quicken loans home advantage magazine

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QUICKENLOANS.COM

800-584-8522

“Our builder caused several unforeseen obstacles while we were closing our home loan with Quicken Loans.

Our banker was nothing less than outstanding in his service to us during this difficult process. He kept us informed every step of the way and went above and beyond to get us to closing in spite of the issues he faced with our builder.

Since our loan closed, we met another couple moving into our building who have been trying for weeks to get their loan closed because of similar issues with this builder. They were shocked when we explained the service and extra effort we received from Quicken Loans!”

- Karen and Roy, Illinois

D E P A R T M E N T S :

M O R T G A G E T O O L B O X

14 Secure AdvantageThe payment flexibility you need could be right in your own mortgage. Quicken Loans’ innovative financial tools are helping homeowners see interesting possibilities.

16 Community100It’s easy to own a home with easy-to-get-into mortgages like this one! Who do you want to share this information with?

18 Your Home and TaxesMisconceptions about taxes may be keeping some people out of the market. Could you be one of them?

19 Which Comes First: Buying or Selling?How can you have the confidence to jump on the great deals before your own house is sold? Find out.

R E A L C L I E N T S . R E A L S T O R I E S .

24 Client Service That’s Miles Ahead! Mitch heard a Quicken Loans radio commercial while many miles from home, and what followed is a great story of how our bankers value you, our Quicken Loans clients.

R E A L E S T A T E W A T C H

26 Real Estate TrendsWhat’s up? Find out where homes are selling the fastest, and which areas of the country might be the next “hot spots.”

I N T H E H O U S E

28 Fathead Is Family Friendly!You’ve heard Fathead mentioned on Leno. You’ve seen the commercials on sports networks. Now, you can score a Fathead and get free shipping. Find out how!

Q U I C K E N L O A N S I N T H E C O M M U N I T Y

34 Junior Achievement Finance Park School-aged kids have the opportunity to learn about real-life finances long before they head out into the real world.

Y O U R H O M E P A G E

36 Second Life and Online ChatSecond Life is the hot new site capturing the imaginations of people worldwide. Also, Quicken Loans online chat allows you to multi-task in private, even completing an entire loan process via chat!

O V E R T H E F E N C E

38 Oops…Home Repair GoofsWe’re telling you ours, and your turn is next. Do you have a story to share?

F E A T U R E S :

Curb AppealBuyers are sizing up listed homes online. Even if you’re

not selling right now, how does your home’s exterior size

up? We zero in on the 5 areas that say “welcome home”

to you or your buyer.

The Dirt on FloorsHardwood or laminate flooring? Your family’s habits should

play a big role in the decision.

Spring Cleaning: Then and NowSpring cleaning was serious business in the 1800s, but

today eBay® opens your garage sale to the world wide web.

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Across America, the first signs of spring that pop up on lawns are “for sale”

signs. Why? Kids, mostly. Every family that’s relocating wants to get their

kids settled into new neighborhoods before summer ends and school

begins. Perhaps you’re a seller without kids, but you’ll want to get your

house on the market in early spring in hopes that a family will make an

offer and close before Labor Day. April, May and June bring a flurry of real

estate activity: nearly 40% of new listings happen at this time. And when

a sign appears on your neighbor’s lawn, it’s natural to wonder about the

value and marketability of your own home.

We want you to enjoy your home to the fullest. We plan on bringing you helpful articles such as “The Dirt on Floors,” in which America’s Master Handyman Glenn Haege discusses hardwood flooring vs. laminates. “Spring Cleaning: Today with eBay®” just might change the way you look at the stuff you clean out this spring. And “5 Ways to Maximize Curb Appeal” can help you have your house ready to sell for top dollar…or just give you a nicer homecoming every day.

If you’re not planning a move, it’s still important to keep up on real estate trends and home valuation. After all, your home is one of your largest financial investments. Our “trends” information comes firsthand from Bruce Schwartz, President of In-House Realty (a preferred partner of Quicken Loans). Bruce doesn’t just generalize, he names names of cities that are hot—and locations where caution is wise for buyers. All homeowners should be aware of at least their own real estate market, because job changes and lifestyle changes can make us sellers when we least expect it.

Finally, it’s our hope that while you’re taking a good long look at your home’s curb appeal, you’ll take a long look at the home you live in—and the mortgage that you have. You may find it to be an incredible financial tool that can help you make the most out of life. You’ll enjoy reading about our Secure Advantage loan, and how homeowners have increased cash flow and even funded business ventures with this innovative mortgage product.

Enjoy this issue of Home Advantage magazine, and please give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you.

Kathy Fawcett Editor

Home Advantage is dedicated to you, our Quicken Loans client, and the home you live in.

signs of spring

editor

art director

marketing

creative director

contributing art director

contributing art director

contributing writers

photography

Kathy FawcettDavid CilibraiseMark SmithSteve FawcettDoug WoodDavid WitkowskiMeghan BuschBeth NewhartJeff HatchTina LoganDavid Hall Bruce SchwartzTom DrewMichelle AndonianDavid Witkowski

Arizona – Quicken Loans Inc., 16425 North Pima, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 86342, #BK-0902939; California – Licensed by Department of Corporations, CA Residential Mortgage Lending Act; Georgia – Residential Mortgage Licensee (#11704) – 20555 Victor Parkway, Livonia, MI; Illinois – Residential Mortgage Licensee, 20555 Victor Parkway, Livonia, MI; Massachusetts – Mortgage Lender, #1053; Minnesota – not an offer for a rate lock agreement; Mississippi – Registered Mortgage Company; New Hampshire – Licensed by the NH Banking Department, #6743MB; New Jersey – Licensed Mortgage Banker – NJ Department of Banking, first (and/or second) mortgages only; New York – Licensed Mortgage Banker – NYS Banking Department; Pennsylvania – Licensed as a first Mortgage Banker by the Department of Banking and licensed pursuant to the Pennsylvania Secondary Mortgage Loan Act; Rhode Island – Licensed Lender; and Virginia – Mortgage Lender licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, License #ML-444. Restrictions may apply. Equal Housing Lender.

©2007 Quicken Loans Inc. All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Quicken Loans Inc., a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc. “Quicken Loans” is a registered service mark of Intuit Inc., used under license.

Information cited in Home Advantage magazine is for demonstration purposes only and is not intended to represent financial advice or guarantee future performance. Figures cited in information graphics may be rounded, simplified or combined for purposes of illustration. Receipt of this publication does not guarantee qualification for the programs cited herein. Home Advantage magazine ©2007 Quicken Loans.

