TOYS FOR TOTS

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program

The Christmas message is one of hope, peace and love, an the season is a time of sharing and giving to those we love and to others less fortunate.

The U.S. Marine TOYS FOR TOTS program collects new, unwrapped toys during the Christmas season each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. Through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a mesage of hope to needy youngsters will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. Without the help of the Community and Organizations this event could not take place. We ask everyone join forces like he team that we are and help this Christmas!!!

TOYS can be brought to our special event on Saturday, December 5, 2009, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm @ the Saratoga Homes Model Home Park located on 2227 Lisa Sherr (right off Joe Battle and Pebble Hills). Don't forget to register to win a $500 gift card..!!!!

Bring your friends, bring your customers and don't forget to bring a toy to this event. Marina Lee from 93.1 KSII will be there, we will have food, sodas etc...

You are invited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Danii Sedillo
Marketing Manager
Saratoga Homes
(915) 929 2755

BIG BANG !!!

Together with JNC MOrtgage we proudly offer the following incentives

for homes CARPET TO COMPLETE:

• 4.5% OAC
• up to 6 points towards closing costs and prepaids
• washer & dryer OR
• 42inch plasma TV and a playstation of your choice (xbox, playstation or WII) ...

for homes FRAME TO TRIM:

• 4.875% OAC
• up to 6 points towards closing costs and prepaids
• washer & dryer OR
• 42inch plasm TV and a playstation of your choice (xbox, playstation or WII) ..

DON'T WAIT !! GET YOUR XMAS PRESENT NOW !!!!!!

CALL ME FOR SHOWING OR MORE INFORMATION @ (915) 929 2755

Veterans Day & Ft Hood

I am not only a Marketing Manager for Saratoga Homes, I am also a military spouse..

Today my heart is going out to our military base in Fort Hood, to those brave wives of deployed Soldiers, to the widows and family members of those who just lost their lives a couple days ago. There is nothing I can do to ease your pain .. just know you are not alone .. we are grieving with you.

And last but not least (even though I am not a Soldier) I would like to salute to you, all of you who are currently serving or who have served days, weeks, months, years, decates or centuries ago. We can not thank you enough for your sacrifices!

I received this quote today and I would like to share this with you:

"It's the Military, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the Military, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the military, please pass this on and pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom."

God bless you!!!!

Home Buyer Tax Credit extended !!

As you may have heard, yesterday Congress voted to both extend and expand the home buyer tax credit. This new legislation has the potential to significantly help you.

- The current home buyer tax credit is extended to all purchases written before April 30, 2010;
- It significantly increases the number of people eligible to receive the credit by including first time buyers and many current home owners;
- Income limits are increased, thereby further expanding the number of potential home buyers that qualify to receive the credit.

These aspects of the new tax credit, combined with low mortgage rates and the best housing affordability that most areas have seen in many years, should help you greatly!
As always, I am eager to help you with all of your real estate needs. For questions about how this could help you, please call me at (915) 929 2755

current availability

Call me any time@ (915) 929 2755

This weeks specials:
with JNC Mortgage, our preferred lender we give you a 4.75% interest rate on approved credit and 6 points towards closing costs and prepaids..
You can also pick and choose between a 42" plasma tv or washer and dryer ...

