INSIDE THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF YVETTE ST. PATRICK’S DAY SILLIES SPRING GARDENING TIPS 6 WAYS TO SAVE ON GROCERIES WHICH DOOR ARE YOU LOOKING AT? FIND US ON…

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Referrals are

Q: What do you call fake stone in Ireland?

A: A sham rock.

Q: What do you get if you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover?

A: A rash of good luck.

Q: How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?

A: He’s Dublin over with laughter!

Q: What kind of music does a leprechaun band play?

A: Shamrock ‘n’ roll.

If you have time to take just

a few minutes we’ve

created a short survey that

we’d like to get your

feedback on. To take this

survey go to:

MyTeamClermont.com/survey

To thank you for taking the

time to fill out our survey

you’ll be entered in a

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Winners will be drawn on April 10th

Hello there!

We truly thank you again for your trust and confidence over these many years in our team. We have added a new face to our team, and you now have Gail Carrick, as well as Amy Jo and me. We have added a full time Florida office, and we are excited to help both the Wisconsin Snow Birds escape the blustery winters to warm Florida beaches, and Florida folks who need to escape the hot Florida summer sun to the beautiful summer days in Wisconsin. It’s been a terrific first 15 years for me and I am lucky to have many more years ahead with our dedicated Team Clermont! With tax time right around the corner, I thought it would be timely to send out some helpful tips. If you are feeling overwhelmed and need a referral to a good tax preparer or planner please let us know as we are glad to help! As you may know, the lending industry has been through recent changes. Some of the changes are good and on some the jury is still out. With record low interest rates, a barrage of changes to loan programs and the addition of new rules, this has been an extremely challenging time. We want you to know we are here to help with your questions and will guide you to the best financial path, helping you reach your goals

as quickly as possible. Our job as your Mortgage Consulting Team is to give you the facts and to make recommendations based on your goals. You undoubtedly have either received calls or mailers promising rates that seem unheard of, lightening quick closings, an offer to review your loan to see if you can receive a refund from your lender, or a vast number of other promises. Even though our industry has been heavily regulated, and those entering must attend regular classes and testing, it’s impossible to know who is on the other end of that offer. They may be very nice, but may not realize they can’t deliver what they are trying to sell you. It’s important you know we will be competitive and will never offer something that we cannot deliver or know you would not qualify for in the end. We’ve also heard many questions on refinance programs that have been advertised lately. Here are a few facts to help clear up some confusion.

HARP – Home Affordable Refinance Program

HARP is a program that was started to help homeowners who owe more than their home is worth today and are not currently behind on their mortgage. This

Tech Times Issue 00 Month Year

CHRONICLE

Here’s to our Clients who are enjoying their new homes!

Kristi Gurich Aaron Allen

Amber Lardinois Viorica Wellman

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your team! Special thanks to our new friends and our wonderful existing clients who are kind enough to refer their friends, family, and neighbors to us.

**This newsletter is intended for entertainment purposes only. Credit is given to the authors of various articles that are reprinted when the original author is known. Any omission

of credit to an author is purely unintentional and should not be construed as plagiarism or literary theft. Copyright 2012 Yvette Clermont. This information is solely advisory, and

should not be substituted for legal advice.

CUT OUT THIS SECTION AND SAVE FOR YOUR RECORDS SO YOU ALWAYS

KNOW HOW TO REACH US!

Team Clermont

435 N. Broadway Ste. B

De Pere, WI 54115

SPRING GARDENING TIPS

6 WAYS TO SAVE ON GROCERIES Has the rising cost of food taken a hit on your budget?

Try these simple tactics to save money at the supermarket.

In sticker-shock over prices at your local supermarket? As food costs continue to rise, rely on

these money-saving strategies.

1. Pick products on the top and bottom shelves at the supermarket. Bigger sizes of items,

which tend to offer a lower price per unit, are usually placed on the highest and lowest

shelves. Smaller sizes, with a higher price per unit, are often given prime placement at

eye level.

2. Buy store brands instead of name brands. Store brands are usually close to the market

leader in quality yet less costly. In fact, the same manufacturer that makes the branded

product often manufactures the house brand.

3. Avoid buying prepared and packaged goods. You’ll pay a premium for convenience.

Consumer Reports once found that two pounds of carrots cost $1.29, compared with

$7.16 for the same amount of precut sticks.

4. Join grocery savings clubs at local supermarkets. These free programs entitle cardholders

to members-only savings on selected products, a benefit that could shave about 18

percent off your total grocery bill. The catch: The stores keep tabs on what customers

are buying to study different segments of the shopping population.

5. Download coupons. Check CouponCart.com or Cool-Savings (www.coolsavings.com) for

deals on frequently purchased items and shop on double-coupon days if your grocer has

them.

