Checking Out the Condo

Buying a condominium (condo) is a bit different than buying a home. When you own a home you are accountable to yourself (and maybe a neighbor or two), but when you own a condo you’re sharing living space and financial responsibilities with other owners. There is also a homeowners association that regulates activities and decisions for the building and owners.

From a mortgage perspective, both a condo and a home require an appraisal, but a condo building in and of itself must be approved for financing by the lender and is subject to specific guidelines. Owners of both homes and condos pay real estate taxes, but a condo owner pays monthly maintenance as well (may be referred to as dues).

As with everything, there are buildings that fit into “the box” and those that do not. In “the box” can save you money on the interest rate and closing fees. If possible, seek a building approved by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Their guidelines vary and change all the time, but they generally require that:

Commercial space be 25 percent or less of the square footage of the building.

10 percent of maintenance be kept in reserves.

15 percent or less of maintenance not be more than 60 days late.

· 51 percent of the units in a new building will be owner-occupied, but this number is rising.

The building maintains property, casualty and indemnity insurances. You will still need to get “walls in” insurance on your unit.

There should be no pending litigation regarding safety, soundness of structure or functional use.

No single entity, such as a sponsor or investor, should own more than 10 percent of units, except in certain small unit buildings where a single entity can own two units.

Fannie and Freddie loan amounts for single-unit properties max out at $625,000, so greater loan amounts are classified as jumbo or super jumbo loans and are either more flexible or tighter on their requirements.

Short key condo buying suggestions:

Review the condo board’s minutes (notes) from their meeting for any indication of financial issues, repairs made or any other maintenance improvements. Check the overall condition of the building.

Ascertain if there are healthy financial reserves. Ideally, a reserve fund should cover 70-100 percent of anticipated maintenance costs. You want to avoid future increases in monthly maintenance or deferred maintenance.

Make sure that the monthly maintenance collected is high and paid on time by existing owners.

The building will have a master insurance policy, but you should consider getting a “walls in” policy (actually required by lenders) as well as additional coverage for personal property, special assessments from lawsuits or property damage.

Try and familiarize yourself with the condo association’s rules, e.g., pets, renting out your unit, trash disposal, noise and owner mix.

Condo living can be great, just...know your condo.

By Carl Guzman

Carl Guzman, NMLS# 65291, CPA, is the founder and president of Greenback Capital Mortgage Corp., a Zillow 5-star lender (http://www.zillow.com/profile/Greenback-Capital/Reviews/?my=y). He is a residential and reverse mortgage financing expert and a dealmaker with over 26 years of industry experience. Carl and his team will help you get the best mortgage financing for your situation and his advice will save you thousands! Visit him at www.greenbackcapital.com or ceg@greenbackcapital.com.

See what satisfied clients are saying about me on Zillow!

About Carl

Buying or refinancing properties in New York, New Jersey or Florida? Your personal mortgage team is ready to get you the best rate and terms as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Carl Guzman, NMLS# 65291, CPA, is the founder and President of Greenback Capital Mortgage Corp. a company built on honesty and integrity. He is a residential financing expert, and a deal maker with over 26 years mortgage financing experience. Carl and his team will educate you, provide price clarity, provide the best options, and help you get the best mortgage financing for your situation. Carls' advice will save you thousands!

My promise to you is that I will: exceed industry service standards, patiently listen to your goals, skillfully navigate and manage the mortgage process until you close, take care of everything, so you feel like a tremendous weight was lifted off your shoulders, and give you a stress free experience.

5 Stars ∙ 130 Reviews

•  Highly likely to recommend

  6/7/2016 at 7:45 PM - ypolakoff

  CLOSED PURCHASE LOAN.

  Carl and his team were absolutely fantastic during the entire mortgage process. They explained everything clearly and responded to all of my questions promptly. Aside from locking me in at a great rate, the closing was delayed due to the seller, but Carl and his team's quick work made sure that we were all set to close on the new date.
•  Highly likely to recommend

  1/11/2016 at 7:23 PM - onlybert59

  CLOSED PURCHASE LOAN.

  Very knowledgable and helpful. Always available when we had questions or concerns. :) 2 thumbs up ... worked well with our attorney and made this a very smooth process
•  Highly likely to recommend

  12/28/2015 at 3:42 PM - alslad

  CLOSED REFINANCE LOAN.

  Carl Guzman guided me through the refinance program like a true professional. He was patient, informative and knowledgeable. He answered all questions with clarity and precision. He really cared about our needs and devoted a good deal of time to help us.

