Boise & Eagle Idaho make Kiplinger’s Top 10 List

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Wow! Yet another high ranking in a national magazine for Boise-

Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine recently published it's 2008 best cities to live, work and play in the nation. Boise, Idaho came in at number four.

Pretty impressive, isn't it?!

Eagle was touted rather highly in the report, as well, for it's developing wine industry.

The magazine was searching for cities that have a creative class, and Kiplinger's writer, Amy Bickers stated: "In Boise, there are obviously a lot of things happening at a lot of levels." Based on the articles facts, The Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class in Boise is 33.2%. That's a pretty large number.

The article asked how we got any work done with all the fantastic outdoor activities our area offers us. I sometimes ask myself the same exact question...

While Bickers was visiting Boise for the article, she visited the Discovery Center, and called it "So impressive".

Congrats again Boise!

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to view the Walking Tour through Boise.

Talk soon,

Small houses are cozy, big houses provide privacy

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Are you comfortable with the size of your house? I am just wondering because I have listed a beautiful house on Lake Minnetonka, close to Wayzata, Minnesota and last weekend I showed it to a nice family. They were concerned because the house was a little bit smaller than the one they live in now. They weren't sure if they would be comfortable with less space. I have dealt with so buyers who think they know just how many square feet they want in their new house. They know that their present house is too small or too big. But some times they find the perfect house, that has the pool, the big deck, but it is much smaller or bigger than they predicted they wanted. They move in and discover the house to be cozy, if it's smaller, or provides more privacy, if it's bigger.

But then, I wonder if anyone ever moves into their house and declares, "this is not right. I want to return it for another size."  

 Shafer's 8x12' Front Gable model

Housing Market Editorial

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            In the US today we are faced with many challenges of obtaining the “American Dream”. As the market “Grows” new home buyers are finding it harder to get their very first home loan. As predatory lending comes into the light home buyers are uneasy as to what kind of a “Good Deal” they are getting. It all comes down to the home buyers credit score if it’s a good score like around 600 then you will get a low interest rate of 10 percent. If your credit score is below 450 then you will be punished with a high interest rate of 20 percent. This is a gamble when you apply for a loan from the banks. With high interest rate comes a huge mortgage each month. With this some homeowners get behind in their payments. As this happens they try to do everything possibly imaginable to keep their home like get a second job or let other bills pile up just so they can pay their mortgage.  Predatory lenders look for people with bad credit scores knowing that they cannot make the payments on the home. This is illegal and they know it but they keep doing it. The government has stepped in to help with this by giving them fines and in some cases forcing them to shut down for good. While some banks try to work with the homeowner arranging to accept partial payment at a later time of the month others are not a willing. They want their money now at any cost. As the foreclosure rate of home is on the rise this is scary to some.  With the “American Dream” fading for some they wonder if it is possible for them to achieve this.  While the government has tried to stop the lenders from going after a certain group of people. The damage  has already been done  to the “American Dream” people are still wanting to have it but there is that fear that they are next to be scammed out of their home in the near future. As it becomes seemingly harder to achieve the “American Dream” some potential homebuyers are pursuing it. Some might wonder what the “American Dream” is and I would say that it is the right for an American to own their very own home in a decent neighborhood. Not having to worry about where they are getting the money to make a mortgage payment. Each person can define the words “American Dream” into their own interpretation as to what it means to them. What the “American Dream” means to me might not be the same for the person sitting right next to me. A more new homebuyers come into the picture there is always going to be that question in the back of your head am I getting a good deal. The Housing Market is doing good the crisis is just in the means to obtain the funds to get a home. So as for my conclusion on the US Housing Market who really knows where it’s going. Like always when you invest huge sums of money off into things you should always do your homework. Do research on the company that you are dealing so that you the homebuyer know that you are getting a good deal. Don’t just assume that the company is honest up front with you they might not be. With a home loan you can never be too safe as to know what company to trust to obtain a loan from in the future when you are looking to but you’re first home.

FHA Nehemiah Program Offers Downpayment Assistance

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www.getdownpayment.comEver since the mortgage meltdown last fall, it's been harder and harder to qualify for a loan to buy a house. Even worse, the days of 100% financing and second mortgages are gone. I don't know too many people who have enough cash lying around they could afford to put 10-20% down on a house, even if they could get approved for a mortgage. Prices have come down a little, but not that much.