10 Credit Score Don´ts

1. Steer clear of these 10 things experts say can mangle your score.
   Don´t avoid using credit. If you don´t use credit, you won´t have much of a credit score. “A credit score is an important tool companies use to protect themselves,” Sweet says. The lower the score, the higher the risk, and this can affect whether or not a loan is approved.
2. 
   Don´t miss payments. Paying a bill late will hurt your credit, but missing a payment will damage it even more. “If you do so, you can´t make it up,” Sweet says. In other words, making two payments in the next billing cycle will not remove the blemish from your credit report. Whether or not you pay your bills on time determines 33% of your score.
3. 
   Don´t limit loan types. Despite what your bank account may state, a car payment and a mortgage may not be enough. Also managing an installment debt, such as a credit card, is a good indicator of credit savviness. There are five elements to the credit score model and revolving credit, which allows consumers to charge and owe different amounts each month, is one of them. “It´s 10% of the score,” says Gail Cunningham, Vice President of Public Relations for National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
4. 
   Don´t close unused credit card accounts. Actually, just use caution, says Sweet. A factor in credit score models is your utilization, which is your debt vs. how much is available. For instance, if you owe $4,800 on a card with a $5,000 limit, you´re using most of your available credit and this “utilization” will have a negative impact on your score. Counting toward 30 percent, your utilization is the second highest factor in your credit score. You should charge no more than 30% of your available credit, recommends Cunningham.
   
5. Don´t be a credit tease. Don´t run up charges all over town or apply for several cards at once while looking for the best rewards program. Recent inquiries means that you have accessed your credit and this can affect your score negatively. “This signals that you´re desperate for credit and don´t have enough cash available for your purchases,” says Cunningham. She adds that if you are shopping for a major purchase, such as a mortgage or car loan, the inquiries will usually roll together into one.
6. 
   Don´t rob Peter to pay Paul. Don´t charge anything unless you know how and when you are going to pay it back. One of the benefits of credit is the ability to spread out payments on a big purchase, not to delay paying with hopes that the money will come in - from somewhere. If you need to use a credit card for convenience, use a prepaid card or a secured card that enables you to make payments to your own line of credit.
7. 
   Don´t get on the call list. When a debt turns into a collection account, it´s an indication that you got yourself in hot water. Once a collection agency jumps into the arena, it becomes the owner of the debt, which will show on your credit report. Trying to make payments to the original debtor will not make the collection agency or the negative mark on your credit go away.
8. 
   Don´t forget the little things. That library fine you didn´t pay or the health club contract you signed but didn´t honor can show up on your credit report. Any debtor has the right to report unpaid bills to the credit bureaus, and many of them exercise that right.
9. 
   Don´t negotiate. On paying less than what you owe, that is. If you cannot repay a debt in full and a creditor agrees to settle for less than you owe, you haven´t won the battle. Instead of negotiating to lower the overall amount of the debt, ask to have your interest rate or monthly payment lowered so that you can continue to pay the debt off in full.
10. 
    Don´t give up. If you have late payments, missed payments, defaulted loans, and similar credit mess-ups in-between, don´t give up and think that your credit report is ruined. Although offenses like these generally stay on your credit report for seven years, the recovery clock doesn´t start ticking until you have one full month of paying all of your debts on time, says Sweet.
    

FROM: FreeCreditReport.com® Members

DREAM HOME FOR SALE !!! 859 Southwyck

• We are selling our Parade of the Homes Model Home!!
  
  4 bedrooms, 3 baths
  2750 sqft
  Gourmet kitchen, kitchen island, granite countertops
  Stainless steel appliances, double oven
  Formal dining and formal living room (wood floors)
  Family room with fireplace
  Large Master Suite w/sitting area & his/hers closet
  Master Bath with walk in shower, jetted tub, double vanity, granite countertops
  Front/back yard professionally landscaped w/ sprinkler
  Pool and Hot Tub
  Outdoor kitchen (grill, refrigerator etc), outdoor fireplace
  3 points towards closing costs and prepaids
  4.875% OAC with our preferred lenders
  
  This one of a kind Saratoga Home is loaded with upgrades!!!!!!!!!

CALL ME @ (915) 929 2755

Let me give you a quick tour...

Entrance (inside)


to your right s the formal dining ...do you see the custom made plantation shutters?

straight ahead to your left is the formal living room .. see the wood floors and the reset lights? Do you also see the niche with the designer glas mosaik tiles? Nice work!!!

Breakfast area & Gourmet kitchen..

Master Bath .. look at the carved granite countertops & jetted tub..

