1. DO NOT announce on Facebook or Twitter that you are leaving for vacation.

2. Maybe leave some lights on or blinds open.

3. One could have a family member stop by and take your mail inside for you.

4. Make sure you lock all your doors and windows.

5. Set alarms and make sure the security company has a close relative's phone number in case the alarm sounds.

6. Don't leave any spare keys under door mats or on top of door frames.

7. Don't post any pictures on the beach or Disney World until you get back home.

8. Make sure you turn all electrical appliances off before leaving.

9. Make sure all prescription medications, expensive jewelry, guns etc. are locked in a safe.

10. Make sure all guns are unloaded and ammunition also locked up.

Spring is the perfect time to make your move to 9079 Rye Creek Road! Nice ranch style home with a full walkout basement, spacious room sizes and gorgeous views of your private 1.5 acre stocked pond! 50 X 30 Barn, hay shed and fencing/cross fencing in place with another two ponds and established pasture! Your own private oasis! Call today and start planning your move!

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Purpose

Provide tax credits to new or expanding businesses in a Missouri Enhanced Enterprise Zone.

http://www.ded.mo.gov/BCS%20Programs/BCSProgramDetails.aspx?BCSProgramID=39

30 X 40 Outbuilding with Electric. Great I-44 exposure.

• 3 bed 1 bath home with a full walk out basement and shower stall also in the basement. Property also has a detached garage, a 2 car carport, and a concrete drive way. Asking $4,000 down.

2 bed 1 bath home with gas and electric. Home currently under rehab.

1.5 Story home on a crawl space. 3 bed 1 and a half bath with gas and electric. Will be available June 1st.

4 bed 3 bath home on 10 acres with full walk out basement and fire place! Lease option to purchase, $5,000 down.

You will be proud to call this lovely open concept ranch style home yours! The mature trees give shade to the park-like setting and circle drive, giving you an immediate sense of tranquility! This efficient home has 2 X 6 exterior walls and an oversize 2.5 car garage. You will love the spacious master bedroom suite with TWO walk-in closets, and a luxurious master bath with a jet tub and separate shower. The cook in the family will appreciate the well equipped kitchen with granite countertops and where the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher all stay. What's not to love? Let's make plans for your move to 509 Pine Cove Drive!

2 bed 2 bath luxury villa with basement, attached garage and main floor laundry. NO PETS.

3 bed 2 bath 1250 sq. ft. home on 0.83 acres m/l. Crawl space. Lease/Option with $4000/down.

FHFA Announces New Streamlined Modification Initiative Borrowers and Servicers to Benefit From Simplified Program

Washington, DC – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will offer a new, simplified loan modification initiative to minimize losses and to help troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. Beginning July 1, servicers will be required to offer eligible borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgage an easy way to lower their monthly payments and modify their mortgage without requiring financial or hardship documentation.

The new Streamlined Modification Initiative eliminates the administrative barriers associated with document collection and evaluation. Eligible borrowers must demonstrate a willingness and ability to pay by making three on-time trial payments, after which the mortgage will be permanently modified. Homeowners are encouraged to continue working with their servicer to evaluate all of their foreclosure prevention options. Documenting income and financial hardship could result in a modification with additional savings for the borrower.

"The Streamlined Modification Initiative adds to the suite of home retention tools offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," said FHFA Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco. "This new option gives delinquent borrowers another path to avoid foreclosure. We will still encourage such borrowers to provide documentation to support other modification options that would likely result in additional borrower savings."

The Streamlined Modification Initiative builds on the principles of the Servicing Alignment Initiative by encouraging servicers to resolve delinquencies earlier and in a more consistent and expeditious manner to keep more people in their homes and to minimize losses to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and taxpayers. The program expires August 1, 2015.

The program is available to those homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Since being placed into conservatorships, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have completed 2.7 million foreclosure prevention transactions, including 1.3 million loan modifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Streamlined Modification Initiative

1. What is the Streamlined Modification Initiative?

The new Streamlined Modification Initiative is designed to help more borrowers with mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain homeownership. The initiative builds on lessons learned with the Servicing Alignment Initiative (SAI) - namely that early, effective borrower outreach and engagement is critical for successful modification solutions. Under the Streamlined Modification Initiative, many borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent will be sent a Streamlined Modification Solicitation Offer that includes a Trial Period Plan specifying the dollar amount of the new mortgage payment based upon a fixed interest rate, extending the payment terms to 40 years, and providing principal forbearance for certain underwater borrowers. Borrowers will not be required to document their hardship or financial situations to receive the Streamlined Modification.

