Mortgage Rates Near 40 Year Lows

Recent financial events have created some of the lowest mortgage rates we have seen in years. Professional Alliance member, Conrad Wouters relayed to us on June 1, 2010 that he had access to a conforming 30 year fixed rate of 4.75%, and a Five Year ARM rate was just 3.75% both with zero points.

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RockCandy Favorite Recipes: Blackened Halibut with Remoulade

In this dish the mild, sweet taste of halibut is enboldened by a cajun seasoning and balanced wonderfully with a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce. Bon Appetit!

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The Big Short

There are not many books I read about the securities industry where the majority of you would every make it through the first chapter, but Michael Lewis’ new book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, is as exciting as it is educational. The book chronicles the lives of a few individuals who saw the housing crash coming and made huge bets against subprime loans.


Mr. Lewis’ first best seller, Liar’s Poker covered a period of time back in the 80s when creative securitization of bonds emerged. The bond world is so surreal, yet Lewis was able to colorfully introduce the reader to the Darwinian world of the bond market and accurately conveys the real world of the institutional bond market no mater how unbelievable it might seem. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Residential Real Estate Short Sales

You may know of someone having to deal with a mortgage that is in excess of the value of their home and needs to sell. Chuck Reiling, a local realtor, has written an excellent summary on the basic options available to individuals in that situation. Please feel free to contact him if you would like more in-depth information.
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