Mark Geis's Blog

Vilas County Foreclosures versus Fannie Mae Interest Rates   If there were more volume to this data you could almost juxtapose that there is a corrolation.  But we can't.   One good thing, for those in financial turmoil, is the creation of the new HARP program that is actually designed to help th...

Northwoods, Wisconsin  Geographical Foreclosure Comparison   As you can see, as Wall Street Journal has repeatedly stated, we're below the national average.  Why?  My feeling, and WSJ concurs, is that we are a resort area with a very limited inventory. Eagle River, Wisconsin sits on the largest i...

Real Estate Foreclosure Activity for Eagle River, Wisconsin from April until October. What does this mean?  Not much.  Foreclosure activity is up over 50% from April.  Sounds like a great headline, right?  I think going from 2 to 3 is really meaningless.   What I will say is what I see in the mar...

Selling your home in the slowest and dreariest sales season of all is not as bad as some think!  Cheer up!  It's a cheerful season with opportunities to sell the comfort and intimacy the holidays bring! Many homeowners will pull their houses off the market going into the slower season.  I, myself...

  Perform Your Own Energy Audit Conducting your own energy audit can teach you how to be more energy efficient and make you more educate should you have to hire an expert. How Much Can I save? By taking the initiative to fix the leaks around your home, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annu...

Sealing Air Leaks Around Windows and Doors By sealing air leaks around your windows and doors you can prevent wasting valuable and precious heat.   Checking for air leaks A novel and cheap approach is to hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where you suspect drafts come in.  Yo...

Air Leaks in Your Basement? How to Find and Seal Them   Many overlook their basement as a source of heat loss.  Cold air enters your basement just as it does the rest of the house through air leaks that are both above and below ground.  Air filtering into your home can be sucked into your furnace...

Attic Air Leaks: Finding and Sealing Them! Your attic may appear to have adequate insulation on the floor; however, if you seal air leaks around pipes and other openings you can save a substantial amount of money.   How to Find Air Leaks From inside your home, check your ceilings and take note of...

  Let me prefice this by saying that I would never, EVER, recommend any buyer purchase a home without a complete inspection.  But prior to writing your offer I would recommend that any potential buyer do the following: - Check the foundation for cracks- Does the house show any obvious water damag...

The HAFA program (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) is a government-sponsored program that allows homeowners who are short selling their properties to receive $3000 in relocation assistance, have their total mortgage debt forgiven and requires that participating lenders waive all future c...