Just to let everyone know, I am no longer with Zook Realty.  I decided to change direction and effective Oct 1, I opened Koppelmann Real Estate.  I have a small office in downtown Monticello.  This gives me the chance to do what I truly love with real estate - work with sellers and buyers.  This change will also allow me to better service my clients.  I am very excited with this new direction and will hopefully update my blog more often as well. 11/08/2008

Beautiful 6 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 story lake front home on 1.25 acres on Lake Shafer. The main level boasts an 8 person jacuzzi sunk in the floor, 1 full bath with shower, kitchen with Corian countertops, great room with stone woodburning fireplace and has log cabin wall interior, the eating area has hardwood floors & a wall of windows with a wonderful view of the lake with double doors that open to a 25x16 deck and Viking gas grill that stays! The upper level has 6 bedrooms & a full bath with 2 person jacuzzi tub & shower. The lower is a walk out basement with full windows & double doors that lead out to another 25x20 deck & stairs down to the yard & lake front. The lower level is partially finished for entertaining / gameroom & the other half is laundry & storage. All appliances stay! Sc... 04/04/2008

REFINANCE CALCULATORHelps you determine if you will benefit by refinancingDEBT CONSOLIDATION CALCULATORShows you how a refinance can reduce your monthly payments Are You Throwing Good Money Down The Drain??? "How You Can Get Debt-Free Fast And Escape From Financial Prison"Important Information About Your Home Mortgage:Now, maybe you're not losing a million bucks a year, but I'm willing to bet you are losing a small fortune! And I want to help you put that money back into your pocket, where it belongs.My name is David Mennen and I am a home mortgage, cost-reductionexpert.  I call it "financial prison" because even though we do live in the greatest country in the world, even people with good incomes, who are buying their homes, wind up in "financial prison" - mostly because of what banker... 08/16/2007

 Wanna know a little secret? There is an ingenious method you can use, to pay off your 30 year fixed rate loan, in 23 years or less. It's straightforward, simple, and easy to understand. In this article, we're going to explore this little known secret, and we'll provide several examples of how it works, a few methods on how to implement, along with some information on where to go and how to get started. #1 Accelerated Payments: By accelerating the payment structure on your loan, the life of the loan is reduced: In a normal 30 year fixed rate loan situation, your monthly payment is applied towards principle and interest. It is amortized over the course of 30 years. So any money above and beyond your normal payment is applied solely towards the principle of the loan.By reducing the princi... 08/14/2007

Mortgage Soup Looking for home mortgage loans can get confusing with the alphabet soup of mortgage loans programs available today. Most of these programs are just variations of fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgage loans. These loans can be structured to meet your financial needs, and most are available in 15 or 30-year terms. Your long-term plans play an important part in selecting the right type of loan, use these general guidelines to help you as you shop for home mortgage loans. Fixed Rate Mortgage - If you're going to be staying in your home for at least 7 years, consider a fixed rate. This loan's interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan or term - 15, 20 or 30 years. Usually the shorter the term, the lower the interest rate. This type of loan is amortized - both the princi... 08/14/2007

 Mortgage News: A Year Of ChangeBy Casey Shipley & David Mennen2007 has been a year of major changes in the mortgage lending industry.  Anyone who pays the least amount of attention to the 6:00 P.M. news would draw the conclusion that the bottom has fallen out, everyone is being foreclosed upon, and that market conditions are unfavorable to purchasing a new home or refinancing the one you currently own. We think it may be useful to break down what is happening as it pertains to interest rates, loan programs and how this all affects the average consumer's checkbook and the loan choices that are available.  ForeclosuresThere can be no doubt that foreclosures have taken a toll on the real estate market, creating a surplus of available existing housing. The short term effects are that many ... 08/09/2007

Here are some market statistics for real estate in the City of Monticello:2006Average Sale Price $86,124No. Homes Closed 82Average DOM 135Highest Sales Price $190,000Avg List/Sold% 94.27% More Real Estate Market Statistics can be viewed on www.zookrealty.com.  Just click on Area Market Report on the left hand side. 04/26/2007