What to do this weekend? Plenty!

East Village Promenade is from 5-9:00. You can shop, ice skate, carol, eat. Santa will light the tree at the Brenton Plaza, fireworks over the river at 6:15.

The largest craft show in the state will be at the Iowa State Fairgrounds this weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday - at the Varied Industries Building.

Four Mile Elementary has their annual Craft Show this Sat. Nov. 20 from 9:00-3:00 am.

One of the two winter Downtown Farmers Market is today from 11:00-2:00 and Sat. from 9:00 - 1:00 at Nollen Plaza.

Where and when is your favorite craft show or hoiday event? We'd love to know.

Tell Bill or Bob so we can attend your fave.

Bill 770-2455 Bob 979-2883

Update on Foreclosure Notices in Iowa

Cara Heiden, co-president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage of West Des Moines talked about foreclosures last week in the Des Moines Register. She says foreclosures need to move forward. "In general, no one is being foreclosed on who shouldn't be." She says that Wells Fargo borrowers who lose their homes have not paid mortgages an average of 16 months. Does that make you think the process needs to be streamlined? Can you imagine living in your home for over a year and not making a payment? You could, conceivable, save up a good chunk of cash and buy the next house on contract. Or you could be irresponsible, neglect maintenance, tear up the property, put tenants in and collect rent, be your neighbor's worst nightmare..for well over a year.

The Business Record reports that one in every 896 housing units in Iowa received a foreclosure filing in October, compared with one in 79 housing units in Nevada, the national leader. See how fortunate we are! Polk County had 428 foreclosures in October. Realty Trac vice-president, Rick Sharga, says "The numbers probably would have been higher except for the fallout from the recent 'robo-signing' controversy."

As always, we can take the lemons and make lemonade. Those foreclosed houses are going to make someone a good home. Maybe you?

Bill 770-2455 Bob 979-2883

Real Estate and Trust

A headline in Sunday's Register read "mortgage fallout erodes lifetime of trust and confidence." It lists several areas of blame. I think I could make my own list, just citing common sense. No document loans? Drive-by appraisals? Nothing down? Why did any of these things ever seem like a good idea? And now the latest debacle - robo-signing foreclosures. The register article calls it "the most blatant abuse of trust yet. But it is also the easiest to fix. All the banks have to do is go back and actually do the work."

Another Register article from Nov. 3 quotes co-president of Wells Fargo Mortgage in Des Moines, Cara Heiden, "Home ownership is still valued by American families. When families own their own home, they feel rooted, they're safer, children do better in school, with higher rates of high school and college graduations. Housing is critical to the U.S. economy, contributing 15-20 percent of our country's (gross domestic product).

That's a lot of good reasons why home ownership will continue to be the American dream. Despite the "bumps in the road", it's a good time to buy real estate. The interest rates are still at all-time lows. There are plenty of homes to choose from. The prices are right. Mortgage interest is still deductible. AND the Eisenlauer Team are Realtors you can trust.

Bill 770-2455 Bob 979-2883

I think that I shall never see...

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Joyce Kilmer

This pin oak tree is in my front yard, and as I left home today I thought of this poem. When I look at this oak tree, I see our family's history at this address. The tree was about 5' tall when we moved in. John was 5 years old. As you can tell - we've been here for awhile - about 12 years. I'm amazed at how strong that tree has grown in 12 years. Inside the leafy branches is a hoola hoop that has grown taller than we can reach. John and Dillon got it stuck there about 7 years ago. A year or two later 2 golf balls on a cord got tossed up there and are now part of the time capsule. Two summers ago, I asked John to trim the small tree in our front yard. This wasn't the tree I had in mind. He trimmed it anyhow, all the lower branches he could reach with the step ladder. So it's a litle misshapen. The next chapter in our family story is a grandaughter. So now the lower branch holds a swing that she enjoys. The tree is just changing from green to red. The pin oak does not loose its leaves till spring, a unique characteristic. It's started producing acorns now, so squirrels are plentiful. The tree itself is lovely, but my memories that grow with it are even more precious.

Pleasant Hill Iowa video

Check out this video that was produced to promote Pleasant Hill community. It gives you a taste of the town just east of Des Moines. It's home to the acclaimed South East Polk School system. It is a short distance to commute to a job in the metro - with 2 entrances to the 65/69 bypass that loops you around to the south of Des Moines, or connects with I-80 or I-35 going north, east or west. There is shopping, recreation, health care, resturants - all minutes away. Pleasant Hill has one real estate office - Re/Max Real Estate Group - home of the Eisenlauer Team. Call with any questions pertaining to real estate.

Bill 770-2455 or Bob 979-2883

What does Freeze on Foreclosures Mean?

There is a new freeze on the foreclosure process for many residential lenders. In light of the possible (probable) fraud in the backlog of foreclosures, many banking institutions are putting a freeze on their proceedings. How could this affect the market? Some home owners could sigh a small breath of relief. It could buy them a bit more time to save themselves financially or it could leave them in an uncomfortable limbo. It will defiantly put a lot of vacant houses in a precarious position where the former owners are no longer taking care of it and the banks are not able to take control of the upkeep.

The Bloomburg article states that foreclosure properties accounted for 24% of all the home transactions in the second quarter of 2010. The Des Moines Business Record quotes Bill Knapp as saying "he has seen little evidence that the foreclosure freeze is affecting sales" in Des Moines.

On the bright side, the interest rates are still at an all-time low, and there is large inventory of homes for sale. Pick up the phone with any questions about the local real estate market.

Bill 770-2455 Bob 979-2883

First October Weekend - What to do?

What to do?

1.Family Faith & Freedom Fest, tonite from 5:30-9:00 at the Orange Planet in Pleasant Hill. Richie Lee playing at 5:30, Sarah Darling at 6:30 and more.

2. Go to a high school football game. The weather is perfect.

3. Downtown Farmers Market, this is the last month. The perfect time of year to get the fresh ingredients for ratatouille.

4. Varsity Theatre - showing a sing-a-long version of Grease. You know you love to sing those songs, why not join in the fun?

5. Sunday Bazaar in the East Village. You'll certainly find something you can't live without. If not, you'll enjoy the music and the ambience.

6. Call the Eisenlauer Team to buy or sell real estate.

Bill @ 770-2455 Bob @ 979-2883