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USD to KYD Exchange Value: 0.82
USD To GBP: 0.76214
USD To CAD: 1.27998
USD To CNH: 6.3209
Today marked a new beginning for millions around the world, including the citizens of the Cayman Islands. Even though President Obama is not of our government, his spirit and message will be felt here and as far away as Africa and Iceland. In his inauguration speech, he pledged that "On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." 
 
People around the world relate to Obama's themes. A world made weary by war, recession, joblessness, and fear celebrated with him. At the United Nations complex overlooking the Danube River in Vienna, Austria, someone wrote "YES, WE CAN!" in giant block letters in the snow. 

An Irish village called Moneygall covered itself in red, white and blue bunting Tuesday in honor of Obama's ancestry, a great-great-great grandfather named Fulmouth Kearney who emigrated to the United States in 1850. 

In Kenya, birthplace of Pres. Obama's father, feasts were prepared, beer with Obama's name on it brewed, and movie screens erected so neighbors could join together for the moment. 

"Obama fever is all over the whole world, " said Cyndee Peters, an Afridan-American singer who grew up in North Carolina and New York, and now lives in Sweden. "I was congratulated by I don't know how many Swedes after the election. I think what he stands for needs to be celebrated. "No one is doing their favorite songs or greatest hits. We're doing songs about hope." 

He has been praised for a trait unusual in politicians - an unwavering message: a heartfelt call to service, to help each other. He said today, "At this moment- a moment that will define a generation" it is precisely this spirit (of service) that must inhabit us all." So we wish him well, and hope the countries of the world will work together to realize his visions of honesty, tolerance, and the brotherhood of all peoples.

USD to KYD Exchange Value: 0.82
USD To GBP: 0.76214
USD To CAD: 1.27998
USD To CNH: 6.3209

There is no doubt about it: there are a lot of homes on the market. Understanding that, how do you as a seller make your home  stand out from your competition? Home staging, says Barb Schwartz, CEO of StagedHomes.com, is an oft overlooked function of real estate selling. 

 

Home buyers need to mentally 'move in' to a home to see themselves living there. If you cannot accomplish that then you've lost them. Schwartz offers six simple tips to help sellers in a downtrodden market improve their position: 

 

1.) Get them inside. Staging is not only inside. Curb appeal is not to be overlooked because if they don't like what they see from the sidewalk chances are that their hearts and minds won't be swayed by what they see inside. Cut and trim the landscaping, rake the leaves, power wash the drive and walkways. Go easy on potted plants and remove all dead plants. Put the Big Wheels back in the garage and put trash containers back immediately on trash day when emptied. 

2.)Pretend you're camping. When you go camping you only take essentials, right? So go through each room and divide everything into a 'keep' or 'give up'. Those items that you keep will be used for staging, and those items that you give up should be stored elsewhere. Cluttered rooms appear smaller to buyers who have a hard time mentally removing all of your belongings. 

3.)Balance hard and soft surfaces. If you have hard surface floors, whether wood or tile, make sure you have plenty of rugs to balance. Look at your furniture: if you have cushy, 7-foot long sectional sofas and then 2 or 3 La-Z Boy chairs you have too many soft surfaces. Consider getting rid of the La-Z Boy chairs and replace them with wingback chairs.


USD to KYD Exchange Value: 0.82
USD To GBP: 0.76214
USD To CAD: 1.27998
USD To CNH: 6.3209

A Parable for our times: 

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. 

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. 

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. 

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. 

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. 

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. 

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. 

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100. 

Although circulated through email, this may be a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? 

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing? 

Consider the Cayman Islands. We're waiting for you.


USD to KYD Exchange Value: 0.82
USD To GBP: 0.76214
USD To CAD: 1.27998
USD To CNH: 6.3209

Beautiful Oceanfront Townhome in South Sound. See it here. 
Magnificent private beach home/condo with private pool in a great residential area. The only party wall is the garage. One of only six units in the Strata. The privacy of a house with the convenience of a condo. As convenient a location as you will find. Square footage above is title floor area. Actual under roof is approximately 4200 sf. 


USD to KYD Exchange Value: 0.82
USD To GBP: 0.76214
USD To CAD: 1.27998
USD To CNH: 6.3209

Last week we reported strategies to follow before shopping for your first house. Liz Pulliam Weston with MSN Real Estate suggests the following timeline as an ideal one for someone purchasing their first home and for the most part, we agree with her. This week we will continue our discussion about more immediate strategies. 

3 months out 

1. Reduce your credit utilization. If you live in a country that implements scoring formulas like FICO in the US, you available credit will be reflected in your credit score. Obviously, less is better. Even without a FICO credit score available, lenders will want to see copies of your statements. A good rule of thumb is to keep your credit card balance below 30% of the amount available. 

2. Don't open or close any new accounts. Avoid taking actions that harm your credit rating such as opening new accounts or closing old ones. Keep up your old, good habits until the mortgage is processed and you are living in your new home. 

2 months out 

1. Get an idea of the mortgage rate you can expect. This is easy enough done. Most banks post rates for mortgages in their lobby. Or go on-line to www.lendingtree.com. A bank may or may not be the best place to get a mortgage. They will offer the fewest options. A mortgage broker on the other hand will have a wide array of mortgage alternatives available (including your bank's). Don't make application yet, and don't give anyone permission to pull your credit. You're just shopping the market. 

2. Understand the effect of mortgage shopping on your score. Again if you are in a country the uses credit scoring, any time you allow a lender permission to check your credit, a 'hard inquiry' dings your score. When you're ready to be a serious home shopper, that's the time to be certain about your mortgage. 

3. Get your mortgage approved ahead of time. Getting pre-approved is different than pre-qualified. Pre approval requires a 'hard inquiry' and the lender issues a letter that states you are pre-approved to obtain a mortgage. In a sense, you now become a cash buyer and you will command a stronger bargaining position with the seller. 

4. Consider a mortgage broker. Ask for referrals from friends and relatives. You can also get a referral from the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. 

5. Begin researching neighborhoods and look for an agent. Check internet listings, attend open houses and view web sites. Most large real estate companies include useful neighborhood information on their sites. On www.coldwellbanker.com for example, you can search for neighborhoods based on population density, age, income, etc. You can search for school information the same way. A REALTOR will provide you with all of the information you need to proceed. Ask for a 'Buyer's Estimated Closing Costs' sheet from the agent. It will be similar to a GFE obtained earlier but now more detailed and specific to the transaction awaiting you. 

Once you�ve found a home and your offer is accepted. 

1. Shop for a mortgage (again). Just because some lender wrote you a letter of pre approval, doesn't mean you have to ultimately take out your mortgage with them. A lot may have changed since you were pre-approved so it is wise to check around once again. 

2. Arrange for an inspection. You will want to make an inspection a condition of the offer for two reasons: One, to discover hidden defects that if disclosed, might have caused you to bypass this property. Two, you will want to become familiar with your new home by finding out where the fuse boxes are, shut off valves, etc. Unless there are major, unfixable defects, most sellers will agree to fix leaky pipes or faulty switches to complete the deal.  

3. Confirm how much money you will need at closing. The lender or your agent will arrange for appraisals, title insurance and other inspections. There will be a charge for these, however but by now thanks to the GFE and your agent you should be getting pretty savvy about the process.  

4. Get homeowner's insurance. The lender will require it but you will want to have it regardless. Ask about umbrella policies and personal liability policies as well. And shop insurance companies- you'll be glad you did. 

Enjoy your new home!


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