Eric Kimble

05/30/2016

A good credit score is important for more reasons than just obtaining new credit. These days, it can factor into everything from landing a new job to getting the best deal on your insurance policies. It's more important than ever to avoid late payments on your mortgage!

A 100 point drop for one late mortgage payment?
It’s true. A single 30-day-late mortgage payment can cause your score to drop by as much as a hundred points. Credit scoring algorithms vary based on many factors, and in some instances, the damage may be even greater and last for years.

The costs accumulate.
At the time, a single missed payment will cost you only a late fee, but the expense really adds up on your next loan or missed opportunity. Low credit scores typically mean a higher rate and cost. Higher rates can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra expense over the life of a loan.

Missed payments are usually unplanned.
Usually, events beyond our control lead to late payments, such as an accident, illness, job loss or family issue. At other times, carelessness or a hectic life may result in a forgotten payment.

What can you do?
Plan for the unexpected. Maintain an emergency cash reserve account equal to at least 3 months of living expenses or more.
Automate. If you're prone to forgetting or don't have a scheduled time to sit down and pay bills, set up auto payments through your checking account or put a perpetual reminder on your calendar.

Little other than time will decrease the negative impact of a late payment, so prevention is the one sure remedy. If you don't already have a good system in place to assure timely payments and are not sure what's best, reach out anytime. We'll be happy to help set up a plan that's right for you.

02/23/2016

Do you have a few minutes? I wonder if you could review and rate me on Zillow. Your feedback is valuable to me and will also help other potential borrowers.

02/23/2016

*FREE Home Buying Seminar!!*

02/02/2016

Quick Tip: Get organized

Gather and keep every piece of financial paper in the two months leading up to buying a house. That means pay stubs, bank statements for savings, checking and investment accounts, W-2s, tax returns for the previous two years, canceled rent checks and any mortgage or property tax statements for other property you own. And for gosh sake, it's 2015, put these in PDF format to make it easier to send to your mortgage broker or bank.

It's not only your potential home. Let's make it a smooth transaction. Others are counting on it!

01/30/2016

13 Things Mentally Strong People Avoid

1 – Wasting time feeling sorry for themselves.
Successful people don’t worry about their current situation or what has happened to them in the past. They realize that life can often be unfair. They focus on lessons learned and on new opportunities to be found.

2 – Giving away their power.
Strong people understand they are always in control of their actions and emotions, and avoid sinking to the level of a negative person. There’s an old saying: Never wrestle a pig because you’ll both get dirty and the pig likes that.

3 – Shying away from change.
Successful people see change as an important part of growth. They realize it is necessary to avoid stagnation and falling behind. They embrace challenges.

4 – Wasting energy on things they can’t control.
Mentally strong people don’t spend their time talking about bad weather, politics, or other people. Instead, they focus on controlling their reactions, attitudes, and other things that are in their control.

5 – Worrying about what other people think of them.
Successful people rid themselves of the fear of criticism. They may please others when appropriate, but always have the confidence to speak up. They realize not everyone shares their opinions, and are not afraid that someone else might get upset.

6 – Fearing calculated risks.
Strong people will take calculated risks when appropriate. They will weigh the risks against the benefits, and even consider the worst case scenario. They realize there are very few things in life that come without risk.

7 – Dwelling on the past.
Successful people realize the past is over. They learn lesson from it and move on. Rather than praying for a return to the good old days, successful people put their energy into building the future.

8 – Making the same mistakes over and over.
There’s generally nothing terribly wrong with making a mistake, but successful people learn from their mistakes and adjust their plans accordingly. They don’t do the same thing over and over, hoping for different results.

9 – Resenting other people’s success.
Rather than becoming jealous, mentally strong people will embrace the success of others, realizing that a rising tide lifts all ships. They will study what other successful people have done and incorporate this into their own plans.

10 – Giving up after failure.
Thomas Edison “failed” a thousand times before he invented the light bulb. In reality, he discovered a thousand ways that it would not work. Failure simply means it is time to adjust your plans. Every failure brings you one step closer to success.

11 – Fearing alone time.
Mentally strong people value quiet time alone. They enjoy the opportunity to rest, as well as refine their plans. They do not depend on others for their happiness.

12 – Feeling the world owes them something.
Successful people realize that education and experience do not guarantee prosperity. They believe in succeeding based on value they bring now, rather than in the past. They are entitled only to that which they earn.

13 – Expecting immediate results.
Mentally strong people know that results take time. They believe in The Slight Edge concept, and focus on small goals along the way. They are in it for the long run and are not quitters.

Adapted from Forbes.

01/01/2016

Sometimes we are blessed to be in the presence of amazing people. Sometimes we take for granted the love and the passion they have for others. Sondra was always smiling even on her worst days. She never gave up. We can learn so much from a loss like this. Show compassion, empathy, love, and never give up. You will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to you!

"I met Sondra in the Fall of 2013. She stepped into my world with a demeanor I was not used to. A simple, genuine optimism. She loved me (and so many others) so matter of factly. I'd say, "But what about this, Sondra?" -- "What about that?" And she would smile with her goofy grin and a look that said, "Duh." She taught me what it means to love and respect yourself. And that its okay to let go of things and people that hurt you.

It was easy. Her love and friendship. She was a safe place and it washed over me anytime I was near her. Like home.

Today, I'm grieving saying goodbye. The unfairness of sickness and how it rips the people we love away. But more than that, tears of gratitude for the gift of knowing her. She was a world changer. She changed mine.

RIP, my sweet, courageous friend. In my heart, you will live on forever. I hope to love the world with just a fraction of the love that you did. ❤️💔" via

12/25/2015

From our family to yours...

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

12/24/2015

11/20/2015

The world is seeing stupendous numbers of small businesses being set up every day and amidst this atmosphere, it sure is quite known that running a small organization is definitely not an easy task. There are many areas, conspicuous as well as inc...

11/16/2015

"Until yesterday, our policy was only to activate Safety Check for natural disasters," Zuckerberg wrote. "We just changed this and now plan to activate Safety Check for more human disasters going forward as well."

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/11/16/im-safe-social-media-pushes-status-checks-for.html?ana=yahoo&ref=yfp

For the first time, Facebook activated its Safety Check feature during the Friday attacks in Paris — the first time it has done so in response to a human disaster.

11/11/2015

A home is an investment. When you rent, you write your monthly check and that money is gone forever. But when you own your home, you can deduct the cost of your mortgage loan interest from your federal income taxes, and usually from your state taxes.

This will save you a lot each year, because the interest you pay will make up most of your monthly payment for most of the years of your mortgage. You can also deduct the property taxes you pay as a homeowner. In addition, the value of your home may go up over the years.

Finally, you'll enjoy having something that's all yours - a home where your own personal style will tell the world who you are.

10/06/2015

Thousands of UK students and employees will have to park off campus next week for a rare Thursday night game at Commonwealth Stadium. City and campus leaders have been working on a traffic plan for more than a year for the game. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know to navigate the traffic trouble: http://bit.ly/1Q2hrbB

Ahead of the Oct. 15 match-up with Auburn, UK and city leaders are putting in place a plan to deal with extra traffic and parking on and around campus.