All posts by Les

New Cool Phone App for Real Estate

Introducing for real estate – today’s best mobile “app.”

If you are looking to buy a home, sell a home or rent a home, I have a cool mobile “app” for you to “test drive.”

If you are curious what your neighbor’s house or the house near your job is selling for, this “app” will provide the answer.

TestDrive

Keller Williams Realty has released an “app” that is an easy-to-use, filled with helpful features, putting the home search process, where consumers want it most – in the palm of their hand.”

Features for consumers include:

  • The ability to search for homes based on criteria or by custom drawing on an interactive map;
  • GPS localized data displays homes in a given area that match the consumer’s price range;
  • The ability to easily swipe through galleries of photos to decide whether a home fits one’s needs and then add it to saved searches for convenient reference on the app or via the agent’s website, where the saved searches are synced;
  • The ability to save notes on properties for future reference; and
  • Faster communication between agents and consumers via call, text or email.

Watch this brief video: Link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BqkGM5qVHxU

Here’s How To Get Your App;

Go to your (Apple or Android) App Store and search for “Keller Williams Realty Search” by Keller Williams Realty International

Simply download this app and enter agent code KW1KN60S at the startup of the app or via the “My Agent” button on the main menu. Once you’ve entered my code, you can contact me directly with questions or requests regarding any property.

Delivering “home” to every phone. Let me know how you like it or if you have any questions.

Subject to: Deals

Real Estate Deals Explained

We know, that traditional real estate investing is mainly about buying low and selling high, and making a profit from that difference, usually over time. There’s absolutely no secret to that. While doing it this way, of course, you would incur all the paperwork and everything else that goes along with buying and selling a home like paying all the transaction fees that are involved like commissions, closing costs, title, recording fees and of course your time. On an average, the whole process usually takes a month and a half up to six months depending on the situation.

Creative financing, or “rather than” traditional and conventional real estate investing, is basically working out an agreement that is fair both the seller and the buyer, without using banks or mortgage brokers. By incorporating this type of financing, the sellers can sell their property for the price they want, and in a timely fashion. The buyer I investor can create an environment for him I her to profit in some manner over a period of time.
By leaving out the usual suspects like title companies, real estate agents and loan officers, both parties stand to make the transaction more profitable for the buyer I investor and more cost effective for the sellers. Specifically this can be real profitable for the real estate investor because in any type of investing, and especially in real estate, it’s about leverage. The leverage is what makes creative financing a powerful, profit-making tool for those looking to start a real estate investing business. The leverage is usually represented by how much money you put into a certain investment, and how much you make from that amount over time. “Subject To” deals make your leverage extremely high, since most of the time you place a small amount of cash, for usually a much lager return.

Let’s GO over a sample situation which would create an ideal environment for a “Subiect To” aqreement.
Jen and Chris Kleven bought their house five years ago for a $100,000 dollars. After 5 years, they now owe about $95,000 dollars, while their house is appraised for $160,000 dollars. Both Jen and Chris have accumulated a credit card debt of about $20,000 dollars since that time, and of course, the interest on that debt is much larger than they really care to have. Chris and Jen take out a second mortgage to payoff their credit card debt, take a vacation and buy a new car. With their second mortgage, they do all those things and have about $10,000 leftover, after everything is done. After 7 short months, most of that $10,000 is gone also.
Shortly after this, Chris receives an offer within his company for a higher paying position, but in a different State. Chris and Jen talk it over, and decide to take the offer and move out of State. Of course, deciding to do that, they must now sell their
beautiful home.
Like so many of us, when we look to sell our house, we think logically and talk to a real estate agent. The agent informs them that there is little to no equity left in the house, and tells the Kleven’s that they will have to pay the agent’s commissions out of pocket. Of course, Chris and Jen can’t do that, because they ran out of money and are basically living paycheck to paycheck until the new job starts.
Chris starts to worry a bit, because he needs to get to his new job out of State, within 14 days, and Chris and Jen would like to spend a few days off together before going to his new job.
Chris starts to think and remembers a ‘We Buy Houses” sign down the street from their home and runs down and calls the number on his cell phone. After talking with the investor, Chris finds out that the investor isn’t willing to pay more than $120,000 for the house. Hearing that, Chris is mad and upset that such a person can come in with such a low and insulting offer. Besides Chris couldn’t do that deal anyway because the second mortgage they took out last year, places their debt just about what the house is worth.
Getting worried and running out of time, Chris places an ad in the local newspaper advertising the house as a “For Sale By Owner”.
Mostly everyone is trying to low ball him except for one guy who said “he will offer the asking price, so long as he can see the place first”. Feeling excited and curious at the same time, Chris invites the man over, his name is Javier. A couple of hours later, Javier comes over and tells Chris that he is the one who called about the house. Javier tells Chris to explain to him a little about the house and his situation.
Chris spills his guts and describes his dilemma to Javier. After Chris finishes his story about his situation, Javier tells Chris that he thinks he can still offer the asking price and if Chris was still interested in selling?
But before they start agreeing any further, Javier says, that as an investor, that his primary motivation to make a profit on the house. Chris and Jen understand that, so long as their asking price is met and the house is sold quickly.
Javier continues and tells both Chris and Jen that because of his need to make a profit, he needs to offer an agreement which will satisfy both their needs. Javier continues and says “That offer is what’s called a Subject To” offer. Of course bewildered and confused, Jen and Chris ask what kind of program is that. Javier simply states, that it’s a program that suspends both their money for the house and his profit on the house for 2 years, while Javier takes over the payments.

Not fully understanding, Chris continues to listen to Javier’s offer.
Here’s what it entails:
• keep the current mortgage in place for 2 years, at which time the house will be sold, and Chris’ originally asking price will be met, plus 5% of whatever profit is made by Javier
• escrow account is setup and paid by Javier to ensure full integrity of his contractual agreement with Chris and Jen
• property is claimed over to Javier which obligates Javier to continue making the existing payments to the escrow account. The deed will stay in the attorney’s presence until the deal is fully obligated by Javier in 2 years
• relieves Chris and Jen of the monthly debt for the mortgage payment so they can move on with their life
• Javier offers to pay closing costs and 2 months of mortgage payments to the escrow account to solidify his offer and his intentions to make good on the contract
• After discussing the deal with each other and realizing that their options and time are running low, both Chris and Jen agree with Javier over the details and sign over the deed to Javier via the attorney.
• Javier then quickly rents out the house to cover the mortgage payments and manages the house as a rental.
• Two years later, Javier sells the house for $210,000 and pays $160,000 dollars to Chris and Jen’s mortgage company, plus sends Chris and Jen a check for 5% of the $50,000 dollar profits, which is $2,500.
Everybody wins.

Owner Financing Benefits

There are many benefits for doing an owner-carry installment sale (as opposed to conventional financing) for both the buyer and seller. Sometimes one side gains an advantage over the other, but in most cases the transaction is “win/win” for both parties.

Benefits for the seller

Most sellers of real property insist on the highest price and all cash. Sellers want a fast closing with little hassle. Sellers also want to pay as little taxes as possible on their gains. In many cases, the seller can have most of his needs satisfied by an installment sale rather than a traditional cash sale. Let’s look at these needs one by one …

1. Highest Price.
There is no doubt that a seller can insist on and receive the highest price when offering flexible owner-finance terms. In many cases, the seller can receive more than the fair market value of the property by offering these “soft” terms. People are always willing to pay a premium for non-qualifying financing.

2. Cash.
Nearly ever seller says he wants all cash, but few need it. What the typical seller wants is the most net cash from the deal. Often, the seller has to pay closing costs, title insurance, broker fees, and the balance of the existing financing. In addition, there may be capital gains tax due to Uncle Sam. In many cases, the sale of a property by an installment sale (particularly a “wraparound”) will net the seller more future yield than any source from which the cash proceeds were reinvested.

3. Fast Closing.
Nothing holds up a sale more than new lender financing. In some areas of the country, it can take months for a buyer to qualify and close a new loan to purchase your property. Since most standard real estate contracts contain a financing contingency, you may end up back at square one if your buyer does not qualify. Furthermore, if your house is not particularly nice or unique, it may take you some time to even find an interested buyer. Since you are competing with all of the other houses for sale, you may need to spend thousands of dollars in paint, new carpet and landscaping just getting the house ready for the market.

There are very few “assumable” loans and few sellers are offering “soft terms.” Thus, an owner-carry sale makes your house unique. Furthermore, an owner-carry transaction can be consummated in a matter of days, since there is no appraisal, underwriting, survey, or other nonsense involved. In many cases, you will be able to sell the property yourself, saving thousands in real estate broker fees.

4. Tax Savings.
On an installment sale, you only pay gains to the extent you receive payments each year. This can be particularly advantageous if you have owned the property for several years. Furthermore, you can combine the installment sale with an I.R.C. 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange for further savings. As you can see, the installment sale provides many advantages to the seller of real property. Let us now turn to the advantages for the buyer.

Advantages for the buyer
Despite the elevated purchase price and higher interest rate, there are many benefits to a buyer who engages in an installment sale transaction.

1. Easy Qualification.
The buyer, in many cases, prefers an installment sale to conventional financing because it does not require traditional bank income and credit approval. The buyer may have poor credit because of a divorce or recent bankruptcy. He may be self-employed and cannot prove income. He may be new to his job and cannot meet strict lender guidelines. Even if he could qualify for a loan, the rate will be astronomical if he has poor credit. Furthermore, few conventional lenders offer fixed interest rate loans to people with a poor credit rating. As you can see, there are dozens of reasons why a buyer cannot (or will not) qualify for a conventional bank loan. The installment sale becomes the perfect solution for him.