If you would prefer not to receive Home Advantage magazine, please call us toll-free at 800-466-6480, or send an email to [email protected], or write to us at Quicken Loans Opt Out, Attn: Client Relations, 20555 Victor Parkway, Livonia, MI 48152.

Home Advantage magazine is published by Quicken Loans. You can reach us by email at [email protected]. Call us at 800-584-8522, or send your letters to:

Home Advantage Quicken Loans20555 Victor ParkwayLivonia, MI 48152

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L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

If you’re serious about selling your home, don’t count on a potential buyer getting beyond a shabby or outdated entrance. Overgrown shrubs, unsightly paint or unkempt surroundings tell a buyer, “This home isn’t worth my time.” To keep a buyer’s interest as they walk through the front door, pay attention to these five areas:

Curb appeal has long been a mantra in the real estate world.

The fate of a home’s sale can be decided by a buyer’s first impression,

long before the agent reaches the lockbox. Plus, in this day of

Internet shopping, buyers are sizing up property online from the

comfort of their current homes—possibly thousands of miles away.

BY BETH NEWHART

Mow, Prune, Plant & Mulch

The term “landscaping” describes a home’s lawn, shrubs, flowers and trees as well as pathways, decorative edging and ground or garden lighting. Consider this: shrubs and bushes that were planted when a house was built can make a house feel as outdated as the velvet-flocked wallpaper in the half bath. On the flip side, healthy trees (even small ones), perennial flower beds and charming pathways can add visual interest to even a very plain home.

Buyers size up the landscaping as a gauge to the home’s overall condition. Overgrown bushes, weeds and outdated lava rocks in the flowerbeds tell buyers that the current owners have dropped the ball. Realtors cringe when overgrown bushes are blocking windows (and please clean the windows). Kill the weeds or kill the sale! A weed-free lawn is a must, and anything dead, whether a petunia or a large elm tree, must be removed.

Sakina Zerrel, a successful Realtor® in the ever-booming Orange County, California market, suggests planting inexpensive, small shrubs to replace overgrown and outdated plants. She advises that you plan ahead and give your new plants time to grow into their surroundings, when possible. Professional landscapers can “stage” your yard for maximum curb appeal—this will be an added expense of course, but one that you could easily

recover with the sale. Darla Rowley, owner of Impact Interior Design Solutions in Royal Oak, Michigan, helps sellers stage their landscaping for sale. In one case, Rowley spent a mere $500 to spruce up a home’s front yard. The result? Amazingly, the sellers received two offers in just one week!

In contrast to an overgrown yard, a bare yard will leave a house feeling plain and uninviting. Fresh mulch on planting beds adds a finishing touch to any front yard. If your planting beds have straight edges and boxy, squared-off corners, try extending the border with a free-form shape. Be creative in your planting beds, without adding too much variety. Give viewers a few pleasing focal points that will draw their eye to your well-tended garden.

You can take it with you. If you hate to spruce up your

landscaping only to leave it, try gardening in containers

that are placed on your porch and in your flower beds.

Jennifer Wilson, a spokesperson for the home improvement store Lowe’s®, says the costs are nominal. “Container gardening is an easy/affordable way to add appeal to your new entry way.” Plus, most containers can go right on the moving truck to your new home.

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Color is Key

“What were they thinking with that color?” None of us want to be that house. And certainly, few want to buy that house!

Not many sellers will repaint their homes to make a sale. But if you are thinking of painting your home in the near future, and you know that there’s a possibility you might move within a few years, keep your future buyer in mind. If you’re selling soon, a fresh coat of trim paint could make a big change for the better.

Trim and siding colors automatically catch any buyer’s eye, especially in the current Internet-driven approach to home buying. Keep the color of trim and doors neutral and appropriate to the architecture. “Wrong colors will totally turn off many buyers,” says Michigan designer Rowley.

Let builders do the research for you. Go for a drive through new-build neighborhoods to find great new color combinations. Remember to bring your digital camera! Also consider the architectural style of the home you are in. You might be drawn to rich, saturated colors on homes that look great with crisp, contrasting trim. But if your home does not have similar details, the colors you choose can take on a different look than the one you anticipated. And on even a small home…the wrong color is a lot of wrong color!

Play with paint. Go have fun on the Sherwin-Williams® website. Go to Sherwin-Williams.com, click on “launch color visualizer” and you’ll have different home styles to

“paint” over and over again.

Front Door, First Impression

What message does your door send? Is your door warm and inviting…or inviting trouble by being poorly maintained?

Your home’s front door takes a beating. Day in and day out, your door stands up to snow, sun, wind and rain. Your front door can look beautiful on a flyer or on a website. But once buyers are standing on your porch, they’ll get a closer look at the finish, and the construction of your door. That’s when they’ll come to their own conclusions. Buyers want to feel that a home will be a safe haven for their family, and the front door communicates how solid the home feels.

Older solid wood doors can warp over time, and even begin to rot. If that’s the case, it’s time to replace your door—typically around $1,000 with professional installation.

If your door is in good shape and you’re only changing the look, then a new coat of paint will go a long way. (Be sure to scrape off any chipping or peeling paint; buyers will be looking closely!) Fresh paint and shiny hardware show pride in ownership, and tell a buyer that you have cared for the home.

Any nearby fixtures, such as porch lights or doorbells, should also be tidied up and replaced if old or broken. Sweep the front porch, remove any cobwebs and place a welcoming mat at the entrance. Be sure your screen doors are free of any holes or tears, and storm doors are free of fingerprints.

Add one of your colorful container gardens to the porch, and welcome buyers.

Sweat the Details

While the realtor fumbles for the lockbox, buyers are left with wandering eyes. Peeling paint on trim and shutters, windows with broken seals and curling shingles are easily spotted, leaving buyers to start mentally adding up repair costs. Signs of dry rot and termites tell buyers that the house has been neglected.

Roofs are especially critical to homebuyers. “If the roof is bad,” says Realtor® Mary Rettig, “a buyer won’t even want to look at the house, because the repair is a $10,000 expense.” She continues,

“Buyers don’t have money to put into repairs. They’re putting all of their money into the (purchase of the) home.”

As with a bad roof and neglected trim, obsolete windows only add to the list of future large expenses for buyers. Windows should, at the very minimum, be clean with no cracks or chips.

These improvements aren’t just for the buyer. Make as many as you can right now—before you list—so you can enjoy your home at its best. Then when you’re ready to sell, your home stands a better chance of selling quickly and for top dollar.

The longest time a potential buyer stays in one place is at the front door.

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Drainage Problems? If rain sits in puddles on your driveway instead of running into the street, your concrete has settled into an insufficient foundation. You’ll want to consult a concrete driveway professional to discuss your options. Your driveway should slope upward from the road 1/4 inch for every foot in length. (A 40-foot driveway should be 10 inches higher at the garage than at road level.)