  I would not hesitate to recommend Carl Guzman and his firm.

Source: www.zillow.com

https://www.zillow.com/lender-profile/Greenback-Capital/#reviews

Whats in your FICO Score?

Part 1 of a Credit Score Series

FICO^® Scores are calculated from different credit information sources in your credit report. There are five classes of categories (see below). The percentages in the categories below indicate the importance of each in your FICO Score calculation. FICO Scores factor in both positive and negative information from your credit report. Late payments, collections, inquiries and judgments can lower FICO Scores, but good credit can be re-established by making timely payments and cleaning up outstanding debts.

Your FICO credit score calculations are derived totally from the information reported in your credit report, but it is just one part of the equation in an underwriting decision (although one of the most important). When you apply for a mortgage, lenders also review income, liquid assets, career stability, equity position in the property, and for lower scores, positive compensating factors before making a loan decision.

Categories

Payment history (35%)

Logically, one of the most important factors in a FICO^® Score. Lenders want to know if you pay on time.

Amounts owed (30%)

Credit accounts and open balances do not mean you are a high-risk borrower, but you want to keep below 50% of the maximum credit extended.

Length of credit history (15%)

Generally, longer credit histories may increase your FICO^® Score, but even people who have short histories may have high FICO Scores, depending on their credit mix (be aware that many lenders require a recent two-year history of credit and a minimum of four trade lines, so start opening trade lines now if you have fewer than four).

Your FICO Scores will take into account the length of established credit accounts, the age of your oldest and newest account and the average age of all your accounts, as well as the timeframe between the opening and use of certain trade lines.

Credit mix in use (10%)

FICO Scores take into consideration your mix of credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans.

New credit (10%)

Research indicates a greater borrower risk when they open a number of credit accounts in a short time period especially if their credit history is minimal.

Generally, FICO® Scores range from 300 to 850. Industry-specific FICO® Scores have a slightly broader range, 250–900. Higher FICO® Scores demonstrate lower credit risk, and lower FICO® Scores demonstrate higher credit risk. A “good” FICO® Score varies by lender. One lender may offer its lowest interest rates to people with FICO® Scores above 730, while another lender only offers its lowest interest rates to people with FICO® Scores above 760. Scores run as follows: Poor > 580, Fair 580–669, Good 670–739, Very Good 740–799, Exceptional 800+.

Score: Facts & Fallacies

Scores determines whether or not I get credit. Lenders use a number of factors to make credit decisions. Lenders may extend credit to you although your score is low, or decline your request for credit although your score is high.

Poor scores will always follow me. Scores change gradually as you change the way you handle credit. Taking the time to improve your scores will allow you to change your credit profile for the better and take advantage of more favorable interest rates.

My score will drop if I apply for new credit. Maybe, but if it does it won’t be by much. Applying for several credit cards in a short time period leads to multiple credit report pulls, and “inquiries” will appear on your report. Multiple pulls of credit requests trigger a red flag to review accounts for higher risk, but most credit scores are not affected by multiple inquiries from auto or mortgage lenders if the credit is pulled within a short period of time.

By Carl Guzman

Carl Guzman, NMLS# 65291, CPA, is the founder and President of Greenback Capital Mortgage Corp. a Zillow 5 star lender http://www.zillow.com/profile/Greenback-Capital/Reviews/?my=y. He is a residential financing expert and a deal maker with over 26 years’ industry experience. Carl and his team will help you get the best mortgage financing for your situation and his advice will save you thousands! www.greenbackcapital.com, ceg@greenbackcapital.com

Housing and Retirement Planning

Ideally, financial security should be your primary goal for retirement, which means three things:

(1) your expenses should be manageable, (2) you should have adequate income and (3) you should have some money to invest.

Easier said than done. Retirement planning is particularly complicated for our middle-aged

baby boomers. They have to deal with financial pressures that past generations have not had to

deal with—such as supporting kids in college while at the same time providing help to

aging parents. Being the middle of a sandwich pushes many to postpone their retirement planning. Other economic changes that have impacted retirement planning have been (1) the erosion of the traditional company retirement plan, (2) the discarding or replacement of defined benefit plans with defined contribution plans and (3) unstable job paths, e.g., job hopping, downsizing, relocations, mergers and bankruptcy.

Answering three key questions can help you form the base structure for planning your retirement.

