Deepest Condolences to Family and Victims of Terrorist Attack in Moscow

I would like to express the deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Family's and Victims of the recent attack on the Moscow Subway.

 The planners of this attack must be brought to stand before the bar of Justice. Attacks like this are an act of cowardice aimed at people that have no involvement in the terrorist perceived problems.  The were just folks going to or coming home from work.  Like the attack's in the US and many other places worldwide the targets of these attacks are not military  type targets.  Quite simply they are attacks against the people of the  country who have little or no impact of governmental policy. I have never understood that logic.

Again my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family and victims of the attack.

Weekly Economic Summary - March 12, 2010

Weekly Economic Summary - March 12, 2010
provided by Darren Tucker, Bank of America



OVERVIEW ~ The pendulum swung again, and the markets moved from pessimistic back to optimistic over the week of Monday, March 1st, through Friday, March 5th. One of the main reasons for the improved confidence among investors was an increasingly strong belief that Greece would weather its economic crisis. For one thing, the country unveiled an austerity plan designed to save the equivalent of $6.5 billion. For another, Greece successfully sold $6.85 billion in 10-year notes on Thursday (March 4) to an abundance of global bidders.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) started the week at 10325.26 and worked its way up gradually to a Thursday close of 10444.14. On Friday, though, the better-than-expected U.S. employment report for February surprised the markets and inspired a 1.2% rise for the DJIA, which closed at 10566.20. The U.S. 10-year Treasury note, whose interest rate yield rises when good news predominates in the economy, rose from 3.595% Monday morning (March 1) to 3.682% at the close on Friday (March 5). The Freddie Mac average rate for its 30-year mortgage loan, though, declined from 5.05% Thursday (Feb 25) to 4.97% Thursday (March 4) in the face of reduced demand for loans.

FOCUS ~ The biggest story of the week, though, was the February employment report. It is important to note that there had been a broad agreement among analysts that the number of lost jobs would reach 75,000 after January’s dip to a revised 26,000. Further, the widely-held expectation was that the unemployment rate would rise to 9.8%.

However, the number of lost payrolls amounted to 36,000, and the unemployment rate didn’t budge. Why is this important? Because nothing moves the markets like surprise. Stock market indices rose, as did interest rates.

But something even more important may be happening here. Analysts report that corporations have produced a rebound in profits by increasing demand on top of steep cost-cutting. This could lead to a higher rate of employment, as could a 15% surge in the hiring of temporary workers since October. In fact, a recent survey by Towers Watson, a human resources consultancy, found that 92% of American companies plan to hire in 2010. Improvements in the jobs sector could very possibly strengthen the economic recovery significantly. And this would include real estate sales because potential homebuyers’ confidence levels rise as jobs become more available and secure.




ECONOMIC INDICATORS

(As of 4:30 p.m. eastern, 3/8/10)

10-year Treasury note…3.71%
30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage
(avg)…5.31%
Spread between 10-yr note and 30-year
FRM…1.60%

Brent Crude Oil Future…80.35
Gold 100 oz Future…1122.20
Copper…341.40
Dow Jones Industrial Average
…10552.52
S&P 500…1138.50
FTSE 100…5606.72
NIKKEI…10585.92

Mortgage Bankers Association Mortgage Applications Index ~ Week ending 2/26/2010
Overall
629.9 (up 14.6%; down 8.5%
the week prior)
Purchase Money Loans
214.5 (up 9%; down 7.3%
the week prior)
Refinancing Loans
3054.3 (up 17.2%; down 8.9% the week prior)



About Darren
Darren Tucker
Mortgage Loan Officer
Direct line:
(317) 698-7411
http://www.darrentucker.com/

How To Make Sure Your Home Gets Sold

How To Make Sure Your Home Gets Sold
by Art Gib Guest Author

If you are preparing to sell your home then you are probably thinking about how you can get the most money for it. In these hard economic times making your home as appealing as possible is one of the most important things that you can do because there are a lot of homes on the market and you will want to make sure that yours is sellable.
If you have the ability to do some repairs around the house then this article will give some pointers to help increase the sale value.
First and most important is paint. If it has been a while since the interior of your home has been pained and it is showing need then this is a must. The good news is that it is one of the cheapest home improvements that you can do. When choosing a color for your home remember that white is almost always best.
If you go for bold colors then you decrease the amount of people who will find it attractive. Making the home easy to sell is the number one priority and people feel as though they have the ability to customize the home more if it is neutral colored.
Second is to do some work on the exterior of the home. If you are in a wet climate such as Arkansas then makes sure that there is no water damage and if there is do your best to mitigate it. Aside from looking for obvious deterrents try to spruce up the yard by spreading grass seed, planting flowers and painting or power washing the front of the home.
If there are obvious cosmetic defects then do your best to fix these as there is only one chance for first impressions and most people are going to judge the home by what it looks like on the exterior first.
Third is to make the kitchen area as nice and new as possible. If you have the money considers new cabinets and floors. Most people spend a lot of time in the kitchen and therefore this room is one of the most important factors in choosing a home.
If the kitchen is nice the woman of the home will like the home and if she likes the home then chances are they will buy it. Studies show that women have more say in the home buying decision than men do and therefore the kitchen should be a top priority.

About Art
RE/MAX Arkansas (http://remax-arkansas.com) the number one real estate Arkansas company surpassing top competitors.

admin: Really?  Paint is the most important thing? Interesting opinion.  I do not happen to agree.  Appearance is important, but deferred repairs are more so.  That "minor roof leak" or the mold in the basement are far more important to fix than a quick cheap repaint.  Then pricing your home right is far more important  than anything.