Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor: October 2008

Can You Survive On $60 Per Month?  That title caught my eye a few weeks ago and has remained on my mind for a few reasons. First because it was a featured ReBlog that reinforces the fact that features are not about the written word but more about who posts those words. Secondly because I agree people should live within their means and had been planning to look at my numbers but kept putting it off, a blogging idea is often a motivator to get something done.

Sure, you can convince yourself you are living on only $2 a day if you excluded food, housing, transportation and all the rest of life’s necessities. But isn’t that the logic that created the Mortgage Meltdown Mentality?   With today’s economic environment we are all looking for ways to stretch a buck but first we need to take a hard look at expenses.

Can You Survive on $60 Per Day? That was my initial thought while rehashing the idea of budgeting but I knew in most cases that figure would not be enough.  I decided to break my expenses down into four budget categories.

$60 a Day for Housing
$60 a Day for All Necessities
$60 a Day for Little Extras
$60 a Day for Taxes

Being in a commissioned based business I don’t get paid by the day but still think in terms of hourly wages, weekly pay checks and monthly gross income. Calculating my expenses in each of the categories gave a clear message HALT.  The numbers didn’t work.  Maybe if I devote $60 a day, 365 days a year to each group it will balance.

What does it really cost you to live?   Everyday, 365 days a year expenses continue. Don’t trick yourself into a false sense of security.  The method used to dispense your money whether it is cash, check or charge doesn’t make any difference.  Knowing what you have verses what you need will dictate daily spending habits so you will survive.

If reviewing your budget leads to the decision to make a change in housing contact me, Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Real Estate Agent for help buying or selling property in New Haven County.

In this economic climate where people are struggling to maintain their meager existence the elected officials still are not able to comprehend controlling cost.  Today I received this flyer and although I have forgotten most of the Spanish I learned back in high school I can understand the message.  Fill in the ellipse and slide it into the machine.

Unfortunately we the taxpayers of Connecticut must watch our money be wasted so Susan Bysiewicz can increase her facial recognition among foreigners.

I assume all these immigrants she is trying to entice into registering to vote are U.S. Citizens so why not require them to have a basic understanding of our language instead of wasting our money providing government forms in their native tongue.

This is the same woman that had a hissy fit because the VA hospital wouldn't allow her to go in and hound patients so she decided the best use of her taxpayer paid salary was to stand outside of the VA and bother outgoing veterans. She felt proud that 10 were willing to fill out her form.  Back at the office she continued to waste time and money by getting her buddy Blumenthal to fight the feds.

Spend... Spend... Spend.... What difference does a few more pesos make when it's not your money!

It is that time of year again! The Playwright in New Haven will be hosting their 3rd annual Halloween 5k road race to benefit the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital.  October is a great time to run in Connecticut with crisp morning temperatures.  The forecast for Sunday is calling for a warm up into the 50's but we may have some rain.

What:  Playwright Halloween 5k & Kids' Fun Run

When:  Sunday - October 26, 2007 -  10:15 am

Where:  144 Temple St,  New Haven, CT

My first run this year was on January 1st in Guilford at the Frosty 5k were we also had rain prior to the race but it stopped just before race time and turned out to be my quickest 5k ever.

The New Haven course for this Sunday's event is flat & fast but  some folks will be slow and silly in their festive costumes. I neglected to prepare a Halloween outfit for the race so maybe I will pull out my ActiveRain shirt and go as "The Running Realtor".

I'm always running around New Haven County so if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory just remember to google  CT's Running Realtor.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

Today I ran into a series written by an up & coming runner and a downhill racer by the name of Beth Forbes but the Re-Blog feature didn’t allow me to alter the title so I will do it my way and add the occupation of Realtor.

The Real Estate Agent plays many roles in a transaction involving the sale and or purchase of property and the duties vary during different stages.  Here I will use the example of a prospective Homebuyer that contacts the Realtor and would like to see one of the agent’s listings.

It is very rare that the prospective Homebuyer will love that first house and write up an offer but it is often the start of a three to six month relationship between the parties.  Initially the Realtor will ask some probing questions to determine how best to serve the prospect. The Real Estate Agent needs to know the type, location and price range of the property that will meet the buyer’s need.

If the Homebuyer has not discussed financing with a Loan Officer the Realtor will often provide a few recommendations of Loan Officers they know with a proven record of providing high quality service. For more information about the financing aspects of the transaction read Beth's series linked below.

With a Pre-Qualification or preferably a Pre-Approval Letter in hand the Homebuyer is ready to move ahead on the journey to become a Homeowner.  At this stage the Real Estate Agent will be sifting through hundreds of homes for sale in order to find the one that meet the Homebuyer's criteria.  The duration of the process can be a few days or a few months depending on market conditions and the Homebuyer's list of requirements.

