Memorial Day Salute 2012

    
     Wikipedia defines "memorial day" as: (and I copy and paste here) Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
     As a military wife, who's husband did his 20 years in the US NAVY, military folks have always held a special place in my heart. I was one of the fortunate ones, my sailor came back to me, safe and sound. I try to never forget the ones who did not.
     Take the politics out of it and what you have left is one person, trying to do do what his or her country has called upon him or her to do. Ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for others. They are protecting the freedoms you and I enjoy. Try not to pass up the opportunity to thank a service member next chance you get.
     To our service members, past, present or future, I personally thank you for your service. And to the families of those service members, I salute you as well ... been there done that.

Star Wars 35th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary "STAR WARS" ! You are 35 this year.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Star Wars was the biggest thing to happen to the movies, ever! George Lucas sure did change what movie goers expected from their sci-fi films from that point on. I never really was a sci-fi lover, but I certainly have seen all the Star Wars movies and probably most of the Star Trek episodes. Hey, that was what was on tv then, you know, back when you had to get up to change the tv channel? Lost in Space had nothing on the new fangled cinematography. Danger, Will Robinson! Wookies, storm troopers, Ewoks and Jubba the Hut are all light years ahead of you! Movies today all seem to use Star Wars as a reference, when trying to top the effects, themes and impact it had on a whole generation. Maybe it's time we dust off the VHS, sit down with our own kids and watch the original Star Wars again. Heck, I'll bet some of you have the "trilogy" box set! If you can figure out how to connect the old VHS player to that flat screen HDTV, good on ya! May the force be with you.

Buying a Home Won't Get Much Cheaper (CNN)

(I quote the following article posted on May 3rd, 2012 by CNN Money:)
By Les Christie

     Buying a home may never get any cheaper than this. Several housing experts are predicting that this year will be the last chance for bargain hunters to cash in on the best deals of the weak housing market. With home prices down 34% nationally since 2006 and mortgage rates at historic lows, homes have never been more affordable -- but it won't stay this way for much longer.
     Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for PNC Financial Services, said he expects home prices to flatten out by the third quarter and start climbing by next year. A number of factors will help bolster the housing market, he said, including a decline in the number of foreclosures and continued job growth. In addition, homebuyers will have better access to mortgages as they get their finances in order and improve their credit scores. "This is a strong indicator that we will start seeing home price indexes, like the S&P/Case-Shiller, start to report home price increases this summer," he said.
     Prospective homebuyers who've been sitting on the fence shouldn't worry if they aren't quite ready to make the leap. Analysts are predicting that the initial price gains will be modest, at least, in most markets.
Read more at CNNMoney. Or contact me to take a look at your own situation. Is now the right time for
you to buy a home? It may never be a better time than this.