Well Operation Christmas Child was a success!

A couple weeks ago I wrote about a friendly competition between my office and another office in town. (Check out my last blog about Operation Christmas Child if you need to catch up.)

The 2 offices together collected 12 shoeboxes. Twelve may not sound like very many, but that was 12 more shoeboxes than we would have had if we didn't have our little challenge. Now the bigger picture. We added those 12 shoeboxes to the other shoeboxes collected around our little valley. Do you wanna know how many shoeboxes we were able to send out to kids who would have no Christmas this year?

1430! That's right, our little valley put together over 1400 boxes. That is more boxes than last year. Even in this tough time people are still willing to give. If you think you can't make a difference think again. If any of those who donated a shoebox are reading this, I just want to say Thank You! You are AMAZING!

Here is a picture of some of the volunteers that loaded those shoe boxes yesterday to be shipped to the larger distribution center. Behind them are the shipping boxes full of shoeboxes that will be given out as Christmas presents this year. Each shipping box holds 10-18 shoeboxes.

Giving Back with a Friendly Competition

Every year my church participates in Operation Christmas Child. This is a ministry run by Samaritans Purse. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry where people pack shoe boxes with little gifts that are then given to kids in families who are going through hard times. Many of the shoeboxes go overseas however some of them are distributed right here in our own backyard. Some of the boxes last year even went out here, in Riverside County.

Operation Christmas Child Mission Statement: The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This year I was told by another church member that a fellow Realtor was going to try to get his office to participate so I figured why not have a healthy competition since Realtors love competition and most seem to be looking for ways to give back. So we have until the 21 of November to turn our boxes in at the church. I might have to make a golden shoebox to be given out to the winner so we can make this a yearly competition. :)

If anyone else would like to participate there are drop off locations all over the country. Here is the website:

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/

Here's what you do:

1. Get a shoe box or shoe box sized container.

2. Decide if you want your gift to go to a boy or girl and what age group: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14

3. Fill it with gifts. Suggestions are posted below.

4. Include your donation of $7.00 which covers shipping costs. If you pay online you can track your box and find out what country it ended up going to.

5. Drop off your shoebox at a drop off location near you. See website above.


Gift Suggestions:

School Supplies: pens, paper, markers, crayons, pencil sharpeners, stamps and ink pads, coloring books

Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, harmonicas, yoyos, jump ropes, slinkys

Hygiene Items: toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, washcloth, bar of soap, barrettes, hair ties

Other: hard candy, lollipops, mints, gum, tshirts, socks, sun glasses, watches

A Personal Note: you can include a note to the child and a picture of yourself if you'd like (if you include your address your child might write back)

Please DO NOT INCLUDE: used or damaged items, war related items, chocolate or food, anything liquid like bubbles or lotion, medication or breakable items like snowglobes.

If you would like more information please visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/FAQ






Til next time....


Amanda Smith
Realty America GMAC
www.AmandaLynnSmith.com

What you missed the $8,000 tax credit? Oh no you didn't!

So there has been talk for the last couple months that the homebuyer tax credit would be extended. If you know nothing about it basically the government was giving first time homebuyers an extra $8,000 on their tax return if they bought a house and closed escrow by the end of November, 2009.

Obviously there are still many people out there that would like to buy homes but have no chance of closing by the end of this month. After months of rumors, the tax credit has been extended and it is even better than before.

The tax credit is extended until April 30, 2009 and if that date comes but you haven't quite closed escrow you may be able to get a 60 day extension as long as you have a binding contract in place. The new extension still gives first time homebuyers an $8,000 credit but now if you already own a home you can qualify for a credit up $6,500 as long as you have lived in your current home for at least 5 years.

With that being said; What are you waiting for call me so we can find you a new home!

Visit me at www.amandalynnsmith.com

Stop Foreclosures in Hemet, CA

Are you behind on your mortgage payments? Not getting a response from the bank about your loan modification? Don't give up yet. You have another option. You can sell your house even if you owe more than it is worth. It is called a short sale and many people are turning to this option as a last resort to do damage control to their credit report.

What is a short sale? Well a short sale is when you sell your home for less than it is worth. It is called short because of the shortage in money not because it is a quick process. If anyone tells you this is a short process they are lying.

Why would the bank take less money than you owe? So far the real estate market hasn't picked up much. The longer a home sits the worse shape it will be in and the value can decline even more. If a home goes into foreclosure it could take months before a real estate company is able to list it and then you have an empty house sitting vulnerable to vandalism which obviously reduces the value even more. This is a vicious cycle because then values of whole neighborhoods decrease. Also for a bank to take posession of a home requires courts and lawyers and a lot of paperwork which all costs them money.

What is the benfit for you to short sell your home? If your home is foreclosed on you will have to wait 5 years before you can buy another home. When you short sell it you can buy another home within 2-3 years.

What qualifies as a hardship to short sell a home? There are many reasons. They include: Mortgage interest payments have gone up, negative equity on your home, divorce, loss of extra income or loss of job, job relocation, loss of rental income, medical issues and having a balloon payment due on your mortgage.

You should always consult your tax person to find out the penalties possible if you end up doing a short sale. You should not have to pay an upfront fee to save your home!

Until next time....

Amanda Lynn Smith
Realty America GMAC
www.AmandaLynnSmith.com