2. Credit Rating.
An installment sale may give the buyer a chance to improve his credit rating by owning a home and making payments timely.

3. No Loan Costs.
One of the biggest benefits for the buyer is not having to pay the costs associated with conventional loans. Points, origination fees, underwriting charges, appraisal, credit reports, title insurance and the plethora of other “junk” fees charged by conventional lenders can amount to thousands of dollars at closing. The buyer is free from these with an owner-carry installment sale.

4. Fast Closing.
A buyer can close and move into a property within days, since there is no third party lender holding up the transaction.

Home Buyer Guide

“simple steps that guide a homebuyer in the right direction”

START HERE: Interview a Realtor:
There has to be chemistry. This should be an interview.
You must feel like the Realtor you decide to work with:
• makes you feel comfortable,
• is easy to communicate with,
• has your best interests at heart,
• is knowledgeable,
• has time to work with you

1. Free Consultation with Realtor should include:
a. Discuss type of home you want, area and price range
b. Discuss Agency Relations, Buyers Agents, Sellers Agents
c. Discuss Down payment, Closing costs and up front fees
d. Discuss * Current Market
• Money for First Time Buyers (if applicable)
• Asking Seller to pay Buyer closing costs
• Asking Seller to do improvements
• Asking for Price reductions

2. Get set up to receive Free lists of homes for sale that match your home hunting criteria:
• request @ www.SABankRepo.com (Free lists w Pictures, including Bank Repos)

Interview a Loan Agent: (see interview with Realtor above)
3. Free consultation with Loan Agent should include:
a. Find out how much home you qualify for?
b. Discuss Loan options, Conventional, FHA, VA and Free money Grants
c. Review estimated loan costs
d. Request Pre-qualification letter (necessary with all purchase offers)

Next Step:
4. Review lists of homes from Realtor,
a. drive by those that interest you
5. Meet Realtor to see inside for homes that interest you

Know Home Values:
6. before making any offers – review sold comparables with Realtor
7. Write Purchase Offer
a. bring check for Earnest Money
b. bring check for Option fee (if applicable)

After Offer is accepted:
1. Do Home Inspection and Wood Destroying Insect Inspection
a. Amend contract if repairs needed
2. Meet with Loan Agent again to update paperwork
a. Order Appraisal
3. Do Final Walk Thru
4. Sign Documents at Title to close Escrow
5. Pay money due and collect keys

Funny Page

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Don’t forget to hit the "Like" button above tab

 Mobster
 
A mobster discovers his deaf accountant has cheated him out of ten million bucks. He confronts him, bringing along an interpreter. “Ask him where the money is,” the mobster says.
 
The interpreter does so, and the accountant signs back, “What are you talking about.”
The interpreter tells the godfather, “he says he does not know what you are talking about.”
 
The mobster puts a gun to the bookkeeper’s head. “Ask him again!” 
The interpreter signs, “He’ll kill you if you don’t tell him!” 
 
“Okay, okay!” the bookkeeper signs back. “The money is buried behind the shed in my cousin Enzo’s backyard!”
 
“What’d he say?” asks the don.
“He says you don’t have the guts to pull the trigger.”

  Ask For Raise

 
"I have to have a raise in my commission," the agent said to his manager. "There are three other companies after me."
"Is that so?" asked the manager. "What other companies are after you?" "The electric company, the telephone company, and the gas company."
 
  Ten Commandments

A real-estate agent, had difficulty getting a listing from a customer whose theory was that "there is no substitute for experience." After he asked her a third time how many years she had been in the business, she told him: "Sir, there is a little-known historical fact that Moses brought three tablets down from the mountain-two were the Ten Commandments and the other was my real-estate license!" She got the listing.
 
  For Sale by Ower

When a real-estate agency hadn’t sold our house, we decided to do it ourselves. I placed ads in the local papers, spray painted a "For Sale" message on a sign board and posted it outside.

When my husband came home that evening, he told me, laughing, that my sign was the most truthful one he had ever seen. Confused, I rushed outside to take a look. In my haste I had printed – "For Sale by Ower."

  Ranch hand

 
A successful rancher died and left everything to his devoted wife. She was determined to keep the ranch, but knew very little about ranching, so she placed an ad in the newspaper for a ranch hand.

Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk.

She thought long and hard about it, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk.

He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching.

For weeks the two of them worked hard and the ranch was doing very well.

Then one day, the rancher’s widow said "You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels."

The hired hand readily agreed and went into town on Saturday night.

He returned around 2:30 am , and upon entering the room, he found the rancher’s widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him.

She quietly called him over to her. "Unbutton my blouse and take it off," she said. Trembling, he did as she directed.

"Now take off my boots." He did as she asked, ever so slowly.

"Now take off my socks." He removed each gently and placed them neatly by her boots.

"Now take off my skirt." He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the firelight.

"Now take off my bra." Again, with trembling hands did as he was told and dropped it to the floor.

Then she looked at him and said: "If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you’re fired!"

 
  Truth hurts
 
A wife was standing in front of the mirror and said to her husband “ I feel fat and ugly, give me a compliment” the husband said “ you have perfect vision.”
  Embarrassed
 
Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, surely I can’t look that old.
Well, You’ll love this one!!
 
My name is Alice and I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist.
I noticed his DDS Diploma, which bore his first name.
 
Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, dark haired boy with the same name had been in my High School class some 30- odd years ago.
 
Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, way back then?
 
Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought.
 
This balding, gray haired man with deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate, after he examined my teeth, I asked him if he attended Morgan Park High School.
 
“Yes, yes I did. I’m a Mustang!” He gleamed with pride.
“When did you graduate?” I asked
He answered, in 1975. Why do you ask?
“You were in my class!” I exclaimed.
He looked at me closely.
 
Then that ugly, old, bald, wrinkled, gray haired, decrepit, son of a ***** asked….
“What did you teach????”

  Cold Water
 
A man went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded rural area of Arkansas.

After spending the night, his grandfather prepared breakfast for him consisting of eggs and bacon. He noticed a film like substance on his plate and he questioned his grandfather, "are these plates clean?"

His grandfather replied, "Those plates are as clean as cold water can get them, so go on and finish your meal".

That afternoon, while eating the hamburgers his grandfather made for lunch, he noticed tiny specks around the edge of his plate and a substance that looked like dried egg yokes, so he ask again, "Are you sure these plates are clean"?

Without looking up from his hamburger, the grandfather says, "I told you before; those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don’t ask me about it anymore!"

Later that afternoon, he was on his way out to get dinner in a nearby town. As he was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl and wouldn’t let him pass so he said, "Grandfather, your dog won’t let me out".

Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV his grandfather shouted, "Cold Water, Go lay down!”

  At the Bar

Do you serve ladies at this bar?

No, sir, you have to supply your own.

 

 
Case Study

I was having a drink at a local restaurant with my friend Justin when he spotted an attractive woman sitting at the bar. After an hour of gathering his courage, he approached her and asked, "Would you mind if I chatted with you for a while?"



She responded by yelling at the top of her lungs, "No, I won’t come over to your place tonight!"



With everyone in the restaurant staring, Justin crept back to our table, puzzled and humiliated. A few minutes later, the woman walked over to us and apologized.



"I’m sorry if I embarrassed you," she said, "but I’m a graduate student in psychology and I’m studying human reaction to embarrassing situations."



  
Misunderstood

Hard to believe, but many of our customers at the bank still don’t know how to swipe their card through the ATM card reader. Because of this, my fellow tellers and I often find ourselves having to explain how it’s done. One teller complained that she kept getting odd looks every time she explained it. I found out why when I overheard her tell one man, "Strip down facing me."
 

 
Doctor, Doctor

Two doctors and an HMO manager die and line up together at the Pearly Gates. One doctor steps forward and tells St. Peter, "As a pediatric surgeon, I saved hundreds of children." St. Peter lets him enter.

The next doctor says, "As a psychiatrist, I helped thousands of people live better lives." St. Peter tells him to go ahead.

The last man says, "I was an HMO manager. I got countless families cost-effective health care."

St. Peter replies, "You may enter. But," he adds, "you can only stay for three days. After that, you can go to hell."
 

 
Next Time, Let’s Stay in a Hotel

Two campers are hiking in the woods when one is bitten on the rear end by a rattlesnake. "I’ll go into town for a doctor," the other says. He runs ten miles to a small town and finds the only doctor delivering a baby.

"I can’t leave," the doctor says. "But here’s what to do. Take a knife, cut a little X where the bite is, suck out the poison and spit it on the ground."

The guy runs back to his friend, who is in agony. "What did the doctor say?" the victim cries.

"He says you’re gonna die."


The Tea Party
To all the Parents and Grandparents out there !!!!

When I was a toddler, someone had given me a little Tea Set as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys.
Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought him a little cup of “tea” which was just water, of course.
After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch his little Princess bring him a cup of tea, because it was, “Just the cutest thing!”
My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy.
She watches him drink it up and then says, “Did it ever occur to you that the only place that a toddler can reach to get water is the toilet?”
THE END (I hear you laughing!)

 Saying Goodbye to Mother

You don’t have to own a cat to appreciate this one! You don’t even have to like ‘em!
We were packed and ready to go out for our Spring Break vacation.
We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. We phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi. The taxi arrived and we opened the front door to leave the house. The cat we put out in the back yard, scoots back into the front door.
We didn’t want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird.
My wife goes out to the taxi, while I went inside to get the cat. The cat runs upstairs, with me in hot pursuit.
Waiting in the cab, my wife doesn’t want the driver to know that the house will be empty for a week.
So, she explains to the taxi driver that I will be out soon, ‘He’s just going upstairs to say Goodbye to my mother.’
A few minutes later, I get into the cab. ‘Sorry I took so long,’ I said, as we drove away.
‘That stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!
She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck.
Then, I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me.
But it worked! I hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!
The cab driver hit a parked car.

