SPRING

It's a wonderful time of the year! Anticipating springtime is sometimes even better than looking forward to the Christmas season; for Tyler Texas is always ablaze with creation glory, beginning mid-March and lasting until about April 10th.

Tyler is the rose capital of the world; and the same soil that grows millions of beautiful roses also grows fabulous azaleas of every conceivable kind. One shouldn't miss the Azalea Trail during the above period of time. It's stunning. The cars and vans and buses and tours have to park, because everything clogs up pretty much. And the lookers are blessed when that happens! Why? Well, they have to get out and walk around and smell and touch the azaleas, that's why! Folks like for you to come up in their yards and admire their flowers; they'll even invite you in to see their historic homes! People buy these homes and restore them; and then they plant more azaleas. Not just azaleas, but MORE azaleas!

But the scents of all the various flowers, and the visual display of colors...... it's wonderful. The senses are attacked from every direction. Don't miss it. If you have to miss it, don't miss it on purpose.

MONEY AVAILABILITY

Money isn't in short supply (our government is printing tons of it). However the availability of money to BORROW isn't......especially if you want to buy a very nice home. A loan for one of these homes is hard to get, because the secondary market won't buy them. And the interest rates are so low, lenders can't make any money. So they hold on to their money. Catch 22.

However, there is plentiful money available to buy inexpensive homes, especially if you don't mind living in a more rural area. USDA loans are available for home purchases outside the city. And the homes that quality don't have acreage. And the qualification for one of these loans is limited to household incomes under $75,000. Lower credit scores are acceptable.

The veterans administration also is lending to vets at excellent rates and reduced qualification models. The VA seems to have a significant supply of money available; so if one is a veteran, it has become very easy to get a really good loan to purchase a home. This money is not available to purchase farms and ranches. But 100% of the purchase price of a home can be financed. It's a good deal; and it's a lot faster than it used to be.

Call your favorite realtor: John C. Martin, www.johncmartin.com, at 903.530.3380.