• ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Better Judgements eZine Terria Judge, Realtor CRS, ABR, GRI, Broker Associate Better Judgements is a newsletter on home matters, from Terria Judge, your Garden City, KS real estate agent! Contact Terria Judge at 620-271-2129 Terria Judge Coldwell Banker, The Real Estate Shoppe, Inc. John P. Judge, Broker 1135 College Dr. Suite E Garden City, KS 67846 1-877-275-7497 x 223 620-275-7421 x 223 http://terriajudge.com http://gardencityksrealestate.com http://gardencityrentals.com Terria@TerriaJudge.com Subscription Management at end of newsletter. Thanks for your subscription to Better Judgements, the newsletter from your Garden City Kansas Realtor, Terria Judge. ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- In this Issue ============= 1. Article: Curb That Clutter 2. Features at TerriaJudge.com 3. Featured & New Listings 4. Special Days & Events 5. Article: Private Mortgage Insurance 6. Recipe: Slow Cooker Spanish Roast ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Spring is on its way soon, and you all know what that means---Spring Cleaning. Here's a great little article to get you thinking. Article: Curb Clutter At Home Using These Organization Tips ============================================ By: Karen Fritscher-Porter Did you vow to get organized at home this year? Start meeting your home organization goals by getting rid of items in your home that you don't need. That way you'll be able to see (perhaps literally) which items remain that you do need to organize at home. Think you NEED to keep everything that's in your home now? Probably not. Read these 10 clutter buster guidelines and then try saying that you do need to keep everything currently in your home. And do so with a straight face. You know you don't need it when... 1. ...it has got a deep solid coat of dust on it. 2. ...you come across it and say "oh, I forgot I had this." 3. ...it stirs up rotten memories. 4. ...you've got five others of the exact same (or quite similar) item. 5. ...you can't fit into it anymore. 6. ...it doesn't fit (or fits awkwardly) in your home. 7. ...it doesn't work anymore. 8. ...you don't know how to use it and you don't plan to learn. 9. ...it's expired. 10. ...it's one of a matching pair and the match has long since vanished. You can make these 10 clutter buster guidelines work for you to kick off your home organization goals with a little friendly competition involving immediate family members who live in your home. Have each family member do a walk through room-by-room in your home today with the list above. Make sure no one room is off limits to anyone. Have each person list items they think belong under each of the 10 comments above. Then gather together afterward to compare lists. Award the family member with the most (legitimate) items on the list a prize. Then get together and rid your home of those items you each wrote on the list. By having multiple family members independently create their list of items, objective attention will be given to all items in your home and you'll have more family buy-in for your home organization plan. Do this today and you'll be off to a fun and practical start for meeting this year's home organization goal. About the Author: Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes http://www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com where you can read hundreds of free tips for home organization, shop for home organization products and subscribe to two free home organization newsletters. Source: www.isnare.com ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Features at TerriaJudge.com ===================== Did you know that we offer rentals here at Terria Judge?? Thats RIGHT !! If you're in the market for a home but aren't ready to purchase one yet, we can STILL help you!! Need a 2 bedroom home with a fenced yard? We've got that!! How about a 3 bedroom home with 2 baths?? We've got that, to!! Visit our website today and click on "Rentals" and let us know what we can do for you! ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- FEATURED & NEW LISTINGS ======================== http://terriajudge.com/featuredlistings.html **811 N 5th 2 Bedrooms Up, Master has Sun/Sitting Room French Doors to 2nd Bedroom Pantry in Kitchen Functioning 3/4 Bath in Basement, 2 unfinished Bedrooms Enclosed Back-porch, Sprinkler System **409 Florence 2 plus 2 Bedrooms 2 Baths Laundry Room Family Room downstairs Greatroom with masonry, wood-burning fireplace To see more about these wonderful homes, including pictures, visit today---they won't last long ! Visit Terria at http://terriajudge.com/marketevaluation.html to fill out an interest form if you'd like to list your home. ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- February Special Days & Events ======================= 2 Groundhog Day 12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday 14 Valentine's Day 15 National Flag Day (Canada) 20 President's Day 22 George Washington's Birthday Here are a few you might not have known... 