thecutbridge.com http://thecutbridge.com Cape Ann MA goings and comings ... Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:50:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Thecutbridgecomhttp://feedburner.google.com Gloucester Fisherman starts race … http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/22/gloucester-fisherman-roadrace/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/22/gloucester-fisherman-roadrace/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:49:08 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1047 Today saw the running of the first annual 7 mile Run Gloucester! road race. Over 1000 runners were expected including some with world class stature. Organizer Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports is well known for staging well run events (pun intended!). Saucony, Gloucester Times, Dunkin Donuts and others sponsored and proceeds go to Gloucester Fisherman Athletic Association.

]]> http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/22/gloucester-fisherman-roadrace/feed/ 1 Short sale nightmare in Beverly MA http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/19/short-sale-in-beverly-ma/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/19/short-sale-in-beverly-ma/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:41:48 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1029 A friend and real estate colleague just finished telling me about her recent short sale nightmare. It seems she found a buyer for her client’s house. The bank accepted the short sale offering and was processing the sale, talking to the investor , etc. As the sale was coming together, the foreclosure process was well on it’s way and the auction date had been set. The bank sent notice to the investor telling them to postpone the auction because a sale was imminent. Read on …
But somehow there was a disconnect: the auction wasn’t canceled, went on as scheduled and the bank bought the property back for $125K less than the short sale price. So everyone lost: the home owner now has a foreclosure instead of a short sale on her credit report, the buyer doesn’t get a house, the bank lost over $100K and will lose more dealing with the REO asset.

The moral of the story: if you’re a seller, make sure your short sale has a good attorney and CDPE certified agent to help with the process (we’re certified). If you’re a buyer, buy something else. Let the bank foreclose and then buy directly from the bank. The results are a lot more predictable and you’ll probably pay even less.

]]> http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/19/short-sale-in-beverly-ma/feed/ 0 What’s a CLUE report? Better read this … http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/07/whats-a-clue-report-better-read-this/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/07/whats-a-clue-report-better-read-this/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:36:50 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1025

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2010 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

]]> http://thecutbridge.com/2010/08/07/whats-a-clue-report-better-read-this/feed/ 0 The China Study in Gloucester MA http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/27/the-china-study-in-gloucester-ma/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/27/the-china-study-in-gloucester-ma/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:50:20 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1018

Well, I just read the book and now feel like every time I eat any “animal based protein” I’m poisoning myself. Colin Campbell’s The China Study is full of testing evidence: on rats, mice and people. And it’s all spread out over more than 30 years. His story is compelling and really seems to make sense.

Basically, Americans are being killed by what he calls “diseases of affluence”: cancers, heart disease, liver disease and diabetes. These diseases are all literally “fed” by what we eat. And our diets are heavily weighted to included animal based proteins in the form of meats, dairy and a lot of processed food. The folks in China and other less affluent countries are eating a lot more “plant based proteins” and they don’t have suffer from the diseases that’re killing us. Read the book, it’ll change your eating habits.

]]> http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/27/the-china-study-in-gloucester-ma/feed/ 0 New iPhone review … http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/18/new-iphone-review/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/18/new-iphone-review/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 01:04:43 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1005

Terry Sullivan owns the RE/MAX franchise where I work and is a gear freak like me. He already got a new iPhone. Here’s his review:

I have had my new iPhone 4G for a week and I am totally pleased. Updating from my prior model took about 40 minutes – time will depend on how much data is on your old phone – I had 22 GB of data. Did I have any antenna issue – no.  I buy my phones with a case and all worked normally.  I suggest the iFrogz.com Luxe Lean style of case.
My impressions:
  • Good battery life (battery ran all day for me)
  • Screen is amazingly sharp and great for reading, videos and games
  • I took photos and movies and the results were very good and very sharp (there are two cameras, front and rear and you can easily change the selected camera with a tap ).  The auto focus/ brightness control function works very well by  tapping a spot on the screen to focus on,  and the colors were vibrant.
  • The LED flash is very bright and works for both photos and video for  night shooting and fill flash to remove shadows if near subject (within 10 feet)
  • Video chat over wi-fi (called Face Time) with other iPhone 4 users is amazing
  • Multi-Tasking (switching between apps) was very fast and works great
  • The new iPhone’s OS and chip set make phone  operate  very quickly.
  • Integration with Mobile Me (cloud computing service which auto updates any linked phones and computers)  for contacts, email, calendars worked great
  • I can easily access stored data on my Mobile Me’s iDisk (cloud storage space).

