Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Who Needs Super Bowl Tix When You’ve Got a Man Cave?

Who Needs Super Bowl Tix When You’ve Got a Man Cave?

It may sound like a football fan’s dream to attend a Super Bowl game live and in person. But really? Indianapolis? In February?
Unless you are a rabid fan of the New York Giants or the New England Patriots — the conference champs who will square off in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Lucas Oil Stadium — there really are better places to watch the NFL title game.
Like, a tricked-out, beer-tapped man cave!
Homes with “man caves” — or rooms with giant TVs, sports memorabilia, wet bars, and comfy couches — have grown in popularity over the years and have become the go-to place on big game days. Or, dare we say big movie nights?
Just in time for the big game, we found some homes for sale with man caves that offer the ultimate place to watch on Super Bowl Sunday. So, sit back, pop a cold one and pass the chips and dip while we tour a few man cave beauties we found.



9124 Eagle Point Loop Rd SW, Lakewood, WA 98498 (above)
For Sale: $1,295,000
Cars, kitchen, couches, and TVs – what more could a guy ask for? “Designed for a car enthusiast,” this 7,800-sq ft home sits on a gorgeous, waterfront parcel of Lakewood real estate with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2 dining rooms, library, hobby room, and a 1,000-sq ft entertaining deck. The only space needed this weekend, however, is the “man cave,” which is equipped with a full kitchen, car elevator, bathroom, workshop, and adjacent billiards room.



1445 W Grande Cir # 7, Washington, UT 84780 (above)
For Sale: $6,995,000
Gentlemen, start your drooling. Located in Washington, UT, this 24,500-sq ft home sports the ultimate man cave amenity: Its very own sports pub. Four ceiling-mounted TVs offer a 360-degree view of the game, and the hardwood floors, full bar, bar tables, and a pool table complete the pub ambiance. As an added bonus, there’s also a two-lane bowling alley, swimming pool, gym, theater, spa, and arcade room for alternative means of entertainment during half-time. This resort-like estate is currently listed on the Washington real estate market for $6,995,000.



15 Cape Harbour Pl, Spring, TX 77380 (above)
For Sale: $2,999,000
Talk about an architectural tongue-twister: Here’s a “French colonial constructed of vintage old Chicago brick with an English Pub-inspired man cave in Texas.” That’s a mouthful, but believe it or not, this home really does exist and is listed on The Woodlands real estate market with a recently reduced asking price of $2,999,000. The 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom home is Super Bowl-ready with a “one-of-a-kind man room” that includes a poker table, full bar, kitchen, pool table, dart board and more.


3317 Dartmouth Ave, Dallas, TX 75205 (above)
For Sale: $3,695,000
With its marble columns, wrought-iron chandelier, and painted ceiling, the man cave in this ornate Dallas estate takes you back to the Renaissance. Populated with a mounted, flat-screen TV, dart board, pool table and arcade games, however, makes it an elegant and appropriate destination for hosting Super Bowl festivities. Recently taking a $300,000 price cut, this 4-bedroom, 6-bathroom home is currently listed on the Highland Park real estate market for $3,695,000.

3675 Decoursey Bridge Rd, Cambridge, MD (above)
For Sale: $30,000,000
Noted as “one of the most significant hunting and equestrian estates” — not only on the Cambridge real estate market but in the entire United States — this property called Tudor Farms is sprawling: 6,250 acres and an 11-bedroom, 10.5-bathroom lodge-style home. Super Bowl Sunday festivities wouldn’t be lacking for a proper space here, either. Among the 14,000 square feet of living space is a cabin-like man cave with log columns, corner-mounted TV, pool table, shuffle board and bar



1255 Pacific Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (above)
For Sale: $7,995,000
Outfitted with white floors, ceilings and walls, there’s no place for messy tailgate appetizers at this gleaming property. A contemporary piece of Laguna Beach real estate, this 9,500-sq ft luxury home includes a sharp entertainment lounge with wet bar and media area for a more sophisticated Super Bowl get-together. Additional amenities include a wine cellar with tasting area, professional-grade gym, sauna, elevator, and outdoor entertaining area with a 74-foot lap pool, spa, and a rooftop deck.



151 Haggetts Pond Rd, Andover, MA 01810 (above)
For Sale: $6,500,000
If a mid-game dip is more your style, then a home with poolside TVs and full bar may be your best Super Bowl bet. Currently listed on the Andover real estate market for $6,500,000, this 9-bedroom, 9.5-bathroom home features an indoor pool with slide conveniently situated next to a bar with two TVs. The massive 20,000-square-foot home also includes a full basketball court, theater, arcade, exercise room, custom locker rooms, billiard room, and bowling alley.

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any Mortgage or Real Estate Questions!

www.themortgagemark.com

mwilkins@capitalfmc.com 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

5 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

5 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

In today’s world, your credit score can have a significant effect on the financial aspects of your life. Your credit history determines loan and credit card interest rates, can raise your insurance premiums, and can even be a determining factor for getting a job.
Therefore, it’s very important to take steps to achieve and maintain a healthy credit score, and to check up on it frequently to ensure that it is accurate.



