HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have a safe and happy New Year from all of us at Newport Estates!  We'll see you here next year.

Share your New Years resolutions here with us!

MORE MICHIGAN JOBS FOR 2011

Recently I've posted a number of companies that are growing here in Michigan and creating additional jobs. 

Here's another company to check out.

A CHANCE TO WORK WITH GEORGE CLOONEY IN THE MOTOR CITY

For those of you who get star struck; here's your chance to work with George Clooney as a movie extra.

Check out this story at Mlive.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas from Newport Estates!

We'll see you again on Monday.  Have a great holiday!

WIND TURBINES COMING TO SAGINAW

It's nice to see stories about alternative energy that will create jobs while saving our valuable resources.

Check out this story from detnews.com.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR AUTO MAKERS

AP photo file from Mlive.com

I'm always in search of some good news for Michigan and I love to hear about increases in auto sales. 

Check out the full story from Mlive.com

THE BUSIEST MAIL DAY OF THE YEAR.

Today is the busiest mail day of the year, but the unexpected part is that the busiest location is right here in Michigan.

Check out the full story here from freep.com.

SECRET SANTA

It's always nice to hear tales of generosity, especially in these difficult economical times.  Check out this story about a local Metro Detroit Secret Santa.

This story is from freep.com.

THE FREE PRESS BUILDING LOFTS

The building, at 321 W. Lafayette in downtown Detroit, could house lofts and office and retail space.

(ED HAUN/Detroit Free Press)

What a great building for this type of project......it looks like construction could start as early as 2011 for lofts, offices, and retail.  Check out the full story here at freep.com. 

MORE JOBS FOR MICHIGAN

Any time I see a story about more jobs coming to Michigan it makes me happy.  I grew up in a household where my mother was a stay at home mom and my dad supported the family as a Ford Motor Company employee for 36 years until he retired.  For me, it's nice to see jobs slowly returning to the auto industry here in the Metro Detroit area.

Check out this story from Mlive.com.

WHY ARE THE ROADS SO ICY?

The roads have been terrible these last few days and everyone I've talked with is wondering where all the salt trucks are???  This video should clear up why the roads are so icy right now, however, it still doesn't really answer where the salt trucks have been hiding.

Click on Detroit Video

FIRST BIG SNOW OF THE YEAR



AP Photo | Detroit Free Press
Snow falls over saplings on Belle Isle in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010.

It looks like winter has arrived here in the Metro Detroit area.  Every year I dread the snow, but yet I'm still here in Michigan.  I ask myself the same question every year.......why?

I'd love to hear your feedback about Michigan winters.....do you love them or hate them?

MORE HIRING NEWS

Bank CFO's are talking about the number of employees they will need to hire for the coming year of 2011. 

Check out this Today Show link for the full story.

GOOD NEWS FOR MICHIGAN!

It's nice to see an article about Michigan being able to create hundreds jobs. 

Check out this article from the Detroit News online.

Let us know what you think.

A GREAT TIME TO BUY!

Even though mortgage rates showed a slight increase they are still very low, making it a great time to buy!  Check out our website for more information Newport Estates.

FREE LAND

I've seen articles posted recently showing free land in rural areas of the country and came across this article that was in the Wall Street Journal in September 2010. 

Check out this article, I'll be curious to see if this works for Muskegon.

BI-WEEKLY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS

People are always looking for a way to shorten the term of their existing mortgage and save money in the long run.  Bi-weekly mortgage payments are a less painful route to go and the savings can really add up for homeowners.

Check out this article on Bi-weekly mortgages from an MSN blog.

MORTGAGE TRENDS

Not a day goes by that mortgage rates aren't in the news in one way or another, however, we're seeing a good trend with rates continuing to fall.  For anyone building a home, buying an existing home or re-financing this is a great thing.

Check out this article from MSN Money - 5 year-end mortgage trends to watch now.

Feel free to share your mortgage stories here.

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Happy Hanukkah!

THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC

I woke this morning to a dusting of snow on the deck this first day of December.  It made me think about The Old Farmer's Almanac for some reason.  Even though I've lived here in Michigan my entire life, I'm not a fan of winter or snow.  The snow flurries prompted me to look and see what the trusty almanac had to say about the weather in the Metro Detroit area for the month of December.

The Old Farmer's Almanac weather predictions are as follows for Metro Detroit:
December 2010: temperature 29 ° (avg.); precipitation 4" (0.5" below avg. east, 2.5" above west); Dec 1-7: Sunny, then rain, mild; Dec 8-14: Rain and snow showers, seasonable; Dec 15-18: Rain to snow, mild; Dec 19-23: Snow showers, then sunny, warm; Dec 24-28: T-storms, then sunny, mild; Dec 29-31: Rain to snow, turning cold.