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Making Homes Affordable - First Hand Experience Part IV
After many phone calls and emails I was finally able to knock some heads and get some straight answers about how Wells Fargo is allowed to report our mortgage status to the credit bureaus. The bottom line is that they CAN report to the credit agency’s that our mortgage is being modified which will impact our credit rating by a few points. They CAN NOT report our mortgage as delinquent as long as we are current on our payments and adhere to the terms of the trial period.
What did I have to do to make sure Wells Fargo was abiding by the rules setup by the government?
I called my US Congressman Walt Minnick (ID) 208-888-3188 and talked with his representative Beverly Bean. I explained our situation and faxed the documentation provided by Wells Fargo to her so that she could do some leg work for us. In addition to calling Wells Fargo she also contacted the US Department of the Treasury, Malloy Evans 202-422-8135. Turns out that Wells Fargo was NOT abiding by the rules set forth by the government and now my US Congressman and the Department of the Treasury are making sure they are in fact playing by the rules.
I received assurances by my Congressman and the Dept of Treasury that my mortgage Would NOT be reported as delinquent as long as I made our payments in full and on time. In addition, I received a phone call and apology from Wells Fargo/Freddie Mac indicating their Making Homes Affordable documentation will be updated appropriately.
Again, I think to myself (and to all of you) that this process is made too complicated and overwhelming so that people won’t be able to take advantage of something that is bought and paid for with tax dollars. However, we are going forward and taking that next step into the Making Homes Affordable Program.
What is next on the list?
- Make our first trial period payment.
- Trial period documentation signed and sent in.
- Hardship Affidavit *This is similar to previous hardship letter sent in to Wells Fargo/Freddie Mac.
- Signed and dated copy of IRS Form 4506-T
- Copy of all income statements (pay stub, social security, disability, pension, public assistance, unemployment, alimony/child support, etc)
- Counseling session with HUD-approved housing counseling agency *This is FREE
- www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc/
- HOPE Hotline 1-888-995-HOPE
- I chose this option because I could just call and it only took 45 minutes. They gave me some good information and I thought it would be beneficial to share with you.
FREE Help with Medical Expenses
1-573-996-3333 *I don’t know the details of this service but its worth checking out if you have medical expenses you can’t afford.
Angel Food Ministries 1-877-366-3646 www.angelfoodministries.com
They sell food at discounted prices.
This is going to hurt me, more than its going to hurt you. Making Homes Affordable Program Part III
Making Homes Affordable Program: First Hand Experience
How To Get 2% Interest Rate on 30 Year Mortgage
http://www.financialstability.gov/
How To Grow Your Small Business in this Economy? AND, Get a Great Deal.
All businesses are created equal when it comes to the state of our current economy. Both big corporations and mom and pop shops have taken a hit financially and are trying to weather the storm of this economic crisis. While large corporations rely on their size and of course government loans to help keep them afloat, smaller business are biting the proverbial dust. This is unfortunate because small businesses are actually better situated to not only thrive in this type of economy but also GROW.
Then why are all of these small business going out of business? The reason is, is that small business owners are not using there competitive advantage over their big business counterparts.
One advantages of the small business owner has is the ability to change their business model at a moments notice or on a per client basis. Realizing that go can’t continue using the same business model just because that is the way you have always done it is key to small business success.
Example: Instead of telling a potential client what you do, ASK what they are looking for. Customize your product/services according to what the market wants. Finding out is as easy as just asking.
Another example of a small business competitive advantage is the ability to negotiate. The art of negotiation is lost in large companies however as a small business owner if you are willing to negotiate price, product, service, or trade you will find a niche market that will be loyal and best of all, will refer friends and family.
Example: Big Ramp Marketing, LLC has been working with a local river rafting company (North Star River Expeditions, Inc. www.northstar-rafting.com ) for several years now. North Star prides themselves on being a first class rafting company and markets to clientele that is looking for that first class experience. Unfortunately , even those that can afford first class these days are opting for coach. However, because North Star is a small company willing to negotiate their services we were able to book a river trip at a discount because we had a very large group.
