May 22, 2014
A 21
Island Moon
STATE
May is Stroke Awareness Month By Todd Hunter, District 32 In last week’s article, I had the opportunity to highlight National Military Appreciation Month. One of the other national designations that I want to highlight for the month of May is National Stroke Awareness Month. This month works to help educate the public about the important stroke signs that people can identify and understand in their own lives. There are a number of simple warning signs that can help be an early warning indicator. These key indicators make a significant difference in the early diagnosis of various heart related illnesses. There are many basic things that relate to heart health that people do not often realize. The American Heart Association is an advocacy organization that has helped to develop a program known as the F.A.S.T. program. F.A.S.T. is an acronym that stands for: Face dropping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 9-1-1. These are four simple signs that can be identified to help recognize these early warning signs. The American Heart Association’s joint website with the American Stroke Association provides a brief breakdown of these four identifiable symptoms/warning signs: • Face Dropping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven? • Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the Person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? • Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly? • Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.
Additionally, their website states “Beyond F.A.S.T. – Other Symptoms You Should Know – Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, sudden confusion or trouble understanding, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause.” Those impacted by cardiovascular conditions are staggering and the healthcare impact is projected to exceed over $1 billion in direct and indirect healthcare costs by the year 2030. The American Heart Association (AHA) is an organization that works to help bring leadership and resources to all levels of government. Whether it is the federal, state or local level, the AHA has identified ways of educating the public and by developing systems of care that work to help acute conditions that will result in helping to improve the patient’s outcomes. Many of these systems work to coordinate those impacted to help them recover while also improving the cost-effectiveness of their care. These systems of care generally are tailored by more localized methods such as certain regions of the nation and also individual states. A lot of the criteria they use is from localized data that they have collected and works to create a seamless transition from each stage of care. It is with these types of awareness and outreach that they hope will save lives. If you would like to learn more information about healthy tips on cardiovascular health you can visit the American Heart Association’s website at www.heart.org and the American Stroke Association’s website at www.strokeassociation.org If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
Club News The Island Moon provides this space for Island organizations. If you are a member of a club and want to get the word out about your events and/or projects send them along and we will get them in. Be sure to include a brief description of what your organization does and a contact person for those interested in joining. Send the info to editor@islandmoon.com and we will include it. Or call us at 949-7700. Rotary Club of Padre Island Corpus Christi – The Rotary Club of Padre Island is always looking for new members seeking to put “service above self”. If you are interested, please come join us and see what we are all about. The Padre Island Rotary usually meets every Tuesday at noon at the Boathouse Bar and Grill (upstairs), 15241 Leeward Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418. For more information contact Jacqueline Carlson at 361-331-8618 or jcarlson@jmcarchitecture.com. Padre Island Uke Club – Would YOU like to learn to play the ukulele? We can teach you to play 5 songs in 60 minutes! No musical experience necessary. We meet every Tuesday at the Island Italian Restaurant at 15370 Park Rd 22. Beginners meet from 6-7 PM and more advanced players from 7-8 PM. Everyone is welcome. $3/person donation is requested. Loaner ukuleles available. Need more info? Call: Joe Sexton at 361-500-8955 Or email: PadreIslandUkeClub@gmail.com P.I.E. Padre Island Enrichment Club, Inc,P.I.E. strives to enrich the lives of Padre Island women through social activities and community involvement. Full membership luncheon meetings are held the second Friday of each month at the Holiday Inn. Members may also participant in special interest clubs (bunco, bridge, spades, books, etc) that meet throughout the month. For more information about PIE, please contact Katherine Pierce, President, at 361 960-0327 or Sandy Leber, Membership Chair, at 361 949-7145. KIWANIS Club of Padre Island. The Kiwanis Club of Padre is wrapping up their annual nut sale. All Proceeds Help Children! The Kiwanis meet at noon each Wednesday at Mikel May’s Restaurant. For more information contact Karen Wilson at 361-446-4626. e-mail at karenwilson61@ gmail.com.
