KathyMcAlpin.com

In 2010, 21 Phoenix-area children drowned.  So far this year, eight have lost their lives.

Each year, we hear of children drowning.  Most could have been prevented by closer supervision.   An article written for the Arizona Republic
tells some of these tragic stories:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/05/29/20110529arizona-drownings-families-guilt.html

Drownings occur in pools, of course, but also in bathtubs and occasionally in toilets, or buckets where water has been left standing.  Some children are left near a pool in the care of an older child.  Some are left in the tub while their supervisor retrieves clothes or answers the
phone.  Others are awake when their caretaker is asleep.

Some children drown in pools with no fences.  Some drown in pools where there is a fence but the gate is propped open or broken or has an insufficient latch that allows a little one to drag a toy over so they can open the gate for themselves.

Some who drown have crawled through a doggie door.  Others have gone out with an adult who gets busy with a project and loses track of the little one.  One year-old baby girl, granddaughter of my friend, drowned in her other grandmother’s toilet while the grandmother was busy in another room.

If there is a pool on the property, a fence must be up with a working gate latch that will foil attempts by little hands to open.  Continue reading »

Just got this update from my loan officer friend, Steve Johnson.

FHA Mortgages Drop After Fee Hike

An increase in FHA fees is being blamed for a sharp drop in mortgage applications for home purchases last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home purchase mortgage applications fell 13.6 percent last week, to their lowest point in nearly two months. Applications for government-backed mortgages for home purchases fell 26.6 percent in the wake of a 0.25 percentage point increase in the annual insurance premium charged for FHA loans.

The scheduled increase, which took effect Monday, April 18, raised the annual insurance premium on FHA mortgages to a maximum of 1.15 percent of the loan balance, up from 0.90 percent previously.

The weekly figures were also depressed by the Good Friday holiday, when markets were closed.

The sharp decline follows a four week period in which purchase applications had risen by 20 percent, likely due to FHA applicants trying to beat the deadline, according to Michael Frantantoni, MBA vice president of research.

Mortgage refinance activity was largely unchanged, declining 0.6 percent during a week in which mortgage rates eased slightly. Continue reading »

I have received information that the mortgage insurance premiums that are required for FHA loans,where the loan to value is greater than 95%, are increasing to 1.5% effective April 18, 2011.

According to Eddie Knoell, my mortgage friend who sent this information, this will affect your mortgage payment as follows:

Example of old VS new premium: A borrower with a $100,000 FHA loan currently has a $75/month mortgage insurance payment.  Under the new mortgage insurance premium, the premium the borrower’s mortgage insurance payment will increase to $95/month.

Note: The one time, up-front Mortgage Insurance premium will remain unchanged at 1%.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Eddie, contact information below, or any loan officer you might know.

Yesterday morning, on my way to church I saw a coyote trotting across the street in front of me.  Just making his way from the metropolitan streets back toward the desert, where he could lay low until it was time to search for dinner.  Later in the day, I saw a rabbit in that same area – it had apparently been lucky in not crossing the path of the wily coyote.  Seeing these critters and the rest of the wildlife we have around us just fills me with happiness at the life we can live here.

Despite the low-flying jets from Luke Air Force Base, we don’t have to fear regular bombings or other things that seem to be a way of life for so many in other countries.

We are truly blessed.

With all of the foreclosures and bankruptcies going on, it’s important to keep your eye on your credit score as you live your lives day to day.  My loan officer friend has provided the following information on how your credit score can affect the mortgage you can get.

Your Credit Score Can Make Or Break Your Mortgage

Fix your credit report before you apply for a mortgage and you could literally save more than $100,000 over the course of your loan.

If you are applying for a mortgage, you probably know that you will have to submit your credit score as part of the process. While your credit score might seem like a mysterious number that you have little or no control over, you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that this is not the case.

