Marathon Training has begun!

February 1st 2009 will be my first full marathon! This past February was mine and Jourdan's first half marathon. I am on an 18 week training program that gradually ramps up the next months. I will be running 4 times per week, resting 2 days per week, and cross-training on Sundays. Saturdays are my big running days.

Saturday of week 1 has me at 6miles, while week 5 I'm already running 10 miles! The longest I will go is on week 15 where I will be running 23 miles! Can't wait for that one! (huge sarcasm).

In January was my first time to run further than 3 miles; a full marathon is just over 26 miles. Yikes!

Here's the truth: if I can run a marathon, anyone can! I was NEVER a runner... not in school, or after school. I was simply looking for a way to stay disciplined with my exercising. Before being on a marathon training schedule, my exercise routine fizzled out after about a month. My logic is simple... if I don't stay disciplined, I won't finish the race.

I challenge you to challenge yourself this year. You'd be surprised to see what you are really capable of.

I'm surprised.

Short sales work!

Short sales work! Many banks are in the position to forgive debt if an owner is in a hardship position. Buyers can snag up a great deal by purchasing a short sale! It's a win-win! In addition, President Bush signed a "debt relief act" in 2007 that does not require the owner to be taxed on the amount forgiven. Go to www.whitehouse.gov for more details

~M~

REMEMBER 9/11

Remember 9-11

Take time today and remember this day in history.

Remember where you were when you heard the news.

Remember how it affected your life for the coming days, weeks, months, now years.

But most importantly, remember all those who were lost.

Remember 9/11/01

Lock in your rates and save!

Rates took a big drop over the weekend! I'm sure you have heard by now that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the government. Ultimately, this has helped the housing industry as a whole from a buying standpoint. 30 year fixed conforming loans are seen as low as 5.5%!! This is huge!

Just another great advantage to become a first time buyer!

~M~

What is a short sale?

There has recently been a term flying around the real estate industry that a lot of people are unfamiliar with. A short sale, or short-payoff typically happens when an owner of a property is upside-down on their home. In other words, the property is worth less than what the payoff amount is. In this case, the seller could request a "short-pay off" from the bank if they are in a financial hardship situation. The bank looks over the owner's financial situation and assets to decide if they are a good candidate to take such a loss.


Sounds easy right? Not usually...


The owner must be able to prove that he can no longer make his house payment because of a hardship occurrence. An example would be an injury, job loss, loss of family member, etc.
In addition, banks are backed up with so many short sale requests that it sometimes takes a few months before getting a response. In some cases, homes foreclose on the owners before they've had a chance to sell.

Advantages/Disadvantages

Advantage: it releases the pressure of being home poor for the financially burdened. It does not look as dramatic as a foreclosure on their credit report; banks would prefer to sell this way and not foreclose.


Disadvantage: the owner's credit is dinged pretty hard, and they could be liable for taxes on the amount lost.

If you know someone in this situation, remind them that there is hope!