Kevin P. Nguyen

Equity Zone Mortgage-Elk Grove, California

Top 10 Indoor Houseplants For Your Air Quality

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Top 10 Indoor Houseplants For Your Air QualityHouseplants are great for decorating. They can brighten up any room. Plus, houseplants can increase the air quality in a room. That makes you happier, healthier and reduces stress.

Speaking of stress, these plants won’t create any at all. All of the plants on this list are great at producing oxygen and require very little care.

10. Heartleaf Philodendron

A tough plant that’s a good filter for toxins like formaldehyde, Heartleaf Philodendron makes a great houseplant. The only downside is that it’s toxic to eat, so it may not be the best choice for those with kids or pets. But if you can control your appetite, the Heartleaf Philodendron is an excellent indoor houseplant for air quality.

9. Snake Plant

Also called Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, the Snake plant thrives in the bathroom. It loves the steamy conditions and can do without much light. It’s a great air filter as well.

8. Bamboo Palm

It thrives indoors and requires little maintenance. The Bamboo Palm even produces flowers and berries.

7. Red-edged Dracaena

Another great air filter, the Red-edged Dracaena is interesting because of its size. It can grow all the way to the ceiling. This beast of an oxygen-producing plant makes a great addition to the living room.

6. Chinese Evergreen

This is one of the prettier options. With interesting leaf colorings as well as berries and blooms, the Chinese Evergreen will contribute to your décor as well as your air quality.

5. Peace Lily

The Peace Lily only needs water about once a week. This is a great houseplant for air quality, and it’s easy to care for.

4. Devil’s Ivy

This air purifier looks great in a basket. Try hanging it in the garage.

3. English Ivy

English Ivy is an excellent filter plant. It’s been shown to filter out formaldehyde, which can be found in some cleaning products, and it even filters fecal matter particles (I bet you didn’t even know there were any of those in your house). English Ivy is an invasive species though. It’s fine to keep inside as a houseplant, just make sure it doesn’t end up in the yard.

2. Weeping fig

A type of Ficus, this is a great houseplant for air quality. It’s a bit bigger than the others though. It would fit best in the living room.

1. Spider Plant

The Spider plant is nearly impossible to kill. Even if you’ve been a plant murderer in the past, try this one. It will do wonders for your air quality, and I promise you won’t kill it.

Houseplants have been shown to reduce stress in the home. Combine that with higher air quality and your quality of life can be greatly improved with the help of a new green friend.

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can take care of these. These are great houseplants for air quality.

The Home Buyer Assistance Program Provides Assistance To Local First-Time Homebuyers

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The Home Buyer Assistance Program Provides Assistance To Local First-Time HomebuyersRecently, the local region’s subcommittee held a meeting using videoconferencing and discussed a new version Home Buyer Assistance Program. The Home Buyer Assistance Program has been designed to help first-time homebuyers by providing a down payment of up to $25,000. The funding for the Home Buyer Assistance Program is going to come from the city’s reparations fund.

The local city council agreed to deposit up to $10 million in tax revenue from the city into this fund. It appears that some of it will be used to help people purchase their first home.

An Overview Of The Home Buyer Assistance Program

The Home Buyer Assistance Program has been put together using feedback from the local community. All of these recommendations were taken into account when looking at how to remedy the situation. It was clear, across the board, that the priority was housing. Minority communities in the local area have been struggling for decades. One of the ways to help these underserved populations is to provide them with stable housing.

The Home Buyer Assistance Program is going to provide no-interest, forgivable loans that come from the reparation funds. Now, thanks to this program, first-time homebuyers will be able to purchase homes anywhere in the city. The goal of this program is to remedy historical segregation, which will help increase diversity across the city.

Who Is Eligible For The Home Buyer Assistance Program?

The Home Buyer Assistance Program will limit those who qualify for assistance. Some of the key conditions of the program include:

  • Applicants must be a resident of African-American descent
  • Applicants must have suffered discrimination in some way as a result of the city’s policies
  • Applicants must be a direct descendant of someone who lived in the local area between 1919 and 1969 or suffered discrimination in some other way

These criteria are fairly broad and should open the door to plenty of people who can take advantage of the money provided by the Home Buyer Assistance Program to purchase their first home. With the current state of the housing market, there are countless individuals and families in the local area who might be able to move to a safer area of town.

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – August 10, 2020

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What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - August 10, 2020Economic readings released last week included construction spending, public and private-sector job growth, and government reports on initial and continuing jobless claims. Freddie Mac also released its weekly report on average mortgage rates.

Construction Spending Falls in June

Commerce Department reporting for June showed lower construction spending for the fourth consecutive month, but spending fell by -0.70 percent as compared to May’s negative reading of -1.70 percent. June’s construction spending was $1.36 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate.

Residential construction spending fell by 1.50 percent in June as public construction spending fell by -0.70 percent. Analysts said that construction spending has held up relatively well in the pandemic as spending was up 0.10 percent year-over-year in June.

Public and Private Sector Jobs Growth Slows Sharply in July

ADP reported 167,000 private-sector jobs added in July as compared to 4.31 million jobs added in June. A resurgence in coronavirus cases contributed to the downturn, as consumers, employers and workers remained cautious and followed state and local guidelines for minimizing exposure to the Covid-19 virus. The leisure and hospitality sector led the falling private-sector jobs growth rate by adding 38,000 jobs in July as compared to approximately two million jobs in June.

The government’s Non-farm Payrolls report posted 1,76 million public and private sector jobs added in July, which surpassed the expected reading of 1.68 million jobs added but fell short of June’s reading of 4.79 million public and private sector jobs added.