Removing oil stains: Sidewalk chalk washes away with a good rain, but oil stain removal takes some work. DIYers might try this two-step method: Sprinkle cat litter or fresh sawdust on the oil stain and let it sit for two days before sweeping away. That’s step one, which removes surface grease. Step two is dusting the stain with a layer of dry cement powder and letting it sit for two more days to absorb the deeper layer of oil. Please check the weather—if it rains on the cement powder, you could end up with a permanent cement patch. Sweep the powder into a bag and dispose. (Don’t allow the cement powder to enter the sewer drain.) You can also purchase oil-removal products designed for concrete. These can possibly work too well, and you’ll be trading black blotches for clean white ones.

For answers to any of your concrete questions, visit ConcreteNetwork.com.

Concrete Concerns

Weeds in the cracks of a driveway are unseemly, but according to Realtor® Kate Browner, a cracked and crumbled driveway or walkway is a big sign of neglect and an expensive one at that.

If the pavement is in decent repair, power washing dirt, moss and motor oil off of driveways, pavers and sidewalks can be enough to brighten the path. Wilson, on behalf of Lowe’s®, recommends applying a fresh coat of sealer every year or two to keep the concrete in good shape.

S E E N E XT PAG E F O R M O R E O N C L E A N I N G YO U R C O N C R E T E D R I V E WAY.

Decorative stains designed specifically for concrete driveways and walkways can also add welcoming color and charm to a home, says Wilson. “Sidewalks and driveways are both ways to invite guests—and home buyers—into your home and instantly grab their attention.”

Most sellers think that buyers will only notice updated kitchens and spectacular master suites. Yet, no matter the price point, there are three things they ultimately look for: care, condition and cleanliness. Potential buyers size up property the second they exit the car and immediately look for reasons to make it their new home. When buyers encounter a clean, well-cared-for exterior, they are given hope for the same conditions inside.

Does your home pass the Curb Appeal test? Step out to your curb; take a long look at the front of your home. The grass should be green (in season), the front door warm and inviting. It should tell anyone driving by, “I’ve been well maintained!” If it doesn’t, invest in turning that around. With a little hard work, your home can make a great first impression—and a great first impression can go a long way towards making the sale.

The least babied of all home surfaces has got to be the American driveway. The most commonly installed driveway surface, made of grey-toned concrete, is a beautiful sight when it’s brand new. Then comes life, and before long, sidewalk chalk and oil leaks have given your driveway personality. But with a little effort, you can restore your concrete driveway’s new appearance, and protect it from future dirt and stains.

Power Washing: The most effective way to uniformly clean your cement driveway is to have it power washed. A professional will use the right equipment, water temperature and cleaning product to remove dirt and stains. The Power Washers of North America can help you locate contractors near you. Their website is pwna.org.

seal the surface: Concrete is durable, but porous. Sealants should keep your clean driveway looking great for a long time. Some sealants penetrate the surface to give invisible stain protection. Others provide a surface barrier while also giving a glossy sheen, much as if the driveway were wet. Still other options can enhance the plain grey, such as tinted concrete stains. These stains are available with or without protective barriers.

Decorative Facelift: If you’re still unhappy with your plain-Jane driveway, the concrete industry has developed decorative products that can give a contemporary facelift to the driveway you have.

The Payoff

Have and keep a spotless cement driveway


Have you ever run into a financial situation where you wished you’d had some wiggle room with your mortgage payment? For most, the mortgage payment is one of the largest payments every month. For some, the option to make a super-low minimum payment with the Secure Advantage loan makes a huge difference in their lives.

Secure Advantage is all about your life and your flexibility… and having maximum control over your budget. Each month, Secure Advantage lets you choose to make the minimum monthly payment…or any amount above it. For instance, you can choose to make the minimum monthly payment, an interest-only payment, a 30-year or 15-year fixed payment, or additional payments to principal. And if your situation changes, Quicken Loans never charges a penalty for refinancing your mortgage, or paying it off early.

You can find the extra cash you need in your mortgage payment

A mortgage payment with wiggle room

If you are in sales, own your own business, or are in a situation where your income varies from month to month, Secure Advantage has the flexibility that can create possibilities for you. In slower months when you’re looking to cut costs, you can find the extra cash you need in your mortgage payment. Secure Advantage can also be a great money-management tool for families working to pay off debt, save, or invest their money in other assets.

But if you’re like most homeowners, flexibility isn’t the only thing you’re looking for in your mortgage payment. You want the security of knowing your interest rate isn’t going to change unexpectedly. After all, surprises are for birthdays, not for mortgage bills. That’s why Secure Advantage gives homeowners a low fixed interest rate for 5 or 7 years. That’s 5 or 7 years of knowing, planning and paying the amount that’s comfortable for you and your family.

The Secure Advantage loan provides the confidence and peace of mind that comes along with a flexible and secure investment. And when it comes to your family, your home…your life, there’s no advantage better than that.

To find out more about the Secure Advantage loan, call Quicken Loans at 800-584-8522 and speak with your home loan expert, or go to quickenloans.com.

SM

The Secure Advantage Loan is also great for

investors of rental properties, or to maximize cash

flow. Call Quicken Loans at 800-584-8522 and ask

about the Secure Advantage loan.

O P P O R T U N I T Y K N O C K E D … A N D T H E Y W E R E A B L E T O A N S W E RThe client who called Paul Dingman simply wanted to make his wife happy. She found a home she absolutely loved, but knew if they waited to sell the home they were in, it would be too late. With the low payment on their new Secure Advantage mortgage, the couple is able to swing two payments until their first house sells.

T H E Y L O S T A j O B , A N D F O U N D F I N A N C I A L B R E AT H I N G R O O M Many think that they can’t apply for a mortgage after losing their job, but Greg Cunningham’s client qualified for the Secure Advantage mortgage based on his spouse’s salary. The couple paid off many bills, and lowered their monthly mortgage payment. Now Greg’s client can job search without facing financial strain.

Here are Real stories from Quicken Loans bankers about how they have helped their clients using the Secure Advantage loan.