  Goat
****
There were these two guys out hiking when they came upon an old, abandoned mine shaft. Curious about its depth they threw in a pebble and waited for the sound of it striking the bottom, but they heard nothing. They went and got a bigger rock, threw it in and waited. Still nothing. They searched the area for something larger and came upon a railroad tie. With great difficulty, the two men carried it to the opening and threw it in. While waiting for it to hit bottom, a goat suddenly darted between them and leapt into the hole!
The guys were still standing there with astonished looks upon their faces from the actions of the goat when a man walked up to them.
He asked them if they had seen a goat anywhere in the area and they said that one had just jumped into the mine shaft in front of them!
The man replied, “Oh no. That couldn’t be my goat, mine was tied to a railroad tie.”

  “How To Sell”  

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: “Free to good home. You want it, you take it.”
For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it.
He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal.
It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read:
“Fridge for sale $50.”
The next day someone stole it.

  “Police”  

This is the true story of George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi, who was going to bed when his wife told him that he‘d left the light on in the shed.
George opened the door to go turn off the light but saw there were people in the shed in the process of stealing things.
He immediately phoned the police, who asked “Is someone in your house?“ and George said no and explained the situation.
Then they explained that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be there when available.
George said, “Okay,“ hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
“Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don‘t have to worry about them now because I‘ve just shot them all.“
Then he hung up. Within five minutes three squad cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the policemen said to George: “I thought you said that you‘d shot them!“
George said, “I thought you said there was nobody available!“
 
 Humor, Period!
 The kindergarten class had a homework assignment to find out about something exciting and relate it to the class the next day.
When the time came for the little kids to give their reports, the teacher was calling on them one at a time. She was reluctant to call upon little Johnnie, knowing that he sometimes could be a bit crude. But eventually his turn came.
Little Johnnie walked up to the front of the class, and with a piece of chalk, made a small white dot on the blackboard, then sat back down.
Well, the teacher couldn’t figure out what Johnnie had in mind for his report, so she asked him just what that was.
“It’s a period,” reported Johnnie.
“Well I can see that,” she said, “but what is so exciting about a period.”
“Damned if I know,” said Johnnie, “but this morning my sister said she missed one. Then Daddy had a heart attack, Mommy fainted and the man next door wanted to shoot himself.”
 
 **** Slip Sliding Away ****
John and Mary were having dinner in a very fine restaurant. Their waitress, taking another order at a table a few paces away, noticed that John was ever so slowly sliding down his chair under the table while Mary acted unconcerned. Their waitress watched as John slid all the way down his chair and out of sight under the table. Still, Mary appeared calm and unruffled, apparently unaware that John had disappeared under the table.
After the waitress finished taking the order, she came over to the table and said to the woman, “Pardon me, ma’am, but I think your husband just slid under the table.”
The woman calmly looked up and replied firmly, “Oh, no. He did not.
In fact, he just walked in the front door.”

 *** Relationships ***
A man left for work one Friday afternoon. But it was payday, so instead of going home, he stayed out the entire weekend partying with the boys and spending his entire pay check.
When he finally appeared at home on Sunday night, he was confronted by his angry wife and was barraged for nearly two hours with a tirade befitting his actions. Finally his wife stopped the nagging and said to him, “How would you like it if you didn’t see me for two or three days?”
He replied, “That would be fine with me.”
Monday went by and he didn’t see his wife. Tuesday and Wednesday came and went with the same results. But on Thursday, the swelling went down just enough where he could see her a little out of the corner of his left eye.

 ** The Obedient Wife’ **
 
There was a man, who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real miser. 
Just before he died, he said to his wife…’When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.’ 
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him. 
Well, he died. 
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, ‘Wait just a moment!’ 
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away. 
So her friend said, ‘Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your husband.’ 
The loyal wife replied, ‘Listen, I’m a Christian; 
I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him.’ 
You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?’ 
‘I sure did,’ said the wife. ‘I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a check. If he can cash it, he can spend it.’ 

 * Farmer Joe’ * 
On a rural road a state trooper pulled farmer Joe over and said: “Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?” 
To which the farmer replied: “Thank God, I thought I had gone deaf!” 
 
   Middle Wife; from a teacher:
I’ve been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best “birth” story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back. 
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they’re welcome. 
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. 
She holds up a snapshot of an infant. ‘This is Luke, my baby brother, and I’m going to tell you about his birthday.’ ‘First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom’s stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.’ 
She’s standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I’m trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement. 
‘Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!’ Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. ‘She walked around the house for, like an hour, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) 
‘My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn’t have a sign on the car like the Domino’s man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.’ (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall) ‘And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!’ (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!) 
‘Then the middle wife starts saying ‘push, push,’ and ‘breathe, breathe’. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom’s play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.’ 
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat I’m sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it’s show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another ‘Middle Wife’ comes along. 

 Here’s The Surrogate!
 
Smiths were unable to conceive children and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family.
On the day the surrogate father was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife and said, “I’m off. The man should be here soon”
Half an hour later, just by chance a door-to-door baby photographer rang the doorbell, hoping to make a sale.
“Good morning, madam. I’ve come to….”
“Oh, no need to explain. I’ve been expecting you,” Mrs. Smith cut in.
“Really?” the photographer asked. “Well, good. I’ve made a speciality of babies”
“That’s what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat”
After a moment, she asked, blushing, “Well, where do we start?”
“Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch and perhaps a couple on the bed. Sometimes the living room floor is fun too; you can really spread out!”
“Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn’t work for Harry and me”
“Well, madam, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But, if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven different angles, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results”
“My, that’s a lot of…..” gasped Mrs. Smith.
“Madam, in my line of work, a man must take his time. I’d love to be in and out in five minutes, but you’d be disappointed with that, I’m sure”
“Don’t I know it,” Mrs. Smith said quietly.
The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures.
“This was done on the top of a bus in downtown London”
“Oh my God!” Mrs. Smith exclaimed, tugging at her handkerchief.
“And these twins turned out exceptionally well, when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with”
“She was difficult?” asked Mrs. Smith.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. I finally had to take her to Hyde Park to get the job done right.
People were crowding around four and five deep, pushing to get a good look”
“Four and five deep?” asked Mrs. Smith, eyes widened in amazement.
“Yes,” the photographer said, “And for more than three hours too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could hardly concentrate.
Then darkness approached and I began to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just packed it all in.”
Mrs. Smith leaned forward. “You mean squirrels actually chewed on your, um……equipment?”
“That’s right. Well, madam, if you’re ready, I’ll set up my tripod so we can get to work.”
“Tripod?????”
“Oh yes, I have to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It’s much too big for me to hold for very long. Madam? Madam?
……. Good Lord, she’s fainted!

  Entertainment at the Senior Center
It was entertainment night at the senior center and the Amazing Claude was topping the bill. People came from miles around to see the famed hypnotist do his stuff. As Claude went to the front of the meeting room, he announced, “Unlike most hypnotists who invite two or three people up here to be put into a trance, I intend to hypnotize each and every member of the audience.”
The excitement was almost electric as Claude withdrew a beautiful antique pocket watch from his coat. “I want you each to keep your eye on this antique watch. It’s a very special watch. It’s been in my family for six generations.”
He began to swing the watch gently back and forth while quietly chanting, “Watch the watch, watch the watch, watch the watch…”
The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth, light gleaming off its polished surface. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed the swaying watch, until, suddenly, it slipped from the hypnotist’s fingers and fell to the floor, breaking into a hundred pieces.
“SHIT!”, said the Hypnotist.
It took three days to clean up the senior center

 Sleepless Saving Time

Twice a year, we change the clocks for daylight-savings time. And twice a year, my normally punctual assistant arrives late to work the Monday after we do so. I finally had to find out why. “Do you have a problem remembering to spring forward or fall back?” I asked. “Oh, no,” she said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “What gets to me is staying up until 2 a.m. to change my clock.”

 Spring training

Q: How do the Dallas Cowboys spend their first week at spring training?
A: Studying their Miranda Rights.

 Spring Fever

Four high school boys afflicted with spring fever skipped morning classes. After lunch they reported to the teacher that they had a flat tire.
Much to their relief she smiled and said, “Well, you missed a test today so take seats apart from one another and take out a piece of paper.”
Still smiling, she waited for them to sit down. Then she said: “First Question: Which tire was flat?”

 Spring Break Humor

Spring break—that’s when:
• kids work on their tans and teachers work on their sanity.
• kids go wild someplace other than school.
• the only thing kids study is each other.
The college kids call it spring “break.” Their parents, however, call it spring “broke.”
Spring break is when teenagers give their swimsuits a dry run.

  Breakfast Order
A resident in a seaside hotel breakfast room called over the head waiter one morning.
“I want two boiled eggs, one of them so undercooked it’s runny, and the other so over cooked, it’s tough and hard to eat. Also, grilled bacon that has been left on the plate to get cold; burnt toast that crumbles away as soon as you touch it with a knife; butter straight from the deep freeze, so that it’s impossible to spread; and a pot of very weak coffee, lukewarm.”
“That’s a complicated order, sir,” said the bewildered waiter. “It might be quite difficult.”
The guest replied, “Oh, but that’s what you gave me yesterday!”

 You’re Next
I always hated weddings because the elderly would come over and poke me saying “You’re next.”
They stopped doing it when I started doing it to them at funerals.
 
