Smithfield, Virginia: Early 1900 Sear’s catalouge house, shipped in by rail and assembled on the lot. It is now a bed and breakfast.

No-Credit-Check Loan Red Flags

Welp. A kid just threw a baseball through your window and ran away before you could get his parents’ information. Now you need a loan to fix it. But what if your credit score isn’t exactly a home run? What are you going to do now?

Housing Booms and Busts

Patricia McCoy and Susan Wachter have posted Why Cyclicality Matter to Access to Mortgage Credit to SSRN. The paper is now particularly relevant because of President Trump’s plan to roll back Dodd-Frank’s regulation of the financial markets, including the mortgage market. While McCoy and Wachter do not claim that Dodd-Frank solves the problem of cyclicality in the mortgage market, they do highlight how it reduces some of the worst excesses in that market. They make a persuasive case that more work needs to be done to reduce mortgage market cyclicality.

Who’s a Predatory Lender?

Consumers are often told to stay away from predatory lenders, but the problem with that advice is a predatory lender doesn’t advertise itself as such.

Fortunately, if you’re on guard, you should be able to spot the signs that will let you know a loan is bad news. If you’re afraid you’re about to sign your life away on a dotted line, watch for these clues first.

The FHA Rollback’s Impact on Homebuyers

Less than an hour after being sworn in as president, Donald Trump signed his first executive order, eliminating a drop in FHA mortgage insurance premiums that was to take effect a week later. If the rate reduction had stayed in place, the average borrower with a $200,000 mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration would have had their mortgage insurance drop by about $500 per year.

Consumer Protection in Trouble under Trump

Last week I asked 100 people in an audience, “How many of you have heard of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?” Only five people raised their hands. I’m surprised. In the 240-year history of our nation, we never had a truly pro-consumer federal agency until five years ago. It’s working, but now we’re in danger of losing it.

Back in 1859, a man named Robert Chesebrough was in the oil fields of Titusville, Pennsylvania where he learned about a byproduct residue called "rod wax." Interestingly, the workers used this substance to help heal cuts and burns. Chesebrough took some of the rod wax to Brooklyn, extracted the usable petroleum jelly, and began selling the product as Vaseline.

As you probably already know, Vaseline can be used as a moisture insulator to help you with dry and cracked skin, but it’s much more versatile than that! What do I mean? Check out these amazing Vaseline hacks!

1. Body scrub

You can make your own inexpensive body scrub by mixing some kosher salt with Vaseline. Alternatively, use sugar with Vaseline for a lip scrub for smooth, moist lips!

2. Unstick and stuck zipper

Is your zipper stuck? Super annoying! But add a bit of Vaseline on the zipper and give it another hard tug… voila!

3. Fix scratched phone screens

This sounds crazy but if you have scratches on your phone screen, try adding some Vaseline into the scratch and wiping off the excess. (make sure you don’t put any Vaseline into the phone itself!). This works because the petroleum jelly has a similar density as the LCD of your phone.

4. Shine scuffed up patent leather shoes

If you have scuffed up patent leather shoes, dip a cotton swab in some Vaseline and rub the scuff.

5. Cleaner paint jobs

If you’re doing any painting around the home and want to make sure you avoid staining something (e.g. a hinge or any hardware), cover it in Vaseline!

6. Cleaner nail painting

Put a bit of Vaseline on your cuticles with a cotton swab to keep your nail polish from sticking to your skin for a much cleaner finish!

7. Remove makeup stains from your clothes

Dab a bit of Vaseline on a damp cloth and rub stains away on your clothes and sheets!

8. Stop squeaky door hinges

If your door hinges are making too much noise and you don’t have a spray lubricant, try adding a light coat of Vaseline! Ideally, apply the Vaseline after removing the hinge pin first.

9. Bug bite repellant

Apparently, Vaseline is great at preventing bug bites! Try applying Vaseline to your exposed body parts next time you plan on staying outdoors.

10. Remove water stains from wooden surfaces

Have a water ring on your wooden table? Apply a bit of Vaseline to the stain and let it sit overnight, wiping it off the next day.

11. Make your fragrance last longer

If your perfume or cologne doesn’t seem to last long enough, try applying a bit of Vaseline on your skin first. Your fragrance should now last all day!

12. Hair treatment

Fly-aways? Frizzy hair? Split ends? Vaseline is a great way to help treat your hair problems and protect it from further damage.

