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

January 31, 2012

 

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 

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

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

5 Things to Do When You First Move In

You’ve signed the paperwork. You’ve picked up your new set of keys and you now have a new home. As you unpack the boxes, and take it all in as the new homeowner, there are a few critical things you should take care of.

1. Change locks
Unfortunately, you can’t assume the keys you’re holding are the only keys to your home that could exist out there. Play it safe and have all the locks changed as soon as you can.

2. Re-program garage door opener
Again, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the security of your new home. Most garage door remotes have a reset button that you can hold down to reprogram the opener. If you want more concise instructions, note the make and model of the opener and contact the company to walk you through the steps.

3. Replace furnace filter
Most manufacturers recommend that a furnace filter be changed once a month during the heating season to ensure the most efficient performance. While there are higher-quality filters that may not require monthly replacement, it’s still a good idea to check the filter monthly and, of course, replace it when you move into a new place.

4. Install new batteries in smoke alarm and carbon dioxide detector
You have no way of knowing when the batteries were last changed and if the home has been unoccupied, it’s probably been awhile. Test the alarm and detector and put new batteries in each. This investment of time and a few dollars is well worth it, given the stakes.

5. Replace toilet seat covers
We probably don’t need to go into specific details, but most people insist on swapping out toilet seats.

Did we miss anything else on the move-in checklist? Tell us!


Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!!!   www.themortgagemark.com

New Home Affordable 125% Refinance Program

New Home Affordable 125% Refinance Program

You have probably read that President Obama announced changes to the Making Home Affordable Refinance Program whereby a person can refinance a first mortgage that is upside-down. The big caveat being that the mortgage needed to be owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac with the loan originated prior to June of 2009.
The changes announced yesterday extend the program to December 31, 2013, and will allow a refinance of a first mortgage no matter how far upside down the home is. The basics that were announced are below. No lenders are offering the program yet although major lenders are working on it’s release.
The requirements as they have been released to date are as follows:

• 1st mortgage owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
• NO late mortgage payments within the previous 6 months
• NO MORE THAN 1 late mortgage payment within the past 12 months
• 2nd mortgages must agree to go back in 2nd position

Lenders are expected to receive funding details by November 15. Availability of the loan is expected after December 31, 2011.

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!!  

www.themortgagemark.com   mwilkins@capitalfmc.com

8 Ways To Accidentally “Un-Approve” Your Mortgage

8 Ways To Accidentally “Un-Approve” Your Mortgage

For all the talk of how tough it is to be "mortgage approved", the basics of mortgages haven't changed. Mortgage approvals are still the 3-legged stool of income, equity, and credit.
Sometimes, though, it's not getting approved that's hard -- it's staying approved.
You have to watch out for landmines.

When Things Go Wrong

Mortgage approvals take time. In a typical home loan market, it's about 3 weeks from start-to-finish.
Approvals can take longer, however, depending on market conditions. For example, if rates are low and there's a refi boom on-going, a refinance can take 6 weeks to close. Banks don't have capacity to do work much faster.
Or, if you're buying a home and it's a short sale or foreclosure, expect delays there, too. With REO, it can take up to 6 months to get to the closing table.
Click here for a rate quote.
Thing is, during that "extra time" -- 3 weeks, 3 months or longer -- a lot can go wrong, and when things go wrong, your loan goes bad. For example, if lose your job, become ill, or see your home damaged by storms, you may lose your mortgage approval -- even if you were previously cleared-to-close.
Unfortunately, these are all events that are beyond your control. You can't control sickness any more than you can control Mother Nature. But you can control yourself during those extra few weeks.
Good behavior matters in mortgage.

Bad Mortgage Behavior, Defined

Keeping "good behavior" in mind, here are 8 things you should absolutely not do between your date of application and your date of funding. I've been doing this long enough that I can say with certainty: Ignore these rules at your own peril.

