By Marilyn Kennedy Melia CTW Features

What do women want?

Modern statistical methods are shedding some light on this perennial puzzler: They want to own a home.

And, for many women, neither today’s tougher financing rules nor their marital status is standing in their way.

“Single women are the second largest segment of home buyers,” says Walter Molony of the National Association of Realtors.

Since 1997, single women have accounted for about 20 percent of all purchasers, give or take a percentage point or two in a specific year, according to NAR statistics.

Moreover, recent research reveals that other objects of women’s desire – like high-paying careers – may further propel the female home buying trend.

Given the important role that women play in real estate markets, businesses “ignore them at their own peril,” Molony says.

The real estate industry is not only paying attention, but probing the question of exactly what women want from and like about homeownership.

Here’s a look at real estate’s evolving feminine side:

Safe, Supportive Neighborhood

Although single women are often attracted to condo units in secure buildings, “they most commonly buy single-family homes,” Molony says.

Single mothers represent about 75 percent of the buyers in the single-family starter home developments of C&E Home Builders, says Jim Cuddihy, of the Petersburg, Va., firm. “They want a place for the kids to play, and they like the neighborhood of all [similar] homes, it has a safe feel,” Cuddihy says.

The “pocket neighborhoods” developed with cottage-like homes and neat yards attract many single women buyers, says Ross Chapin, architect of the homes in forty-some pocket developments around the country. “I think this is because they like the feeling of independent ownership of a home… along with support and security of living in a close-knit community,” Chapin says.

Easy Living

If there’s one word single women use most commonly to describe a feature of a home they like, it’s “freeing,” says Paul Foresman, vice president of Design Basics, an Omaha, Neb., firm which studies women’s housing preferences.

“They want to be free from worries about maintenance and free from anything that wastes their time,” he explains.

That means features like vinyl or composite decks that don’t need to be re-stained; floors that are made of very hard, scratch-resistant wood; and laundry rooms placed steps away from her bedroom closet; Foresman says.

Money Matters

The share of single women buyers dipped slightly, to 18 percent, in 2010. That’s probably because single buyers have only their own income to rely on and “are uneasy with what the future could hold” in the economy, says Neil Caron, vice president of Freedom Mortgage Corp., South Windsor, Conn.

That’s a very practical concern, and it is why singles should keep emergency savings that would cover at least six months of basic expenses, advises Susan Honig, of Veritana Financial Planning, Burbank, Calif.

She says, “If it is a couple – each with stable jobs – I usually recommend anywhere from three to six months of basic expenses in savings, but singles need to go longer, perhaps even covering a year’s expenses.”

Proud Owners

More young women than young men now want a high-paying career, according to the Pew Research Center, with two-thirds of women ages 18 to 34 saying it is a high priority, compared with 58 percent of men.

That should only mean more single women buyers in the years ahead, says Tracy Hutton, broker-owner of Century 21 Scheetz in Indianapolis.

“Women take extreme pride in the fact that they can accomplish the dream of homeownership on their own,” Hutton says. “It symbolizes to them success and independence. Women also seek the stability that goes along with owning a home in a desirable community where they can connect with others.”

Mornings are a great time for getting things done. You’re less likely to be interrupted than you are later in the day. Your supply of willpower is fresh after a good night’s sleep. That makes it possible to turn personal priorities like exercise or strategic thinking into reality.

But if you’ve got big goals–and a chaotic a.m. schedule–how can you make over your mornings to make these goals happen?

Because I write about time management frequently, I’ve gotten to see hundreds of calendars and schedules over the years. From studying people’s morning habits, I’ve learned that getting the most out of this time is a five-part process. Follow these steps, though, and you’re on your way to building morning habits that stick.

1. Track Your Time

Part of spending your time better is knowing how you’re spending it now. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that nutritionists tell you to keep a food journal because it keeps you from eating mindlessly. It’s the same with time. Write down what you’re doing as often as you can. Use my spreadsheet, a Word document, or a pad and pen.

While measuring your mornings, try tracking your whole week. The reason? The solution to morning dilemmas often lies at other times of the day. You may be too tired because you’re staying up late. But if you look at how you’re spending your nights, you’ll notice that you’re not doing anything urgent. The Daily Show can be recorded and watched earlier–possibly while you’re on the treadmill at 6:30 a.m.