(1) When can you or do you want to retire?

Mental attitude and financial resources will determine the answer.

(2) What kind of lifestyle do you want after retirement?

Your economics will define and allow you to choose from a basic, comfortable or luxurious retirement.

(3) Do you want to move when you retire?

There are many locations and housing styles. Consider as well family dynamics and logistics.

We all hear bits of advice from our friends and family about retirement strategy. Some of those things may even be accurate, but some ideas are based on retirement myths.

Myth 1: Plan 10 to 15 years out. Busted—Planning for 25 years of retirement is far more realistic because advances in medical care and healthier lifestyles extend the average

single 65-year-old man by another 15 years and woman another 19 years (studies and averages—notguarantees; only God gives those).

Myth 2: Loyalty and retiring with one company leads to the best benefits.

Busted—Staying with one employer at lower pay only to increase your pension will reduce your retirement benefits. Changing employers may increase your salary and your retirement benefits from any fixed plan maintained by that company upon vesting. Even a raise of 5 percent could be enough to justify switching to a new job. Be aware that changing jobs too often may impact vesting requirements and prevent building large sums in fixed pension plans.

Myth 3: The Government guarantees pension benefits. Busted—If a company’s pension fails, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation only pays a fraction of company benefits owed, possibly one-fifth. In addition, major benefits such as severance, vacation or sick pay are not covered and disappear if a company’s pension plan collapses. To be safe, check the safety of your employer’s retirement plan.

Myth 4: Preserve your capital. Busted—Preserve your capital is a given, but more importantly, hedge your buying power. Inflation rates of even 4.5 percent reduce the buying power of your income, so it becomes important to grow existing capital while generating additional income. How? By working part time and staying within the Social Security earning limits while continuing to invest in growth assets. Don’t let retirement stop you from earning and saving.

Myth 5: Taxes are less when you are retired. Busted—If income decreases, retirees may drop into a lower tax bracket. If the effective tax rate, which has consistently risen, continues

to rise, then you may pay more in taxes after retiring. Moral of the story: Retirement income may put you in a lower bracket, but don’t assume less will go to taxes.

Myth 6: Social Security will fill the hole. Busted—Many people think that Social Security will cover the shortfall in their savings and retirement benefits. Some even think that Social Security will cover most of their retirement expenses. All I can say is “no way Jose.” The intent of Social Security was to meet basic retirement income needs. To maintain your current standard of living in retirement, studies indicate that you’ll need 70 percent to 80 percent of your old working salary. Social Security will most likely be around for a while but may have reduced benefits in the future.

Myth 7: Medical bills will be covered by company insurance and Medicare. Busted—Under Medicare, you can’t collect until age 65, and they pay, on the average, less than half of senior healthcare bills. The continuous and annual double-digit rise in insurance-premium costs will push employers away from covering the high-premium policies that future retirees currently get. Realistic and practical strategies would be to take care of your health, allocate some money for health insurance, and check out health maintenance organizations (HMOs).

Myth 8: Housing Costs Are Less. Busted—Even if your mortgage is paid off, by the time you retire, you will still have to pay property taxes, hazard insurance, property maintenance and dues if in a co-op or condo, which all are expected to increase in cost. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people 65 and older actually spend a greater percentage of income (31 percent) on housing than those between 45 and 64 (27 percent). Many retirees, on fixed incomes, are being forced out of their homes simply because of the ever-increasing property taxes and maintenance required to care for a property. Consider downsizing to a smaller property and/or taking advantage of reverse mortgage financing. You may lower housing costs with the possibility of walking away with some cash.

Housing is a primary if not the most integral part of your retirement planning. Housing options can be: (1) staying in your current residence, (2) moving to a new residence, (3) retiring in your second or vacation home, (4) moving in with an adult child or (5) moving to a retirement community.

Considerations:

(1) Are there compelling reasons to retire at home?

(2) Is your current house accessible and comfortable?

(3) Is your neighborhood changing for the better or worse?

(4) Can you afford your home? Even if your home is paid off,

you have to pay real estate taxes and insurance. Reverse mortgage financing can be a savior.

(5) Are you centrally located?

(6) Should you sell or rent out your old house? If you sell your home see if you can avoid the capital gains tax §121. Explore the possibility of renting your home for cash flow.

(7) Should you buy or rent your new residence? Buy if you want the potential for equity build-up and tax benefits. Rent if you have a short-term game plan or the monthly rent is lower than owning.