 “Business is Fishing”
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
“You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman to the fisherman, “you should be working rather than lying on the beach!”
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”
“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!” “And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. “You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!” he said. “And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”
Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?” The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again!
You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”
 
 ** Guess What These Young Women Did” **
An old farmer had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond in the back forty, had it fixed up nice; picnic tables, horseshoe courts, basketball court, etc. The pond was fixed for swimming when it was built.
One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while, and look it over.
As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.
As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.
He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the pond.
One of the women shouted to him, “We’re not coming out until you leave!”
The old man replied, “I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond,
I only came to feed my alligators.” Old age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill every time!
 
 Another one … I’m The Boss …
The boss was complaining in our staff meeting the other day that he wasn’t getting any respect.
Later that morning he went to a local sign shop and bought a small sign that read:
“I’m the Boss!”
He then taped it to his office door.
Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said:
“Your wife called, she wants her sign back!”
 
 Feeling unappreciated???
Things Got Ya Down? Well Then, Consider These . . .
In a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, patients always died in the same bed, on Sunday morning, at about 11:00 am, regardless of their medical condition.
This puzzled the doctors and some even thought it had something to do with the super natural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths occurred around 11:00 AM Sunday, so a team of experts was assembled to investigate the cause of the incidents. The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11:00 AM all of the doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books, and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits. Just when the clock struck 11:00, Pookie Johnson, the part-time Sunday housekeeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so he could use the vacuum cleaner.

 Still Having a Bad Day????

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska was $80,000.00. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both..

 Still think you are having a Bad Day????

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his IPod.

 Are Ya OK Now? – No?

Two animal rights defenders were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany . Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly. The two helpless protesters were trampled to death.
What?!? STILL having a Bad Day????
Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet did not pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with ‘Return to Sender’ stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.
There now, feeling better?

 The Meaning of Dreams
After she woke up, a woman told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine’s day. What do you think it means?”
“You’ll know tonight.” he said.
That evening, the man came home with a package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it–to find a book entitled, “The meaning of dreams.”

 “Check Out a Romance”
I met my husband while I was working in a science library. He came in every week to read the latest journals and eventually decided to take out the librarian instead of the books. After a year and a half of dating, he showed up at the library and started rummaging through my desk. I asked what he was looking for, but he didn’t answer. Finally he unearthed one of the rubber stamps I used to identify reference books. “Since I couldn’t find the right engagement ring,” he said, “this will have to do,” and he firmly stamped my hand.
Across my knuckles, in capital letters, it read “NOT FOR CIRCULATION.”
 
 “A Darkened Theater”
A strained voice called out through the darkened theater, “Please, is there a doctor in the house?!”
Several men stood up as the lights came on.
An older lady pulled her daughter to stand next to her,
“Good, are any of you doctors single and interested in a date with a nice, Jewish girl?”
 
 “Plumbing”
One day Gramma sent her grandson Johnny down to the water hole to get some water to cook dinner. As he was dipping the bucket in, he saw two big eyes looking back at him. He dropped the bucket and hightailed it for Gramma’s kitchen. “Well now, where’s my bucket and where’s my water?” Gramma asked him. “I can’t get any water from that water hole, Gramma” exclaimed Johnny. “There’s a BIG ol’ alligator down there!” “Now don’t you mind that ol’ alligator, Johnny. He’s been there for a few years now, and he’s never hurt no one. Why, he’s probably as scared of you as you are of him!” “Well, Gramma,” replied Johnny, “if he’s as scared as I am, then that water ain’t fit to drink!”
 
 “Lonely Child”
Sandy began a job as an elementary school counselor and she was eager to help. One day during recess she noticed a girl standing by herself on one side of a playing field while the rest of the kids enjoyed a game of soccer at the other. Sandy approached and asked if she was all right. The girl said she was. A little while later, however, Sandy noticed the girl was in the same spot, still by herself. Approaching again, Sandy offered, “Would you like me to be your friend?” The girl hesitated, then said, “Okay,” looking at the woman suspiciously. Feeling she was making progress, Sandy then asked, “Why are you standing here all alone?” “Because,” the little girl said with great exasperation, “I’m the goalie!”

 Girlfriend’s Valentine’s Get-away

Four friends spend weeks planning the perfect girls getaway for Valentines Day.
Shopping, casinos, massages, facials… Two days before the group is to leave,
Mary’s husband puts his foot down and tells her she isn’t going.
Mary’s friends are very upset that she can’t go, but what can they do.
Two days later the three get to the hotel only to find Mary sitting in the bar drinking
a glass of wine. “Wow, how long you been here and how did you talk your husband
into letting you go?”
“Well, I’ve been here since last night……Yesterday evening I was sitting on the couch
and my husband came up behind me and put his hands over my eyes and said ‘Guess who’?”
I pulled his hands off to find all he was wearing was his birthday suit. He took my hand and
lead me to our bedroom. The room was scented with perfume, had two dozen candles and
rose petals all over … On the bed, he had handcuffs and ropes!
He told me to tie and cuff him to the bed, so I did. And then he said,
“Now, you can do whatever you want …”

 Middle of the night
A man is in bed with his wife when there is a rat-a-tat-tat on the door. He rolls over and looks at his clock, and it’s half past three in the morning. “I’m not getting out of bed at this time,” he thinks, and rolls over. Then, a louder knock follows.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” says his wife. So he drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and there is a man standing at the door. It didn’t take the homeowner long to realize the man was drunk.
“Hi there,” slurs the stranger. “Can you give me a push??” “No, get lost. It’s half past three. I was in bed,” says the man and slams the door. He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what happened and she says, “Dave, that wasn’t very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby sitter and you had to knock on that man’s house to get us started again? What would have happened if he’d told us to get lost??”
“But the guy was drunk,” says the husband.
“It doesn’t matter,” says the wife. “He needs our help and it would be the right thing to help him.”
So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed and goes downstairs. He opens the door, and not being able to see the stranger anywhere he shouts, “Hey, do you still want a push??” And he hears a voice cry out, “Yeah, please.”
So, still being unable to see the stranger he shouts, “Where are you?” And the stranger replies, “I’m over here, on your swing.”

 Out – Smarted
Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the crap table.
A very attractive blonde woman arrived and bet twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) on a single roll of the dice.
She said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I feel much luckier when I’m completely nude.”
With that, she stripped from the neck down, rolled the dice and yelled, “Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!”
As the dice came to a stop she jumped up and down and squealed… “YES! YES! I WON, I WON!”
She hugged each of the dealers and then picked up her winnings and her clothes and quickly departed…
The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded.
Finally, one of them asked, “What did she roll?”
The other answered, “I don’t know – I thought you were watching.”

 Blonde Jockey

A blonde lady decides to try horseback riding, even though she has had no lessons or prior experience. She mounts the horse, unassisted, and the horse immediately springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde begins to slip from the saddle.
In terror, she grabs for the horse’s mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip. She tries to throw her arms around the horse’s neck, but she slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly impervious to its slipping rider.
Finally, giving up her frail grip, the blonde attempts to leap away from the horse and throw herself to safety.
Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup, she is now at the mercy of the horse’s pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground over and over.
As her head is battered against the ground, she is mere moments away from unconsciousness when to her great fortune, Stan, the Wal-Mart greeter, sees her and unplugs the horse.

  Illegal Turn

A man in a hurry taking his 8-year-old son to school, made a turn at a red light where it was prohibited. “Uh-oh, I just made an illegal turn!” the man said.
“Aw, Dad, it’s okay” the son said. “The police car right behind us did the same thing.”

 If you are 40, or older, you Might think this is hilarious!
When I was a kid, adults use to bore me to tears with their tales about how hard things were.
When they were growing up; what with walking ten miles to school every morning … Uphill …
Barefoot … Both ways… yadda, yadda, yadda!
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they’ve got it!
But now that I’m the ripe old age over forty, I can’t help but look around and notice the youth of today. You’ve got it easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a dam “Utopia!”
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don’t know how good you’ve got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn’t have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn Library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!
There was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter – with a pen! Then you had to walk way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take a week to get there. Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn’t care if our Parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of my friends also had permission to kick our butts too! Nowhere was safe!
There was no MP3’s or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
You had to use a little book called the TV Guide to find out what was on TV. You had to get off your behind to change channels. NO REMOTES!!! Oh no, what’s this world coming to.
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get Cartoons on Saturday mornings. Do you hear what I’m saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for Cartoons, you spoiled kids.
And we didn’t have Microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
And our Parents told us to stay outside and play … all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside … you were doing chores!
And car seats – oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the “safety arm” across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling “shot gun” in the first place.
See! That’s exactly what I’m talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You’re spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn’t lst five minutes back in the 1970’s or any time before!
Regards…

 The Potty
A little 3 year old boy was sitting on the toilet. He had been there a long time.
His Mom goes in to check on him. The little boy is sitting on the toilet reading a book.
About every few seconds or so he put the book down and grips onto the toilet seat with his left hand and
hits himself on top of the head with his right hand.
His Mom says: “Billy, are you alright? You’ve been here awhile”
Billy says “I haven’t gone yet”.
Mom says: “Ok, you can stay a little while longer.
But, “Billy why are you hitting yourself on the head?”
Billy says: “works for ketchup.”

 Just Married
Judi and Jon got married and she was at the drugstore looking at the men’s toiletries. A clerk comes up to help her and asks if she needs assistance.
“I’m looking for some deodorant for my new husband Jon, but I don’t know what type he uses.”
The clerk says, “Is it the ball type?”
“No,” says Judi, “it’s for his underarms.”

