My Monthly Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information you will enjoy
whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter. Scroll to the bottom of the page to browse through
current and past issues.
If you have any comments, please e-mail them
to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!
 | | | Jerrie Lusk - My Realty Agent - Re/Max
Jerrie Lusk
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Serving Atlanta Metro Homeowners, Buyers and Sellers and Cobb, Paulding
and Douglas Counties.
| Copyright
© 2008 Realty Times
All Rights Reserved.
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|  | What the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 Means for
You
 Good news has made its way into the real
estate arena this summer -- in the form of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. What does this Act mean for you?
It means a lot if you are in the market to be a first time homebuyer -- up to a $7,500
tax credit if you purchase before July 1, 2009. And there's more good news. First time homebuyers is defined as, "a
buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase."
This means for all those markets that have started to stabilize, now could be a
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| | Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of August 28, 2008:
30 yr. fixed: 6.40%
15 yr. fixed: 5.93%
1 yr. adj: 5.33%
U.S. averages as of August 28, 2008:
30 yr. fixed: 6.40%
15 yr. fixed: 5.93%
1 yr. adj: 5.33%
View current rates
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great time to buy.
Let's take a closer look at just what this new incentive entails.
In order to receive
the tax credit you must have purchased your home -- single-family detached, townhouses and
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Moving Away From Heavy Gasoline Use
 You may have to move to get
away from the high cost of gasoline.
Well, you really can't get away from the high
cost but a move could help you use less gas.
That is, if you move to a transit oriented
development (TOD).
If your next home is in a TOD community, your housing choice could
help defray the cost of gasoline by lowering demand and dependency on its use while easing the environmental impact of burning
fossil fuels and sprawl.
With a gallon of gasoline around the $3.75 mark -- up more than
a buck from a year ago nationwide -- a group of organizations say housing affordability isn't only a measure of what portion
of your income you shell out for the mortgage and related costs, but also the cost of transportation to and from work, school,
worship, shopping, medical care and the host of other destinations you regularly visit.
Simply put, the nearer you live to those destinations or the more
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New Fed Rules To Prevent Future Runs on Bad Loans
 Paramount in new federal regulations
approved to foster more responsible mortgage lending, are the implications for consumers shopping for a home loan.
The Federal Reserve Board's new rule amends the "Truth In Lending Act," Regulation Z under the "Home Ownership
and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA)".
HOEPA was originally passed in 1994 to target
abusive practices in home equity lending. The Fed's new move extends protections to home purchase loans.
Critics complain the rule is long over due because unfair, abusive and deceptive home mortgage lending practices get much
of the blame for the current housing crisis that has already put millions of properties in foreclosure and former owners on
the street.
Also, most lenders long ago curtailed many of the practices now forbidden
by the new regulations, critics say. The horse is already out of the barn, so to speak, and the new regulations will do little
to corral the market's downward stampede.
However, the new rules should help prevent
future runs on bad loans by helping remove them from the market. Perhaps more important, key provisions in the new rules will
give consumers cause to pause before shopping for a
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How To Find A Solar
System Contractor
 With city, state and
federal initiatives shouting 'solar!' from the rooftops, finding competent solar equipment installers is paramount.
Solar and other renewable energy rebates and initiatives from the federal government
down to city jurisdictions are prompting more contractors to hang a "solar installer" shingle, take to rooftops
and cash in on the demand.
It's relatively simple to install and maintain a $30,000
flush-mounted, rooftop, 320-square-foot, PV array efficiently generating 3 kilowatts -- enough power to meet the needs of
a 2,500 square foot home.
Simple that is, provided the PV panel installer is experienced
in the task at
Daily News and Advice
Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse
the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.
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Articles
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| Jerrie Lusk, Realtor®,CRS
E-mail: jerrielusk@yahoo.com
Web: http://myrealtyagent.com
Office Direct: 678-819-9296
Mobile: 404-520-4693 |
| RE/MAX Around Atlanta
678-819-9296
Jerrie Lusk, Assoc. Broker, CRS
Re/Max Around Atlanta
999 Whitlock
Ave
Marietta, Georgia 30064
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Equal Housing Opportunity
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