1. Don't buy a new car or trade-up to a bigger lease
2. Don't quit your job to change industries or start a new company
3. Don't switch from a salaried job to a heavily-commissioned job
4. Don't transfer large sums of money between bank accounts
5. Don't forget to pay your bills -- even the ones in dispute
6. Don't open new credit cards -- even if you're getting 20% off
7. Don't accept a cash gift without filing the proper "gift" paperwork
8. Don't make random, undocumented deposits into your bank account

And that's it.
Now, you may find it 100% impractical to have follow these rules to the letter. I know that.
For example, if your car lease is expiring, you have to do what you have to do. Renew the lease. But before doing it, you should check with your loan officer to see if renting a car in the short-term, instead, would be a more mortgage-friendly solution instead.
The same goes for accepting cash gifts from parents. There's a right way and a wrong way to accept a cash gift from family and if you do it the "wrong way", your gift may be prohibited from use as part of your downpayment funds.
There are a bevy of "gotchas" in Mortgageland and you can't expect to know them all. These 8 rules, however, are a good start.

Get Low, Long-Term, Locked Mortgage Rates

Mortgage refinances take time and the best thing while your loan is in process is to keep the status quo. You can't control nature, but you can control you. Be smart with your finances and don't let your mortgage get un-approved.
Click here for a rate quote.

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!!

www.themortgagemark.com 

mark@themortgagemark.com

Get a Property Inspection Before You List

Get a Property Inspection Before You List

Many real estate agents and home sellers focus on staging, cleaning, and painting a property so it will ‘shine’ for potential buyers. They spend a good deal of time looking at comps and pricing it attractively. All that’s essential, of course. But they often don’t bother to do something else that’s really important: get a pre-sales property inspection.
Property inspections, once upon a time, were just part of a checklist. Buyers, eager to get into the market, would sometimes turn a blind eye to the issues that came up during an inspection. Or if a buyer balked at issues uncovered by an inspection, the seller, knowing there were others waiting in the wings, simply moved on to the next buyer. Sellers were less likely to offer credits or do any improvements based on the buyer’s findings during the general property inspections.

How things have changed.

Today, there’s a lot more inventory for buyers to choose from. As a seller in the current market, you need to overcome as many possible objections buyers may have and do what it takes to get your property ready. I believe a pre-sales general property inspection (about $250 to $500) from a reputable, reliable inspector should go hand in hand with staging, cleaning and property preparation.

Three reasons to get a pre-sales property inspection:

1. It will help you properly price and market your property.
A pre-sales inspection will help you address glaring home improvement issues so you can properly price and market your property. If you know the house needs a new roof, either fix it before going on the market or factor that into the list price. It will save you headaches when you have a buyer in escrow.

2. It makes buyers more confident in your property.
Having buyers see the inspector’s report up front will give them the added confidence to make an offer on your property. You’ll weed out the buyers who may not be into small fixes, too.
Too often, the scenario I see play out is this: The seller has no inspections or reports. The buyer makes an offer, assuming that the property is in good condition. The seller accepts the offer, they go into escrow, the earnest money is deposited, and then the inspections and loan processes begin.
And then, the buyer’s inspector discovers a variety of small issues: the electrical panel needs updating, some plumbing needs to be changed to copper, and the HVAC system is near the end of its life. The buyer may not be up for home improvements and, after having spent a week or two in escrow, the seller is back on the market. Their property now seems flawed in the eyes of buyers and the brokerage community. Or the buyer may negotiate a credit of up to $30,000 to accommodate for these fixes — money the seller probably hadn’t intended on forfeiting. If the seller had done a property inspection before going to market, these issues would have been obvious to the buyer prior to their offer, and a lot of wasted time and energy could have been avoided.

3. You’ll have the upper hand in negotiations and save time.
The idea of documenting your property’s flaws up front may seem counter-intuitive to a seller. Ultimately, though, it can give you the upper hand in negotiations. The possibility that a serious buyer won’t eventually learn about these flaws is very low. Why not take the high road? Red-flag the issues from the get-go and negotiate from a place of strength.
I can’t stress this point enough: Having these inspections done up front can save you weeks, if not months, in the sales cycle. Plus, that buyer who asks for a $30,000 credit after they have an inspection done may have been OK paying your list price, or closer to it, if they’d known about the issues when they made their offer. So you would have potentially saved yourself money in addition to time.

Contact The Mortgage Mark with any questions!

www.themortgagemark.com
mwilkins@capitalfmc.com