I was so impressed with North Star’s willingness to negotiate their price and be flexible with their business model that I got permission to pass on a great deal to you too. Anyone that mentions this article or Big Ramp Marketing will get to use our discount: 3 day all-inclusive Hells Canyon white water raft trip for $750 per person and the 5th person FREE. **More Information at the end of the article.
More millionaires were made during the great depression and I believe we will see some similar results with this current economic situation. My question to you is, what are you doing to thrive in the current economy?
–
Jacob & Tricia Warren, Owners
North Star River Expeditions, Inc.
PO Box 906
McCall, ID 83638
208-634-2296
877-610-3200
Visit Milan For $10
A week ago I treated myself to a wonderful facial. It was a little piece of heaven to be in a quiet room being pampered and to make the experience even better I got a great deal. I paid $10 for an hour long facial which included a very nice neck and arm massage. This was exactly what I needed to relax, rejuvenate and my skin looks vibrant. No kidding, I was carded at the grocery store and the twenty something clerk said “you look MUCH younger than you are”. I almost cried, that was the best compliment I have had in a while.
I want this experience for you too so I called Milan Institute http://milaninstitute.edu/and convinced them to give MomsFirstStop.com readers a great deal on several of their services.
$8.99 Basic Pedicure *print coupon
$10 Basic Facial
$18 Swedish Massage
25% off all Peels
**For the Boise area call 321-2870 or for all other locations please see the links below. These deals are for a limited time only so take advantage of them while you can. Please make sure you mention MomsFirstStop.com to get your discount.**
Milan Student Salon/Spa Locations:
Amarillo MIC | Go to our Amarillo Student Salon/Spa page 2400 E. 27th | Amarillo, Texas | 79103
Bakersfield MI | Go to our Bakersfield Student Salon/Spa page 2822 F Street | Bakersfield, California | 93301
Boise MI | Go to our Boise Student Salon/Spa page 8590 W Fairview Ave | Boise, Idaho | 83704
Clovis MI | Go to our Clovis Student Salon/Spa page 731 W Shaw Ave | Clovis, California | 93612
Fairfield MIC | Go to our Fairfield Student Salon/Spa page 934 Missouri Street | Fairfield, California | 94533
Indio MI | Go to our Indio Student Salon/Spa page 45-691 Monroe Street, Ste 2 | Indio, California | 92201
San Antonio-Ingram Park MI | Go to our San Antonio-Ingram Park Student Salon/Spa page Ingram Park - 6151 NW Loop 410, Ste 201 | San Antonio-Ingram Park, Texas | 78238
San Antonio-Windcrest MIC | Go to our San Antonio-Windcrest Student Salon/Spa page Windcrest - 5403 Walzem Road | San Antonio-Windcrest, Texas | 78218
San Antonio-South MIC | Go to our San Antonio-South Student Salon/Spa page South San Antonio - 605 SW Military Drive | San Antonio-South, Texas | 78221
Reno-Sparks MI | Go to our Reno-Sparks Student Salon/Spa page 950 Industrial Way | Reno-Sparks, Nevada | 89431
Visalia MI | Go to our Visalia Student Salon/Spa page 3356 S Fairway | Visalia, California | 93277
Visalia MIC | Go to our Visalia Student Salon/Spa page 3238 S Fairway | Visalia, California | 93277
Reno MIC | Go to our Reno Student Salon/Spa page 1050 Matley Lane | Reno, Nevada | 89502
Concord MIC | Go to our Concord Student Salon/Spa page2150 John Glenn Drive | Concord, California | 94520
Please note Indio, California MIC Student Salon/Spa will be opening soon!
Economy Giving You Bad Hair?
If you are sporting the “haggard house wife” look because its too expensive to keep up on your personal maintenance you can officially take your hair out of that pony tail and follow me to a local Spa-lon offering economy busting deals. As always, great news from MomsFirstStop.com deals department. I just found out that my favorite salon is now opening under a new name, JMZ Spa-lon. It is a full service salon and spa with most of their employees having 15+ years of experience. I have been going to Teresa (my hair stylist) for almost 10 years now and she is fantastic!
