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3rd Quarter
Roy Sperr Jason Walters and Shawn Hunter
Emails:roy@equitysourcemortgage.net
NMLS: 202418/295556/348864
 Equity Source Mortgage, Inc.
Phone: Roy (763) 657-2012
Phone: Shawn (763) 657-2017
roy@equitysourcemortgage.net
www.equitysourcemortgage.com
Did You Know?
Did you know that Tennessee is bordered by more states than any other? They are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia.

Trivia Challenge

Back to "Old School." Match these '90s guilty pleasures with the artists who made them famous.

Old School Track:

  1. The Sign
  2. Wicked Game
  3. Groove is in the Heart
  4. Whoomp! (There It Is)
  5. Mambo No. 5
  6. How Bizarre
  7. Jump Jive an' Wail
  8. Praise You
  9. I Wish
  10. You Get What You Give
  11. She's So High
 Artist:

  1. The Brian Setzer
  2. Tal Bachmann
  3. Ace of Base
  4. Chris Isaak
  5. Skee-Lo
  6. New Radicals
  7. OMC
  8. Tag Team
  9. Lou Bega
  10. Fatboy Slim
  11. Deee-lite

See the last page for answers.
 
Mortgage News
Home Construction Slows as Prices Rise

In early June, after declining for five weeks straight, home loan rates reached their lowest of the year, according to Freddie Mac. This prompted homebuyers to sign purchase contracts, and allowed refinancing opportunities for existing homeowners.

Yet despite recent low rates, some reports in the new home construction market were surprisingly disappointing. June Housing Starts were approximately 125,000 short of estimates—the slowest pace in nine months—led by a drop in single-family homes. Building Permits also dropped by 4.2 percent compared to one year ago, missing estimates by roughly 75,000.

Aside from these numbers, builder sentiment is on the rise. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the monthly builder sentiment index rose 4 points in July to 53, crossing into positive territory. As a rule, 50 is the line between positive and negative sentiment.

"This is the first time that builder confidence has been above 50 since January and... is strengthening as pent-up demand brings more buyers into the marketplace," said NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly.

In response to June's New Home Sales figures clocking in nearly 12 percent lower from the same time one year ago, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said, "An improving job market goes hand in hand with a rise in builder confidence. As employment increases and those with jobs feel more secure about their own economic situation, they are more likely to feel comfortable about buying a home."

(Continued on next page)

Finance News
3 Simple Steps to Reshop Your Car Insurance
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Kiplinger.com
Step 1
Dig out your current policy to see how much you pay every six months, as well as the limits and cost of each coverage. Also have your vehicle identification number (VIN), current mileage and as much information as possible about recent claims or moving violations. You may not find a better rate if you've had an accident or a moving violation within the past three to five years.

Step 2
Go to CarInsurance.com and enter your information (with the same coverage your policy currently provides). In most states, you'll get immediate quotes online from several insurers, such as Esurance, 21st Century and The Hartford. Also get quotes directly from the largest insurers: Allstate, Geico, Progressive and State Farm. If you'd rather have an independent agent shop for you, go to TrustedChoice.com.

(Continued on next page)

 
3rd Quarter

Book Review

"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption"
By Laura Hillenbrand

In her second book, Hillenbrand recounts the ordeal of Louis Zamperini, World War II veteran, Prisoner of War, and distance runner in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

An unforgettable picture of desperate survival and heroic redemption, Hillenbrand says her research for "Seabiscuit" led to repeated stories and anecdotes about Lieutenant Zamperini, who started out in life as a delinquent. This changed when he discovered his talent for athletic running. His life changed again six years after his 5000-meter Olympics run when he survived a plane crash in the South Pacific, and was held captive by the Japanese Army until the end of the war. His struggles continued back home as he overcame PTSD, eventually becoming a sought-after inspirational speaker.

"Unbroken" is a profoundly moving story which tells of human resilience in mind, body, and spirit. The book has spent three years on The New York Times' best-seller list, is soon to be a major motion picture, and is available on Amazon.

Quote of the Day

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
– Mahatma Gandhi
 

Mortgage News (Continued from cover)
Home prices and values, including those of distressed properties, are still on the rise, though at a much more normal level after the large gains seen last year. Early June numbers from CoreLogic's Home Price Index (HPI) showed a month-to-month increase of 1.4 percent from April to May, and an 8.8 percent increase from the same period one year ago.

According to Trulia, a real estate sales and data company, 97 of 100 metropolitan housing markets posted year-over-year price gains, the most since the economic recovery began. Asking prices in June also rose to their highest month-over-month rate (1.2 percent) in 16 months.

Be sure to check-in to the next quarterly issue of Homes & Money in November, and get the latest in homebuying, home values and home loan rates.
Finance News (Continued from cover)
Step 3
At www.naic.org/cis, check the closed complaint records for your insurer and the two or three companies with the best quotes. Finding the complaint ratio can be a hassle, but you don't want to risk headaches if you have a claim. As long as the ratio is close to the national median (which is 1.00), you're good to go. Call your insurer and explain that you've found a better rate. If it won't lower your premium, make the switch to the company with the lowest rates and fewest complaints.

The payoff
You can save hundreds of dollars on your premium.

Kiplinger LogoReprinted with permission. All Contents ©2014 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com.

Home News
A Color Primer For Home Decorators
You don't need to be an interior decorator to understand color, or create satisfying personal spaces around your home. Here is some quick inspiration for your next decorating project.

Blue has timeless appeal, the wide range of hues make it a continual favorite for bedrooms and nurseries—and not just for boys. Pale blues in living spaces for grownups are just as appealing.

Yellow is extremely versatile, creating the illusion of light or complementing light-filled rooms. Yellow is accompanied well by other colors found beside it in nature like tangerine, brown, fuchsia, lime green and persimmon.

(Continued on next page)
 
3rd Quarter

Home News (Continued from page 2)

Green gives visual impact even as a neutral. Bring the outdoors inside and mix greens the same as you would in the garden, adding accents of aqua, pink or even white.

Red is intense and dramatic, a backdrop for strong accessories like silver and porcelain. Always a great choice in dining rooms, accented with charcoal grays, dark chocolates and rich caramels.

White is a backdrop allowing other colors to stand out, or help showcase collections. White walls draw the eye upward to artwork, or serve as a great wake-up space in the breakfast nook.

Source: My Home Ideas
Street Smarts
Dining Etiquette: American and Continental Styles
Add confidence to your personal and professional encounters in the U.S. and abroad—rest assured these tips will never go out of style.

Holding utensils is the same for both American and Continental styles. Grasp the knife in your right hand and fork in your left, then point your index finger down the "spine" of both utensils. When you cut the food you'll be pointing at it with both fingers.

American Style
The trademark of American dining is that it is intentionally slower, leaving more time for conversation.

Protocol: 1) cut one bite of your food with the knife. 2) rest your knife on the top right corner of the plate, switch the fork to your right hand, take a bite. 3) switch the fork back to your left hand, pick up the knife, repeat.

During talking, drinking or excusing yourself from the table, set your fork so that the tines are facing up and rest the knife on the top right corner of your plate. When you're finished eating set your knife and fork on the plate in parallel, with the fork tines facing up.

Continental Style
This style of dining is known to the world outside of the United States as "double fisted" and requires less switching back and forth.

Protocol: 1) cut one bite of food; 2) take a bite keeping both of your utensils in your hands. During talking, drinking or excusing yourself from the table, keep the fork tines facing down, over the knife blade in a partial "X" shape. When you're finished eating set your knife and fork on the plate in parallel, with the fork tines facing down.

Source: Forbes
 


Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Slow cooker recipes are great to save time while providing a delicious meal. We''ve found a great taco soup slow cooker recipe for you to try.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 can of chili beans (16 oz)
  • 1 can of black beans (15 oz)
  • 1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)
  • 1 can or bottle of beer (12 oz)
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (10 0z)
  • 1 package of taco seasoning (1.25 oz)
  • 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 package of shredded cheddar chees (8 oz) - Optional
  • Sour cream - Optional
  • Crushed tortilla chips - Optional

Combine the onion, chili beans, black beans, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in the slow cooker. Stir in the taco seasoning. Add chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.

Take out the chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool. Shred the chick and add back into the soup. Cover and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.
Thank You!
We wish to thank our clients who have been kind enough to refer business to us. We appreciate the opportunity to provide excellent service to your family, friends and co–workers.

Facts and Figures
This Quarter's Holidays, Notable and Quirky Alike

Whether you need a few extra days off or just want a good excuse to order cupcakes for the office, look no further than this handy guide to interesting and fun holidays coming soon to a calendar near you!

August 26: National Women's Equality Day commemorates passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on this day in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.

August 30: Frankenstein Day honors Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus, who was born on this day in 1797.

September 7: National Grandparents Day originated in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter declared it to be the first Sunday following Labor Day.

September 18: Cheeseburger Day was originally sponsored by the American Dairy Association to promote topping off American's favorite sandwich with a delicious slice of cheese.

September 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day was invented by John Baur and Mark Summers in 1995, when they began to talk to each other in "Pirate-speak" and decided it should be an international holiday.

September 20: Oktoberfest begins in Munich, Germany, and is a 16-day fair running from late September to the first weekend in October, with more than 6 million people attending annually. The festival originally celebrated the marriage of King Ludwig I in 1810.
 

Trivia Answers

A-3, B-4, C-11, D-8, E-9, F-7, G-1, H-10, I-5, J-6, K-2

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