Rate is variable and subject to change. After the initial fixed-rate period, the rate will adjust every 6 months. The initial, minimum payment on a 30-year $150,000, 5-year Adjustable Rate Loan and 80% LTV is $437.50. The minimum payment is based on a rate that is implied solely for the purpose of calculating the minimum payment which in this example is 3.500%. Interest will accrue at a rate of 6.500%. Paying only the minimum payment will result in deferred interest or negative amortization since you will not be paying all of the interest that is owed each month. The unpaid interest is added to principal. Interest can be deferred until the outstanding principal balance is 15% (10% in NewYork) higher than the original loan amount. If the maximum limit is reached during the first 5 years, the payment automatically converts to an interest only payment. In this example, the maximum limit will be reached in the 53rd month, which is when the loan balance is $172,500 and at this point, the minimum payment will convert to an interest only payment of $935. After 5 years, the interest only payment is $1,096. After 10 years, the principal and interest payment is $1,403. The Annual Percentage Rate is 7.403%. Rates could change daily. Actual payments and rates may vary depending on individual client situation and current rates. Some restrictions may apply.

T H E B U S I N E S S G R E W, A N D T H E H O U S E PAY M E N T G R E W S M A L L E R

Banker Romeo Radulici spoke with a California homeowner with a good deal of equity who wanted to grow his television production company. With the Secure Advantage loan, Romeo was able to help his client not only take the cash-out option that he needed for his business, but also reduce his monthly mortgage payment by several hundred dollars.

“ YO U ’ V E I N H E R I T E D A H O U S E ! ”Kristen Ulin’s client inherited a house…and the mortgage it came with! The client couldn’t afford the monthly payment, but with Secure Advantage, she was able to keep the house and significantly lower her payment. Plus, her new low payment included the property tax escrow, so she will not face a budget-crushing lump sum at tax time.



New homeowners make great neighbors. Great neighbors build strong communities.

fixed for the full 30-year term of the mortgage, the payment stays the same for the life of the loan (no matter what interest rates do). Also, buyers who don’t want to make a 20% down payment will find low PMI with the Community100 loan.

S E E M O R E A B O U T P M I O N N E XT PAG E .

Even if you already own your home, the Community100 loan could give you a lower interest rate than the one you have right now. And if you pay your loan off early…that’s great! We never have pre-payment penalties. Interest-only payment options are also available.

The Community100 is one of our many Power Buyer™ loans. To find out more about the Community100 loan, or being a Power Buyer, contact your home loan expert at 800-584-8522.

“The Community100 loan allowed my fiancé and I to get into our first house as first-time home buyers for literally zero out of our pocket. I was not only able to do 100% financing but also get an extremely low interest rate as if we were putting a 20% down payment. The best part of this program is we have a 30-year fixed rate that may never have to be touched again because the rate is so low! The word amazing sums it all up!”

- Jason E., Michigan

Do you remember your first house? It could be the one you’re in right now, or a home that someone helped you get into long ago. Many homeowners can point to someone—an employer, a relative, a friend—who said: “Hey, you really should buy a house. I’d like to help you.” The new Community100 loan is our way of helping folks get into a home.

Who do you know that would love to own a home? Maybe a young family, just starting out, or someone still building their credit and watching every penny. A new college graduate, for instance.

With the Community100 loan, prospective homeowners enjoy an easy approval process and low rates. Also, since the low rate is

The payment on a $130,000 30-year fixed-rate loan at 6.25% and 100% LTV is $800.43 with 2.125 points due at closing. The Annual Percentage Rate is 7.022%. Rates could change daily. Actual payments and rates may vary depending on individual client situation and current rates. Some restrictions may apply.

SM

“Overall they were great to deal with. They deserve an A+. Everything was well organized and explained well. When there were questions and concerns they were very prompt with answers.”

- William A., Ohio

Private mortgage insurance (Pmi) is insurance

that you’ll have to pay—on top of your mortgage

payment—if you choose not to make a down

payment on the home you’re buying. A typical

down payment to avoid PMI is 20% of the home’s

purchase price. Your PMI payment can be eliminated

after the home’s equity increases to 25% of the

current market value. Ask your home loan expert

about our Tax Smart or PMI Buster mortgage

programs. And consult your tax advisor. In many

cases, PMI could be tax deductible.

“All of the people that we have worked with (at Quicken Loans) have been so helpful, polite and knowledgeable. It has been a pleasure to encounter this type of customer service.”

- Peter A., Georgia

Opening doors for new homeowners

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What a difference a few years can make in real estate. A few years ago, a seller would often get an offer before their “for sale” sign was pounded into the front yard. Today, the market has reversed throughout much of the country, leaving homeowners to decide whether to grab their dream home at a bargain price before they sell their home, or try to sell first.

Quicken Loans is often asked for advice on the best approach. Although the answers should be applied on a case-by-case basis, here are some points to ponder while making the decision.

A bridge loan is the first thought to cross most people’s minds when they consider carrying two mortgages, but there are often better avenues to explore. For instance, if you’ve found the

The bottom line: it’s

usually better to sell

first in softer market

conditions. Once you

have closed the sale,

you should still have

plenty of good deals

to choose from. It used to be that tax law stated that any gains from the sale of a home had to be immediately reinvested in a new home. If you didn’t reinvest quickly, you were subjected to substantial capital gains taxes.

But the rules changed in 1997. You can now sell your primary residence every two years and KEEP the money you make, up to $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 for a married couple. Here’s the breakdown of what you owe when you sell:

• If you owned and lived in the home for less than a year, your profits will be taxed at the same rate as your ordinary income.

• If you owned and lived in the home for more than one year but less than two, you will owe 15% of the proceeds for the long-term capital gain.

• If you owned and lived in the home for two years out of the past five years, you pay no capital gains tax!

Although state and local taxes may still apply, this flexibility on the federal level gives you a great deal of freedom when shopping and working your way up the property ladder (graduating to a bigger and better home).

One approach to consider is buying a home as your primary residence that is below market price because it requires a bit of updating. Then spend the next two years sprucing it up to sell again—but because of your hard work, this house isn’t a fixer-upper anymore. You can now sell it at a premium. Let’s say you bought the house for $200,000 but your updating makes it worth $250,000—you could walk away with up to $50,000 in your pocket that is free of capital gains taxes (depending on real estate agent commissions and renovation costs).

Work your way up to the home of your dreams.Your Quicken Loans home loan expert is a great resource to discuss low- or no-down-payment mortgage options with. You might find it useful to have a mortgage with a flexible payment plan that allows you extra renovation money every month if you choose.

Remember, under current federal tax laws, you are able to decide how to handle your property investment without losing a considerable amount of your gains to taxes.

Please consult your tax advisor. Still have questions? Talk to your home loan expert at Quicken Loans by calling 800-584-8522 or visiting quickenloans.com.

olD caPital gains tax laWs have changeD FoR the betteR, but many still Don’t knoW this imPoRtant inFoRmation.

Put Tax Laws to Work for You

BY dAvid HAll

perfect home at the perfect price, consider putting zero down for it and taking out a mortgage for the full purchase price. Once your old home sells, apply the proceeds to the principal of the new loan as the equity.

