THIRD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 94 MINER STREETMIDDLETOWN, CT  06457 Strawberry Shortcake Festival (and craft sale) The Third Congregational Church on 94 Miner Street in Middletown, CT held it's annual Strawberry Festival yesterday.  I worked putting containers of either large or small strawberries shortcakes for those who called in, or were going to get delivered.  Thought I'd see some of you there.. but I guess you were too busy. For those of you that could NOT make it, but wish you did.. I thought you would like to see some of the stats on how this event went. To start off, you must have strawberries.. and did they.  Here are some of the empty containers... there were 800 quarts of strawberries in total. These turned into..... Pots of strawberries for the shortcakes.   The Woman's League... 06/11/2010

THIRD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 94 MINER STREETMIDDLETOWN, CT  06457 Strawberry Shortcake Festival (and craft sale)   Thursday, June 10th from 11:30am to 4:30pm (Approx)   The Third Congregational Church on 94 Miner Street in Middletown, CT is holding its annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival, tomorrow, Thursday, June 10th from 11:30am to 4:30pm. This festival has been going on for over 120 years.. yes, you heard me correctly 120 years.  People in the area look forward to this event every year.  The strawberries are native to the area and picked fresh.  On top of fresh strawberries and homemade biscuits.. what tastes better... you got it REAL HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM.  My mouth is salvating already. If you haven't been by, tomorrow is your opportunity to do so.. and I bet you'll be hooked for ... 06/09/2010

Free Credit Scores In 2003 FACTA (The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) amended the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) to mandate free credit reports to every person in the country from all of the consumer reporting agencies. FACTA also mandated, in section 609, that mortgage lenders had to now provide a copy of the consumer's score as part of the homeowner notice. Most lenders were providing this notice as part of the closing paperwork. So, homebuyers have enjoyed access to their FICO scores since 2003. Now, thanks to a Senator from Colorado, more consumers might soon have free access to their scores. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) has proposed the Fair Access to Credit Scores Act (FACS Act). The FACS Act would amend section 615 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require the disclosur... 05/28/2010

This past Saturday I posted a blog DEED-IN-LIEU FORECLOSURE and Short Sale UPDATES Fannie Mae about upcoming changes that Fannie Mae will be making to their Deed-In-Lieu of Foreclosure and Short Sale Guidelines.  A few of the people that made comments on that blog requested that I also post a blog with a chart to show what the Fannie Mae Guidelines are for Foreclosures and Bankruptcies.  Below is a chart with that information.  It is longer than the previous chart for Deed-In-Lieu of Foreclosure and Short Sales, but I think that it still provides a quick overview of the Fannie Mae Guidelines for Foreclosures and Bankruptcies. Fannie Mae has not announced any planned changes to their Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Guidelines, but with all the changes that have been happening in our Industry,... 05/18/2010

Fannie Mae has announced a new updated.  This time they are revising the waiting period for Deed-in-Lieu of foreclosure and Short Sale on conventional conforming loans effective with applications dated on or after July 1, 2010. Fannie Mae's Automated Underwriting System (DU) will be updated to version 8.1 and implemented during the weekend of June 19, 2010 to include these changes. No changes will be made to bankruptcies or strict foreclosure, so the present guidelines will continue to apply. Below is a breakdown and time periods for the new changes. ****************************************************************************************************************** Info about the author: George Souto is a Loan Officer who can assist you with all your FHA, CHFA, and Conventional mortgage n... 05/15/2010

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog here on ActiveRain.  A lot has been going on which has kept me from being as active here in the Rain as I have been in the past. The Tax Credit has kept me very busy especially since a major part of my business comes from First Time Homebuyer.  But the other thing that has been taking up a significant part of my time is the National Mortgage Licensing that all Loan Officers, except for Bank and Credit Union Loan Officers, are now required to go through, and be licensed Nationally as well as in the States that they do business in. The National Mortgage Licensing Systems (NMLS) requires each Loan Officer to go through 20 hours of class, plus take a 100 question test, and obtain a score of 75 or better.  Loan Officers will also have to pass a 5... 05/14/2010

When it comes to credit repair; I often hear the question: "Does that stuff really work?"  The answer is a resounding yes!  In an attempt to document this claim I will be posting this week examples of successful results as they come in.  Here is another deletion letter from National Credit Solutions!   ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  04/27/2010

 THIRD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 94 MINER STREET MIDDLETOWN, CT  06457   As some of you may already know, there was a pot roast dinner last night, that was held at the Third Congregational Church in Middletown CT. I posted this about 4 days ago, and I thought I would follow-up with a review, and some pictures. This meal was a pot roast dinner, and all you can eat for $10.00.  The hall was packed.....                     The meal consisted of pot roast (obviously) homemade potatos and gravy, and mixed vegetables.  Along with rolls, tea, coffee.                       Having a very busy day and not being able to eat for over 24 hours, I was starved and decided to participate in the ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT option.  I went for seconds...     You think this would do me in.. oh, but the flavor, and the ho... 04/25/2010

 THIRD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 94 MINER STREETMIDDLETOWN, CT The Third Congregational Church on 94 Miner Street in Middletown, CT is holding its annual Pot Roast Dinner.  This event is being held this Saturday, April 25th, 2010 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.  Yes, another WONDERFUL dinner!!  If you haven't come to one of these dinners.. this would be one NOT to miss.  I went to this last year and could not believe the portion size, let alone going back for seconds. The menu will feature pot roast, mix vegetables,and mashed potatoes.   A brownie sundae is on the docket for dessert.. that is if you have room.  If this comes with the homemade whip cream.. there is no way you will be able to pass this up.  Coffee and Tea, or milk for the children.   Price:  $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 10... 04/22/2010