As for the mornings themselves, you can be organized but still not be spending them well. Question your assumptions. You may believe that “a man who wants to keep his job gets into the office before his boss” because that’s what your father did, but your boss may be disappointed that he doesn’t get the place to himself for an hour first! If you decide that something is a top priority, do it, but understand that we have to do few things in life.

2. Picture the Perfect Morning

After you know how you’re spending your time, ask yourself what a great morning would look like. For me, it would start with a run, followed by a hearty family breakfast. After getting people out the door, I’d focus on long-term projects like my books. Here are some other ideas for morning enrichment:

For personal growth:

• Read through a religious text: Sacred texts can teach us about human nature and history, even if they’re not from a religion you subscribe to. If they are, pray or meditate and get to know your beliefs in a deeper way.
• Train for something big: Aiming to complete a half-marathon, a triathlon, or a long bike ride will keep you inspired as you take your fitness to the next level.
• Do art projects with your kids:. Mornings don’t have to be a death march out the door. Enjoy your time with your little ones at a time of day when you all have more patience.

For professional growth:

• Strategize: In an age of constant connectivity, people complain of having no time to think. Use your mornings to picture what you want your career and organization to look like in the future.
• Read articles in professional journals: Benefit from other people’s research and strategic thinking, and gain new insights into your field.
• Take an online class: If a job or career change is in your future, a self-paced class can keep your skills sharp.

3. Think Through the Logistics

How could this vision mesh with the life you have? Don’t assume you have to add it on top of the hours you already spend getting ready or that you’ll have to get to work earlier. If you fill the morning hours with important activities you’ll crowd out things that are more time intensive than they need to be. Map out a morning schedule. What time would you have to get up and what time do you need to go to bed to get enough sleep? As for the mornings themselves, what would make your ritual easier? Do you need to set your easel next to your bed? Can you find a more cheerful alarm clock or one you can’t turn off so easily?

It’s easy to believe our own excuses, particularly if they’re good ones. Come up with a plan and assemble what you need, but whatever you do, don’t label this vision as impossible

4. Build the Habit

This is the most important step. Turning a desire into a ritual requires willpower. Use these fives steps to optimize your routine:

• Start slowly: Go to bed and wake up fifteen minutes earlier for a few days until this new schedule seems doable.
• Monitor your energy: Building a new habit takes effort, so take care of yourself while you’re trying. Eat right, eat enough, and surround yourself with supportive people who want to see you succeed.
• Choose one new habit at a time to introduce: If you want to run, pray, and write in a journal, choose one of these and make it a habit before adding another.
• Chart your progress: Habits take weeks to establish, so keep track of how you’re doing for at least thirty days. Once skipping a session feels like you forgot something–like forgetting to brush your teeth–you can take your ritual up a notch.
• Feel free to use bribery: Eventually habits produce their own motivation, but until then, external motivations like promising yourself concert tickets can keep you moving forward. And keep in mind that your morning rituals shouldn’t be of the self-flagellation variety. Choose things you enjoy: your before-breakfast ritual has the potential to become your favorite part of the day.

5. Tune Up as Necessary

Life changes. Sometimes we have to regroup, but the goal is to replace any rituals that no longer work with new ones that make you feel like every day is full of possibility.

That is ultimately the amazing thing about mornings–they always feel like a new chance to do things right. A win scored then creates a cascade of success. The hopeful hours before most people eat breakfast are too precious to be blown on semiconscious activities. You can do a lot with those hours. Whenever I’m tempted to say I don’t have time for something, I remind myself that if I wanted to get up early, I could. These hours are available to all of us if we choose to use them.

So how would you like to use your mornings? This important question requires careful thinking. But once you decide, small rituals can accomplish great things. When you make over your mornings, you can make over your life. That is what the most successful people know.