Master Suite with sitting area & stunning view .. yep,it is a pool & hot tub

The beathtaking outdoor area with kitchen, refrigerator, pool, hot tub and fireplace & an easy to maintain backyard with sprinker system!

Why buy now?

I think I could write a successful blog just on what I read in the newspaper each day.

Why I even read the New York Times, El Paso Times and all those newspapers is a quandary to me, given that the papers reads more like the Huffington Post these days. A friend of mine said that from time to time she enjoys real estate writer Mary Umberger, although she thinks she's a little pessimistic on the market, and do think she ignores the real reasons that people buy houses for.

Recently she wrote a little pros/cons section on whether or not it's the time to buy a house. Reasons to buy? High inventory, low prices, low interest rates, $8,000 tax credit etc. Reasons not to buy? Prices still in decline (what???), renting isn't a crime, financing is more complicated (no, it's not!!), etc.

Good reasons, you think?...But what about addressing the real reasons that people buy and don't buy? What if, instead of providing biased opinions from those on each side of the argument, we broke it down and really made it easy to figure out if it's a good idea to buy or not to buy? What if some people don't really buy because of interest rates after all, and what's all this garbage about a market bottom?

What if people buy because they're confident and don't buy because they're scared and the rest of the reasons are just fluff? If people buy because of interest rates, why did anyone buy a home from 1980 to 1983? Interest rates aren’t the key, market indicators aren’t the key, lifestyle accomplishment is the key. The sooner we understand that, the more effective we'll be.

First, let's get this "market bottom' theory out of our way. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, market bottoms are only easy to identify once they've happened. Look at the stock market. By most accounts, we've been to the market bottom of this recession cycle.

Take a look at a stock chart, or individual stock hi/lows, and you'll see that most stocks hit their 52 week lows on March 5th of this year. Did you buy a a hundred thousand dollars worth of stocks on March 5th? If you did, you probably would have turned $100k into $300k pretty easily. What's that? You didn't buy on March 5th? But that was the market bottom! Why on earth didn't you buy? What's wrong with you? I really can't believe you were sitting there, at your computer screen, with Etrade account open, and you didn't pull the trigger on CAR at 33 cents. You could have turned $100k into $3,630,303 in 5 short months. Shame on you.

See why market bottoms aren't too cool? Because when they happen, there's usually too much fear in the market to encourage buying. What is true for the stock market is also true of the housing market. Market bottoms sound great in theory, but they're just too darn hard to identify while they're happening. Instead of an identifiable bottom, why don't we just focus on a bottom trough, a trough that we're certainly in right now.

Movements to either side of this current point are going to be prevalent, which is why we'll see positive housing numbers one quarter, and negative housing numbers the next. We're in a sideways market, and I'd suggest we're in a market bottom that we'll stay in for another year or so. As long as REO property dominate the sales statistics, we won't see a true recovery towards a "normal" market.

So if we're in the market, why buy? Do you believe the market bulls or bears? Do you focus on the famous 5 positive signs, or are you negative and you prefer to side with the cons? Go right ahead and rent for the rest of your life, and maybe, just maybe your landlord will let you paint a white wall tan. If you ask nicely.

What if you just let the 5 reasons to buy and the 5 reasons to wait cancel each other out, and buy for lifestyle. Housing bull? No thanks. Call me a lifestyle bull. A lifestyle bull in a confidence sapped china shop. Buy because that house you grew up admiring just came on the market. Buy because you‘re confident in your job status, and that new development just slashed their prices 35%. Buy because your neighbor cuts his grass at 7 am on Saturday mornings.

Buy because the city heat is just about to make your head explode and you always wanted to have a house with refrigerated a/c. Buy because you’ll walk a little taller if you live on that street where the Maples high overhead reach across the street and shake hands with each other Above all, buy because you want a better lifestyle for you, for your friends, and for your family, and the purchase you’re contemplating allows you to more easily obtain that lifestyle.