(8) What type of housing suits you? A house, condo, retirement village or planned community?

(9) Where do you want your retirement home to be located? Some relocation factors to consider are: cost of living, climate, medical care, state and local taxes, proximity to family, culture and recreation.

Looking ahead, how do living expenses generally change in retirement?

(1) Housing costs decline about 25 percent to 50 percent often due to paying off the mortgage or trading down to a smaller and less expensive abode.

(2) Retirees spend more time at home, so utility costs rise.

(3) Business-clothing and travel expenses generally drop 20 percent to 35 percent because of not working.

(4) Medical expenses increase (take care of yourself).

(5) Fun and leisure expenses increase (whoopee).

(6) Food costs stay about the same.

(7) Most seniors drop life insurance premiums or scale them down.

(8) Many children of retirees have finished their schooling, so educational expenses decrease.

(9) Grooming and beautification costs will increase slightly.

(10) Risk tolerance decreases along with saving and investment activity.

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite for ending this way, but “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I better get going.

By Carl Guzman

Carl Guzman, NMLS# 65291, CPA is the founder and President of Greenback Capital Mortgage Corp., a Zillow 5-star lender. http://www.zillow.com/profile/Greenback-Capital/Reviews/?my=y. He is a residential and reverse mortgage financing expert and a deal maker with over 26 years’ industry experience. Carl and his team will help you get the best mortgage financing for your situation and his advice will save you thousands! Contact www.greenbackcapital.com or ceg@greenbackcapital.com.

Foreign Nationals, Non-Permanent Resident Aliens and Resident Aliens, OH MY!

In the last couple of years, many foreigners have used their wealth to buy high-end residential real estate located in the US. The two obvious reasons: (1) US real estate is considered a safe haven, and (2) they had an advantageous dollar exchange rate. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) put out a report called “2015 Profile of Home Buying Activity of International Clients.” The report said that US real estate remains a relative bargain compared to other global cities favored by the wealthy. For instance, a condo costing $1.6 million in New York would cost more than $4 million in Paris and $2 million in Moscow.

The NAR report also said sales of US residential real estate to overseas buyers between April 2014 and March 2015 reached a record $104 billion. According to the report, the Chinese took the lead as the top foreign buyers of real estate last year. Canada was ranked second, with $11.2 billion, with India following at $7.9 billion. Foreigners favored homes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York. The top state for overseas real estate buyers was Florida, accounting for 21 percent of all US sales to foreign buyers. California came in second, with 16 percent, followed by Texas with 8 percent and Arizona with 5 percent. The top four states accounted for half of overseas buying. Overseas buyers accounted for only 3 percent of sales in New York State, although the share was much higher for New York City.

The average purchase price for overseas buyers was $499,600, nearly twice the national mean purchase price of $255,600. Foreigners are also paying 26 percent more than they were last year: Most favored the suburbs over the city and most favored single-family detached homes over apartments.

Some 55 percent of overseas buyers paid all-cash, according to the report. In a number of cases some REALTORS® had international clients who did not purchase a US property because they “could not find property,” or “could not obtain financing” and many “other reasons.”

For those “all-cash” buyers, great for you and glad you have a place to park the cabbage. For all my foreign and temporary visitors and friends who may need financing, or want financing, read below for general requirements on the documents needed for you to obtain residential mortgage financing.

Borrowers who are not US citizens must currently reside in the United States to be eligible and fall into one of two classifications: permanent resident alien (PRA), or non-permanent resident alien (NPRA). Non-citizens who do not reside in the US are classified as foreign nationals (FN).

In general, obtaining a loan for a permanent or non-permanent resident alien is not much different from getting a loan for a US citizen in that financial documentation for income, credit and assets is still required. Underwriting may be slightly different.

The classifications are as follows:

FN: The borrower has no Green Card and no visa* or has income from foreign sources.

NPRA: The borrower lives and works in the US and is here on a visa* (of which there are many different types and must be unexpired and valid for at least six months). Does not have a green card. Must have US employment contract and social security card.

PRA: The borrower lives and works in the US and has a Green Card. Usually must have two years US income/tax returns.

*Acceptable Visa types for Fannie and Freddie Mac: A1-A2: Cannot have diplomatic immunity. E1 & E2, G1-G5, H1, TN-NAFTA: Works from Canada and Mexico, here for business purposes. L1: Intra-company transfer, O1: Famous actor, musician, etc. O2: Assistants to famous actor, musician, etc.

