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	<title>Michael Collins Blog</title>
	<link>http://michaelcollins.biz</link>
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	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:05:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Home Equity Use No Longer Home Equity Abuse</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Record numbers of refinancing homeowners have stopped using their home equity as an ATM machine for withdrawals and instead are making more deposits. In the last quarter of 2011, a record 85 percent of homeowners who refinanced their first mortgage maintained the loan amount or lowered their principal balance by adding cash to the deal [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/02/21/home-equity-use-no-longer-home-equity-abuse/</link>
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		<title>Five tips that can make your home appealing to buyers.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Check all the screens and molding around your windows and doors. This isn’t at the top of a seller’s list but it ought to be. Even slightly torn screens send a careless message to buyers. It gives an unconscious uneasiness that there’s been, at the very least, lack of care for this home. Something simple [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/02/18/five-tips-that-can-make-your-home-appealing-to-buyers/</link>
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		<title>Average 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Holds at All-Time Record Low</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In Freddie Mac&#8217;s results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, most average mortgage rates inching higher on January&#8217;s positive employment data. The 30-year fixed remained unchanged and at its all-time record low. One year ago at this time, the 30-year fixed averaged 5.05 percent. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.87 percent with an average 0.8 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/02/14/average-30-year-fixed-rate-mortgage-holds-at-all-time-record-low/</link>
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		<title>Tips On Budgeting</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When budgeting how much home you can afford, it’s important to understand and anticipate the costs of owning and maintaining a home. Here are a few things that some first-time buyers forget to include. Private Mortgage Insurance This is added on to your mortgage when the down payment is less than 20 percent. You can [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/02/10/tips-on-budgting/</link>
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		<title>CAPITAL MARKETS RECOVERY HOLDS STEADY</title>
		<description><![CDATA[BORROWER TRENDS 2012: The flow of capital is growing and both borrowers and lenders are optimistic that financing will continue to improve in 2012. According to National Real Estate Investor’s annual Borrower Trends Survey, more than half of lenders (56 percent) and 44 percent of borrowers are predicting that credit will be more widely available [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/02/02/capital-markets-recovery-holds-steady/</link>
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		<title>Create Your 2012 Success Blueprint</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many people who want to create success for the New Year don&#8217;t realize that in order to do that, they need to have a blueprint for success. What does that mean specifically? It takes two things to create a blueprint for success. The first thing you have to have is a clear vision of what [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/01/31/create-your-2012-success-blueprint/</link>
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		<title>Going Green in 2012</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Here are some trends that have been reported to occur in 2011 and likely to continue into 2012. The Economy – The focus of green building has shifted to the greening of existing buildings. Owners of existing buildings believe that there is “more bang for the buck” of upgrades to meet LEED requirements with [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/01/26/going-green-in-2012/</link>
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		<title>To Rent or To Buy THAT is the Question</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When looking for a place to live, people put a lot of thought into location, amenities and cost, but they often overlook the first question to ask themselves at the beginning of any house or apartment hunt: “Should I rent or buy?” People usually begin the process with a preconceived notion of what they’re going [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/01/21/to-rent-or-to-buy-that-is-the-question/</link>
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		<title>Feng Shui Your House</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; The ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui has gained in popularity in the West in recent decades. Many homeowners seek out the wisdom of its teachings in order to create balance and harmony in their homes. Feng Shui is about taking control of how our environment affects us. Different objects, arrangements of these objects, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/01/18/feng-shui-your-house/</link>
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		<title>Beverly Hills takes steps to preserve architectural treasures</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In response to the demolition of several famous buildings, the City Council approves rules for tearing down or altering structures older than 45 years and designed by important architects. It also establishes a Cultural Heritage Commission. Responding to the demolition of such local icons as the Friars Club, Pickfair and John Lautner&#8217;s Shusett House, the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://michaelcollins.biz/2012/01/13/beverly-hills-takes-steps-to-preserve-architectural-treasures/</link>
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