Help! My Electricity is Off!

by Matthew Rathbun on February 8, 2010

Thankfully the Coop has a pretty good webpage. This doesn’t help those without electricity unless of course your laptop is on battery and you have a wireless internet card. Non-the-less; you can visit www.MyREC.coop click on “Outage Center” to see the status of outages and how many people are affected.


myrecoutageinfo 


If you zoom in on the marker and click on it, it’ll show you exactly how many people are affected. This has made it easy to check on the status of our own outage while at the office or staying elsewhere till the power is restored.


 

localrecinfo


Since the REC phone number is usually ringing a busy tone (who has a busy signal anymore???) than you can check back here. Unfortunately, I’ve found that the events are labeled either “Acknowledged” or “Dispatched”. They don’t really give you an estimated restore time.

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Who should Buy Now and Who Should Sell Now

by Jennifer Rathbun on February 8, 2010

Daily Real Estate News  | February 8, 2010

4 Reasons to Sell Now
Selling a property in this tough market can seem like a challenge. Here are four factors that actually make this a good time to post a For-Sale sign.

  • Sell low and buy low. Because all property values are down, the loss on the property a home owner sells is really only a paper loss because the next property he buys also will be a bargain. If he buys smartly, when prices come back up in a few years, he’ll be in better shape.
  • Down-payment help is widely available. While nothing-down loans have disappeared, it is easy to find down-payment assistance for lower-income and first-time home buyers. Programs vary all over the country, but one good way to find them is to search online for “down-payment assistance programs” and the name of your region.
  • Your uncle has money to share. Besides the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and the $6,500 move-up credit, there are an array of energy tax credits that can make home improvements pay off in cash.
  • Good help is available. Really talented real estate practitioners, contractors, and designers are available and eager for business.

Source: McClatchy Tribune, Kate Forgach (02/07/2010)

________________________________

Daily Real Estate News  | February 8, 2010

Are Interest Rates About to Rise?
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley says the central bank will scale back its purchases of mortgage-backed securities late next month. While interest rates likely will climb when the program ceases, the extent of the rise remains to be seen.
Dudley says the Fed will act if rates spike too much. Still, analysts worry that the end of the MBA purchase program and expiration of the home-buyer tax credit, along with higher premiums and tighter underwriting of FHA mortgages, will work together to stifle home sales and price stabilization in the coming months.
Source: Inman News (02/08/10)

© Copyright 2010 Information Inc.

Both Articles are from Daily Real Estate News, Provided by Realtor.com with Permission for Realtors to reprint.

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Fredericksburg Housing Limits Discussed Again

by Jennifer Rathbun February 8, 2010

From the Free Lance Star..

City Council to revisit limiting sizes of new homes
Council to revisit housing size rules
BY EMILY BATTLE
 

Date published: 2/8/2010
BY EMILY BATTLE
How big can a new house be before it’s too big for the neighborhood, and who should be the arbiter of that kind of decision?
Those questions were hot topics for Fredericksburg’s City [...]

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Transforming CarolineVABlog to VAHomePlace

by Matthew Rathbun February 6, 2010

For our regular readers, you’re going to see a few changes.  As Jennifer and I have expanded our team and our services, we’re also working with clients in a larger geographical region.  CarolineVABlog.com will still be a valid URL, but we’re renaming our site and broadening our information to include the Spotsylvania region.
We look forward [...]

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Emergency Shelters Setup for Caroline and Spotsylvania Citizens

by Matthew Rathbun February 6, 2010

Due to the weather issues, Caroline and Spotsylvania released the following information:
Contact Information:
David Layman, Fire-EMS Chief
Office: (804) 633-9831 or email:  dlayman@co.caroline.va.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2010
Caroline County and Spotsylvania County Open Shelter
at Thornburg Middle School
DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER AND POWER OUTAGES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY:
Caroline County and Spotsylvania County will be opening a joint emergency [...]

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Virginia Foreclosure Rules and Time-Lines

by Matthew Rathbun February 6, 2010

Foreclosure as a Reality
Things happen in life, the economy is down and joblessness is a serious issue.  Foreclosures are not just a financial issue, it’s an emotional and deeply personal issue for many. There are options and early intervention is critically important.  Foreclosure proceedings can begin as soon as 15 day from the due date [...]

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High-Speed Internet in Caroline County – An Update From the County

by Matthew Rathbun February 3, 2010

Top of Mind Topics
Aside from real estate information, one of the most frequently searched topics that brings internet users to CarolineVaBlog is the search for updated information about high speed, DSL or fiber internet to the citizens of the county.  Most specifically the Lake Caroline and Lake Land’or Communities.  Most of us agree that [...]

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Free Tax Help!

by Jennifer Rathbun February 2, 2010

Received this info from a member at my church…
If you would like your Federal and State taxes prepared and e-filed for free, you can make an appointment by calling either the Ladysmith or Bowling Green library.
All of the preparers are trained and some of the people have been doing this for years – one [...]

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Water Issues Plague Home Owners in Lake Land’or and Campbell Creek

by Matthew Rathbun February 1, 2010

Affecting Home Sales
As I drove down Rt. 1 today, I saw this sign on the side of the road in front of Campbell Creek Subdivision.  The person who painted this sandwich board is evidentially upset about the new water rates. This issue affects an estimated 1800 households.  The Caroline Progress report on this issue was [...]

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It’s the little things

by Jennifer Rathbun February 1, 2010

Now that it’s February, I get to pull out my Valentine’s Day business cards! Yea!

…Which is good because I think everyone was tired of my Christmas business cards showing up in January. I was just trying to make the holidays last a little longer!
Remember to add a little bit of fun into each and [...]

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