JMZ Spa-lon’s is now offering several awesome deals for all of your personal maintenance needs. Give them a call to make your appointment. 208-853-6299 5907 W. State St. Boise, Id
$109 Stimulus package:1 hour massage, 1 hour facial, manicure and pedicure
April is offering a $25 pedicure
Dotty is offering $40 mani/pedi and full set of nails w/ free fill $50
Kim is offering $39 1 hour massage with a $10 off coupon with first visit
Britta is offering $40 Brazilian wax, 1 hour facial $35, air brush tan full body $35, teeth whitening starting at $49, lash and brow tinting $30
Tina is offering an anti-oxidant facial $33, derma-sound facial $42,
AND
All Hair stylists are offering $10 hair cut for new clients.
**If you have a great deal on a product or service and would like to share it with momsfirststop.com readers please email me angela@momsfirststop.com**
5.25% Interest on eChecking Account
If you are looking for a high yielding checking account I have found a great deal! Capital Educators Federal Credit Union is offering an eChecking account for 5.25%. Earn an outstanding rate and get nationwide ATM fees reimbursed up to $25 per month. Captial Educators is NCUA federally insured to at least $250,000 and is open to anyone wanting to bank with them. For more information check out their website www.capedfcu.org
For more great deals check out Deals, Freebies & More
How To Get 2% Interest Rate on 30 Year Mortgage
The Obama administration has just announced its plan to help at risk home owners. The plan would create a $75 billion loan modification program that would allow “responsible homeowners” to refinance to interest rates as low as 2 percent. The initiative would only help homeowners who commit to make payments to stay in their home. It will not help speculators or house flippers, the department said.
Here are a few highlights from the plan:
Already many of the nation’s biggest banks, including Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, have said they will participate in the program. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage companies have set up contact points for borrowers to determine if their loans are owned or guaranteed by them.
To find out if you qualified call or click on the links below:
http://www.financialstability.gov/
For Fannie Mae, borrowers can call 1-800-7FANNIE or go online to www.fanniemae/homeaffordable.
For Freddie Mac, call 1-800-FREDDIE or go online at www.freddiemac/avoidforeclosure.
25% Discount on Your Taxes AND TAX UPDATES THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE AWARE OF
Its tax time again and even though it is not a fun “thing to do” MomsFirstStop.com is here to help make it a little less painful. MomsFirstStop.com is partnering with her favorite tax man, Ben Warren co-owner of NILE CLARK AND ASSOCIATES, to give all MomsFirstStop.com readers a 25% discount on their taxes. Just contact Ben Warren at NILE CLARK AND ASSOCIATES, mention the MomsFirstStop.com discount and he will take great care of you. *Ben also does mail-ins for those of you who aren’t in the area.
BWarrenTaxService@gmail.com
NILECLARKANDASSOCAITES.COM
208-383-1186
208-383-1183 FAX
FIVE TAX UPDATES THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE AWARE OF FOR 2008/2009
- First time homebuyer’s credit: this credit is for those first time home buyers that purchase a home between April 9 2008 through July 1 2009. This credit should be viewed as a loan. The money is interest free but must be paid back over the next 15 years.
- Residential Energy credits are suspended for 2008 but will be allowed for 2009.
- Property tax can be claimed even if the taxpayer doesn’t itemize.
- Sale of personal residence capital gains tax: There are significant changes starting in 2009 with sale of a personal residence that has had any business use in the prior 5 years.
- Mileage changes: 50.5 cents per mile the first half of 08 and 58.5 for the second half.
TOP FIVE REASONS THAT YOU SHOULDN’T USE TURBO TAX OR TAX BOXES
- Cost vs. Value- typically you’re going to get someone that has little experience, tax accounting isn’t their fulltime job, and they typically charge way too much.
- The IRS has established a department just for auditing Turbo Tax returns; error likelihood is very high.
- There is very little understanding of the complete financial picture.
- You may get some audit protection but it must be purchased.
- Very little understanding of tax law and optimizing a return to its potential.