 Second Notice
A taxpayer received a strongly worded “second notice” that his taxes were overdue. Hastening to the collector’s office, he paid his bill, saying apologetically that he had overlooked the first notice.
“Oh,” confided the collector with a smile, “we don’t send out first notices. We have found that the second notices are more effective.”

 Tax Deductible
Rabbi Rabinovitz answers his phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Rabbi Rabinovitz?”
“It is.”
“This is the IRS. Can you help us?”
“I’ll try.”
“Do you know Sam Cohen?”
“I do.”
“Is he a member of your congregation?”
“He is.”
“Did he donate $25,000 to the synagogue rebuilding fund last year?”
“He will!”

 The Amish and the Elevator

An Amish boy and his parents were visiting a mall. While the mother looked for cotton fabric for a new
apron, the father and son stood around, amazed by almost everything they saw. They were especially
amazed by two, shiny silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.
The boy asked, “What is that, father?”
The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, “Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life. I don’t know what it is.”
“Could it be a time machine?” asked the boy. “I heard about this movie picture show where people leave the earth in shiny vehicles.”
“Praise the Lord”, said the father. “There sure are miraculous things in the city.”
While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch until the last number was reached, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.
Finally, the walls opened again and a gorgeous 24-year-old woman stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son, “Go get your mother.”

 Called A Motel

When a fellow called a motel and asked how much they charged for a room, the clerk told him that the rates depended on room size and number of people. “Do you take children?” the man asked.
“No, sir,” replied the clerk. “Only cash and credit cards.”

 Letter from a Farm Kid

(Now at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Marine Corps Recruit Training)
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay… practically nothing. Men got to shave but it’s not so bad… there’s warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you ’til noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.
We go on “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A “route march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5’6″ and 130 pounds and he’s 6’8″ and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice

 Best Deal in TOWN:

One Sunday afternoon a couple sees an ad in the paper. They can’t believe their eyes. There is a house in the paper for $1000 that is in the nicest part of town. We are talking about a Highland Park mansion for $1000. They think this has to be a misprint, but decide to call anyway.
They say to lady who answers we saw your ad, and realize it is a misprint correct. She tells them no it’s not & you are actually the first ones to call.
They decide to go look at the house. They race over as fast as they can. They pull up to the most beautiful house on the block. In front of the house is a fountain that cost at least $30,000. They ring the door bell & the lady answers. She starts showing them the house. They realize this house is over 5000 sq ft and it is obvious that expense was not a problem in building this house. The house had marble imported from Italy & a chandelier imported from France. The landscaping was breath taking & the house had a great pool & a nice tennis court.
The couple said to the lady this is the most beautiful house we have ever seen, what’s the catch? The lady assured the couple there was no catch. The couple wanted the house for $1,000 but was leery of doing the deal. Finally the lady said you seem like a nice couple, so I’ll let you know the truth.
She told them this house is completely paid for, and not a penny is owed against it. Well, last week I got a call from my Husband. He informed me he is leaving me for his secretary. He then told me I could have everything we own as long as he could have the proceeds off the sale of the house. I agreed and he asked me if I could sell the house while he & his new girlfriend hung out in the Caribbean? HOUSE SOLD.
 
 Wife from Hell
A police officer pulls over a speeding car. The officer says, “I clocked you at 80 miles per hour, sir.” The driver says, “Gee, officer I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating.”
Not looking up from her knitting the wife says: “Now don’t be silly dear, you know that this car doesn’t have cruise control.”
As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, “Can’t you please keep your mouth shut for once?” The wife smiles demurely and says, “You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did.”
As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, “Damit, woman, can’t you keep your mouth shut?”
The officer frowns and says, “And I notice that you’re not wearing your seat belt, sir. That’s an automatic $75 fine.” The driver says, “Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket.”
The wife says, “Now, dear, you know very well that you didn’t have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you’re driving.”
And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, “WHY DON’T YOU PLEASE SHUT UP??”
The officer looks over at the woman and asks, “Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma’am?”
“Only when he’s been drinking.”
 
 Birth Control
An Alabama couple, both bonified rednecks, had 9 children. They went to the Doctor to see about getting the husband “fixed”. The Doctor gladly started the required procedure and asked them what finally made them make the decision.
Why after nine children would they choose to do this?
The husband replied that he had read in a recent article that one out of every ten children being born in the United States is Mexican, and they didn’t want to take a chance of having a Mexican baby because neither of them could speak Spanish.
 
 It Happened in Texas
After digging to the depth of 10 feet, New York scientists found traces of copper wire. They concluded that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone, a California archaeologist dug 20 feet. Shortly after, a headline in the LA Times read: “California archaeologists find traces of 200 – year – old copper wire.”
One week later , a Texas newspaper reported: After digging 30 feet in his pasture, Bubba Mitchell, a self – taught archaeologist, found absolutely nothing. He concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.

 Wish Granted
A man and his wife were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.
A good fairy came to them and said that because they had been such a
devoted couple she would grant each of them a wish.
The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband.
Whoosh! Immediately she had airline and cruise tickets in her hands.
The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger.
Whoosh! Immediately he turned ninety!

 The Art Collector
An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any recent interest in his paintings which happened to be on display.
“I have good news and bad news,” the gallery owner replied. ” The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death.”
“What did you say?” questioned the artist.
“When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings.”
“That’s wonderful!” the artist exclaimed. “What’s the bad news?”
“The gentleman was your doctor.”
Show ‘em Your Card

 A cocky State Highways employee stopped at a farm and talked with an old farmer. He told the farmer,
“I need to inspect your farm for a possible new road.”

The old farmer said, “OK, but don’t go in that field.” The Highways employee said, “I have the authority of the State Government to go where I want. See this card? I am allowed to go wherever I wish on farm land.”
So the old farmer went about his farm chores.
Later, he heard loud screams and saw the State Highways employee running for the fence and close behind was the farmer’s prize bull. The bull was madder than a nest full of hornets and the bull was gaining on the employee at every step!!
The old farmer called out, “Show him your card!!”

 Geography Class
The teacher of the school geography class was lecturing on map reading.
After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes the teacher asked:
“Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude…?”
After a confused silence, little Johnny volunteered – “I guess you’d be eating alone!”

 Moving Out
One day Little Johnny went to his father, and asked him if he could buy him a $200 bicycle for his birthday.
Little Johnny’s father said, “Johnny, we have an $80,000 mortgage on the house, and you want me to buy you a bicycle? Wait until Christmas!”
Christmas came around, and Little Johnny asked again. The father said, “Well, the mortgage is still extremely high, sorry kiddo. Ask me again some other time.”
Well, about 2 days later, the boy was seen walking out of the house with all his belongings in a suitcase.
The father felt sorry for him, and asked him why he was leaving.
Little Johnny said, “Yesterday I was walking past your room, and I heard you say that you were ‘pulling out,’ and mommy said that ‘you should wait because she was coming, too….’
“And I’ll be DAMNED if I’m gonna get stuck with your $80,000 mortgage!”

 Last “Writes”
Ol’ Fred had been a faithful Christian and was in the hospital, near death.
The family called their preacher to stand with them.
As the preacher stood next to the bed, Ol’ Fred’s condition appeared to
deteriorate and he motioned frantically for something to write on.
The pastor lovingly handed him a pen and a piece of paper, and Ol’ Fred
used his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then he died.
The preacher thought it best not to look a the note at that time,
so he placed it in his jacket pocket.
At the funeral, as he finished the message, he realized that was wearing the
same jacket that he was wearing when Ol’ Fred died. He said, “You know,
Ol’ Fred handed me a note just before he died. I haven’t looked at it,
but knowing Fred, I’m sure there’s a word of inspiration there for us all.”
He opened the note, and it read, “Hey, you’re standing on my oxygen tube!”

 Glad it’s Not Me

A parish priest was being honored at a dinner on the 25th anniversary of his arrival in that parish.
A leading local politician, who was a member of the congregation, was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner, but he was delayed in traffic, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.
“You will understand,” he said, “the seal of the confessional, can never be broken. However, I got my first impressions of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I can only hint vaguely about this, but when I came here twenty five years ago, I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place.
The very first chap who entered my confessional told me how he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer. Further, he told me he had embezzled money from his place of business and had an affair with his boss’s wife. I was appalled. But as days went on I knew that my people were not all like that, and I had, indeed come to, a fine parish full of understanding and loving people.”
Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk.
“I’ll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived in the parish,” said the politician. “In fact, I had the honor of being the first one to go to him in confession.”

 Six Again
A man asked his wife what she’d like for her 40th birthday.
“I’d love to be six again,” she replied. On the morning of her

birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to
a local theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in
the park: the Death Slide, the Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear,
everything there was! Wow! Five hours later she staggered out of
the theme park, her head reeling and her stomach upside down.
Right to a McDonald’s they went, where her husband ordered her a
Happy Meal along with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate shake.
Then, it was off to a movie – the latest Disney and what a fabulous
adventure!
Finally, she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed.
He leaned over and lovingly asked, “Well, dear, what was it like being
six again?” One eye opened. “You idiot, I meant my dress size.
“The moral of this story is: When a woman speaks and a man is
actually listening, he will still get it wrong.
 
 Diagnosis
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health
and was giving an oral test.
Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked,
“How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming

at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping
uncontrollably the next?”
A young man in the rear raised his hand and answered,
“A basketball coach?”

Humor:   Workout Plan For Those Over 50 Years Old

 
Got an old grampa or grandma a little out of shape? 
Are you an old fart wanting to lift weights but don’t
know where to start?
Never fear, Les is here! Follow along while we whip
you into great condition!
 
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface,
where you have plenty of room at each side.
With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from
your sides and hold them there as long as you can.
Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
 
Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.
After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks.
Then try 50-lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift
a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a
full minute. (I’m at this level.)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.
 