Properties are bought as primary residences and second homes, and for investment with differences in guidelines and rates based on occupancy status. For our purposes, we will focus on primary residences. Being a specific niche type of borrower, many foreign borrowers typically fit a portfolio lender’s profile. Portfolio lenders have their own unique guidelines, lend their own money and service their own loans (instead of selling them). The other mortgage products fall into secondary market buyers of mortgage loans, Fannie Mae; Freddie Mac and the major insurer of government loans, FHA.

Some nuances to be aware of:

Portfolio lenders may and the FHA program will accept an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) as an acceptable form of documentation for non-permanent resident aliens. The EAD must be valid within one year of the closing date (no exceptions) and must have a prior history of renewal being granted. If a history of renewal does not exist, information from the BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration) must be provided to determine the likelihood of renewal.

Borrowers residing in the US by virtue of refugee or asylum status are automatically eligible to work in the country and must show documentation to support this status if they do not have an EAD card.

Foreign Nationals are not eligible for FHA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac type of loans.

Fannie and Freddie both require a green card to show eligibility.

If a borrower’s visa will expire within 6 months of the loan application and he/she is still with the same employer since sponsorship, a copy of the employer’s letter of sponsorship for visa renewal must be provided. If jobs were changed since sponsorship, and the visa expires within 6 months, documentation must be provided showing that an application for extension or permanent residency has been filed.

What kind of financial documentation may be needed?

FN:

Greater down payment required may be anywhere from 25 percent to 40 percent. Credit: No FICO required. International credit reports are acceptable, or credit references from country of origin. Alternative forms of credit may be acceptable such as a letter from an employer, bank or creditor; utility bills etc.

Income: Two years income-verification history. It is not necessary to have US tax returns; tax documents from country of origin are okay. If the country of origin do pay stubs, bank statements and an employment letter on company letterhead explaining compensation.

Assets: Must source seasoned assets in a known verifiable worldwide financial institution; the funds cannot be in an institution that cannot be verified. The main reason for sourcing the income and assets is for OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control), which monitors foreign countries, regimes, known terrorists etc. In addition, the borrower’s name, employer and financial institution from the country of origin where the borrower has his/her funds will be run through an OFAC verification engine.

If the income and asset documentation is in a foreign language you may need to get a translator. It might be wise to hire an Accountant/CPA (tax preparer or equivalent) to analyze, interpret, convert and present the information in such a way so the underwriter can easily understand it. That is, have a comprehensive summary and accounting of the borrower’s financial position. However, a language translator may suffice and would probably be less expensive.

All US embassies provide translation services. You are not required to have a social security number or tax identification number (TIN). You will need a passport or other form of valid ID.

Power of attorney is not permitted. The borrower will have to go to an American consulate to sign and have loan documents notarized.

Non-Permanent Resident Aliens:

Standard financial documents are required.

Permanent Resident Alien:

The borrower should have US credit and US assets. The borrower must have a social security number.

What a great country!

By Carl Guzman

Carl Guzman, NMLS# 65291, CPA, is the founder and President of Greenback Capital Mortgage Corp. and a Zillow 5-star lender: http://www.zillow.com/profile/Greenback-Capital/Reviews/?my=y. He is a residential and reverse-mortgage financing expert and a deal maker with over 26 years’ industry experience. Carl and his team will help you get the best mortgage financing for your situation and his advice will save you thousands! www.greenbackcapital.com, ceg@greenbackcapital.com

Everyone's a Winner!

http://jewishlinknj.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12054:everyones-a-winner&catid=168:real-estate&Itemid=580

Locking a mortgage rate? What you need to know.

If any of you have ever obtained mortgage financing, and then had your rate increase before closing, you may have wondered why the rate changed. You may have even wondered why the person who quoted you the rate deceived you when they may not have intentionally done so. You see, I always make it a practice of full disclosure and choice. 

In general, rates quoted are what are known as floating rates. Floating rates, are unlocked and unprotected rates subject to market conditions, and are the lowest quoted mortgage rates. When your rate is not locked, you are, in effect, “playing the market”.  That means, if you were able to close in 12-15 days, the rate quoted would be the rate you would get ASSUMING that the market remained stable. 

What is unknown when you lock a rate is: Are you going to go past your rate lock? Have rates moved up?  If yes, you may have to incur extension fees in order to keep your rate. If rates moved lower then you are usually allowed to keep your original locked in rate. 

