Lowest Mortgage Rates in HISTORY!

In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, the average fixed mortgage rates were largely unchanged helping to keep homebuyer affordability high for those in the market to purchase or looking to refinance. Both the 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed rate mortgages matched their all-time record lows.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.66 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending June 28, 2012, the same as last week. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.51 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 2.94 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.95 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.69 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.79 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.77. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.22 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.74 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, the same as last week. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.97 percent. According to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac: "Mortgage rates were virtually unchanged this week hovering at or near record lows and should further help to support a recovering housing market. Both the S&P/Case Shiller® 20-city composite and the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price indexes showed over a 0.5 percent monthly increase in April. Meanwhile, pending existing home sales rebounded in May by 5.9 percent to match a two year high and new home sales jumped 7.6 percent to its fastest pace since April 2010."

It's Summer so Lets Go to the Coast!!! Texas Coast that is!

Vacation on the Beach... Rockport/Fulton & Port Aransas Beaches.


Rockport Beach is Texas' first Blue Wave Beach and one of only four on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Rockport Beach Information

There is a daily $5 or $15 annual vehicle parking fee. There is no charge to enter by foot, bicycle, or if you are towing a boat or boat trailer to go to the public boat ramp. No dogs allowed inside the beach since it is a bird sanctuary.

There are 61 individual picnic sites spread throughout the Rockport Beach. Each site has a covered picnic table with barbeque grill. These sites are first come/first serve.

No, overnight camping is not permitted in the Rockport Beach.

Fishing is permitted just about anywhere, including a popular 800 foot pier at the North end of the beach. Two off-limit fishing sites are the boat dock and the Saltwater pool.

Rockport Little Bay WATER SAFETY

All boats/personal watercraft pulling skiers within Little Bay must have an observer 13 years of age or older on board and facing rearward.

All traffic in the ski basin is one-way and must travel in a counterclockwise direction.

No motor vehicles or personal watercraft are allowed in restricted areas (shallow areas of Little Bay) marked by signs.

No sailing in the ski basin.

No airboats in the ski basin.
Port Aransas

Beach Parking Permit Information

1. The City of Port Aransas requires a $12.00 permit to park along the beaches. This includes the area from Marker (0) to Marker (62) except in the free parking area.

2. Free Parking areas include between the Jetties and Horace Caldwell Pier and between Markers 52-58
3. RV, tent and other types of camping are permitted on the beach.
4. There is a three (3) night limit for camping during any three (3) week period.
5. Small fires no larger than 3 ft. x 3 ft. are permitted on the beach.
BEACH SAFETY

• Check the beach at the water line for any marine life that has washed ashore, please DO NOT TOUCH! They can still be venomous even though they are not in the water.
• If there are Jelly Fish or Man -O- War washed ashore, be careful when getting into the water, and try not to make contact with them.

When walking in the water, shuffle your feet. This will frighten the stingray, causing it to move out of the way, and lessen your chance of stepping on them.

Jelly Fish
Their bodies are hemispherical in shape, that are tough and thick, white, milky, or bluish in color. Their tentacles are short and fused into a tight bundle that contains a poison that will also cause a stinging sensation.
Portuguese Man -O- War
Also called the bluebottle, can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. The Man -O- War has a gas-filled chamber that is used like a sail to propel it through the water. The Man -O- War is iridescent blue, with long tentacles that can reach up 180 ft in length. The tentacles contain a poison, which causes the stinging sensation.
TREATMENT

1. Immediately get away from the creature as they can sting many times.
2. Protecting your hands with a towel scrape the tentacles and/or slimy deposits from the skin.
3. Packing the area with wet sand, and then wash it away with water (repeat as needed) will also help remove the remnants of the jellyfish from your skin.
4. Make a paste from Unseasoned Meat Tenderizer and rubbing alcohol, and then apply the mixture to the affected area. Unless affected area is the genital area, then use water to make the paste instead of rubbing alcohol.

The meat tenderizer applied to the affected area detoxifies the effects of the venom. Once the pain has subsided, wash away the paste, and treat area, as you would sunburn.
...call 911 if there is an allergic reaction...


For more in information about Rockport Beach visit http://www.rockportbeach-texas.com/
Port Aransas Beach visit http://www.cityofportaransas.org/Port_Aransas_Beach.cfm

TEXAS PASSES NEW HOA LAWS!!!

Nearly 20% of Texans live in neighborhoods that have homeowners associations (HOAs), and new laws that went into effect earlier this year have provided more rights to those property owners regarding the use of their property.
Here are five property-related upgrades or additions that HOAs can no longer prevent homeowners from doing:

1. Install a solar-energy device on the property.
2. Install and use rain-harvesting devices.
3. Display certain religious items on the entry of the property.
4. Install roof shingles that are wind and/or hail resistant, energy efficient, or solar generating.
5. Fly the U.S., Texas, or a branch of the U.S. armed forces flag.

Each of these rights apply to condos as well. It’s important to note that a homeowners association may place some parameters on these rights.