June 2007
Monthly Archive
Seniors and Driving Safety Training…Get Ready!
Have you heard? MoDOT, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Society on Aging, is encouraging older drivers to use alternative transportation when they must limit or stop driving. Sounds good to me, and they are looking for ways to help seniors drive longer with some training and learning techniques. With that in mind, they are instituting 5 core programs in 5 cities in Missouri, one of which is the St. Louis area. Other Missouri cities include: Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Kansas City, and Springfield.
They (MoDOT) say that older drivers were involved in 15 percent of the fatal traffic crashes and 12 percent of the crashes involving a serious injury in the last 3 years. As people age, vision can change, limited mobility, slower reflexes, delayed reaction time, drowsiness, and trouble judging distances and speed all can become issues. Growing older doesn’t HAVE to mean giving up driving but we all need to be sensitive to these changes. Physicians need to be pro-active in their observances of problems stated above.
MoDot will work with NHTSA, ASA and community coordinators in each of the cities to stage training and outreach efforts on the programs. For a description of the programs click HERE. Time to take a refresher class?
Skeeters! Eeek!
Uh-oh! Here they come!
We’ve got Trouble, with a capital T! Right here in River City! Yep, they’ve found mosquitos that tested positive for the West Nile Virus right her in Chesterfield and some areas of unincorporated Creve Coeur.
Ok, so there are no reported human cases of the West Nile Virus in St. Louis County this year (as yet!), but you need to know what you can do to do to help prevent that from happening. The St. Louis County Health Department Director Dolores J. Gunn reminds us that we need to minimize our exposure to the critters. Do it by elimination of standing pools of water, cleaning out the gutters of leaves and using repellants (see below).
Here’s a list of things you can do to help:
1) At least once a week, empty all standing water from gabage cans, wading pools, pet dishes, buckets, and any other areas that may collect water.
2) Use a product with the active ingredient methoprene or Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israclensis) to place in birdbaths or ponds, to prevent mosiquitos from developing.
3) Repair screens on doors/windows
4) Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and light colored colors outdoors.
5) Spray clothing with repellents containing DEET
To find out when the county will be spraying, call 615-4-BUG for the nightly spray schedule. For more information on mosquito prevention contact the County Vector Control office at 314-727-3097 or click here.
PMI…So What? What’s It Mean To YOU?
The federal government’s Private Mortgage Insurance legislation is great news for the Real Estate Industry! Enacted on January 1st, 2007, the bill made Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) tax deductible for new borrowers whose personal adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less. For millions of home buyers, the bill created a great opportunity to finance a more expensive home or to potentially obtain a lower payment for the same-priced home, while reducing annual income taxes by hundreds of dollars.
What is PMI?
Designed to protect lenders from defaults and foreclosures, Private Mortgage Insurance is required for loans exceeding 80% of the property’s value or sales price. Prior to the new legislation, PMI was generally viewed with contempt by homebuyers because of its perceived high cost and the fact that it was not tax deductible. For many borrowers, PMI was the only means available for financing their mortgage.
It wasn’t until the 1990s, when lenders began allowing "piggyback" financing, that homeowners and home buyers had an opportunity to finance a home without PMI. Under this scenario, buyers would take out two loans to cover the total amount borrowed. The first mortgage accounted for a minimum of 80% of the purchase price or appraised value of the home; and the second mortgage, or "piggyback", covered the remaining amount required to fund the transaction.
Reconsidering PMI
Thanks to Congress, potential borrowers may want to reconsider using PMI. PMI makes it easier for some borrowers to qualify for a loan. Consumers should be aware that when the primary loan is accompanied by a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), the approval of the first loan is contingent upon the approval of the second. In many cases, the approval requirements for the second loan are more stringent than those for the first. Alleviating this obstacle may enable buyers to consider a more expensive home or the purchase of preferred upgrades today rather than years from now.
It’s also important to remember that PMI doesn’t last forever. If a home appreciates at a rate of 4% annually, borrowers will be in a position to remove PMI within four years, resulting in an automatic reduction in the mortgage payment. With the recent 2nd Mortgage rate increases for 100% CLTV loans, many folks have been getting lower payments using a single loan with PMI over an 80/20.
What to Do Now
Whether consumers are considering purchasing a new home or restructuring their finances, the first thing they should do is call a mortgage professional. There are a wide variety of options to consider, beyond those that have been presented here, and a mortgage professional will help them to determine which scenario best fits their needs.
