Mortgage Interest Rates Hover Near Record Lows the Week Ending October 11, 2012 – Home Financing and Homes for Sale in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA, Arlington County VA, Fauquier County Virginia

Mortgage rates held steady for the most part the week ending October 11, 2012, remaining near all-time record lows set the previous week, Freddie Mac reported in its weekly market survey.

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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of NRT Ranked #1 Residential Real Estate Company in USA

Real Trends 500 ranked NRT LLC #1 Residential Real Estate Company in the U.S. for 15 consecutive years – ranked by Closed Sales Volume for 2011. NRT and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is #1 real estate company with the Highest $$$ volume of sales and #1 real estate company with the lowest average days on the market.

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Contact Vivianne Rutkowski for a professional real estate representation:

Vivianne.Rutkowski@cbmove.com; VivianneRutkowski@gmail.com;

540-229-5429

http://www.cbmove.com/Vivianne.Rutkowski

http://www.RealtorVivianneRutkowski.com

Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=ihWmTChfPa4

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Prince William County in Virginia Ranked at Number Eight Among All Counties Nationwide for Job Growth from 2000 – 2011 according to CNN Money

Prince William County in Virginia has been ranked No. 8 among counties nationwide for job growth from 2000 – 2011 according to CNN Money.

During that time period, according to CNN Money, Prince William County, VA, experienced a job growth rate of over 48 percent, with the growth rate increasing more than eight percent between 2010 and 2011. The ranking is featured in the magazine’s annual “Where the Jobs Are” list which placed Prince William County at No. 13 in 2011.

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Maximum Loan Limits for VA Loans Increased to $838,750 for High Cost of Living Areas in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. for VA Loans Closed August 6, 2012 through December 31, 2012

The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 has been signed into law. The Act includes a number of changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Loan Guaranty program, including reverting back to the previous method of calculating maximum guaranty. This resulted in some loan limits increasing.

While VA does not have a maximum loan amount, the following county “limits” must be used to calculate VA’s maximum guaranty amount for a particular county. These limits apply to all VA loans closed August 6, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

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Reston VA and Centreville VA in Fairfax County, and Ashburn VA in Loudoun County Top the 2012 List of the Best Places to Live in USA Published by Money Magazine

Money Magazine published its annual “Best Places to Live” list.

In 2012, Carmel, IN, took first place overall on the 100 top places list, with Reston, VA, topping the list locally at No. 7, followed by Centreville, VA, at No. 17. Four Maryland localities were ranked in the top 25.  Ashburn, VA, ranked No. 30 overall and No. 6 on the “Top-Earning Towns” list.

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Bethesda, MD, took the top prize for MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME with $184,606.  Ashburn, VA, 6^th-place median family income averaged $146,093. The only other area in the region on the income list was Arlington, VA, with $132,580.

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The Fastest Way to Improve Home Values is to Live in a High-Scoring Public School District

Northern Virginia Public Schools: http://viviannerutkowski.wordpress.com/category/2-re-buyer-resources/nova-schools/

Directs links to Public Schools in  Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA, Arlington County VA, Fauquier County VA: http://www.realtorviviannerutkowski.com/schoolinfo.shtml

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Living in a high-scoring public school district can raise home values up to $205,000 higher compared to homes located in neighborhoods with low-scoring school districts, according to a new study by Brookings Institute. Brookings analyzed the nation’s 100 largest metro areas to find the differences between living near a high-scoring public school and a low-performing school.

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“We think of public education as being free, and we think of the main divide in education between public and private schools,” Jonathan Rothwell, a senior research analyst at Brookings, told The New York Times. “But it turns out that it’s actually very expensive to enroll your children in a high-scoring public school.” The cost of living in a high-scoring public neighborhood can be higher than paying a private tuition at a school, researchers noted.

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Housing costs near high-scoring schools — those in the top one-fifth of schools in the area — were 2.4 times higher on average, or $11,000 more per year, than homes located in school districts in the bottom fifth, the study found.

“Some of the areas with the largest differences in housing costs also have the widest gaps in school test scores,” reports CNNMoney about the study’s findings.

Students from low-income families — classified as those who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches — were found to be more likely to attend schools that score in the 42nd percentile on state tests, according to Brookings Institute. On the other hand, students from middle- to high-income households, on average, tend to attend schools that score in the 61st percentile.

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SOURCE: Brookings Institute; “Test Scores and Housing Costs” The New York Times;  “Living Near Good Schools will Cost an Extra $200k” CNNMoney; REALTOR Magazine; Vivianne Rutkowski

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High Gas Prices Fueled the Housing Crisis in 2007 According to the Economists – Transportation Costs vs Home Values in Northern Virginia

Most of us know the housing bubble of 2002-2006 and the subsequent housing crash that followed in 2007 was caused by the deregulation of the lending industry by the government, which brought into the market many sub-prime lenders offering no-downpayment-interest-only-loans,  ARM loans and option ARM loans, and other “exotic” loans.

This easy credit and availability of money artificially increased demand for homes, which in turn artificially increased home prices until they became unsustainable, which led to the housing crash – all in a span of a few short years.

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Three Generations Living Under One Roof as a Way to Trim Housing Costs

What a difference a few years make.

With interest only loans gone, with no money down loans gone (with exception of VA loans) and lenders going back to more conservative lending requiring 10%-20% down for conventional loans ( FHA loans require 3.5% down), a growing number of families are moving in together, which sometimes means that three generations are living all under one roof.

The sluggish economy has caused some households to expand, taking in more family members to trim housing costs, or to simply save money for a downpayment to purchase a home.

According to Census Bureau data, 4.4 million households had three generations or more under one roof in 2010. That is a 15% increase compared to two years prior.

The “double-up” phenomena is particularly pronounced among adult children, who are increasingly moving back with their parents after college to curb costs. The number of 25-to-34 year olds living with their parents jumped by more than 25% between 2001 and 2007, according to Census data.

The larger household sizes are causing builders to take notice and redesign floorplans to accommodate multi-generational households. For example, Pulte Homes says it’s swapping out one of the garages in its two-car garage plans to allow for extra space in a home for a guest room. And Toll Brothers reports that it’s creating new floorplans to accommodate multiple generations, such as a guest suite with a kitchen added where a family room may have once been.

 “The New American Household: 3 Generations, 1 Roof,”

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SOURCE: CNNMoney

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National Association of REALTORS Successfully Defended REALTOR® Trademark in Domain Name Challenge – REALTORS and Real Estate Agents in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County VA Homes For Sale, Loudoun County VA Homes For Sale, Prince William County VA Homes For Sale

The National Association of REALTORS® has won a challenge to the use of its trademark REALTOR® in a domain name operated by the website GayRealtor.com 

NAR rules allow members to use its trademark REALTOR® in domain names according to specific requirements and rules. After extensive but unsuccessful efforts by NAR to persuade the operator of the website GayRealtor.com to comply with those rules, NAR challenged the use of that domain name in an administrative proceeding before the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the body that governs use of such domain names.

ICANN issued its decision on March 7, 2012 holding that use of GayRealtor.com was misleading and not adopted in good faith.

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NAR owns numerous U.S. trademark registrations for the term “REALTOR,” and only NAR members can use the REALTOR® marks in accordance with governing NAR by-laws.

REALTOR® marks can only be used in connection with a member’s name or the legal name of his or her real estate firm to identify themselves as a member of NAR. Members are given notice of this obligation upon obtaining membership with the association. NAR also permits the use of the mark REALTOR® in a domain name or advertisement, but only in connection with the member’s name or firm’s name.

“The REALTOR® mark is a valuable branding and marketing resource allowed only to NAR members,” said NAR President Moe Veissi.

“The term REALTOR® is not only protected by federal law, but it is also a membership benefit that distinguishes members from all others in the real estate business. NAR works hard to protect the integrity of this brand for its 1 million members.”

More: http://retechnology.com/news/general-tech-news/nar-protects-realtor-trademark-by-winning-domain-name-challenge

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NOTE from Vivianne: All REALTORS are real estate agents, but NOT all real estate agents are REALTORS – All REALTORS are members of National Association of REALTORS and are held to higher standards of practice as described in The REALTOR Code of Ethics.

NOTE: Contact Vivianne for REALTOR services and all your real estate needs in Northern Virgina, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA

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SOURCE: NAR; REALTOR Magazine; RETechnology

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Loudoun County in Virginia Tops the List as the County with the Highest Median Household Income in The United States in 2011

Loudoun County in Virginia held to its designation as the county with the highest MEDIAN household income.

http://www.LoudounTimes.com published a great article on that topic:

“The county has held the top spot, intermittently swapping with neighboring Fairfax County, for the past five years. Loudoun’s median household income totals $119,540 followed by Fairfax County with a median income of $103,010; Howard County, Md., at $101,771; Hunterdon County, N.J., ($97,874); and Arlington County, Va., ($94,986).”

To read the article and the comments visit:    http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/economist_loudouns_richest_in_the_nation_designation_an_overstatement454/

NOTE: Loudoun County VA is located in the high cost of living area with high home prices and high taxes, therefore high median household income should NOT necessarily be equated with high median household wealth.

NOTE: Loudoun County MEDIAN household income of $119,540 means that 50% of households earned less than $119,540 in 2011 and 50% of households earned more than $119,540 in 2011 in Loudoun County, VA

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SOURCE: LoudounTimes.com

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HUD Extended Housing Discrimination Protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People Effective March 5, 2012

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development extended housing discrimination protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people.

The new rule is effective MARCH 5, 2012 and prohibits owners from asking about an applicant or occupant’s sexual orientation and gender identity for the purpose of determining eligibility or otherwise making housing available.

However, this provision allows voluntary and anonymous reporting of sexual orientation or gender identity pursuant to state, local or federal data collection requirements.

This rule followed a January 24, 2011, proposed rule, which noted evidence suggesting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families were being arbitrarily excluded from housing opportunities in the private sector.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a new agency policy to combat bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in  federally-supported housing programs.

The new rule aims to help LGBT people and their families remain in their residences, get loans to purchase homes, and access federal aid programs.  They also include an equal access provision that prohibits owners and operators of HUD-funded or HUD-insured housing from asking about an applicant’s gender identity or sexual orientation or denying housing for those reasons. The new rule is effective MARCH 5, 2012.

Click here for more details:

http://blog.hud.gov/2012/01/30/ending-housing-discrimination-against-lgbt-americans/

AND

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-014

AND

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=5359-F-02EqAccessFinalRule.pdf

AND

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=LGBTPR.PDF

AND

http://blog.hud.gov/2012/02/06/new-hud-rule-on-equal-access/

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NOTE: Fair Housing Laws and Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibit lenders and real estate agents to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion,  sex, disability, familial status, gender, sexual orientation, or dependency on public assistance.

NOTE:  Fair Housing protected classes are race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, familial status, gender and sexual orientation.

NOTE: Sexual orientation is not a protected class in the state of Virginia. However, the federal Fair Housing rules apply to all states.

NOTE: Protected classes in the state of Virginia are: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status and disability.

NOTE: The National Association of REALTORS amended the Article 10 of  The REALTOR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class as of January 1, 2011.

NOTE: It is very important to remember that Fair Housing Laws and Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibit discrimination against protected classes AND prohibit discrimination against ALL people of ALL races, colors, religions, national origins, sex, marital status, age, gender and sexual orientation. EVERY citizen and EVERY legal resident of this great land is protected by Fair Housing Laws.

NOTE: Contact a Real Estate Lawyer and/or Constitutional Rights lawyer for details and for the explanation of Fair Housing rules.

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SOURCE:  HUD.gov; REALTOR Magazine

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MLS, Multiple Listing Service, and MRIS, Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, scams requesting fraudulent email upgrades – white collar crime and scams targeting real estate agents in metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia

Real estate agents are always bombarded by SPAM email, bogus advertisers who promise that only their companies deliver miracle results and are the best deal around, not to mention the ever pushy viagra marketeers, etc  - we are used to it. It is almost an expected part of our business because our e-mail addresses are so very public.

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However, this morning I received an email that established *new bottom* in scamming and brazen, nonchalant white collar crime.

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For clarification, MRIS, Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, is the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area MLS, Multiple Listing Service and is used by real estate agents to market and list real estate and homes for sale or rent. The MRIS is available only to member real estate agents and is supported solely by membership fees.

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The email I received this morning was sent from Mris.com  <helpdesk@mris.com> which requested a payment needed to upgrade the email to 2.5GB.  

The link included in the email asked for the email address and — the PASSWORD – to the email account so MRIS could upgrade the account. Agents are allowed to have THREE email accounts, so THREE payments would have to be made to upgrade each account …. and of course three passwords disclosed…..

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Now, real estate agents are some of the MOST SAVVY, SMART, INTELLIGENT, even SHREWD people that walk on this Earth – one has to be *shrewd* in real estate business. This is the ONLY business where being *shrewd* is actually a VIRTUE, a necessary part of daily life.

Please note that being *shrewd* does NOT prevent one from being HONEST, CARING agent with HIGH level of INTEGRITY.

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When I received the email, one look at it told me that it could NOT possibly be a legitimate email sent by MRIS office:

• our email accounts were upgraded a while ago and are now at a nice size of 2GB
• I mostly use a KW-email account, so my MRIS accounts have a LOT of memory space left
• MRIS help desk uses (helpdesk@MRIS.***) …. NOT helpdesk@MRIS.com  - the scam email address did not match address used by helpdesk at MRIS office.

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Needless to say, I reported the scam immediately to the MRIS office.  Do you think it should be *hard* to find the crooks responsible for the fraudulent email???

I do NOT think so.  Perhaps someone from FBI would like to earn some brownie points and take interest in this case. Let me know.

But do NOT tell me it is impossible to find those brazen arrogant criminals – white collar criminals – that plague the internet … and get away with a murder. Literally.

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HERE BELOW IS  THE E-MAIL I RECEIVED FROM helpdesk@MRIS.com

—- Webmail Technical Services—–

Dear Mris.com Email Subscriber,

You have exceeded your email quota limit of 450MB and you are advice to expand your email quota limit within 48 hours. You need to upgrade your email quota limit to 2.5GB. You can use the below weblink to upgrade your email account:

www.nw-binc.com

Thank you for using our web-mail.

Checkout new features and enhancements with our newly improved and secured webmail.

—-Copyright © 1997-2011 Webmail Technical Services!. All rights

reserved—–

******

Anyone at the FBI looking to earn some brownie points?

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Home Improvement Projects that Offered the Best Returns in 2011 – Home Values and Homes For Sale in Arlington County VA, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA

When it comes to home remodeling, EXTERIOR replacement projects have routinely rewarded home owners with the best returns on the investments. The 2011 year is no different: REALTORS^® recently rated many exterior improvements as among the most valuable home investment projects as part of the 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

“This year’s Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report shows the value of putting your home’s best façade forward, so to speak,” said National Association of REALTORS^® President Moe Veissi. “Inexpensive exterior replacement projects are not only crucial to a home’s regular upkeep, but are also expected to recoup close to 70 percent of costs. Specific exterior projects such as

• siding
• window
• door replacements

are part of regular home maintenance. These projects also do not require expensive materials and they have the added bonus of instantly adding curb appeal.”

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HouseLogic.com, NAR’s consumer Web site, includes dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements, which indicate the recouped value of the project based on a national average. According to the Cost vs. Value, seven of the top 10 most cost-effective projects nationally in terms of value recouped are exterior replacement projects.

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REALTORS^® judged an upscale fiber-cement siding replacement as the project expected to return the most money, with an estimated 78% of costs recouped upon resale.

Two additional siding replacement projects were in the top 10, including:

• foam-backed vinyl siding, expected to return 69.6% of costs,
• upscale vinyl siding, expected to recoup 69.5% of costs.

Three door replacements were also among the top exterior replacement projects.

• the steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,200 on average and expected to recoup 73% of costs.

The upscale garage door replacement jumped to number six this year, primarily due to the average cost of the project declining more than 15 percent nationally.

• the upscale and midrange garage door replacement projects are expected to return more than 71% of costs.

One window replacement project,

• upscale vinyl window replacement rounded out the last exterior replacement project in the top 10, expected to recoup 69.1% of costs.

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The 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels, and replacements in 80 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 14th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood LLC, was completed in cooperation with NAR.

SOURCE: NAR

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To search all Northern Virginia, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA  MLS homes for sale and real estate by MAP, COUNTY, TOWN, ZIP CODE, or LISTING NUMBER visit my web site: http://www.RealtorVivianneRutkowski.com/  or   www.RealEstateWithViv.com

To save your MLS real estate and homes for sale searches in Property Wizard and receive automated e-mail market updates and new listings that meet your criteria: http://www.realtorviviannerutkowski.com/pw_login.shtml

To search all Northern Virginia, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County va OPEN HOUSES:  http://www.realtorviviannerutkowski.com/openhousesearch.shtml

To research Schools and Neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA, Arlington County VA, Fauquier County VA, visit http://www.realtorviviannerutkowski.com/schoolinfo.shtml

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The Perfect Holiday or Birthday Gift Idea: A Down Payment for a Home, Of Course – Tax Free Maximum Gift Amount for Downpayment and Homes for Sale in Arlington County VA, Fairfax County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County in Virginia

Do you need an idea for a holiday or a birthday gift?

More families may be feeling a little extra generous this holiday season and are offering loved ones help with a down payment on a home.

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Coming up with the down payment has become a major obstacle to home ownership, according to a survey by Trulia from September. The survey found that 51% of 758 renters surveyed said coming up with the money for a down payment was what was preventing them from buying a home and 36% said qualifying for a mortgage was holding them back.

But with the holiday season approaching, a down payment gift under the Christmas tree can the best gift one can give and receive.

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However, if giving a down payment gift, gift givers must remember that “under the federal tax law, each individual is permitted to give away money or valuables worth up to $13,000 to a single recipient in a calendar year,” according to an article at The New York Times. “A married couple could jointly bestow up to $26,000 a year per recipient.” However, the same married couple could LEGALLY bestow another $26,000 a year for the spouse – husband or wife – of the gift receipient.  For example, $26,000 for a Daughter and $26,000 for a Son-In-Law (or Son and Daughter-In-Law) thus providing a downpayment of $52,000 per couple per year.  The maximum gift can be given by the same couple next year, again $52,000 bringing the total downpayment to $104,000 for the home buying couple – unless the Congress changes the maximum gift amount allowed by law.

The federal tax law allows the gifter (the person bestowing the gifts) the maximum amount to be gifted to un-limited number of gift recepients every year, for as long as the gift tax code is active and allowed by the Congress.  Anything above the maximum annual exemption could be considered a taxable gift and must be reported to the IRS.

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NOTE: For TAX advice always  contact a CPA tax Accountant.

NOTE: The gifted downpayment money must be a true gift. It cannot be a loan to the home purchaser disguised as a *gift* from a gifter. To prevent loan fraud lenders require a Gift Letter signed by the gifter stating the money is a true gift and does NOT have to be re-paid by the person receiving the gift. In other words, the gift cannot increase the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio. Private loans disguised as *gifts* and used as downpayment to purchase a home or other real estate property is considered a mortgage fraud.

NOTE: The gifter can be anyone, family member, a friend, or and employer.

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SOURCE: The New York Times

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Arlington County VA homes for sale and Tax Free maximum Gift amount for Downpayment, Fairfax County VA homes for sale and Tax Free maximum Gift amount for Downpayment, Loudoun County VA homes for sale and Tax Free maximum Gift amount for Downpayment, Prince William County VA homes for sale and Tax Free maximum Gift amount for Downpayment in 2011.

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Home Affordable Modification Program – Federal Agencies Crack Down on HAMP Fraud

Some scam artists are preying on home owners looking to refinance using the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program, also known as HAMP.

As such, federal agencies are banding together forming a task force aimed at cracking down on con artists who are falsely claiming they can save home owners’ mortgages through HAMP, HousingWire reports.

The new task force recently issued a warning to home owners looking to refinance their mortgage: Only mortgage servicers can grant loan modifications through HAMP so don’t be defrauded by scam artists. Any third-party promising to guarantee a loan modification or pre-approve a loan modification or trying to charge an advance fee for a loan modification may be involved in a scam, the agencies warned in a public statement.

The task force cautions home owners to “beware of individuals or companies that ask you for payment and tout success rates or claim to be experts in HAMP.”

The federal agencies involved in the HAMP fraud investigations are the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of the Treasury.

To check on the validity of companies or individuals who display HAMP seals or logos, call the HOPE hotline, 888-995-HOPE

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SOURCE:  HousingWire, REALTOR Magazine

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Mortgage Rates Near 60-Year Lows for the Week Ending October 21, 2011 – Residential Real Estate and Homes for Sale in Northern Virginia, Arlington County VA, Fairfax County VA, Fauquier County VA, Loudoun County VA, Prince William County VA

Average mortgage rates moved very little the week ending October 21, 2011, continuing to hover near 60-year lows, Freddie Mac reported in its weekly mortgage market survey.

“Mortgage rates remained relatively unchanged during the week ending October 21, 2011 amid mixed economic data reports,” Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac, said in a statement.

While consumer sentiment was down for October, overall economic activity continued to expand last month, according to two recent economic reports. New-housing starts also soared 15 percent in September — the largest monthly gain since April 2010.  However, existing-home sales dropped 3 percent in September 2011.

Here’s a closer look at rates for the week ending October 21, 2011:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.11%, dropping only slightly from previous week’s 4.12% average. A year ago, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.21%
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.38%, rising from previous week’s 3.37%. Last year at this time, the 15-year fixed-rate averaged 3.64%
• 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.01% for the week, down from previous week’s 3.06% average. Last year at this time, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.45%
• 1-year ARMs: averaged 2.94% for the week,  compared to previous week’s 2.90% average. A year ago at this time, 1-year ARMs averaged 3.30%

.MORTGAGE CALCULATORS and INTEREST RATES TODAY

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SOURCE: Freddie Mac

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Loudoun County Public Schools Virginia SAT Test Scores at 1597 Points for School Year 2010

Loudoun County Public Schools SAT scores have been improving tremendously for the last couple of years. The average Loudoun County VA Public Schools SAT scores in 2010 were 76 points higher than average Virginia SAT scores and 88 points higher than National SAT scores.

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Here are the Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia, SAT test scores for the school year 2009-2010:

LOUDOUN COUNTY VA SAT SCORES 2010	MATH SCORE	CRITICAL READING	WRITING SCORE	TOTAL SAT SCORE in 2010
Virginia	512	512	497	1,521
Loudoun County	536	535	526	1,597
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BRIAR WOODS	534	531	533	1,598
BROAD RUN	542	541	528	1,611
DOMINION	538	539	530	1,607
FREEDOM	524	512	507	1,543
HERITAGE	520	521	518	1,559
LOUDOUN COUNTY	536	542	529	1,607
LOUDOUN VALLEY	545	548	529	1,622
PARK VIEW	493	499	482	1,474
POTOMAC FALLS	550	542	534	1,626
STONE BRIDGE	550	547	542	1,639

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Loudoun County Public Schools Fact Sheet for 2010: http://www.lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/4/LCPS%20Fact%20Sheet%20Summary%20-%202010-2011.pdf

also http://www.lcps.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1

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NOTE: The information above is believed to be accurate, but is subject to errors and omissions and should not be relied upon without verification. Contact Loudoun County Public Schools personally for information.

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Best Regards,

VIVIANNE RUTKOWSKI

REALTOR®, ABR, GRI, SFR, CHRE, CDPE
Licensed in Virginia

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
50 Catoctin Circle NE, Suite 101
Leesburg,  VA  20176
Toll-Free:  877.765.3799
Mobile:       540.229.5429
Texting:      540-229-5429
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E-mail: VivianneRutkowski@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.RealtorVivianneRutkowski.com
WEBSITE: www.RealEstateWithViv.com
BLOG: http://VivianneRutkowski.WordPress.com
TRULIA:  http://www.trulia.com/profile/VivianneRutkowski/
ZILLOW: http://www.zillow.com/profile/VivianneRutkowski/

World Class Service with Integrity and Knowledge

Loudoun County Public Schools Virginia, Loudoun County Public Schools Virginia SAT test scores in 2010, Briar Woods High School Ashburn VA 2010 SAT test scores, Broad Run High School Ashburn VA 2010 SAT test scores, Dominion High School Sterling VA 2010 SAT test scores, Freedom High School South Riding VA 2010 SAT test scores, Heritage High School Leesburg VA 2010 SAT test scores, Loudoun County High School Leesburg VA 2010 SAT test scores, Loudoun Valley High School Purcellville VA 2010 SAT test scores, Park View High School Sterling VA 2010 SAT test scores, Potomac Falls High School Sterling VA 2010 SAT test scores, Stone Bridge High School Ashburn VA 2010 SAT test scores

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NOTE: Advertisement Ads which appear in most posts on this Blog are run by WordPress and do NOT necessarily represent the views of Vivianne Rutkowski or Keller Williams Realty. Visitors to this blog are NOT obligated to click the ads to visit this blog.

 

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Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia Accredited for School Year 2011-2012 – All Schools Exceeded Benchmarks

All Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia (PWCS) are accredited under Commonwealth accreditation guidelines as per Virginia Department of Education. The new accreditation ratings for 2011–12 are based on performance during the 2010–2011 school year or a three-year average.

“At all levels, our students are exceeding the content-area benchmarks required for accreditation,” said Superintendent of Prince William County Schools Steven L. Walts. “This is evidence of the quality of teaching that goes on in the classroom, and of the quality of leadership in our schools. Prince William County residents can be proud of their schools and the high achievement of our students.

“All elementary schools exceeded the state math benchmark of 70% passing by at least 10 percentage points, and 15 out of 17 middle schools and all high schools scored 80% passing or higher, which is 10 percentage points higher than the benchmark,” Walts said.

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All PWCS schools achieved higher passing rates in English – English includes reading and writing – than the benchmark required for accreditation:

• All elementary schools scored at least 8 points higher than the 75% benchmark with over 70% of elementary schools scoring at or above 90% passing
• All middle schools scored 15 or more percentage points higher than the required benchmark of 70%
• All 10 high schools also exceeded the 70% benchmark by at least 20 points.

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All schools also exceeded their respective benchmarks in science:

• 55 of 57 elementary schools exceeding the benchmark by 10 percentage points
• all middle schools exceeding the benchmark by at least 15  percentage points
• all high schools exceeding the benchmark by 10 percentage points

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All schools exceeded either the current year or three-year average benchmarks in history, with all elementary schools exceeding the benchmark by more than 25 percentage points.

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The Accreditation rules require that at the middle and high school levels, at least 70 percent of students must pass the English, math, social studies, and science tests. At the elementary school level, at least 75 percent of students taking the tests must receive passing grades in English. Elementary students must also achieve pass rates of at least 70 percent in mathematics, fifth-grade science and fourth-grade history, and 50 percent pass rates in third-grade science and third-grade history. Beginning with tests administered in the 2012–13 school year, the benchmark will be 75 percent for English at all grade levels and the benchmark for all other content areas at all grade levels will be 70 percent.

For the first time, the accreditation ratings for 2011–12 for high schools include a graduation score, using the Graduation and Completion Index (GCI), explained in the state’s Accountability Guide. To be fully accredited, a school must meet the 2015 target score of 85 points. Provisional accreditation is awarded to schools with GCI scores of 80-84 (the provisional target increases from 80 points in 2011–12 to 84 points in 2014–15). All high schools in PWCS met the 2011–12 targets, with 8 schools earning full accreditation by meeting the 2015–16 target of 85 points.

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http://princewilliamcounty.wusa9.com/news/news/73570-all-prince-william-county-public-schools-accredited-schools-exceed-benchmarks

Virginia Schools Accountability Guide for Accreditation

Prince William County VA SAT scores for 2011 school year

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SOURCE: WUSA9.com

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Tax Credits Available for Green Updates and Green Energy Efficient Improvements Done by December 31, 2011

Adding green technology into a home can help home owners save money in a long run but some green improvements are expensive and many home owners may not be able to afford the costly upfront investment.

Several tax credits are available to help home owners save on green updates.

Here are two main tax credits available for those interested in making energy efficient improvements to their homes:

1. Wind, Solar, Geothermal and Fuel Cell Tax Credit:

This tax credit is available for both existing homes and new construction. Home owners can receive a tax credit up to 30 percent off the cost of their improvements between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year. The following green updates qualify:

• Geothermal heat pumps
• solar panels
• solar water heaters
• small wind energy systems
• fuel cells.

2. Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements:

This credit gives a 10 percent tax credit for purchases that were “placed in service” between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011.
According to the National Association of Home Builders: “The maximum credit for a taxpayer for all taxable years being $500, and no more than $200 of such credit may be attributable to expenditures on windows. This rule means that taxpayers who have claimed $500 or more of this tax credit in prior years, particularly 2009 and 2010, can no longer participate in the program.”

Learn more about what upgrades are eligible as well as how to apply.

More about Tax Credits for Green Improvements in 2011: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=220989,00.html    and  IRS 5695 Tax Form in 2010 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdf

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SOURCE: IRS,  National Association of Home Builders

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Self Imposed ‘Mortgage Mess’ Costs Banks Nearly $66 Billion and Might Reach $120 Billion by the End of the Mortgage Crisis

Mortgage and foreclosure abuses have costs the country’s five largest lenders nearly $66 billion — and that number will likely double by the end of the fallout, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Bank of America Corp., whose CEO has referred to the situation as the “mortgage mess,” has faced the largest losses of any lender at $39.1 billion since the start of 2007, Bloomberg found. JPMorgan Chase & Co. followed with $16.3 billion, and Wells Fargo & Co. had $5.09 billion.

Paul Miller, an FBR Capital Markets & Co. analyst, told Bloomberg that he thinks the costs for all banks could surpass $121 billion when the final bill comes due for lax lending practices. He predicts that Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Ally Financial Inc. will face 60 percent of the burden (Bank of America alone may shoulder 33 percent of that).

“You’re not talking about improperly stapling together two documents, you’re talking about systematic fraud in the system,” Neil Barofsky, the former special inspector general for the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, told Bloomberg News. “What this shows is that before the financial crisis, the banks were essentially lying to the purchasers of the mortgages about the quality.”

Analysts predict banks will face more claims if home values continue to fall and foreclosures still rise.

SOURCE: Bloomberg

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