Get to the park!

We all know that kids need fresh air, but it can be hard to get them outside when the Fall rolls in. There have been proven results that kids who get enough fresh air can actually have better eyesight, less depression, and measurably better grades in school. But it can be hard to get the kids out the door once the chillier air rolls in. Here are some easy tips to get your kids outside and breathing fresh air this fall.

Pumpkin Pickin’ at the pumpkin patch! We all remember the fun we had as kids, going to pick out the pumpkin that we would carve for Halloween. Besides being a great tradition to pass on, it’s also a great way to get your kids outdoors. There are several pumpkin patches in Hamilton County that you can visit!

A trip to the park. Once you’re at the park, it’s hard to run back inside to watch television or play video games. Thankfully the Town of Fishers has made that easier on us, by having so many wonderful parks that we can visit regularly. They are well kept, and fun for the kids... and many to chose from! To see a list of parks here in Fishers go to: www.Fishers.In.Us Click Community & Parks and Recreation!

5 Things You Should Do (Or pay someone else to do) Before Winter:

As winter nears, there are a few things you can do to protect your investment...

Aside from protecting your home from all of the terrible things that can happen to it this winter, most of these tips can also help lower your utility bill. Most of these tips can be done by homeowners themselves, which can help save a few dollars too!

1. Tune up your heating system: If you would prefer to not be the 100th person in line for repairs on the coldest day of the year, we suggest having a certified technician out to your home to inspect your furnace or heat pump. The technician will make sure that it is clean and in good repair so that it can achieve it’s manufacturer-rated efficiency. They will also check for carbon-monoxide leakage, which is always a good way to safe guard your family.

2. Check the roof & clean the gutters: Check for damaged, loose, or missing shingles that may cause leaks during storms or melting snow. If necessary, hire a handyman or roofer to replace missing or damaged shingles or flashings.

Your gutters need just as much attention as your roof. If leaves are left to collect in your gutters this fall, water can back up against your house and cause damage to the siding, roofing, and wood trim causing leakage. It’s also good to look for damage.

3. Turn off all exterior faucets, and have lawn-irrigation systems professionally drained: Your sprinkler service should be happy to drain your lawn-irrigation system for a minimal charge. Undrained water that is left in pipes can freeze and expand, and ultimately burst. Disconnect all hoses, turn off the shut-off valve inside your home, and drain the faucets until there is no remaining water in them. Draining the spigots on the house, as well as the irrigation system, will help avoid frozen and leaky pipes.

4. Caulk around windows and doors: The rule of thumb among many contractors, is that if there is a gap of larger than the width of a nickel it’s time to reapply exterior caulk. You can also check the window glazing putty, and all of your weather stripping too. The goal is to not see any daylight from the interior of your home. This will help reduce energy costs and keep your home at a more even temperature.

5. Invest in a Programmable Thermostat: The house doesn’t always need to be set to 72*F this winter, so install a thermostat that will change depending on the time of day. While you’re at it, check the smoke detector batteries too!

Renewed trust for tough times:

Does it feel like trust is one of the major casualties of the economic meltdown of 2008 – followed by the “Great Recession,” the “Jobless Recovery” and now the threat of a “Double Dip Recession?”

Weren’t we assured that home values were destined to go up and up and up?

There have been lots of promises that help is on the way—and lots of warnings of scams and schemes that have only served to confuse the matter. So where’s a homeowner who’s underwater or over-leveraged to turn?

Here’s the bottom line: the choices that homeowners make when they feel they are at the end of their rope will have ramifications for years to come on their ability to qualify for credit, their job prospects, their security clearance and their overall finances. When a family’s financial trajectory is rapidly heading in a negative direction, there’s no substitute for the helping hand of a knowledgeable expert who has the integrity, the experience and the training to reverse the course—someone who is tapped into regulatory initiatives and can separate fact from fiction.

It is my mission to serve as a credible source of information and perspective to homeowners who have found themselves in a tough situation and need help sorting through their options. That’s why I sought out the Certified Distressed Property (CDPE) designation—the most renowned and recognized credential in the distressed property field, and it’s why I continue to stay on top of regulatory and industry developments that impact options available to homeowners who are struggling with their current financial situations.

My message to homeowners who do not know where to turn: there is hope. Foreclosure is not inevitable and neither the government nor your bank wants to see that happen. No one expected to find themselves on the brink of foreclosure, but I have worked with countless clients who have managed to turn their financial trajectory around and get on a path of financial recovery.

It CAN be done! And it would be my privilege to help.

Cynthia Vivona

It's time to take another look at short sales...

As recently as a few months ago, if you would have told a real estate agent who specialized in short sales that they’d be raving about a lender’s stellar service and rapid approval times—not to mention significant cash incentives for financially strapped homeowners for pursuing a short sale—you’d have gotten some strange looks.

That’s all changed. And it’s changed faster and to a greater extent than most real estate professionals ever could have imagined.

With a glut of bank-owned properties dragging down the recovery of the real estate market, as well as the national economy, major lenders are more eager than ever before to avoid foreclosure. So they’ve sharpened their focus on short sales. Big time.

The biggest lenders in the country have staffed up to ensure rapid processing of short sale applications. They’ve ponied up with cash incentives at closing for homeowners who pursue a short sale. And they’re proactively reaching out to CDPE agents and putting them in touch with delinquent borrowers.

This is big news and the media has not really caught onto it yet. What’s important for you to know is that whatever you’ve read or heard in the past about long lag times and frustrations with short sales is probably no longer the case.

As a member of the CDPEAdvanced community, I’m tapped into major lenders and on top of major developments affecting short sales and bank-owned properties. I invite you to visit my website www.HomeownerHardship.com to learn more and feel free to contact me any time at (317) 366-8559 or TheVPteam@gmail.com  if you or anyone you know is struggling with an unmanageable mortgage.