If you need fundamentals to buy, realize that interest rates are unbelievably low and inventory is monumentally high. Realize that whether or not the market creates an identifiable bottom, you're not going to know when it does. Just buy because of the 320 months of summer we're all hoping for out of life, way too many of them have already been wasted worrying about 5% market swings, and 5% interest rates.

Ready for a joke?? :-)

Just found this online and thought you might like this as well .. very funny, very britisch...

So please, take a seat, relax and laugh as hard as I did ;-)

Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC) -1st time home buyer

Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC) - FTHB Double Tax Credits
Originally published on Tuesday, July 21, 2009

With all of the creative financing options of the past several years one option that has been forgotten is the good old fashioned Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC). In the early to mid 90’s the MCC was a popular tool for many first time homebuyers. Here are answers to some common questions about the MCC program.

What is an MCC?

An MCC is a dollar for dollar tax credit on a borrower’s federal tax return. This credit is used to offset a tax liability.

Who is eligible?
MCC’s are generally limited to First Time Homebuyers. Some State/Local Housing Financing agencies allow buyers in targeted area’s to be non-first time buyers. Generally MCC’s are limited to low to moderate income borrowers. Income limits vary according to the geographic location of the property.

Who issues the MCC Credits?
MCC’s are generally issued by State Housing Finance Agencies and in some cases Local Housing Finance Agencies can also issue an MCC Credit Certificate. Currently, there are 34 states still offering MCC's

How much is the credit and how is it calculated?
An MCC credit is equal to a minimum of 10% of the interest paid by a borrower during the year and can be as high as 50% of the interest paid for some borrowers. How will it help my clients?
If a borrower pays $5,000 a year in interest and has a 20% MCC credit, that credit amounts to an extra $1,000 for the borrower over the year. That equals an extra $83.33 per month in the borrowers pocket and can mean as much as an extra $7 to $10k in buying power for a client. In addition for borrowers with higher debt ratios the MCC credit may help them qualify.

Can my clients use this with the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit?
Yes, MCC’s can be used with the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. (THIS IS A BIGGIE - a DOUBLE TAX BENEFIT) Can my clients use this to increase the amount of their tax refund?
NO! This is a tax credit, that means in order to get the full benefit of the credit your client must have a tax liability at the end of the year. This liability is “washed” away by the tax credit. Most borrowers create a tax liability by changing their withholdings out of their paycheck. That means more money in every check with no tax liability at the end of the year. This makes that dream house much more affordable!

Availability as per 9/16/2009

Dear Friends of Saratoga Homes,

Time flies … THANKSGIVING is only 71 days away, XMAS only 100 days …wow …. And in and between is 30 November 2009 – the very last day your 1st time home buyer is able to close on his house, in order to be able to get the $8,000 tax credit … if it is not a cash deal, your customer needs to get a loan…if he goes USDA it can easily take up to 40 days to close … means you need to find him a home before 15 October, 2009 … THIS IS IN 4 WEEKS !!!!!!!!!

Please let me help you help your customer find the right home.. I took the liberty to attach a list of our homes, TRIM to COMPLETE… those homes vary from $105,950 - $248,450.. The TUSCANY series and the Renaissance Series have granite countertops and stainless steel kitchen appliances already as a standard feature, ALL homes have refrigerated a/c !!

Time is of the essence .....

CALL TODAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (915) 929 2755

COMPLETE to TRIM HOMES
14229 Desert Mesa, Verona, 4B/2.5B, 1840sqft, $156,950 – Complete
12320 Sombra Grande, Palermo, 4B/2.5B, 1848sqft, $156,950 – Complete
14417 J. Ramos, Velencia, 3B/2B, 1069sqft, $105,950 – Complete
4633 Joseph Rodriguez, Madrid, 4B/2B, 1284sqft, $118,950 - Complete
2203 Lisa Sheer, Sole, 4B/2.5B, 1802sqft, $165,950 – Complete
14224 Desert Mesa, Tiber, 4B/2B, 1510sqft, $138,950 – Carpet
14337 Desert Sage, Geneva, 3B/2B, 1426sqft, $133,950 - Trim
14320 Desert Sage, Tiber, 4B/2B, 1510sqft, $138,950 - Trim
14308 Desert Sage, Sicily, 4B/2B, 1656sqft, $149,950 - Trim

