Go "Green" for the Holidays
There are plenty of ways to have an enjoyable holiday season and at the same time keep your environmental conscience clear. Here are a few simple tips to help save the planet and your cash!

Recycle and make your own gift wrapping paper:
Most mass-produced wrapping paper is not recyclable, so instead use newspaper, old maps, catalogs, even your child's artwork to wrap your gifts. You can also save all the ribbons, bows, and tissue paper and store them in a bag for future holidays and events.

Use energy-saving lights when decorating:
The latest LED lights use less electricity, reduce pollution from power plants, and last longer the conventional ones.

Recycle your Christmas tree:
If you take your tree to a garbage collector for recycling it will produce a great amount of usable mulch to help in planting numerous future trees.

Buy items made from organic cotton:
Conventional cotton consumes vast amounts of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, can deplete the soil, and requires more water than organic cotton. Studies show that organic growing methods reduce the toll on the planet.

Happy Holidays!

Your Silicon Valley & Sunnyvale Real Estate Professional
Mark Thomason
www.ThomasonTeam.com
408.850.3085

MORTGAGE RATES DROP TO 2003 LEVELS

This weeks news has been filled with the U.S. Treasury's latest proposal to stabilize the real estate market with a 4.5% mortgage rate.

Everyone wants this rate! Who wouldn't? The key point regarding this proposed program (if it becomes a reality) is that it is for purchase transactions and not for refinance transactions.

MBSQuoteline added this take on the proposed program:

"The incentive to execute such a plan is compelling, however. Lower mortgage rates make homes more affordable. As more people purchase homes, prices will stabilize more quickly and new home construction will pick up, giving the overall economy a much needed boost."

Current market rates for a conforming 30 fixed rate mortgage are in the low to mid 5%'s, depending on qualifications (good fico score, no cash-out, 75% loan to value).

The last time rates were this low was in June 2003 (5.23% .6pts upfront), according to Freddie Mac's historical data ( http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.htm ).

Take advantage of this window of opportunity to lock in a low fixed rate mortgage. Feel free to call for more information.

Sally Audet
Loan Officer
Bankers Network Corporation
1875 S. Bascom Ave., # 2550
Campbell, CA 95008
408-981-1089
SallyAudet@comcast.net

Blogging partner of:
Your Silicon Valley & Sunnyvale Real Estate Professional
Mark Thomason
http://www.thomasonteam.com/
408.850.3085