Misc.

There is a good article in today’s Wall Street Journal on the Libor, London interbank offered rate. Why should you be concerned? Many adjustable rates mortgages (ARM) here in the U.S. are indexed to the Libor and despite the Federal Reserve’s recent cut in short term rates, the Libor has continued to rise. The article gives a great explanation on why the Libor has continued to rise and what the consequences might be. If you have an ARM that’s indexed to the Libor, it’s definitely wort... Read Full Post

Say hello to Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin and all their friends. If this year proves to be as active a hurricane season as the meteorologists predict, you could well be on a first name basis with them soon. While it’s probably impossible to completely hurricane-proof your home, there are some steps that you can take to lessen the damage your home is likely to sustain. Inspect your home. FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) offers a DIY Wind Inspection checklist with step by step in... Read Full Post

In January, Florida voters will decide whether or not to approve the new amendment to the constitution proposed by the Senate. Under the amendment, Florida’s Amendment 10 – the Save Our Homes amendment – will be phased out and its place taken by a “super-exemption” which will also replace Florida’s $25,000 homestead exemption. Before you decide how to vote, it may be useful to figure out how you’d benefit under the new super-exemption. Under the Super-exemption, homesteaders wil... Read Full Post

If your home has been on the market for several weeks with no offers, you may be tempted to toss in a little incentive or lower your asking price. In the current market, “buyer incentives” have been attracting a lot of attention. The incentives we’ve heard of recently include big screen HDTVs, motorboats, cruises and even new cars. Should you consider tossing in a buyer’s incentive to get your home moving? Before you waste money on “buyer incentives”, consider other ways that mone... Read Full Post