What does the local chambers of commerce do for their members?  In most cases they keep their members up to date on current affairs with e-mails, scheduled events, and the web.  Networking events and meetings are one of the most important ways to get, and keep your name out there. During these, you develop relationships  that hopefully help  grow, what ever business you’re in.  Chambers do work if you get involved. But, what if you don’t have the time to devote to meetings, what then?  Do you feel the dues don’t  justify a return on investment?  Belonging to a chamber does give you some clout, I believe. Chambers do stand for  community involvement and members  are given credit for that.

One chamber has gone a little further to help its members in this economic down turn. The North Clackamas Chamber of Commerce has started a new program. It is call BizBoosters! We didn’t come up with the idea ourselves, but we embrace it. It is away the members can directly help one another.  Last Friday, for example, we had 29 members and friends attend lunch at Bajio’s Mexican Grill on 82nd. It was an informal get together and all that participated had a good time. Nothing better than breaking bread with friends!  The NCCC plans to extend this program to service, retail, and other members that supply consumer goods. Want to know more? Visit: www.yourchamber.com (events calendar)

Our house is usually our biggest investment. For that reason, we take great care  in keeping it in good shape. All those Sundays when you want to watch the game, but make the decision to mow the yard instead. You want  it to look good, right?  We pull weeds, fertilize, water, and landscape the yard.  We change  the air filters every month or so to  keep the air in the house dust free and the equipment in good shape. We walk the foundation to check for insect entry points and repair when necessary. The house gets a new coat of paint when needed.  All and all we take care of our houses inside and out.

But! Who thinks about the appliances, plumbing, water heater, furnace, air conditioning, or washer and dyer? We usually take these for granted  until they break down. Ever notice, they break down just at the time you can’t afford a repair bill.  When was the last time you had to load all of your clothes into the car and take’em to the laundry? Furnaces and air conditioners break down when you need them the most.

There is such a thing has a Home Warranty. Now, I’m not selling these things, but I thought you might like to know they exist. As a real Estate Broker, I encourage sellers to offer one or the buyers to buy one.   There are two major ones:

 First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation: www.firstam.com/warranty

American Home Shield:  www.ahswarranty.com

You might just want to check them out.

It is always a pleasure to report success stories during this difficult economy. The following story is about someone who “turned lemons into lemonade” and then sold the drink for a profit.

Let me introduce you to a wonderful lady I met in 2009. Her name is Jamie Teasdale. She became unemployed in March of 2009, when the business she was working for, closed their doors. Rather then hiding in a dark closet, Jamie decided to explore her options. She investigated purchasing a franchise, but that requires a lot of capital.

She comes from a family of businesspeople who have started companies in the past so the idea of owning a business was not foreign to her. Jamie has enjoyed business strategies and activities, while serving customers and planning events in the past. A friend of her parents simply needed more time in the day to accomplish everything, so they hired Jamie. That first customer encouraged Jamie to consider starting a business helping others.

Ms. Teasdale currently owns JJT Solutions. She specializes in assisting Small Business, Event Management and Individuals. She opened her doors in June of 2009 and currently has numerous clients. Jamie has accomplished a wide variety of projects since starting her business. So far, her company has been successful because of her attitude. Jamie is not afraid to tackle complex tasks like a wedding or even running errands for a client who has run out of time. She has also filled in, when some of her business clients have needed a project managed.

Jamie has currently replaced about 75% of her former income. She has utilized the services of other individuals as temporary contract workers and may be hiring them as employees in 2010.

You will enjoy her pleasant demeanor and intelligent input regarding your project. So if you need some temporary assistance, call Jamie.

Ken Bear Cole

A Second Look Business Consulting LLC

Now, we all know we should use a home inspector when we buy a home. You want to know what your are buying, right!  They find things that the average person just doesn’t see. They crawl under, over, and through the house to look into every little corner looking for things that should not be there.  You know, the little things, that over time de-value or sometimes almost destroy a house! Unnoticed small water leaks, insects that only come out at night, mold, and mildew, heating and cooling issues, are just some of the issues that can cause major repairs with home ownership.

This idea came to me today after talking to a few folks . What if we had a professional inspector come out, as little as every 2 years, to just to go through our house. Potential problems might be found and repaired before they became larger issues. Automobiles that have set maintenance programs tend to surpass their life expectancy. Is now the time to put our homes on a contract?  Food for thought!

Well, 2010 is here, and with it comes some new guide lines for mortgage loans. Shockingly, this has been on the table for over 5 years with the feds. Some of the changes were the result of predatory lending practices we so fondly remember from 2006-2007.  You know the ones where buyers were treated to low low rates for 3 to 5 years on homes they really should not have purchased. The loans where the loan officer looked the husband in the eyes and said” Don’t you think you’ll be making much more money when it’s time to pay the much larger amount” ? It is good for us, those types of lending practices, are going to the wayside. Another issue with some of the loans came at the table when the closing took place. Sometimes the loan officer made a slight mistake in the calculations and the buyer had to pay more than expected to get the deal done. 2010′s programs or rules will help with the process. Here’s  how.

The loan officer will need the buyer’s full name, SS#, date of birth, 2 years address history, and a signed credit authorization form to pull their credit. They should not ask for a loan application or give any loan information at this time. They can however give the buyer a verbal estimate of what they could possibly purchase.  Once a property is found, they will ask for all of the above plus the loan application, property address, property value or sales price, and gross monthly income. Once all information is recieved, a  Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of all charges can be given to the buyer. The buyer will have 10 days to agree with the amounts.  In 2009, this information could be given just as an estimate and was likely to change. The difference now is the GFE can only change in the buyer’s favor.

So, you can still find a house, apply for the loan, and buy it with the help of a good real estate broker and loan officer.  It might take a little longer, but it’s worth it. Good home hunting. Hunting season is open until April 30, when the $8000 tax credit is scheduled to go away.

Wow, the holidays are over,  the new year has arrived, and it’s time to get back to living a normal  life.  Normal to some folks, and maybe including your own kids, is going home to an apartment or rental house. As a family, we always want to help when we can, especially when it concerns our children.  There is away you can help if ones able. The IRS says a person can “gift” up to $13,000 towards another person purchasing a home. There is no tax consequences when gifting as long as it is done correctly. Just think?-if both sides of the family”gift” the amount or any part of it, there would exist the possibility of a down payment for the home purchase for the kids.

The $8000 tax credit still applies when “gifts” are given for a first time home purchase. Mortgage rates are still low but the housing inventory is shrinking due to current sales trends. Wow, one of the greatest feelings I had as a parent, was helping my son purchase his first home. I wanted his young family to have their own house they could call home.