Fiesta San Antonio!

Hello Everyone,

It is that time of year again in San Antonio when family’s come together to enjoy great Food, Fun & Festivities.

Fiesta has always been a big event in San Antonio which keeps getting bigger and better every year.

Fiesta believe it or not actually started in 1891 as a lavish flower parade to honor the heroes of the Alamo and the victorious Battle of San Jacinto, which won Texas’ independence from Mexico on April 21, 1836. The event was so successful that everyone decided to hold the Battle of Flowers Parade every year – and Fiesta was born. It grew into eleven days of over a hundred events, and half of Fiesta’s events are FREE.

Some of the great events include The Oyster Bake which is held at the St. Marys University Campus, and NIOSA, which stands for a Night In Old San Antonio is held at the La Villita located Downtown. For great food and Live music Market Square is available almost every night fiesta is going on.

San Antonio Fiesta is also famous for our Friday Battle of the Flowers Parade in which most businesses across the city are closed and followed by the Saturday Night Flambeau Parade, both of which are very fun & exciting.

The carnival that was once held downtown near the Market square was moved 3 years ago to the Alamodome Parking Lot.

Whether your looking for Rides, Food, Music, Arts & Crafts or a good old fashioned good time fiesta San Antonio has everything the whole family will love. I guarantee it from my experience.

What another great reason to relocate here to San Antonio!

Be sure to visit Century 21 Scott Myers, Realtors for more information.

Sincerely,

Scott Myers (210) 479-1222

http://www.century21scottmyers.com/

Securing Financing

Hello,

Home prices in most parts of the country are just about as affordable as they are likely to get, and mortgage rates remain super low. Together, those factors mean that many people are thinking about buying a home. Some will be first-time homebuyers, while others will be “boomerang” buyers who lost their homes in the housing meltdown but are now hoping to get back in. Still others may see this as the best time to upgrade to a larger home, downsize to a smaller one, or to move to the retirement locale of their dreams.

Whatever your motivation for buying a home, unless you are going to pay cash for the property, there’s one essential step you must take first: get your credit reports and credit scores.

The reason? Your credit scores will help determine what type of home loan financing you can get, and the interest rate you’ll pay. You’ll want to have plenty of time to dispute credit report errors if you find any, and get them fixed. The last thing you want is to find out at the last minute that you can’t buy your dream home because of something on your credit report that shouldn’t be there.

If you will be buying and financing a home with someone else — a partner or spouse, for example — you’ll each want to get your credit reports and scores. Get them from all three major credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as they each collect their own data and don’t share corrections with each other. You can do this for free once annually at AnnualCreditReport.com. Beyond that, Credit.com’s Credit Report Card is a free tool that provides you with an easy to understand overview of your credit standing, along with your free credit scores, which is updated monthly. It’s a good and simple way to keep tabs on your credit regularly, because you’ll quickly be able to see if anything is amiss.

[Credit Score Tool: Get your free credit score and report card from Credit.com]

You’re Not Just a Number

The three-digit number that represents your credit score will be important when it comes to buying and financing a home. A difference of a few points could make a difference in the rate you’ll pay for your mortgage. Mortgage lenders will typically use the middle of the three credit scores to determine the rate/program for which you qualify.

But that doesn’t mean you need to obsess about your score. Doing so can cause you unnecessary grief. After all:
■Trying to tweak your scores based on what you think may help improve them can sometimes have the opposite effect.
■ There are many different loan programs with different credit score requirements. A loan officer can help you shop around to find the right program to meet your needs.

Keep in mind that you have many scores, not just one, so trying to figure out which scores matter most can be an exercise in futility. When it comes time to apply, your lender will pull the credit scores needed to process your application. In the meantime, you can find out where you stand and get an idea of what factors may be strong, and which may not be. Again, no need to obsess over the number.

In fact, when we included a free credit score with our free Credit Report Card — one of our most popular tools — we wanted to make sure that consumers understand that they don’t have a single score. That’s why we provide an Experian score, but also show consumers their VantageScore and estimated FICO score along with it. After all, there are dozens of scores available at any given time, and if you focus on just a single number, you may miss the bigger picture.

[Credit Score Tool: Get your free credit score and report card from Credit.com]

What’s in a Number?

If focusing on the number that represents your credit score isn’t the most important thing, then what is? Understanding the elements that make up your scores can be much more important. Our Credit Report Card, for example, assigns a grade to each of the main factors that go into a score:
■Payment History
■Debt Usage
■Credit Age
■Account Mix
■Inquiries

Within those, we recommend you put your efforts toward the things you can control. If you get a “C” or “D” for a particular factor, you’ll get suggestions for things you may do to address that grade. Some of these may be things you can address immediately while some may not be under your direct control.

