Blog

March 15, 2011

I know that it can be a very frustrating prospect to think about listing your home if you have home improvement projects that need to be done before that listing can happen! So…before you give me a call to come out and list your home :) maybe you should drop by the Avon Teachers Credit Union!

You can visit the Avon TCU on March 18th to visit with a variety of local home improvement vendors who may be able to help you with your projects so that we can get your home on the market as soon as possible!

There will also be Free hot dogs and refreshments!

Where?Avon Teachers Credit Union

7607 E US Hwy 36
Avon, IN 46123

March 18th from 10:00 am – 6 pm

 

If you would like me to come out to take a look before you start your projects……let you know if they are necessary before listing…if they matter to the listing price, give me a call!  Chris Castetter 317 271-1700

February 25, 2011
Current Listings….
1. 7592 APOTHECARY CT
$275,000
3 bed/3 bath
Over 2400 Sq. Ft
Plainfield, Indiana
2. 6585 GOLDEN OAK LN
$259,900
4 bed/ 4 bath
3,068 Sq. Ft
Avon, Indiana 

3. 1886 TAMARACK CT
$239,900
4 bed/ 3 bath
Over 2,558 Sq. Ft

4. 550 OVERLOOK
$159,900
3 bed/ 2 bath
1,545 Sq. Ft

5.  5830 WHITE LICK CT
$154,900
3 bed/ 2 bath
1,558 Sq. Ft

6.  203 ANDREWS
$119,900
2 bed/ 2 bath
1,444 Sq. Ft

7.  731 E MAIN ST
$75,000
3 bed/ 1 bath
1,400 Sq. Ft

Would you be interested in any of these listings or know someone who needs to list their home? I **LOVE** referrals! Give me a call 317 271-1700

February 18, 2011

Speaking of Springtime!

Now that you have your new home , or are getting ready to look for one in which case you really need to give me a call :) have you been thinking about a nice and productive backyard garden project?  With the weather getting warmer our thoughts are turning to the great outdoors specifically…our yards!

Vegetable gardens are something that seem to be growing in popularity recently at least among the people who I talk to. Living a self-sustained lifestyle seems to be something of interest to a lot of people, especially in today’s world where we are thinking more about the environment! Growing your own vegetables not only allows you the freedom to have your vegetables at your fingertips but it also affords you the assurance of knowing where they came from and what was or was not used in the growing process.  Whether you live an Organic life or not there is a measure of comfort in knowing that your vegetables have not been sprayed with all kinds of chemicals.

Now that you have that beautiful backyard isn’t it time to start thinking about a garden?  :) Oh come on…you know you want to!! And if you have not taken the plunge into home ownership…well what is stopping you?! If you have questions I would love to answer them for you the best that I can. Give me a call at 317 271-1700

To find information on starting your own gardens you can visit the following site!

The Farmers Almanac

Organic Authority

Afraid You Can’t Qualify For A Loan Due To A Past Bankruptcy?

February 9, 2011

Bankruptcy is a word that most people do not associate with when they think about being able to qualify for a mortgage!  When I speak to people who have a bankruptcy in their credit history, they almost always.. rather always…..say that they cannot purchase a home because of the bankruptcy and not being able to qualify for a loan.  This is not necessarily true…..it is true that if you have a bankruptcy in your credit history that special attention needs to be paid by you to your credit in order to get you back to where a lender will consider you a good risk.  If you manage your new credit history carefully and responsibly your mortgage lender can help you get the home of your dreams a lot sooner than most people believe.

What are some things you need to know about your credit history, bankruptcy and getting a mortgage……..

1. You could be qualifying for loans long before it falls off of your credit history….as soon as 1 – 2 years.

2.You can carefully rebuild your credit and get approved for loans…even a mortgage…in a year or two.

3. Yes a bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for up to 10 years, but you can start diminishing it’s effects on your credit report as soon as the day your case is closed. Adopt responsible credit habits such as paying your bills on time and not using all of your available credit. You can also apply for secured credit to help re-establish good spending and payment history.

4. You must get and use credit in order to build a good credit score. Using cash all of the time will do nothing to rebuild a good credit score. You must adopt responsible credit habits to rebuild your score.

5. Many times after your bankruptcy is closed you will find that the accounts are still showing open and overdue on your credit file.  This is not accurate and happens all of the time. You need to contact the credit bureaus to have them show those accounts as included in bankruptcy. This is very important…your credit cannot recover with these accounts still showing open and overdue. It is your credit….take an active role in its recovery.

6.Make sure to look at your credit report  at minimum once a year. Look for correct account information as well as incorrect personal information. It is important to check your address, work history and spouse information. Look for joint accounts and accounts that just do not belong to you.  All of these things can lead to incorrect information being reported on your credit file which may damage your credit score.  If you see incorrect information you can file a dispute right online at the 3 major credit bureaus.