  Continue reading »

With the Holiday Season upon us, my friend and insurance man, Steve Thomas, is sharing some safety tips to keep in mind. 

One of the most anticipated activities of the holiday season is decorating your home. The smell of a fresh tree, the glistening garland hanging from its branches, and the glow of candles all are synonymous with Christmas. However, trees and other holiday decorations can pose safety hazards if used improperly. Remember the following tips to keep your Christmas decorating merry:

·   Trees-If you buy a fresh tree, choose one with green needles that are hard to pull from the branch and that bend without breaking. The base of the tree should be sticky to the touch. Place the tree a safe distance away from fireplaces, candles and other heat sources, and keep it away from high traffic areas and doorways. Mount the tree in a sturdy stand; fasten a large tree to the wall or ceiling with thin guy wires. Keep the tree stand full of water at all times.

·   Lights-Use lights that have the “UL” label. Check all lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Outdoor lights should be weatherproof, and fastened securely. Use no more than three sets of lights per extension Continue reading »

These are hard days for so many people.  Many are losing their homes, their jobs, their families.  There is so much illness all over the world, and some of us who are so blessed don’t always stop and see things as they really are.

It’s been almost a week since my good friend had her stroke and she’s still not really at the starting point of recovery, if recovery will be her destiny.  She has many people praying for her and her family.  She’s a good person, and would be upset at the sadness she’s brought to all of us who know her.

In her spirit, I thought I’d stop and share a video that came my way today from another friend.  I hope you can view it and will take a little lightness with you into Thanksgiving, and remember to be thankful for all you have, regardless of how little it might be.  Enjoy.

http://vimeo.com/16404771

A close friend of mine suffered a stroke yesterday.  She’s relatively young, only 52, and seemed in good health.  Twice she’d gone to the closest emergency room complaining of severe headache, the second time the headache with nausea.  Both times she was told she was having a migraine, the second time being migraine with flu.  She went to her chiropractor yesterday and he told her she was having a stroke.

I don’t know if she has a history of migraines, but it’s horrible that she had to have a blood vessel burst, when she might have gotten some medical care before any damage was done.  It may be some time before the long-term results of her stroke are known.  So, we’ve looked up symptoms of stroke this morning.  Following is one that kind of matches some of her symptoms: Continue reading »

So you’re in default on your mortgage. You’ve several months behind on your payments. You’ve tried and failed to get a loan modification and work out a repayment schedule, and foreclosure is looming. Should you consider declaring bankruptcy?

In terms of avoiding foreclosure, declaring bankruptcy might be considered the nuclear option. It has the power to wipe out many of a borrower’s debts while holding other creditors at bay. It can enable a borrower to hold onto important assets such as a home or car, while working out a repayment schedule to get caught up on payments for them.

But a bankruptcy is generally considered a last-ditch option for dealing with overwhelming debt. For one thing, you may have to give up many of your current assets, such as savings and certain investments, in the process. A bankruptcy also has a long-term impact on your credit rating, remaining on your credit report for 10 years – a foreclosure, on the other hand, only remains on your record for seven. However, there are circumstances when it might make sense to declare bankruptcy in order to hold on to a home in which you’re emotionally and financially invested.

First of all, you’re going to want to talk to an attorney if you’re seriously considering filing for bankruptcy. A certified nonprofit debt or housing counselor (who you should have already been working with in your efforts to obtain a loan modification) can help you work out some of your options beforehand and help you determine if bankruptcy is something you want to explore, but you’ll need an attorney to explain all the considerations involved in your personal situation and help you decide if you wish to proceed. Continue reading »

Yesterday in the Phoenix area we awoke to a wonderfully dismal day of grey clouds and cooler (70s) temperatures. Few drops of rain were encountered but it was a nice break afer our summer heat. Today we’re back to our baby-blue sky with a few billowing clouds. Our high temperature is to be in the 80s today, up to maybe 90 by Thursday and then cool off toward Halloween. Such a life!