THE KENOSHA KOЯNER: July 2008

It's been just over six months since that fateful day when Northpointe subdivision was one of the communities effected by the the JANUARY 7th tornado's that caught Kenosha, County by surprise.

As a resident of Northpointe, my home was one of the many affected by the storms. While the siren's raged throughout all of Kenosha County, and there were reports of sightings out in Wheatland, WI, I found myself racing home while on the phone with my then-pregnant wife, who was huddled in a corner of the basement with my sons and our dog.

I'll never forget the feeling in the pit of my stomach as I turned down our street and began to see the damage to our neighborhood. My next door neighbor was screaming in fear as she ran into what was left of her home to see if her husband and two children were safe.

In the end, nobody in our family, or in our neighborhood was injured. We were one of the more fortunate families with the damage being repairable, and all of our losses fully insured. Our next door neighbor's home had to be torn down and is almost rebuilt, and the neighborhood church is still under construction.

Six month's later, most in Northpointe, seem to have returned to business as usual. The sound of tornado sirens has been replaced by the melodic rifts of the ice cream truck. And on any given day, scores of neighborhood children can be seen riding their bicycles or playing basketball in a neighborhood driveway.

Overall Northpointe is a great little subdivision in Kenosha. There is a condo complex at the entrance, and the Northside Library is practically in the subdivision, only 2 blocks away and no major roads to cross. Piggly Wiggly is also within walking distance.  There are still currently some lots available as well as a few homes for sale. These homes are some of the best values in the Kenosha real estate market. Just to the west of Northpointe, is the Meadows at Hunters Ridge. These new homes are again, part of a short neighborhood walk, with no major streets to cross.

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Photos from KENOSHA NEWS ONLINE

http://kenoshanews.com/web_extra/index.php?galleryId=951617 

A recent post by Richard Smith brought forth thought provoking questions regarding the the validity and ethics of the newest generation of CREDIT REPAIR attorneys. Smith asks when credit repair crosses the line of ethics, and becomes the falsification of a credit report.

I prefer to take another angle on the subject. For years creditors have been able to label a consumer a “credit criminal” without the due process that is afforded to people being accused of crimes. While the American way has always been one of a “presumption of innocence” this is not only not the case with credit reporting, but often times credit problems can become a complete and utter nightmare for a consumer.

Today, more than ever, credit matters. Not only for the extension of credit, but for obtaining insurance, and employment as well. Insurers are using a consumers inability to pay a medical bill as a reason to charge more for insuring their home or automobile as if this raises the likelihood of an accident or fire. Does this make sense?

There are many rules regarding the reporting of derogatory credit items that creditors simply do not properly adhere to. The function of the credit repair attorney is to UNCOVER those rules not adhered to, and when a creditor has not followed the correct steps, force the creditor to remove the derogatory information. IS THIS LEGAL? MORE IMPORTANTLY IS IT ETHICAL?

My sincere belief is ABSOLUTELY. While we all find it reprehensible when a criminal is set free on a technicality, most of us understand that those few and far between cases make the overall criminal process in America one that is the best in the world. It forces prosecutors and police to follow a set of rules that takes into account the rights of the accused. This system ensures we as citizens do not fall prey to an overzealous or oppressive government.

The same can hold true with regard to credit reporting. For years the credit industry has gone unchecked when reporting derogatory information regarding a consumer. Because this type of practice is relatively new, there will be times when legitimately reported adverse credit information ends up deleted. Is this fair? Perhaps not, but some consumers actually DESERVE a second chance. For example, there are people who had an isolated period of instability which caused credit problems.

Some people will go on after credit repair to establish a positive pattern of credit habits, and probably contribute more to our economy than they would have if hampered by poor credit.

Others will have not learned their lesson and will go and ruin their credit again. These people will not benefit much from credit repair firms in the long run.

Perhaps there will be cases where after credit repair, a consumer obtains new credit, only to default immediately. These are added risks to creditors, but in the overall scheme of things, the risk is still relatively low. I think we should give people the benefit of the doubt. People who are willing to invest the time and money into repairing their credit are probably more likely the continue to work hard to preserve their newly acquired credit rating. The last thing we need is to have the creditors lobby the government that we need some sort of new regulation on this matter.

Ralph D. Nudi

Weichert, Realtors Unum Properties

Kenosha, WI

http://RalphNudi.com

http://UnumProperties.com

Ralph is a co-owner of Weichert, Realtors – Unum Properties in Kenosha, WI. Ralph is an expert in Kenosha Real Estate market. In addition to publishing articles on the Kenosha Housing Market and Kenosha landmarks and interesting articles regarding Kenosha Homes, Ralph is also a leading REO agent in Kenosha County and has specialized in pre-foreclosure and short sale homes for several years, closing over 100 short sale transaction in the last 24 months.

Are you considering a career in real estate?

Weichert, Realtors - Unum Properties will be holding a career seminar on TUESDAY AUGUST 12th 2008 at 6:30 PM at the KENOSHA PUBLIC LIBRARY at 1500 27th Avenue in KENOSHA, WI

If you are interested in learning more about a career in REAL ESTATE. Come to our free seminar. We will cover:

THE BENEFITS OF A REAL ESTATE CAREER

WHAT TRAINING DO YOU NEED TO OBTAIN A REAL ESTATE LICENSE

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR REAL ESTATE CLASSES

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

For more information or to make a reservation, contact us at (262) 997-0668 or EMAIL us at rnudi@weichert.com

Weichert, Realtors - Unum Properties

5017 Green Bay Rd.,

Kenosha, WI 53144

(262) 997-0668

www.RalphNudi.com

www.UnumProperties.com

www.Weichertup.com

Weichert, Realtors® Precision is Kenosha's fastest growing real estate company.

Over the past year we have doubled in agents AND our volume is up over last year in a down market.

At a time in the real estate industry when many agents are asking questions, we are providing answers!

Watch our video, and decide for yourself.

If you are interested in learning more about a career in REAL ESTATE or learning about Weichert, Realtors® Precision please contact us by phone (262.997.0668)  or email us  at ralph@ralphnudi.com

Or got to www.RalphNudi.com for more information!