7.Establish an emergency fund.  You may ask what does this have to do with your credit score? Well….after you build it back up this will go a long way in protecting that score if something were to happen. You need to have enough money in an emergency fund to pay your bills and rent if you become unemployed or had any other type of setback that could cost a significant amount of money. You do not want to have to depend on credit cards or loans in order to pay for life’s unexpected “stuff”.

8.Make sure to get 2 types of credit to rebuild your score quicker….. One is an installment loan, such as auto loans or school loans, the other is a Revolving account such as credit cards or home equity lines of credit.

9. As mentioned in #3…get a secured credit card. The balances on secured cards are usually equal to an amount you have deposited in an account…usually between $200-$500. Do not make the mistake of maxing out the balance on this card!! Maxing out your credit cards hurts your credit score. Use it sparingly and always pay the balance in full each month. it is not true that you need to carry a balance or pay interest in order to build credit, the credit scoring formula does not distinguish between balances that are paid off and balances that are carried over from month to month…. use your credit wisely and sparingly….your financial future will thank you!

10. Make sure when you look for a secured credit card that you do not have an application fee and your annual fee is reasonable. As well as make sure that the card you go with reports to the major credit bureaus.  Also look for one that converts to an unsecured card after 12-18 months of on time payments.

Talking to a mortgage lender who can help you understand how to rebuild your credit score and explain to you exactly what you need to do to qualify for your dream home is a step in the right direction. If you would like a referral to a local lender, please give me a call.

Resources: MSN Money

Jan 12,2011

5th Annual Brides to Be Expo!  1-12-11

Looking for something to do on a Saturday in Feb? Want to get ready for Valentines day?Winter getting you down? Getting married soon or just love being around all of the wedding FUN? Come out on Saturday the 12th of Feb to see what is new for the Brides to Be.  There will be doorprizes!! You know we all love free stuff!! See you there!

When: 02/12/11

Time: 10:00-2:00pm

Where: Primo in Plainfield

December 16, 2010

Winterland Light Show!


Where?:Ellis Park, Danville

Hours of Operation:

November 26th- December 24th

Sunday thru Thursday 6pm- 9pm

Friday thru Saturday  6pm- 10pm

COST: $7.00

Santa hours:

Friday,Saturday and Sunday 6pm-9pm

December 15, 2010

What’s in a Credit Score Anyway?

In order to qualify for a mortgage, we need to let the professionals take a look at our credit and our credit score. Before they take a look…… shouldn’t we look at our own credit? Do you know what it takes to get your credit score where it needs to be in order to have a favorable outcome from that meeting with the lender?  You need to be aware of what your credit score is before the meeting.

From time to time most of us think about, if not worry about, our credit score. So…what is it, how important is it….and how can we get it to be the best that it can be?! Here are a few facts about credit scores and how to improve them.

What is a credit score?

A credit score or FICO is a numeric expression of a persons credit file, which represents the credit worthiness of that person. A credit score is primarily based on credit report information which is usually gathered from credit bureaus.  A score is usually between 300-800.  Higher=better!

How Important is your credit score?

Your credit score tells the lender the likelihood of your paying them back the money you want to borrow…so I would say that it is VERY important…to you and the lender.

What can you do to move those numbers UP?

First off if you have had any credit problems in the past you need to be prepared to discuss them openly and honestly with your mortgage professional.  Experienced professionals know that there can be reasons behind credit issues and are ready to listen and offer any help that may make the process easier…but they cannot help if they are not aware of the problems. Make sure to talk to your mortgage professional honestly about any credit issues you have had, even if you think they are not important, let them decide. It is much better to deal with the issues before going through all of the paper work.

If you have had credit issues but have been working on them and have had on time payments for a year or longer then your credit may be satisfactory. Do not think just because you have had issues that you cannot get qualified! Ask a professional.

Excess debt can be an issue for your credit score.  Some ways to help  get rid of that excess debt quickly is to make some hard choices! You may consider selling your second car and using the money to pay off debt…or you can lower your monthly entertainment budget, maybe even get rid of it altogether for a while, and with the extra money each month pay some bills twice. Make sure to never pay just the minimum on credit cards or any kind of revolving credit.  Hold a garage sale and again….proceeds go to bills. Not just the monthly payment…more. And pay as early as possible each month so as to avoid extra interest, most companies calculate interest on a daily basis so the earlier you pay the less interest you pay.

Make sure you are not late any month! You do not want any 30 days late on your credit report.This makes a difference in calculating your score. As does your debt compared to your earnings.  Your debt ratio needs to be in balance. Make sure what you have coming in is greater than what you have going out in bills.

**There are several places on the net where you can go to get a free copy of your credit report. A simple search in your favorite search engine will produce a few sites. Take your pick and see what your score is today! If there are any problems within your report that you disagree with, do not be shy about letting the Bureaus know about it. If you go to one of the main 3 bureaus sites you can fill out online disputes and have them take a look.  It is your credit history, if you do not protect it….who will?

Have more questions about credit scores or mortgages…please call Chris today! 317 271-1700

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