Homes with an additional Realtor Bonus between $1,000 - $4,000
11289 Acoma, Tiber, 4B/2B, 1510sqft, $145,450 – Complete
765 Desert Sage, Sicily, 4B/2B, 1656sqft, $148,950 –Complete
14201 Desert Stone, Sicily, 4B/2B, 1656sqft, $149,950 - Complete
14405 JRamos, York, 3B/2B, 1157sqft, $123,950 – Complete
12311 Sombra Grande, Sole, 4B/2.5B, 1802sqft, $165,950 – Complete
4917 Stampede, Picasso, 3B/2.5B, 1790sqft, $162,450 – Complete
11332 Bullseye, Palermo, 4B/2.5B, 1848sqft,$166,450 – Complete
11348 Bullseye, Palermo, 4B/2.5B, 1848sqft,$166,450 – Complete
12291 Stansbury, Hannah, 5B/2.75B, 2576sqft, $248,450 – TRIM
12299 Stansbury, Geneva, 4B/2.5B, 2112sqft, $223,450 – TRIM
12307 Stansbury, Elisabeth, 4B/2.5B, 2260sqft, $228,450 – TRIM
12313 Stansbury, Isabella, 5B/2.75B, 2555sqft, $246,450 – TRIM
12321 Stansbury, Hannah, 5B/2.75B, 2576sqft, $248,450 – TRIM

ATTENTION: We are also selling our showcase home in Americas Estates1 !!! It is on Southwick and has all the bells and whizzles your customer is looking for!! Floor plan has 2570sqft, 4B/3B, one of a kind custom made home, wood floors, granite countertops, outdoor kitchen, 2 fireplaces, professional landscaping, pool, and lots more .. you will never find a brand new Saratoga Home like this.. $315,000

$8,000 Tax Credit information - for Realtors and Buyers

Did you know that first-time homebuyers will account for 53% of all real estate transactions in 2009? Are you prepared to help your customers achieve their dream of purchasing their first home?

• 
  
  Your first-time homebuyers have to purchase a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.


• 
  
  The income limit for claiming the full tax credit for single taxpayers is $75,000 and $150,000 for married taxpayers filling a joint return. The tax credit does not have to be repaid!


• 
  
  The tax credit is equal to 10% of the home's purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000.


• 
  
  A first-time home buyer is defined as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. (The date of purchase is considered the day that the title is transferred.) That means if you've owned a vacation home--but not a principal residence--within the past three years, you would still qualify for the credit.


• 
  
  Buyers have to own the home for at least three years in order to capitalize on the credit. If they sell the home before then, they will have to return the credit to the government. (Exceptions will be made in certain cases, such as death or divorce.)

Is there an exemption for members of the military??

Suppose a member of the military who purchased a home and qualified for the credit receives orders to deploy overseas for possibly 18 months. If they sell the home within 3 years from the date of purchase, do they have to pay back the credit?

Answer: Section 36 does not provide any recapture exceptions for military personnel who are deployed and sell their home within 36 months from the purchase date. If the taxpayer does not sell the residence, then the military deployment may be considered a "temporary absence" and the home may still be the taxpayer's principal residence if the taxpayer intends to return to the residence after the deployment.

Question: If I claim the first-time homebuyer credit for a purchase in 2009 and stop using the property as my principal residence before the 36 month period expires after I purchase, how is the credit repaid and how long would I have to repay it?

Answer: If, within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full amount of the credit is due at that time the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence is due. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year's tax return. Form 5405 and its instructions will be revised for tax year 2009 to include information about repayment of the credit.