(with Permission:Greg Gossard, Senior Mortgage Consultant MailTo:gossard@firstcapcorp.com First Capitol Corporation 858-720-7744
General and Helpful Tips27 Jun 2007 04:50 pm
FREEZE VS ALERT?
Having identity theft fear or issues? Here’s some helpful information for you to consider.
You can contact the 3 major credit reporting bureaus and place an "alert" on your credit report. An alert acts as a reminder to the creditors to contact you prior to issuing new loan or any credit cards in your name.
A "freeze" on the other hand will offer better protection by allowing you to block access to your credit report without an applicant’s payment history. You’ll recieve a PIN number so you can remove the freeze as necessary. To learn more, click here!
Protect yourself!
General20 Jun 2007 04:28 pm
Tax Relief Initiative*Feeling The Pain? Here’s A Way To Find Relief!
As seen in the West Newsmagazine 6/13/07 (in case you missed it) and written by Harry W.Chambers (member of the committee)
(I’ve paraphrased some, but the gist is the same. JS)
Some folks view the residential property reassessments & tax levies since tax year 2000 as illegal & predatory.
Action is being taken by the "Saint Louis County Residents for Property Tax Relief Now" committee to force a rollback of tax levies and require St. Louis County Government to compy with state laws and the Hancock Amendment to the Missouri State Constitution.
They have established this Web site: www.stlcountytaxreliefnow.com The site presents a summary of background information on property & tax levies. The Web site also includes a petition that can be electronically signed and stored in a database. The committee will submit the petition to our state legislatures, St. Louis County government officials, and the state attorney.
The committee is encouraging St. Louis County residential property owners to visit the web site, sign the petition now and notify all county residents they know to do the same. Let’s all act now, before it’s too late. We need to stop the do-nothing bureaucrats now.
If you agree, please visit the web site, sign the petition and let others know. Together we can all make a difference and have our voices heard.
General and Helpful Tips11 Jun 2007 11:52 am
Going Green..and helping our environment.
Have you gone "GREEN" yet? Now’s the time to get started!
It seems like we’re finally hearing about a small but mighty force behind the attempt to make a positive change to doing what’s good for the environment. That should also mean it’s good for all of us too! “Global warming” is getting to be a conversation starter.
It’s working into our conversations on a daily basis and I’m seeing a lot of articles written addressing these issues.
Growing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is contributing to the warming of our earth and providing us with hotter summers and warmer winters. Each of us is responsible for some of that happening and we can all help in our own small way. We each leave a “carbon footprint”. A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. You can check your carbon footprint on the web by clicking Here or Here .
If you’re wondering what you can do as an individual, here are some ideas you might consider. Yes, you CAN make a difference!
The first and best way to help is to use your car less or modify your driving habits a bit. Try making a list of the places you need to go and do it in an orderly fashion. Make one trip out of it. Don’t speed and you’ll get better gas mileage and save at the pump too.
Walk or run to the gym; leave the car at home. Your feet were made for walking! You’ll get in better shape as a side benefit.
Keep your vehicle in good working order. A clean air filter and properly inflated tires can reduce pollution and improve gas mileage. (saving you more money!)
Use a local car wash that is committed to being a “Green” provider. A local “
Crystal Clear Car Wash” dealer is located in Webster Groves. They use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, recapture all pollutants attached to the car and use 60 gallons of water to wash the car rather than 120 if you did it yourself and in only 2 minutes! To learn more about it, click here.
Use regular tap water rather than buy bottled water.
Buy products with less packaging. (It uses more CO2 to make that packing)
Purchase “Energy Star” products and appliances that use energy more efficiently.
Recycle: The more you reuse, the less energy is spent recreating and creating new goods.
Buy local, “in season”, produce and product to reduce the amount of shipped goods.
Purchase the new low energy light bulbs. They cost more up front, but will last longer and will save you 20% over the cost of the old style bulbs!
Turn off the lights and other energy eating items in your home when they are not being used. Unplug the items not frequently used as they continue to use electric even when turned off.
If you’re having a new home built, talk to the builder about using energy efficient appliances, building supplies (flooring) and possibly even solar water heater for home/pool. Did you know that carpet is being made using corn? It’s soft, great looking, comes in all colors and is long wearing. Bamboo flooring may be a good choice as it is a renewable source.
You may not do everything on the list, but you CAN do something. Like the old saying goes, Waste Not, Want Not!
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