My Town Now and Then

Having lived in Pearland for most of my life, I have certainly seen it change. In the 80's, when I was in high school, Pearland was still a sleepy little town. Now, according the projections from the new census, we are looking at 100,000+ residents...wow!

I was reading in the Pearland Journal someones comment that our sleepy little town is no more. While that is true, I feel fortunate to have seen both sides; the little town it was and the bustling city it is. I believe we are better off for the change. Pearland is a more diverse "melting pot" and with the increased population comes improvements to the roads and commerce, which helps the local economy.

As a local business owner, I must say I am glad that Pearland has expanded like it has. Small businesses like mine are the backbone of the local economy and although change can sometimes be painful, I feel we are all better off for it.

Now, in closing, I am going to do something I don't usually do. I am attaching pictures of me 150 years ago it seems. Nonetheless, all this talk of old Pearland has gotten me all nostalgic...I am attaching some photos of me taken around the time of the war of 1812 (just kidding). Actually around 1978. I was tagged in a photo showing my support for the Pearland Little League and another at my folks home the same year( I was proud of my Pearland Shirt). Pardon the long hair!!

CREDIT AND THE NEW LENDER RULES

When buying a home, it is very important to be very careful about spending. Lenders now check the buyer's credit at the time of application as well as right before closing. For a buyer who has opened a new account or even charged a big purchase, you may no longer qualify to buy a home. This can be devastating to buyer's who have, for instance, sold their prior home and are waiting to close on their new one.

As a real estate professional, I find it very important to educate folks about the changes in our industry prior to getting them under contract. No matter how great your credit is, in the new mortgage industry, the old rules don't apply. From the time you make loan application, you should limit your credit card purchases to a minimum and never apply for new credit during the process.

Another item of concern is credit card fraud. A good idea is to remove yourself from pre-approved credit card offers by calling 888-5optout. For many credit card thieves, finding a pre-approval letter in the trash is like finding gold. Your best bet is to remove the possibility of of accidentally throwing an offer out instead of shredding it. Additionally, many thieves remove the offer from your mailbox without your having even seen it. Once your identity has been stolen, it is very hard to undo. If you are thinking of buying a home and find out your identity has been stolen, this can be a huge road block.

I work very hard to make sure my clients are educated about how important credit can be as well as identity fraud as well as the new lender practices. If you have questions about this article, feel free to email, call or text me anytime.