We know that sometimes life and circumstance may make a challenge difficult or impossible to complete. That is why we will have each week’s challenges posted or emailed to you. If you can not do a particular days challenge just swap it out with another one from the week.
Copyright © 2015 St. James Catholic Cathedral - Orlando, FL
Week 1: February 18th – 21st:
Feb 18: Observing the rules of fasting and abstinence are already a challenge for some us. Today, take 5 minutes to pray that the Lord will help reveal His kindness through you during this year’s Lenten challenge.
Feb 19: “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have” – Vince Lombardi
Make a donation, say a prayer or learn more about a charity you have never supported before.
Feb 20: Smile and say “Hello” to everyone you meet today (no exceptions).
Feb 21: “Where I live if someone gives you a hug it’s from the heart” – Steve Irwin
Hug someone you love randomly and for no reason.
Week 2: February 22nd – 28th:
Feb 22: Turn off all electronics and spend time with family or friends
Feb 23: Praise someone for their hard work
Feb 24: “I always prefer to believe the best of everybody, it saves so much trouble.” – Rudyard Kipling
Refrain from Gossip for the entire day
Feb 25: Pray for the victims of human trafficking
Feb 26: Bring a treat to your co-workers or friends at school
Feb 27: “Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not” – Samuel Johnson
Think of someone you do not like and say a prayer for them
Feb 28: Clean out a drawer (or four) and donate things you have not used in more than a year to charity
Get your Lent on with a fun challenge! Check it out Stjamesorlando.org Simply be kind, say hello, or offer a hug! God Bless...❤️
Thursday
Move Inc. ready to take on Zillow-Trulia
The real estate portal space is heating up with Zillow and Trulia finalizing their merger Tuesday. The number of major competitors serving this market has been reduced to two big titans: Move Inc., which operates realtor.com, and Zillow-Trulia.
Following the Zillow-Trulia announcement, Move released a statement saying, "2015 will mark Zillow's year of the merge and realtor.com's year of the surge."
"My expectation is that the two of us will wage a spirited battle for the hearts and minds of consumers and the industry, and we will push each other to be better performers – more focused on the customer, quicker to innovate, more committed to adding value at every stage of the real estate cycle. In this way, everyone wins," said Move CEO Ryan O'Hara in an e-mail yesterday to Move employees.
Zillow finalized its acquisition of Trulia Inc. for $2.5 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction Tuesday. The acquisition forms Zillow Group Inc., which also houses New York-based StreetEasy and rental search brand HotPads.
However, the newly merged company faces increased competition now that realtor.com's operator has the force of News Corp behind it. This past November, the global media company, which operates real estate portals internationally and owns titles such as The Wall Street Journal and Barron's, completed its acquisition of Move Inc., effectively tying its name to the Realtor® brand.
"There is no digital replacement for the human touch," said Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp, during the Real Estate Connect conference in New York in January. "No technology can meet all of someone's needs. It takes a real person. … We want the shortest distance between the American Dream and a family's reality to be realtor.com."
The acquisition has already proved a boon to Move's traffic. Entering 2015, Move Inc.'s web and mobile traffic jumped more than 30 percent. In January, Move reported an all-time high of 37 million unique visitors to realtor.com.
"Move/realtor.com is extremely well positioned to compete and thrive in this environment of industry consolidation and data-driven customers," O'Hara said in his e-mail to employees. "Competing in business typically involves trying to be better, cheaper, faster or different than your competition.
"How will we compete? By continuing to build the best web and mobile experiences for consumers, and the best and most valuable tools for brokers and agents, and by providing the market with the most comprehensive, most accurate, and most up-to-date listings in the U.S. I can also promise you we will quicken the pace of product innovation and apply more marketing muscle to our consumer and industry outreach."
Source: Realtor® Magazine Daily News
I am honored to be your digital replacement, a "real person" that cares!
Your friend & Realtor®,
Kris
Kris Julian | Realty Executives Seminole | 3899 W. Lake Mary Blvd. Suite 123 | Lake Mary, FL 32746 | 407-421-6187 | http://www.kris-julian.com |
Following the Zillow-Trulia announcement, Move released a statement saying, "2015 will mark Zillow's year of the merge and realtor.com's year of the surge."
"My expectation is that the two of us will wage a spirited battle for the hearts and minds of consumers and the industry, and we will push each other to be better performers – more focused on the customer, quicker to innovate, more committed to adding value at every stage of the real estate cycle. In this way, everyone wins," said Move CEO Ryan O'Hara in an e-mail yesterday to Move employees.