1. Pay Your Bills on Time

Your bill payment history accounts for roughly 35% of your credit score, and includes payment of credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and utility bills. Recent late payments in your credit history have the greatest impact on your score, so if you’ve missed a payment before, avoid repeating this costly mistake!
If you want to boost your credit score, do whatever it takes to pay your bills in a timely manner every month. Use online reminders to help you remember to pay your bills, and inquire at your bank or check with your credit card company to see if they offer email reminders about due payments.
Many companies also allow customers to change the due dates for monthly bills, allowing you to streamline all of your bill payments into one or two occurrences per month.

2. Review Your Credit Report on a Timely Basis

Inaccurate or outdated information can appear on your credit report at any time, and this can significantly hurt your credit score. Identify and correct errors on your credit report quickly using the following steps:
  • Request a Free Copy of Your Credit Report. You can order your free credit report online from AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only website that offers free credit reports, and provides access to reports from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Once you sign up on the site, you can stagger when you review each of your three credit reports, reviewing one report every four months or so. You can also receive a free credit report if you are denied credit.
  • Review Your Credit Report. Once you obtain a copy of your credit report, review your contact information to make sure it is correct. Look for inaccurate information, outstanding balances, and late payments. If you have an open account with the company that reported the late payment, you can call them and ask that they remove it from your credit report. You may also notice a number of inquiries on your credit report, which often merely reflect credit card companies’ efforts to market their products to you. If any inquiries seem unusual, research to find out why they are being made on your account.
  • Check Carefully for Bankruptcies and Charge-Offs. Review the details for any bankruptcies and charge-offs on your credit report to ensure their accuracy.
  • File a Dispute. If you find errors or incorrect information on your credit report, file a claim to dispute and fix the errors with the reporting agency.

3. Never Close Old Lines of Credit

Many people believe that consumers should close old or unused lines of credit to improve credit scores. Actually, it may be more advisable to keep these lines of credit open.
A large portion of your credit score (approximately 30%) is determined by the amount of available credit you are using. If you have a lot of available credit, but only use a small portion of it, you can improve your credit score.
If you have a few credit cards that you no longer use, don’t let them languish – instead, use them occasionally for a few small purchases and pay them off in full each month. If you don’t use the cards, the issuers may reduce your credit lines or close your accounts. Closing a credit card hurts your credit score.

4. Open New Credit Judiciously

Based on the previous point, you might think that opening multiple new lines of credit will improve your credit score. This isn’t true, however, as opening several new lines of credit in a short period of time will negatively affect your score.
New credit accounts for about 10% of your score, and credit reporting agencies constantly monitor your activity, so open new lines of credit judiciously. If you find good deals on cash back credit cards or credit card sign-up bonuses, tread lightly.

5. Carefully Mix Credit Lines

The mix of credit lines accounts for about 10% of your credit score. If you have a mix of credit cards, loans, and other types of credit, you can positively impact your score. Walk this line carefully so that you do not overextend yourself, however.

Final Thoughts

In addition to paying your bills on time and maintaining lines of credit, other factors play a role in determining your score. For instance, the length of time you have had credit also accounts for about 15% of your credit score.
Over time, as you build and establish your credit, your score will improve. With careful, regularly scheduled awareness and monitoring, you can improve your score and enjoy all the benefits that come with a solid credit history.
What are some of the other strategies you’ve used to raise your credit score?

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!

www.themortgagemark.com

mwilkins@capitalfmc.com

Thursday, January 5, 2012

FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Rising Again


Last Chance To Beat The FHA PMI Increase

Today's article is titled "Act Today And Beat The Mortgage Fee Increase". It's about the December 2011 Payroll Tax Extension program that passed into law. The government voted to finance the tax break's $33 billion price tag via fees collected on new mortgages. If your next mortgage is either conventional or FHA, therefore, be prepared for new, mandatory loan fees.
For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional loans, the expected fee hike is 0.125% to your mortgage rate. For FHA borrowers, it's a 10 basis point increase to your annual mortgage insurance premium.
This marks the 5th increase to FHA mortgage insurance premiums in as many years. Because of the changes, it's harder for FHA-insured homeowners to meet the FHA Streamline Refinance program's "5% Savings Rule". Fewer FHA-insured homeowners will qualify for the FHA Streamline Refinance program going forward.
As explained in the article :
"As soon as the FHA announces its increase, thousands of FHA households will be rendered ineligible for the FHA Streamline Refinance. Each time FHA mortgage insurance premiums rise, it gets harder for FHA-insured homeowners to meet the 5 percent savings requirement."
The new fees are expected to be in place very, very soon.
Click here for a rate quote.

Beat The Payroll Tax Fee. Apply Today Instead.

Mortgage rates are low. We all know that. But low rates don't matter if you have to pay an arm-and-a-leg to get them. Each new loan fee; each new price change; each new adjuster -- it all adds up, costing you money. Costs can be so high that low rates no longer matter.
Don't let that happen to you. If your loan is locked and in-process before the Payroll Tax Extension fees go live, you'll be exempted from the fees forever. The trick is to apply before the fees are changed.
Unfortunately, we don't have an exact date on it. Your safest bet, therefore, is to get started with a rate quote now.

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!!

www.themortgagemark.com

mwilkins@capitalfmc.com