 
 Confessions of a Cell-a-Holic!

Ok… First before I talk about my phone, myself & my Family…
I want to remind you that my wife and I are Realtors in San Antonio
and will be very helpful to those Buyers and Sellers that you refer
to us @ lesearls@juno.com
Not so long ago
A few years ago we did not own cell phones.
In fact 2 years ago we never had done a cell phone text.
Today most of our client communication is cell “texting”.
Cell Phones Linked to Public Annoyance
I don’t know if cell phones give you brain tumors or not,
but they sure do make you stupid.
A few days ago I was viewing real estate properties near
downtown while talking on my cell phone, telling my wife
about deals compared to a couple years ago …
when I felt my right front pocket and exclaimed,
“I can’t find my cell phone.” I franticly searched my other
pockets all the while explaining to my wife that I was afraid
I had lost my cell phone.
She calmly asked,
“Honey, how do you think we’re communicating right now?”
Oh, good point. Thanks Honey.
It just goes to show you how much a part of our being cell
phones have become.
A new Swedish study suggests that people who use a cell
phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing
a common condition known as “broke”, as in —
I ain’t got no money for this month’s phone bill.
How many times have you called a friend’s cell phone only to hear,
“this number is temporarily out of service”
The lady robot-voice might as well say, “Your friend is temporarily
broke and until he pays his bill he ain’t talking to nobody.”
Scientists are now considering the question of whether or not cell
phones are hazardous to our health. I’ve found it depends on
where you are, how loud and annoying you are on your phone.
For example in a Church is a no no.
 Church Related: Daddy’s Cooking …
We were attending church in our community. It was common for the
preacher to invite the children to the front of the church and have a
small lesson before beginning the sermon. He would bring in an item
they could find around the house and relate it to a teaching from the Bible.
This particular morning, the visual aid for his lesson was a smoke detector.
He asked the children if anyone knew what it meant when an alarm
sounded from the smoke detector.
My daughter (she’s 5) immediately raised her hand and said,
“It means Daddy’s cooking dinner.”
Yes, Even More Embarrassing
I was in the restaurant yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately
needed to pass gas. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my
gas with the beat of the music.
After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my coffee,
and noticed that everybody was staring at me….
Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my Cell phone – iPod.
 
 Sorry, I could not help it …
There was a little “incident” at your house today while you were gone. Please allow me to explain: I was watching T.V. and I heard this beeping going off in the kitchen. The first thing I thought of was the smoke detector going off so I ran into the kitchen and checked everything out. By the time I got to the kitchen, the beeping had stopped and I couldn’t smell any smoke.
I went back to watching my movie and I kept hearing a beep every minute. I knew that the type of smoke detector that you have is the type that took a few minutes to reset itself. I kept watching my movie, and about 10 minutes later I was really getting upset because the beeping continued.
I paused the movie, ran out to the kitchen, unhooked the detector, and went back to the movie.
The beeping continued.
Having a college degree in electronics, I knew that the capacitors could hold a charge after the batteries were removed. About 20 minutes later, I was really getting frustrated because I could still hear the beeping. And I got so mad, I went out and grabbed a pair of wire cutters and cut the speaker off the smoke detector and left it sitting on the counter.
I sat back down and heard “beep”.
Now I was fuming. I listened to that “beep” about three more times, then I finally got a hammer and pounded the ever-loving crap out of your stupid smoke detector on the counter (while I was pounding I heard “beep”). It was really getting me mad.
I sat back down and resumed the movie and sure enough “beep”. I had the wire cutters in my hand and I went out (curious to see what the hell could still be running it) and cut all the little parts into pieces, and put half into a little plastic container and left half on the counter. I took half the parts over to the living room thinking if it beeps I know it’s these, and half the parts I left on the counter knowing it would be them.
In moments I heard the parts in the kitchen beep. So I took them into the living room and spread them on the table, staring at them, saying to myself” the part that beeps, will get smashed”.
Not even thirty seconds later, the parts I just had, now on the counter in the kitchen beeped. I was furious. I thought to myself, (his smoke detector is possessed). I brought all the parts into the living room and laid them out on the coffee table. I was staring at them, just waiting for one of them to beep so I could smash the crap out of it.
All of a sudden, I hear “beep”, but it was coming from the kitchen. I walked out there, all freaked out.
I just waited, and waited. It seemed like hours but was really only 30 seconds later, when I heard the mystifying “beep” coming from your jacket. I looked in the jacket and it was your beeper that you had left at home by accident.
All I could do was take my hammer and beat the ever-loving crap out of your beeper because I was the one who paged you.
I am Sorry!
 
 Father of Four
A man had six children and was very proud of his achievement.
He was so proud of himself that he started calling his wife,
‘Mother of Six’, in spite of her objections.
One night they went to a party. He decided that it was time to go home,
and wanted to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well.
He shouted at the top of his voice, “Shall we go home, Mother of Six?”
His wife, irritated by her husband’s lack of discretion shouted back,
“Anytime you’re ready, Father of Four!”
 Bible and a Haircut
A young boy had just gotten his driver’s permit and
Inquired of his father if they could discuss his use of the car.
His Father said he’d make a deal with his son.
“You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study
Your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we’ll talk about the car.”
The boy thought about that for a moment decided he’d
settle for the offer and they agreed on it
After about six weeks his father said, “Son, I’m real Proud of you.
You brought your grades up and I’ve observed that you have
Been studying your Bible, but I’m disappointed you haven’t gotten your Hair cut.”
The young man paused a moment then said, “You know, Dad,
I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve noticed in my studies of the
Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses
had long hair and there’s even a strong argument that Jesus had long Hair.
And his father replied, “Did you notice they all Walked everywhere they went.
 
 Men like Blonde Jokes
Why do men like blonde jokes??
Because they can understand them.
Female Brain
 Scientists have finally discovered what is wrong with the female brain:
On the left side, there is nothing right, and on the right side, there is nothing left.
 Blonde Humor
A young brunette goes into the doctor’s office and says that her body hurts wherever she touches it.
“Impossible,” says the doctor. “Show me.”
She takes her finger and pushes her elbow and screams in agony.
She pushes her knee and screams, pushes her ankle and screams and so on it goes.
The doctor says, “You’re not really a brunette are you?”
She says, “No, I’m really a blonde.”
“I thought so,” he says. “Your finger is broken.”
 
 AN ITALIAN BOY’S CONFESSION
****
‘Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
I have been with a loose girl’.
The priest asks, ‘Is that you, little Joey Pagano ?’
‘Yes, Father, it is.’
‘And who was the girl you were with?’
‘I can’t tell you, Father. I don’t want to ruin her reputation’.
“Well, Joey, I’m sure to find out her name sooner or later
so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?’
‘I cannot say.’
‘Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?’
‘I’ll never tell.’
‘Was it Nina Capelli?’
‘I’m sorry, but I cannot name her.’
‘Was it Cathy Piriano?’
‘My lips are sealed.’
‘Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?’
‘Please, Father, I cannot tell you.’
The priest sighs in frustration.
‘You’re very tight lipped, and I admire that.
But you’ve sinned and have to atone.
You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months.
Now you go and behave yourself.’
Joey walks back to his pew,
and his friend Franco slides over and whispers,
‘What’d you get?’
‘Four months vacation and five good leads.’
 
 **** A Mouthful ****
During our church service one Sunday, a parishioner was speaking about an emotionally charged topic and had trouble controlling her tears. Finishing her remarks, she told the congregation, “I apologize for crying so much. I’m usually not such a big boob.”
The bishop rose to close the session and remarked, “That’s okay. We like big boobs.”
 Another: Explaining Marriage
The child was a typical four-year-old girl – cute, inquisitive, bright as a new penny. When she expressed difficulty in grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to pull out his wedding photo album, thinking visual images would help.
One page after another, he pointed out the bride arriving at the church, the entrance, the wedding ceremony, the recessional, the reception, etc.
“Now do you understand?” he asked.
“I think so,” she said, “is that when mommy came to work for us?”
 
 Bump On Head
A man who had just undergone a very complicated operation kept complaining about a bump on his head and a terrible headache. Since his operation had been an intestinal one, there was no earthly reason why he should be complaining of a headache.
Finally his nurse, fearing that the man might be suffering from some post-operative shock, spoke to the doctor about it.
The doctor assured the nurse, “Don’t worry about a thing. He really does have a bump on his head. About halfway through the operation we ran out of anesthetic.”
 
 Doctor Fear
A woman went to doctors the office. She was seen by one of the new doctors, but after about 4 minutes in the examination room, she burst out, screaming as she ran down the hall. An older doctor stopped and asked her what the problem was, and she explained. He had her sit down and relax in another room.
The older doctor marched back to the first and demanded, “What’s the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?”
The new doctor smiled smugly as he continued to write on his clipboard.
“Cured her hiccups though, didn’t it?”
 

Fire Your Landlord

Don’t Pay Another Penny in Rent To Your landlord
“If you’re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment
that doesn’t feel like yours”

It’s a dream we all have – to own our own home and stop paying rent. But if you’re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment that doesn’t feel like yours. How could it when you’re not even permitted to bang in a nail or two without a hassle. You feel like you’re stuck in the renter’s rut with no way of rising up out of it and owning your own home.

Don’t Feel Trapped Anymore
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been renting, or how insurmountable your financial situation may seem. The truth is there are some little known facts that can help you get over the hump, and transfer your status from renter to homeowner. With this information, you will begin to see how you really can:

• save for a down payment
• stop lining your landlord’s pockets, and
• stop wasting thousands of dollars on rent.