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How to join the Mature Market Experts

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      Based on the traffic reports, many of the visitors to this site aren’t members of Mature Market Experts - the networking group for investors, bankers, real estate developers, consumer goods companies, health care professionals, journalists and marketing experts interested in the mature market. That’s OK, we still love you. If you serve, market to, or write about people who are baby boomers and/or seniors this is the group for you.  

      So, here’s how to join if you’re interested.  Simply visit my LinkedIn profile, then scroll down until you see the “Mature Market Experts” networking badge. Click on the badge for a very simple sign up process.

      Hope to see you in the group!

Cheers,

Tom

Building Steam

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Sometimes it is hard to put your finger on what gets you going. It's like there is something just hovering outside your sight and just out of reach. Whatever it is, I can feel it coming.

I am in one of those places where ideas and plans are finally crossing paths. Where nebulous concepts become policy plans. How often have you come up with what seemed like a great idea, only to "lose" it?  I know I have suffered from that phenomenon more times than I can remember. Lately though, I have been able to have those moments, then retain them long enough to get them down on paper.... or into a handy word processor anyway.

I am sure that the fact that I am able to capture these thoughts is contributing to this build-up.  It is like each day is helping me build on the ideas I recorded the day before.

What it all seems to be adding up to is a vision of how things should be in real estate. Ok, so that is a very broad statement. To dial it down a bit further, it is a vision of how a single real estate brokerage firm can work to redefine how agents work together and in the process provide their clients with the absolute best in service and value for money possible. A whole lot of this gels with things I have said, half jokingly, in some of my previous podcasts. I am talking about a system that rewards participants in the process for achieving greatness in areas that actually mean something to the client, rather than to the agent. In essence, it is about making the clients best interests, our best interests - and making more money by doing so. The best part is that it lets me take some of the things that annoy me most about this business and turn them on their head within my own framework.

I get a little excited just talking about it. But I am not ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet. I have built a good starting point, but I have a long way to go. Like many things worth doing, it is not the easy path. It will take more work, and more "selling" of the concept than simply opening yet another brokerage firm would. In this case, it is not the potential clients that will need to be sold on this new model (It is built for them to love it), the real hard sell is going to be the world of real estate agents out there.

This is not a cutting edge concept. This is an OVER the bleeding edge concept. The kind of concept where you are putting into practice ideas that nobody else has ever tried - and having faith that when you take that step, you will be standing on solid ground.

A fascinating conversation about NAR/DOJ…

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I really want to thank the industry titans who participated in today's podcast:

As well as all the people who listened in and provided wonderful chat commentary throughout the podcast.    There were so many great names that showed up that I can't wait to get many of you on future podcasts!

I thought if I gave us a half-hour we'd be able to cover the subject completely... but with the crew above, we were flying along after an about an hour when I decided to pull the plug in order to save some energy for next week! ;)

And if you missed the live call, don't worry, you can still catch all the recored action at the TalkShoe site: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/20339

That was so much fun, I know we'll do that again... Hopefully soon! ;)

cum splurge on

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A curious yell-oh! LOL

Tierra Maria Estates - Stupid is, as Stupid does . . .

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Tierra Maria Estates - Scam - Stupid is, as Stupid does . . .

The following people . . .

Reyna Elena, John Phillips Bengero (Jepoy,) Don Pinger (SouthernDon,) Beng Hafner, Sinaglaya, Kengkay, NinaRicciCruz (Nina Lumberio,) Noemi Dado, Chuvaness, Lalaine, Diwatang Byaning, CathCath (Cathy Black,) Pusang Maganda, Dr Joy Barredo, Siopaomaster, Karlo (Gameops), Jakedeasis, PinoyLottoWinner, PinoyAmbisyoso, Noel Feria (Romantic Geek,) Karla Redor, Kotsengkuba (Noel Cabacungan,) MissPinkBiik, & of course Francis M Jalbuena (Sir Francis,) Ma. Ana Samson Betita (Mayen,)

. . . continuing their campaign, to dominate the pages of the search engines WITH THEIR LIES . . .

obviously do not mind in the slightest, showing themselves TO THE ENTIRE WORLD . . .

as STUPID - BIGOTED - CORRUPT - LIARS . . .

Dear reader, ask yourself how can these people, scattered all over the globe KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED in PARANAQUE, AUGUST 2007. . .

They have only joined in, recently, being UNDER INSTRUCTIONS to lessen the impact of my writings on the INTERNET.

It is PURELY A BUSINESS EXCERCISE . . .

It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TRUTH . . .

QUITE THE OPPOSITE . . .

PLEASE READ SOS & COVER UP.

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE

And HERE

More HERE

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