Excerpted from What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam 

There is one common factor for all CFL’s.  They all contain Mercury.  Mercury in it’s elemental form is the only metal that is a liquid at normal temperature and pressure.  It is also poisonous.  Most people associate Mercury with concerns about fish and the health effects that can occur from that source.  In schools, back when Mercury thermometers were still used, if  a Mercury thermometer were to break, teachers and administrators would have to evacuate for fear of exposure.  Today, almost all schools have eliminated Mercury thermometers.  Each CFL contains 3-5 mg of Mercury and “Eco-friendly” CFL’s contain about 1 mg.  This amount is still considered hazardous.  This fact means that a CFL cannot be thrown in the trash once it burns out like you can with an incandescent bulb.  It must be disposed of as hazardous waste, just like you are supposed to do with old paint or stains.  A broken bulb requires ventilation and personal protection when you are cleaning it up.  Cutting yourself on a broken CFL can cause tissue death or worse.

Even with these dangers, CFL’s are a viable option for lighting your home and reducing costs.  Consumers need only be aware of the dangers and take precaution against them to protect themselves, their families and the environment.

Other than credit monitoring services, which are a good way of keeping on top of one’s credit information, every consumer should look at their credit report at least annually.  The website www.annualcreditreport.com allows consumers to request their credit report once per year.  There is also a phone number if you don’t have access to a computer.  The number is 1-877-322-8228 and will prompt the user to verify his or her identity before sending out the report.  The delivery of the report takes 2-3 weeks.

One of the first things a Real Estate Agent should ask his or her clients is if they have recently looked at their credit report.  If the answer is no, referring them to this website or telephone number may save time and gas money.  If their potential buyer does find issues with their credit, most Mortgage Professionals have established relationships with organizations that know the quickest route to repairing credit or removing erroneous information.  Early contact with a Mortgage Professional can avoid a number of hurdles that may appear down the road and make a smoother transaction for all the parties involved.

Is this the next crisis for the Real Estate industry?

In November of 2010, the FHA began the processes of decertifying all of the condominiums in theU.S.because there was a general lack of compliance with standing rules.  Many units that had been financed utilizing FHA financing had received spot approval and had never had a full certification of the complex done; which is, and was, required to be legal.  The FHA asked that condo complexes to file for recertification and, due to general misinformation, associations have failed to apply.  This has left very few complexes that are approved.  As of today (May 10, 2012) there were 1531 condominium complexes listed on the FHA website forConnecticut.  Only about 19% are approved and half of those will expire this year.

So what does that mean?  As current owners of condo’s try to sell or even refinance, they will face not only the depressed value of the market downturn, but also the very real fact that the typical condo buyer; your first time homebuyer and your late life buyers, will not be able to purchase this property type utilizing FHA financing.  This will drastically reduce the pool of potential buyers out there.

What then, is the owner to do?  If they are upside down or cannot find a buyer because no one will qualify, they will turn to renting.  This will start a potentially dangerous trend for the complexes.  Once enough of the units are rented, the complex CANNOT be FHA approved and may not even be available for conventional financing due to percentage of unit owners vs. renters in the project.  This could even push potential owners to simply “walk away” from their units as they could be left with very little other choice.

Associations can avoid this by applying for approval through a handful of companies that have recognized this growing gap and made themselves experts at the process.  The answer is to be proactive and to apply for FHA approval to ensure the continued value of the properties they own.

Taking care of your home while you’re away can go a long way in improving your home value. Purchasing a home will probably be the biggest financial investment you ever make, so it pays to protect this asset.

One of the best ways to protect your home is to hire someone to live there while you’re away, says TLC. This designated house sitter should be a family member or a trusted friend or neighbor. While this is probably the priciest option, the investment could be beneficial to your home’s security.

It may seem straightforward, but locking up your home before taking off is the first step to preventing intruders. However, it is important to be thorough. If you normally keep the door leading from your garage to your home unlocked, or keep a window cracked to give a pet easy access to the outdoors, you should double check these entrances are secured.

If you are going to be away for a while, you should contact your local post office and ask them to hold your mail. All you need to do is fill out a free online application, and the post office will hold your mail for up to 30 days. By doing this, you keep excessive mail from accumulating in your mailbox, which can be an indicator to passersby that you have not been home in quite some time. This option is also available for newspapers.

Additionally, a home that looks lived in has a slimmer chance of being broken in to. To create this illusion, it pays to invest in timers that will keep a few lights on at certain hours, while switching them off at others.

