uncomfortable because their view of the world is different from yours or what you think it should be.

Usually what I have found, is that when there are opposing views, there is also some common views and beliefs. Common views and beliefs that can be a building block to bring the two sides closer together. They will never come to total agreement because their beliefs are too deep, but they can come closer together. When it comes to abortion, the two sides will never agree, but maybe more restrictions will be put in place. When it comes to abortion, there will never be acceptance of the other view, but maybe there can at least be an understanding of why the other side has the view they do. And if that happens, in a civil way, then maybe some real change will begin to happen.

The saying goes, "the definition for insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Well, for years, the pro life group and pro choice group have been standing on their street corners screaming at one another and getting nowhere. Real change does not happen by forcing it upon someone. Real change happens by finding common ground, like Christianity, and building upon it.

What I saw from Notre Dame and from our President yesterday was an attempt to do things differently. There was an agreement to disagree along with the willingness to talk about the common ground. I felt it was courageous for Notre Dame to invite the President to commencement when they knew there would be a back lash. I felt it was courageous of our President to accept the invitation when he knew his view was not going to be the popular view. The common ground, in this case, is that we have a Christian/Catholic University and a Christian President reaching out to one another to reconcile their differences through the word of God. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the start of some real change. I know that it is certainly changing the way that I look at Notre Dame and it reconfirms why I voted for our President.

President Obama, Notre Dame and Protesting

2009-05-13T12:45:00.004-04:00

This Sunday, President Obama has been asked to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame. Because of the Presidents stance on Abortion and Stem Cell Research, there has been a lot of protesting over the University's choice of him as commencement speaker and getting an honorary degree. There are people getting arrested for protesting on the campus. People pushing strollers around with dolls covered in fake blood and sporting Obama bumper stickers. Planes flying over the campus that are pulling banners with pictures of an aborted fetus. People making threatening phone calls and sending threatening emails to Notre Dame employees. And I am sure that there is more being done that I am not aware of.

The protester's are doing this in the name of Christianity and of Catholics, and they are passionate about their cause. But what kind of an example is this setting for the non believer, that if you become a Christian you are filled with hate for those that oppose your view? That you are intolerant of others? That is NOT the Christianity that I subscribe to, not even close. And, if they think that non-believers are not paying attention to this, then they are wrong. A friend, who is turned off by church and religion, is even more determined to stay away after seeing the display these protesters have put on. Hypocrite's, I believe, is the word he used.

The mantra of these protester's seem to be "If we can save just one, then it's worth it!" How short sighted is that? Why not aim big? What if instead of spending $1,500 to $3,000 per day on that airplane, they were to spend that money on counseling at risk teens? Or a support program for pregnant unwed mothers?

What if, instead of pushing strollers around campus trying to get arrested, they were to huddle in peaceful prayer all day? Praying for the President to change his position on the issue. Praying for the leaders of Notre Dame to be able to have the influence over our President to change his mind on the social issues that matter to the Catholic population. I bet they would not get arrested for that. I bet others would join in. Now what kind of example would that set for Christians and Catholics and non believers?

The other topic seems to be that our President is getting an honorary degree when he has policy that counters that of the Catholic church. My question there is, were they protesting when George Bush and Ronald Reagan received their honorary degrees? They were both in favor of the death penalty, and last I checked, that also counters the belief of the Catholic church. Condoleezza Rice also received an honorary degree from Notre Dame and she is pro choice.

In Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Titus 3:1-2 and in 1 Peter 2:13-17 the bible speaks about respecting those placed in leadership. I feel Notre Dame is doing just that by having the President Of The United States speak at their Commencement and by giving him an honorary degree. The bible does not state that we have to agree with our leaders, but it does say that we need to respect them.

My Favorite Scene From Seabiscuit

2009-05-11T22:18:00.003-04:00

I was watching one of my favorite movies last week, Seabiscuit. A little ways into the movie there was a scene that I just cannot get out of my mind, so I thought I would share it with you, along with my thoughts. I have included the scene at the bottom of this post.

It is the scene where Charles (Jeff Bridges) meets Tom (Chris Cooper) for the first time. Charles, purposely, wanders out into the night while nobody is watching to meet Tom who is a horse trainer.

