Curb Appeal Content Index - Page 1

A great first impression with good curb appeal is the surest way to sell a house. Invest in landscaping, fresh paint and home repair projects to improve your curb appeal. Check out the videos, blog posts and articles for more home improvement ideas to increase curb appeal.

Ilyce Glink Show Notes - November 1, 2009. How has the credit crisis and recession changed you and your spending habits? I want to hear from you. Free books and ebook deal. This week, our latest ebooks, on investing in real estate, will be released on ThinkGlink.com as will our podcasts from our How to Profit From Foreclosures event. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest information, discounts and deals.

**Contractor's Liens and Foreclosures** Worried about contractor's liens? When you buy a foreclosure, check to see if there are any contractor's liens against the property that have survived the foreclosure. Often, the lender will wipe out all other subordinate liens, including contractor's liens, in the foreclosure process. But in some cases, those liens may still exist and be valid. If you suspect there might be other liens that will be filed against the property even after you close, be sure to purchase a title insurance policy with coverage over contractor's liens. You will want to have this insurance in place to have a title company cover the costs of litigation and the costs to remove the contractor's liens with the purchase of the title insurance even if you bought the property after a foreclosure.

The Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Plan should be simple. But it's far from simple. The Obama Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program is causing our readers to cry for help. Some readers are writing in that their credit history and credit score are being hurt by participating in the loan modification plans even when they are not late in making their payments. Others are finding that the loan modification process is taking too long.

HUD announced a new loan modification program for FHA borrowers that will help FHA borrowers who are having trouble making their mortgage payments by creating a second interest-free loan for up to 30 percent of the loan amount. New monthly payments will be amortized on the remaining portion of the loan balance, which should lower monthly costs for homeowners. The second, interest-free loan does not have to be repaid until the primary loan is paid off.

What can you do when you need to sell your home fast? If you aren't using a real estate agent, you'll need to use grass roots marketing to gun the home sale process. For starters, you will need to talk to your neighbors, real estate agents and real estate brokers that work in the community. And, don't forget, to use the resources available on the internet.

US Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., introduced legislation that would expand the first-time home buyer tax credit to include all home buyers, and increase the credit the $15,000. The legislation proposed by Isakson to increase the home buyer tax credit also removes income limits and closing deadlines.

Perhaps you have a home equity line of credit that you haven't tapped. When you lose your job is relying on HELOC funds for day to day expenses a good idea? How risky is it to withdraw a lot of HELOC money at once? Part of what affects the amount of available credit for HELOCs and other loans is how much cash lenders have in the bank. Learn what to consider when you're thinking about tapping HELOC funds after a job loss.

April 15 is approaching quickly. As you're gathering your tax documents or preparing your taxes, don't forget to claim eligible contributions to charity.

The Internal Revenue Service released 10 tips this morning to help you take advantage of these when filing your taxes:

1. Contributions must be made to…

Sandra F. Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Federal Reserve Mortgage lending reform Before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Committee on Financial Services, U.S House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. March 11, 2009

Chairman Gutierrez…

A near-retiree can't use her retirement savings for a few years, but is ready to quit working and wants to know what her options are for health insurance. Health insurance is expensive, but COBRA and the AARP may be options. Not having health insurance could be financially detrimental.