Michael's Florist and Greenhouse of West Deptford Can Help You Spruce Up Your Gloucester County Home and Landscape!

Whether you are buying a new home or sprucing up your current home, having a great landscape is an important part of home ownership, and it s certainly important when buying or selling a home. A front yard that "pops" when a buyer first drives up can be a huge benefit.

I've trusted Michael William's Florist and Greenhouse for the last 2 years and plan to do a sizable overhaul of my own landscape. That is one of the reasons I dropped by his place located in West Deptford, NJ. The pots at right are a client's own that Mike has help set-up with just the right size and type.

One of the most welcoming aspects of purchasing plants at Michael's is that he always gives some easy to remember advise on how to care for the plants. Many of us do not have a green thumb, and so a little advise goes a far way.

Well the season is just beginning and as you can see by the pictures here (all taken at Michael's), little stems and buds are starting to pop all over the place. There are plants for decoration, others for eating (you simply CAN NOT beat a Jersey Tomato!), and even others for helping control pests.

Michael's is currently preparing for their opening on April 1st, so that they can help you prepare for all of your plant, garden, and landscaping needs!

Driving Directions

From 295 South: take exit 20. Make a right onto Mid Atlantic Parkway. Make a left at Crown Point (Route 44) and then an immediate left on Fowler Road. Nursery is at the end of the road.

From 295 North: Take exit 20. Make a left at the light onto Mid Atlantic Parkway. Head straight to the light on Crown Point Road (Route 44). Make a left, and then an immediate left onto Fowler Road. Nursery is at the end of the road.

Call Mike @ 856-848-3945

E-mail Mike @ mikewh328@verizon.net

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Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail | NJ Loan Officer .com

Should Realtors Advise Their Clients to Not Accept Offers from Buyers Pre-Approved for USDA Financing?

If you don't know by now, USDA plans to be out of funds by the end of April of this year. So the question begs to be asked; Should listing agents advise their sellers go under contract with buyers purchasing using a USDA mortgage?

Without doubt there is a portion of buyers that can only finance a home using 100% USDA financing. Even the 3.5% FHA required down-payment is too much for some buyers. So should buyers be required to also be approved for alternate financing? Some lenders refuse to even write these loans out of fear. Or maybe ignorance.

With the first time buyer tax credit coming to an end soon, and most likely the number of home buyers thinning to some degree, all bases should be covered. At the very least a lender, buyer, and Realtor should all be on the same page and have their buyer's facts disclosed. If a buyer can only utilize USDA financing, then everyone needs to notified of how fast things must move, and the potential negative consequences.

USDA financing is a fanastic program. Denying a home buyer and seller to go to contract out of fear can be just as bad as going into a contract blindly. Lay out the facts; No surprises for buyer or seller. Keep the lines of communication constantly open. The reality is that you may have only one buyer to ever go under contract for a particular home. Can you risk saying "no"?

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail | NJ Loan Officer .com

Thanks ActiveRain for the Spotlight!!

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey with Treasury Mortgage, a subsidiary of Aurora Financial Group. For more info check out:

• NJ First Time Home Buyer, grants, down paymet assistance, and more
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Offering all aspects of purchase and refinance mortgages up to and over 100% of the home's value
• Home renovation loans for refinance or purchase mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Contact Steve Kappre directly: 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

If You Don't Promote "You", Who Will?

I used to be very shy, and in many ways I still am. But when you are self-employed, shy goes out the window. Well at least if you want to put food on the table.

One of my mentors growing up in the business taught me, "If you don't promote yourself, who will?" And it always stuck with me. Now I'm not talking about the self promoting professional that basically just states over and over, "Look at me, I'm so great!" or "Use me, I'm the best!" I'm just talking about general promotion.

Like me, you may be shy. Maybe you are looking for a way out of this corner. The greatest turning point for me was when I studied hardcore about the rules and guidelines associated with my business. Before then, I suppose I had a reason to be shy; I didn't know anything! Studying gave me the confidence I needed to step out.

One man once said, "Knowledge isn't power. Action is power". I agree with that statement, since a head full of knowledge does nobody any good without action. Having said that, you need a basis to act on, and therefore knowledge can be the foundation.

So when we look at promoting oneself, it isn't your broker's job, the company owner's job, or even your assistant's job (per se). It is your job as a professional. Even the highest level of professionals have to promote themselves. It is just part of the job. Get used to it. But please, don't tell me how awesome you are ... just share something useful and let the people come to you.

Be a magnet, not a noose.

Do you want to Suck More in 2010?

Thanks Carla for this comment - it made me laugh and created this blog post ;)

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey with Treasury Mortgage, a subsidiary of Aurora Financial Group. For more info check out:

• NJ First Time Home Buyer Mortgages, grants, down paymet assistance, and more
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Offering all aspects of purchase and refinance mortgages up to and over 100% of the home's value
• Home renovation loans for refinance or purchase mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Contact Steve Kappre directly: 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

Steve's Fan Page is HOT HOT HOT!!!

Rumor has it that this mortgage guy in New Jersey has one HOT FaceBook business page.

I'm not sold!

Maybe you want to check it out for yourself ...

What,  become a fan ??

I don't know.

Click on the fire and see what all the fuss is about.