After introducing himself, Charles asks Tom about a horse that he has. He asks if he will race again. When Tom kindly tells him no, this is where the conversation gets interesting to me. Charles asks "why fix him?" and Tom responds "because I can" then a little later Tom says "You know, you don't throw a whole life away just because he's banged up a little."

I love that last line!

The thing is, we are all banged up. Sometimes we are open about it and sometimes we internalize it. Sometimes it is very visible, while other times it is not. Sometimes it is by our own choosing, sometimes it is by the situations that we are put in, but we are all banged up.

I think sometimes, as Christians, we lose sight of that. We get so caught up in the grace that God has given us, that we forget about what it was like when we did not have it. Which brings up some questions.

Do you know someone that feels banged up a little, or worse, they feel banged up to the point that they feel they no longer matter? Do you remember what it was like when you felt that way? What are you going to do about it, sit on the sidelines and be a fan of Christ, or get in the game and be a follower of Christ? I just pray that I am being a follower.

Fannie May Needs More Money From Treasury

2009-05-11T20:13:00.001-04:00

Fannie Mae told the U.S. Treasury on Friday that it will need another $19 billion to offset a loss of $23.17 billion in the first quarter, as the company continues to be battered by mortgage defaults, The Wall Street Journal reports.

This demand for capital will bring the amount provided Fannie to about $34 billion; the Treasury has agreed to provide as much as $200 billion to Fannie and to Freddie Mac. Freddie, which will report its results in a few days, has already received $45 billion.

Both companies, which were taken over by the government, buy home loans from banks and turn them into securities for sale to other investors. They are suffering losses because they focus on the weakest segments of the housing market.

Alt-A loans, many of which allowed borrowers to avoid documenting their income, accounted for 39 percent of Fannie’s credit losses in the latest quarter.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, James R. Hagerty (05/09/2009)

South West Lower Michigan April Numbers

2009-05-09T19:03:00.002-04:00

The number of properties sold for April 2009 was -10% from April 2008. There were a total of 196 properties sold this year vs. 217 last year. Leading the way with increases were: South Haven/Bangor/Covert (+35%), Coloma/Watervliet (+33%) and the Edwardsburg/Cassopolis and Benton Harbor markets were both at +8% for the month.

On the negative side of number of properties sold were: Dowagiac/Marcellus (-41%), Berrien Springs/Eau Claire (-20%), St. Joseph/Lakeshore (-18%), Niles/Galien (-15%), Hartford/Lawrence (-13%) and Bridgman/New Buffalo (-10%).

Two areas showed positive numbers for Average Sales Price over last year, Dowagiac/Marcellus and St. Joseph/Lakeshore which were both at +10%. The negatives were: Bridgman/New Buffalo (-63%), South Haven/Bangor/Covert (-62%), Coloma/Watervliet (-51%), Benton Harbor (-45%), Edwardsburg/Cassopolis (-42%), Hartford/Lawrence (-16%), Berrien Springs/Eau Claire (-9%) and Niles/Galien (-7%).

Overall, total dollar volume was -40% from $39,913,258 down to $23,993,126.

With the units total up and dollar volume down, hopefully this is a sign that the market has bottomed out as it appears that the investors are buying up the bargains.

Auction Item Photos and Starting Bids

2009-05-08T19:54:00.013-04:00

Autographed Keith Richards Guitar. Starting Live Auction bid at $2,400

Autographed John Cougar Mellencamp Guitar. Starting Live Auction bid price $300

Signed Jack Nicholson photo. Starting Silent Auction bid price at $150

Autographed Willie Nelson Lp. Silent Auction starting bid price at $125

Autographed Dan Quayle Photo. Starting Silent auction bid at $40

Autographed Bruce Springsteen Photo. Silent Auction Starting bid at $300

Autographed Billy Joel LP. Starting Silent Auction price at $175

Autographed Hillary Clinton for President Poster. Silent Auction starting bid $125

Signed Clint Eastwood Photo. Silent auction starting price at $125

Autographed Eric Clapton Guitar. Starting bid price $4,000