Remember, if you decide to finance the new purchase before you sell, you will be carrying two mortgages for an unknown period of time. You might feel safe if the home you’re selling has increased dramatically in value, but only you can determine how long you can comfortably pay both payments.

The bottom line: it’s usually better to sell first in softer market conditions. Once you’ve closed the sale, you should still have plenty of good deals to choose from.

Buy before you sell? It’s tempting to bargain hunt in a buyer’s market.

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If you’re in the “walk and grind” category,

there may be a honeymoon phase when

you baby any new flooring, but let’s be

realistic. Your family’s shoe habits are not

going to drastically change in the long

run. After all, you can’t teach old dogs new

tricks…oh yeah, then there’s the dog!

When it comes to flooring in your home, the choices you make should fit in with your lifestyle and habits, and not the other way around. Michele Zelman, spokesperson for Armstrong® flooring, told Home Advantage that lifestyle—how your family lives—should be the deciding factor when choosing a floor. Armstrong sells solid hardwood flooring and engineered flooring, and is one of the top sellers of laminate wood flooring, which is growing in popularity as a fuss-free alternative to wood floors. According to Zelman, wood flooring and wood-look laminates are growing in popularity. “Not so long ago, wood flooring never belonged in bedrooms, and was never put in kitchens.”

Thanks to better insulation options that protect wood floors from warping when they are wet, hardwoods, engineered hardwoods and laminates are very popular for kitchen flooring—overtaking even high-end linoleums. The only rooms that Armstrong recommends not installing wood flooring in would be full baths and laundry rooms, as they have the potential for full flooding.

Laminate wood floors are getting better looking all the time. In fact, when you visit websites of flooring manufacturers, it’s almost impossible to tell the solid hardwoods from their laminate counterparts. That’s because the laminate finish is an actual picture of wood. The new laminates even have the grooves and textures of real wood, which is a big improvement over the smooth-surfaced laminates of not so long ago. Yes, walking on a laminate floor can sometimes sound a little synthetic, but Armstrong tells us that newer and thicker underlayment can help with that.

For more on hardwood and laminate flooring, America’s Master Handyman weighed in. Read on, check out samples of both types of flooring for yourself, then let Home Advantage magazine know what you decided for your home, and your family.

Do you barge into your home and walk straight to the kitchen, grinding your heels…your boots…your clogs…into the floor as you rush to put the groceries on the counter? Or do you stop and slip your shoes off each and every time you come through your door?

The Dirt on Floors

BY KATHY FAWCETT For more dirt on floors turn the page

How do you live? That’s the big question.

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L A M I N AT E F LO O R I N G has a fused, layered

construction featuring (a) an easy to clean protective

surface, (b) the photo image of hardwood or stone,

(c) an inner-core layer made of high-density fiberboard

and melamine and (d) a moisture barrier to help

prevent warping (see above).

The interlocking installation system built into new

laminate flooring and engineered hardwood flooring

makes it easy for do-it-yourselfers to install.

E N G I N E E R E D H A R D WO O D F LO O R I N G

is a layer of solid hardwood flooring adhered to a

layer of both an interlocking installation system and a

moisture barrier to help prevent warping. This gives

you the hardwood look with better insulation and

easier installation.

A C LO S E R LO O K AT F LO O R I N G

When you buy hardwood, each piece is unique and

may have imperfections or differences in shading.

Laminated flooring is a photograph. Because it is a

photograph every piece is picture perfect.

Laminate is excellent transitional flooring. If you are only going to be in a place temporarily or want a specific flooring look, but want to be able to change that look without destroying a big investment, laminate could be the perfect choice.

Some laminates are very durable and have 8, 12, even 20-year warranties. But you have to realize that they are photographs on paper with a protective coating. There is often a distinctive “clip-clop” sound when walked upon and they will be destroyed if you have water damage. My office manager has had her laminated kitchen floor replaced twice because of problems with her automatic dishwasher.

When people ask me about flooring, they usually ask about laminates or other man-made materials. If I ask, “Have you considered wood?” I get responses like: “Too expensive.” “I want something that’s very durable.” “I want something that’s easy to care for.” “I want something unique.”

You can get wood flooring competitively priced to high-end carpeting or laminates.

Nothing but stone is more durable. Like stone and ceramic tile, a wood floor is rated as being “life of the structure.” Vinyl, carpeting and laminates are not.

Many people who want something unique are going into the exotic hardwoods grown in Africa or Brazil. Traditional American woods like oak are beautiful when coated, but are

naturally quite pale. African and South American woods are very dense and oily. Brazilian cherry is so dark and lustrous most people think that it has been stained or coated.

Because of the short growing season, American wood is the most color stable in the world. By contrast, Brazilian and African woods grow all year long. Since the color has never been locked in, it changes over time. Indoors, Brazilian and African hardwoods actually become darker.

A hardwood floor should usually be refinished every 20 years. Many go 30 or 40 years before refinishing. A professional usually takes 1/16th of an inch or less off the surface when he refinishes a floor.

A factory-finished or engineered hardwood floor has enough surface wood so that it can be refinished twice. Solid wood flooring can easily be refinished four or five times.

Many of the hardwood manufacturing and hardwood finish companies have proprietary cleaning systems. All you really need is a decent vacuum cleaner, a non-ammoniated cleaner and a sponge mop. My wife, Barbara, uses a bottle of non-ammoniated window cleaner and a damp mop or a damp Swiffer™.

Installing some laminated flooring can be a relatively easy DIY project. You save money and earn bragging rights big time. Hardwood installation is best done by a professional. If you want to try doing it yourself you can download my book Glenn Haege’s Complete Hardwood Floor Care Guide© free from my help site, MasterHandyman.com.

©Master Handyman Press, Inc. 1224 Rankin, Troy, MI 48083. America’s Master Handyman® is a registered Trade Mark.

You can purchase a copy of Glenn Haege’s Fix It Fast & Easy Book Combo: Save $14.05. Buy one copy of Fix It Fast & Easy! 2, Upgrading Your House for $19.95 plus $5 shipping and handling and get a copy of Glenn’s best-selling, Fix It Fast & Easy—The Most Asked “How To” Questions for FREE. Total Price $24.95! Order available from the publisher only. To order by phone call 1-888-426-3981, or order on the web at MasterHandyman.com.

Hardwood or Laminate Flooring? by glenn haege, America’s Master Handyman®

You can listen to the award-

winning Handyman Show with

Glenn Haege on the radio

every weekend. For stations

and times in your area, visit

MasterHandyman.com and

click on Radio Show Info.

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Mitch’s story is great, but it’s not unusual.

Our clients experience this level of client

service every day, and you can too.

Call your home loan expert today at 800-584-8522.

Truck driver “Mitch” Shelley was driving across the country from West Virginia on a cold day this past January. He was passing the time, listening to his radio, when he heard a Quicken Loans commercial. Mitch called us to find out more and reached Banker Andrew Chevalier and Director of Banking Joe Keller.

After answering all of Mitch’s questions, Andrew and Joe were able to offer Mitch a new mortgage payment that would give him an extra $500 every month, plus allow him to pay off his debt.

The best part of this real story? Mitch was coincidentally passing through Detroit when he called, near Joe and Andrew’s Quicken Loans branch location. Without missing a beat, they asked: “Where’s your next stop, we’re coming out to meet you.”

The guys hopped in a car and drove to meet Mitch so he could review and sign his loan documents! This is what our team at Quicken Loans refers to as:

Every Client. Every Time. No Exceptions. No Excuses.

Robert “Mitch” Shelley (L) was happy to find Quicken Loans Banker Andrew

Chevalier (R) waiting for him at his scheduled Detroit-area truck stop. Mitch was

able to sign the loan documents that would help him pay off his debt…grab a

cup of coffee…and hit the road again in no time! (Director of Banking Joe Keller

got the picture!)

Client Service

“Where’s your next stop? We’re coming out to meet you.”

that’s miles ahead

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R E A L C L I E N T S . R E A L S T O R I E S .

Flagstaff, AZ

St. George,UT

Salt Lake City, UT

Boise, ID

Bend, OR

Longview, WA

Wenatchee, WA

Greeley,CO

Gulfport, MS

Miami, FL

Myrtle Beach, SC

Springfield, OH

Anderson, IN

Kokomo, IN

Detroit, MI

Flint, MI

Holland, MI

Hottest real estate activity; don’t wait to make the offer.

Great values for home buyers,but maybe not for long.

Steady new-home construction to meet thedemand of new buyers.

Real estate activity holding its own, in spiteof predictions to the contrary!

Quicken hot_cold map_L.pdf 3/16/07 5:02:07 PM

Check out our Trends Map

The real estate market is alive

and well and could get very

interesting. It’s a buyer’s

market in many states, and

buyers are starting to take

advantage of the bargains

available out there today.

While most of you are already

in a home, baby boomers are

finding this a great time to purchase

investment or vacation property. With

home values stabilizing in much of the nation,

we’ll probably see buyers starting to jump on the

amazing home prices more aggressively, especially

if interest rates stay low.

The red hot spots show where the greatest real estate activity is taking place right now. The hottest real estate markets (homes are increasing in value, and not sitting on the market for long) are Bend, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and Gulfport, Mississippi.

Coastal communities will always be in demand. While Florida properties are not moving as fast as they did two or three years ago, places like Miami and Orlando are still building at a furious pace. Up and down the East Coast existing home sales seem to be holding their own. In North Carolina, South Carolina and even New England we were expecting to see declines, but not so.

Arizona and Texas are two other states that have seen steady growth. Texas in particular seems to have some great deals. They have homes that are selling as low as the mid $60 dollar range (per square foot) as opposed to the $250 per square foot you’ll find in some hot areas of the country.

Real Estate TrendsBY BRuCE SCHWARTz, President, In-House Realty, a preferred partner of Quicken Loans

They’re not making any more land.

The population is growing and many baby boomers are buying more than one home.

12

here are two facts we know about real estate:

Don’t be fooled by the cool

spots—these areas are just

being discovered by the

masses. By our next issue,

some cool areas could

easily change to hot spots.

When deciding where to buy for the money, Texas is one of the best buys in the country right now. Georgia and Tennessee are two other states that seem to be growing (and building) to meet the demand of new buyers.

Don’t be afraid to buy in this buyer’s market. The best deals will be in areas that are the coolest in the country (Midwest) or the areas that have not experienced the bubble effect in the last couple of years like Texas and the Carolinas. If you have a choice of where you can live then make sure you explore all of your options.

In-House Realty has the advantage of being able to compare its firsthand real estate information with the trends Quicken Loans sees as it writes the mortgages for homeowners nationwide. Get in touch with a home

loan expert at Quicken Loans by calling 800-584-8522, or contact the team at

In-House Realty. We will be glad to help you in any way we can.

What’s a Bubble? A periodic economic condition

characterized by a rapid increase

of housing purchases, usually

accompanied by historically low

interest rates.

*

You can email Bruce Schwartz and the In-House Realty team at [email protected].

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R E A L E S T A T E W A T C H

hoping to make everyone happy. Fathead graphics are made of thick, high-grade vinyl that resists tears, rips and fading. They also have an adhesive coating that helps them cling to your wall.

With Fatheads featuring helmets, logos and the athletes themselves from the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college sports…plus your favorite faces from Star Wars, the possibilities are endless.

Your son can celebrate opening day with a life-sized Derek Jeter in action. You can prep the “Man Cave” for the Daytona 500 with Greg Biffle’s #16 race car. Fathead even has your favorite Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders!

The best part? Fatheads are more temporary than paint. You can move them from room to room as often as you’d like. Peel and place whenever, wherever. They’ll never lose adhesion and they don’t leave any wall damage behind. Now the kids can change Fatheads as often as they change moods (which is a lot), and the team logos in the den can change with the seasons. Who said it wasn’t easy to please everyone?

Fatheads are available online at Fathead.comQuicken Loans clients get free shipping on their Fatheads. Just enter in this code during checkout: FHADV

Fathead is the Real Deal for Real Fans

BY MEGHAN BuSCH

Does this sound like any family you know? The women have one decorating scheme in mind while the kids—and the men—have another. Your daughter wants to ditch the floral bedroom motif she’s had since pre-school in honor of her teenage independence. Your son has deemed his fire truck wallpaper a “gross embarrassment” and demands a change. And the man in the house, well, he’s been trying to turn the finished basement into his own private “Man Cave” for years.

How does everyone come to a reasonable solution? Fathead. Fat what? Fathead. They’re the big, bold, in-your-face wall graphics that let everyone in your family show their love for their favorite sports, athletes, or even their favorite Star Wars™ characters. Fathead images are available in sizes as tall or wide as 7.5’. If you don’t see your favorite Fathead today, keep checking Fathead.com—the company currently offers over 250 images, and is adding more all the time,

you can check out the entire Fathead line-up on Fathead.com, but check back often! Fathead is constantly introducing new teams, athletes, and coming soon…your kids’ favorite movie characters.

