Brigita's Blog: July 2009

This is a great time to buy a home!  Really!

Thanks to the efforts of the National Association of REALTORS, Congress is offering $8,000 tax credit to help first time home-buyers purchase a home.

Those that qualify and purchase a residence before December 1st, 2009, are eligible for the credit.  This allows you to deduct 10% of the purchase price of your home up to $8,000 when you file your taxes. 

What this means is that the home MUST be settled on by this date, at which point the home should be under agreement no later than September 30th, 2009 to allow for inspections, negotiations, etc.

As you can see, there is not much time left.  The timeline allows you a short amount of time to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage and then to search for a home.  Rushing will not ensure that you will find a home that is right for you.

Click here for more information, or attend my first time home-buyers seminar to learn more.

This weekend being a holiday weekend and my husband having 3 days off, I decided to take the weekend off.  We did a lot of bicycle riding and hiking.

We started off hiking in Louise Moore Park.  Louise Moore Park is located within 10 minutes of Nazareth, Pennsylvania in Lower Nazareth and Bethlehem Townships.  It offers much for the public. 

There are paved and gravel trails that can be used for hiking or biking.  Along the gravel trail, which happens to be longer than the paved trail, has different stations along the way to stop and do assorted exercises, like crunches, balance beams, sit ups, etc. 

You can also walk the perimeter of the park which is all grassy and also includes a self-guided nature trail.   

All along the route, many trees are labeled, so all can learn and identify the trees native to the area.  Some of these trees are huge.

Louise Moore has areas you can reserve for parties and picnics.  There is also a play area for the children.

We had the pleasure of hiking Jacobsburg State Park, too.  Here you walk through the woods and along the Bushkill Creek part of the time.  If you love nature, this is an ideal place to enjoy all the plants native to the area and the wildlife. 

If it is warm out, you can also wade in the Bushkill Creek in spots.  My husband did and he found out the water was still rather cold.  Brrrrrrrrr.  Maybe next month it will feel better.

Jacobsburg State Park allows pets, as long as they are leashed.  Even some of the dogs have enjoyed a nice swim in the hot weather.

In addition to hiking, the park allows fishing, biking, and horseback riding along the many trails winding through acres and acres of woods.  It is a great place to relax and enjoy. 

Feel like a picnic with the family?  There are even places for that with picnic tables if you wish or just lay down a blanket in one of the clearings and bon apetit. 

These parks are only 2 of the many areas that you can enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding and picnicing.  Each park has different things to offer for the nature lover.

Many buyers don't seem to know what Title Insurance is all about.  It is paid at settlement and found on your closing cost sheet.

Basically, Title insurance protects the holder from any losses sustained from defects in the title.  It is required by most mortgage lenders.  Here are 5 other things you should know about title insurance.

1.   It protects your ownership right to your home, both from fraudulent claims against your ownership and from mistakes made in earlier sales, such as a mistake in the spelling of a person's name or an inaccurate description of the property.

2.   It is a one-time cost usually based on the price of the property.

3.   It is usually paid for by the sellers, although this can vary depending on your state and local customs.

4.   There are both lender title policies, which protect the lender, and owner title policies, which protect you.  The lender will probably require a lender policy.

5.   Discounts on premiums are sometimes available if the home has been bought within only a few years, since not as much work is required to check the title.  Ask the title company if this discount is available.

Here are some interesting facts about Independence Day that you may not have known!

Did you know:

1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.

2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century.  The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.

3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.

4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American flag.  And speaking of flag traditions, we're sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.

5. Not all members of the Continental Congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it.  One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.

6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast.  The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.

7. The American national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").

8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

9. The patriotic poem "America the Beautiful" was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katharine Lee Bates.

10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17.  He continued in public service until his death in 1799.

Source: MSN Encarta

Saturday, July 4th, will be Independence Day, or as some of us know it as 4th of July.  This is the day we celebrate our nation's birthday.  It is the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, declaring our freedoms.

In honor of signing of the Declaration of Independence, churches all over the nation will ring their bells at 2PM on Saturday. 

The bells will toll 13 times for the 13 Colonies.  It is the "Let Freedom Ring" National Bell Ringing Ceremony.

For more information click here.

At 2PM on the 4th, when the bells toll, take the time out to remember what our forefather's did for us in order to have this day.

Have a great day celebrating our nation's birthday!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

The Lehigh Valley suburban communities are continuing to grow.  Allen, Forks and Lower Mucungie Townships have seen the largest growth rate, according to the 2008 population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau's report released today.

Allen Township's percentage growth ranks 6th in the state of Pennsylvania, from 2,640 residents in 2000 to 4,524 in 2008.  That is a rise of 71%. 

Forks Township ranks 7th in the state, with a population of 8,676 in 2000 to 14,340 in 2008, with a 65% increase in growth.

Lower Macungie Township had the greatest population gain.  It rose from 19,384 in 2000 to 29,680 in 2008.  That's a change of 10,296.  Wow!!

The borough of Tamaqua, which is a small town, had the greatest population loss by 570.  In 2000, the count was at 7,151 and in 2008 it decreased to 6,581, a decline of 8%.

The largest populations in the Lehigh Valley were in:

Easton                              with a decline of 0.5%

Allentown                          an increase of 0.6%

Bethlehem                        up by 1.3%

Whitehall Township             increased by 7.6%

Lower Macungie Township    up by 53.1%

Looks like the Lehigh Valley's municipalities are continuing to grow and growing quickly.