    Tips:
    • You can use your  iPhone as a flashlight in a pinch:  switch to Camera app, select  movie mode,  turn on flash – LED light stays on and is quite bright.
    • You can store multiple apps by groups in a  folder by simply holding down any app (all apps shake) and drag one app on top of another app.

    Thanks Terry.

    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/18/new-iphone-review/feed/ 4     Horribles rule … http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/08/horribles-rule/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/08/horribles-rule/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:12:24 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=1000
    We love Independence Day and our horribles parade here in Gloucester MA. Every 3rd of July starting early in the morning people are setting up the concert stage on the Boulevard, getting the hot dogs and balloons ready putting the last minute touches on the floats and staking out their territory for good parade seats along the route. Later in the day, the bands, floats and “horribles” assemble in the parking lot of Gloucester High School, ready for the fire engines to lead the way at 6PM. And then the crowd comes and its parade time.
    When it’s all said and done, it’s off to the Boulevard for the bands and fireworks. Happy 4th.
    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/08/horribles-rule/feed/ 0     Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream … http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/03/chocolate-oreo-ice-cream/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/03/chocolate-oreo-ice-cream/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:55:53 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=996

    Patty’s folks started the tradition when she was a little kid: making peach ice cream from scratch on or about the 4th of July. 4 or 5 years ago, we went looking for “the gear”. Google helped us find the White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer, complete with electric motor. So about $300 later (the motor was more half the cost but worth it) we were ready, or so we thought. One of the key, and I mean KEY ingredients is rock salt. Yup. Rock salt. You need it to make the ice around the stainless steel container melt faster, causing a … blah blah blah. Suffice to say “no rock salt, no ice cream”. Also remember, it’s July in Gloucester MA. “you want rock salt???”  4 or 5 stores later, I had a 5lb. bag. The rest is in the video.

    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/07/03/chocolate-oreo-ice-cream/feed/ 0     Buyers AND Sellers Beware of LQI http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/29/buyers-and-sellers-beware-of-lqi/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/29/buyers-and-sellers-beware-of-lqi/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:51:06 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=985 I took a Realtor class today called “What you need to know about today’s changing mortgage market” and left with knot in my stomach. Among other things, I learned that the Loan Quality Initiative (LQI) recently launched by Fannie Mae is an attempt to police the loan application process. The LQI requires checks and re checks of bank statements, pay stubs, credit scores and credit reports as well as owner occupancy after the closing. Not a problem, usually, because most of us are honest borrowers. The problem for even honest folk is that 2 or 3 days before the closing, the lender can run your credit again. Problem? Well, if there’s any new debt showing (maybe you had to buy tires for your car or furniture for your new house) you could easily be denied the mortgage… JUST before the closing. What a mess! And since credit reports are “histories” and usually 30 – 60 days “behind” in what they report, you could have purchased your new Pirellis or Barcalounger a month and a half ago, applied for your loan, been approved, found the condo and then learn on Wed that you can’t close Friday.

    And ALL LENDERS will eventually be using these LQI guidelines.
    So, some buyer suggestions:
    • When applying for a mortgage, tell the originator everything especially if you’ve bought anything expensive or been a little late on a payment in the 60 days prior to your application.
    • While shopping for a property, don’t buy expensive on your credit cards OR open any new cards. New credit can upset the loan cart too.
    • Also while house hunting, update your preapproval every 30 days. The guidelines are changing all the time and you may find that you no longer qualify.
    Some seller suggestions:
    • Make sure your agent GRILLS the buyer’s mortgage originator regarding the buyer’s qualifications. Don’t assume ANYTHING.
    • Pray.

    Know anybody having a problem?

    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/29/buyers-and-sellers-beware-of-lqi/feed/ 0     Gloucester’s State Fish Pier http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/gloucesters-state-fish-pier/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/gloucesters-state-fish-pier/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:11:44 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=982 Take a walk with us out on the pier. Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in the country. My 75 year old friend Eddie grew up here in town and told me he used to be able to  ”step from boat to boat and get all the way across the harbor”. See our video.

    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/gloucesters-state-fish-pier/feed/ 0     Need a firetruck? http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/need-a-firetruck/ http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/need-a-firetruck/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:13:30 +0000 kmaccarthy http://thecutbridge.com/?p=977 My friend Tony Taliadoros is selling his Ladder 1. And it really works.Check out the video. 978-283-3331 for more info.

    ]]>     http://thecutbridge.com/2010/06/24/need-a-firetruck/feed/ 0