6 Little Known Facts That Can Help You Buy Your First Home
The problem that most renters face isn’t your ability to meet a monthly payment. Goodness knows that you must meet this monthly obligation every 30 days already. The problem is accumulating enough capital to make a down payment on something more permanent. But saving for this lump sum doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think.

Consider the following 6 important points:
1. You can buy a home with much less down than you think. There are some local or federal government programs (such as 1st time buyer programs) to help people get into the housing market. You can qualify as a first time buyer even if your spouse has owned a home before as long as your name was not registered. Ensure your real estate agent is informed and knowledgeable in this important area and can offer programs to help you with your options.

2. You may be able to get your lender to help you with your down payment and closing costs. Even if you do not have enough cash for a down-payment, if you are debt-free, and own an asset free and clear (such as a car for example), your lending institution may be able to lend you the down-payment for your home by securing it against this asset.

3. You may be able to find a seller to help you buy and finance your home. Some sellers may be willing to hold a second mortgage for you as a “seller take-back”. In this case, the seller becomes your lending institution. Instead of paying this seller a lump-sum full amount for his or her home, you would pay monthly mortgage installments.

4. You may be able to create a cash down payment without actually going into debt. By borrowing money for certain investments to a specified level, you may be able to generate a significant tax refund for yourself that you can use as a down-payment. While the money borrowed for these investments is technically a loan, the monthly amount paid can be small, and the money invested in both home and investment will be yours in the end.

5. You can buy a home even if you have problems with your credit rating. If you can come up with more than the minimum down-payment, or can secure the loan with other equity, many lending institutions will consider you for a mortgage. Alternatively, a seller take-back mortgage could also help you in this situation.

6. You can, and should, get pre-approved for a home loan before you go looking for a home. Pre-approval is easy, and can give you complete peace-of-mind when shop-ping for your home. Mortgage experts can obtain written pre-approval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone. More than just a verbal approval from your lending institution, a written pre-approval is as good as money in the bank. It entails a completed credit application, and a certificate which guarantees you a mortgage to the specified level when you find the home you’re looking for. Consider dealing only with a professional who specializes in mortgages. Enlisting their services can make the difference between obtaining a mort-gage, and being stuck in the renter’s rut forever. Typically there is no cost or obligation to enquire.

There are many important issues you should be aware of that affect you as a renter.
Why on earth would you continue to lose thousands by throwing it away on rent? Simply contact a Realtor and take a few minutes to discuss your specific needs so that you can stop renting and start owning. This conversation costs you nothing. And, of course, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to buy a home at the time you review this.

But by taking the time to explore your options, and learn about the ways you can afford to buy a home, think how prepared and relaxed you’ll be when you are ready to make this important step.

Don’t Buy New Home …

Until You Read This Report!

10 Tips to Save You Time and Money:
The Homebuyers’ Guide to NEW HOMES

… read This BEFORE You Visit Your First Model Home!”

When shopping for your home, you’ll discover that most homes on the market are resales. Yet, one out of four homebuyers purchases a new home. Both new homes and resales offer advantages.

Before you make a decision, let’s … Compare These Points!

New Homes
• offer innovative use of space and style
• greater energy efficiency
• a choice of options and upgrades
• everything is new, and modern.

Existing Homes
• on the average they are less expensive
• often they are in established neighborhoods with mature landscaping
• homes have already settled, eliminating possible problems that arise from this happening after the purchase of home

As you can see, there are advantages to both. Most people consider both new and existing homes before they decide to purchase. Should you be thinking about buying a new house, here are 10 points to consider before you visit your first
model home.

1. Determine a Comfortable Price Range
Before you visit your first model home, sit down with your agent and do your homework. You’ll want to be prepared so that you can determine a comfortable price range for your new home. If you own a home, you’ll first need to know the net proceeds from its sale in order to determine how much cash you’ll have to work with. Don’t simply estimate this but carefully calculate every possible selling cost. If you’re a first time buyer, you’ll need to first qualify your income. Determine the size of your down payment, then work out a monthly debt load so you can determine a comfortable price range.

2. Sellers’ Agents Versus Buyers’ Agents
Here’s a good point to remember. The sales agent in the model home represents the builder, not you. They are known as sellers’ agents. As a buyer you can work with a buyers’ agent at no additional cost. It’s his/her business to best represent your needs by being knowledgeable about home construction, warranties, financing, differences in pricing, quality, even lot selection so that you get the best value for your money.

3. A Builder for All Reasons
Like all tradesmen, builders vary in their fields of expertise. For example there are builders who specialize in craftsmanship, others who are known for their innovative use of space, and those who offer below-market financing or customer attention during construction and after move-in. Determine your own specific needs or preferences then shop around for a builder that will best address your requirements.

4. Get the Facts about Your Builder
Before making a final decision, it is wise to check out the reputation and financial strength of the builder. Get “spec sheets” on home features covering everything from floor plans to energy efficiency, including lot availability and delivery of your home.

5. Check Out the Neighborhood
Learn as much as you can about the community. Discover what amenities it has to offer. Investigate if financial reserves have been set aside to build or replace major amenities like schools or community roads. Find out from local land-use officials what else is planned or could be constructed in the area, especially where vacant land is applicable. Review the rules for the homeowner’s association, or find out if one will be set up. Think of how you will be affected by commuting routes and times.

6. Choosing Options and Upgrades
The less expensive the base price of the house is, the more options and upgrades you can add without fear of overpricing it for the neighborhood. Options are items the builder installs during construction, such as adding usable space like a sunroom or a powder room. These features can add the most to the resale value of your home.
Upgrading means selecting quality above “builder standard” such as carpeting, ceramics, detailing, kitchen fixtures and appliances. Be sure to take advantage of builder incentives that offer free upgrades or credit off the sale price. Remember, you can add a deck, finished basement or landscaping later and sometimes for less money.

7. Negotiations
Often buyers don’t realize that there may be room for negotiating price, upgrades or options. For example, you have some scope for negotiating with the builder if s/he has a completed a home but hasn’t sold it. Also some “premium lots” are priced higher and are sometimes saved to be sold last. Keep in mind that typically, all lots cost the builder the same, so be sure to enquire about lot pricing. Builders may offer discounts or special financing to help close a sale.

8. Be Sure the Contract Works in Your Favor!
When spelling out the particulars of an agreement with your builder, ensure you protect yourself by having safeguards written into the agreement, such as:
• placing your deposit in escrow
• detailing your upgrades;
• allowing you access to the construction site to check on progress;
• a 30-day advance notice of the closing date.
• an explanation of what the fine print means in the warranties of the builder and manufacturer.

9. Financing – What’s Best for You?
Some builders, especially in high-volume communities that place large numbers of loans, can offer special financing
packages. However, because “home loan” lending is highly competitive, you have many financing choices other than
those being offered by the builder. Shop around for everything, from rates to lender fees. Appraisals, inspections, surveys, attorneys and closing fees can vary as well.

10. Just Because it’s New …. – Doesn’t Mean it’s Perfect
Yes it’s new and typically it’s built with modern materials that are durable, low maintenance, stronger, quieter, and safer. But because nothing is perfect, even if it’s new, consider hiring a reputable, licensed home inspector. Then create a builder “punch list”, from what you’ve learned to address any problems before closing. Consider budgeting for items to be modified or added later on. Many new home buyers use a real estate agent to help them negotiate the best price and terms with the builder.

Buyer Advantages Your Builder May Not Reveal!
Here’s a fact that you may not be aware of, some builders have newly-constructed homes available for immediate delivery. Usually these homes are ready to move into within 30 days. Even if some builders are eager to sell, they’ll probably keep that knowledge to themselves. Immediate delivery homes are often available for various reasons:
• the community, where new homes are being constructed is nearly complete, so the builder proceeds to have the on-site-contractors build “spec” homes (homes built on speculation for sale) on the last lots;
• the model home is for sale;
• the contract on a home has fallen through;
• builders include constructing homes for immediate delivery for buyers who are relocating or who have sold their previous home and need one to move into quickly.

Immediate delivery homes may be more desirable because, sometimes builders offer financing incentives or free options. This may be done in place of chopping prices to appeal to buyers purchasing later in the building phase. An immediate delivery home is an advantageous way to purchase a home if you need to move in quickly, or need a physical space to walk through and see before you sign a contract.

5 Trade Up Mistakes

Avoid These When Trading Up to a Larger Home … “You have to sell your present home at exactly the right time in order to avoid either the financial burden of owning two homes or, just as bad, the dilemma of having no place to live during the gap between closings”

Unlike …the experience of buying a first home, when you’re looking to move up, and already own a home, there are certain factors that can complicate the situation. It’s very important for you to consider these issues before you list your home for sale.

Five Strategies
In this report, we outline the five most common mistakes homeowners make when moving to a larger home. Knowledge of these five mistakes, and the strategies to overcome them, will help you make informed choices before you put your existing home on the market.

1) Rose-colored glasses
Most of us dream of improving our lifestyle and moving to a larger home. The problem is that there’s sometimes a discrepancy between our hearts and our bank accounts. You drive by a home that you fall in love with only to find that it is already sold or that it’s more than you are willing to pay. Most homeowners get caught in this hit and miss strategy of house hunting when there’s a much easier way of going about the process.

For example, find out if your agent offers a “House Hunting Service,” (like www.SABankRepo.com) which takes the guesswork away and helps to put you in the home of
your dreams. This type of program will cross-match your criteria with ALL available homes on the market and supply you with printed information on an on-going basis. A program like this helps homeowners take off their rose-colored glasses and, affordably, move into the home of their dreams.