Who knew that vaseline could do so much?

http://www.metaspoon.com/a-vaseline-hacks-salt-beauty-cleaning-tricks/?cat=exerheal#ljV2jCxBfR65EdWm.99

Ann Kaplan, of Jamesville, Virginia [Virginia's Eastern Shore] is no longer associated with this firm / Competition Realty.  If you wish to contact her please use the contact information she supplied to you.  If you want to address any matter that deals with issues you feel touch and concern this firm that Ms. Kaplan was involved in please feel free to contact David Lindsey, Principal Broker @ 757-424-5102 or email / broker@realtycom.net.

Steinberger v. McVey ex rel. County of Maricopa
2014 WL 333575 (Ariz. Court of Appeals, Jan. 30, 2014)
Summary prepared by Dale Whitman

Wells Fargo Pays $42 Million in Fair Housing Case

Failed to maintain foreclosed properties in minority neighborhoods, turning the vacant houses into dilapidated eyesores

But no one went to jail and Wells Fargo still made money.  Its the same old, same old.

To see BLT's full post mouse over & click on the BLT logo

BLT reports:

Mouse over and Click the Dodd / Frank Logo for its Post

Pro se homeowner [representing herself] wins rare federal stay of sale in foreclosure case

Representing herself in federal court without the help of a lawyer, a Colorado homeowner has won a rare ruling staying the auction sale of her home after she lost a state-court mortgage foreclosure case.

U.S. District Judge William Martinez on Monday issued an order temporarily staying the sale of Lisa Kay Brumfiel's home in Arapahoe County, which had been set to go to auction on Wednesday, reports the Denver Post.

Brumfiel, 43, who works as a part-time saleswoman, is now scheduled to argue on May 15 why Colorado's mortgage-foreclosure law violates the equal-protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She is up against not only U.S. Bank but Larry Castle, a powerful state foreclosure lawyer.

At issue in Brumfiel's federal case, the newspaper explains, is whether the foreclosure plaintiff has shown in the state-court case that the mortgage and note for her Aurora home were validly transferred to U.S. Bank. She originally took out her loan from First Franklin Mortgage.

"Colorado is the only state in the country that allows an unsworn statement by an attorney for a foreclosing party—without any penalty—to say, 'Trust me, judge, these guys are the qualified holder for this deed of trust,' " Martinez said, giving a glimpse of his thinking so far. "Is there another state that has lowered the bar for a foreclosure any lower?"

Representing herself in federal court without the help of a lawyer, a Colorado homeowner has won a rare ruling staying the auction sale of her home after she lost a state-court mortgage foreclosure case.

U.S. District Judge William Martinez on Monday issued an order temporarily staying the sale of Lisa Kay Brumfiel's home in Arapahoe County, which had been set to go to auction on Wednesday, reports the Denver Post.

Brumfiel, 43, who works as a part-time saleswoman, is now scheduled to argue on May 15 why Colorado's mortgage-foreclosure law violates the equal-protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She is up against not only U.S. Bank but Larry Castle, a powerful state foreclosure lawyer.

At issue in Brumfiel's federal case, the newspaper explains, is whether the foreclosure plaintiff has shown in the state-court case that the mortgage and note for her Aurora home were validly transferred to U.S. Bank. She originally took out her loan from First Franklin Mortgage.

"Colorado is the only state in the country that allows an unsworn statement by an attorney for a foreclosing party—without any penalty—to say, 'Trust me, judge, these guys are the qualified holder for this deed of trust,' " Martinez said, giving a glimpse of his thinking so far. "Is there another state that has lowered the bar for a foreclosure any lower?"

The Right Way to Clean a Deck

There is a difference in what you do between cleaning a hardwood deck and a softwood deck!!

If you have a wood deck…skip the bleach, and use oxygen cleaner.

In our climate [southern Virginia (SV)] , anything over two [2] years between 'painting/treating ' a wood deck' is a bit on the long side for the oil based products that are used.

You should oil my your hardwood deck about every 18 months or so — spring one year, fall the next.

You can oil your entire 200 sq feet or so deck [the average deck size per real estate tax assessment records] in about 3 hours. One late afternoon’s works is not that big of a time commitment. SV weather has a lot of moisture that results in a moisture abuse that causes heavy soiling and mildew.

Oxygen based cleaner

Penofin’s cleaner is the most reliable and easiest cleaner. For the techs/chemist/critics among you the primary ingredient in Penofin’s cleaner is sodium percarbonate.

When mixed with water it yields Hydrogen Peroxide and Soda Ash (the other main ingredient).