Secondary Contact Person: Member – Brent Hess, bhess0604@gmail.com. 361-774-0089. Meetings: Open to the public, meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. Parrot Heads of Port Aransas – The Parrot Heads of Port Aransas will have a monthly meeting on Thursday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Island Hotel in Port Aransas on Hwy. 361. We also will be having a happy Hour on Thursday, May 22 at the Beach Lodge on the beach (Anchor Drive) in Port Aransas. Parrot Heads of Port Aransas is a not-forprofit organization whose purpose is to assist in community and environmental concerns and provide a variety of social activities for people who wish to volunteer. Founded in 2009 the club motto is “Partying With a Purpose.” To join go to portaransasparrotheads.com or call LuAnn Ferguson, 361 749-5141 or 817 291-7034. Padre Island Yacht Club - A members only Club, however we invite all Island residents to visit us. The PIYC is about boating, friendship and enjoying living on Padre Island. We collect more toys than any other organization in the area for the US Marines “Toys for Tots” program with La Posada events, including the Lighted Boat Parades. To schedule a visit or find out more information please contact John Diggins -
Island Real Estate
Consequences of Lender Delays By Mary Lou White marylou@baxterbrooks.com 361-960-9460 I have made the decision to address this issue, in print, because I have had two near disasters in less than a year. I guess the caveat here is: Pick Your Lender With Care! I think everyone would agree that the real estate market in Corpus Christi has definitely changed. For Sellers on the South Side, it has been a windfall. For Sellers in the older parts of town, it has been hard to accept and for Buyers it has been shocking and painful. We started the year with over two months of not so nice weather. It kept the movie theaters full, but it did not work very well for previewing homes for sale. Once the weather started to improve, the feeding frenzy began.
Realities of Loan Processing However, for lending processors, confined in cubby holes with files stacked on their desks, they only identify with their own pain. It is the perfect storm of issues that has led to this problem. Technology and the marketplace, both allowed and forced Lending Institutions to scale back to the bare minimum on personnel. Now that sales volumes have increased, the system that was already strained, is now overwhelmed. Add to that, new Federal Lending Guidelines that began in January 2014 and now the level of customer service to the borrowers is becoming critical, in my opinion.
Real Examples The scenario is this: the real estate transaction is on track and we are less than one week from the Closing Date, set in the original Contract. The Lender sends the file to the” Underwriter”, for final approval, before they prepare the HUD documents that Buyers and Sellers receive, when they actually sign the documents to transfer ownership of the property. OMG….. when the Appraiser filed his report to the Lender (who has the only copy)it stated certain repairs had to be completed, before the loan can be granted to the borrower. BUT, no one noticed this detail. Normally, when there are Lender required repairs, the Seller and Buyer must negotiate who will pay for these repairs, order and complete the work and have the home re-inspected (another fee) to determine it now meets Lender requirements. This can take days or weeks depending on the extent of the work and the ability to schedule repair trades. But, on the eve of closing, there is only one solution…..Buyers and Sellers must agree to sign an Amendment to the Contract, to extend the closing date and determine who will pay for the necessary repairs. When Sellers were lucky to find a Buyer….they would grit the teeth and sign the Amendment. NOW, it is entirely different. There may well be even better Back Up Offers waiting in the file or since the original Contract creation, the market has changed to allow a higher Sales Price. Especially if the home has had extensive repairs completed during the contract period. (New Roof or Foundation Work) Think about this: As the Buyer, you have done nothing wrong. You have passed the financial scrutiny to qualify for the loan. You have given notice to move to your Landlord or perhaps you have already negotiated a Contract on your present home. You have packed and scheduled the movers, maybe even lined up new utility connections and you are excited to be in your new home. Then comes the phone call that drops the bombshell. The Lender made a mistake and you may pay the price, in a big
Real Estate Ticker
216 Closed Transactions on South Side of Corpus Christi 90
Closed Transactions on the North Side of Corpus Christi
57
Closed Transactions in Calallen Area
54
Closed Transactions in Flour Bluff
82
Closed Transactions on Padre Island
78
Closed Transactions on Mustang Island
These numbers represent Closed Residential Sales on homes listed on the MLS system, from 15 March 2014 to 15 May 2014. Many NEW homes are Sold and Closed outside this system.