* Call and get a quote from a reputable company before taking on the task yourself or allowing someone with little experience to prepare your tax return.
February “Things To Do”
Momsfirststop.com is looking for fun cheap to free things to do. If you would like to share a community event or a great idea that our readers would appreciate please send email me, angela@momsfirststop.com
February 2009
Since February is the month dedicated to love I came up with some fun cheap to free things to do with the ones you love. Making time for your spouse and friends is hard enough as it is and to compound the outing with the expense it is nearly impossible to get out the door. Here are a few fun ideas that are easy on your wallet and fun for you.
1. Be a patron of the arts.
A trip to the local theater, ballet, museum or symphony can be an inexpensive and fun way to spend an evening. Look for shows or events at your community theater, a performance school or a local university. Some events even may be free! FREE Photographic Arts Collective Student Exhibition
FREE Boise Philharmonic Backstage with the Artist
2. Play board games.
No time to plan? Have a game night! Play cards or another favorite game that adults love. To get out of the house, find a local restaurant or bar that has a weekly trivia night. Better yet, kick out the guys and kids and host a poker night for all of your girlfriends.
3. Take a cooking class.
Sign up for a cooking class with your friends. Learn something new and catch up with the girls. Margie Davies (davies5009@aol.com), owner of “Thyme on your hands” has a special Valentines Day offering if you would like to avoid the crowded noisy restaurant scene. There are also great classes offered by the local parks and recreation that include cooking, dancing, and other fun classes. Boise Parks and Rec Activity Guide
4. Hold a clothing swap.
At the start of a new season, ask your friends in advance to bring any of their unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories to your party. Let everyone sort through and pick out the items she wants. Donate any unwanted clothes to charity. It’s a fun, free way to update your wardrobe.
5. Go for dessert.
Get your girlfriends to dress up and go out to a restaurant just for dessert. You’ll avoid paying for an expensive dinner but still have a special night on the town.
Murphy’s has the best “mile high” Mud Pie and an awesome happy hour (2 for 1 drinks and apps) 4-7pm M-F noon-7pm Saturday. Sign up for their newsletter MVP Club, and receive special offers.
6. Host a spa night. Nothing says girls’ night like a spa party.
Give manicures, pedicures and facials. Serve fun, healthy drinks and turn on some chick flicks. If you want to go all out, hire a masseuse to give massages. A spa night is a great way to get pampered and spend time with the girls.
Planet Beach is offering a FREE DAY AT THE SPA for you and a friend. Just click the link for your free spa pass!
MORE LINKS
“Things To Do” is being updated weekly so make sure you check it out
FREE Holiday Music CD (Today only from Oprah)
Wow! This is a hot week for free stuff courtesy of momsfirststop.com and of course those who are actually giving away the free goodies. This free holiday CD is good for today only so hurry up and enjoy your free holiday music.
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081118_tows_holiday/2
Holiday Hits 2008
Faith Hill, “Joy to the World” from the album Joy to the World
www.amazon.com
© 2008 Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Tony Bennett, “I’ll be Home for Christmas” from the album A Swingin’ Christmas
www.tonybennett.net
© 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Il Divo, “O Holy Night” from the album The Christmas Collection
www.Ildivo.com
© 2005 Simco Limited exclusively licensed to Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited
Josh Groban, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” from the album Noel
www.joshgroban.com
© 2007 Reprise Records
Brian McKnight, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” from the album I’ll Be Home for Christmas
www.bmcknight.com
© 2008 Razor & Tie Direct, LLC
Amy Grant, “O Come All Ye Faithful” from the album The Christms Collection
www.amygrant.com
© 2008 Amy Grant Productions
Harry Connick Jr., “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” from the album What a Night! A Christmas Album
www.hconnickjr.com
© 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Aretha Franklin, “Silent Night” from the album This Christmas
www.borders.com
© 2008 DMI Records
FREE Vitamins
As you know I love FREE stuff so take this one and enjoy.
Try a 14-day supply of Naturemade softgel vitamins for FREE. Just click the link below.
http://www.lsg.naturemade.com/naturemade/default.aspx
For other great deals please check out these links: