February 17th, 2016 6:06 PM by Dale DiGennaro
It can be difficult to sort through the mail and glean the keepers from the junk. When your annual renewal notice comes from your home insurance provider, count this mail as “gold.” Not only is it an important document to keep, but it also can be your reminder to do an annual review of your policy and insurance needs.
Read through your policy and discuss with your provider what your current plan covers and any changes you need to make. Note the following:
Doing this yearly review will give you peace of mind that your biggest investment, your home, is protected. Although you hope you never need your home insurance, you can relax in the knowledge that your coverage is up-to-date if you do.
We'd love to help! Are you ready to fill out a loan application today? Just curious about rates? Regardless, I'd be glad to help you go over your options. Give me a call at (707) 252-2700 orvisit me online.
Many people use too much laundry detergent, throwing money down the drain. These days our washing machines use less water, but we pour more and more concentrated detergent into them. Use half the amount you usually use for one week. See if you notice a difference.
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day, they will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to the end of your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get into narrow openings.
Unlike a lot of our other holidays, the history of Valentine's Day is not well known. It dates back to the ancient Roman celebration called Lupercalia, which the Romans celebrated on February 15th.
Along with a plentiful feast, young women and men were paired with each other. The couples remained with each other until the celebration began again the next year. This set the stage for our common theme of Valentine's Day but wasn't called such until a priest named Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II's orders to have all his soldiers remain bachelors.
Because of Valentine's defiance, the emperor had him put to death on February 14th. After his death, he was declared a saint. Christianity continued to spread through Rome and the priests changed the date of the festival of love from February 15th to the 14th to honor St. Valentine.
That's how we arrived at Valentine's Day, but you might be thinking, "What about Cupid"? He was rolled over from the previous Roman festivities. Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. His arrows cause people to fall in love -- a perfect addition to the holiday that celebrates romance.
Trend Continues
With investors focused on the outlook for global economic growth, it was another week of declines in both stocks and mortgage rates. Fed Chair Yellen's comments contained no major surprises and were roughly neutral. Current mortgage rates are not far from the record lows seen in 2012.
The trend continued this week as investors displayed a preference for safer assets. Concerns about the pace of global economic growth caused investors to reduce the level of risk in their portfolios. Stock markets around the world posted another week of large losses. For mortgage rates, however, slower economic growth is good news, as it reduces the outlook for future inflation. Combined with the decline in oil prices, inflationary pressures appear to be contained for a while, and mortgage rates have benefited greatly this year.
While the global economic picture remains clouded, incoming data suggests that economic conditions in the U.S. remain relatively healthy.
Friday's report on retail sales revealed steady growth over the last several months, consistent with good job gains and lower gas prices. Excluding the volatile auto component, retail sales in January posted better than expected improvement. Upward revisions to the December results added to the strength of the report. Mortgage rates moved a little higher after the release of the data.
Looking ahead, the NAHB Housing confidence index will be released on Tuesday. TheFed Minutes from the December 16 meeting will come out on Thursday. These detailed Minutes provide additional insight into the debate between Fed officials. Housing Starts, PPI, and Industrial Production also will come out on Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released on Friday. CPI is the most closely watched monthly inflation report, and it looks at the price change for finished goods which are sold to consumers.
Give us a call at (707) 252-2700 or send us an email at dale@clgroup.net. We're glad to answer questions — no obligation, of course. NMLS#298353/845079 CalBRE#966782/944064