The numbers are in...
According to the Year-End 2010 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ released by RealtyTrac®, 2010 showed almost a 2% increase from 2009 increase in foreclosure filings, and an increase of 23% from 2008. However, December saw nearly a 2% decrease from November in default notices and was down 26% from December 2009. This was the largest annual drop in foreclosure activity reported by RealtyTrac since it began publishing its foreclosure report in January 2005. The drop also gave December the lowest monthly total since June 2008. The fourth quarter overall showed a decrease of 14% in foreclosure filings from the previous quarter and an 8% decrease from the fourth quarter of 2009.
Could this mean the economy is on it's way back? We'll have to wait and see. However, with many short sales and foreclosures still on the market there are many opportunities for buyers to take advantage of the low interest rates and get a great house. On the other side of the market, there are also many options available for sellers who are finding they can no longer afford their mortgage.
In the past year I found myself working on both sides of many foreclosed properties in the Charlotte NC are, both with sellers and with buyers, if you are trying to navigate today's market don't go at it alone. Helping families Avoid Foreclosure while saving much of their credit is what I'm Certified to do. If someone you care about struggling to make their mortgage payments or needing to sell their home but can't because it's worth less than they paid? There are Options! Have them call me today.
And here is your morning coffee...
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
You fell down the first time you tried to walk.
You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn't you?
Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat?
Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot.
R.H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.
English novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books.
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he also hit 714 home runs.
Don't worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."
"I CAN'T" IS DEAD!
There's a wonderful story in "Chicken Soup For The Soul" about a 4th grade teacher and a funeral. The teacher had her students fill a sheet of notebook paper with all the things they couldn't do. They wrote furiously for quite a while filling their paper with "I can't do ten push-ups," or "I can't kick the soccer ball past second base," or "I can't get Debbie to like me."
The students were then instructed to fold their papers and place them into a shoebox at the front of the room. The teacher then tucked the box under her arm, and invited the students to follow her out into the playground. There, they each took a turn at the shovel and dug a hole four feet deep. The box was placed in the hole and quickly covered with dirt.
The students then held hands while the instructor delivered a eulogy in memory of "I can't." In it, she noted that "I can't" was survived by his brothers and sister, "I can," "I will," and "I'm going to right away."
"I can't" is a close relative to most of us, yet maybe with a little extra effort we can finally let him go. It won't be easy since he's been such a close relation, yet maybe by dwelling on his brothers and sister and their importance to us - we can!
Remember the unforgettable line from "The Little Engine That Could"? "I think I can - I THINK I can! I THINK I CAN!" Don't forget the last line of our quote for the day. "Worry about the chances you'll miss when you don't even try!"