Middletown FHA Mortgage Loan. You have been thinking about buying your first home and you have heard all kinds of advice from different people.  "Get an FHA mortgage" is one comment you have likely heard many times.  Okay, great, what does that mean? HUD's website states: The Federal Housing Administration, generally known as "FHA", provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders throughout the United States and its territories. FHA insures mortgages on single family and multifamily homes including manufactured homes and hospitals. It is the largest insurer of mortgages in the world, insuring over 34 million properties since its inception in 1934. FHA provides a lender a protection against loss in the event you are unable to pay your mortgage.  If your Middletown FHA M... 02/10/2010

I read this on the top of my Snapple bottle today and I thought I should pass it along: FACT: The average cat can jump five times as high as its tall is long. I thought that was an amazing fact! It rings true to me.  I have 7 cats, one with a particularly long tail and she is a fabulous jumper! ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  02/04/2010

  A common activity among avid fishermen in Connecticut is ice fishing.  When our lakes, ponds, and streams freeze up the fishing diehards take to the ice with their power augers, and fishing poles. The ice on a pond or small lake can get pretty thick once the temperatures drop, and the best way to cut through it is with a gas powered auger.  Once a hole has been drilled these hardy souls will some times sit there for hours to catch what they hope to be that evenings dinner. I first drove by this young boy and his father about two hours before I returned with my camera to take their picture.  Who knows how long they were sitting out there, but the young boy seemed content to play around on the ice, and his father was sitting in the same spot, and in the same position both times I drove... 01/14/2010

2010 A credit look forward So what should I do in 2010 in order to position myself in the best place? You can find yourself almost completely exempt from the credit crunch by doing two things; getting out of credit card debt and increasing your credit scores. By getting yourself out of credit card debt it allows you to escape the abusive treatment by lenders. Remember, things like interest rate and minimum payment increases only matter if you carry a balance. Getting out of and staying out of credit card debt puts you in a very enviable position. This is old advice that has taken on a new level of importance. A second byproduct of getting out of credit card debt is the significant benefit to your credit scores. "Debt" makes up a whopping 30% of the points in your FICO® scores, which pla... 01/07/2010

An overweight blonde consulted her doctor for advice. The doctor advised that she run ten miles a day for thirty days. This, he promised, would help her lose as many as twenty pounds.The blonde followed the doctor's advice, and, after thirty days, she was pleased to find that she had indeed lost the pesky twenty pounds. She phoned the doctor and thanked him for the wonderful advice which produced such effective results.At the end of the conversation, however, she asked one last question: "How do I get home, since I am now 300 miles away?" ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  01/06/2010

A blonde decides to learn and try horse back riding unassisted without prior experience or lessons. She mounts the horse with great effort, and the tall, shiny horse springs into motion.It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde begins to slip from the saddle. Out of sheer terror, she grabs for the horse's mane but cannot seem to get a firm grip. She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider.Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leaps away from the horse to try and throw herself to safety.Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup. She is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground a... 01/06/2010

My Post yesterday focused on the the three categories of costs that may or may not change once the New Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form is issued. These three categories are costs that Cannot Change, cost that Can Change by 10%, and costs that can Change at Settlement. The first category of Costs that Cannot Change on the New Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form is pretty self explanatory, but the other two categories can change so in this Post I want to go into what constitutes a reason for change, and some examples of what they might be. HUD’s Definition For Changed Circumstances Acts of God, war, disaster or other emergency When information particular to the borrower or transaction is found to be different or inaccurate When new information particular to the borrower or the transaction is prov... 01/06/2010

In my introductory Post to the New Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form, I left out a three important things that the New Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form does not include, they are: It includes the Principle & Interest, PMI, or FHA MI in the monthly payment, but it does not include the Taxes, and Homeowners Insurance in the monthly payment. It does not state the Loan Program being applied for. Even though the New Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form shows the total Costs, it does not give an estimate of how much money the Borrower is expected to bring to Closing.  Example of this is that Seller Paid Contributions are not included on this form, so they are not reduced from the Total Costs. Today what I want to do is to list the three categories of costs that may or may not change once the New Good Faith... 01/05/2010

The new Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form is now officially in effect.  This new form became affective on January 1, 2010, and will in many ways change the way Lenders have been doing things.  The new Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form will have both a positive and negative impact on both the Borrower and the Lender. The positive is that the new Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form will now require ALL Lenders to use the same format.  In the past it was some times difficult for a Borrower to compare loan costs between Lenders, because the costs were disclosed and broken down differently from one Lender to another.  Now everyone will have to do it the same way and use the same form.  The new Good Faith Estimate 2010 Form also will prevent Lenders from changing certain costs that are originally listed on... 01/04/2010

  Happy New Year to everyone.  May 2010 be a Blessed and Prosperous, and a year that we all accomplish all our goals.   ****************************************************************************************************************** Info about the author: George Souto is a Loan Officer who can assist you with all your FHA, CHFA, and Conventional mortgage needs in Connecticut. George resides in Middlesex County which includes Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, Cromwell, Portland, Higganum, Haddam, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Essex. George can be contacted at (860) 573-1308 or gsouto@mccuemortgage.com 12/31/2009

I am the top ActiveRainer for 2009!!! How did I get here you ask? First I started here:         Then I added a little consistency here: It helped that people came to read:   And then I became #1 for the year!   Here is the link to that page: http://activerain.com/roster/2009   230,000 points for me in under 11 months - CHEERS! ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company    12/31/2009