S P E C I A L O F F E R j U S T F O R YO U :

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I N T H E H O U S E

When we say we’re spring cleaning, chances are we’re moving our winter boots to the back of the closet and shifting the flip flops to the front. Spring “shifting” is actually what we’re doing.

Home Advantage recently got a closer look at real spring cleaning by talking to folks at The Henry Ford. This Detroit, Michigan museum is home to the world’s premiere automotive collection and the 90-acre Greenfield Village, which houses authentic, transported buildings such as Thomas A. Edison’s laboratory and the Wright Brothers’ family home and bicycle shop.

Jim Johnson orchestrates special programming and filled us in on spring cleaning 1800s style, at homes such as the Firestone Farm—the original childhood home of Harvey Firestone, founder of the tire company—which now resides at Greenfield Village.

What we may devote part of a weekend to now, was in the 1800s a non-negotiable two-week block of time. Consider this: in the nineteenth century, every source of heat and light—be it wood, coal or kerosene—left layers upon layers of soot on every surface within the course of a winter. According to Johnson, most American homes were “gamey” by the end of winter.

Spring cleaning was a thorough gutting and dismantling of the entire home. Houses were cleaned from the attic to the cellar. Heating stoves were cleaned, disassembled and stored for the summer. Carpets were completely removed from the home so

underneath flooring could be scrubbed. After the carpets were allowed back in the house, women would keep the rugs clean by applying a layer of shredded, damp newspapers to the carpets. The damp paper would then be swept around—and out the door—to take the dirt and dust with it.

Spring cleaning was a flurry of non-stop activity in an American home. The chimney sweep might show up during this time, and possibly a whitewash crew as well. Every layer of textile and décor was scrubbed and polished, leaving the distinctive smell of whatever caustic chemical was the cleaning solution of choice at the time.

And perhaps the hardest to swallow: no pizza delivery at the end of a long, hard cleaning day. Spring was the “bean season,” a time to feast on dried legumes, the last of the preserved meats and (often shriveled) apples and potatoes. But take heart, while the women were handling the cleaning of the home, the men were hard at work outside, plowing and planting the next season’s fresh food supply.

In the 1800s, women would keep the rugs clean by applying a layer of shredded, damp newspapers to the carpets.

Spring Cleaning: 1800s StyleThe Harvey Firestone Farm is just one of many historically

significant homes and buildings relocated to The Henry Ford’s

Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Discover more at

thehenryford.org.

BY KATHY FAWCETT

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Spring Cleaning: Today with eBay®

BY JEFF HATCH

If you don’t have at least a few boxes of stuff to get rid of after spring cleaning, you’re not trying very hard. But what do you do with it? That depends on the stuff. If you are seriously weeding out, you may have enough to stage a decent garage sale, which is time consuming and unpredictable. You could spend a full week cleaning out, sorting, pricing and advertising—only to get rained out.

This is why lots of people are selling their wares on the world-wide garage sale: eBay®. The big reason, however, is the money. Instead of having two neighbors fighting over that designer basket that you paid too much for (only to have the cat claim it for a bed), you could have the entire world fighting—er, bidding—over it, and get top dollar.

Thanks to popular auction websites like eBay and uBid, you could easily have thousands of dollars just sitting around your house right now in the form of “stuff you don’t want anymore.”

Last year, an amazing 724,000 Americans claimed that they relied on eBay as their main or supplemental income. Another 1.5 million, who aren’t professional sellers, said that they made money selling goods on eBay.

manag i ng you R v i Rtual gaRag e sale

For first timers, eBay features a user-friendly resource on their site called Seller Central, which tells you everything you’d ever want to know about selling online.

Getting Started delivers several primers for beginners and a complete room-by-room walk-through of a virtual house to show you where to find popular sales items in your own home. Some currently in-demand goods include computer hardware and software, toys and video games, consumer electronics, musical instruments, antiques, books, designer apparel and accessories, and even cosmetics and fragrances.

Seller Central also gives you fast facts, like those in the What’s Hot section, which lists the top 10 most-searched categories and the most widely watched auctions. This way you can continuously spot trends and stay up to date on how your items might fare.

eBay treats its sellers like business partners by publishing a comprehensive report each month that shows which products have increased in demand from the previous month. Currently construction tools and light equipment are super hot commodities.

s lig htly i nti m i Date D?

You’re not alone. One of the biggest obstacles in getting people to sell online is the fact that many don’t feel technologically savvy enough. Plus, it can be demanding to post your items, stay on top of the bidding and ship them once the auction ends. If that’s the situation you find yourself in, you may want to consider enlisting a trading assistant.

A trading assistant is someone who will look at each item, research it, let you know how much money you can get for it, and then handle the entire auction. You drop off the item and collect a check, but take note—a trading assistant will get anywhere from a 10 to 30 percent commission on the sale of your item.

h m m m…s P R i ng clean i ng J ust to ok an i nte R e sti ng tu R n Once you sell the stuff you don’t want anymore at top prices (some guy in Japan insisted on overpaying for your overpriced cat basket) you might be tempted to go out and buy more stuff to sell online. Flea markets, local liquidators and auctions are all good places to look for in-demand merchandise. You can even check out your neighbor’s garage sales. And while you’re there, buy a can of soda pop from their kid. It’s only a buck.

Ship OutShipping can be one of the most challenging aspects for many eBay sellers. If you set your shipping costs too high, you could lose potential customers. But if you charge too little, you eat into your profits. First, you can ballpark your shipping costs by viewing what other online sellers are charging for similar products.

eBay has several online tools, including a shipping calculator that provides real-time shipping costs to destinations all over the world. You’ll also find Top 10 Shipping Tips on eBay, FAQs and information on purchasing and printing shipping labels online.

Serious sellers can visit InterShipper.com and iship.com, which help you calculate the least expensive ways to send packages.

Sometimes you have to leave your house! To know true costs, including any special packaging you may need to purchase, take your item to the post office or the UPS Store and find out.


Financial planning, budgeting and saving are foreign concepts to many adults, but thanks to a new program in Detroit, children from all over southeast Michigan will master these important life skills at an early age.

Rock Financial—The Michigan division of Quicken Loans—contributed nearly $1 million to develop Detroit’s new Rock Financial Junior Achievement Finance Park, which will give more than 10,000 students a year a fun, realistic environment in which to learn about money and how it works.

After six weeks of classroom instruction, the kids visit Rock Financial JA Finance Park, a 12,500-square-foot, hands-on learning center. The facility is set up like a mall, and includes storefronts such as a Rock Financial mortgage center, General Motors dealership, Pulte Homes design center, AAA travel and insurance center and Little Caesars pizzeria.