The national unemployment rate decreased to 10.20 percent in July and was lower than June’s reading of 11.06 percent and the expected reading of 10.60 percent. While higher than pre-pandemic unemployment rates, July’s lower reading was good news amid overall economic hardship.

Mortgage Rates Reach Another Record Low;  Unemployment Claims Mixed

Freddie Mac reported another week of record-low mortgage rates. The rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 11 basis points lower at 2.88 percent. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 2.44 percent and were seven basis points lower; rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged four basis points lower at 2.90 percent. Discount points averaged 0.80 percent for fixed-rate mortgages and 0.40 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.

Initial state jobless claims fell to 1.19 million from the prior week’s reading of 1.44 million first-time jobless claims filed. Continuing state jobless claims were also lower than for the prior week with 16.10 million claims filed; 17.00 million ongoing jobless claims were filed the prior week.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic reporting includes readings on inflation, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new and continuing jobless claims will also be released.

Can A Homeowner’s Association Charge Different Fines For The Same Violation?

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Can A Homeowner's Association Charge Different Fines For The Same Violation?Living in a multifamily community, whether this is an apartment building or a condo building, comes with certain bylaws. There are usually fines that are used to prevent people from breaking the rules.It is important for everyone to know what these rules are, why they need to be followed, and the penalties for breaking them.

Sometimes, homeowners are surprised when they realize they might be fined differently for breaking the same rule. There are a few points to keep in mind.

The Fines Should Be The Same

While there might be different fines charged for breaking different rules (for example, altering a common area might be different than parking lot damage), the fines should be the same for the same infraction across different homeowners. For example, two homeowners who are both guilty of damaging the mailroom should be fined the same amount. They should not be fined different amounts. There are usually fines that are clearly stated in the HOA bylaws how much someone might be fined. If two people are fined different amounts, then a grievance should be taken up.

Why The Fines Might Be Different

There is one situation where two homeowners who break the same rule might be fined different amounts. This comes in the form of sequential violations. For example, a homeowner who breaks a rule the first time might be fined $10 for the first infraction. Then, the second infraction might jump to $25. The third infraction might jump to $50, and so on. This is one situation where two homeowners who break the same rule might be fined two different amounts.

Read The Bylaws Carefully

If a situation such as this arises, it is important for homeowners to look at the bylaws and see what the fines are supposed to be. All fines should be clearly stated in the bylaws to help homeowners figure out how, why, and where they might be fined.

If there are any fines that seem confusing, then the homeowners should take this up with the HOA and ask for clarification, which the HOA should provide. There might be a reason why the fines might be different. It could also be an honest mistake.

Six Key Questions to Ask when Hiring a Real Estate Agent to Market and Sell Your Home

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Six Key Questions to Ask when Hiring a Real Estate Agent to Market and Sell Your HomeThe work of a real estate agent can make or break how a prospective buyer feels about the property. Now that it’s time to sell your home, you want to find the right agent to market it.

How do you find someone you can trust who will make you feel confident they can sell your home quickly for the best price possible? Here are the questions you should be asking.

Are They Licensed?

This one is the easy one. You should be working with a member of the National Association of Realtors®. It is also important that you check whether they have any complaints on record about their practices.

You can check with your state’s real estate department as well.

Are They Successful?

A successful real estate agent is more than the number of sales they have completed. You should also find out the average difference between listing and selling prices on their most recent sales.

If an agent is closing deals at far below the original asking price consistently, that might be a red flag.

How Busy Are They?

Make sure you ask in advance how often the agent will contact you and how they will keep you informed of potential buyers. If you’re going to be working with one of their associates at times, you should know.

How Familiar Are They With Your Neighborhood?

A real estate agent is not just marketing your home – they’re marketing your entire community. If they have closed nearby sales before, they are familiar with the selling points of the neighborhood as well as the right price range for properties similar to yours.

How Much Commission Do They Expect?

Normally you will pay the agent about 6 percent of the sale price. If you find one that offers their services for a low percentage, you should know why. Are they just trying to stay competitive? Or do they expect you to do a large share of the marketing yourself?

Do They Have A Plan?

The real estate agent should be able to tell you exactly which marketing techniques they would use for your home and how they plan to promote the listing. They should come to the table with ideas from the very beginning.

Now that you have a clearer idea of the basics, use the internet to find trusted real estate agents in your area. Then pick up the phone and begin your journey toward becoming a successful home seller today.

Comparing An Online And Offline Home Loan Application

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Comparing An Online And Offline Home Loan ApplicationThe internet has changed how many people shop for a home and one of the most important issues that people will face is whether to fill out a home loan application online or offline.

While there is something to be said for going to the loan officer in person and filling out the application with the help of a professional, some people might find the online option to be more convenient. With this in mind, it is important to compare some of the ways in which an online versus an offline home application might be different.

The Eligibility Process

While the most exciting part of shopping for a home is traveling around and looking at the different options, people need to know how expensive of a home they can afford. With the online process, people can fill out the application process online and immediately see how big of a loan they can afford with the help of the home loan provider.

There are simple tools online, such as a loan eligibility calculator. In contrast, going to the office of the loan provider might require detailed discussions that could lead to a denial. This would end up being a waste of time. In this manner, the online process is faster.

The Documentation Required

The documentation process is also much easier online. When someone applies for a home loan online, it is easy to upload the required documents for review later. This might include the application form, proof of identity, proof of address, and more. Home loan providers will list all of the required documents on the site with ease. When it comes to applying in the offline world, this requires people to physically carry all of this information to the office. People run the risk of losing important documents in transit along the way.

The Application Process

Finally, even the process of applying for a loan itself is much easier when people can do this online. It is easy to register on the website, fill out the application, and submit the documents. Often, the turnaround time is much shorter as well. These are a few of the biggest reasons why the online application process is growing in popularity.