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Sassy Soiree sashays into events center

Sassy Soiree sashays into events center
Fashion mavens near and far can mark their calendars for the seventh annual Sassy Soiree, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Douglas/Elbert Task Force.

Read more on Elbert County News

Racing Under the Stars to benefit Jubilee Center

Racing Under the Stars to benefit Jubilee Center
An evening of races, food and fun is planned as a fundraiser for Lynchburg’s Jubilee Family Development Center.

Read more on The News & Advance

Feldman Law Center – Harvard?s Study, Citi?s Recommendations and Home Loan Modifications

A new report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies indicates that if there is to be any stabilization in the housing market, it will be at “…extremely low levels that will make the climb up all that more difficult.” Muting any of the recent news in the steadiness of new construction and sales are housing price declines, a record level of foreclosures, rising interest rates, and a shrinking job market. Summing up the study, Nicolas P. Retsinas, Director of the Joint Center said, “Although there are some signs of improvement or at least steadiness in new construction and sales, housing starts stand near 60+ year lows and any life in home sales is coming from distressed foreclosure sales, temporary first-time buyer tax credits, and low interest rates that moved higher in recent weeks.”

Sounding like they were trying to find anything at all possible to spin to the positive, the center was optimistic about the coming of age of the “echo baby boom”, counting on the largest generation in American history to “refuel demand for housing of all types”. Considering that the EBB’s are witnessing the meltdown firsthand, it’s hard to make a convincing argument that the collective will be urgently buying real estate any time soon.

Separately Roger Orf, CEO of Citigroup Property Investors, was calling for governments to force banks to sell their foreclosed properties in a process he dubbed “creative destruction”. Orf favors an immediate clearing of the deck in terms of toxic properties as opposed to the malaise of a gradual unwinding of assets.  Orf doesn’t expect fully functioning property lending markets to return before 2011, by when he hoped banks will have completed repair of their capital bases through a wave of real estate sales. The amount of damage to real estate prices as a result of Mr. Orf’s proposal is unknown but when the government forced savings and loans to sell their junk bond portfolios in the early 90’s prices dropped by up to 85% on bonds that were paying interest and backed with solid financials. In that instance, buyers simply stepped aside and let bond prices plummet to levels that carried no risk for the buyers.

What both reports signify is that the need for home loan modifications will continue for the next few years as prices either stabilize or drop and interest rates on mortgages continue to reset and recast. With a relatively small number of reluctant and extremely careful new homebuyers the lenders, servicers, and investors behind today’s mortgages could become much more interested in getting mortgage loan modifications completed, especially if a modification is the only way to generate cash flow from a property in a portfolio. While it’s unlikely that Mr. Orf’s proposition ever comes to pass, the foreclosure of properties will become less desirable if more buyers don’t materialize or if the value of REO’s at the banks continues to decrease.

With over six hundred completed loan modifications The Feldman Law Center proven home loan modification process can help homeowners to either avoid or stop a foreclosure proceeding. If you are struggling with your payments and worried about the possibility of foreclosure, call The Feldman Law Center at (800) 527 8497. Take the first step toward regaining control of your mortgage payments today.

Adoption Network Law Center

Adoption Network Law Center – ANLC

Despite myths to the contrary, domestic newborn adoption remains alive and well in the United States. Current estimates of the annual number of infants adopted domestically (excluding foster and relative adoption) range from 25,000 to 30,000—more than all international adoptions combined. Moreover, the process can go much more swiftly that you might imagine. In a 2008 Adoptive Families survey, the majority of respondents were matched with a birthmother in less than 12 months, and 19% got “the call” to travel after the baby had already been born, without a prematch.

ANLC is a law center, not an agency, facilitator or law firm.

In most U.S. newborn adoptions, adoptive parents are selected by the birthparents of the child, and, in at least half of the cases, the birthparents and adoptive parents have met. Domestic adopters usually appreciate the opportunity to build a relationship with their child’s birth family. Ongoing contact is increasingly common, but the extent of contact varies significantly. A baby cannot legally be relinquished before birth. Most experts advise prospective adoptive parents to be careful about making an emotional commitment to a potential birthmother too early in her pregnancy.

Depending on the situation, and the laws of the state where the family lives and where the baby is born, prospective adoptive parents may cover some of the living and medical expenses of the birthmother.

