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Holiday Lighting Ceremonies in Omaha

Friday, November 22, 2013

by Nancy Heim-berg

It's that time of year again when we gather together with families and friends to welcome in the Holiday Season! Here in the Omaha area, there will be some fun community festivities that you won't want to miss!

Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Midtown Crossing: Perhaps the first annual event to kick off the Holiday Season will be the exciting Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Midtown Crossing! This free family event will take place on Saturday, November 23rd, with the holiday lighting starting at dusk.
Miracle on Farnam: In conjunction with the Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Midtown Crossing, the Miracle on Farnam will also begin November 23rd at 2:00 PM at Midtown Crossing. This holiday tradition is a glorious celebration of holiday lights, cheer and top notch window displays! The window displays will be voted on by the public for the most dazzling and creative display, and the winner will receive a $3,000 donation to their business, courtesy of the Baer Foundation. This holiday display will be with the community all season long and wrap up at 1:00 AM on News Year's Day.
2013 Holiday Lights Festival at Gene Leahy Mall: At 6:00 PM on Thursday, November 28th, Mayor Stothert will lead a countdown which will kick off the 2013 Holiday Lights Festival! Join friends and family for this all-ages event at Gene Leahy Mall to see Downtown Omaha come to life with thousands of tiny white holiday lights! Show up a little earlier at 5:30 PM to enjoy musical performances by MasterSingers and the Jingle Brass Bells. These holiday lights will be set aglow each evening at 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM beginning with this event and will conclude January 5th, 2014.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

Credit Reports

Monday, November 18, 2013

by Nancy Heim-berg

If you're house hunting, whether it's for your first home or your fifth, you will eventually need to obtain a detailed copy of your credit report. And thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), initially passed in 1970, you are allowed to request a free copy of it once every 12 months.

The three companies responsible for distributing the vast majority of credit reports are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. These reports are what lenders use to underwrite mortgage loans.

It does not diminish your credit rating to use this program; rather, it allows you and your financial backer the opportunity to ensure the information listed therein is accurate, complete and up to date. Armed with this knowledge, among many other mitigating factors, you will be able to ascertain how easy or troublesome it will likely be to garner a home loan.

Credit Rating

The aforementioned credit reporting companies utilize a formula to calculate your credit rating. The results of this calculation are often referred to as your FICO score. Here is a simplified look at the primary factors that go into determining your FICO score, along with the percentage with which each is weighted:

Payment history (35 percent)
Amounts owed (30 percent)
Length of credit history (15 percent)
Types of credit used (10 percent)
New credit (10 percent)

Credit scores generally fall into the 300 to 850 range, with 850 being at the top. Most people tend to score in the 600s to 700. So it stands to reason that people with better scores get better interest rates and more options when applying for mortgage loans.

There are a number of things you, as a prospective homebuyer, can do to raise your credit score. Such tactics include making sure you're current on payments, keep your balances low on revolving credit card accounts (higher balances will lower your score), avoid making major purchases while applying for a mortgage, connect with your agent's preferred mortgage lender to find the best package for your financial circumstances and, finally, watch out for imposter sites. Be sure to check with your real estate agent for certified credit report companies during this process.

real estate buyers home buying credit reports credit rating credit score Fair Credit Reporting Act

Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall Nearing Grand Opening

Monday, November 11, 2013

by Nancy Heim-berg

On Friday, Nov. 15, the sparkling new Nebraska Crossing Outlets in Gretna will open its doors to the public, just in time for all of the holiday shopping madness.

Ever since construction on the 350,000-square-foot open-air shopping mall got underway in March, Nebraskans yearning for something fresh, new and exciting to enter their shopping and dining lives have followed the project's progress with the intensity of a young child watching Christmastime toy commercials on TV.

The $112 million mall, located approximately 20 miles southeast of downtown Omaha at the confluence of U.S. Highways 31 and 6 and Interstate 80, is, to say the least, an upgrade from the 20-year-old outlet mall it is replacing, which was demolished this past spring.

Nebraska Crossing Outlets will offer 65 outlet or factory stores and retailers. Some of the most popular name brands include the following:

Columbia
Old Navy
Tommy Bahama
Forever 21
Bose

And to ensure you don't go hungry or thirsty during your visit, Nebraska Crossing serves up a cornucopia of fine eateries, including, but not limited to, the following: