Verizon Homes

NWA SELLERS INFO

andrew — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:45:56 +0000

Marketing your home for sale is a complex process.

The first step is researching what your home is worth in today’s market. The only way to accurately determine the value of your home is to enlist the services of a real estate professional to build a market analysis for your property based on comparable homes that have recently sold in your area. Please understand that appraisals, assessments, and valuation websites like Zillow are not always accurate and may falsely represent the value of your home.

If you would like a no-obligation, confidential analysis of your home’s value or would simply like more information about the home selling and marketing process, please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch shortly

NWA BUYERS INFO

andrew — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:44:56 +0000

Searching for and buying a new home can be a daunting prospect. A professional real estate agent will help you through every step of the process:

Getting to know the town, neighborhoods, and schools
Choosing and scheduling homes to view that fit your criteria
Getting approved for financing
Negotiating the offer
Managing the closing and inspection of the property
Making relocation and moving arrangements

Above all else, a real professional is a friend to lean on for advice and support throughout your buying and moving experience

NWA Real Estate Market.

andrew — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:43:37 +0000

The Skyline Report for the third quarter of 2008 is out and has some telling information about Northwest Arkansas’ Residential Real Estate Market.

This is the eighteenth edition of the Skyline Report for Benton and Washington Counties and has been commissioned by Arvest Bank to provide timely statistical analysis of the Northwest Arkansas Real Estate Market. While the Skyline Report has some very detailed information about specific cities in Northwest Arkansas, Let’s wade through and find the most relevant data for residential homeowners . . .

Building Permits

There were 325 residential building permits issued in Northwest Arkansas in the third quarter (June-August) of 2008, down form 653 permits issued during the same period the previous year. Bentonville accounted for 28.3 percent of all building permits issued.

Housing Absorption Rates

802 houses in active subdivisions become occupied from the second to third quarters 2008. This is a decline from the second quarter with 835 and a significant decline from the third quarter 2007 of 1,017.

Unoccupied Homes

Third quarter 2008 saw a decline in completed, unoccupied homes from 1,594 to 1,343. Benton County experienced a sharp decrease in inventory; 23.5 percent in available inventory from the second quarter 2008 and a decline of 46.5 percent from the third quarter of 2007. Comparatively, Washington County experienced a 2.1 percent inventory increase over the past quarter, but a cumulative decrease of 32.7 percent over the past year (since third quarter 2007).

Existing Home Sales

From May 16, 2008 to August 15, 2008, there were 1,662 existing houses sold in Benton and Washington Counties. That is a drop of 17.5 percent form the same period in 2007.

Average Sales Price

Benton County average sales prices declined 1.6 percent from third quarter 2007 levels while Washington County average price levels declined 4.1 percent.

More info on the Tax Credit

andrew — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:00:08 +0000

The National Association of Realtors today commended the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for passing a bill that includes an extension and expansion of the current home buyer tax credit as an important step in ensuring a real estate and economic recovery.

“Realtors appreciate the swift action by Congress to extend the home buyer tax credit and expand it to some current homeowners,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Dallas- Fort Worth. “As the leading advocate of housing and real estate issues, we urge President Obama to sign this legislation into law quickly to keep the momentum going in the fragile recovery of the nation’s housing market.”

McMillan praised the efforts of several senators to put the recovery above politics. They are Sen. Johnny Isakson, (R-Ga.); Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.); Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

NAR economists estimate that the current tax credit has contributed approximately $22 billion to the general economy, and approximately 2 million people will take advantage of the tax credit this year.

“The substantial rise in home sales we’ve seen over the past few months proves that the tax credit is working and is being used by buyers who were waiting for the right opportunity to get into the market,” McMillan said. “This important incentive is helping to stabilize the housing market, stimulate the economy and create new jobs in communities all across our great nation. Extending and expanding the home buyer tax credit will enable even more families to take advantage of current low interest rates and affordable prices to invest in their future through homeownership.”

The bill would extend the present $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years. If potential home buyers have a binding contract on or before that date, they will have until July 1 to close the transaction.

Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return.

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A little more information about MS

andrew — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:42:55 +0000

In addition to its physical symptoms, MS may have profound emotional consequences. At first, it may be difficult to adjust to the diagnosis of a disorder that is unpredictable, has a fluctuating course, and carries a risk of progressing over time to some level of physical disability. Lack of knowledge about the disease adds to the anxieties commonly experienced by people who are newly diagnosed. In addition to these emotional reactions to the disease, demyelination and damage to nerve fibers in the brain can also result in emotional changes. Some of the medications used in MS—such as corticosteroids—can also have significant effects on the emotions. Some of the emotional changes observed in MS include the following:

Major depressive episodes as well as less severe depressive symptoms
Grieving for losses related to the disease
Stress and reactions to stressful situations
Generalized distress and anxiety
Emotional lability or mood swings
Pseudobulbar Affect – uncontrollable laughing and/or crying
Inappropriate behavior such as sexual aggressiveness

Depression

“Depression” is a term that people apply to a wide variety of emotional states. These may range from feeling down for a few hours on a given day to severe clinical depression that may last for several months. People with MS and all those closely associated with them should be aware that depression in its various forms is common during the course of multiple sclerosis. In fact, studies have suggested that clinical depression, the severest form of depression, is more frequent among people with MS than it is in the general population or even in persons with other chronic, disabling conditions. Depression does not indicate weak character and it should not be considered something shameful that needs to be hidden. Depression is not something that a person can control or prevent by willpower or determination. In its most severe forms, depression appears to be a chemical imbalance that may occur at any time, even when life is going well. The most effective treatment for depression is a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. Although support groups may be helpful for less severe depressive symptoms and generalized distress, they are no substitute for intensive clinical treatment.

Read more on MS and depression

Grieving

Persons with MS often experience losses—for example of the ability to work, to walk, or to engage in certain leisure activities. The process of mourning for these losses may resemble depression. However, grief is generally time-limited and resolves on its own. Moreover, a person experiencing grief may at times be able to enjoy some of life’s activities. Clinical depression is more persistent and unremitting, with continuous symptoms lasting at least two weeks. Grieving is generally related to changes in self-image triggered by the disease—e.g., no longer being able to think of oneself as an athlete. However, this process seems to be evolutionary and, with time and adaptive coping strategies, the individual can develop an altered self-image.

Grief generally resolves with time even without treatment. However, supportive counseling, support groups, as well as an understanding and supportive environment can help the process along.

Stress

Life is full of stress and MS generally adds a hefty dose of disease-related stress to the mix. MS is unpredictable and just anticipating the next exacerbation can be a significant source of stress. MS can also lead to some major life changes such as loss of mobility and interference with work. Thus the person with MS faces significant challenges in coping with a potentially stressful life.

Stress has also been cited as a possible precipitant of the onset of MS or a trigger for exacerbations. Studies of the effects of stress on MS, however, have had conflicting results. It is important to not fall into the trap of trying to “avoid stress,” a nearly impossible task given the realities of life. Moreover, family and friends should not make the mistake of feeling guilty because they think they may have “created stress” in the person’s life. Stress is part of the reality of living and probably the best approach, rather than trying to avoid it, is to learn how best to manage and cope with it.

Stress-management programs are readily available and have become an accepted part of the treatment of many medical disorders. Professional counseling as well as support groups can also help in learning how better to cope with stress.

Read more on MS and Stress

Video Webcast— MS and Your Emotions
The National MS Society and Healthology developed the following video to help you learn more about positive ways to manage the emotional impact of MS. Watch the video webcast

Generalized Anxiety and Distress

MS is a generally disabling, progressive, and unpredictable disease that can cause significant anxiety, distress, anger, and frustration from the moment of its very first symptoms. The tremendous uncertainty associated with MS is one of its most distressing aspects. People with MS never know when and if another exacerbation will occur or how severely they may be affected in the future. They do not even know how they will feel from morning to afternoon or one day to the next. The loss of functions and altered life circumstances caused by the disease are also significant causes of anxiety and distress.

Professional counseling and support groups can be very helpful in dealing with the anxiety and distress that may accompany MS.

Emotional Lability

Emotional lability or “moodiness” may affect persons with MS and is manifest as rapid and generally unpredictable changes in emotions. Family members may complain about frequent bouts of anger or irritability. It is unclear if the emotional lability observed in MS stems from the distress related to the disease or if it is caused by some changes in the brain. Whatever the cause, emotional lability can be one of the most challenging aspects of MS from the standpoint of family life. Family counseling may be very important in dealing with emotional lability since mood swings are likely to affect everyone in the family. Severe mood swings respond well to low doses of the anticonvulsant medication valproic acid (Depakote®).

Pseudobulbar Affect (uncontrollable laughing and/or crying)

A small percentage of persons with MS experience a more severe form of emotional lability in which there are uncontrollable episodes of laughing and/or crying that are unpredictable and seem to have little or no relationship to actual events or the individual’s actual feelings. These changes are thought to result from lesions—damaged areas—in emotional pathways in the brain. It is important for family members and caregivers to know this, and realize that people with MS may not always be able to control their emotions. Several medications, including amitriptyline. levodopa, desipramine, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine, have shown benefit in small clinical trials. Avanir pharmaceuticals has recently completed a successful large-scale trial of Zenvia™, a patented, orally-administered combination of dextromethorphan and an enzyme inhibitor to sustain a therapeutic level of dextromethorphan in the body. Avanir applied to the FDA for approval of this medication as a treatment for people with MS and the FDA responded with a request for additional studies, which are currently recruiting participants.

Inappropriate Behavior

A very small proportion of people with MS exhibit inappropriate behavior such as sexual disinhibition. This type of behavior is thought to result in part from MS-related damage to the normal inhibitory functions of the brain. These behaviors may also reflect very poor judgment related to cognitive dysfunction caused by MS. Such behavior is generally beyond the control of the individual and is not a sign of moral weakness or sociopathic tendencies.

The treatment of these problems is complex. The person with MS may require some form of psychiatric medication, perhaps along with psychotherapy. Family members will probably need supportive counseling since these behaviors are often shocking and disruptive. In some cases, the affected individual may require supervision to prevent the manifestation of the behaviors in question.

Having MS and how it’s changed my life

What can the tax credit do for sellers and buyers?!?!

andrew — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:37:18 +0000

Congress set to expand homebuyer tax credit

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Reuters – Real estate signs are seen in the front yards of houses in this file photo taken in Maricopa, Arizona …

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 26 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers — $6,500 cheaper.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. But with the program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the Senate voted Wednesday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill Thursday.

Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years — would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.

“This is probably the last extension,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate executive who championed the credits.

The homebuyers tax credit is one of two tax breaks totaling more than $21 billion that the Senate included in a bill extending unemployment benefits for those without a job for more than a year. The other would let companies now losing money recoup taxes they paid on profits earned in the previous five years.

“We are still in a world of economic hurt, and Congress must continue to act boldly and creatively,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “With the right mix of tax breaks and investments we will get through this recession and get folks working again.”

The real estate industry has been pushing to extend and expand the housing tax credit. About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

“For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home,” Bond said. “And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place.”

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

The credit would be extended an additional year, until June 30, 2011, for members of the military serving outside the United States for at least 90 days.

Expanding the tax credit for money-losing companies is projected to cost $10.4 billion.

The business tax break would allow money-losing companies to use current losses to offset taxable profits earned in the previous five years, giving them refunds of taxes paid in those years. Under current law, businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $15 million can claim losses back only two years.

The tax break would help industries suffering losses in 2008 or 2009, including retailers, homebuilders and newspapers. Congress included a scaled-back version of the tax break — for companies with revenues of $15 million or less — in the economic recovery package enacted in February. The new tax break would be available to companies of any size, providing a quick source of cash.

The U.S Chamber of Commerce has been a big backer of the tax break for money-losing companies.

“It frees up capital that they can use to maintain jobs and potentially even hire new people as the economy returns,” said Caroline Harris, senior tax counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tax breaks would be paid for largely by delaying a tax break for multinational companies that pay foreign taxes. It was passed in 2004 and originally was to have taken effect this year, but would now be delayed until 2018.

___

The bill is H.R. 3548.

___

On the Net:

Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov

The new tax credit

andrew — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:21:18 +0000

Congress giving homebuyers a $6,500 tax break – Yahoo! News

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Lowest Price Home in Bella Vista Arkansas

james — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:03:46 +0000

Home for Rent at 2 Pisgah Bella Vista AR 72714

james — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:19:04 +0000

Having MS and how it’s changed my life

andrew — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:11:42 +0000

Having Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has changed my life and my family’s life. I can’t do what I used to do and in that sense I’m not the same person I was last year or years before that. Doing a career change is hard enough but not having the support of people really close to me is even harder. When the doctors told me I had MS I laughed because I new it had to be a mistake. After that I really didn’t care because I didn’t know to much about MS. When you hear about MS you think of things you read on the internet about MS going into Remission. Remission for MS is not like cancer where it goes away most of the time. MS doesn’t go anywhere, it might stop for awhile but it stays in your body. My MS far as I know wont go into Remission. I’m taking self injections to slow the process but my doctors told me that they didn’t think it would since is advanced and very aggressive. Do I feel the same I did a couple of months ago? No, I feel worse.. I’m get tired more often, my hands shake all the time, my face jumps and then it swells up, and my spine hurts all the time. If I push myself to hard in one day it takes me about 2 days to recuperate. I do have a lot of support from the MS community and my family. Little things you take for granite like walking or getting up on your own every morning. I used to take that for granite but now I thank the good LORD for those little things every morning.

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