Zillow finalized its acquisition of Trulia Inc. for $2.5 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction Tuesday. The acquisition forms Zillow Group Inc., which also houses New York-based StreetEasy and rental search brand HotPads.
However, the newly merged company faces increased competition now that realtor.com's operator has the force of News Corp behind it. This past November, the global media company, which operates real estate portals internationally and owns titles such as The Wall Street Journal and Barron's, completed its acquisition of Move Inc., effectively tying its name to the Realtor® brand.
"There is no digital replacement for the human touch," said Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp, during the Real Estate Connect conference in New York in January. "No technology can meet all of someone's needs. It takes a real person. … We want the shortest distance between the American Dream and a family's reality to be realtor.com."
The acquisition has already proved a boon to Move's traffic. Entering 2015, Move Inc.'s web and mobile traffic jumped more than 30 percent. In January, Move reported an all-time high of 37 million unique visitors to realtor.com.
"Move/realtor.com is extremely well positioned to compete and thrive in this environment of industry consolidation and data-driven customers," O'Hara said in his e-mail to employees. "Competing in business typically involves trying to be better, cheaper, faster or different than your competition.
"How will we compete? By continuing to build the best web and mobile experiences for consumers, and the best and most valuable tools for brokers and agents, and by providing the market with the most comprehensive, most accurate, and most up-to-date listings in the U.S. I can also promise you we will quicken the pace of product innovation and apply more marketing muscle to our consumer and industry outreach."
Source: Realtor® Magazine Daily News
I am honored to be your digital replacement, a "real person" that cares!
Your friend & Realtor®,
Kris
Kris Julian | Realty Executives Seminole | 3899 W. Lake Mary Blvd. Suite 123 | Lake Mary, FL 32746 | 407-421-6187 | http://www.kris-julian.com |
Friday
Average U.S. rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 3.69%
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week yet remained near historically low levels. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday the nationwide average for a 30-year mortgage jumped to 3.69 percent from 3.59 percent last week. The average rate is still at its lowest level since May 2013.
The rate for the 15-year loan, a popular choice for people who are refinancing, increased to 2.99 percent from 2.92 percent last week.
A year ago, the average 30-year mortgage stood at 4.28 percent and the 15-year mortgage at 3.33 percent. Mortgage rates have remained low even though the Federal Reserve in October ended its monthly bond purchases, which were meant to hold down long-term rates.
Government data released last Friday showed a resurgent job market in January, signaling that the economy is finally regaining the kind of strength typical of a robust recovery. U.S. employers added 257,000 jobs last month, after 329,000 in December and a sizzling 423,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department reported. The November and December gains were much higher than the government had first estimated.
The job gains could boost the housing market, which has been recovering in the past few years from the recession but has struggled to maintain momentum.
To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.
The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was 0.6 point, down from 0.7 point last week. The fee for a 15-year mortgage was unchanged at 0.6 point.
The average rate on a five-year adjustable-rate mortgage jumped to 2.97 percent from 2.82 percent. The fee rose to 0.5 point from 0.4 point.
For a one-year ARM, the average rate increased to 2.42 percent from 2.39 percent. The fee remained at 0.4 point.
Thursday
The best seasons to sell a home!
Spring is traditionally considered the best season to list a home, but it doesn't inch out the other seasons by much, according to a new analysis by the real estate brokerage Redfin.
Redfin's research team analyzed 7 million homes listed from 2010 through 2014 to gauge how important the season is in listing a home. It examined how many of the homes went under contract within 30 days and how often they sold for more than their list price.
Here's how the seasons stacked up:
- 39% of the homes listed in the spring (between March 21 and June 20) in the past five years went under contract within 30 days, and 15 percent sold for more than the list price.
- 38% of homes listed in the winter (Dec. 21 – March 20) sold within 30 days and 14 percent sold for more than the list price.
- 36% of homes listed in the summer (June 21 – Sept. 20) were under contract within 30 days and 12 percent sold above the list price.
- 34% of homes listed in the fall (Sept. 21 – Dec. 20) went under contract within 30 days and 11 percent sold at a premium.
Over the past five years prices have increased by an average of 3% month over month in the spring and ticked down by about 1% each month during the fall. To get the best of both worlds, sellers need be informed on both local buyer demand and recent sale prices in their neighborhoods before deciding when to list their homes and for what price. There doesn't appear to be a huge advantage or disadvantage to listing in any season, since the variance in prices is only by a few percentage points.
Source: "Should I Wait Until Spring to List My Home? Not Necessarily," Redfin Research Center (Feb. 5, 2015)
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