Ok, we’ve had it pretty easy this winter - so far. A few days ago it was in the 70’s and today we have a thin sheet of ice covering everything. Temperatures have fallen and since we haven’t really had to heat our homes too much this winter - I thought I’d remind of us of something:
If you have a wood stove, fireplace, kerosene heater or natural gas furnace - you may be at risk for Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is colorless and odorless and can accumulate when the fuel you are using is not burning properly. This may be due to improper installation of the heating appliance or because of improper ventilation. So here are some tips to reduce the chance of Carbon Monoxide poisoning:
- Make sure you buy a CO alarm and place it in any sleeping areas of your home.
- Keep all rooms with kerosene heaters properly ventilated.
- Have a professional inspect, clean and repair the central heating system each year.
- This is an obvious one - but make sure you open the flue before you build a fire in the fireplace.
- Have fireplaces and chimneys inspected by a trained professional every year.
- Install and use any word burning stoves and fireplaces as the manufacturer recommends.
- Keep gas appliances properly ventilated.
- Never use the kitchen range or oven to heat your home.
- Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home.
- Don’t leave the car running inside the garage - even if you leave the garage door open.
- If your CO Alarm goes off - turn off all heat sources, open the windows and doors, leave the house immediately and call the fire department.
- CO Alarms are NOT Smoke Detectors and vice versa.
Dealing with pre-foreclosure is not always easy to do.
In fact, dealing with pre-foreclosure is never easy to do no matter who you are. The fact of the matter is that this is something that you never want to talk about if you have a mortgage on your home. If you are talking about pre-foreclosure there is a good chance that you are behind in your payments, and feeling like you are going to have your home repossessed. And as you can imagine, this is a process that is far from fun.
The best way to deal with pre-foreclosure is to avoid it altogether. While this is easier said than done for some people, you should remember that your lender does not want to go through this.
When it comes down to it, foreclosing on a home is a timely and difficult process for a lender. Not to mention the fact that they are probably going to lose money on the deal as well. For this reason, if you touch base with your lender before pre-foreclosure sets in, you may be able to work out a deal that both of you can agree on. Even if you are far behind in your payments, there is a chance that they may set something up to help you get back on track.
If pre-foreclosure has already set in, you need to look into what happens next.
Generally speaking, pre-foreclosure is the step before your home is taken back by your lender. At this point, you still own your home, which means that you can do whatever you want.
For most people, the best option during pre-foreclosure is to look into selling. This way, you can make your back payments to the lender, and hopefully, pay off the remaining balance of your home as well. Just remember, you are only going to be in the pre-foreclosure for so long. You need to do whatever you can to sell during this time, if that is what you decide to do. In many cases, this means that you will have to take a lower price than what your home is actually worth.
Overall, dealing with pre-foreclosure is never fun. This is something that every homeowner would rather not talk about. But if you are faced with this situation, there are ways that you can attempt to make things better.
Are you looking to buy a house and/or get a loan approved in the coming months?
Don’t you hate it when your lender or mortgage broker says they need just one more piece of information?
Here is one of the most complete lists of every document necessary for the approval of a loan. Figure out which one’s you’re responsible for - or give me a call and I’ll let you know which ones you need - and then when the lender calls, you don’t have to scramble to get what he or she needs.
Loan Approval Checklist
- Appraisal
- Credit Report
- W-2’s (2 most recent)
- 1040 Tax Returns for 2 most recent years
- Paystubs for all borrowers for last 30 days
- Profit and Loss statement, YTD and balance sheet from accountant for self-employed borrowers
- Business Tax Returns
- Verification of additional income (child support, Social Security Income (SSI), Pensions, etc.)
- Most recent statements on 401 plan, IRAs, stocks, mutual funds, etc. \
- List of all open accounts with balances (credit, auto payment)
- Bank statements for the last 3 months with ALL of the pages
- Gift letter and copy of gift check (if applicable)
- Name and address of landlord (last 2 years) or mortgage company
- Copy of note
- Copy of deed and trust on property being refinanced
- Copy of leases on rental properties
- Copy of contract on sale of present home
- Ratified sales contract with all addendums
- Copy of earnest money deposit check
- Copies of military orders (if applicable)
- Copy of DD214 (Military Discharge Papers) (if applicable)
- Original Certificate of Eligibility
- Copy of the title to any car, boat or other vehicles less than 3 years and paid in full
- Copy of divorce decree or separation agreement
- Child support documents with 1 year payment history from courthouse (if applicable)
- Paid receipt for any collections, charge-offs, judgments, or liens
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