6. Join a warehouse club. Bulk retailers such as BJ’s Wholesale Club and Costco can be 20

to 50 percent cheaper than regular grocery stores when it comes to products like

condiments, coffee, bottled water, and canned beans and vegetables. (The supermarket

has better deals on items like produce, chips, and cookies.) Visit the websites of clubs

like BJ’s (www.bjs.com; $45 annual fee), Costco (www.costco.com; $50), and Sam’s Club

(www.samsclub.com; $40) to determine which has the best location and product mix for

you and join online.

Survey the Yard. Make note of tree limbs that should be removed or cabled, especially those that overhang structures. Hire an arborist to maintain large trees. Cut down last year's perennial foliage, and toss it into the compost pile. Rake mulch from beds planted with bulbs before foliage appears, and refresh mulch in other planting areas after soil warms. Check fences, steps, and pathways for disrepair caused by freezing and thawing.

Get Ready to Mow. Send the mower and leaf blower for servicing, or if you have the right tools, sharpen the mower blades yourself. Refill your mower with oil, install fresh spark plugs, and lubricate moving parts if necessary. Clear the lawn of winter debris, and look for areas that need reseeding before mowing.

Prune Trees and Shrubs. Remove dead, damaged, and diseased branches from woody plants. Thin and trim summer-blooming shrubs such as butterfly bush, hydrangea, and most roses, except for old-fashioned once bloomers. Prune cold-damaged wood after plants resume spring growth. Prune spring-blooming shrubs and trees after flowering.

Prepare New Beds. Clear the planting area as soon as soil can be worked, removing sod or weeds and debris. Spread a 4-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure and any amendments

WHICH DOOR ARE YOU

LOOKING AT?

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. – Helen Keller

ARE WE JUNK MAIL?

We understand we don’t all have time to read lots of things. If you prefer not to receive this newsletter or would prefer to receive an e-mail version, please let us know.

(920) 347-1245 or Mail@MyTeamClermont.com

And we’ll promptly remove you from our mailing list!

FIND US ON… We can now be found on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Check out our new social media sites and follow us for great articles on tips about the home buying and mortgage process.

Facebook.com/ MyTeamClermont Twitter.com/ MyTeamClermont Linkedin.com/in/ YvetteClermont

over soil, and cultivate it to a depth of 10 to 12 inches with a spading fork.

Plant. Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and perennials such as hostas and daylilies by early spring. Choose a cool, cloudy day if possible. Transplant container-grown plants anytime during the growing season except midsummer; be sure to water them thoroughly. Sow seeds of cool-season flowers like sweet peas, poppies, and calendula, and vegetables such as lettuce, parsley, and spinach.

Fertilize. Apply balanced fertilizer (6-6-6 or 8-8-8), fish emulsion, or other soil amendments recommended by soil-test results around trees and shrubs when new growth appears. Spread high-acid fertilizer and pine-needle mulch around acid-loving shrubs like azaleas and camellias. Begin fertilizing perennials when active growth resumes.

Start a Compost Pile. Start a compost pile, or use a compost bin, if you don't have one already. Begin by collecting plant debris and leaves raked up from the garden. Chop these up first to speed decomposition. Add equal amounts "brown" (carbon-rich) materials like dried leaves and straw and "green" (nitrogen-rich) materials like grass clippings and weeds in even layers with water and a compost bioactivator. Turn regularly. Continue adding to the pile throughout the season for rich, homemade compost next spring.

Article from MarthaStewart.com

allows these homeowners to take advantage of today’s lower interest rates. This program is for mortgages owned by Fannie Me or Freddie Mac. The past program allowed the homeowner to only refinance up to 105% of the current appraised value. The new program allows the homeowner to refi any balance as long as mortgage payments are current. While this is the program, individual lenders may set caps on what can be refinanced, call us to see what can be done in your case if interested.

Important Notes:

To qualify for this program, the current loan must be owned by Freddie or Fannie. You can check to see who owns your mortgage by calling us, or by visiting: http://www.freddiemac.com/mymortgage or http://www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup/.

You may not be approved if you have had recent payments that were 30 days or more past due.

Lenders can list “overlays” such as adding a maximum loan of 125% of the newly appraised value, minimum credit scores, etc.

FHA STREAMLINED REFINANCE This program is for homeowners who have an FHA Loan now. Unfortunately, the FHA increased the monthly mortgage insurance premium, more than doubling what it was a year earlier, and it is scheduled to increase even more this April. Thus, even if the new interest rate is significantly lower than your current rate, you may not enjoy as much immediate payment savings as you think due to the increased monthly mortgage insurance premium. Both VA and Rural Development Loans offer a streamline refinance program, each with their own set of unique requirements and advantages. Although it may seem there is just one mortgage program and interest rate and set of rules, this is not the case. Each program has many rules, requirements and guidelines that must be met in order to be approved. But have no fear, as we will help you understand each option, and will give you advice to meet your financial goals.

Sincerely, Yvette, Amy Jo and Gail