2. Why is FHFA directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) to launch the Streamlined Modification Initiative?

Throughout the financial crisis, one of the biggest challenges in assisting troubled homeowners has been the administrative challenge of document collection. Since the inception of the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program, FHFA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been measuring and monitoring borrower and servicer responsiveness to borrower assistance programs to understand why many borrowers are not able to get a loan modification. Removing the administrative barriers associated with document collection and servicer evaluation should enable significantly more borrowers to access the available options for home retention.

3. When will the Streamlined Modification Initiative be available?

The Streamlined Modification Initiative will begin July 1, 2013 and end August 1, 2015. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are issuing guidance to their mortgage servicers to implement the Streamlined Modification Initiative.

4. What are the eligibility requirements?

The loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Homeowners must be 90 days to 24 months delinquent, and have a first-lien mortgage that is at least 12 months old with a loan-to-value ratio equal to or greater than 80 percent. Loans that have been modified at least two times previously are not eligible. Click on these links to see if your loan is owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

5. How is the Streamlined Modification Initiative different from other Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage modification options?

The Streamlined Modification builds on the success of the Standard Modification program that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae announced last year under the Servicing Alignment Initiative. Starting July 1, 2013, servicers will be required to send a Streamlined Modification Solicitation Offer to borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent and meet the initiative’s eligibility requirements. The key difference is that borrowers will not be required to document their hardship or financial situation, but will be able to accept a Streamlined Modification Offer by simply making the trial period payments and agreeing to the terms of the modification. Borrowers will also be advised that more beneficial terms may be available if they document their financial situation and work with their servicer to pursue the full range of foreclosure prevention options.

6. How does the Streamlined Modification Initiative differ from the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)?

Borrowers can look to take advantage of HAMP as soon as they run into financial troubles, but must provide financial, income and hardship documentation to their servicer to be considered for the program. The Streamlined Modification Initiative is only available for borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent and it does not require borrowers to provide financial or hardship documentation. HAMP enables servicers to evaluate the borrower for modification terms based on an affordable payment that is 31 percent of the borrower’s gross monthly income. HAMP may provide a more affordable monthly payment than the Streamlined Modification Initiative. In addition, borrowers may be eligible to receive financial incentive payments under HAMP.

7. Will all delinquent borrowers with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages receive a Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan after July 1, 2013 if he or she is 90+ days delinquent?

As of July 1, 2013, servicers must identify eligible borrowers who are 90 days to 24 months delinquent and send them an offer letter that states the terms of the modification, including the monthly payment required for a Streamlined Modification. These eligible borrowers can accept a Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan by sending the specified payment to the loan servicer.

8. How long will the Trial Period last?

Similar to the Standard Modification, the Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan will last three months. If the borrower makes on-time payments during the trial period and meets necessary criteria, the borrower will be asked to sign an agreement making the terms of the mortgage modification permanent.

9. What happens if a borrower misses a payment during the Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan?

If the borrower misses a payment during the Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan, the borrower will not be eligible for a permanent Streamlined Modification. However, the borrower may submit a Borrower Response Package to the servicer and will be evaluated for other alternatives to foreclosure, including other modification options.

10. Should struggling borrowers wait until the Streamlined Modification takes effect on July 1, 2013 to contact their servicer when they miss a payment?

For borrowers struggling to make their payments, calling the servicer as early as possible is the best option to ensure they are evaluated for the most appropriate alternative to foreclosure. When the borrower documents their financial situation, the servicer will be able to evaluate the borrower for alternative modification options with more beneficial terms. Calling the servicer will not exclude a borrower from receiving the Streamlined Modification solicitation.

11. When should I expect a letter from my servicer?

Servicers will be required to begin evaluating borrowers for a solicitation on July 1, 2013. Depending on the volume of delinquent borrowers and servicer capacity and systems, letters should be sent within a timely period.

12. What steps are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac taking to discourage strategic defaults by borrowers who stop paying their loans to get a Streamlined Modification?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have existing proprietary screening measures to prevent strategic defaulters from taking advantage of a Streamlined Modification. Additionally, only those borrowers with loans more than 12 months old with a mark-to market loan-to-value ratio greater than 80 percent and who have not had two or more previous loan modifications will be solicited for participation.

13. Why limit eligibility to borrowers who have missed three or more monthly payments?

Because many borrowers who miss one or two payments have a temporary hardship and often reinstate their mortgage to current status, it is most effective to target borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent. Borrowers who are current or less than 90 days delinquent and have a permanent hardship should contact their servicer to submit a Borrower Response Package so they can be evaluated for a mortgage modification or other alternative to foreclosure.

14. Does the Streamlined Modification cover borrowers with delinquent Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae mortgages secured by second homes and/or investment properties?

Yes. Delinquent borrowers with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages secured by second homes or investment properties are eligible to participate in the Streamlined Modification Initiative and may receive trial period plan offers, provided they also meet other eligibility criteria.

LEARN THE LINGO

When you set out to buy a new home, you will need to familiarize yourself with various real estate terms, conduct research on the market value of homes in the area in which you intend to shop and learn the art of negotiation. This information will help as you browse homes, talk with REALTORS® and get further into the buying process.

GET A FREE CREDIT REPORT

Every 12 months, you are entitled to request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. You should make this request before you begin looking at homes in order to allow yourself enough time to identify and dispute any inaccuracies in your credit file(s). When you approach a lender, you will need to make sure that everything is correct and up-to-date.

GET PRE-QUALIFIED

Pre-qualification is different than pre-approval in that it gives you a possible price range that you can afford, but does not guarantee you the loan. Pre-qualification is important because it will help you narrow your search to include only homes that you can afford. Knowing what you can pay beforehand will save you both time and disappointment in looking at homes that do not fit your budget. In today’s real estate market you should not begin your search before you have been pre-qualified.

SPEAK WITH A REALTOR^®

Nobody knows the real estate business like a REALTOR^®, so let them help you to find your new home. Based on your specific requirements, a REALTOR^® can locate a home that will suit you at a price that’s within your budget. When he/she finds one or more possible candidates, you will be invited to tour the home. At this point, you should take a camera for the purpose of later reviewing each house with visuals instead of relying solely on memory.

MAKE AN OFFER

Once you find the perfect home, make an offer that’s less than you are actually willing to pay. This way, the seller can make a counteroffer that would hopefully still be within your budget. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the art of negotiation so that can learn how to get the best deal without insulting the seller. If you have not yet been pre-approved, make sure that your offer is contingent upon your being able to obtain the necessary financing.

OBTAIN A LOAN

Once you and the seller agree on a purchase price, you may be required to provide an earnest money deposit that will secure the home as you obtain a loan (if applicable). A lender will require a home inspection and appraisal for the property in connection with your loan application. In most cases, you will know within a few weeks whether or not your application is approved, but the actual closing will not occur until the inspection and appraisal are complete.

GET MOVING

Now that the papers are signed and you have the keys to your new home, it’s time to get moving – literally. Remember to decorate your new home and add all of those special touches that reflect your personality. After all, a house is only a house until you make it a home.

One way to be safe and be knowledgeable about who you are meeting would be to go online. These days you can find out pretty much everything about a person by just searching their name on the internet. ZabaSearch,com is a recommended site to find information on clients. Another good idea to stay safe would be to investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods by looking them up on Google Maps to see if there are any other homes near by. It would also be smart to searching the neighborhood's crime rate.

To find more important information, tips and strategies for staying safe on the job visit www.realtor.org/topics/realtor-safety.

http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2012/10/24/nondelinquent-borrowers-soon-be-eligible-for-short-sales

Hickinbotham Real Estate has a proven track record of success with short sale listings, and we would love the opportunity to assist you with your home!  Call us today!  636-629-3419 or by email - ScottHickinbotham@realtor.com

Elite Credit Services uses the law in your favor to get any information on your credit report that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable removed from your credit report which improves your credit score. In addition to credit repair, a 24 four week education email course on credit and a dvd money smart training system is included in the program to educate clients on how the credit system works and how to maximize credit scores by adding positive information to their credit profiles.

We are requesting that all current clients in lease options call to schedule an appointment for a free credit repair consultation. Our lease option program is truly designed to help you become a homeowner and cleaning your credit will help you get pre-approved and on the road to home ownership.

Please call Elite Credit Services for your FREE credit consultation today 314-322-8740! www.MyEliteCredit.com