2) Failing to make necessary improvements
If you want to get the best price for the home you’re selling, there will certainly be things you can do to enhance it in a prospective buyer’s eyes. These fix-ups don’t necessarily have to be expensive. But even if you have to make a minor investment, it will often come back to you ten-fold in the price you are able to get when you sell. It’s very important that these improvements be made before you put your home on the market. If cash is tight, investigate an equity loan that you can repay on closing.

3) Not selling first
You should plan to sell before you buy. This way you will not find yourself at a disadvantage at the negotiating table, feeling pressure to accept an offer that is below-market value because you have to meet a purchase deadline. If you already sold your home, you can buy your next home with no strings attached. If you do get a tempting offer on your home but haven’t made significant headway on finding your next home, you might want to put in a contingency clause in the sale contract which gives you a reasonable time to find a home to buy. If the market is slow and you feel your home is not selling as quickly as you anticipated, another option could be renting out your home and selling later.

4) Failing to get a pre-approved mortgage
Pre-approval is a very simple process that many homeowners fail to take advantage of. While it doesn’t cost or obligate you to anything, pre-approval gives you a significant advantage when you put an offer on the home you want to purchase because you know exactly how much home you can afford, and you already have the green light from your lending institution. With a pre-approved mortgage, your offer will be viewed far more favorably by the seller – sometimes even if it’s a little lower than another offer that is contingent on financing. Don’t fail to take this important step.

5) Failing to coordinate closings
With two major transactions to coordinate together with all the people involved such as mortgage experts, appraisers, lawyers, loan officers, title company representatives, home inspectors or pest inspectors the chances of mix-ups and miscommunication go up dramatically. To avoid a logistical nightmare, work closely with your “experienced” realtor.

27 Tips To Sell Home

…discover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment.. .

Your home may well be your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. To better understand the home selling process, a guide has been prepared from current industry insider reports. Through these 27 tips you will discover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment, reduce stress, be in control of your situation, and make the most profit possible.

1. Understand Why You Are Selling Your Home
Your motivation to sell is the determining factor as to how you will approach the process. It affects everything from what you set your asking price at to how much time, money and effort you’re willing to invest in order to prepare your home for sale. For example, if your goal is for a quick sale, this would determine one approach. If you want to maximize your profit, the sales process might take longer thus determining a different approach.

2. Keep the Reason(s) You are Selling to Yourself
The reason(s) you are selling your home will affect the way you negotiate its sale. By keeping this to yourself you don’t provide ammunition to your prospective buyers. For example, should they learn that you must move quickly, you could be placed at a disadvantage in the negotiation process. When asked, simply say that your housing needs have changed. Remember, the reason( s) you are selling is only for you to know.

3. Before Setting a Price – Do Your Homework
When you set your price, you make buyers aware of the absolute maximum they have to pay for your home. As a seller, you will want to get a selling price as close to the list price as possible. If you start out by pricing too high you run the risk of not being taken seriously by buyers and their agents. If you are pricing too low it can result in selling for much less than you were hoping for.

Setting Your Home’s Sale PriceIf You Live in a Subdivision – If your home is comprised of similar or identical floor plans, built in the same period, simply look at recent sales in your neighborhood subdivision to give you a good idea of what your home is worth. If You Live in An Older Neighborhood – As neighborhoods change over time each home may be different in minor or substantial ways and you will probably find that there aren’t many homes truly comparable to your own. In this case you may want to consider seeking a Realtor ® to help you with the pricing process.

4. Do Some “Home Shopping” YourselfThe best way to learn about your competition and discover what turns buyers off is to check out other open houses. Note floor plans, condition, appearance, size of lot, location and other features. Particularly note, not only the asking prices but what they are actually selling for. Remember, if you’re serious about getting your home sold fast, don’t price it higher than your neighbor’s.

5. When Getting an Appraisal is a Benefit
Sometimes a good appraisal can be a benefit in marketing your home. Getting an appraisal is a good way to let prospective buyers know that your home can be financed. However, an appraisal does cost money, has a limited life, and there’s no guarantee you’ll like the figure you hear.

6. Tax Assessments – What They Really Mean
Some people think that tax assessments are a way of evaluating a home. The difficulty here is that assessments are based on a number of criteria that may not be related to property values, so they may not necessarily reflect your home’s true value.

7. Deciding Upon a Realtor®
According to the National Association of Realtors, nearly two-thirds of the people surveyed who sell their own homes say they wouldn’t do it again themselves. Primary reasons included setting a price, marketing handicaps, liability concerns, and time constraints.

8. Ensure You Have Room to Negotiate
Before settling on your asking price make sure you leave yourself enough room in which to bargain. For example, set your lowest and highest selling price. Then check your priorities to know if you’ll price high to maximize your profit or price closer to market value if you want sell quickly.

9. Appearances Do Matter – Make them Count!Appearance is so critical that it would be unwise to ignore this when selling your home. The look and “feel” of your home will generate a greater emotional response than any other factor. Prospective buyers react to what they see, hear, feel, and smell even though you may have priced your home to sell.

10. Invite the Honest Opinions of Others
The biggest mistake you can make at this point is to rely solely on your own judgment. Don’t be shy about seeking the honest opinions of others. You need to be objective about your home’s good points as well as bad. Fortunately, your Realtor® will be unabashed about discussing what should be done to make your home more marketable.

11. Get it Spic n’ Span Clean and Fix Everything, Even If It Seems Insignificant
Scrub, scour, tidy up, straighten, get rid of the clutter, declare war on dust, repair squeaks, the light switch that doesn’t work, and the tiny crack in the bathroom mirror because these can be deal-killers and you’ll never know what turns buyers off. Remember, you’re not just competing with other resale homes, but brand-new ones as well.

12. Allow Prospective Buyers to Visualize Themselves in Your Home
The last thing you want prospective buyers to feel when viewing your home is that they may be intruding into someone’s life. Avoid clutter such as too many knick-knacks, etc. Decorate in neutral colors, like white or beige and place a few carefully chosen items to add warmth and character. You can enhance the attractiveness of your home with a well-placed vase of flowers or potpourri in the bathroom. Home-decor magazines are great for tips.

13. Deal Killer Odors – Must Go!
You may not realize but odd smells like traces of food, pets and smoking odors can kill deals quickly. If prospective buyers now you have a dog, or that you smoke, they’ll start being aware of odors and seeing stains that may not even exist. Don’t leave any clues.

14. Be a Smart Seller – Disclose Everything
Smart sellers are proactive in disclosing all known defects to their buyers in writing. This can reduce liability and prevent lawsuits later on.

15. It’s Better With More Prospects
When you maximize your home’s marketability, you will most likely attract more than one prospective buyer. It is much better to have several buyers because they will compete with each other; a single buyer will end up competing with you.

16. Keep Emotions in Check during Negotiations
Let go of the emotion you’ve invested in your home. Be detached, using a business-like manner in your negotiations. You’ll definitely have an advantage over those who get caught up emotionally in the situation.

17. Learn Why Your Buyer is Motivated
The better you know your buyers the better you can use the negotiation process to your advantage. This allows you to control the pace and duration of the process. As a rule, buyers are looking to purchase the best affordable property for the least amount of money. Knowing what motivates them enables you to negotiate more effectively. For example, does your buyer need to move quickly. Armed with this information you are in a better position to bargain.

18. What the Buyer Can Really Pay
As soon as possible, try to learn the amount of mortgage the buyer is qualified to carry and how much his/her down
payment is. If their offer is low, ask their Realtor® about the buyer’s ability to pay what your home is worth.

19. When the Buyer Would Like to Close
Quite often, when buyers would “like” to close is when they need to close. Knowledge of their deadlines for completing negotiations again creates a negotiating advantage for you.

20. Never Sign a Deal on Your Next Home Until You Sell Your Current Home
Beware of closing on your new home while you’re still making mortgage payments on the old one or you might end up becoming a seller who is eager (even desperate) for the first deal that comes along.

21. Moving Out Before You Sell Can Put You at a Disadvantage
It has been proven that it’s more difficult to sell a home that is vacant because it becomes forlorn looking, forgotten, no longer an appealing sight. Buyers start getting the message that you have another home and are probably motivated to sell. This could cost you thousands of dollars.

22. Deadlines Create a Serious Disadvantage
Don’t try to sell by a certain date. This adds unnecessary pressure and is a serious disadvantage in negotiations.

23. A Low Offer – Don’t Take It Personally
Invariably the initial offer is below what both you and the buyer knows he’ll pay for your property. Don’t be upset, evaluate the offer objectively. Ensure it spells out the offering price, sufficient deposit, amount of down payment, mortgage amount, a closing date and any special requests. This can simply provide a starting point from which you can negotiate.

24. Turn That Low Offer Around
You can counter a low offer or even an offer that’s just under your asking price. This lets the buyer know that the first offer isn’t seen as being a serious one. Now you’ll be negotiating only with buyers with serious offers.

25. Maybe the Buyer’s Not Qualified
If you feel an offer is inadequate, now is the time to make sure the buyer is qualified to carry the size of mortgage the deal requires. It may be a good idea to verify the buyer’s pre-qualification letter with buyer’s lender.

26. Ensure the Contract is CompleteTo avoid problems, ensure that all terms, costs and responsibilities are spelled out in the contract of sale. It should include such items as the date it was made, names of parties involved, address of property being sold, purchase price, where deposit monies will be held, date for loan approval, date and place of closing, type of deed, including any contingencies that remain to be settled and what personal property is included (or not) in the sale.

27. Resist Deviating From the Contract
For example, if the buyer requests a move-in prior to closing, just say no and that you’ve been advised against it. Now is not the time to take any chances of the deal falling through.