3 Elmo's Birthday 5 National Weatherperson's Day 9 Toothache Day 13 Clean Out Your Computer Day 23 International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day 28 Public Sleeping Day ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Article: Private Mortgage Insurance ========================== Private mortgage insurance can be a benefit to every borrower. However, borrowers need to be cautious when entering into agreements which include private mortgage insurance. Mostly, private mortgage insurance is actually designed to benefit the lender (like most lending practices) and may go too far if borrowers don't proceed with caution. How can private mortgage insurance be a benefit to borrowers and when does it become a burden? Some of the answers to these questions can be found in the following article. What is Private Mortgage Insurance?1 Private mortgage insurance is insurance that is required of borrowers that cannot afford to pay a 20% (or more) down payment. The insurance is designed to protect lenders from the possibility of default and costs on average about $50-80 per month. The insurance can be beneficial to borrowers-as you will notice in the next paragraph-but may become more of a burden than a benefit if borrowers do not proceed with caution. How Will Private Mortgage Insurance Benefit the Borrower? Private mortgage insurance allows low income borrowers--or borrowers who do not have a large amount of readily available income--the chance to purchase a home when they can only afford to put down a very small percentage on their purchase. This allows them to not only live in a home, but to build equity and enjoy the benefits that come with homeownership. These benefits are great and can be a wonderful way to purchase a home however there are some things that potential borrowers should watch out for, so that their benefits don't turn out to be their burdens? The Downside to Private Mortgage Insurance: What You Can Do to Avoid It The downside to private mortgage insurance is that you can get stuck paying it for much longer than you might have expected. In 1998, the Homeowners Protection Act demanded or mandated that every homeowner who paid his or her mortgage down to the 80% level would have the right to request that his or her private mortgage insurance be discontinued. The law also mandated that once the owner had paid the mortgage down to the 78% level, then the discontinuance of the private mortgage insurance must be automatic. It seems like the Homeowners Protection Act has taken care of a lot of headaches, right? The answer to that question is that YES, it has worked to protect homeowners, although the law is only applicable to those who make a purchase of their home on or after July 29, 1999. So, what are the options for homeowners who purchased their homes before that date? And what about those homeowners who are working to pay down to the 78% level, but find that it is taking a long time (i.e. around 10 years) to do so? Some experts say that rising home prices may be the answer to some homeowners' woes. Rising Home Prices: An Answer to Your Private Mortgage Insurance Woes? This may not be the best solution for you and your family but many homeowners find that taking advantage of the rising costs of homes is the way that they can get rid of their private mortgage insurance. How do they do this? First they come up with a small down payment and secure a loan with private mortgage insurance. Then, after they own the home for a little while and the home rises from about 12 to 20% in value, they can refinance their home with a typical mortgage and get rid of their private mortgage insurance. This doesn't mean that the rising prices for homes are a good thing. Many homes will often be unaffordable even with mortgages offered with private mortgage insurance. However, the 'rising home price' option does exist and borrowers should always be aware of their options. The majority of this article's content can be referenced at the following URL: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/Homefinancing/P107763.asp About the author: For more information in regards to private mortgages, seller-financed mortgages, real estate investment groups or property investment groups, please feel free to contact A.B. Merrill, Inc. ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Recipe: Slow Cooker Spanish Roast ========================== This is not your ordinary roast, but a flavorful surprise. Simple enough to put together with ease, but interesting enough to serve to dinner guests on special occasions. Feel free to add your own special touches. Adding sun dried tomatoes and bell peppers works wonderfully. Delicious served over steamed white or Mexican style rice. Original recipe yield: 8 servings. Prep Time:15 Minutes Cook Time:8 Hours Ready In:8 Hours 15 Minutes --------------------------- INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 (4 pound) beef chuck roast salt and pepper to taste 1 cube vegetable bouillon 1 cup boiling water 1 (4 ounce) package sliced pepperoni 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced 1 (15 ounce) can whole black olives, drained 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes -------------------------------------------- DIRECTIONS: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the roast on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a slow cooker. Dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the boiling water, and pour into the slow cooker. Mix the pepperoni, onion, black olives, garlic, and tomatoes into the slow cooker. Cover, and cook 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Garnish as desired--and ENJOY!! ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS--------- Thats it for this edition, folks!! Thanks for being here, have a wonderful day !! This newsletter is compiled and published by Mitone Griffith, http://BIGad.org

  February 23rd, 2006 at 9:12 pm

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