Upon arrival, each student is assigned a unique personal scenario that includes information about annual income and family size. They use this information to develop a realistic budget while conducting 10 financial transactions at the storefronts.

Rock Financial JA Finance Park officially opened in October 2006 at a ceremony involving Quicken Loans/ Rock Financial Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Junior Achievement officials and more than 100 Detroit school children.

toP: School kids from Detroit

enjoy being the first to check

out the Rock Financial Junior

Achievement Finance Park, as

well as meeting Detroit Mayor

Kwame Kilpatrick.

Quicken Loans Helps Kids Learn About True Life FinancesBY MIKE DUNKLEE

bottom: Quicken Loans

Founder and Chairman

Dan Gilbert speaks at

the opening ceremony.

Quicken Loans

commissioned an

original mural to be the

focal point of the new

JA Finance Park. The

mural is replicated in the

reception area of the

Quicken Loans offices

in Livonia, Michigan.


Q U I C K E N L O A N S I N T H E C O M M U N I T Y

What’s new and cool on our site? our clients are pretty excited about the convenience of Quicken loans’ online chat. You can chat back and forth with a home loan expert in real time on your computer. Online chat is an easy, informal way to ask questions and it’s great for:

• our hearing impaired clients

• multi-tasking at work

• keeping your private financial conversations private

• military clients who are far away from home

What’s

Web hot Right Now?At Quicken Loans, we spend a lot of time on the web.

After all, we’re the nation’s #1 online mortgage lender,

so we keep up with what’s out there and what’s cool.

Second Life is a phenomenal site on the web that has over 3 million people worldwide spending an average of 40 hours per month creating an entirely new world. A free Second Life download (at secondlife.com) allows you to create your virtual self, or “Avatar.” You can then buy objects, virtual land, homes, clothes and many other items in Second Life using currency called Linden Dollars. You earn Linden Dollars by “working,” or you can create virtual clothing, construct buildings, or write scripts that you can sell in-game. You can also buy or sell Linden Dollars in exchange for U.S. Dollars—yes, you can spend real money at Second Life, and many do. (I confess I do!) You might feel confused at first about creating your own objects, but there are free in-world classes to help you learn.

In Second Life I have so much fun driving my own Scion, going to the zoo, concerts and Yankees games, or just hanging out and shopping with friends. I just bought my first piece of land and a house. A friend and I live on an island, across from a beautiful lighthouse. The sunset is just amazing! I love to go sailing and I’m thinking about racing. I spend a lot of time at my virtual home and I’m learning how to create objects and clothing as well. I have so much fun learning new things and hanging out with new people. Maybe I’ll see you there!

BY TiNA loGAN

You can go through the

entire loan process via chat,

which is completely secure.

Check out Quicken Loans’

online chat for yourself at

quickenloans.com

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Y O U R H O M E P A G E

Bryan felt like he was stuck in a lackluster career. He spent year after year working hard for the same airline company. On the tarmac. In the tower. In rain and shine. But after ten years he wasn’t feeling any sense of accomplishment. Then Bryan heard about the Mortgage Banker position at Quicken Loans. He heard about the challenge and potential and jumped at the opportunity. Bryan’s enthusiasm in his interview made it clear that he is a difference maker. He came on board in 2004, was promoted to Senior Mortgage Banker in 2005, and was already submitting his application for Director of Mortgage Banking in 2006. In turn, Quicken Loans made the difference in his career. “It’s much better working for a company that considers you an asset rather than a liability.” His hours are more predictable, he has complete control of his future and his rewards continue to add up. “Every time I turn around, things are changing for the better,” Bryan says. “I love it here.”

To fi nd out more check out quickenloanscareers.com

Quicken Loans gave Bryan a new Flight Plan.®

Quicken Loans is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Maybe you or someone you know would love it here, too. Quicken Loans is always looking for difference makers like Bryan. If you know someone who would be a great addition to our team, visit quickenloanscareers.com today.

DIFFAD.indd 1 3/16/07 5:25:27 PM

Honey, I’m home!My husband and I had just bought our first home. Everything in the house was “original.” We were very excited to replace the blue metal cabinets and glitter laminate counter top. While I was on vacation, the cabinets arrived early. My husband wanted to surprise me by having the new cabinets installed by the time I returned. He worked diligently to remove all the old cabinets, move and change plumbing, etc…then he opened the boxes of cabinets. More than half of them were damaged and the counter top was cut too big. Now my only surprise was that I had no kitchen! Moral of the story, open the boxes and inspect the items prior to demolition. It takes a long time to re-order replacements!

Keli AdisTitle Processor, Title Source Inc.

Get the picture…THEN get help!With only rafters and drywall along our attic floor, I wanted to lay down some sturdy flooring so we could use the attic for storage. I was about halfway finished when I went back up with another 2 x 8 piece of plywood and stepped down onto what I thought was the floor I had just installed. What I didn’t count on was the loss of depth perception I had with my reading glasses. Needless to say, I was quickly made aware of my “misstep” when I came crashing through the ceiling, and was dangling from a rafter with one leg over the first floor foyer. My wife— the comedian—went for the camera before coming to my rescue. The lesson? Look before you leap… and don’t leap while wearing reading glasses.

Dan P. South Carolina

Is there anything that switch can’t do?I had decided that I wanted to make the light switch at the top of the basement stairs control the light above the laundry (in addition to the single light at the bottom of the stairs). So I re-routed the power line for the laundry light into the circuit controlled by that switch. Unfortunately, when I turned the switch off, the washer and dryer stopped. Here is the dialogue that followed:

wife: Honey, the dishwasher just stopped and the garbage disposal doesn’t work! me: Huh…

After I followed the circuit I had just re-routed, I discovered that circuit not only controlled the light, but it also controlled the garbage disposal, dishwasher, clothes washer, dryer and doorbell. Mildly embarrassing.

Dan Colbert Business Intelligence Team, Quicken Loans

Say it, don’t spray it!It was time to put the finishing touches on the new bathroom we had built in the basement by adding some shelves. I drilled the pilot holes as noted in the instructions—perfect 3/8” holes. I

noted that drilling these pilot holes was by no means easy, but chalked it up to overuse of

a dulled drill bit. Before I could finish putting in the wall anchors, I heard

the toilet upstairs flush and was immediately sprayed through my perfect pilot holes. It seems that I had drilled through the drywall directly into the pipe leading to the upstairs bathroom! When they

say, “Measure twice, cut once”—this goes for drilling holes as well!

Mark Smith Marketing, Quicken Loans

Now it’s your turn. Do you have an “oops” story? Send it to [email protected]. If we publish it, we’ll send you free movie passes!

Oops...home repair goofsfrom our readers and team members

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O V E R T H E F E N C E