Happy New Year!

As we begin a new year may we all experience the joy of renewal and the expectation of happiness and the realization of the American dream! Let's be thankful for what we have, and let's ask God's blessing upon our country in 2010.

Best wishes and a Happy New Year to my readers!

Christmas Cheer!

Good news, today! The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the November sales of existing homes across America was an increase of 7.4% over October. Why? It's believed to be a result of falling prices, comparatively low historical mortgage rates, and first time home buyers trying to qualify for the tax credit,which was originally scheduled to expire on November 30th. The tax credit has been extended and in all probability will be a boon to sales through part of 2010.

Also, good news -- Christmas is upon us! This is a special time of the year, and like Thanksgiving we should reflect on how fortunate we are to be Americans. Unlike many people in the world we have the freedom to worship God as we choose and to belong to the church we prefer.

At my house we decorate our grandfather clock each year and call it "the Christmas Clock." Some years my wife and I have even put our presents beneath it. the picture with this post is our Christmas Clock. From my house to yours -- Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

New Library in Athens-Limestone's Future

It's just another sign of progress for our area. It appears that everything is "on-track" to build a new 37,000 square foot library for Athens and Limestone County. And, we are going to be eco friendly in the way it is done. First, an existing building, the old Kroger store on Jefferson Street in Athens will be renovated to be the new library. The building is already purchased, but it will take a fund raising effort to finish up the necessary finances. The county and the city are in partnership to "make it happen," and the Athens-Limestone Library Foundation will be raising money from the public. So, this is not going to be an immediately available resource for our citizens, but it is already well under way as architect plans are available, and fund raising has commenced. If you would like to know how you can be a part of this project, call me. Above is the architects elevation for the building. Nice, huh!?

Award Winning School

It doesn't get much better than this. Athens High School was recently named a Silver Medal School, which means it is one of the best high schools in America. The award was made by U.S. News & World Reports magazine. There is one gold medal school in Alabama and eight silver medal schools. Naturally, city officials, educators, and the local citizens in general, are very pleased. An article in the Athens News Courier, Dec. 12, 2009, noted that "of the 880 students enrolled, 28.5 percent took advanced placement classes last year." This is just one more indicator of the quality in the Athens city schools system.

Two Ways to Save

Consider -- you can get a tax rebate of $8,000 from Uncle Sam by purchasing a home if you are a first time home buyer, OR if you already have a home with a mortgage consider refinancing. With interest rates as low as they have been in a long time, individuals with a home mortgage that still has several years to mature may benefit by refinancing. If you are in this situation, and you intend to continue living in the home you own now either indefinitely or for a few more years, it may pay to refinance. Of course there are administrative costs to be paid if you refinance. By calculating what these will be and dividing that by your current monthly payment you will get a "payback" number which means that it is the number of months required to break even. And, if that doesn't make sense to you then consider the purchase of a home that appeals to you and benefit from the tax credit. Last month 72% of the mortgages applied for across the country were for refinancing. Good luck!