Great news! Neighborhood Link is now offering Premium Websites with features you've told us you want.

Upgrade Your Site for only $12/month or $120 per year!
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• Control who can make changes to the site.
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• Choose from several color schemes.

And, your premium website will be completely free of advertising!

The upgrade leaves everything on your group's website in place while adding these new features.

Review all the exciting new features.

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Here are a couple of great examples of premium websites:

Country Club Historic - This group has a mixture of public and private sections.
Adams Street HOA- This group has all of the sections viewable by members only.

The cost for a premium website is $12 per month or $120 for a year.

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FHA Loan Requirements Are Changing

FHA reform is changing the rules for securing an FHA-insured mortgage loan, but FHA loans still provide the best opportunity for those who don’t meet the requirements of a traditional home loan.

By now we're all pretty used to reform. We've seen health care reform, credit card reform, financial reform—all within the past year or so.

So it should come with little surprise that mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are now facing reform as well. Early this summer, the House of Representatives passed the FHA Reform Act, which is also expected to pass the Senate. The reform comes as a result of the high number of mortgage defaults seen in the past few years, which has reduced the reserves of the FHA below legal limits. To rectify this, several changes are in the works.

What is an FHA-insured mortgage loan?
The FHA does not make home loans. The administration simply insures mortgage lenders against the possibility of default on a loan. The FHA program is mainly targeted towards first-time home buyers who might not otherwise qualify for a traditional home loan because of the high down payment and credit score requirements. (Whenever a borrower has less than a 20 percent down payment, lenders require mortgage insurance.) Currently the FHA insures nearly one-third of all new mortgages—up from just four percent in 2006.

Read More About: FHA Loan Requirements Are Changing



Related Articles:

• Should You Refinance Your Mortgage?
• What are the FHA Loan Requirements?
• Do You Qualify for an FHA Loan?
• For Sale By Owner: How to Sell Your Own Home
• FHA Refinance:Loan Options and Guidelines
• Selling Your Home? Try These Creative Strategies
• What is a 203K FHA Loan?
• First Time Homebuyers Guide
• Financial Assistance for First Time Homebuyers
• Tips on Buying a Home
• How to Sell Your Home In a Down Market

Happy 30th Birthday to McGruff the Crime Dog

The first public education program in the country on crime prevention, the campaign has inspired and directed millions of citizens to take action, individually and collectively, to reduce crime and improve the quality of life throughout the nation. - Senator Arlen Specter, 2005

In the late 1970s, most people felt there was nothing they could do about crime in their neighborhoods. However, after 30 years of McGruff people know that becoming active in the neighborhood and community can help prevent crime.

The first three public service ads starred the as yet unnamed dog, and a "Name the Dog" contest was announced in early 1980. A crime prevention officer from the New Orleans Police Department won the contest, and the public embraced McGruff the Crime Dog July 1st 1980.

Read More About: McGruff the Crime Dog and How to Start a Neighborhood Watch




Related Information:

• Find Out How to Get A Free Neighborhood Watch Website
• See this other article for an overview and more resources on Neighborhood Watch-What is It?
• Step by Step Guide: How to Start a Neighborhood Association
• USA On Watch-The Face of the National Neighborhood Watch Program
• Tools and Resoures from the National Crime Prevention Council

Selling Your Home? Try These Creative Strategies

Gone are the days when all it took to sell a house was a “for sale” sign in the front yard. Here are five creative strategies to help your home go from “for sale” to “sold.”

We all know the housing market is tough these days. Foreclosures are up, home values are down. So how do you make your house stand out in the crowd and sell quickly?

Whether you have a real estate broker or are selling your home on your own, these creative selling strategies could help you make that sale.

Reinvent the open house
We’re all familiar with the traditional open house and, if you’ve been to a few, they all tend to blur together. To make your open house stand out, try throwing a lively party that offers wine, catered hors d’oeuvres, live music and prizes. Use the opportunity to show your home full of life, the way it will be for those who will eventually be living in it.

Throwing an open house party also enables you to show off the best features of your home. Have a quartet playing in your living room that showcases your fabulous view. Hire a chef to prepare hors d’oeuvres in your gourmet kitchen. Throw a BBQ out on your large deck.

As with any open house, just be sure you aren’t there when it happens. And if you are doing for sale by owner, you can still throw a party. Invite everyone you know and ask them to bring a friend to spread the word. Have a trusted friend or family member serve as host to the party.

Read All the Details On: Creative Strategies for Selling Your Home

Related Articles:

• For Sale By Owner: How to Sell Your Own Home
• Should you refinance your home mortgage?
• FHA Loan Requirements Are Changing
• How to Sell Your Home In a Down Market
• Co-Signing A Loan: What You Need to Know!
• Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams
• Loan Modification: Is it Right for You?
• What Is Foreclosure?
• What Is A Short Sale?
• What Is A Deed-In-Lieu?
• How To Avoid Foreclosure
• Do You Qualify for an FHA Loan?