Safety Tips for Halloween
Local stores may have been carrying Halloween costumes for purchase since August, but October is finally here! Whether you choose to dress up as the latest superhero or the old bed sheet ghost trick, here are a few tips when taking your kids around the neighborhood:
- Bring a Flashlight – Illuminate your walking path to avoid trip hazards if you plan on going out after dark. This will also ensure any motorist can see you crossing the streets.
- Candy Check – Parents should always inspect the candy bag before letting kids start in on the sugar rush. Anything that appears homemade should be tossed!
- Supervise – Children should always be accompanied by an adult even if it is “uncool”. Even staying a house or two behind allows you to monitor the evening and keep everyone safe.
Avoid a Scary Situation at Closing
In mortgage lending, the phrase “clear to close” is used to define when a final credit decision is final, allowing the loan to move towards the signing and closing of the transaction. But there are still some final items before a Buyer is given the keys to their new home in order to avoid last minute confusion. Please hold off from any large purchases or the tempting 0% credit card offer from the big hardware store. Your credit may still be monitored for activity up to the date you sign the closing docs, so moving around money at the last minute may cause some questions. Additionally, your funds for down payment need to remain in the account the Lender has already verified. If that happens to be gift funds, please make sure we are aware of the gift amount and who the donor is. There are guidelines that need to be met along with proper documentation before we sit at the closing table. Lastly, we do perform a verification of employment right before you sign closing documents, so be sure to let us know if you have any employment changes during the process. Communicating with us is critical from the application day all the way until move in day.