If you’re just starting on the adoption journey, the wide array of choices before you can seem daunting at first–with each varying considerably from the next! With more options come more decisions, each with its own emotional and financial risks and benefits. To help you find the right path, here’s an overview of common routes to adoption.

Adopting a domestic infant via an adoption agency

Adoption Network Law Center: hopeful parents-to-be who seek a healthy, U.S.-born infant often enlist the help of an agency. Private agencies set their own criteria on applicants they will accept, some more restrictive than others. In the past, those using an agency had their names added to a list and waited for a match. Today, the trend toward openness means you’re likely to meet the birthparents, who may request ongoing contact with the child. The agency is likely to send a few sets of parent profiles to the potential birthparents, who pick the one they are most comfortable with. Then, the birthparents and adopting parents meet. At least half of the 15,000 or so domestic agency placements of infants each year involve such meetings. The child may be placed with the adopting parents immediately after birth or from foster care. If you insist on a closed process, your wait may be longer, since most agencies now encourage varying degrees of openness.

Adoption Network Law Center – ANLC article.

Homework Help Guide for Parents: 10 Quick Tips

Parents play a key role in the homework process. Are you setting the right example for your children? Read on to find out how you can help them succeed without completing their assignments for them.

1. Designate a time and place

Creating a routine for your child will help them get in the habit of completing their homework without prompting. Make sure their “homework space” is quiet, has proper lighting, and a desk or writing surface. Do your best to minimize unnecessary interruptions so that your child can focus on their assignments.

2. Provide needed materials

Ensure that your child has all of the necessary supplies and resources to complete his or her assignments. It’s also a good idea to have essentials on hand like a good dictionary, paper, pens, pencils, scissors, rulers, etc.

3. Set expectations

Make sure that your child knows your policy for homework time. How many breaks do they get and how often? What can they do on the breaks? What are the consequences of not finishing their assignments? Define these and other scenarios for your child.

4. Give ‘em a break

Some experts suggest giving kids a 5 minute break every 15 minutes, while others feel children can work for increments of time longer than 15 minutes. Experiment with lengths of breaks to find what works best for your child. Avoid letting them watch television or play video games during break time as they will likely resist going back to homework once they have begun such activities.

5. Take an interest

Ask your child about his or her assignments, what topics they discuss in class, and what sort of expectations the teacher has set for the students. Ask about upcoming projects, your child’s favorite subjects, and what they like most about their school and classes.

6. Be available

Make sure that your child knows that they can come to you for help as needed. Take the time to understand their assignments and avoid getting frustrated with them if they don’t pick up an idea quickly. Be patient and maintain your calm–your child is likely frustrated as well and adding your frustration will only exacerbate the situation.

7. Provide praise and reward

Reward a job well done with an incentive program that you and your child can agree on. The most common is reminding them of an activity that they enjoy that they can engage in once their homework has been completed. This tried and true motivation is both simple and powerful for children of all ages.

8. Involve other family members

If you have multiple children, encourage them to help (not complete) with one another’s homework. Often times even children of the same family will have different strengths and weaknesses.

9. Review the completed assignment

Once your child has completed their homework, look it over to ensure that they have properly understood the assignment and to help them with any mistakes they may have made.

10. Know where to turn for additional help

Even the smartest of parents can get stumped from time to time. Head to your local library for starters and talk to a librarian. Some libraries even offer a homework help center, help line, or online support. Take advantage of their training and expertise.

Mother pleaded for her children’s lives

Mother pleaded for her children’s lives
A harrowing 911 call detailing threats by an intoxicated boyfriend to “put this gun to your head and pull the trigger” caused Mindy Bullard to beg for her life and the lives of her seven children at the scene of a birthday party near Dawnville last Thursday.

Read more on The Dalton Daily Citizen

Free sessions will help job seekers brush up on skills: Lakewood Postings

Free sessions will help job seekers brush up on skills: Lakewood Postings
With the state unemployment rate hovering just above 10 percent, job seekers need all the tips they can get. To help get applicants get out of the rejection rut, the Lakewood Family Collaborative is partnering with Cuyahoga Community College to offer free workshops on various aspects of the job search.

Read more on The Sun Post-Herald