WEEKLY SPECIAL (starting 12. September 2009

This weeks Super Special incentives (starting 12. September 2009) on homes in TRIM to COMPLETE !!!!

Full appliance package (to include: stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer) or 42” plasma/LCD TV. With our preferred lender JNC we will give your buyer 6 points towards closing costs and prepaids.
Means e.g. for our Tuscany Series: standard: granite countertops, stainless steel appliances + washer and dryer (in white) OR a 42" Plasma/LCD TV !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


If your buyer chooses JNC - on approved credit- we are able to offer him 4.875% interest rate, fixed, 30 years (for homes carpet to complete only!).
REALTOR BONUS between $2,000 - $4,000 for homes TRIM to COMPLETE on top of commission!!!

Hurry, those incentives won’t last!!!
Call me now @ (915) 929 2755 for availability and to set up an appointment!!


Pre-Qualification—FREE !
Best location in town: Northeast, Horizon, East, Americas· Homes starting at $108,950 !!!

Amenities and incentive subject to changes without notice, please contact your Marketing Manager for current amenities, specifications and incentives.

Welcome back !

Danii Sedillo

Marketing Manager

Saratoga Homes

(915) 929 2755

danii@saratoga-homes.com

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE OTHER PAGES ! LAST UPDATE: 2 SEPTEMBER 2009

I am back in town and back with Saratoga Homes to help you with your Real Estate dreams !
I guess I am one of those people who say, “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!” I moved from Austin to El Paso in July 2006, stayed until June 2007 and I am now back for good. I was born and raised in Germany and I can honestly say there is no place like home. My husband is a native New Mexican and Soldier in the US Army and our family is completed by our Doberman girl Leila and our Chihuahua Cheech – and even though we enjoy seeing the world, we always love coming home!

My previous professional experience include being a REALTOR with Coldwell Banker de Wetter Hovious and JB Godwin (Austin), Leasing Consultant for Army Hawaii Family Housing and working as an Executive Assistant to CEO for DaimlerChrysler Services and they all taught me the importance of GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, LISTENING AND HELPING PEOPLE and this is, what we are here for!

The beauty of working with Saratoga Homes is, that I can help people with a wide variety of wants and needs; we have different locations and price ranges that fits your budget and I can help you with Relocating from the Mainland and Europe. Feel free to email any questions you may have about what I can do for you. I’d love to hear from you!

PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY:
Nothing worthy of accomplishment in life comes easy. Success consists of hard work and determination, or it is not worth succeeding. I like to work hard and have fun doing it! The power of one's belief in themselves is the greatest tool any individual can possess. Believing in yourself helps solve the daily problems that are the stepping stones on the pathway to happiness and success. DREAM! BELIEVE! PERFORM! ACHIEVE!

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

· Executive Assistant to CEO for over 13years
· Full-Time Real Estate Professional (Sale and Leasing) for the last 4 years
· Licensed REALTOR
· Million Dollar Producer
· TOP Leasing Consultant June 2009
· Real Estate Marketing Specialist
· Construction/Builder Experience
· Fluent in English, German and Dutch
· Certified Transferee Specialist (CTS) - Issued by RELO (Leading Real Estate Companies of the World), a national corporate relocation association
· Certified LendingTree Agent – Issued by LendingTree
· Former Training Instructor for JBGoodwin Realtors, Austin Texas

REALTORS page

Thank you for trusting us with your clients!!

I will always assist you an efficient manner. Remember that Saratoga Homes is a safe heaven for your clients. We are not in competition with you as a Real Estate Professional.

As soon as you arrive with your clients we will register your clients into our system along with your information; when they return to write an offer your name will be included in the Purchase Agreement. Just keep in mind: your client must be accompanied by you, their Real Estate Agent, on the first visit to Saratoga Homes.

Think of us as your personal assistants.

Thanks again for your trust, we won't disappoint you!

Danii Sedillo
Marketing Manager
Saratoga Homes
(915) 929 2755