Once a house is found the Realtor will write up the Purchase Offer and present it to the seller or their agent.  Assuming negotiations go well it ends with the Homebuyer and Homeseller agreeing on the terms of the sale. The Real Estate Agent will then get in touch with the Homebuyer's Loan Officer for a continuation of the process outlined in Beth's Series while concurrently coordinating other pieces of the deal.

Beyond financing most homebuyers will use a Home Inspector to provide a detailed physical report of the home's condition.  The Real Estate Agent can also provide recommendations if a buyer needs the names of qualified inspectors.

At this stage the Realtor has assisted the Homebuyer in finding a property, negotiated the deal, provided copies of the contract to the Buyer & Loan Officer, attended the inspection and ironed out any problems. The Real Estate Agent will also monitor dates to make sure everything remains on track for the closing which is usually 30-60 days after the Sales Agreement.

  Via Beth Forbes, Wholesale Lender:

Who does what and when? Loan Officer Who does what and when? Mortgage Processor Who does what and when? The appraisal Who does what and when? The title report Who does what and when? Underwriting Who does what and when? Closing

Beth Forbes, Wholesale Lender Center Valley, PA More about me… United General Mortgage Corp.

Anyone ready to undertake the adventures of searching for property in New Haven County can contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor via email or call my 24 hour access line : 203-672-2455

Some people may consider me nuts but I am actually reflecting on the psychology of finishing a marathon. Practically every Saturday this year I have spent a few hours with runners that joined the Team in Training.

During the cold winter months I trained for my First Marathon and learned the importance of mixing up the distance and intensity of runs. Marathon Day in San Diego was an eye opening experience but my finishing time was a bit slower then anticipated.

Upon returning to Connecticut one of the TNT Coaches told me my photo was being used in the promotional flyer for the ING Hartford Marathon so I decided to remain with the Purple People for my second big event.

Normally I carry a camera during races but I am trying to tone down my use of gadgets so I only took a few photos.  My most essential toy is Forerunner GPS to track my progress enabling me to look back and see where I had difficulty.

In Hartford I paced myself pretty good during the first half but still noticed the hurdle of hitting the wall around mile 21 where I slowed to a walk with a bit of cramping.  After a few stretching stops I was able to pick it up much better than in my previous marathon and finished with a 4:49, which was a 26-minute improvement from the Rock-n-Roll Run.
 
It’s getting close to decision time for my next long run of 26.2 miles. The Mingle in Miami is getting closer but the thought of training during the upcoming chilly months and then landing in the heat and humidity of Florida a day or two before the race has me concerned. 

My wife is pushing for a winter get-a-way so maybe I’ll psych myself up for a five-hour finish and run.

If you have any suggestions or comments on marathon training I always welcome input.  Beyond running I do have to work so if a move to New Haven County is in your future I'm available to help.  My primary territory consists of North Haven, North Branford, Branford, Guilford & Madison but familiar with many other towns if needed.

The Great Schlep has surfaced in the news recently touting their latest tactics during the Columbus Day weekend to utilize the young and dumb in an effort to bribe the old and feeble.

Hope my opening line catches attention but I do not really consider college students young and dumb or their grandparents old and feeble.  However I have always despised the tactics of brainwashing the American youth to carry out the agenda of middle-aged Americans.

The Great Schlep is a perfect example of a misguided message. The message in my opinion encourages young people to lie, cheat and steal in an effort to buy a few more votes for a presidential candidate.  

What do you think of The Great Schlep?

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Hope the kids respect their grandparents enough not to use bribery!

The month of September was filled with gloom and doom from government officials who foolishly decided pumping 700 billion into Wall Street was the solution.  The stock market continues to slide downward and big banks are bickering about who gets to take over the fallen financial institutions.  With all that bull about it being nearly impossible to get credit I will pull a quote from the front page of today's New Haven Register,  "But even against that backdrop, Connecticut-based banks are faring well and have money to lend".

Single family homes sales continue to be sluggish.  September volume was down 20% from last year with 59 homes closing in my 5 primary towns.  The lower priced communities on North Haven & North Branford actually saw in increase in the number of homes sold compared to last year while Branford, Guilford & Madison had less.

If you are thinking of selling and curious about the value of your home click the house on the right to request a Free No Obligation Market Analysis of the property.  With today's on-line databases I can give you a fairly good idea of the market price without even touring the house.

Anyone ready to undertake the adventures of searching for property in New Haven County can contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor via email or call my 24 hour access line : 203-672-2455

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