Southwest New Mexico May 31,2012

There is no place on earth that I would rather live than in Southwest New Mexico. The region is rich in history and the climate is fantastic. Here are a few links with information about Las Cruces and the surrounding area.

http://southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Southwest/index.html

http://www.newmexicoenchantment.com/living-in-new-mexico.html

http://photo.net/us/sw/new-mexico

http://www.lascruces.org/

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/elephant.htm

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm

http://www.lascrucescvb.org/html/organ_mountains_.html

Buying a Home

Whether you are buying an existing home or building a new one, the first thing that you need to do is check your own credit report. Credit Bureaus are notorious for placing the wrong information in your file. Wrong information can mean the difference between qualifying or being disqualified for a home purchase. Every person is entitled to one free credit report each year. Lenders use three major Credit Reporting Agencies to make their decisions. The three major reporting agencies are Experian, Transunion and Equifax. The easiest one stop shop to obtain all three reports is annualcreditreport.com. There is a link on the left bottom of my page that will take you to their website. Once you have received reports from all three agencies look over each report carefully. You will soon see that the three reports do not contain the same information. If you see an inaccuracy or an old debt send a dispute letter to the agencies to have the inaccuracy removed. Once you have an accurate report it will take several months for the agencies to begin reporting the new FICO scores, which is the score that lenders use to make credit decisions. Once your credit is as accurate as possible and the credit agencies are reporting your new information it is time to start looking for that new home. The following is a general guideline on repairing your own credit. It may seem overwhelming at first but your credit report is worth its weight in gold. If you have any problems with your report or you are not for sure how to proceed give me a call and I can help you through it. I actually had my identity stolen and it took years to straighten out my credit and stop the fraud. I know most of the in’s and out’s of credit reports.

Credit Repair: Self Help May Be Best

You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail. You may even get calls from telemarketers offering credit repair services. They all make the same claims:

• “Credit problems? No problem!”
• “We can erase your bad credit — 100% guaranteed.”
• “Create a new credit identity — legally.”
• “We can remove bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and bad loans from your credit file forever!”

Do yourself a favor and save some money, too. Don’t believe these statements. Only time, a conscious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report.
This blog explains how you can improve your creditworthiness and gives legitimate resources for low or no-cost help.

The Scam

Everyday, companies nationwide appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. They promise, for a fee, to clean up your credit report so you can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job. The truth is, they can’t deliver. After you pay them hundreds or thousands of dollars in fees, these companies do nothing to improve your credit report; most simply vanish with your money.

The Warning Signs

If you decide to respond to a credit repair offer, look for these telltale signs of a scam:

• Companies that want you to pay for credit repair services before they provide any services.
• Companies that do not tell you your legal rights and what you can do for yourself for free.
• Companies that recommend that you not contact a credit reporting company directly.
• Companies that suggest that you try to invent a “new” credit identity — and then, a new credit report — by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security number.
• Companies that advise you to dispute all information in your credit report or take any action that seems illegal like creating a new credit identity. If you follow illegal advice and commit fraud, you may be subject to prosecution.

You could be charged and prosecuted for mail or wire fraud if you use the mail or telephone to apply for credit and provide false information. It’s a federal crime to lie on a loan or credit application, to misrepresent your Social Security number, and to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretenses.
Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they have completed the services they have promised.

The Truth

No one can legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report. The law allows you to ask for an investigation of information in your file that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this. Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA):

• You’re entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, like denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You’re also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.
• Each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — are required to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.
  The three companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, click on annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can print the form from ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ . Do not contact the three nationwide consumer-reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. For more information, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ .
  Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.
• You can dispute mistakes or outdated items for free. Under the FCRA, both the consumer reporting company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a consumer reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage of all your rights under this law, contact the consumer reporting company and the information provider.

STEP ONE

Tell the consumer reporting company, in writing; what information you think is inaccurate. Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your report with the items in question circled. Your letter may look something like the one on page 6. Send your letter by certified mail, “return receipt requested,” so you can document what the consumer reporting company received. Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures.

Consumer reporting companies must investigate the items in question — usually within 30 days — unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the consumer reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the consumer reporting company. If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide consumer-reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file.

When the investigation is complete, the consumer reporting company must give you the results in writing and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. If an item is changed or deleted, the consumer reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. The consumer reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider. If you request, the consumer reporting company must send notices of any correction to anyone who received your report in the past six months. You can have a corrected copy of your report sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes.

If an investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute with the consumer reporting company, you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and in future reports. You also can ask the consumer reporting company to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report in the recent past. You can expect to pay a fee for this service.

STEP TWO

Tell the creditor or other information provider, in writing, that you dispute an item. Be sure to include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider reports the item to a consumer reporting company, it must include a notice of your dispute. And if you are correct – that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate – the information provider may not report it again.

For more information, see How to Dispute Credit Report Errors at ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ .

Reporting Accurate Negative Information

When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. A consumer reporting company can report most accurate negative information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years. Information about an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. There is no time limit on reporting: information about criminal convictions; information reported in response to your application for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year; and information reported because you’ve applied for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance. There is a standard method for calculating the seven-year reporting period. Generally, the period runs from the date that the event took place.

For more information, see Building a Better Credit Report at ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ .

The Credit Repair Organizations Act

By law, credit repair organizations must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign a contract. They also must give you a written contract that spells out your rights and obligations. Read these documents before you sign anything. The law contains specific protections for you. For example, a credit repair company cannot:

• Make false claims about their services
• Charge you until they have completed the promised services
• Perform any services until they have your signature on a written contract and have completed a three-day waiting period. During this time, you can cancel the contract without paying any fees

Your contract must specify:

• The payment terms for services, including their total cost
• A detailed description of the services to be performed
• How long it will take to achieve the results
• Any guarantees they offer
• The company’s name and business address

Have You Been Victimized?

Many states have laws regulating credit repair companies. State law enforcement officials may be helpful if you’ve lost money to credit repair scams.

If you’ve had a problem with a credit repair company, don’t be embarrassed to report it. While you may fear that contacting the government will only make your problems worse, remember that laws are in place to protect you. Contact your local consumer affairs office or your state Attorney General (AGs). Many AGs have toll-free consumer hotlines. Check the Blue Pages of your telephone directory for the phone number or check www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys General.

Need Help? Don’t Despair

Just because you have a poor credit report doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get credit. Creditors set their own credit-granting standards and not all of them look at your credit history the same way. Some may look only at more recent years to evaluate you for credit, and they may grant credit if your bill-paying history has improved. It may be worthwhile to contact creditors informally to discuss their credit standards.

If you’re not disciplined enough to create a workable budget and stick to it, work out a repayment plan with your creditors, or keep track of mounting bills, consider contacting a credit counseling organization. Many credit-counseling organizations are nonprofit and work with you to solve your financial problems. But not all are reputable. For example, just because an organization says it’s “nonprofit,” there’s no guarantee that its services are free, affordable, or even legitimate. In fact, some credit counseling organizations charge high fees, or hide their fees by pressuring consumers to make “voluntary” contributions that only cause more debt.

Most credit counselors offer services through local offices, the Internet, or on the telephone. If possible, find an organization that offers in-person counseling. Many universities, military bases, credit unions, housing authorities, and branches of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service operate nonprofit credit counseling programs. Your financial institution, local consumer protection agency, and friends and family also may be good sources of information and referrals.

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, you should know about one major change to the bankruptcy laws: As of October 17, 2005, you must get credit counseling from a government-approved organization within six months before you file for bankruptcy relief. You can find a state-by-state list of government-approved organizations at www.usdoj.gov/ust. That is the website of the U.S. Trustee Program, the organization within the U.S. Department of Justice that supervises bankruptcy cases and trustees.

Reputable credit counseling organizations can advise you on managing your money and debts, help you develop a budget, and offer free educational materials and workshops. Their counselors are certified and trained in the areas of consumer credit, money and debt management, and budgeting. Counselors discuss your entire financial situation with you, and help you develop a personalized plan to solve your money problems. An initial counseling session typically lasts an hour, with an offer of follow-up sessions.
For more information, see Knee Deep in Debt and Fiscal Fitness: Choosing a Credit Counselor at ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ .

Do-It-Yourself Check-Up

Even if you don’t have a poor credit history, some financial advisors and consumer advocates suggest you review your credit report periodically

• Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan or insurance — and how much you will have to pay for it.
• To make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
• To help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.

Sample Dispute Letter

Date
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code

Complaint Department
Name of Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. The items I dispute also are encircled on the attached copy of the report I received.

This item (identify item(s) disputed by name of source, such as creditors or tax court, and identify type of item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.) is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be deleted (or request another specific change) to correct the information.

Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records, court documents) supporting my position. Please investigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Your name

Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing)

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Insulating your new home

Building a new home is probably the largest investment that you will make in your lifetime.

One of the most important decisions that you will make is the insulation that will be in your new home. Energy costs are at all time highs and will probably rise in the future. Heating and cooling your home accounts for 50% to 70% of your homes energy use. A properly insulated home will save you money month after month, year after year. The most frequently asked question by potential homebuyers is the difference between 2×4 and 2×6 construction. The simple answer is the amount of insulation that can be installed in the wall cavity. There are other factors that should be considered in the type of insulation that is used and why 2×6 is far superior to 2×4 construction. Hopefully the following break down answers most of these questions.

2×4 or 2×6

A wall framed with 2×4 studs can be insulated with an R-13 or an R-15 if high density insulation is used. A wall framed with 2×6 studs can be insulated with an R-19 or an R-23 if high density insulation is used. A home that is insulated with an R-19 or an R-23 will use less energy and save you money each and every month. The additional benefit of the added insulation is that it helps keep your home quieter from outside noises. All of our homes exterior walls are framed with 2×6 engineered studs and insulated with a high density fiberglass with an R-23. We insulate our ceilings with an R-40 blown in fiberglass. We use engineered studs which are stronger and there is less chance of twisting and warping.

Batt Insulation or Blown insulation

Batt insulation is manufactured in rolls and there are various thicknesses for the differing R-values. Batt insulation is placed into the wall cavity and stapled between two studs. The biggest problem is that batt insulation leaves gaps and is hard to place properly in some areas.

Blown insulation is blown into the wall cavity either by a wet spray or by covering the wall with netting and blowing the insulation behind the netting into the wall cavities. This method is ,in our opinion, the most efficient method of insulating a home. It allows us to insulate hard to reach areas properly and eliminates gaps where energy can be lost.

Cellulose or Fiberglass

Fiberglass and Cellulose are the most common materials used in home insulation.

Product Performance

When we compare R-Values, both products are similar. It is important to note that “R-value per inch” does not matter because the R-value rates the resistance of heat flow. 12″ of insulation rated at R30 will achieve the same effect as 18″ of insulation rated at R30. Therefore, you can conclude that the products are equal when we compare thermal resistance.

Settling
Settling refers to the gradual sinking of the material. Usually fiberglass has minimal settling and will appear to hold the same thickness as the day it was installed. Cellulose settles at a higher rate, sometimes up to 20%. This settling will cause gaps in coverage and reduces the energy efficiency of your home.

Fire
Fiberglass is naturally noncombustible because it is made of spun glass, which is essentially sand. No additional fire retardant material is added to fiberglass insulation. Cellulose is newspaper based, which is naturally combustible. Cellulose insulation is treated with fire retardant chemicals. Occasionally this chemical may lose its effectiveness over time and could pose as a fire hazard later in it’s useful life.