If you earn a “D” for debt usage because your balances on one or more of your credit cards is close to your limits, you may want to pay some of them down if you have the cash available to do so. On the other hand, if you have a large student loan balance that you can’t afford to pay off, you may want to simply focus on making your payments on time rather than taking all the money you’ve saved for a down payment to pay it off.

What Can Your Score Do For You?

When it comes to buying a home, your credit scores can help you secure the financing you need to buy the property and pay it off over time. Your credit scores are a tool to help you achieve your personal and financial goals. If you can get the loan you need with the credit scores you have, then be satisfied with that — even if you don’t have the best score your loan officer has seen!

And finally, it’s important to put your scores in context. Mortgage lenders will look at other factors, like your debt-to-income ratios, employment history, and down payment. As any loan officer can tell you, even a perfect score can’t get you a loan if — for example — the appraisal comes in too low, or if you can’t document your income.

Please contact me so we may assign you to work with one of our top Real Estate Agents in the office.

Thank you,

Scott Myers, Century 21 Scott Myers, Realtors
11830 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, Tx 78230
(210) 479-1222 Office

Ready, Set, Move!!!!

Hello,

It is that time of year again! The spring season is a great time to get moving and get ready to enjoy your new home.

Sometimes, moving can be quite stressful if you do not prepare and plan ahead. Just remember to always give yourself enough time and planning. I have a few tips to remember to make your move stress free.

First off,

As Soon as You Know a Moving Date
•If you’re hiring movers, get price estimates and a list of services. Place your order when you know you have a firm move date.

•If you’re moving yourself, check moving truck prices and reserve a truck.

4-6 Weeks Before Moving
•Keep packing if you’re doing the work yourself. If movers will pack you ask the moving company for advice on the best ways to prepare.

•Contact people who work for you on a regular basis, such as pool maintenance companies and gardeners, to cancel their services. Leave their business cards for new owners.

•Place reference manuals for major appliances in a kitchen cabinet or drawer where new owners will find them. Label extra keys and place in the drawer.

2 Weeks Before Moving
•Call utility companies and arrange for meter readings on the day of closing so that all services after that date are the responsibility of the new owner. The new owner should also notify utilities of the switchover and set up new accounts.

•Have utilities disconnected at closing if the new owner does not establish accounts.

•Stop auto delivery of propane gas or fuel unless it is really needed.

•Arrange to discontinue your telephone service on the day of closing. Give your cell phone number or another contact number to everyone associated with the move and real estate closing, just in case they need to reach you after the home phone has been disconnected.

•Arrange to disconnect your satellite or cable TV coverage.

•Now do just the opposite to begin establishing services at your new home.

•File a change of address notice at the post office, making it effective on your moving date or a few days before.

•Notify your creditors, magazine subscriptions, friends and family, doctors, dentists and others of your new address.

•Schedule a cancellation date or new address for newspaper deliveries.

•If you’re moving out of the area, start picking up items out for cleaning or repair. Return library books and rented DVDs and videos. Arrange to have your prescriptions transferred to a pharmacy near your new home.

•Start an essentials box or two–all the things you’ll need immediately after you unload at your new location, such as toiletries, a broom, towels, sheets, blankets, a change of clothes and nightware.

•Find certificates verifying that your pets are up-to-date on required vaccinations. Gather other important documents and plan to carry them with you on the day of moving.

•Open a bank account at your new location, or, if you’re staying in the area, order checks with your new address.

1 Week Before Moving
•Confirm that your closing is still on track and handle tasks required by your closing agent.

•Confirm moving and delivery dates with movers or check your truck reservation.

•Clean each room thoroughly as you finish packing. Don’t forget major appliances. Wait to pack your vacuum and other tools necessary for last-minute cleaning on moving day.

•Arrange to cancel existing homeowner’s insurance coveage after the closing is complete and you no longer own the property. If there’s a delay, call your insurance agent immediately.

•Arrange for someone to read the level of propane gas or fuel oil in tanks that remain on the property if your sales contract requires the new owners to pay you market price for the fuel.

On Moving Day
•Walk through every part of the house to find stray items, opening cabinet and closet doors.

•Make sure you have keys to your new home.

•Supervise movers as they load, then again at delivery to make sure boxes and other items go to the right rooms at your new home.

•Watch for damaged items or damaged boxes. Note all damage on the mover’s bill of lading and ask the supervising person to sign off on the notation.

•Unpack your essentials box–then try to relax for awhile before you start the big unpacking job.

If you’ve ever moved you know there’s more to it than this! Transporting pets, plants and people in a comfortable way should top your list, and nearly everything you cancel at your old home must be started again at the new location.

Please Remember these tips and your move should go smoothly.

Scott Myers, Century 21 Scott Myers, Realtors