Meanwhile, make sure to unplug all of your electronics. Not only will this save you money on electricity, but also it can give you peace of mind about a disaster, such as a fire. In addition, if you have an automatic garage opener, turning it off will prevent thieves with a universal garage door opener from gaining access to the home.

CHFA loans can be coupled with FHA, the VA or as a conventional loan for tremendous flexibility depending on the needs of the borrower.  These programs allow buyers to finance 100% of the property allowing the buyer even more flexibility.  Freedom Mortgage, as one of CHFA’s leading lenders, is well versed in CHFA loans to assist borrowers in achieving their goal of home ownership.

Current homeowners can also take advantage of the high affordability index by moving up the property ladder into a bigger or better home.  They can also refinance the home they currently own into a lower payment, cutting the length of the term of the mortgage or sometimes even both.

Freedom Mortgage in South Windsor, Connecticut offers FHA, FHA 203K, VA, conventional, CHFA, USDA and many other products.

The ability of first time home buyer in this market is far and above what it was in 1998. Prices are low and interest rates are at historic lows. Some buyers are frozen by the vast inventory on the market. They search for the perfect home with the perfect features, and become frustrated when they cannot find what they have in mind. The federal government has designed a program that can help take care of that situation. It is called an FHA 203K. When you find a house that is almost what you want, you can use a 203K to do the fixes and improvements that would make it your dream home. Most call the 203K a rehab loan, but rehab is in the eyes of the beholder.

Connecticut’s first time home buyer program, CHFA, is one of the best if not the best first-time home buyer programs in the nation. With incredibly low rates, currently 3.125% and incredibly flexible terms, there is no better opportunity.

Freedom Mortgage in South Windsor, Connecticut offers FHA 203K, VA, conventional, CHFA, USDA and many other products.

The report, issued by the left leaning policy think tank Connecticut Voices for Children, also found that long-term unemployment – the share of the unemployed who have been out of work for at least six months – is relatively high in Connecticut, particularly among older workers, and has reached the ranks of the college-educated.

“It is troubling that so much of our future workforce – especially young workers and the growing

Hispanic population — is unemployed now,” said Orlando Rodriguez, a senior policy fellow at

Connecticut Voices and co-author of the report. “This trend does not bode well for our future.”

Among the report’s key findings:

• Unemployment has most heavily affected young workers (18.2 percent), Hispanics (17.7 percent), and African-Americans (15.6 percent), compared to 7.5 percent  for white workers and 9.1 percent overall.

• Long-term unemployment is relatively high in Connecticut (49.6 percent), is worst for older workers (60.1 percent), and has reached the ranks of the college-educated (50.4 percent).

• Geographically, the recession has been felt most heavily in urban regions and rural towns. Cities with the highest unemployment rates are Hartford (16.4 percent), Waterbury (14.5 percent), Bridgeport (14.3 percent), New Haven (13.8 percent), New Britain (13.2 percent), and New London (12.4 percent). Among rural towns, the highest rates were in Plainfield (11.7 percent) and Sprague (11.2 percent).

In response to the reports finding, Connecticut Voices is urging lawmakers to focus on several priorities during the upcoming special legislative session on job creation including establishing a comprehensive economic strategy that is more accountable for achieving job gains and reconsiders the state’s heavy reliance on business tax credits.

The organizations also wants further investment in education, training, and physical infrastructure, as well as solutions to tackle the high costs of living and doing business in Connecticut.

Hartford Business Journal Online

Closed sales rose almost 14 percent, to 685 from 601. Pending sales jumped 12.5 percent. The median sales price dipped 4 percent, to $238,000, and new listings fell 5.4 percent. The average number of days a home spent on the market dropped to 63 days from 73 days during the same time frame, the Realtor organization said.

Year-to-date, closed sales fell 17 percent, to 4,047 from 4,872. The median sale price decreased dipped slightly more than 2 percent year-over-year to $225,000.

Closed condominium sales in July in Greater Hartford decreased by more than 23 percent, to 134 from 165 in July of last year. The median condo sale price dropped 4.7 percent, to $163,000.

“The jump in closed sales is likely due to stabilization of the market after the housing tax incentives of the previous year,” GHAR President and CEO Jeff Arakelian said in a statement. “Hopefully, more buyers will take advantage of the current market with lower sales prices and historically low interest rates.”

-Commercial Record