Practically, if the stars align, it is quite possible to close in 15 days on a purchase or refinance, but typically, especially on a purchase, you may take longer.

Why? 

Simply because:

1. There are so many parties involved who have their own schedules (two attorneys, two real estate brokers, one mortgage company, a seller and you the buyer) 
2. There is the possibility that the inspection will reveal items that you may want to negotiate on (going back and forth eats up time), 
3. Title issues may come up such as inherited seller judgments or collections that need clearance before you can close, 
4. or your own schedule may derail you from closing within the rate lock period.

Locked in rates are slightly higher than floating rates, but you avoid market risk, and, as long as you close within the rate lock period, you know what you are getting from the beginning until closing. 

When you qualify for a mortgage, you have to meet underwriting guidelines which take into consideration a qualifying rate.  If you are a borderline applicant, you may have just squeaked by on your approval. Should rates go up, you may lose your commitment, have to reduce your loan amount, or be forced to "buy down" the rate in order to qualify which can run into thousands of dollars. 

In summary, when you lock the rate, and close in the specified rate lock time, you are protecting your mortgage payment, mortgage commitment qualifying loan amount, and shielding yourself from potential rate increases due to market condition changes and/or Lenders raising their rate to stave off excess mortgage applications.

Note: the industry has now implemented TRID. Before closing on your new loan, the lender must send you a Closing Disclosure (CD) 3 days before you close. You will need to lock your loan at least 3 days before closing. Keep this in mind when you lock your loan because if you wait the day before you close to lock your loan, you will not close the next day, but 3 days later because new disclosures have to be sent and may start the clock again.  You may even jeopardize your rate lock.

I suggest, if you choose to wait to lock your rate, that you do so no later than 5 days before closing or earlier if possible to give yourself a cushion.  

Knowing before owing can save you thousands of dollars.  My philosophy is to always set expectations so that there are no disappointments or surprises - which not only helps when it comes to rate quotes - but in all aspects of life as well.

Let us remember

I sit here in my office going about my daily business of assisting those who need mortgage financing. I glimpse at the right corner of my screen and there it is, the reminder that today is September 11^th. My eyes tear as I think back to where I was 14 years ago on that horrific day of unforeseen unimaginable tragedy. My thoughts are mixed. On one hand I feel a sense of guilt, grateful for my family’s outcome, and on the other hand, I am terribly sad and heartbroken for those families that lost their loved ones - the unbearable loss of heroes and friends on that fateful day.

I remember like it was yesterday. My wife, who was five months pregnant with our first child, was working as an attorney for the New York Department of Housing directly across from City Hall.  I was working from home when the phone rang. “Carl, my building shook what should I do?” My wife was on the phone. “They are telling us to stay.” I responded, “get out of there NOW!” Shortly thereafter, the second tower was hit. My pregnant wife made her way and walked from downtown Broadway to 58^th street and 5^th where my Mother waited for her to take the train to Queens. My wife told me how nice and caring strangers were to her on her walk to safety. Ironically, disasters usually bring out the goodness in New Yorkers.

I don’t ask why this happened because I am just a human being who cannot even fathom a just reason. I can remember this day along with the rest of the world, and mourn the memory of those that we lost way before their time. 

Remembering just does not seem enough. It seems too trite. I believe that the souls of those who left us on that day are looking down at us and waiting for something positive to come from their deaths. I would imagine that they might be wondering why in times of disaster and tragedy, people unify, and are helpful and respectful of one another, and yet, one day goes by and we return to our old ways. How soon we forget.

I asked myself, and now I ask you, how can we show those that we lost that tragic day, that we have learned and changed for the better because of their sacrifice. I would venture to say that we, at the very least, should also have to make some sort of earthly sacrifice. The sacrifice of self. We have to change our behavior and actions and remember and honor those that we lost that day. It sounds easy, but true change for the better is not.

May I make a humble suggestion? In the memory of those that left this earth on that Day of Sept 11^th let us try to:

·                  Be respectful to one another and our loved ones

·                  Not judge others

·                  Make time for friends and family

·                  Give the benefit of the doubt

·                  Be inclusive

·                  Be kind, caring, and courteous and…..

To always remember Sept 11^th as the day that sparked unity and love in NYC, the United States and the peaceful nations of this earth. We honor all those that left us that day. I am hopeful that they are looking down at us with the confidence and optimism that we will do our best to make sure that their souls remain perpetually at peace.