We now have Gluten Free Pizza!
POA - Padre Isles Owners Association. The Association’s primary responsibility is to maintain the Common Areas, assess and collect the annual fees and provide information and assistance to property owners. .. Membership in PIPOA is automatic for anyone acquiring record legal title to any property within Padre Isles. Their office is located at 14015 Fortuna Bay Drive on The Island. (361) 949-7025, padreisles@pipoa.net
Tony Amos is the Director. PI Dog Group (PI Dog). 750 Channel View Dr. Port Meets monthly for dog and Aransas. 361 749-6793, owner activities, training 361 442-7638. afamos@ and education. Next activity mail.utexas.edu. Saturday, April 5. Meet at Strategic The Padre Island Kiwanis Club Island 9:00 am at the parking lot at Action Committee. Is a Bristol Pavilion at Padre Bali has moved its Wednesday lunch 14-member committee Park for a beach walk. Bring meetings to MikelMays at Bob which meets (usually) Hall Pier leash, water for your dog & at 5:30 p.m. on the first you, poop bags, etc. Free to Tuesday of each month at join! To join visit padreislanddogpark.com or the Comfort Suites on Windward Drive. The contact Bev (bevhoffman@aol.com) or Lyn committee’s purpose is to advise the Corpus (lyn.edler@gmail.com). Christi City Council on matters pertaining to IUPAC (Island United Political Action The Island. Committee): Maximize representation of Island’s PIPPs Chapter of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi residents on Padre and Mustang Red Hat Society. In 2004 a group of Island Islands in area government by promoting ladies got together under a Palapa and founded and supporting, by the endorsement process, the Padre Island Palapa Pals (PIPPs). Our only proactive and unified voting in non-partisan rule is that there are no rules! We are all about races and other issues and referendums put to fun and friendship. We meet once a month for public vote. lunch and various fun outings from cupcake Contact Persons: President – Linda A Walsh making to CPR. lawalshva@yahoo.com 361-445-7999.
Legal Responses This issue has been on my hot button list since a near miss in March. I have asked three real estate attorneys about this issue and received different answers every time. I called TREC this week and they refused to comment, but they did refer me to Texas Association of Realtors Legal Hotline, which was helpful, but simply amounted to refer back to the original Contract. I decided to write about this problem anyway, so Buyers will be aware of what can happen when the Lender drops the ball. Just walking away, with your Earnest Money check in hand (luckily) is not nearly enough to cover all the possible financial and emotional ramifications, if this happens to you. Just this week, I was asked by a Lender to start the process of Extending the Closing Date because they cannot find an Appraiser able to complete his report, before the Closing Date in the Contract….Being Informed is a Good Thing.
Buyer Disaster
Phone 361-867-1313 as the Rear Commodore/ Membership for 2014.
ARK – Animal Rehabilitation Keep. Located in Port Aransas the ARK is affiliate with the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Center. They handle the rehabilitation of most species of wildlife in the area with an emphasis on marine animals. They care for abut 1300 animals each year, including about 300 sea turtles and more than 100 species of birds. If you find an animal in peril they can help
way! If the Seller refuses to make the repairs and the Buyer cannot or will not, the Contract Terminates and the Buyer receives his Earnest Money back less any expenses already incurred, by the Title Company, on Buyer’s behalf, per #7E, of the Contract. That is small consolation for all the other costly implications, now being faced by the Buyer. In addition, the Title Company may not release the Earnest Money until both the Buyer and Seller have signed the Release of Earnest Money Form. If the Seller were to refuse, in hopes of keeping the funds, that would be an even further delay and could prove very costly for the Seller, under #18 in the Contract form. Even if the Buyer decides to pay for the repairs, they cannot be accomplished, in the time remaining. There is language in #7F that might allow for an automatic extention of 15 days, without an Amendment to the Closing Date, but that is not entirely clear, due to the wording. It would probably require Attorney intervention, and that comes at a price.
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